Furniture system comprising worktops that can be equipped with fittings

• US 6,170,410 B1
• Filed: 06/14/1999
• Issued: 01/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Castelli SPA
• Original Assignee: Castelli SPA
• Inventors: Gioacchini, Nilo, Mittino, Giuseppe
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Jose V.
• Application Number:
  US09/284,686
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 108/153.1, 108/50.01, 108/50.07, 108/64, 312/195, 312/196, 312/223.3, 312/223.6
• US Class Current: 108/153.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2037/005 Tables specially adapted for laboratories
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/08 Linkage means with struts between foot and table top
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 87/002 Combination of tables; Linking or assembling means therefor

Abstract

A furniture system including at least one worktop which mounts thereon a plurality of legs adjustable in height. The legs are connected to respective support plates recessed in the underside of the worktop. At least one linear guide is recessed into the underside of the worktop for the mounting of accessories on the worktop. A plurality of worktops can be mounted in spaced relation from a support surface by a common leg via support arms. The worktops can be joined together in either a flush arrangement or separated from one another. In the separated configuration, a tray can be fitted in the space between two adjacent worktops for the housing of cables, electrical sockets and the like.

Claims

1. A furniture system comprising at least one worktop mounting thereon a plurality of legs to support the one worktop from a support surface, the one worktop including a plurality of support plates fixed to an underside thereof in predetermined positions, comprising the improvement wherein an elongate linear guide is fixed to the underside of the one worktop between at least two of the support plates and close to one edge of the worktop, the support plates and the linear guide being mounted in recesses defined in the underside of the one worktop.

2. The furniture system according to claim 1 wherein the linear guide is channel-shaped in transverse cross-section.

3. A furniture system according to claim 1 including at least one accessory and a coupling member which engages with the linear guide for fixing the accessory to the worktop in any longitudinal position along the linear guide.

4. A furniture system according to claim 3 wherein the linear guide defines an elongate channel therein, the coupling member including engagement means selectively insertable into and movable within the channel and a clamp which locks the engagement means within the channel at a selected position therealong.

5. A furniture system according to claim 3 wherein the linear guide includes a downwardly-opening channel-section defined by a pair of generally upright side walls and a pair of flanges which extend generally transversely inwardly from lower edges of the respective side walls, the flanges having inner opposed edges which together define a longitudinally extending slot, and the coupling member includes a plate which is engaged within the channel-section so as to traverse the slot thereof and a clamping element which locks the plate within the channel-section at a selected position and engages the plate with the respective flanges, the clamping element being releasable so as to permit positional adjustment of the plate along the channel-section.

6. A furniture system according to claim 5 including at least one accessory mounted to the worktop so as to be positioned adjacent and above an edge thereof, and an elongate support arm which is angled relative to the horizontal and includes a cup-shaped portion at one end thereof and supports the accessory adjacent an opposite end thereof, the clamping element cooperating with the cup-shaped portion to mount the arm at a selected position along the linear guide at the underside of the worktop.

7. A furniture system according to claim 6 wherein the opposite end of the support arm is socket-shaped for receiving an elongate and generally vertically oriented rod which projects upwardly and mounts the accessory thereon in a position above the worktop.

8. A furniture system according to claim 5 including at least one accessory mounted to the worktop so as to be positioned generally adjacent an edge thereof and below the worktop, an elongate and generally vertically oriented rod which projects downwardly from the underside of the worktop and is fixed thereto by a bracket which cooperates with the clamping element, the rod mounting the accessory thereon.

9. A furniture system according to claim 1 including a pair of the worktops, an elongate connecting arm having respective mounting elements at opposite ends thereof, and a pair of coupling members which interconnect the respective mounting elements of the connecting arm to the linear guides of the respective worktops to interconnect same in side-by-side relation with one another.

10. A furniture system according to claim 1 wherein each leg includes a foot at a lowermost end thereof, each foot including a first adjustment mechanism for making fine adjustments in the vertical height of the respective leg, and a second adjustment mechanism for making coarse adjustments in the vertical height of the respective leg.

