Furniture arrangement configured to support overhead utilities and lighting

• US 6,250,019 B1
• Filed: 04/09/1999
• Issued: 06/26/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Steelcase Development Inc.
• Original Assignee: Steelcase Development Corporation (Steelcase Incorporated)
• Inventors: Tanis, Gregory M., Montgomery, Howard M., Hirai, Yasuyuki, Simons, George J. Jr., Buchalter, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stephan, Beth A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILKENS, KEVIN DOUGLAS
• Application Number:
  US09/289,778
• Time in Patent Office: 809 Days
• Field of Search: 52/28, 52/361, 522/207, 522/39, 362/145, 362/147
• US Class Current: 52/36.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2037/005 Tables specially adapted for laboratories
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/00 Lighting devices intended for fixed installation F21S9/00, F21S10/00 take precedence; using a string or strip of light sources F21S4/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 27/00 Cable-stowing arrangements structurally associated with lighting devices, e.g. reels storing lengths of cable in general B65H; the lighting devices being vehicle headlamps F21S41/192; the lighting devices being vehicle lights F21S43/195
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/0012 Furniture hospital beds F21V33/0072
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/0048 Office articles, e.g. bookmarks, desk lamps with drawers, stands for books or music scores
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0008 providing for indirect lighting
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2103/00 Elongate light sources, e.g. fluorescent tubes

Abstract

A furniture arrangement includes an overhead support defining an elongated overhead utility channel, and one or more lamps attached to the overhead support in recesses formed by the utility channel. A dome-shaped reflector or gull-wing-shaped light-distributing member is attached to the overhead support for distributing light from the lamps downwardly into side areas around the overhead support. The light-distributing members are positioned to both distribute light from the lamp and to visually shield contents of the utility channel from people standing around (or above) the side areas. The utility channel forms light-source recesses for receiving the lamps and lamp ballasts, and wireway recesses for receiving lay-in wiring and utilities, which wiring and utilities are guided by the light-distributing members into the wireway recesses. The overhead support can be part of a partition panel or can be supported on an overhead beam(s) forming part of an overhead framework for distributing utilities throughout an office area and for supporting office accessories. A narrower embodiment utilizes a pair of spaced parallel overhead beams, with a trough recessed between and supported by the parallel overhead beams.

Claims

1. A furniture arrangement comprising:

an overhead framework of interconnected horizontal beams, including an overhead support defining an elongated overhead utility channel, the overhead support including a first overhead beam forming part of the overhead framework;

at least one lamp attached to the overhead support; and

at least one light-distributing member attached to the overhead support and disposed to both distribute light from said lamp and to visually shield contents of the utility channel from at least one direction.

2. The furniture arrangement defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one light-distributing member is removable.

3. The furniture arrangement defined in claim 1, wherein the interconnected horizontal beams include a second overhead beam that is spaced from and extends parallel the first overhead beam.

4. The furniture arrangement defined in claim 3, wherein the overhead utility channel includes a trough having side sections supported by the first and second overhead beams.

5. The furniture arrangement defined in claim 1, wherein the overhead support defines opposing side areas, and wherein the at least one light-distributing member includes opposing sections each configured to distribute light onto an associated one of said side areas, each opposing section being configured to visually shield contents of the utility channel from persons standing in the associated one of said side areas.

6. The furniture arrangement defined in claim 5, wherein the at least one lamp includes first and second lamps associated with one of the opposing sections for lighting an associated one of the side areas, and wherein the overhead utility channel includes up flanges forming recesses receiving the first and second lamps, the recesses facing upwardly so that light from the first and second lamps is emitted upwardly toward the opposing sections, where the light is then reflected downwardly.

7. The furniture arrangement defined in claim 5, wherein the opposing sections have first and second reflective surfaces facing concavely downwardly for reflecting light from the at least one lamp to the respective side areas.

8. The furniture arrangement defined in claim 7, wherein the opposing sections are separate components, and wherein the first and second reflective surfaces sweep upwardly and outwardly from the overhead support to define a gull-wing shape.

9. The furniture arrangement defined in claim 1, including a vertical portion of the light-distributing member that structurally engages the overhead support to structurally support the light-distributing member on the overhead support.

10. The furniture arrangement defined in claim 9, including a post connector that is elongated and that extends vertically and that is adapted to matably receive the vertical portion on the light-distributing member.

11. The furniture arrangement defined in claim 9, wherein the overhead support includes up flanges that define the overhead utility channel.

12. The furniture arrangement defined in claim 1, wherein the overhead utility channel includes a first recess forming a first raceway for first utilities, and a second recess separated from the first recess and forming a first space to receive the at least one lamp.

