Worktop and frame construction

• US 6,101,954 A
• Filed: 12/17/1998
• Issued: 08/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rosemount Office Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: Rosemount Office Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Mumm, Barry R., Rein, Russell J., Mollenkopf, Lloyd C.
• Primary Examiner(s): WILKENS, JANET MARIE
• Application Number:
  US09/213,802
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: 108/149, 108/156, 108/157.1, 108/157.16, 108/158.11, 108/158.12, 108/159, 108/90, 108/50.01, 108/50.02, 108/91, 108/161, 108/180, 108/151, 108/101, 108/18 6, 312/140.1, 312/140.2, 312/140.3, 312/140.4, 312/194, 312/195, 312/196, 312/239, 312/223.3, 312/223.6, 312/351.1, 312/351.3, 248/414, 248/188.5, 40/607, 52/220.7, 52/220.1, 52/783.1, 52/795.1, 52/800.1, 52/802.1, 52/802.11, 52/36.1
• US Class Current: 108/50.02
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 17/003 made of metal
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2037/005 Tables specially adapted for laboratories
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 21/06 characterised by means for holding, fastening or concealing cables

Abstract

A worktop and frame construction which utilizes a frame body that forms a generally flat, relatively thick panel that has an hour-glass shape in plan view so that in the center of the frame body clearance is provided for knees of a user of the worktop. The frame body is supported on legs that are assembled without using tools by having tapered sockets and mating tapers at the ends of the legs that tightly and securely fit into the tapered sockets. The workstation parts can be easily assembled on site. The frame body is a sandwich construction which has peripheral frame members that form outwardly opening raceways for wiring.

Claims

1. A support frame body for a workstation worktop comprising a generally flat body having end portions that extend in front to rear directions a greater distance than center portions, the frame body having a substantially continuous perimeter and having leg supports at corners thereof, said frame body comprising a sandwich construction having perimeter frame members, and top and bottom panels secured to the frame members, and to the corner leg supports.

2. The support frame body of claim 1, wherein said leg supports comprise tapered bore socket spools having top and bottom flanges that are secured to the top and bottom panels forming the frame body.

3. The support frame body of claim 2 wherein a pair of legs are provided in the leg supports on a rear side of the frame body, a pair of support extension posts telescopically mounted in such legs, said extension posts extending upwardly from the frame body, a worktop supported on said frame body having openings for the extension posts to pass therethrough, said legs being tubular and having an interior surface, and the extension posts each having a flared end that is tightly slidably fitted on the interior surface of a respective leg and which flared ends are spaced downwardly from upper ends of the legs in use to provide a stable support for the extension posts extending above the worktop.

4. The support frame body of claim 3 and a housing supported on the extension posts having end panels with apertures therein, threaded fasteners passing from the posts through the apertures, wing nuts for threading on the fasteners on an interior side of each of the end panels for securing the end panels, and a separate cover sliding on the interior of the housing adjacent and spaced from each end panel and having a stop portion adjacent the wing nuts for engaging the wing nuts on the fasteners for the respective end panel when the wing nuts tend to turn on the threaded fasteners.

5. The support frame body and worktop of claim 3 wherein one of the frame body and worktop has key hole slots, and the other of the frame body and worktop has pins mounted thereon, the worktop being supported on the frame body and the pins interlocking with the keyhole slots and holding said pins in position.

6. The support frame body of claim 1 wherein said perimeter frame members comprise channel cross section shapes on at least major portions of a periphery of the frame body, said channel cross section shapes having upper and lower flanges and opening outwardly from the frame body to define raceways along substantial portions of the frame body.

7. The support frame body of claim 6 and snap-in covers engaging the upper and lower flanges of the channel cross section shape perimeter frame members form enclosed raceways for holding wiring.

8. A workstation assembly comprising a frame body forming a generally flat support having an hour-glass shape in plan view, a worktop mounted on said frame body, said frame body being supported on a plurality of legs, a pair of extension posts on a back side of said worktop extending above said worktop, a panel extending between the pair of extension posts and being shorter upwardly than the extension posts, smooth shanked pins passing through each of the extension posts toward the space between the extension posts and engaging openings in an adjacent end of the panel, and spacers having passages fitting over the smooth shanked pins between the panel and the respective extension post, said pins each having an annular groove defined therein between the respective extension post and the panel, and the passage of each spacer having a reduced sized portion that slips into the groove of its associated smooth shanked pin and locks the associated pin from axial movement.

9. The assembly of claim 8 wherein said spacers comprise a saddle shaped member and each passage comprising a longitudinally extending passage that opens to one side of the respective spacer.

10. The assembly of claim 8 wherein said pins have heads with surfaces facing the extension posts that are configured to form to the outer surfaces of said extension posts, said extension posts being generally cylindrical tubes.

11. The assembly of claim 8 wherein said frame body has four socket members with tapered interior bores at support corners thereof, and said legs having a corresponding taper that fits within one of the tapered bores, respectively, and which tapers tighten down from weight acting vertically downward on the frame body.

12. A workstation assembly comprising a frame body forming a generally flat support having an hour-glass shape in plan view, a worktop mounted on said frame body, said frame body being supported on a plurality of legs, a plurality of spool socket members, one for each leg, mounted relative to the frame body, the spool socket members having tapered bores, and said legs each having tapers at an upper end that fits within one of the tapered bores, respectively, the tapers tightening into the socket members from weight acting vertically downward on the frame body.

13. The workstation assembly of claim 12 wherein said frame body comprises a sandwich construction having peripheral frame members, with top and bottom flanges, the spool socket members having top and bottom spool flanges, and top and bottom wall panels adhesively secured to the flanges of the frame members, and to the spool flanges.

14. The workstation assembly of claim 13 wherein the flanges of said peripheral frame members are spaced apart to form outwardly opening raceways, and the spool flanges aligning with frame member flanges to form raceway portions at corners of the frame body.

15. The workstation assembly of claim 14 and snap-in covers engaging the top and bottom frame flanges and the spool flanges to form enclosed raceways for holding 0wiring.

16. A workstation assembly comprising a generally flat frame body having end portions that extend in front to rear directions, the flat frame body having leg supports at corners thereof, a leg mounted on each of the leg supports including a pair of rear legs on a rear side, a pair of telescoping extension posts, one mounted in each of the pair of rear legs, said extension posts extending upwardly through the flat frame body, a worktop supported on said flat frame body and having openings for the extension posts to pass therethrough, said pair of rear legs being tubular and having an interior surface, and the extension posts having flared ends that are tightly slidably fitted on the interior surface of the posts, respectively, and wherein the flared ends are spaced downwardly from upper ends of the rear legs in use to provide a stable support for the extension posts extending above the worktop.