Modular furniture raceway component

• US 5,994,644 A
• Filed: 02/20/1998
• Issued: 11/30/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kewaunee Scientific Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kewaunee Scientific Corporation
• Inventors: Rindoks, Kurt P., Stephenson, Alan W.
• Primary Examiner(s): WILKENS, JANET MARIE
• Application Number:
  US09/027,373
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 174/48, 108/50.02, 312/223.3, 312/223.6, 312/263, 312/257.1, 312/265.5, 312/265.1, 52/220.7, 52/220.1, 52/36.5, 52/36.4, 52/578, 52/582.1, 403/256, 403/260, 403/231, 403/261, 211/189, 211/186, 211/26, 211/191, 361/829
• US Class Current: 174/495
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 21/06 characterised by means for holding, fastening or concealing cables
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 57/54 consisting of clamping means, e.g. with sliding bolts or sliding wedges fixed on cords or the like A47B43/006
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 96/14 Bars, uprights, struts, or like supports, for cabinets, brackets, or the like aspects of adjusting height or inclination of shelves or brackets A47B57/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/0431 Wall trunking

Abstract

An integrated raceway component for use in a modular furniture system which includes a pair of longitudinally extending channel members disposed in spaced parallel relationship to one another, each channel member having wall portions defining an open cavity for storing one or more wires therein and having extending end portions that form a longitudinally extending slot for receiving such wires. The end portions are formed to receive and support a mounting fastener within the cavity and resilient brushes are mounted in the end portions to extend across the slot. A connecting wall portion connects the channel members with a space therebetween, and a wire raceway members is received between the channel members. The wire raceway is slidably inserted between said channel members and retained thereat, and the wire raceway includes a cover plate having electrical outlets therein.

Claims

1. An integrated raceway component for use in a modular furniture system, said raceway component comprising:

(a) a pair of longitudinally extending channel members disposed in spaced parallel relationship to one another, each of said channel members having wall portions defining an open cavity for storing one or more wires therein and having extending end portions defining a longitudinally extending slot in communication with the open cavity for receiving the wires, each of said longitudinally extending slots being contained in substantially the same vertical plane and said extending end portions of each said channel member being formed to receive and support a mounting fastener within the open cavity and adjacent said longitudinally extending slot;

(b) a connecting wall portion connecting said channel members with a space therebetween;

(c) a wire raceway member dimensioned to be received between said channel members and adjacent said connecting wall portion, said wire raceway member having a front panel member provided with at least one electrical outlet therein;

(d) retaining means for permitting said wire raceway member to be slidably inserted between said channel members and retained thereat, whereby said integrated raceway component provides a composite wire management system for containing data lines, phone lines, electric power wiring, and individual electrical device wires while permitting the integrated raceway component to be readily connected to other components in the modular furniture system.

2. An integrated raceway component as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said channel members comprise a substantially u-shaped member, and further comprising resilient brush members mounted at the extending end portions of each of said channel members and extending across the longitudinally extending slot to provide a cover for the open cavity, whereby individual electrical device wires can be readily inserted in the open cavity through the resilient brush members and retained in the cavity.

3. An integrated raceway component as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said channel members comprise a substantially u-shaped member and wherein said retaining means comprise outwardly extending detents formed in each of the substantially u-shaped members and a shoulder formed on said wire raceway member, said outwardly extending detents being adapted and positioned to removably retain said wire raceway member when the wire raceway member is slidably inserted in the space between said channel members.

4. An integrated raceway component as defined in claim 1, wherein said extending end portions of each of said channel members further define support wall portions adjacent the longitudinally extending slot, said support wall portions being adapted and positioned to provide a support surface within the open cavity for supporting mounting fasteners.

5. An integrated raceway component as defined in claim 4, wherein each of said support wall portions further define a shoulder extending into the respective open cavity.

6. An integrated raceway component as defined in claim 4, wherein said extending end portions further define at least one longitudinally extending groove adjacent the longitudinally extending slot in each of said channel members and further comprising resilient brush members mounted in the at least one longitudinally extending groove for extend across the longitudinally extending slot to provide a cover for the open cavity.

7. An integrated raceway component as defined in claim 1, further comprising at least one upwardly extending support stanchion and wherein each of said channel members comprises a u-shaped member and wherein said wall portions further define a projecting wall portion adapted and positioned to be received by said at least one support stanchion.

8. An integrated raceway component as defined in claim 1 wherein the front panel member of said wire raceway member extends substantially completely between said channel members.

9. An integrated raceway component for use in a modular furniture system that includes vertically extending support stanchions, said raceway component comprising:

(a) a pair of longitudinally extending channel members disposed in spaced parallel relationship to one another, each of said channel members being substantially u-shaped and having wall portions defining an open cavity for storing one or more wires therein and extending end portions defining a longitudinally extending slot for receiving the wires, each of the end portions defining support wall portions adjacent the longitudinally extending slot to provide a support surface within the open cavity for supporting mounting fasteners and each of the end portions further defining at least one groove having resilient brush members mounted therein and extending across the longitudinally extending slot to provide a cover for the open cavity;

(b) a connecting wall portion connecting said channel members;

(c) a wire raceway member dimensioned to be received between said channel members and adjacent said connecting wall portion; and

(d) retaining means for permitting said wire raceway member to be slidably inserted between said channel members and retained thereat, said retaining means comprising at least one outwardly extending detent formed in each of said substantially u-shaped members and at least one shoulder formed on said wire raceway member, said at least one outwardly extending detent in each said member being adapted and positioned to removably retain said wire raceway member when the wire raceway member is slidably inserted in the space between said channel members, whereby the integrated raceway component provides a composite wire management system for containing both electric power wiring and individual electrical device wires while permitting the integrated raceway component to be readily connected to other components in the modular furniture system.

10. An integrated raceway component as defined in claim 9, wherein each of said u-shaped channel members defines a projecting wall portion adapted and positioned to be received by one of the support stanchions of the modular furniture system, whereby the integrated raceway component can be mounted between two support stanchions to provide a trim filler therebetween.

11. An integrated raceway component for use in a modular furniture system, said raceway component comprising:

(a) a housing defining at least one longitudinally extending channel member having wall portions defining a first open cavity for storing one or more wires therein and having extending end portions that form a longitudinally extending slot in communication with the first open cavity for receiving the wires, said end portions having resilient brush members for covering said longitudinally extending slot and for permitting said wires to penetrate said resilient members and be contained within the first open cavity; and

(b) a longitudinally extending wire raceway member adjacent said channel member, said wire raceway member having a second open cavity formed therein for containing electric power wiring and having a longitudinally extending cover plate provided with at least one electrical outlet therein, said longitudinally extending cover plate and said resilient members being generally adjacent one another, whereby said integrated raceway component provides a composite wire management system for containing both electric power wiring and individual electrical device wires.