Grommet assembly with hutch attachment and lateral wire routing capabilities

• US 6,457,422 B1
• Filed: 11/07/2000
• Issued: 10/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jofco, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Jofco, Inc.
• Inventors: Saul, Gregory Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): WILKENS, JANET MARIE
• Application Number:
  US09/707,518
• Time in Patent Office: 693 Days
• Field of Search: 312/223.6, 312/223.3, 312/194, 312/196, 108/50.02
• US Class Current: 108/50.02
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2037/005 Tables specially adapted for laboratories
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 21/06 characterised by means for holding, fastening or concealing cables
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 97/00 Furniture or accessories for furniture, not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

A grommet assembly for an article of furniture, such as a desk or credenza, which allows for an attachment to a hutch while also providing for the passage of wiring through the furniture surface on which the hutch is supported. The grommet assembly includes a grommet that line a hole formed in the edge of the furniture worktop. A lug projecting upwardly from the grommet above an upper surface of the worktop is adapted for attachment to a hutch supported on the worktop. The grommet defines wiring passageways within the hole, which accommodate wiring through the hole between spaces above, below, and outward, such as laterally, of the desktop. A removable top cover mountable to the grommet covers at least a portion of the hole at the upper surface of the worktop, and a removable side cover mountable to the grommet covers at least a portion of the hole at the edge surface of the worktop.

Claims

1. A grommet assembly for a furniture article having a top supported on a base, the top including an upper surface and,a lower surface and defining a hole therethrough for wiring to extend between spaces above and below the top, the furniture article further having a hutch supported on the top, the grommet assembly comprising:

a grommet disposable within the hole in the top and securable to at least one of the base and the top, said grommet defining a passageway for passage of wiring through the top hole; and

a bracket projecting through said passageway and upwardly from said grommet above the upper surface of the top, said bracket having an end configured for attachment to the hutch supported on the top.

2. The grommet assembly of claim 1 wherein said grommet includes an upstanding flange lining the hole, and a crossmember that horizontally spans opposite first and second portions of said flange, said crossmember defining an opening to receive said bracket therethrough.

3. The grommet assembly of claim 2 wherein said bracket includes an upstanding bar defining an opening through an upper end portion for receiving a fastener therethrough, and a lip of at a lower end portion adapted to engage said crossmember to resist upward withdrawal of said bracket through said crossmember opening.

4. The grommet assembly of claim 3 wherein said cross ember includes a depending portion, said depending portion having an offset section that defines a hollow sized to receive said bar of said bracket.

5. The grommet assembly of claim 4 wherein said depending portion includes a plate defining a plurality of openings for accommodating fasteners for securing said plate to the base.

6. The grommet assembly of claim 1 further comprising a removable cover for the top hole, said cover seatable on said grommet with a top surface generally flush with the top upper surface, said cover defining a notched edge defining an opening for wiring passage.

13. The grommet assembly of claim 3 wherein said removable side cover includes a plurality of knockout sections which when removed allow for wiring passage.

7. A grommet assembly for a furniture article having a top supported on a base, the top including an upper surface, a lower surface and an edge surface, the top further defining a hole extending inwardly from the edge surface and extending through the upper and lower surfaces, the grommet assembly comprising:

a grommet disposable within the hole and securable to at least One of the base and the top, said grommet defining a plurality of apertures including a first aperture, a second aperture and a third aperture, said first aperture opening to the hale through the upper surface, said second aperture opening to the hole through the lower surface, and said third aperture opening to the hole through the edge surface, each of said plurality of apertures opening into an interior volume of said grommet to be in communication with the other of said plurality of apertures for wiring passage;

a removable top cover mountable to said grommet to cover At least a portion of the hole at the upper surface of the top;

a removable side cover mountable to said grommet to cover at least a portion of the hole at the edge surface of the top; and

a bracket projecting upwardly from said grommet above the upper surface of the top, said bracket having an end configured for attachment to a hutch supported on the top.

8. The grommet assembly of claim 7 wherein said grommet includes an upstanding flange lining the hole, and a crossmember that horizontally spans first and second portions of said flange, said crossmember defining an opening to receive said bracket therethrough.

9. The grommet assembly of claim 8 wherein said crossmember comprises a top plate portion and a depending plate portion, wherein said crossmember opening is located in said top plate portion, said depending plate portion having an inwardly offset section that defines a hollow sized to receive a portion said bracket.

10. The grommet assembly of claim 9 wherein said depending plate portion includes a plurality of openings for accommodating fasteners for securing said depending plate portion to the base.