13. The furniture arrangement defined in claim 12, wherein the overhead utility channel includes a third recess forming a second raceway for second utilities separated from the first raceway.

14. The furniture arrangement defined in claim 13, wherein the at least one lamp includes a first lam and a second lamp, the first lamp being in the first space, and wherein the overhead utility channel includes a fourth recess forming a second space to receive the second lamp.

15. A furniture arrangement comprising:

an overhead support defining an elongated overhead utility channel;

at least one lamp attached to the overhead support; and

at least one light-distributing member attached to the overhead support and disposed to both distribute light from said lamp and to visually shield contents of the utility channel from at least one direction;

wherein the overhead support defines opposing side areas, and wherein the at least one light-distributing member includes opposing sections each configured to distribute light onto an associated one of said side areas, each opposing section being configured to visually shield contents of the utility channel from persons standing in the associated one of said side areas;

wherein the opposing sections have first and second reflective surfaces facing concavely downwardly for reflecting light from the at least one lamp to the respective side areas; and

wherein the opposing sections are opposing halves of the same component, and wherein the first and second reflective surfaces sweep outwardly and downwardly from a center of the overhead support to define a dome shape.

16. A furniture arrangement comprising:

an overhead support defining an elongated overhead utility channel;

at least one lamp attached to the overhead support; and

at least one light-distributing member attached to the overhead support and disposed to both distribute light from said lamp and to visually shield contents of the utility channel from at least one direction; and

a vertical portion extending from the light-distributing member;

the overhead support including opposing flanges that engage opposing faces of the vertical portion to structurally stably connect the at least one light-distributing member to the overhead support.

17. A furniture arrangement comprising:

an overhead support defining an elongated overhead utility channel;

at least one lamp attached to the overhead support; and

at least one light-distributing member attached to the overhead support and disposed to both distribute light from said lamp and to visually shield contents of the utility channel from at least one direction;

wherein the overhead support defines opposing side areas, and wherein the at least one light-distributing member include sections each configured to distribute light onto an associated one of said side areas, each opposing section being configured to visually shield contents of the utility channel from persons standing in the associated one of said side areas;

wherein the at least one lamp includes first and second lamps associated with one of the opposing sections for lighting an associated one of the side areas, and wherein the overhead utility channel includes up flanges forming recesses receiving the first and second lamps, the recesses facing upwardly so that light from the first and second lamps is emitted upwardly toward the opposing sections, where the light is then reflected downwardly; and

wherein the flanges form up recesses and include a bottom flange that extends longitudinally a distance greater than a width between opposing side faces of the overhead support.

18. A furniture arrangement comprising:

an overhead support defining an elongated overhead utility channel;

at least one lamp attached to the overhead support; and

at least one light-distributing member attached to the overhead support and disposed to both distribute light from said lamp and to visually shield contents of the utility channel from at least one direction; and

wherein the overhead support includes an upwardly open thin recess, and wherein the at least one light-distributing member comprises a sheet having an edge shaped to fit within the thin recess.

19. A furniture arrangement comprising:

an overhead support defining an elongated overhead utility channel;

at least one lamp attached to the overhead support; and

at least one light-distributing member attached to the overhead support and disposed to both distribute light from said lamp and to visually shield contents of the utility channel from at least one direction; and

wherein the overhead support includes a top horizontal frame member of a partition frame.

20. A furniture arrangement comprising:

an overhead beam dividing a work area into opposing side areas;

an elongated overhead support adapted to receive utilities and that is attached to and supported atop the overhead beam, the overhead support including a bottom flange and up flanges defining elongated recesses, at least one of the recesses being constructed to receive lay-in wiring and a second one of the recesses forming a utility channel;

at least one lamp attached to the overhead support and positioned in one of the recesses; and

a light-distributing member attached to the overhead support and disposed to both distribute light from said lamp downwardly toward at least one of the side areas and to visually shield contents of the utility channel from a person viewing the utility channel from a side thereof.

21. A furniture arrangement comprising:

an overhead support defining an elongated overhead utility channel with an elongated narrow raceway therein for receiving wiring;

at least one lamp attached to the overhead support; and

at least one light-distributing member attached to the overhead support and disposed to distribute light from said at least one lamp, the light-distributing member being curvilinearly shaped and having an unencumbered surface configured to guide wiring toward the raceway during lay-in of the wiring, and concurrently having a reflective surface configured to distribute the light generally outwardly and downwardly from the at least one lamp.

22. The furniture arrangement defined in claim 21, wherein the at least one light-distributing member includes opposing sheet sections, the opposing sheet sections each having a first surface configured to reflect and distribute light from the at least one lamp downwardly onto areas beside the sheet sections, and each having a second surface opposite the first surface that forms a funnel that directs the wiring toward and into the raceway during lay-in of the wiring.