Wire management arrangement for a furniture support

• US 7,191,713 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2005
• Issued: 03/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Krueger International Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Krueger International Incorporated
• Inventors: Williams, Scott J., Gayhart, Jon W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen; Jose V.
• Application Number:
  US11/295,029
• Publication Number:
  US 20060081156A1
• Time in Patent Office: 469 Days
• Field of Search: 109/50.01, 109/50.02, 312/223.6, 312/223.1, 312/223.3, 312/194, 108/23
• 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 2200/0082 Cable inlet in worktop or desk, e.g. grommet

Abstract

A table or desk includes a wire management arrangement located below a worksurface, and a support including a foot for engaging a supporting surface such as a floor. A leg is mounted to and extends upwardly from the foot, and the worksurface is mounted to a worksurface support at the upper end of the leg. A wire cover is releasably engageable with the leg, and defines an internal passage within which wiring is received. The wire cover faces an exterior surface of the leg, and is releasably engaged with the leg via a clip secured to the leg. The foot defines an opening which receives a lower end of the wire cover. The internal passage of the wire cover establishes communication with an internal area of the wire management arrangement, to enable wires to be routed upwardly into the internal area of the wire management arrangement from the foot.

Claims

1. A support for a desk having a worksurface, comprising:

a foot member;

an upstanding leg member secured to and extending upwardly from the foot member, wherein the leg member defines one or more exterior surfaces;

a worksurface support member secured to the leg member at a location above the foot member, wherein the worksurface is adapted for engagement with the worksurface support member;

a wire cover member defining an open outer area in communication with an internal passage; and

an engagement arrangement interposed between the wire cover member and the leg member for securing the wire cover member to the leg member;

wherein the wire cover member is configured such that the open outer area of the wire cover member faces a first exterior surface of the upstanding leg member and wherein wires located adjacent the first exterior surface of the leg member are adapted to be received in the open outer area of the wire cover member and in the internal passage of the wire cover member when the wire cover member is secured to the leg member, wherein the wire cover member is configured to conceal the wires between the foot member and the worksurface support member.

2. The support of claim 1, wherein the engagement arrangement is configured to provide releasable engagement of the wire cover member with upstanding leg member.

3. The support of claim 2, wherein the wire cover member comprises a channel member defining a pair of spaced apart edges between which the open outer area of the wire cover member is located, and wherein the releasable engagement arrangement comprises one or more clip members secured to the leg member that are configured to releasably engage the edges of the channel member.

4. The support of claim 3, wherein each clip member is releasably engaged with the leg member.

5. The support of claim 1, wherein the foot member includes an opening within which a lower end of the wire cover member is adapted to be received, and wherein the wire cover member is engaged with the leg member at a location above the foot member.

6. The support of claim 5, further comprising a wire management member located below the worksurface and having an internal area within which wiring for the desk is located, and wherein the wire cover member defines first and second spaced apart ends and includes an opening located toward the first spaced apart end, wherein the wire cover member is adapted to be positioned in either a first position in which the first end is received within the opening of the foot member and the second end is positioned to extend into the internal area of the wire management member, wherein the opening toward the first end of the wire cover member is located so as to receive wires from a location adjacent a support surface such as a floor, or a second position in which the second end of the wire cover member is received within the opening of the foot member and the first end is positioned to extend into the internal area of the wire management member.

7. The support of claim 6, wherein the wire cover member includes a pair of spaced apart edges between which the open outer area of the wire cover member is located, and wherein the engagement arrangement comprises one or more clip members secured to the leg member and having a configuration that engages the spaced apart edges of the wire cover member to secure the wire cover member to the leg member.

8. A support for a desk having a worksurface, comprising:

a foot member;

an upstanding leg member secured to and extending upwardly from the foot member;

a worksurface support member secured to the leg member at a location above the foot member, wherein the worksurface is adapted for engagement with the worksurface support member; and

a wire cover member defining an internal passage, wherein the wire cover member is located exteriorly of the upstanding leg member and wherein wires are adapted to be received in the internal passage of the wire cover member, wherein the wire cover member is configured to conceal the wires between the foot member and the worksurface support member;

wherein the foot member includes an opening within which a lower end of the wire cover member is adapted to be received, and wherein the wire cover member is releasably engaged with the leg member at a location above the foot member.

9. The support of claim 8, further comprising a wire management member located below the worksurface and having an internal area within which wiring for the desk is located, and wherein the wire cover member defines first and second spaced apart ends and includes an opening located toward the first spaced apart end, wherein the wire cover member is adapted to be positioned in either a first position in which the first end is received within the opening of the foot member and the second end is positioned to extend into the internal area of the wire management member, wherein the opening toward the first end of the wire cover member is located so as to receive wires from a location adjacent a support surface such as a floor, or a second position in which the second end of the wire cover member is received within the opening of the foot member and the first end is positioned to extend into the internal area of the wire management member.

10. The support of claim 9, wherein the wire cover member includes a pair of spaced apart edges, and wherein the wire cover member is releasably engaged with the leg member above the foot member via a clip member secured to the leg member and having a configuration that cooperates with the wire cover member to releasably engage the spaced apart edges of the wire cover member.