11. The grommet assembly of claim 7 wherein said grommet includes an upstanding flange lining the hole, and a mounting flange transversely extending openings for accommodating fasteners for securing said mounting flange to the top.

12. The grommet assembly of claim 11 further comprising a cover member for covering at least a portion of the hole at the upper surface of the top, said cover member including downwardly extending prongs attachable to complementary shaped portions of said upstanding flange, said cover member located outward of said removable top cover and adjacent the edge;

surface of the top, wherein said removable top cover covers the inward end of the hole and includes an outward edge adjacent said cover member, said outward edge notched to define a wiring accommodating opening.

14. An article of furniture comprising:

a support base, wherein said support base includes a vertical panel;

a top supported on said support base, said top including an upper surface, a lower surface, an edge surface and a region adjacent said edge surface aligned over said vertical panel, the top further defining a hole extending inwardly from said edge surface and extending through the upper and lower surfaces;

a grommet within the hole and secured to at least one of said support base and said top, said grommet structured and arranged to define first and second wiring passageways within the hole said wiring passageway arranged between said upper surface and said lower surface of said top, said second wiring passageway arranged between said edge surface of said top and at least one of said upper surface of said top and said lower surface of said top, whereby said first wiring passageway accommodates wiring through said hole between a space above said upper surface and a space below said lower surface, and whereby said second wiring passageway accommodates wiring trough said hole between a space outward of said edge surface and at least one of said space above said upper surface and said space below said lower surface, said grommet further including an upstanding flange lining said hole and a crossmember that horizontally spans first and second portions of said upstanding flange, said crossmember including a plate section extending below said upstanding flange and having a plurality of openings for accommodating fasteners that secures said plate section to said vertical panel.

15. The article of furniture of claim 14 wherein said crossmember defines an opening through which extends said lug, said lug comprising an upstanding bar with a fastener receiving opening through an upper end portion, and wherein said lug comprises a lip of said bar adapted to engage said crossmember to resist upward withdrawal of said lug through said crossmember opening.

16. The article of furniture of claim 14 further comprising a removable top cover mountable to said grommet to cover at least a portion of said hole at said upper surface of said top, and a removable side cover mountable to said grommet to cover at least a portion of said hole at said edge surface of said top.

17. The article of furniture of claim 16 wherein said removable side cover includes a plurality of knockout sections which when removed allow for wiring passage.

18. A grommet assembly for a furniture article having a top supported on a base, the top including an upper surface and lower surface and defining a hole therethrough for wiring to extend between spaces above and below the top, the furniture article further having a hutch supported on the top, the grommet assembly comprising:

grommet including an upstanding flange disposable within the hole in the top and defining a passageway for passage of wiring therethrough, said grommet including a cross ember that spans opposite portions of said flange, said crossmember defining an opening therethrough; and

bracket having an upstanding bar configured to extend through said opening in said crossmember, an end of said bar configured for attachment to the hutch supported on the top and ad opposite end of said bar configured to engage said crossmember to resist withdrawal of said bracket through said crossmember opening.

19. The grommet assembly of claim 18, wherein said opposite end of said bar defines a lip sized to prevent withdrawal through said opening in said crossmember.

20. The grommet assembly of claim 18 wherein said grommet includes a plate extending from said upstanding flange and sized to contact a surface of the top surrounding the hole in the top of the article of furniture.

21. The grommet assembly of claim 20 wherein said plate defines a plurality of openings for accommodating fasteners for securing said plate to the base.

22. The grommet assembly of claim 20, wherein said plate is arranged to contact the lower surface of the top.

23. A grommet assembly for an article of furniture having a top supported on a base and a hutch supported on the top, the top defining a hole therethrough to receive wiring passing therethrough, said grommet assembly comprising:

a hollow grommet sized to be received within the hole in the furniture top, said grommet defining at least one opening for passage of wiring therethrough; and

elongated bracket having one end configured to extend through said at least one opening for attachment to the hutch and an opposite end configured to engage said grommet to prevent withdrawal of said bracket through said at least one opening.

24. The grommet assembly of claim 23 wherein said grommet includes:

an upstanding flange sized to be received within the hole; and

a portion extending from said upstanding flange and sized to contact a surface of the top surrounding the hole in the top of the article of furniture.

25. The grommet assembly of claim 24, wherein said portion is a plate extending from said upstanding flange.

26. The grommet assembly of claim 25, wherein said plate is arranged to contact the lower surface of the top.

27. The grommet assembly of claim 24, wherein said one end of said bracket is an elongated bar and said opposite end of said bracket is a lip projecting substantially perpendicularly from said bar.