Table leg wire management apparatus

• US 6,523,795 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2001
• Issued: 02/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ditto Sales Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ditto Sales Incorporated
• Inventors: Gutgsell, David R., Schwinghammer, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): KING, ANITA M
• Application Number:
  US09/887,200
• Publication Number:
  US 20010032913A1
• Time in Patent Office: 613 Days
• Field of Search: 248/188.1, 248/49, 248/51, 248/918, 248/345.1, 108/50.01, 108/23, 108/147.21, 108/50.02, 108/150, 312/223.6, 312/223.3, 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 apparatus for an article of furniture comprising:

a leg connectable to the article of furniture and configured to support 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.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said tubular body of said legway has 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.

3. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a cover plate and means for mounting said cover plate over a portion of said legway between said leg posts.

4. The assembly of claim 3, wherein said cover plate includes a decorative pattern.

5. The assembly of claim 4, wherein said decorative pattern is a mesh.

6. The assembly of claim 3, wherein said means for mounting includes 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.

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

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; and

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

8. The wire management apparatus of claim 7, wherein said tubular body has 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.

9. The wire management apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a cover plate and means for mounting said cover plate over a portion of said tubular body when said tubular body is disposed between the leg posts.

10. The wire management apparatus of claim 9, wherein said cover plate includes a decorative pattern.

11. The wire management apparatus of claim 10, wherein said decorative pattern is a mesh.

12. 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 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 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 and said arms resiliently deflectable toward each other to a position in which said clamping arms are disposable within the gap.

13. The wire management apparatus of claim 12, wherein said body of said legway has 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 body is disposed within said gap, said body defining a cutout at said bottom end sized to receive the wires and/or cables passing therethrough.

14. The wire management apparatus of claim 13 wherein said body defines a notch extending from said top end, said notch sized to receive the wires and/or cables therethrough.

15. The wire management apparatus of claim 12 wherein said body defines 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 body.

16. A The wire management apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a central rib disposed between said clamping arms within said body and dividing said channel into two channels for passage of the wires and/or cables.

17. The wire management apparatus of claim 16, further comprising 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.

18. The wire management apparatus of claim 12:

wherein said body further includes a forward portion defined between said clamping arms; and

further comprising an elongated cover plate engagable to said forward portion, said cover plate shaped and sized to correspond to said forward portion.

19. The wire management apparatus of claim 18 further comprising a tang projecting from said cover plate, said tang configured to engage a slot fined in said body.

20. The wire management apparatus of claim 18, wherein said cover plate includes a decorative pattern.

21. Gel The wire management apparatus of claim 20, wherein said decorative pattern is a mesh.