Workstation with pivoting wall

• US 6,854,217 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2002
• Issued: 02/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nucraft Furniture Company
• Original Assignee: Nucraft Furniture Company
• Inventors: Carpenter, Scott E., Schacht, William Frederick, Fedrigo, Michael G., Schacht, Linda Elizabeth Chesser, Bockheim, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Friedman, Carl D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Amiri, Nahid
• Application Number:
  US10/163,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20030227237A1
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• Field of Search: 52/361, 52/64, 522/39, 522/42, 522/207, 52/364, 52/365, 160/135, 312/248, 312/313, 312/315, 108/33, 108/35, 108/134
• US Class Current: 52/36.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 21/06 characterised by means for holding, fastening or concealing cables
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 83/001 Office desks or work-stations combined with other pieces of furniture, e.g. work space management systems

Abstract

A workstation includes at least one vertical wall that is pivotable between an open and a closed position. In the closed position, wires that are behind the pivotable wall are concealed from view. In the open position, easy access is provided to the wires for re-arranging or changing the wires. The pivotable vertical wall includes at least one horizontal work surface that extends forwardly. A stationary vertical wall may be positioned adjacent the pivotable wall and may provide partial support for another horizontal work surface that extends forwardly from the stationary wall. The stationary wall may include a pivotable panel that allows easy access to wires positioned behind the stationary wall. A top shelf may extend across both the pivotable and stationary walls and include apertures positioned behind the plane defined by the two walls so that wires can be inserted through the apertures to the space behind the walls.

Claims

1. A workstation comprising:

a first vertical wall having a front and a back surface and a first and second side, said first vertical wall having at least one aperture therethrough;

a horizontal work surface attached to and extending forwardly from said front surface of said first vertical wall, said horizontal work surface being configured to support an electronic accessory thereon, the electronic accessory including wiring that is routed through said aperture in said first vertical wall to a location reaward of said back surface of said first vertical wall;

a second vertical wall adjacent to at least a portion of said first side of said first vertical wall; and

a hinge mounted to said first vertical wall, said first vertical wall being pivotable about said hinge such that said first vertical wall can pivot between a closed position in which a plane defined by said first vertical wall is generally coplanar with a plane defined by said second vertical wall, and an open position in which the plane defined by said first vertical wall is not coplanar with the plane defined by said second vertical wall, wherein said location rearward of said back surface of said first vertical wall is accessible when said first vertical wall is in said open position.

2. The workstation of claim 1 wherein said first vertical wall is pivotable about a generally vertical pivot axis.

3. The workstation of claim 1 further comprising a horizontal work surface at least partially supported by, and extending forwardly from, said second vertical wall.

4. The workstation of claim 1 wherein said horizontal work surface is upwardly pivotable about a generally, horizontal pivot axis.

5. The workstation of claim 1 further comprising a pivotable panel attached to said second vertical wall.

9. The workstation of claim 1 further comprising a second horizontal work surface attached to said first vertical wall.

10. The workstation of claim 9 wherein said second horizontal work surface is positioned underneath, and extends forward from said first vertical wall farther than, said horizontal work surface attached to said first vertical wall.

12. The workstation of claim 1 wherein said hinge is mounted to said vertical wall on a side of said first vertical wall adjacent said second vertical wall.

13. The workstation of claim 1 wherein said aperture through said first vertical wall at a location underneath said horizontal work surface attached to said first vertical wall.

14. The workstation of claim 3 further comprising a leg connected to an underside of said horizontal work surface that extends forwardly from said second vertical wall.

15. The workstation of claim 1 further comprising a generally horizontal trough secured to said hack surface of said first vertical wall.

16. The workstation of claim 3 wherein said horizontal work surface of said second vertical wall extends forwardly from said second vertical wail at least twice as far as said horizontal work surface of said first vertical wall extends from said first vertical wall.

17. The work station of claim 1 wherein said horizontal work surface extends substantially the entire length from said first side to said second side of said first vertical wall.

19. The workstation of claim 2 wherein said horizontal work surface is upwardly pivotable about a generally horizontal pivot axis.

