Beam-type work station improvements

• US 6,076,903 A
• Filed: 03/04/1998
• Issued: 06/20/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nova-Link Limited
• Original Assignee: Nova-Link Limited
• Inventors: Vander Park, Antonius Adrian
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ANDERSON, GERALD A
• Application Number:
  US09/034,716
• Time in Patent Office: 839 Days
• Field of Search: 52/36.1, 52/36.2, 52/36.4, 52/36.6, 108/50.02, 108/101, 108/97, 108/96, 108/95, 312/195, 312/198, 312/196, 312/107, 312/223.1, 312/223.3, 312/223.6, 312/265.6, 312/265.4
• US Class Current: 312/196
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 17/003 made of metal
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 21/06 characterised by means for holding, fastening or concealing cables
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 83/001 Office desks or work-stations combined with other pieces of furniture, e.g. work space management systems

Abstract

A work station suitable for mounting office equipment, and particularly electrical equipment, including an elongate support beam and legs for mounting this beam in a horizontal position above a floor. Work surfaces are mounted on at least one side of this beam and a support wall is mounted on top of the beam. A support wall extension is mounted on top of this support wall so as to increase the overall height of the wall. A self-supporting equipment cabinet is connectible to one end of the support beam and has an access opening in at least one side located adjacent the end of the beam. This opening permits wiring and cable to extend from the cabinet into the beam. Support brackets with horizontal inner arm sections and steeply sloping intermediate arm sections are provided to connect work surface members to the beam.

Claims

1. A work station suitable for mounting office equipment comprising:

an elongate support beam;

supporting legs for mounting said beam in a horizontal position above a floor;

work surface apparatus mountable on at least one side of said beam and including a flat work surface member;

a primary support wall capable of bearing loads and mountable on top of said beam in a substantially vertical position so as to be supported by said beam, said primary support wall having a top edge portion with at least two openings formed therein; and

a support wall extension mounted on top of said primary support wall so as to provide a combined support wall having an overall height greater than the height of the primary support wall, said support wall extension being detachable from said primary support wall and having a rigid panel covered section comprising at least two rigid metal panel members forming front and rear surfaces of said support wall extension and at least two parallel support posts extending downwardly from a bottom edge of said panel covered section, said at least two metal panel members being mounted on said at least two support posts,

wherein said openings in said primary support wall receive lower sections of said at least two support posts in order to mount and rigidly support said support wall extension on said primary support wall and wherein bottommost edges of said at least two rigid metal panel members are spaced above said top edge portion of said primary support wall in order to provide a horizontally extending gap between said primary support wall and said bottommost edges providing access for cable or wiring into hollow interiors of the primary support wall and said support wall extension.

2. A work station according to claim 1 including two, detachable trim panels extending over a front and a rear of said support wall extension and detachably mounted to said support wall extension below said at least two, rigid metal panel members, said trim panels having a generally flat outer surface and being made of a thinner metal than said rigid metal panel members.

3. A work station according to claim 2 wherein each trim panel has an L-shaped flange extending along an upper edge of the trim panel and projecting inwardly from the trim panel'"'"'s outer surface and further has connecting members mounted on an inner surface of the trim panel.

4. A work station according to claim 1 wherein a top edge of said support wall extension is formed with an inverted U-shaped channel member with two downwardly extending sides and a web portion connecting these two sides, said web portion having two or more, spaced-apart holes formed therein.

5. A work station suitable for mounting office equipment comprising:

an elongate support beam having a top with holes formed therein;

supporting legs for mounting and supporting said beam in a horizontal position above a floor;

work surface apparatus mountable on at least one side of said beam and providing a flat work surface;

a primary support wall capable of bearing loads and mountable on top of said beam in a generally vertical position so as to be supported by said beam and detachably connected thereto;

said support wall having a panel covered and at least two primary support posts extending downwardly from a bottom edge of said panel covered portion, at least two of said holes formed in the beam being capable of receiving said at least two primary support posts for mounting said primary support wall on said beam; and

a support wall extension mounted on top of said primary support wall so as to provide a combined support wall having an overall height greater than the height of the primary support wall, said support wall extension having a panel covered section and at least two extension support posts extending downwardly from a bottom edge of said panel covered section and into at least two openings formed in a top edge portion of said primary support wall, said panel covered section including at least two rigid metal panel members extending over front and rear surfaces of said support extension and mounted on said at least two extension support posts,

wherein at least one of said rigid panel members has a series of horizontal connecting rails integrally formed thereon and distributed over an outer surface of the at least one rigid panel member.

