Deployable workstation

• US 7,942,485 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2008
• Issued: 05/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kathi Castelluccio
• Original Assignee: Kathi Castelluccio
• Inventors: Castelluccio, Kathi
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilkens; Janet M
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROHRHOFF, DANIEL J
• Application Number:
  US12/152,549
• Publication Number:
  US 20080284292A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: 108/25, 108/26, 312/195, 312/196, 312/107, 312/108, 312/330.1, 312/283, 312/235.2, 312/235.3, 312/292
• US Class Current: 312/235.3
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2220/01 Furniture enclosures comprising or containing other furniture
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 85/08 Convertible cupboards
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 87/00 Sectional furniture, i.e. combinations of complete furniture units , e.g. assemblies of furniture units of the same kind such as linkable cabinets, tables, racks or shelf units switchboards or switch cubicles for the distribution of electric power H02B

Abstract

A desk unit assembly deployable from a closed position to an open position. The desk unit assembly has a desk portion and a chair assembly. The desk portion has a top, two opposed and vertically extending sidewalls, a rear wall and a front wall, the top, sidewalls, front and rear walls define a chamber therebetween. A chair assembly has a seat and a backrest, the seat is disposed within the chamber and the backrest forms a portion of the front wall of the desk portion when the desk unit assembly is in the closed position. The assembly has a generally cubical shape with substantially flat outer surfaces of the two sidewalls, the front wall and the rear wall when in the closed position and when the assembly is in the open position the chamber can accommodate the legs of a user.

Claims

1. A desk unit assembly deployable from a closed position to an open position comprising:

a desk portion having a top wall, two opposed and vertically extending sidewalls, a rear wall and a front wall, the top, sidewalls, front and rear walls define a chamber therebetween, the top wall having a through hole to define a cup holder;

a chair assembly having a seat and a backrest, the seat disposed within the chamber and the backrest forming a portion of the front wall of the desk portion when the desk unit assembly is in the closed position;

a storage unit mounted for reciprocal translation movement from a first position where the storage unit is positioned within the chamber to a second open position where the storage unit extends laterally from one of the two opposed sidewalls and in a direction generally perpendicular to an outer surface of the one of the two opposed sidewalls from which the storage unit extends, the storage unit has a length substantially equal to a length of the chamber;

a storage compartment adjacent but separate from the chamber and having a hinged door to provide access to the storage compartment, the hinged door having an outer surface that is substantially flush with the backrest when the assembly is in the closed position;

a drinking cup having a base at one end and a mouth at the opposite end with an outer wall connecting the base to the mouth, the outer wall having a portion that tapers radially outwardly from the mouth to the base to define a truncated conical-shaped cup where the base has the largest diameter of the cup, the cup being moveable by a user of the cup from a stowed position where the mouth extends downwardly through the through hole into the chamber and the base forms an interference fit with a portion of the cup holder to define a surface flush with a surface of the desk top to a use position where the mouth of the cup faces upwardly away from the top wall and the base forms an interference fit with the cup holder; and

the assembly having a generally cubical shape with substantially flat outer surfaces of the two sidewalls, the front wall and the rear wall and the top wall forming the uppermost horizontal surface of the assembly in both the open position and the closed position and when the assembly is in the open position the chamber can accommodate the legs of a user.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein a pull-out drawer is positioned within the storage compartment.

3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the storage unit has a first outer panel, the outer panel extends vertically substantially the entire height of the desk unit and defines a portion of one of the two opposed sidewalls.

4. The assembly of claim 3 wherein the storage unit has a length substantially equal to a length of the chamber.

5. The assembly of claim 3 further comprising a second vertically extending outer panel extending parallel to the first outer panel, the second outer panel comprising a dry erase board.

6. The assembly of claim 5 further comprising a display frame on the second outer panel.

7. The assembly of claim 5 further comprising a bread board mounted for reciprocal translation movement from a stowed position where the bread board is positioned within the chamber to an open position where the bread board extends outward from the second outer panel.

8. The assembly of claim 7 further comprising a finger hole through the second outer panel proximate the bread board to allow a user to access a surface of the bread board when in the stowed position.

9. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising a privacy panel extending vertically upward from the rear wall above the desk top surface.

10. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the base of the cup has a member for assisting a user to move the cup from the stowed position to the use position.

11. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the chair unit has a plurality of vertically extending walls defining a chair chamber, a drawer is positioned within the chair chamber and is mounted for reciprocal translational movement from a stowed position to an open position, when in the stowed position an outer panel of the drawer is substantially flush with the back rest to define one of the plurality of vertically extending walls.

12. The assembly of claim 11 wherein the chair unit has ground engaging members to facilitate the sliding of the chair unit with respect to the desk portion.