Support assembly with a storable foot support

• US 6,119,989 A
• Filed: 12/29/1997
• Issued: 09/19/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Herman Miller Incorporated (Millerknoll Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Herman Miller Incorporated (Millerknoll Incorporated)
• Inventors: Craycraft, Cecil P., Miles, George A., De Pree, Michael L., Hollington, Geoff A., Achterhof, Dean D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramirez, Ramon O.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HEISEY, DAVID E
• Application Number:
  US08/999,453
• Time in Patent Office: 995 Days
• Field of Search: 248/188.6, 248/165, 248/166, 248/170, 248/188, 248/188.1, 248/188.2, 248/188.4, 248/188.8, 248/188.91, 108/115, 108/160, 108/8, 108/9, 108/6, 108/124
• US Class Current: 248/188.2
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 13/02 Underframes
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 17/003 made of metal
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 91/00 Feet for furniture in general castors B60B33/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/608 Pivoted

Abstract

A support assembly for supporting an object on a floor. The support assembly includes a leg member and a heel member mounted on said leg member. The heel member is adapted to engage the floor. A foot member is pivotally attached to the leg member. The foot member is adapted to pivot between an upright storage position and a lateral support position. When in the lateral support position, the foot member is adapted to engage the floor at a point spaced apart from the heel member. In a preferred embodiment, a cover is provided to conceal the foot member when placed in the upright storage position. In a preferred embodiment, the heel member comprises a height adjustable glide device that includes a base portion and a stem portion extending upwardly from the base portion. A shaft is disposed in the stem portion and operable engages an actuator disposed in a cavity formed in the base portion. The shaft operably engages the leg member to provide vertical adjustment of the leg member. In a preferred embodiment, the support assembly also includes a support bracket releasably mounted to the leg member. The support bracket and leg member are adapted so as to permit the support bracket to be rotated between at least three positions relative to the leg member.

Claims

1. A support assembly for supporting an object on a floor, said support assembly comprising:

a leg member;

a foot member pivotally attached to said leg member about a horizontal axis of rotation, said foot member pivotable between an upright storage position and a lateral support position; and

a brace member connecting said leg member and said foot member when said foot member is in the lateral support position so as to prevent said foot member from pivoting into said upright storage position, said brace member threadably engaging one of said foot member and said leg member and operably engaging the other of said foot member and said leg member, said brace member having a longitudinal extent defining an axis of threadable rotation, said axis of threadable rotation being substantially perpendicular to said horizontal axis of rotation, wherein said brace member is rotatable about said axis of threadable rotation, and wherein said threadable engagement of said brace member with said one of said foot member and said leg member pivots said foot member relative to said leg member about said horizontal axis of rotation.

2. The support assembly of claim 1 wherein said foot member comprises a support arm adapted to engage said floor when in said lateral support position and a lock arm extending laterally from said support arm.

3. The support assembly of claim 2 wherein said brace member threadably engages one of said lock arm and said leg member and operably engages the other of said lock arm and said leg member.

4. The support assembly of claim 3 wherein said brace member threadably engages said lock arm.

5. The support assembly of claim 4 wherein said lock arm comprises a pair of lugs and a shaft rotatably mounted to said lugs, said shaft having a threaded opening positioned between said lugs, wherein said brace member threadably engages said shaft at said threaded opening, and wherein said brace member operably engages said leg member opposite said shaft.

6. The support assembly of claim 5 wherein said leg member further comprises a pair of side walls and a pin mounted between said side walls, wherein said foot member is pivotally mounted on said pin.

7. The support assembly of claim 6 wherein said side walls further comprise a support plate disposed along each side of a bottom portion of said leg member, and wherein said pin is mounted to said support plates.

8. The support assembly of claim 4 further comprising a bracket disposed in said leg member, said bracket having a forwardly facing groove, and a bar member rotatably attached to an end of said brace member, said bar member adapted to operably engage said groove when said foot member is in the support position.

9. The support assembly of claim 8 wherein said bar member is removed from said groove when said foot member is in said upright storage position.

10. The support assembly of claim 8 further comprising a pair of guide members each having a slot, wherein said bar member is slidably disposed in said slots, and wherein said foot member is locked in place when said bar member is trapped between said groove and one end of said slot.

11. The support assembly of claim 1 wherein said leg member further comprises a bracket disposed in said leg member, said bracket having a forwardly facing socket, and said brace member further comprising a swivel member rotatably attached to an end of said brace member, said swivel member slidably received in said socket, wherein said brace member braces said foot member against said leg member when said foot member is in said lateral support position.

12. The support assembly of claim 1 wherein said leg member is adapted to conceal said foot member when placed in said upright position.

13. The support assembly of claim 12 wherein said leg member further comprises an inner structure and a cover disposed on said inner structure, said cover extending forwardly from said inner structure to form a cavity, wherein said foot member is disposed in said cavity when placed in said upright storage position.

14. The support assembly of claim 13 wherein said cover further comprises a first and second member attached to said leg member, said cover members forming a cavity between them.

15. The support assembly of claim 14 wherein said cover members are hingedly attached to said leg member, said cover members forming a cavity between them when placed in a closed position, and wherein said cover members can be pivoted to an open position so as to access the foot member when placed in the upright storage position.

16. A desk supported on a floor, said desk comprising:

a work surface member;

a leg member extending downwardly from a rear portion of said work surface member, wherein said leg member has a recess;

a foot member pivotally attached to a bottom of said leg member, wherein said foot member is pivotable between an upright storage position and a lateral support position, and wherein said foot member braces said leg member when in said support position so that the desk is prevented from tipping over; and

a brace member connecting said foot member and said leg member when said foot member is in said support position, said brace member having an end portion configured to be removeably received in said recess, said end portion disposed in said recess and abuttingly engaging said leg member when said foot member is in said support position, and wherein said end portion is removed from said recess when said foot member is in said upright storage position.

17. The desk of claim 16 wherein said foot member comprises a first end adapted to engage said floor and a second end pivotally mounted to said leg member about a horizontal axis of rotation, and wherein said second end is connected to said brace member.

18. The desk of claim 17 wherein said foot member further comprises a lock arm extending from the second end of said foot member, and wherein said brace member extends between said lock arm and said leg member.

19. The desk of claim 18 wherein said brace member is pivotally attached to said lock arm and said leg member and releasably engages said leg member.

20. The desk of claim 19 wherein said leg member comprises a bracket, wherein said recess is formed in said bracket, and wherein said brace member releasably engages said bracket when said foot member is positioned in said support position.

21. The desk of claim 20 wherein said recess is formed as a forwardly facing socket, and wherein said end portion of said brace member comprises a swivel member slidably received in said socket.

22. The desk of claim 20 wherein said recess is formed as a substantially horizontal groove, and wherein said end portion comprises a substantially horizontal bar member, wherein said bar member releasably engages said groove when said foot member is positioned in said support position.

23. A support assembly for supporting an object on a floor, said support assembly comprising:

a leg member;

a foot member pivotally attached to said leg member about a horizontal axis of rotation, said foot member pivotable between an upright storage position and a lateral support position, said foot member having a length; and

wherein said leg member comprises opposite sides and a first and second cover member mounted to said opposite sides, said cover members forming a cavity, said foot member disposed in said cavity when in said upright storage position.

24. The support assembly of claim 23 wherein said leg member further comprises an inner structure and a cover disposed on said inner structure, said cover forming the cavity.

25. The support assembly of claim 23 wherein the first and second cover members are hingedly mounted to the leg member along a rear portion of the cover members.