11. A furniture system according to claim 10 wherein the foot of each leg includes a tubular wall, and the second adjustment mechanism includes a sleeve which is disposed in a telescoping manner within the tubular wall and a clamping element which releasably clamps the sleeve against the tubular wall, the sleeve including a guide arrangement which cooperates with the clamping element, the clamping element being positionally adjustable along the guide arrangement to effectively adjust the position of the sleeve relative to the tubular wall and selectively increase or decrease the height of the respective leg.

12. A furniture system according to claim 11 wherein the guide arrangement includes at least one opening within the sleeve which is defined by an elongate and vertically oriented first slot and a plurality of second slots which communicate with the first slot and project sidewardly therefrom in vertically spaced relation with one another, the clamping element being positionable within one of the second slots to selectively increase or decrease the height of the respective leg.

13. A furniture system according to claim 1 including a plurality of elongate support arms for mounting the worktop on the respective legs, each support arm including a support portion at one end thereof which is fixed to one of the support plates, an intermediate portion which is angled with respect to the horizontal, and a coupling portion at an opposite end thereof which is mounted to an upper end of a respective leg.

14. A furniture system according to claim 1 including at least two of the worktops which are supported by a common leg, and first and second elongate support arms for mounting the two worktops on the common leg, each support arm including a support portion at one end thereof, a coupling portion at an opposite end thereof, and an intermediate portion which extends therebetween, the support portion of the first support arm being fixed to one of the support plates on one worktop and the support portion of the second support arm being fixed to one of the support plates on the other worktop, and the coupling portions of the first and second support arms both engaging within an upper tubular end of the common leg to mount the respective support arms thereon.

15. A furniture system according to claim 14 wherein the intermediate portions of the respective support arms are angled relative to the horizontal such that the common leg is spaced laterally outwardly from the two worktops.

16. A furniture system according to claim 15 wherein the coupling portions of the respective support arms are each configured as complementary pie-piece shaped sectors, with the sectors being combined with at least one pie-piece shaped filler sector and grouped about a common vertical axis to together form an upright and generally cylindrical coupling group, the coupling group having a lower small diameter end which engages within the upper tubular end of the common leg and defines a generally central and vertically oriented opening for receiving a clamping member which fixes the coupling group within the upper tubular end.

17. A furniture system according to claim 16 wherein the coupling group defines an upper sloped wall and a lower frustoconical wall, the clamping member including an upper compression element with a sloped wall and a lower frustoconical expansion element which are interconnected via an elongate fastener, wherein upon manipulation of the fastener the upper compression element and the lower expansion element are moved toward one another which causes the lower expansion element to press against the lower frustoconical wall to force the small diameter end against the upper tubular end of the common leg, and the sloped wall of the upper compression element to press against the upper sloped wall of the coupling group to force the respective sectors against one another exteriorly of the common leg.

18. A furniture system according to claim 15 wherein the support arms position the two worktops adjacent one another such that respective substantially straight edges thereof are opposed to one another, the respective support plates defining a plurality of predetermined mounting locations thereon, the support portions of the respective arms being fastenable to the respective support plates at a selected mounting location to rigidly join the two worktops together so that the edges thereof are either disposed in abutting or horizontally spaced relation relative to one another.

19. A furniture system according to claim 18 wherein the respective support plates include at least one pair of diametrically opposed threaded holes each of which defines a respective mounting location, the support portions of the respective arms being fixed to the respective support plates via a threaded fastener engaged within one of the threaded holes.

20. A furniture system according to claim 18 wherein a pair of horizontally spaced common legs support the two worktops via respective pairs of first and second support arms and the two tables are rigidly joined together so that the edges thereof are disposed in horizontally spaced relation from one another, and an elongate channel member is disposed in an elongate spaced defined between the respective opposed edges of the two worktops, the channel member being at least partially supported by the respective pairs of support arms.