20. The workstation of claim 19 further comprising a horizontal work surface extending forwardly from said second vertical wall.

21. The workstation of claim 20 further comprising a pivotable panel attached to said second vertical wall.

22. The workstation of claim 2 further comprising a roller attach to said first vertical wall, said roller adapted to rollingly support said first vertical wall a floor as said first vertical wall is pivoted between said open and closed positions.

6. A workstation comprising:

a first vertical wall having a front and back surface and a first and second side;

a horizontal work surface attached to and extending forwardly from said front surface of said first vertical wall;

a second vertical wall adjacent to at least a portion of said first side of said first vertical wall;

a hinge mounted to said first vertical wall, said first vertical wall being pivitobale about said hinge such that said first vertical wall can pivot between a closed position in which a plane defined by said first vertical wall is generally coplanar with a plane defined by said second vertical wall, and an open position in which the plane by said first vertical wall is not coplanar with the plane defines by said second vertical wall; and

a shelf positioned on top of said first vertical wall, said shelf including a first portion that extends forwardly from a plane defined by said front surface of said first vertical wall and a second portion that extends rearwardly from a plane defined by said back surface of said first vertical wall.

7. The workstation of claim 6 further comprising at least one aperture defined in said shelf, said aperture defined in said second portion.

8. The workstation of claim 7 wherein said shelf extends over said second vertical wall.

11. A workstation comprising:

a first vertical wall having a front and a back surface and a first and a second side;

a horizontal work surface attached to and extending forwardly from said front surface of said first vertical wall;

a second vertical wall adjacent to at least a portion of said first side of said first vertical wall; and

a hinge mounted to said first vertical wall, said first vertical wall being pivotable about said hinge such that said first vertical wall can pivot between a closed position in which a plane defined by said first vertical wall is generally coplanar with a plane defined by said second vertical wall, and an open position in which the plane defined by said first vertical wall is not coplanar with the plane defined by said second vertical wall; and

a horizontal work surface at least partially supported by, and extending forwardly from, said second vertical wall, wherein said horizontal work surfaces on said first and second vertical walls are generally coplanar.

18. A work station comprising:

a first vertical wall having a front and a back surface and a first and a second side;

a horizontal work surface attached to and extending forwardly from said front surface of said first vertical wall;

a second vertical wall adjacent to at least a portion of said first side of said first vertical wall; and

a hinge mounted to said first vertical wall, said first vertical wall being pivotable about said hinge such that said first vertical wall can pivot between a closed position in which a plane defined by said first vertical wall is generally coplanar with a plane defined by said second vertical wall, and an open position in which the plane defined by said first vertical wall is not coplanar with the plane defined by said second vertical wall; and

a cabinet adjacent said second side of said first vertical wall, said cabinet including an aperture adjacent said second side of said first vertical wall, said aperture defined in said cabinet in a location rearward of a plane defined by said back surface of said first vertical wall.

23. A workstation comprising:

a pivotable vertical wail having a front and a back surface, said pivotable vertical wall being pivotable between an open and a closed position;

a horizontal work surface attached to and extending forwardly from said front surface of said pivotable vertical wall;

a substantially horizontal shelf positioned on top of said pivotable vertical wall, said shelf including a first portion that extends forwardly from a plane defined by said front surface of said pivotable vertical wall and a second portion that extends rearwardly from a plane defined by said back surface of said pivotable vertical wall; and

at least one aperture defined in said second portion of said shelf.

24. The workstation of claim 23 wherein said pivotable vertical wall is pivotable about a substantially vertical pivot axis.

25. The workstation of claim 24 further comprising a stationary wall positioned alongside said pivotable vertical wall, said stationary wall oriented generally parallel to said pivotable vertical wall when said pivotable vertical wall is in said closed position.

26. The workstation of claim 25 further comprising a horizontal work surface extending forwardly from said stationary wall.

27. The workstation of claim 26 further comprising a pivotable panel attached to said stationary wall underneath said horizontal work surface that extends rearwardly from said stationary wall.

28. The workstation of claim 27 further comprising a leg that supports said horizontal work surface that extends forwardly from said stationary wall.

