Tabletop cable management

• US 8,272,335 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2008
• Issued: 09/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Derocher, Mike, DeSaulles, Stephen, Marchant, Amos, Harris, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Jose V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ing, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US12/236,335
• Publication Number:
  US 20090178844A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,463 Days
• Field of Search: 248/51, 108/27, 108/23, 108/64, 108/50.01, 108/50.02, 312/223.1, 312/223.3, 312/223.6, 312/140.3, 312/140.4
• US Class Current: 108/50.02
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 97/00 Furniture or accessories for furniture, not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

A cable manager for a tabletop includes raceway and a holder. The tabletop includes a support surface and an edge surface. The raceway is for a cable having an end with a plug. The raceway is configured to be positioned lengthwise along at least a portion of a length of the edge surface. The raceway provides a slot along and through which the cable can, with respect to the support surface, be moved laterally and extended and retracted. The holder is configured to be positioned on the support surface and to retain the plug in a stationary position at a first location adjacent to the support surface. The plug is removable from the holder to be repositioned to a desired one of a plurality of second locations adjacent to the support surface.

Claims

1. A cable manager for a tabletop having a support surface comprising a plurality of separate workspaces, each workspace capable of accommodating a human user, and an edge surface, the cable manager comprising:

a raceway for a cable having an end with a plug, the raceway configured to be positioned lengthwise along at least a portion of a length of the edge surface, the raceway extending to each of the workspaces for the plurality of human users provided on the support surface of the tabletop, the raceway providing a slot along and through which the cable can, with respect to the support surface, be moved laterally and extended and retracted such that the plug can be connected to a computing device located at any of the workspaces on the support surface of the tabletop; and

a holder configured to be positioned on the support surface and to retain the plug in a stationary position at a first location adjacent to the support surface, the plug being removable from the holder to be repositioned to a desired one of a plurality of second locations adjacent to the support surface.

2. The cable manager of claim 1, further comprising a stop configured to be affixed to the cable at a position along the cable between the plug and the slot, wherein when the cable is retracted through the slot, the stop when affixed prevents the plug and at least a portion of the cable from passing through the slot.

3. The cable manager of claim 1, wherein the cable includes a plurality of cords and each of the cords has an end with a plug, wherein:

the raceway provides a slot along and through which the cords can, with respect to the support surface, be moved laterally and extended and retracted; and

the holder is configured to retain at least one of the plugs in a stationary position at the first location adjacent to the support surface.

4. The cable manager of claim 1, wherein the holder comprises a magnetized surface configured to retain the plug in the stationary position at the first location by providing an attractive force on a metal portion of the plug when the plug is placed in physical proximity to the holder, the attractive force being overcome by pulling the plug away from the holder.

5. The cable manager of claim 1, wherein the tabletop has a length that generally corresponds to a line or curve defined by an intersection of the edge surface and the support surface and wherein the slot has a length that is about three quarters of the length of the tabletop.

6. The cable manager of claim 1, wherein the raceway is integrated into the tabletop.

7. The cable manager of claim 1, wherein the raceway is attachable to the tabletop.

8. An article of furniture, comprising:

a tabletop having a support surface comprising a plurality of separate workspaces, each workspace capable of accommodating a human user, and an edge surface bounding at least a portion of the support surface;

a plurality of legs configured to support the tabletop;

a cable having a first end with a plug;

a raceway positioned lengthwise along at least a portion of a length of the edge surface, the raceway extending to each of the workspaces for the plurality of human users provided on the support surface of the tabletop, the raceway providing a slot along and through which the cable can, with respect to the support surface, be moved laterally and extended and retracted such that the plug can be connected to a computing device located at any of the workspaces on the support surface of the tabletop; and

a holder positioned on the support surface and to retain the plug in a stationary position at a first location adjacent to the support surface, the plug being removable from the holder to be repositioned to a desired one of a plurality of second locations adjacent to the support surface.

9. The article of furniture of claim 8, further comprising a stop affixed to the cable at a position along the cable between the plug and the slot, wherein when the cable is refracted through the slot, the stop prevents the plug and at least a portion of the cable from passing through the slot.

10. The article of furniture of claim 8, wherein the cable includes a plurality of cords and each of the cords has an end with a plug, wherein:

the raceway provides a slot along and through which the cords can, with respect to the support surface, be moved laterally and extended and retracted; and

the holder is configured to retain at least one of the plugs in a stationary position at the first location adjacent to the support surface.

11. The article of furniture of claim 8, wherein the holder comprises a magnetized surface configured to retain the plug in the stationary position at the first location by providing an attractive force on a metal portion of the plug when the plug is placed in physical proximity to the holder, the attractive force being overcome by pulling the plug away from the holder.

12. The article of furniture of claim 8, wherein the tabletop has a length that generally corresponds to a line or curve defined by an intersection of the edge surface and the support surface and wherein the slot has a length that is about three quarters of the length of the tabletop.

13. The article of furniture of claim 8, wherein the cable is positioned such that the plug is positioned on a first side of the raceway, the cable passes from the plug through the slot and into a recess formed in one of the legs.

14. A cable manager for a tabletop having a support surface comprising a plurality of separate workspaces, each workspace capable of accommodating a human user, and an edge surface, the cable having an end with a plug, the cable manager comprising:

means for providing a slot along and through which the cable can, with respect to the support surface, be moved laterally and extended and retracted, the slot being positioned lengthwise along at least a portion of a length of the edge surface, the slot extending to each of the workspaces for the plurality of human users provided on the support surface of the tabletop such that the plug can be relocated and connected to a computing device located at any of the workspaces on the support surface of the tabletop; and

means for retaining the plug in a stationary position at a first location adjacent to the support surface, the plug being removable from the means for retaining to be repositioned to a desired one of a plurality of second locations adjacent to the support surface.

15. The cable manager of claim 14, further comprising a means for preventing the plug and at least a portion of the cable from being retracted through the slot.

16. The cable manager of claim 14, wherein the cable includes a plurality of cords and each of the cords has an end with a plug, wherein:

the means for providing a slot comprises means for providing a slot along and through which the cords can, with respect to the support surface, be moved laterally and extended and retracted; and

the means for retaining comprises means for retaining at least one of the plugs in a stationary position at the first location adjacent to the support surface.

17. The cable manager of claim 14, wherein the means for retaining comprises a means for magnetically retaining the plug in the stationary position at the first location by providing an attractive force on a metal portion of the plug when the plug is placed in physical proximity to the means for retaining, the attractive force being overcome by pulling the plug away from the means for retaining.

18. The cable manager of claim 14, wherein the tabletop has a length that generally corresponds to a line or curve defined by an intersection of the edge surface and the support surface and wherein the means for providing a slot comprises means for providing a slot that has a length that is about three quarters of the length of the tabletop.

19. The cable manager of claim 14, wherein the means for providing a slot is integrated into the tabletop.

20. The cable manager of claim 14, wherein the means for providing a slot is attachable to the tabletop.