Folding training table with wire manager pivotably mounted to and between a pair of legs

• US 6,647,900 B1
• Filed: 10/05/2001
• Issued: 11/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Krueger International Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Krueger International Incorporated
• Inventors: Kopish, Andrew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Jose V.
• Application Number:
  US09/972,141
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: 108/50.01, 108/50.02, 108/115, 312/128, 312/223.6, 312/223.1
• US Class Current: 108/50.02
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 21/06 characterised by means for holding, fastening or concealing cables
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 3/0815 the resilient force of the elastic locking means acting in a direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the leg

Abstract

A folding table or desk includes a table top, a pair of spaced apart legs, and a wire management structure pivotably mounted between the legs. The wire management structure includes a front panel assembly having an opening, and an access member is pivotably mounted to the front panel assembly for movement between an open position, a closed position and a collapsed position. The front panel assembly can be folded against the underside of the table top and the access member can be pivoted to its collapsed position relative to the front panel assembly, and the legs are foldable over the wire management structure to provide a compact envelope for the folded components of the table assembly. The front panel assembly includes a cross brace member which is engageable with the legs when the wire management structure is in its operative extended position, to impart rigidity to the table assembly. Wires or cables are fed through openings in the table top into an internal cavity defined by the wire management structure, for engagement with power or communication receptacles located within the internal cavity. The front panel assembly is pivotably mounted between the legs via a hinge-type pivot connection interposed between each leg and the wire management structure, for isolating the wire management structure from the table top and forming the legs and wire management structure into a subassembly separate from the table top.

Claims

1. A table assembly, comprising:

a table top;

a pair of legs mounted to the underside of the table top, wherein each leg includes an upper mounting portion rigidly secured to the underside of the table top, and a lower portion movably mounted to the upper mounting portion by means of a pivot connection providing movement of the leg between a folded position and an extended position; and

a wire management structure pivotably mounted to and between the pair of legs by means of a hinge assembly interposed between each leg and the wire management structure, wherein the wire management structure is pivotably supported below the table top independent of connection to the table top.

2. The table assembly of claim 1, wherein the wire management structure is spaced below the underside of the table top.

3. The table assembly of claim 2, wherein the upper mounting portion of each leg includes at least a pair of mounting bosses extending upwardly from an upper surface spaced below the underside of the table top.

4. The table assembly of claim 2, wherein each hinge assembly includes a stationary leaf secured to the upper mounting portion of one of the legs and a movable leaf secured to the wire management structure.

5. The table assembly of claim 4, wherein the stationary leaf of each hinge assembly is secured to mounting structure defined by the upper mounting portion of one of the legs.

6. The table assembly of claim 5, wherein the mounting structure comprises a support platform extending inwardly from an edge defined by the leg upper mounting portion.

7. The table assembly of claim 6, further comprising a mounting boss extending upwardly from the mounting structure and adapted for engagement with the table top, and one or more reinforcing members extending between the mounting boss and the edge of the leg upper mounting portion, wherein the stationary leaf of the hinge assembly is secured to the mounting structure at a location spaced therefrom and wherein the hinge assembly is isolated from the connection of the table top to the mounting boss extending upwardly from the mounting section.

8. The table assembly of claim 7, wherein the mounting section comprises a platform-like member extending inwardly from an inner edge of the leg upper mounting section.

9. In a table assembly including a table top, a pair of spaced legs for supporting the table top and a wire management structure located below the table top and spaced below an underside defined by the table top, the improvement comprising a pivotable hinge connection interposed between each leg and the wire management structure, wherein the hinge connection provides movement of the wire management structure between a folded position and an extended position relative to the table top without connection of the wire management structure to the table top.

10. The improvement of claim 9, wherein the pivotable hinge connection comprises a hinge assembly secured to the wire management structure and to an upper mounting section defined by each leg, wherein each leg further includes a foldable lower section which is foldable relative to the upper mounting section.

11. The improvement of claim 10, wherein the upper mounting section of each leg includes a platform member having an upstanding mounting boss with which the table top is engaged, and a hinge mounting area spaced from the mounting boss for engagement with the pivotable hinge connection.

12. A table comprising:

a table top;

a pair of leg assemblies spaced from one another and attached to the table top, each leg assembly having an upper stationary portion secured to the table top and a lower movable portion secured to the upper portion;

a wire management structure spaced below the table top and connected between the upper portions of the pair of leg assemblies; and

a pair of hinge assemblies pivotally connecting the wire management structure to the upper stationary portion of each leg assembly.

13. The table of claim 12 further comprising a pair of frame members attached to opposite sides of the wire management structure and to the pair of hinge assemblies.

14. The table of claim 12 wherein the upper stationary portions each include a mounting structure connected to the pair of hinge assemblies.

15. The table of claim 14 wherein the mounting structure is integrally formed with the upper mounting portion.

16. The table of claim 12 wherein the upper mounting portions each include at least one upwardly extending mounting boss that engages the table top.

17. The table of claim 16 wherein the at least one mounting boss is disposed on a mounting structure defined by the upper mounting portion.

18. The table of claim 17 wherein the hinge assembly is connected to the mounting structure at a location spaced from the at least one mounting boss.

19. The table of claim 18 wherein the upper mounting portion includes a first mounting boss disposed on the mounting structure and a second mounting boss spaced from the first mounting boss.

20. The table of claim 12 wherein the hinge assemblies include a stationary member connected to the upper portion and a movable member connected to the lower portion, wherein the stationary member and movable member are connected by a pivot pin.