Assembly with movable work surface portion and material holder

• US 7,201,107 B1
• Filed: 02/24/2004
• Issued: 04/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Steelcase Development Corporation (Steelcase Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ruiter, Joel
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen; Jose V.
• Application Number:
  US10/785,270
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• Field of Search: 108/50.01, 108/50.02, 108/25, 108/26, 108/137, 108/143, 108/42, 108/48, 108/47, 108/85, 108/87, 297/182
• US Class Current: 108/50.01
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 13/081 Movable, extending, sliding table tops
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 17/04 with secret or fireproof compartments ; Trays or the like countersunk in the table top and obturable, e.g. by means of a roller or sliding shutter
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2021/062 the worksurface moving forward to expose the wire gutter, e.g. up and forward

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an assembly having a movable portion and a fixed portion. At least a portion of the movable portion comprises a work surface. The assembly further includes a storage device having a material holder that moves from a first position in a substantially covered configuration to a second position that uncovers or exposes at least a portion of the material holder so that a user can access the material holder and contents therein. A connection component connects the material holder to the movable portion and moves the material holder from the covered configuration to the uncovered, at least partially accessible, configuration by utilizing a translation of force from the movement of the movable portion.

Claims

1. A work surface assembly comprising:

a fixed portion;

a movable portion adapted to move with respect to the fixed portion; and

a storage device including a material holder in connection with the movable portion and the fixed portion and a track, wherein the track is connected to the material holder and extends in a direction of movement of the moveable portion;

wherein the track is adapted to receive a guide connected to the movable portion;

wherein the material holder moves from a first position to a second position in conjunction with movement of the movable portion; and

wherein in the first position the material holder is located in a substantially covered configuration and in the second position at least a portion of the material holder is in an uncovered configuration.

2. The work surface assembly according to claim 1, wherein an external surface of the fixed portion and an external surface of the movable portion comprise a work surface and a size of the work surface in the first position is substantially equal to a size of the work surface in the second position.

3. The work surface assembly according to claim 1, wherein the material holder is comprised of a file holder, a tray, a pouch, or a pocket.

4. The work surface assembly according to claim 1, wherein the material holder is comprised of a flexible member.

5. The work surface assembly according to claim 4, wherein the flexible member has a first end connected to the movable portion and a second end connected to the fixed portion.

6. The work surface assembly according to claim 4, wherein the movement of the movable portion reconfigures the flexible member from a substantially un-flexed configuration in the first position to a substantially flexed configuration in the second position.

7. The work surface assembly according to claim 4, further comprising a component positioned in the flexible member.

8. The work surface assembly according to claim 1, wherein:

the track includes a slot;

at least a portion of the guide rests within the slot; and

movement of the movable portion moves the guide along the slot to move the material holder from the first position to the second position.

9. The work surface assembly according to claim 8, wherein a bracket connects the guide and the movable portion.

10. The work surface assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a vertical track cooperating with the fixed portion and the material holder to substantially constrain the movement of the material holder to a path between the first position and the second position.

11. The work surface assembly according to claim 1, further comprising two storage devices.

12. The work surface assembly according to claim 1, wherein the fixed portion is a wall of the work surface assembly and the movable portion comprises a majority of a usable work surface.

13. The work surface assembly according to claim 1, wherein the second position exposes the material holder to the an external environment through an opening formed between the movable portion and the fixed portion.

14. A work surface assembly comprising:

a fixed portion;

a movable portion adapted to move with respect to the fixed portion; and

a storage device including a material holder in connection with the movable portion and the fixed portion, the material holder moving from a first position to a second position in conjunction with movement of the movable portion;

wherein in the first position the material holder is located in a substantially covered configuration and in the second position at least a portion of the material holder is in an uncovered configuration;

wherein the material holder further comprises a first material bolder portion and a second material holder portion and wherein the first material holder portion and second material holder portions are positioned adjacent to one another;

wherein the first material holder portion comprises a flexible member having a first end attached to the movable portion and a second end attached to the fixed portion, wherein the movement of the movable portion stretches the flexible member from a substantially un-flexed configuration in the first position to a substantially flexed configuration in the second position.

15. The work surface assembly according to claim 14, wherein the second material holder portion further comprises a storage device having a track extending in a direction of movement of the movable portion, wherein the track is connected to the material holder and is adapted to receive a guide connected to the movable portion.

