Reconfigurable table assemblies

• US 8,689,705 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2011
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Inventors: Martin, Kirt, Eberlein, David C
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, HANH VAN
• Application Number:
  US13/092,448
• Publication Number:
  US 20110297051A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• Field of Search: 108 5001- 5002, 312/223.3
• US Class Current: 108/50.02
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 13/08 Table tops; Rims therefor not restricted to table tops A47B95/04
• 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 21/06 characterised by means for holding, fastening or concealing cables
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A furniture kit including first and second spaced apart leg members including front and rear end portions and a frame space between facing surfaces, a first furniture assembly including a first rigid furniture component having first and second ends and having front and rear portions, wherein (i) a first furniture configuration is configurable that includes the first furniture assembly supported between the leg members and generally within the frame space with the front and rear portions of the first furniture assembly adjacent the front and rear end portions of the leg members, respectively, and (ii) a second furniture configuration is configurable that includes the first furniture assembly supported between the leg members and generally within the frame space with the front and rear portions of the first furniture assembly adjacent the rear and front end portions of the leg members, respectively.

Claims

1. A furniture kit including:

first and second spaced apart leg members including front and rear end portions and a frame space between facing surfaces, each of the first and second leg members includes a front surface and a rear surface;

a first furniture assembly including a first rigid furniture component having first and second ends and having front and rear portions, wherein;

(i) a first furniture configuration is configurable that includes the first furniture assembly supported between the leg members and generally within the frame space with the front and rear portions of the first furniture assembly adjacent the front and rear end portions and substantially flush with the front and rear surfaces of the leg members, respectively,

(ii) a second furniture configuration is configurable that includes the first furniture assembly rotated 180 degrees about a vertical axis to be supported between the leg members and generally within the frame space with the front and rear portions of the first furniture assembly adjacent the rear and front end portions and substantially flush with the front and rear surfaces of the leg members, respectively, and

(iii) a third furniture configuration is configurable that includes the rear portion of the first furniture assembly supported adjacent the front portions of the leg members and the front portion of the first furniture assembly extending out from the frame space.

2. The kit of claim 1 wherein a fourth furniture configuration is configurable that includes the rear portion of the first furniture assembly supported adjacent the rear portions of the leg members with the front portion of the first furniture assembly extending out from the frame space.

3. The kit of claim 2 wherein the first furniture assembly includes at least a first wire management channel having first and second ends and a table top member wherein the first furniture configuration includes the wire management channel mounted at opposite ends to the first and second leg members along a rear edge of the frame space with the table top member located to a front side of the wire management channel within the frame space, the second furniture configuration includes the wire management channel mounted at opposite ends to the first and second leg members along a front edge of the frame space with the table top member located to a rear side of the wire management channel within the frame space, the third furniture configuration includes the wire management channel mounted at opposite ends to the first and second leg members along an intermediate portion of the frame space with the table top member located to a front side of the wire management channel and the fourth furniture configuration includes the wire management channel mounted at opposite ends to the first and second leg members along an intermediate portion of the frame space with the table top member located to a rear side of the wire management channel.

4. The kit of claim 3 further including a second furniture assembly including a second rigid furniture component having first and second ends wherein a fifth furniture configuration is configurable by mounting the second furniture assembly between the first and second leg members to a rear side of the wire management channel in the third furniture configuration and wherein a sixth furniture configuration is configurable by mounting the second furniture assembly between the first and second leg members to a front side of the wire management channel in the fourth furniture configuration.

5. The kit of claim 1 further including a second furniture assembly including a second rigid furniture component having first and second ends and front and rear portions wherein a fifth furniture configuration is configurable that includes the first furniture assembly supported between the leg members and generally adjacent the front end portions of the leg members in the third configuration and the second furniture assembly supported between the leg members and generally adjacent the rear end portions of the leg members.

6. The kit of claim 5 wherein each of the first and second rigid furniture components includes a table top.

7. The kit of claim 1 wherein the first furniture assembly further includes an elongated rigid rail member wherein the first furniture configuration includes the rail member located adjacent to and supported by the rear portions of the leg members and the second furniture configuration includes the rail member located between adjacent to and supported by the front portions of the leg members.

8. The kit of claim 7 wherein the first furniture assembly further includes a first table top member and a first storage trough wherein the first storage trough is supportable by the leg members between the first table top member and the rail member.

9. The kit of claim 8 wherein the rail member forms a wire management channel along a length dimension.

10. The kit of claim 9 wherein the channel forms an upward opening along rear edges of adjacent furniture assemblies.

11. The kit of claim 7 wherein each leg member includes first and second spaced apart and substantially parallel horizontal beam members, the rail member includes an expansion jaw assembly at each of the first and second ends and wherein each expansion jaw is received between and mounts the rail member to the beam members that comprise one of the leg members.

12. The kit of claim 7 wherein the rail member is mounted to the leg members for sliding movement between the front and rear portions of the leg members.

