Table leg wire management apparatus

• US 6,293,506 B1
• Filed: 05/01/1998
• Issued: 09/25/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ditto Sales Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ditto Sales Incorporated
• Inventors: Gutgsell, David R., Schwinghammer, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Anita M.
• Application Number:
  US09/071,870
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• Field of Search: 248/49, 248/51, 248/188.1, 248/918, 108/50.01, 108/50.02, 312/223.3, 312/223.6, 174/101, 174/95, 174/97, 174/48, 174/49
• US Class Current: 248/188.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 21/06 characterised by means for holding, fastening or concealing cables
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/918 Ancillary device support associated with a video display screen

Abstract

A furniture leg wire management apparatus is configured for use with a furniture leg formed by opposite leg posts separated by a gap. The apparatus includes a legway defined by an elongated tubular body. The body includes a forward portion and opposite clamping arms that are resiliently deflectable toward each other. The clamping arms are deflected when the legway is pushed into the gap between the leg posts and provide an outwardly directed force to clamp the legway in this operative position. The tubular body further includes a central rib terminated in a rear flange. The central rib divides the legway into two wire/cable channels, while the rear flange cooperates with the clamping arms to define opposite elongated slots. The slots communicate with the two cable channels to provide an avenue to feed the wires/cables into a corresponding channel. The wire management apparatus further includes a decorative cover plate that is removably mounted on the legway to improve its aesthetics.

Claims

1. A wire management assembly for an article of furniture comprising:

a leg connectable to the article of furniture and configured for supporting the article of furniture, said leg including at least two elongated leg posts defining a gap having a width therebetween; and

a legway removably disposed within said gap, said legway including an elongated tubular body defining a channel for receiving wires and/or cables therethrough, said tubular body having a pair of opposite elongated clamping arms configured to receive a portion of a corresponding leg post therein, said clamping arms having an unstressed configuration that exceeds said width of said gap and including means for resiliently deflecting said clamping arms toward each other to a position in which said clamping arms are disposed within said gap,

said tubular body of said legway having a top end and an opposite bottom end, said top end arranged adjacent the article of furniture when the leg is connected to the article of furniture and said legway is disposed within said gap, said body defining a cutout at said bottom end sized to receive the wires and/or cables passing therethrough, and said tubular body defining a notch extending from said top end, said notch sized to receive the wires and/or cables therethrough.

2. A wire management assembly for an article of furniture comprising:

a leg connectable to the article of furniture and configured for supporting the article of furniture, said leg including at least two elongated leg posts defining a gap having a width therebetween; and

a legway removably disposed within said gap, said legway including an elongated tubular body defining a channel for receiving wires and/or cables therethrough, said tubular body having a pair of opposite elongated clamping arms configured to receive a portion of a corresponding leg post therein, said clamping arms having an unstressed configuration that exceeds said width of said gap and including means for resiliently deflecting said clamping arms toward each other to a position in which said clamping arms are disposed within said gap, said tubular body defining at least one slot extending along the length of said body between said clamping arms, said slot being sized to receive the wires and/or cables therethrough for introduction into said channel of said legway.

3. The assembly of claim 2, said tubular body defines a central rib disposed between said clamping arms, said rib dividing said channel into two channels for passage of the wires and/or cables.

4. The assembly of claim 3, wherein said tubular body defines a rear flange extending from said central rib, said central rib cooperating with one of said clamping arms to define said slot extending along the length of said body, said central rib cooperating with the other of said clamping arms to define a second slot extending along the length of said body, each of said slots sized to receive the wires and/or cables therethrough for introduction into a corresponding one of said two channels.

5. A wire management assembly for an article of furniture comprising:

a leg connectable to the article of furniture and configured for supporting the article of furniture, said leg including at least two elongated leg posts defining a gap having a width therebetween;

a legway removably disposed within said gap, said legway including an elongated tubular body defining a channel for receiving wires and/or cables therethrough, said tubular body having a pair of opposite elongated clamping arms configured to receive a portion of a corresponding leg post therein, said clamping arms having an unstressed configuration that exceeds said width of said gap and including means for resiliently deflecting said clamping arms toward each other to a position in which said clamping arms are disposed within said gap;

a cover plate; and

a means for mounting said cover plate over a portion of said legway between said leg posts, said means for mounting including tangs at opposite ends of said cover plate and a pair of slots defined in said tubular body configured to receive a corresponding tang therein.

6. A wire management apparatus for use with a furniture leg supporting an article of furniture and having a pair of leg posts defining a gap therebetween, comprising:

an elongated tubular body sized for extending along substantially the entire length of the furniture leg, said body defining a channel for receiving wires and/or cables therethrough;

said tubular body having a pair of opposite elongated clamping arms configured for receiving a portion of a corresponding leg post therein, said clamping arms having an unstressed configuration that exceeds the width of the gap between the leg posts;

means for resiliently deflecting said clamping arms toward each other to a position in which said clamping arms are disposable within the gap;

said tubular body having a top end and an opposite bottom end, said top end arranged adjacent the article of furniture when said body is disposed within the gap, said body defining a cutout at said bottom end sized to receive the wires and/or cables passing therethrough; and

said tubular body defining a notch extending from said top end, said notch sized to receive the wires and/or cables therethrough.

7. A wire management apparatus for use with a furniture leg supporting an article of furniture and having a pair of leg posts defining a gap therebetween, comprising:

an elongated tubular body sized for extending along substantially the entire length of the furniture leg, said body defining a channel for receiving wires and/or cables therethrough;

said tubular body having a pair of opposite elongated clamping arms configured for receiving a portion of a corresponding leg post therein, said clamping arms having an unstressed configuration that exceeds the width of the gap between the leg posts;

means for resiliently deflecting said clamping arms toward each other to a position in which said clamping arms are disposable within the gap; and

said tubular body defining at least one slot extending along the length of said body between said clamping arms, said slot being sized to receive the wires and/or cables therethrough for introduction into said channel.

8. The wire management apparatus of claim 7, said tubular body defines a central rib disposed between said clamping arms, said rib dividing said channel into two channels for passage of the wires and/or cables.

9. The wire management apparatus of claim 8, wherein said tubular body defines a rear flange extending from said central rib, said central rib cooperating with each of said clamping arms to define said slot extending along the length of said body, said central rib cooperating with the other of said clamping arms to define a second slot extending along the length of said body, each of said slots sized to receive the wires and/or cables therethrough for introduction into a corresponding one of said two channels.