11. In a table or desk unit including a worksurface and a leg structure for supporting the worksurface above a supporting surface such as a floor, wherein the leg structure includes a foot member and an upstanding leg member extending upwardly from the foot member and defining one ore more exterior surfaces, and wherein the table or desk unit further includes a wire management arrangement located below the worksurface, the improvement comprising:

a wire cover member extending between the foot member and the wire management arrangement, wherein the wire cover member is located externally of the leg member and defines an open outer area in communication with an internal passage; and

an engagement arrangement interposed between the wire cover member and the leg member for securing the wire cover member to the leg member;

wherein the wire cover member is configured such that the open outer area of the wire cover member faces a first exterior surface of the upstanding leg member and wherein wires located adjacent the first exterior surface of the leg member are adapted to be received in the open outer area of the wire cover member and in the internal passage of the wire cover member when the wire cover member is secured to the leg member, wherein the wire cover member is configured to conceal wires located adjacent the first exterior surface of the leg member from a location adjacent the foot member upwardly to the wire management arrangement.

12. The improvement of claim 11, wherein the wire cover member defines a channel-shaped cross-sectional configuration.

13. The improvement of claim 12, wherein the engagement arrangement comprises releasable engagement structure interposed between the leg member and the wire cover member for releasably securing the wire cover member to the leg member.

14. The improvement of claim 13, wherein the releasable engagement structure comprises a clip member secured to the leg member, wherein the clip member is configured to releasably engage a pair of spaced apart areas defined by the wire cover member upon application of a push-on force to the wire cover member, and wherein the clip member is further configured to release engagement with the spaced apart areas of the wire cover member upon application of a pull-off force to the wire cover member.

15. The improvement of claim 14, wherein the foot member defines an upwardly facing opening adjacent the leg member, and wherein the wire cover member defines a lower end adapted for engagement within the upwardly facing opening of the foot member.

16. The improvement of claim 15, wherein the wire management arrangement defines an internal area adapted to receive wiring associated with the table or desk unit, and includes an opening in communication with the internal area, wherein the wire cover member defines an upper end adapted to be received within the opening of the wire management arrangement to enable wires to pass from the internal passage of the wire cover member into the internal area of the wire management arrangement.

17. The improvement of claim 16, wherein the wire cover member defines spaced apart first and second ends and a recess located adjacent the first end, wherein the wire cover member is adapted to be positioned in either a first position in which the first end of the wire cover member is engaged within the opening defined by the foot member and the second end of the wire cover member is positioned within the opening of the wire management arrangement to enable infeed wiring to extend into the internal passage of the wire cover member from the lower end of the wire cover member, or a second position in which the second end of the wire cover member is engaged within the opening defined by the foot member and the first end of the wire cover member is positioned within the opening of the wire management arrangement.

18. In a table or desk unit including a worksurface and a leg structure for supporting the worksurface above a supporting surface such as a floor, wherein the leg structure includes a foot member and an upstanding leg member extending upwardly from the foot member, and wherein the table or desk unit further includes a wire management arrangement located below the worksurface, the improvement comprising:

a wire cover member extending between the foot member and the wire management arrangement, wherein the wire cover member is located externally of the leg member and defines an internal passage for routing wires from a location adjacent the foot member upwardly to the wire management arrangement, wherein the wire cover member defines a channel-shaped cross-sectional configuration and is positioned to cooperate with at least one external surface of the leg member to define the internal passage; and

a releasable engagement structure interposed between the leg member and the wire cover member for releasably securing the wire cover member to the leg member, wherein the releasable engagement structure comprises a clip member secured to the leg member, wherein the clip member is configured to releasably engage a pair of spaced apart areas defined by the wire cover member upon application of a push-on force to the wire cover member, and wherein the clip member is further configured to release engagement with the spaced apart areas of the wire cover member upon application of a pull-off force to the wire cover member.

19. The improvement of claim 18, wherein the foot member defines an upwardly facing opening adjacent the leg member, and wherein the wire cover member defines a lower end adapted for engagement within the upwardly facing opening of the foot member.

20. The improvement of claim 19, wherein the wire management arrangement defines an internal area adapted to receive wiring associated with the table or desk unit, and includes an opening in communication with the internal area, wherein the wire cover member defines an upper end adapted to be received within the opening of the wire management arrangement to enable wires to pass from the internal passage of the wire cover member into the internal area of the wire management arrangement.

21. The improvement of claim 20, wherein the wire cover member defines spaced apart first and second ends and a recess located adjacent the first end, wherein the wire cover member is adapted to be positioned in either a first position in which the first end of the wire cover member is engaged within the opening defined by the foot member and the second end of the wire cover member is positioned within the opening of the wire management arrangement to enable infeed wiring to extend into the internal passage of the wire cover member from the lower end of the wire cover member, or a second position in which the second end of the wire cover member is engaged within the opening defined by the foot member and the first end of the wire cover member is positioned within the opening of the wire management arrangement.