13. The kit of claim 1 wherein each of the first and second leg members forms at least one substantially horizontal slot and wherein the first furniture assembly includes a support member extending from each of the first and second ends that is releasably receivable within one of the slots for securing the furniture assembly to an adjacent leg member.

14. The kit of claim 1 wherein the first furniture configuration includes a top surface that is substantially flush with a top surface of each of the leg members in each of the first and second configurations.

15. The kit of claim 1 wherein the first furniture assembly is located entirely within the frame space in each of the first and second configurations.

16. A method for reconfiguring a single person workstation wherein the single person workstation includes first and second spaced apart leg members that form a first frame space there between each of the first and second leg members includes a front surface and a rear surface and a first table top assembly having front and rear portions where the table top assembly is mountable between the leg members in either of at least a first position with the first table top assembly located substantially within the frame space with the front and rear portions of the first table top assembly being substantially flush with the front and rear surfaces of the leg members, a second position wherein at least a portion of the first table top assembly extends out of the frame space beyond either the front surface or the rear surface of the leg members, and a third position with the first table top assembly rotated 180 degrees about a vertical axis and located substantially within the frame space with the front and rear portions of the first table to assembly being substantially flush with the rear and front surfaces of the leg members, the method comprising the steps of:

with the first table top assembly initially in the first position, moving the first table top assembly from the first position to the second position; and

securing the first table top assembly in the second position with at least a portion of the first table top assembly extending out of the frame space.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the work station further includes a rail member that includes first and second ends and that mounts between the first and second leg members, the rail member moveable with the first table top assembly between the first and second positions and supporting an edge of the first table top assembly.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the rail member includes couplers at first and second ends for securely engaging the leg members and wherein the method further includes the steps of, with the couplers initially in an engaged position, disengaging the couplers from the leg members and wherein the step of securing the first table top assembly in the second position includes, after the rail and the first table top assembly are in the second position, re-engaging the couplers to the leg members.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the rail member and first table top assembly are mounted to the leg members for sliding movement between the first and second positions and wherein the step of moving the rail member and first table top assembly includes sliding the rail member and first table top assembly from the first position to the second position.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the rail member includes a channel member that forms a wire management channel along a length dimension that extends between first and second ends where the first and second ends are mounted to the first and second leg members, respectively.

21. The method of claim 16 also for reconfiguring the single person work station to construct a two person workstation, the method further comprising the steps, after securing the first table top assembly in the second position, providing a second table top assembly and mounting the second table top assembly between the first and second leg members adjacent the first table top assembly with at least a portion of the second table top assembly extending out of the frame space in a direction opposite the direction in which the first table top assembly extends.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the work station also includes a rail member that includes first and second ends and that mounts between the first and second leg members, the rail member moveable with the first table top assembly between the first and second positions and supporting an edge of each of the first table top assemblies when the second table top assembly is mounted between the leg members.

23. A table assembly kit comprising:

first and second leg members, each leg member having front and rear surfaces, a frame space located between facing surfaces of the first and second leg members;

a first elongated channel member forming a wire management channel along its length, the channel member mountable at opposite ends to the first and second leg members for substantially horizontal sliding movement with respect to the leg members between at least an intermediate position in which the channel member is intermediately positioned with respect to the front and rear surfaces of the leg members, a front position wherein the channel member is positioned adjacent the front surfaces of the leg members and a rear position wherein the channel member is positioned adjacent the rear surfaces of the leg members; and

a first table top assembly;

wherein a first single workspace configuration can be configured by positioning the channel member in the rear position and mounting the first table top assembly between the first and second leg members substantially within the frame space and to a forward side of the channel member with the channel member substantially flush with the rear surfaces of the leg members and the first table to assembly substantially flush with the front surfaces of the leg members, a second single workspace configuration can be configured by positioning the channel member in the intermediate position and mounting the first table top assembly between the first and second leg members to a front side of the channel member wherein at least a portion of the first table top assembly extends out of the frame space beyond the front surfaces of the leg members, and a third workspace configuration can be configured by positioning the channel member in the front position and mounting the first table top assembly between the first and second leg members by rotating the first table top assembly approximately 180 degrees about a vertical axis and located substantially within the frame space and to a rearward side of the channel member with the channel member substantially flush with the front surfaces of the leg members and the first table top assembly being substantially flush with the rear surfaces of the leg members.

24. The kit of claim 23 further including a second table top assembly wherein a two person workspace can be configured by positioning the channel member in the intermediate position, mounting the first table top assembly between the first and second leg members to the front side of the channel member and mounting the second table top assembly between the first and second leg members to a rear side of the channel member.

25. The kit of claim 24 wherein each of the first and second table top assemblies includes a table top member and a trough member.

26. The kit of claim 23 wherein the table top assembly includes a table top member and a trough member.

27. The kit of claim 26 wherein the channel member supports at least one edge of the trough member and wherein the trough member supports at least one edge of the table top member.