Table-mounted screen apparatus

• US 20050126446A1
• Filed: 12/10/2003
• Published: 06/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Inventors: Nobles, Joe A., Sorel, Jess A., Sorel, Todd J., Williams, Otto N.
• Application Number:
  US10/732,019
• Publication Number:
  US 20050126446A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 108/27
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/72 Adaptations for incorporating lamps, radio sets, bars, telephones, ventilation, heating or cooling arrangements or the like

Abstract

A screening apparatus includes a screen panel having an aperture and a bent wire screen support which includes a top leg extending through the aperture for supporting the screen panel around an edge of a table top. The screen support also includes a pair of vertical wire sections which extend downwardly from the top leg in a manner supporting a rear surface of the screen panel, and further includes forwardly extending bottom legs that extend through a bottom edge of the screen panel and that attach to a screen-supporting furniture unit, such as a table.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing visual privacy for a furniture system including a table, comprising:

a screen panel made of an incompressible flexible material, the screen panel including at least one aperture formed in an interior region thereof;

the material characteristically being self-supporting when in a vertical upright position and flexed to a bowed condition about a vertical axis; and

a screen support including a furniture-engaging mount section adapted for mounting to the table, and further including a forwardly-projecting holder section extended through the aperture for engaging and supporting the screen panel in the interior region, the screen support further including a vertical upright section supporting the holder section above the mount section.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vertical upright section engages and supports a rear surface of the screen panel.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein an upper portion of the screen panel that is located above the aperture is self-supporting, and is characteristically not supported by a separate frame.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, including a table top with an angled screen support being attached to the table top along a rear edge thereof and the shelf providing a visual front shield to areas under the table top.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the screen panel comprises a translucent sheet of solid plastic material.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vertical upright section and the holder section are made from a one-piece blank.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the one-piece blank comprises a bent wire.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the vertical upright section includes a pair of vertical rod sections spaced apart by a horizontal rod section forming the forwardly-projecting holder section.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the screen support defines an inverted U-shape.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, including a retainer located between the horizontal rod section and a front surface of the screen panel.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one screen support includes two screen supports which are spaced apart, and wherein the screen panels inner region further includes two apertures.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the aperture is near a center of the screen panel at a mid-level of the screen panel.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, including a retainer that frictionally engages the forwardly-projecting holder section on a front surface of the screen panel to securely attach the screen support to the screen panel.

14. A screen system comprising:

a screen panel having an aperture; and

a bent wire screen support including a top leg extending through the aperture for holding the screen panel upright, a pair of vertical wire sections extending downwardly from the top leg and that engage and support a rear surface of the screen panel, and a pair of bottom legs that extend forwardly along a bottom edge of the screen panel for attachment to a screen-supporting furniture unit.

15. The screen system of claim 14, wherein the screen panel is self-supporting when bowed slightly about a vertical axis to a non-planar shape.

16. The screen system of claim 14, wherein the screen panel has a thickness and is non-compressible in a direction of the thickness such that the screen panel is self-supporting.

17. The screen system of claim 14, wherein the screen panel comprises a translucent sheet of solid plastic material.

18. The screen system of claim 14, including a retainer that engages the top leg section to securely frictionally attach the bent wire screen support to the screen panel.

19. The screen system of claim 14, wherein the bent wire screen support has an inverted U-shape.

20. The screen system of claim 14, including a second bent wire screen support engaging a second aperture in the screen panel.

21. A screen system comprising:

a screen panel;

a furniture bracket having a body configured for attachment to a furniture unit and having attachment tabs that extend from the body; and

a screen support including a mount section attached to the screen panel and supporting the screen panel from a rear surface thereof, and further including a pair of forwardly extending legs that extend forward of the screen panel into engagement with the attachment tabs of the furniture bracket.

22. The screen system of claim 21, wherein the pair of forwardly extending legs are parallel and formed of wire.

23. The screen system of claim 21, wherein the pair of forwardly extending legs are telescopingly connected to a first pair of apertures in the attachment tabs of the furniture bracket.

24. The screen system of claim 23, wherein the pair of forwardly extending legs are retained within the apertures in the attachment tabs by a fastener.

25. The screen system of claim 24, wherein the furniture bracket body includes a plurality of second apertures for receiving screws, and is adapted and configured to engage a flat underside of a table.

26. The screen system of claim 21, wherein the furniture bracket body includes a plurality of apertures for receiving screws, and is adapted and configured to engage a flat underside of a chair.

27. A screening apparatus for providing visual privacy for a furniture system including a table, where the table includes an edge, the apparatus comprising:

a screen panel made of an incompressible flexible sheet material having a thickness, the sheet material being flexed to a bowed condition about a vertical axis and characteristically being self-supporting when in the bowed condition; and

a support engaging and supporting the screen panel.

28. The screening apparatus defined in claim 27, wherein the screen panel includes at least one aperture formed in an interior region thereof, and the support engages the aperture.

29. The screening apparatus defined in claim 27, wherein the support engages an interior region of the screen panel, with outer portions of the screen panel extending in cantilever from the interior region and characteristically not being supported by a frame separate from the support.