Building outfitting system with common accessory-mounting feature

• US 20030182871A1
• Filed: 03/29/2002
• Published: 10/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Steelcase Development Corporation (Steelcase Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ludwig, James N., Mead, Karl J., Mueller, Karl Heinz, Gresham, David M., Kelley, Dale T.
• Granted Patent: US 6,807,776 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 52/36.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 83/001 Office desks or work-stations combined with other pieces of furniture, e.g. work space management systems
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 96/1483 and radial arms
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2/7425 Details of connection of panels E04B2/7427 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2/7453 with panels and support posts, extending from floor to ceiling
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2002/7418 Accessories supported on the free upper edge, e.g. auxiliary panels, noise abatement devices
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2002/742 Details of panel top cap
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2002/7479 Details of connection of flexible sheets to frame or posts
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2002/7483 Details of furniture, e.g. tables or shelves, associated with the partitions
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2002/7487 Partitions with slotted profiles
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2002/7488 Details of wiring
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2002/749 Partitions with screw-type jacks

Abstract

A prefabricated system for outfitting a building space includes an architectural product (such as a full-height permanent building wall, a post-and-beam product with overhead frame, and a drywall-covered wall), a furniture product (such as a partial-height wall, a partition, and a desking system), and a plurality of accessories. The architectural product includes a structural member with horizontal and vertical accessory-mounting T-slots, and the furniture product includes structural trim pieces with identical vertical and horizontal accessory-mounting T-slots. The plurality of accessories are constructed to stably engage any of the accessory-mounting slots at a selected location along the slots. Some accessories can be attached to and extend between the two products, such as an accessory screen that extends between a post of a post-and-beam system and an end of a partition system.

Claims

1. A system for outfitting a building space, comprising:

an architectural product having a first structural member with a first accessory mount feature;

a furniture product having a second structural member with a second accessory mount feature that is configured for engagement in a manner similar to the first structural member; and

a plurality of accessories each configured to stably engage the first accessory mount feature and also configured to stably engage the second accessory mount feature.

2. The system defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of accessories is attached to the first accessory mount feature, and at least another one of the plurality of accessories is attached to the second accessory mount feature.

3. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the architectural product includes at least one of a full-height permanent building wall, a post-and-beam product with overhead frame, and a drywall-covered wall.

4. The system defined in claim 3, wherein the furniture product includes at least one of a partial-height wall, a partition, and a desking system.

5. The system defined in claim 4, wherein the architectural product includes a post-and-beam product with overhead frame, and the furniture product includes a partial-height freestanding partition system.

6. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second accessory mount features are substantially identical in shape.

7. The system defined in claim 6, wherein the first and second accessory mount features are elongated.

8. The system defined in claim 7, wherein the first and second accessory mount features each comprise a slot with having at least one blind surface.

9. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second accessory mount features each comprise at least one T-shaped slot.

10. The system defined in claim 9, wherein at least one of the first and second structural members include trim pieces having the T-shaped slot formed therein.

11. The system defined in claim 1, wherein at least a selected one of the accessories engages and is secured to the selected one accessory mount feature in a cantilevered arrangement.

12. The system defined in claim 11, wherein the selected one accessory is attached to the architectural product and also to the furniture product.

13. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second accessory-mounting features include first and second slots, respectively, that are located on a side of the post and an end of the partition, the first and second slots being shaped and oriented to retain a same one of the accessories in a same orientation.

14. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second accessory-mounting features include first and second slots, respectively, that are located on a side of the beam and a top of the partition.

15. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the one accessory is a functional panel selected from one of a slatwall, a writable/erasable board, a screen, and a retractable door.

16. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the plurality of accessories includes a hook.

17. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the plurality of accessories includes a functional panel.

18. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the plurality of accessories includes a screen.

19. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the plurality of accessories includes one of a shelf and a work surface.

20. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the plurality of accessories includes a utility-using device, such as a lamp or a phone.

21. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the attachment feature includes a shallow recess.

