Desk system

• US 7,036,438 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2002
• Issued: 05/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uchida YOKO Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Uchida YOKO Company Limited
• Inventors: Matsuda, Tetsuya, Okamoto, Atsuo, Wakasugi, Koichi, Tachikawa, Hideki, Kunishita, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Jose V.
• Application Number:
  US10/291,388
• Publication Number:
  US 20030089283A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,267 Days
• Field of Search: 108/50.01, 108/50.02, 108/157.18, 108/157.1, 108/23, 108/153.1, 312/195, 312/196, 312/223.6
• US Class Current: 108/153.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 17/02 with vertically-adjustable parts

Abstract

A desk system comprises leg panels of a desired thickness, top board support members each having a top support surface and capable of being fastened to the leg panel such that the top support surface extends above the leg panel, top boards respectively having desired shapes and capable of being fastened to the top support surfaces of the top board support members, and longitudinal beams connecting the adjacent leg panels and forming a trough. Each of the leg panels is a hollow structure having a cut upper corner, an end part of each longitudinal beam is fastened to the cut upper corner. The desk system is capable of being assembled in a desired form.

Claims

1. A desk system capable of being assembled in a desired form comprising:

a pair of leg panels, each leg panel being formed as a hollow structure of a desired thickness and having a cut upper corner, the cut upper corner being angled downwardly with respect to an upper wall and being angled inwardly with respect to an end wall of each of the leg panels, the pair of leg panels being spaced apart from each other;

top board support members each having a top support surface and capable of being fastened to a respective one of the leg panels such that the top support surface extends above the respective leg panel;

top boards respectively having desired shapes and capable of being fastened to the top support surfaces of the top board support members fastened to each of the leg panels; and

a longitudinal beam connecting the pair of leg panels;

wherein opposite end parts of the longitudinal beam are fastened to the cut upper corners of the pair of leg panels.

2. The desk system according to claim 1, wherein each of the leg panels has a frame defining the shape of the leg panel, and a pair of side panels attached to the opposite sides of the frame, and at least one of the side panels is detachable from the frame.

3. The desk system according to claim 2, wherein the side panels are provided with at least one cable passing opening.

4. The desk system according to claim 1, wherein the cut upper corner of each leg panel has a bevel surface formed by truncating a square corner, an L-shaped surface formed by cutting out a rectangular part from a square corner, or a round surface formed by cutting out a quadrantal part from a square corner.

5. The desk system according to claim 1, wherein each of the leg panels is a self-supporting structure having an I-shape in a front elevation and comprising a horizontal top bar, a horizontal bottom bar, and a vertical bar having opposite ends joined to middle parts of the top bar and the bottom bar, respectively, or a self-supporting structure having a U-shape and comprising a horizontal top bar, a horizontal bottom bar, and a vertical bar having opposite ends joined to corresponding end parts of the top bar and the bottom bar, respectively.

6. The desk system according to claim 1, wherein adjacent end parts of the longitudinally adjacent top boards are held on the single leg panel.

7. The desk system according to claim 1, wherein gaps through which cables and screen panel support rods are extended are formed between the longitudinally adjacent and/or the laterally adjacent top boards extended between the leg panels and supported on the top board support members.

8. The desk system according to claim 1, wherein each top board support member is provided with a plurality of holes to be used for fastening the top board to the top board support member, and one of the plurality of those holes is used selectively to adjust a gap between the adjacent top boards.

9. The desk system according to claim 1, wherein each top board support member is a structure having a shape resembling the inverted letter U in a front elevation and has a pair of legs and a cross beam connecting the upper ends of the pair of legs or a structure having a shape resembling the letter T in a front elevation and has a single leg and a cross beam connected to the upper end of the leg, and an upper surface of the cross beam of the top board support member serves as a top board support surface.

10. The desk system according to claim 9, wherein upper end parts of the legs of the top board support member are bent perpendicularly and the cross beam is extended between the free ends of perpendicularly bent upper end parts, and an end part of the top board is seated on and fastened to the upper surface of the cross beam, and a gap is formed between the adjacent top boards.

11. The desk system according to claim 1, wherein the upper wall of each leg panel is provided with openings through which the legs or the leg of the top board support member is inserted in the leg panel and moved for height adjustment.

12. The desk system according to claim 1, wherein the desk system is an opposed-desk system, wherein the pair of leg panels of one desk oppose the pair of leg panels of a second desk, the opposing leg panels being joined together with the cut upper corners thereof facing each other so as to form a concave space, and the longitudinal beam attached to the cut upper corners of the leg panels of each of the two desks forming a trough having a cross section corresponding to that of a concave space to connect the opposing leg panels of the two desks.

13. The desk system according to claim 1, wherein holes for receiving support rods for supporting a screen panel are formed in an upper wall of each leg panel, the support rods are inserted through the gap between the top boards in the holes of the upper wall of the leg panel, and a screen panel is supported in an upright position on the support rods.

14. The desk system according to claim 1, wherein screen panel holding members are attached to the beam having opposite ends fastened to the cut upper corners of the leg panels, and the support rods for supporting the screen panel are set upright on the screen panel holding members.

15. The desk system according to claim 14, wherein, when the cut upper corners of the leg panels are bevel surfaces, the screen panel holding member has an oblique surface inclined to a horizontal plane at an inclination equal to an inclination of the longitudinal beam attached to the bevel surfaces of the leg panels, a holding projection that engages in an opening formed in the beam is formed in an upper end part of the oblique surface, a threaded hole is formed in a lower end part of the oblique surface, and a hole for receiving the support rod for supporting the screen panel is formed in an upper surface of the screen panel holding member.

16. The desk system according to claim 13 or 14, wherein upper end parts of the support rods for supporting the screen panel are inserted in vertical holes formed in the screen panel to support the screen panel, height adjusting devices for adjusting the height of the screen panel are mounted on the support rods, and respective positions of the height adjusting devices on the support rods are adjustable.