21. A furniture system comprising at least one worktop which mounts thereon a plurality of legs to support the worktop in upwardly spaced relation from a support surface, the worktop including a plurality of support plates fixed to an underside thereof in predetermined positions and a plurality of support arms for mounting the worktop on the respective legs, each support arm including a support portion which is fixed to one of the support plates and a coupling portion opposite the support portion which engages within an upper end of a respective leg, comprising the improvement wherein the furniture system includes at least two of the worktops supported by a pair of the support arms on at least one common leg, each support plate defining a plurality of predetermined mounting locations thereon, the respective support portions of the pair of support arms being fastenable to a respective support plate at a selected mounting location thereon to rigidly join the two worktops together in adjacent relation so that respective opposed edges thereof are disposed in flush or separated relation from one another.

22. A furniture system according to claim 21 wherein a pair of horizontally spaced common legs support the two worktops via respective pairs of support arms and the respective support portions of the pairs of support arms are each fastened to the corresponding support plate at a selected mounting location to join the two worktops together so that the opposed edges thereof are disposed in separated relation from one another, and a channel member is disposed in a space defined between the respective opposed edges of the two worktops, the channel member being at least partially supported by the respective pairs of support arms engaged within the respective common legs.

23. A furniture system according to claim 21 wherein each support plate defines therein at least one pair of diametrically opposed mounting holes, each mounting hole defining a mounting location, the respective support portions of the pair of support arms being fixed to the respective support plates via an elongate fastener engaged within one of the mounting holes.

24. A furniture system comprising a worksurface supported in upwardly spaced relation from a support surface by a plurality of generally upright legs, a plurality of support plates which are recessed into the underside of the worksurface in predetermined positions for mounting an upper end of a respective upright leg or a support arm which mounts the worksurface on the respective leg, and an elongate linear guide which extends generally longitudinally along a terminal edge of the worksurface and is recessed into the underside thereof generally between two of the support plates, the guide reinforcing the worksurface against bending and defining a coupling area for connection of an accessory to the worksurface.

25. A furniture system according to claim 24 including an accessory and a coupling member, the guide defining a downwardly opening channel therein in which the coupling member is slidably horizontally movable to permit mounting of the accessory at a selected location along the terminal edge of the worksurface.

26. A furniture system according to claim 25 including a plurality of the worksurfaces and a plurality of the support arms, wherein at least two of the worksurfaces are supported by a common upright leg by a first and a second of the support arms, the first and second support arms each including a support portion defined at one end thereof and a mounting portion defined at an opposite end thereof, the support portion of the first support arm being fastened to a support plate of one of the worksurfaces and the support portion of the second support arm being fastened to a support plate of the other worksurface, the mounting portion of the respective first and second support arms both being engaged within an open upper end of the common upright leg, and the first and second support arms being supportable on the common upright leg in angular relation with one another to permit positioning of the two worksurfaces in multiple angular positions relative to one another.

27. A furniture system according to claim 26 wherein three or more worksurfaces are supported by a common upright leg by a corresponding number of the support arms with the respective support potions thereof each being fastened to a support plate of one of the worksurfaces and the respective mounting portions thereof all being engaged within an open upper end of the common upright leg.

28. A furniture system according to claim 26 wherein the support plates are mounted adjacent terminal edge portions of the respective worksurfaces and each of the support plates defines a plurality of mounting holes therein which are horizontally and diametrically spaced from one another, the support portions of the respective support arms being fastened to a selected mounting hole of a respective support plate by a threaded fastener to permit the two worksurfaces to be arranged so that respective terminal edges thereof are disposed in either spaced or abutting relation with one another.

29. A furniture system according to claim 26 wherein each support arm includes an intermediate elongate part disposed between and interconnecting the respective support portion and mounting portion thereof, the intermediate elongate part being angled relative to the horizontal so that the support portion and mounting portion respectively define upper and lower terminal ends of the support arm which are spaced both vertically and horizontally from one another with the common upright leg being spaced laterally outwardly from the two worksurfaces.