22. The system defined in claim 21, wherein first and second accessory attachment features each include a T-shaped slot located in a bottom of an elongated recess.

23. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the furniture product includes a partition with a trim piece attached thereto having an exterior surface defining a longitudinal recess, the trim piece having the second attachment feature therein.

24. The system defined in claim 23, wherein the trim piece is attached to a side edge of the partition, the trim piece extending vertically, and the second accessory attachment feature comprises a slot formed in the trim piece that extends a length of the trim piece.

25. The system defined in claim 23, wherein the trim piece is attached to a top edge of the partition, the trim piece extending horizontally, and the second accessory attachment feature comprises a slot formed in the trim piece that extends a length of the trim piece.

26. The system defined in claim 1, wherein several of the accessories are configured to attach to the first and second accessory attachment features and to extend laterally from one of the side edges of the architectural product and the furniture product.

27. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the architectural product includes a building-wall-covering system with a slot forming the first accessory-mounting feature.

28. A prefabricated system for outfitting a building space, comprising:

an architectural system constructed and adapted to finish a building space;

a partition system constructed and adapted to subdivide a building space for office use;

the architectural system including a first structural member defining at least one longitudinally-extending first accessory-mounting slot with first blind surfaces, and the partition system including at least one longitudinally-extending second accessory-mounting slot with second blind surfaces; and

a plurality of accessories each having a base shaped to mateably selectively engage the first blind surfaces of the first accessory-mounting slots and shaped to mateably selectively engage the second blind surfaces of the second accessory-mounting slots, and each including at least one fastener associated with the selected accessory that, when engaged with an associated one of the first and second blind surfaces, is shaped to releasably engage the associated blind surfaces to retain the associated accessory in a selected position along the associated accessory-mounting slot.

29. The prefabricated system defined in claim 28, wherein the first and second accessory-mounting slots both have a similar cross sectional shape.

30. The prefabricated system defined in claim 28, wherein the first and second accessory-mounting slots each include at least one vertically-extending slot and at least one horizontally-extending slot.

31. The prefabricated system defined in claim 28, wherein the architectural system includes at least one of the following:

an architectural wall-covering system, a raised floor system, a drop ceiling system, a bulkhead utility-delivery system, a column covering system, and a stud-wall-and-gypsum system.

32. The prefabricated system defined in claim 28, wherein the partition system includes at least two interconnected freestanding partitions, each having a third accessory-mounting slot thereon;

the first, second, and third mount slots being substantially identical in shape.

33. The prefabricated system defined in claim 28, wherein the first accessory-mounting slot of the architectural system includes vertical channels defining a continuous T-slot, the architectural system further including drywall panels attached between the vertical channels.

34. A prefabricated system for outfitting a building space, comprising:

a post-and-beam system including an overhead framework with beams and a plurality of posts supporting the overhead framework, at least one of the posts and beams including a first accessory-mounting feature in the form of a first elongated slot;

a partition system including a plurality of interconnected partition panels, the partition panels each including a top surface and end surfaces, at least one of the top and end surfaces having a second accessory-mounting feature in the form of a second elongated slot; and

a plurality of accessories each configured to matably and stably engage a selected one of the first and second accessory-mounting features to retain the accessory to the selected one mounting feature.

35. The prefabricated system defined in claim 34, wherein one of the posts includes the first elongated slot, and one of the beams includes a third slot substantially identical to the first elongated slot, and wherein one of the top surfaces include the second elongated slot, and one of the end surface include a fourth slot substantially identical to the second slot.

36. A method comprising steps of:

providing an architectural product and a partition product, each having a substantially identical elongated mount feature;

providing a plurality of accessories adapted for mounting to the mount feature; and

selectively attaching at least one of the plurality of accessories to the mount feature on a selected one of the architectural product and the partition product.

37. The method defined in claim 36, including selectively attaching the one accessory to the other of the architectural product and the partition product, with the selected one accessory extending between the architectural product and the partition product.