29. The workstation of claim 24 wherein said horizontal work surface is upwardly pivotable about a generally horizontal pivot axis.

30. The workstation of claim 29 comprising a second horizontal work surface extending forwardly from said pivotable vertical wall.

31. The workstation of claim 29 wherein said horizontal work surface extends substantially all the way across said front surface of said pivotable vertical wall.

32. The workstation of claim 31 further comprising an aperture fined in said pivotable vertical wall below said horizontal work surface, said aperture extending from said front surface to said back surface.

33. The workstation of claim 24 further comprising a roller attached to said pivotable vertical wall, said roller adapted to rollingly support said pivotable vertical wall on a floor as said pivotable vertical wall is pivoted between said open and closed positions.

34. A workstation comprising:

a first vertical wall having a front surface and a back surface, said first vertical wall including a wire receiving aperture therethrough;

a horizontal work surface attached to and extending forwardly from said front surface of said first vertical wall;

a second vertical wall having a front surface and a back surface; and

a hinge mounted to said first vertical wall, said first vertical wall being pivotable about said hinge such that said first vertical wall can pivot between a closed position, in which said rear surface of said first vertical wall opposes said front surface of said second vertical wall, and an open position, in which said rear surface of said first vertical wall docs not oppose said front surface of said second vertical wall, said first and second walls defining a wire receiving region between said opposed surfaces when said first vertical wall is in said closed position.

35. The workstation of claim 34, wherein said wire receiving aperture is proximate to said horizontal work surface.

36. The workstation of claim 35, wherein said wire receiving aperture is below said horizontal work surface and said horizontal work surface includes a second wire receiving aperture therethrough.

37. The workstation of claim 34, wherein said first vertical wall is disposed in front of said second vertical wall and conceals at least a portion of said front surface of said second vertical wall when in said closed position.

38. The workstation of claim 34, wherein said first vertical wall includes an upper work surface attached to and extending forwardly from said front surface of said first vertical wall and positioned above said horizontal work surface.

39. The workstation of claim 38, wherein said upper work surface is pivotable about a generally horizontal pivot axis at said front surface of said first vertical wall.

40. The workstation of claim 39, wherein said upper work surface pivotable between a closed position, in which said upper work surface opposes said horizontal work surface to at least partially conceal an upper surface of said horizontal work surface, and an open position, in which said upper work surface is pivoted away from said upper surface of said horizontal work surface.

41. A workstation comprising:

a first vertical wall having a front surface and a back surface, said first vertical wall including a wire receiving aperture therethrough;

a lower horizontal work surface attached to and extending forwardly from said front surface of said first vertical wall; and

an upper horizontal work surface pivotally attached to and extending from said front surface of said first vertical wall at a location above said lower horizontal work surface, said upper horizontal work surface being pivotable between a closed position, in which said upper horizontal work surface opposes said lower horizontal work surface to at least partially conceal an upper surface of said lower horizontal work surface, and an open position, in which said upper horizontal work surface is pivoted away from said upper surface of said lower horizontal work surface to at least partially reveal said upper surface.

42. The workstation of claim 41, wherein said wire receiving aperture is proximate to said lower horizontal work surface.

43. The workstation of claim 42, wherein said wire receiving aperture is below said horizontal work surface and said horizontal work surface includes a wire receiving aperture therethrough.

44. The workstation of claim 41 including a second vertical wall having a front surface and a back surface, said first vertical wall being pivotable relative to said second vertical wall between a closed position, in which said rear surface of said first vertical wall opposes said front surface of said second vertical wall, and an open position in which said rear surface of said first vertical wall does not oppose said front surface of said second vertical wall.

45. The workstation of claim 44, wherein said first and second wall, define a wire receiving region between said opposed surfaces when said first vertical wall is in said closed position.

46. The workstation of claim 41 including a second vertical wall adjacent to at least a portion of a side of said first vertical wall, said first vertical wall being pivotable relative to said second vertical wall between a closed position, in which a plane defined by said first vertical wall is generally coplanar with a plane defined by said second vertical wall, and an open position, in which the plane defined by said first vertical wall is not coplanar with the plane defined by said second vertical wall.