Utility panel system

• US 6,951,085 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2004
• Issued: 10/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Steelcase Development Corporation (Steelcase Incorporated)
• Inventors: Weller, George V., Hodges, Ronald R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Friedman, Carl D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chi Q.
• Application Number:
  US10/769,938
• Publication Number:
  US 20040154233A1
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: 522/207, 522/39, 52/361, 52/365, 52/364, 522/202, 522/203, 522/205, 522/43, 527/315, 526/561, 526/531, 524/812, 522/201, 524/811, 174/50, 406/05, 211/42, 211/71.01, 211/191, 211/206, 312/223.6, 108/50.02, 160/135
• US Class Current: 52/220.7
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2/7425 Details of connection of panels E04B2/7427 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2/7433 with panels and support posts
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2002/7483 Details of furniture, e.g. tables or shelves, associated with the partitions
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2002/7488 Details of wiring
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 454/903 Flexible ducts used for carrying air

Abstract

A utility panel system is provided for open office spaces, and the like. Each utility panel has a relatively thick, skeleton-like frame, with a foot and opposite sides shaped for interconnection with like panel frames to create a substantially freestanding utility panel system. Cover panels are detachably connected to the opposite faces of each panel frame to enclose the same, and provide ready access to the panel interior. Horizontal utility troughs extend continuously between the opposite sides of each panel frame in a vertically stacked relationship. The utility troughs have open ends located at the opposite panel sides, and are positioned such that when adjacent utility panels are interconnected in a side-by-side relationship, the utility troughs are aligned to form multiple raceways. Panel connectors are provided to connect the utility panels with one or more of a variety of existing partition panels, such that the utility panels act as a spine which supplies utilities to the existing partition panels.

Claims

1. A free-standing partition comprising:

a partition frame including at least a pair of horizontally-spaced-apart vertically-extending uprights and including at least a pair of vertically-spaced-apart horizontal channels, the uprights and channels being secured rigidly together to form a right framework adapted to be interconnected to adjacent similar frames in a freestanding arrangement to subdivide a building space;

the pair of channels each having a bottom wall and upstanding side walls that define at least one horizontal passageway completely across the partition frame between vertical side edges of the partition frame, with first portions of the bottom walls extending transversely across the uprights and creating space adapted to support wiring routed horizontally across the uprights and with second portions of the bottom walls extending between the uprights and adapted to store and support the wiring within and across an interior of the partition frame;

the pair of channels including first end surfaces that extend to and define a part of the vertical side edges of the partition frame, the first end surfaces extending at least as far as outer second end surfaces on the uprights that also form part of the vertical side edges; and

cover panels releasably attached to the frame for covering front and rear sides of the frame, but adapted to provide access to the wiring routed within and stored on the channels within the partition frame.

2. The free-standing partition defined in claim 1, wherein the uprights and the channels each include flat outermost surfaces, with the outermost surfaces on one of the uprights and channels being located outward of the outermost surfaces on the other of the uprights and channels to define enlarged connecting wire passageways across the one of the uprights and channels under the cover panels.

3. The free-standing partition defined in claim 2, wherein the outermost surfaces on the uprights are outboard of the outermost surfaces on the channels.

4. The free-standing partition defined in claim 2, wherein the wiring includes horizontal wires having a first wire section positioned within one of the horizontal passageways and engaging the associated first and second portions of the bottom walls of one of the channels.

5. The free-standing partition defined in claim 2, wherein the wiring includes horizontal wires having first and second wire sections positioned within at least two separate ones of the horizontal passageways and engaging the associated bottom walls of the at least two channels, and having a third wire section extending between the first and second wire sections.

6. The free-standing partition defined in claim 2, including connectors releasably supporting the cover panels on the uprights.

7. The free-standing partition defined in claim 1, wherein the uprights and channels defining four orthogonal sides of an open internal cavity within the partition frame that is adapted to provide flexible routing of wiring, and wherein the covers define front and rear sides of the internal cavity for enclosing and covering any wiring therein but allowing access thereto when the associated cover panels are removed.

11. The free-standing partition in claim 1, wherein the first and second end surfaces lie flush to each other and define a common plane.

8. A wall panel assembly for carrying cabling and supporting loads of a workstation comprising:

a generally upright rectangular panel frame which is disposed in a load-bearing relation with a floor and has connector structure at opposite ends of said frame to connect additional serially-adjacent wall panels thereto, and a plurality of vertically enlarged cover panels which extend laterally between said opposite ends and are removably positioned on opposite sides of said frame;

said frame comprising elongate vertical elements which are laterally spaced from each other and positioned proximate the opposite ends of the frame, and a plurality of horizontally elongate horizontal elements extending laterally between said vertical elements, said horizontal elements being vertically spaced one from the other so as to define at least one open interior defined vertically between a vertically adjacent pair of said horizontal elements and laterally between said vertical elements disposed proximate said opposite ends;

at least one of said horizontal elements including channel means for defining at least one horizontally elongate first channel extending laterally between said opposite ends of said frame and disposed in non-interfering relation with said vertical elements, said channel being generally enclosed on a front side by a channel wall and opening upwardly from a top surface of said horizontal element, said first channel having opposite open ends which extend to and open laterally from said respective opposite ends of said frame, each said channel being in communication with a laterally adjacent channel of a laterally adjacent frame and each said channel having first end surfaces that extend to and define at least a part of the opposite ends of the frame;

the first end surfaces extending at least as far as second end surfaces of the vertical elements that also form part of the opposite ends; and

said cover panels being mounted to said frame in outwardly spaced relation from one of said horizontal and vertical elements so that a wire passage is defined respectively between each outward facing side surface of said vertical element and an opposing inward facing surface of said cover panel, each said wire passage and said channels each being in communication with said hollow interior.

9. The wall panel as defined in claim 8, wherein cabling is provided, and said hollow interior has said cabling disposed therein and said cover panel has a laterally extending edge which is vertically spaced from one said horizontal element disposed adjacent thereto to define a side passage between an exterior of said wall panel and said hollow interior, said cabling extending through at least one of said wire passages, said channel, and said side passage.

12. The wall panel assembly defined in claim 8, wherein the first and second end surface lie flush to each other and define a common plane.

10. A method of constructing a free-standing partition comprising steps of:

providing a partition frame including at least a pair of horizontally-spaced-apart vertically-extending uprights and including at least a pair of vertically-spaced-apart horizontal channels, the uprights and channels being secured rigidly together to form a rigid framework adapted to be interconnected to adjacent similar frames in a freestanding arrangement to subdivide a building space;

the pair of channels each having a bottom wall and upstanding side walls that define at least one horizontal passageway completely across the partition frame between vertical side edges of the partition frame, with first portions of the bottom walls extending transversely across the uprights and creating space adapted to support wiring routed horizontally across the uprights and with second portions of the bottom walls extending between the uprights and adapted to store and support the wiring within and across an interior of the partition frame, the pair of channels including first end surfaces that extend to and define a part of the vertical side edges of the partition frame, the first end surfaces extending at least as far as outer second end surfaces on the uprights that also form part of the vertical side edges;

routing wiring within and through the partition frame including positioning wiring on at least one of the channels and extending the wiring across one of the uprights with the wiring being supported at least in part by one of the channels as the wiring extends across the one upright; and

releasably attaching cover panels to the frame for covering front and rear sides of the frame, the cover panels providing access to the wiring routed within and stored on the channels with the partition frame.

13. The new method defined in claim 10, wherein the first and second end surface lie flush to each other and define a common plane.