16. The work surface assembly according to claim 15, wherein:

the track includes a slot;

at least a portion of the guide rests within the slot; and

movement of the movable portion moves the guide along the slot to move the material holder from the first position to the second position.

17. The work surface assembly according to claim 16, wherein the guide connects to the movable portion with a bracket.

18. A desk assembly comprising:

a fixed portion;

a movable portion adapted to move with respect to the fixed portion;

a material holder; and

a movement assembly comprising a track that extends in a direction of movement of the movable portion and is angled with respect to the moveable portion and a guide cooperating with the material holder and the movable portion;

wherein the track is attached to the material holder and has a slot that receives the guide such that movement of the movable portion moves the guide along the slot to move the material holder from a first position in an internal environment of the desk such that the material holder is located in a substantially covered configuration to a second position that exposes the material holder to an external environment of the desk such that the material holder is located in a substantially uncovered configuration in conjunction with movement of the movable portion.

19. The desk assembly according to claim 18, wherein the fixed portion is a wall of the desk assembly and the movable portion comprises a majority of the working surface of the desk assembly.

20. The desk assembly according to claim 18, wherein the second position substantially exposes the material holder to the external environment through an opening formed between the movable portion and the fixed portion.

21. A desk assembly comprising:

a fixed portion;

a movable portion adapted to move with respect to the fixed portion;

a file holder; and

a movement assembly comprising a track and a guide cooperating with the file holder and the movable portion;

a vertical track having a first portion connected to the fixed portion and a second portion connected to the file holder to substantially constrain the movement of the file holder between the first position and the second position;

wherein the track is adapted to provide a path for the guide to move the file holder from a first position in an internal environment of the desk such that the file holder is located in a substantially covered configuration to a second position that exposes the file holder to an external environment of the desk such that the file holder is located in a substantially uncovered configuration in conjunction with movement of the movable portion.

22. A desk assembly comprising:

a fixed portion;

a movable portion adapted to move with respect to the fixed portion; and

a movement assembly comprising a flexible member having a first end attached to the fixed portion and a second end attached to the movable portion;

wherein movement of the movable portion in a direction away from the fixed portion changes a configuration of the flexible member from a slack configuration to a un-slacked configuration; and

wherein the flexible member is in the slacked configuration in a first position in an internal environment of the desk when the moveable portion is substantially adjacent to the fixed portion such that the flexible member is located in substantially covered configuration and in an un-slacked configuration in a second position when the moveable portion is spaced away from the fixed portion such that the flexible member is located in a substantially uncovered configuration so as to exposes the flexible member to an external environment of the desk assembly.

23. The desk assembly according to claim 22, wherein the flexible member includes a component.

24. The desk assembly according to claim 23, wherein the component is an electrical outlet or device.

25. A desk assembly comprising:

at least two supports, wherein each of the supports has a top surface;

a panel positioned between the two supports and defining a knee space; and

a movable portion positioned between the supports and adapted to move between a first position substantially aligned with the top surface of the supports and a second position misaligned with the top surface of the supports, in at least one direction;

a flexible member having a first portion attached to the moveable portion and a second portion attached to one of the supports such that the flexible member cooperates with the movable portion to move between a first position in an internal environment of the assembly to a second position exposed to an external environment of the assembly such that movement of the moveable portion stretches the flexible member from a substantially un-flexed configuration in the first position to a substantially flexed configuration in the second position; and

wherein the top surfaces of the supports and the movable portion each form a portion of a top surface of the desk assembly.

26. The desk assembly according to claim 25, further including a component positioned in the flexible member.

27. The desk assembly according to claim 25, wherein the at least two supports include a first pedestal and a second pedestal.

28. The desk assembly according to claim 25, further comprising a storage device having a track extending in a direction of movement of the movable portion, wherein the track is connected to the storage device and is adapted to receive a guide connected to the movable portion.

29. The desk assembly according to claim 28, wherein:

the track includes a slot;

at least a portion of the guide rests within the slot; and

movement of the movable portion moves the guide along the slot to move the material bolder from the first position to the second position.

30. The desk assembly according to claim 29, wherein the guide connects to the movable portion with a bracket.

31. The desk assembly according to claim 28, further comprising a vertical track cooperating with the fixed portion and the material holder to allow the material holder to move only between the first position and the second position.