6. A work station according to claim 5 wherein said panel covered section of the support wall extension is substantially hollow to permit easy passage of wires and cables therethrough.

7. A work station according to claim 5 wherein said at least two rigid metal panel members are made of aluminum or aluminum alloy and said connecting rails each have an L-shaped cross-section with an upwardly extending leg spaced from said outer surface of the at least one rigid panel member.

8. A work station according to claim 5 wherein said at least two rigid metal panel members are made of aluminum or aluminum alloy, said connecting rails each have an L-shaped cross-section, and said connecting rails extend the length of their respective metal panel members.

9. A work station according to claim 8 wherein said extension support posts each comprise two, elongate channel members placed back-to-back and rigidly connected together.

10. A work station according to claim 5 wherein said at least two primary support posts are spaced inwardly from vertically extending ends of said panel covered portion.

11. A work station according to claim 5 wherein bottommost edges of said at least two rigid metal panel members are spaced above said top edge portion of said primary support wall in order to provide a horizontally extending gap providing access for cable or wiring into a hollow interior of sad support wall extension.

12. A work station according to claim 11 wherein said support wall extension includes two vertical end columns located at said opposite ends of the support wall extension and bottom ends of said end columns engage and are supported on said top edge portion of the primary support wall.

13. A work station suitable for mounting office equipment comprising:

an elongate support beam;

supporting legs for mounting said beam in a horizontal position above a floor;

work surface apparatus mountable on at least one side of said beam and including a flat work surface member;

a hollow primary support wall capable of bearing loads, mountable on top of said beam in a substantially vertical position, and having two opposite ends that extend vertically, said primary support wall having a top edge portion with at least two openings formed therein, said at least two openings being spaced inwardly from said opposite ends, said support wall further including rigid metal panel members forming front and rear surfaces of the support wall;

a support wall extension mountable on said top edge portion of said primary support wall and providing thereby a combined support wall having an overall height greater than the height of the primary support wall, said support wall extension being detachable from said primary support wall and having a rigid panel covered section comprising at least two further rigid metal panel members forming front and rear surfaces of said support wall extension, and at least two parallel support posts extending downwardly from and connected to said further rigid metal panel members, said support posts being spaced inwardly from opposite ends of the support wall extension,

wherein, during use of said support wall extension, said at least two support posts extend through said at least two openings in said top edge portion and are supported along front and rear sides of said support posts by said metal panel members of said primary support wall.

14. A work station according to claim 13 wherein said support wall extension includes two vertical end columns located at said opposite ends of the support wall extension and, during use of said support wall extension, bottom ends of said end columns engage and are supported on said top edge portion of the primary support wall.

15. A work station according to claim 14 wherein, when said support wall extension is mounted on said primary support wall, bottommost edges of said at least two further rigid metal panel members are spaced above said top edge portion of said primary support wall in order to provide a horizontally extending gap between said primary support wall and said bottommost edges.

16. A work station according to claim 15 wherein at least one of said further rigid metal panel members of said support wall extension has horizontal connecting rails integrally formed thereon.

17. A work station according to claim 16 including two, detachable trim panels extending over a front and a rear of said support wall extension, said two trim panels having a generally flat outer surface and being made of a thinner material than said rigid metal panel members of the support wall extension.

18. A work station according to claim 16 wherein said at least two rigid metal panel members are made of aluminum or aluminum alloy and said connecting rails each have an L-shaped cross-section with an upwardly extending leg spaced from an outer surface of the respective panel member.