Prefabricated furniture system

• US 6,250,020 B1
• Filed: 06/03/1999
• Issued: 06/26/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Steelcase Development Inc.
• Original Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Inventors: Shipman, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Friedman, Carl D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CHI Q
• Application Number:
  US09/325,482
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• Field of Search: 522/39, 52/361, 522/861, 522/381
• US Class Current: 52/36.1
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2/7433 with panels and support posts
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2002/7483 Details of furniture, e.g. tables or shelves, associated with the partitions
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2002/749 Partitions with screw-type jacks

Abstract

A prefabricated furniture system including an overhead framework having utility conduits and supporting a plurality of rigid infill panels. The framework extends over the floor of a building space, and has a plurality of posts, and a plurality of beams, at least some of which are supported at a predetermined elevation above an average user height to define an open, three-dimensional gridwork which spatially partitions the associated portion of the building space. The utility conduits extend along the posts and the beams to provide access to utilities throughout the gridwork. The rigid infill panels are shaped for positioning between the beams and the floor of the building in side-by-side juxtaposition. The infill panels include rigid marginal frames, each having a generally rectangular front elevational shape, an interior marginal edge with an interior channel opening toward the interior of the associated one of the frames, and an exterior marginal edge with an exterior channel opening outwardly. A first one of the infill panels includes a rigid center panel mounted in the interior channel of the associated one of the frames to define a framed infill panel. A second one of the infill panels includes at least one flexible cover panel having marginal edges thereof received and retained in the exterior channel of the associated one of the frames, such that the cover panel wraps around the associated frame to define a wrapped infill panel, whereby the framed and wrapped infill panel can be installed at various locations throughout the gridwork.

Claims

1. A prefabricated furniture system for interior building space of the type having a floor with an open plan, comprising:

an overhead framework extending over the floor of the building space, and including a plurality of posts, and a plurality of beams, at least some of which are supported at a predetermined elevation above average user height to define an open, three-dimensional gridwork which spatially partitions the associated portion of the building space;

utility conduits extending along said posts and said beams to provide access to utilities throughout said gridwork;

a plurality of rigid infill panels, shaped for positioning between said beams and the floor of the building in side-by-side juxtaposition;

said infill panels including rigid marginal frames, each having a generally rectangular front elevational shape, an interior marginal edge with an interior channel opening toward the interior of the associated one of said frames, and an exterior marginal edge with an exterior channel opening outwardly; and

wherein

a first one of said infill panels includes a rigid center panel mounted in the interior channel of the associated one of said frames to define a framed infill panel; and

a second one of said infill panels includes at least one flexible cover panel having marginal edges thereof received and retained in the exterior channel of the associated one of said frames, such that said cover panel wraps around the associated frame to define a wrapped infill panel, whereby said framed and wrapped infill panel can be installed at various locations throughout said gridwork to create workstations with visual privacy and utility access, and can be rearranged to accommodate different work requirements and create different aesthetics.

2. A furniture system as set forth in claim 1, including:

a plurality of connector keys shaped for close reception in the exterior channel of said frames, and extending between laterally adjacent ones of said frames to align and interconnect the same.

3. A furniture system as set forth in claim 2, wherein:

said frames each include opposite faces; and

said wrapped infill panel includes one said cover panel on both of said faces of the associated frame.

4. A furniture system as set forth in claim 3, including:

a plurality of retainer keys shaped for close reception in the exterior channel of said frames, and retaining each said cover panel therein.

5. A furniture system as set forth in claim 4, wherein:

said beams include downwardly opening channels shaped to receive and retain therein upper portions of said infill panels.

6. A furniture system as set forth in claim 5, wherein:

each said frame includes a top frame member, a bottom frame member, and a pair of opposite side frame members which are rigidly interconnected.

7. A furniture system as set forth in claim 6, wherein:

said side frame members have a curvilinear cross-sectional shape and taper inwardly toward said interior marginal edge; and

said exterior marginal edge of said frames is generally flat and oriented substantially perpendicular to said faces, such that said lateral cross-sectional shape defines a bull nose configuration.

8. A furniture system as set forth in claim 7, wherein:

said infill panels are shaped for positioning side-by-side with adjacent ones of said exterior marginal edges in abutment.

9. A furniture system as set forth in claim 8, wherein:

said connector keys comprise elongate bars having a generally rectangular lateral cross-sectional shape with opposite sides thereof closely received in adjacent ones of said exterior channels.

10. A furniture system as set forth in claim 9, wherein:

each said cover panel is constructed from a fabric material.

11. A furniture system as set forth in claim 10, wherein:

said center panel is constructed from a transparent material.

12. A furniture system as set forth in claim 10, wherein:

said center panel is constructed from a perforated panel.

