Work-station with climate control capabilities

• US 5,624,312 A
• Filed: 06/09/1995
• Issued: 04/29/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: William R. Collier
• Original Assignee: William R. Collier
• Inventors: Collier, William R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Joyce, Harold
• Application Number:
  US08/489,042
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 454/185, 454/186, 454/241, 454/245, 454/247, 454/306
• US Class Current: 454/247
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2083/025 Computer workstation with integrated seat
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/0076 Vertical technical column supporting office equipment
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/06 Desks with inlet and evacuation of air
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2221/38 Personalised air distribution
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 7/08 with separate ducts for supplied and exhausted air with provisions for reversal of the input and output systems

Abstract

A work station for supplying conditioned air and electrical conductors to the vicinity of a worker, for withdrawing return air from the space near the worker and for seating the worker and positioning his/her equipment. The work station includes a services distributor with vertically extending but separated passageways dedicated exclusively to supply air, return air and electrical wiring. A portion of the structure contains adjustable support arms for positioning equipment to be used by the workers; the seat is positioned adjacent the service distributor. Communication spaces are provided at spaced apart points whereby the services may leave or enter their vertically extending spaces and travel generally horizontally to those areas in which the services needed or are to be used. The apparatus preferably, but not necessarily, includes a task lighting that illuminates the area surrounding the worker and/or the equipment positioned by the support arms.

Claims

1. A work station for office or clerical workers comprising, in combination, a support plate, a user seat positioned on a portion of said support plate and adapted to seat a worker in a desired position, a service distributor unit extending vertically and having its lower portion fixedly mounted to a portion of said support plate, said distributor unit including vertically extending walls defining an interior air supply space with a lower opening providing access to an area beneath said support plate, said space extending at least to a position adjacent the top of said distributor unit, interior walls at least partially defining a vertically extending return air space, separate from said supply air space, said return air space including at least one air inlet adjacent a lower portion of said distributor unit and having a return air outlet communicating with the space beneath said support plate, and additional vertical walls defining an interior wireway space and separating said wireway space from supply and return air spaces, a plurality of equipment positioners adjustably mounted with respect to a central portion of said work station and including support arms for positioning equipment to be used by seated workers positioned in said seat, with said wireway space providing a passage for conductors, extending from beneath said support plate through said wireway space and to said equipment positioned by said support arms.

2. A work station as defined in claim 1 which further includes a light positioned within the upper portion of the work station interior to furnish indirect lighting to the vicinity of said station.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said equipment positioners are in the form of rotatable rings.

4. A work station as defined in claim which further includes a plurality of track lights positioned adjacent an upper portion of said work station.

5. A composite work station including a climate control and an electrical distribution capability, said work station comprising, in combination, a vertically extending, substantially hollow column structure, said column structure including interior walls dividing said hollow interior into an air supply space extending between the lowermost portion of the column and an upper portion of the column, an air supply outlet adjacent said upper portion of said column, a return air space having at least one inlet near the lower portion of said column, an electrical space isolated from said return air space and said air supply space, said electrical space including a wall portion for receiving an outlet receptacle, at least one receptacle positioned by said wall, plural equipment positioners affixed to a central portion of said column, said equipment positioners being vertically arranged with respect to one another and being movable about the center of said column, each of said positioners including an equipment support arm extending outwardly therefrom, an air volume control unit permitting the operator to regulate the volume of air flowing through said air supply space, and with said air supply and return spaces and said electrical space each including an open passage for communication with an area beneath said column structure.

6. A combination work station and climate control apparatus comprising, in combination, a main support plate, a user seat supported on and positioned by said support plate, a vertically extending, hollow air supply column permitting air to flow from a space beneath said support plate through an inlet at the bottom of said column to an outlet above said user seat, horizontal and vertical walls defining an inner air return space having inlet openings adjacent said user seat and at least one outlet communicating with a space beneath said support plate, additional walls defining an electrical conductor space separated from said air spaces and extending from beneath said support plate to a receptacle mounting area adjacent said user seat, and a plurality of adjustable equipment positioning rings mounted for movement about at least one of said air and electrical spaces, said apparatus further including a control for regulating the volume of air flow through said air supply column to provide climate control for said user.

7. A combination work station and climate control apparatus comprising, in combination, a multi-level raised floor including a work area floor substantially coextensive with the walls of a room in which said raised floor is to be installed on a base floor, at least one subfloor positioned beneath said work floor and in use spaced upwardly apart from said base floor of the building in which the apparatus is installed, a plurality of vertical panels extending between the outer periphery of said subfloor and upwardly to said work floor so as to divide the area beneath said floor into at least upper and lower, mechanically separated subfloor spaces, at least one vertical passage extending from a portion of said lower space through said upper space and to provide communication between said space above said work floor and said lower subfloor space, at least one providing a path of communication between said upper subfloor space and the space above said work floor, a combination work station and climate control apparatus positioned on said work floor, said work station including a vertically extending main structure having portions thereon for supporting and adjustably positioning equipment to be used by worker at said work station, and at least two mechanically separate, vertically extending spaces within said main structure, one of said spaces being an air supply space extending from one of said subfloor spaces to an outlet adjacent the upper end of said main structure, and the other being an electrical space in communication with the other of said subfloor spaces, and a flow control unit in at least one of said subfloor spaces and said main structure for controlling the flow of supply air from said subfloor space through said main structure.

8. An apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said at least upper and lower subfloor spaces comprise a third mechanically isolated subfloor space, wherein said at least two vertically extending spaces in said main structure further includes a third vertical space for return air, with said third subfloor space and said third vertical spaces are in communication with each other.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said lower subfloor space is an air supply space, wherein said upper subfloor space is a wireway space.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said upper subfloor space is a return air space.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said third subfloor space is an air return space, said lower subfloor space is an air supply space, and said upper subfloor space is an electrical wireway space.