Multi-station carrel unit

• US 4,763,581 A
• Filed: 12/15/1986
• Issued: 08/16/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Midland Manufacturing Corporation (Dover Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Midland Manufacturing Corporation (Dover Corporation)
• Inventors: Weese, Benjamin H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Aschenbrenner, Peter A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen, Jose V.
• Application Number:
  US06/941,638
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: 108/92, 108/91, 108/60, 108/64, 108/33, 108/38, 312/196, 312/198, 312/203, 312/107, 312/235 R, 297/147, 297/158, 297/174, D 6/421
• US Class Current: 108/92
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 83/00 Combinations comprising two or more pieces of furniture of different kinds

Abstract

A multi-tiered, multi-station carrel unit includes spaced side walls that define a plurality of compartments divided into work stations by an intermediate deck, each work station having a work-supporting surface and a seat defined therein. A stairwell leads to the upper work stations and the carrel units may be assembled in any desired pattern.

Claims

1. A self-supporting multiple-station carrel unit comprising a plurality of substantially coextensive spaced side walls and having upper and lower edges with said lower edges defining a generally coplanar lower support surface, each side wall having substantially vertical front and rear edges and a top edge interconnecting said front and rear edges, generally horizontal deck means spaced from said upper and lower edges positioned between an adjacent pair of side walls and defining a lower work station and an upper work station, said deck means including a substantially continuous panel extending between said front and rear edges and defining a floor for said upper station and a ceiling for said lower station, a first working surface in said lower work station between and secured to said adjacent pair of side walls and extending generally parallel and below said deck means with a rear edge thereof generally aligned with said rear edges of said adjacent pair of side walls and a front edge spaced from said front edges of said side walls and a seating area between said working surface and said front edges of said side walls, said seating area being totally within the confines of said side walls with first seat means in said seating area, and a second working surface spaced above said deck means and below said upper edge, said second working surface extending between and secured to said adjacent pair of side walls and having a front edge generally aligned with said front edges of said side walls and a rear edge spaced from said rear edges of said side walls, a second seating area on said deck means and located above said first working surface with second seat means above said deck means in said second seating area, and ladder means extending from said lower edges to said deck means.

2. A self-supporting multiple station carrel unit as defined in claim 1, in which there are three transversely-spaced parallel side walls defining two adjacent compartments with said deck means located between respective adjacent side walls to divide each compartment into upper and lower sections, each lower section having a common dividing wall forming front and rear lower work stations each having a working surface and a seat means defined therein, said upper sections having a common walkway above said common dividing wall defining front and rear upper work stations in each compartment, each upper work station having a working surface and a seat means therein, and in which said ladder means includes a stairway at one end of said walkway.

3. A multi-tiered carrel unit including a plurality of at least four spaced side walls having substantially coextensive front, rear, top and bottom edges and being transversely spaced to define a plurality of compartments, deck means in each compartment spaced from said top and bottom edges and extending between said front and rear edges to divide each compartment into at least upper and lower work stations, a first work-supporting surface located in each said lower station spaced from said front edges and supported on said side walls adjacent said rear edges, a second work-supporting surface in each said upper work station spaced from said rear edges and supported on said side walls adjacent said front edges and offset from said first work-supporting surface in the front-to-rear direction, first seat means in each said lower station positioned between said front edges and said first work-supporting surface, second seat means in each said upper station between said rear edges and said second work-supporting surface, said first and second seat means each being connected to at least one side wall, and ladder means supported on an intermediate pair of said side walls between two compartment to gain access to said upper work stations from a supporting floor.

4. A carrel unit as defined in claim 3, further including panel means extending across said rear edges enclosing said compartments.

5. A carrel unit as defined in claim 3, in which said intermediate side walls have access openings leading from said ladder means to said upper work stations.

6. A carrel unit as defined in claim 3, in which said forward edges have extensions for said upper work stations with privacy panels extending between said extensions and located between said deck means and said second work-supporting surfaces.

7. A self-supporting multiple-station carrel unit comprising at least three substantially coextensive transversely-spaced side walls defining a plurality of compartments between respective adjacent pairs of side walls with each compartment having an intermediate deck means producing upper and lower sections, each lower section having a vertical divider wall forming front and rear lower work stations, each having a working surface and seat means therein, each upper section having a walkway defined by said deck means and located above the divider wall to divide said upper section into upper front and rear work stations, each having a working surface and seat means therein, said side walls having openings above said deck means so that said walkway extends between opposite ends of said carrel unit and ladder means leading from a supporting surface to said walkway.