13. A furniture system as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said frames each include opposite faces; and

said wrapped infill panel includes one said cover panel on both of said faces of the associated frame.

14. A furniture system as set forth in claim 1, including:

a plurality of retainer keys shaped for close reception in the exterior channel of said frames, and retaining each said cover panel therein.

15. A furniture system as set forth in claim 14, wherein:

said connector keys comprise elongate bars having a generally rectangular lateral cross-sectional shape with opposite sides thereof closely received in adjacent ones of said exterior channels.

16. A furniture system as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said beams include downwardly opening channels shaped to receive and retain therein upper portions of said infill panels.

17. A furniture system as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

each said frame includes a top frame member, a bottom frame member, and a pair of opposite side frame members which are rigidly interconnected, and have a substantially similar lateral cross-sectional shape.

18. A furniture system as set forth in claim 17, wherein:

said side frame members have an arcuately shape cross-section and taper inwardly toward said interior marginal edge; and

said exterior marginal edge of said frames is generally flat and oriented perpendicular to said faces, such that said lateral cross-sectional shape defines a bull nose configuration.

19. A furniture system as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said infill panels are shaped for positioning side-by-side with adjacent ones of said exterior marginal edges in abutment.

20. A prefabricated furniture system for interior building space of the type having a floor with an open plan, comprising:

a framework extending over the floor of the building space, and including a plurality of posts, and a plurality of beams supported at a predetermined elevation to define an open, three-dimensional gridwork which spatially partitions the associated portion of the building space;

utility conduits extending along said posts and said beams to provide access to utilities throughout said gridwork; and

a plurality of rigid infill panels shaped for positioning between said beams;

said infill panels including rigid marginal frames, each having a generally rectangular front elevational shape, an interior marginal edge with an interior channel opening toward the interior of the associated one of said frames, and an exterior marginal edge with an exterior channel opening outwardly; and

wherein

a first one of said infill panels includes a rigid center panel mounted in the interior channel of the associated one of said frames to define a framed infill panel; and

a second one of said infill panels includes at least one flexible cover panel having marginal edges thereof received and retained in the exterior channel of the associated one of said frames, such that said cover panel wraps around the associated frame to define a wrapped infill panel, whereby said framed and wrapped infill panel can be installed at various locations throughout said gridwork to create visual privacy.

21. A prefabricated furniture system as set forth in claim 20, wherein:

at least one of said beams is disposed overhead and defines an overhead beam;

at least one of said beams is disposed between the floor and said overhead beam and defines an intermediate beam; and

at least one of said infill panels is shaped to fit between said overhead beam and said intermediate beam.

22. A prefabricated furniture system as set forth in claim 21, including:

a plurality of said intermediate beams disposed in a generally horizontal orientation at various heights; and

at least one of said infill panels is shaped to fit between two vertically adjacent intermediate beams.

23. A prefabricated furniture system as set forth in claim 22, wherein:

at least one of said infill panels is shaped to fit between the floor and said intermediate beam.

24. A prefabricated furniture system as set forth in claim 23, wherein:

at least one of said infill panels is shaped to fit between the floor and said overhead beam.

25. A prefabricated furniture system as set forth in claim 24, wherein:

said intermediate beams include a downwardly opening channel extending along the lower wall thereof and an upwardly opening channel extending along an upper wall thereof;

said upper and lower channels being similarly shaped, and adapted to receive therein a portion of one of said infill panels.

26. A method for making infill panels for space partition systems and the like of the type having:

a framework extending over the floor of the building space, with a plurality of posts, and a plurality of beams supported at a predetermined elevation to define an open, three-dimensional gridwork which spatially partitions the associated portion of the building space;

providing a plurality rigid marginal frames, each having a generally rectangular front elevational shape, an interior marginal edge with an interior channel opening toward the interior of the associated one of said frames, and an exterior marginal edge with an exterior channel opening outwardly;

mounting a rigid center panel in the interior channel of a first one of said frames to define a framed infill panel; and

mounting a flexible cover panel having marginal edges thereof received and retained in the exterior channel of a second one of said frames, such that the cover panel wraps around the associated frame to define a wrapped infill panel whereby the framed and wrapped infill panel can be installed at various locations throughout the gridwork to create workstations and visual privacy, and can be reconfigured to create different aesthetics.

27. A method as set forth in claim 26, including:

inserting connector keys in the exterior channel of the frames, so as to extend between laterally adjacent ones of the frames to align and interconnect the same.

28. A method as set forth in claim 27 wherein:

said flexible cover mounting step includes wrapping one of the flexible cover panels on both of the faces of the frames.

29. A method as set forth in claim 28, including:

inserting retainer keys in the exterior channel of the frames to retain each of the cover panels therein.