Office desk front panel and hardware adapted for 90-degree rotation from vertical storage position into a horizontal workspace position

• US 7,481,502 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2004
• Issued: 01/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Isabella Victoria Ortiz, Luis M. Ortiz
• Original Assignee: Isabella Victoria Ortiz, Luis M. Ortiz
• Inventors: Ortiz, Isabella Victoria, Ortiz, Luis M.
• Primary Examiner(s): WILKENS, JANET MARIE
• Application Number:
  US10/992,280
• Publication Number:
  US 20050104489A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,531 Days
• Field of Search: 312/281, 312/282, 312/317.1, 312/317.2, 312/317.3, 312/322, 312/325, 312/280, 312194-196, 312/241, 312/277, 312313-316, 108/40, 108/65, 108/68, 108/139, 108/140, 108/134, 108/69, 108 77- 79, 108/33
• US Class Current: 312/194
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 1/04 with supplementary leaves or drop leaves arranged at the periphery A47B1/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 17/03 with substantially horizontally extensible or adjustable parts other than drawers, e.g. leaves

Abstract

Front decorative panel can be moved from its storage position directly in front of the desk into a deployed, horizontal work space position near or at the height of the desk'"'"'s top. When deployed the panel provides additional workspace arranged to run in parallel with the front of the desk or perpendicular to the desk top as a long extension. At least one support member that can be moved into position beneath the front panel after horizontal deployment to keep the front panel in its upright, horizontal position. Control hardware enables the front panel to be physically manipulated into deployed or storage positions by a user. A safety mechanism associated with the control hardware can restrict the speed or movement of the front panel. The front panel can be used by meeting collaborators when deployed and enable the maintenance of open office space when the front panel is stored.

Claims

1. An office furnishing, comprising:

an office desk adapted for use within a private office and adapted to enable an office desk user to provide additional desktop workspace and accommodate at least two additional participants in a private meeting within said private office, said office desk including a pair of opposing side panels, each side panel having a front end portion, a rear end portion, a top end portion and a bottom end portion, and a rectangular desktop panel horizontally disposed onto and attached near opposite width ends of said rectangular desktop panel to said top end portions of the opposing side panels, wherein opposite length ends of said rectangular desktop panel define a front of said office desk associated with a first length end of said rectangular top panel and a rear of said office desk associated with a second length of said rectangular desktop panel wherein the rear of said office desk has a cavity formed between said pair of opposing side panels and beneath the rectangular top panel wherein part of an office chair and user legs can be stowed;

at least one desk drawer movably installed at the rear of said desk beneath and centered within said rectangular desktop panel and between said pair of opposing side panels, said at least one desk drawer adapted to be moved from a closed storage position beneath said rectangular desktop panel into an opened access position located away from the rear of said desk and said closed storage position;

a rectangular front panel attached by control hardware along a first length end of said rectangular front panel to the front of said office desk near said first length end of said rectangular desktop panel, said rectangular front panel adapted to be stowed in a flat vertical position against the front of said office desk beneath said first length of said rectangular top panel when not required for the provision of additional office desktop workspace and wherefrom the rectangular front panel and said hardware is adapted to be rotated 90 degrees vertically and swung 90 degrees horizontally into a deployed horizontal position wherein one end of the front panel is located and touching near the front, center of the desktop and the opposite end is located furthest way from the front, center of the desk, thereby converting the desktop and the front panel into a T-shaped workspace for use by multiple collaborators, wherein said control hardware adapted to restrict movement speed by said rectangular front panel during its movement between stowed and deployed positions and adapted to enable the rectangular front panel to be physically manipulated into deployed or storage positions with respect to said office desk by a single user;

at least one support member movable from a storage location beneath said rectangular top panel into a supporting position beneath said rectangular front panel after said rectangular front panel is deployed into additional office desktop; and

at least one leg stowed within the front panel and adapted to be swung ninety degrees into a supporting position at the opposite end of the front panel located furthest away from the front, center of the desk.

2. An office furnishing, comprising:

an office desk provided for use within a private office and adapted to enable an office desk user to provide additional desktop workspace and accommodate at least two participants in a meeting within said private office, said office desk including a pair of opposing side panels, each side panel having a front end portion, a rear end portion, a top end portion and a bottom end portion, and a rectangular desktop panel horizontally disposed onto and attached near opposite width ends of said rectangular desktop panel to said top end portions of the opposing side panels, wherein opposite length ends of said rectangular desktop panel define a front of said office desk associated with a first length end of said rectangular top panel and a rear of said office desk associated with a second length of said rectangular desktop panel wherein the rear of said office desk has a cavity formed between said pair of opposing side panels and beneath the rectangular top panel wherein part of an office chair and user legs can be stowed;

a rectangular front panel attached by control hardware along a first length end of said rectangular front panel to the front of said office desk near said first length end of said rectangular desktop panel, said rectangular front panel adapted to be stowed in a flat vertical position against the front of said office desk beneath said first length of said rectangular top panel when not required for the provision of additional office desktop workspace and wherefrom the rectangular front panel and said hardware is adapted to be rotated 90 degrees vertically and swung 90 degrees horizontally into a deployed horizontal position wherein one end of the front panel is located and touching near the front, center of the desktop and the opposite end is located furthest way from the front, center of the desk, thereby converting the desktop and the front panel into a T-shaped workspace for use by multiple collaborators, wherein said control hardware adapted to restrict movement speed between said rectangular front panel during its movement between stowed and deployed positions and adapted to enable the rectangular front panel to be physically manipulated into deployed or storage positions with respect to said office desk by a single user, whereby said rectangular front panel extends outwardly from and substantially level with said rectangular desktop panel;

at least one desk drawer movably installed at the rear of said desk directly beneath and center upon said rectangular desktop panel between said pair of opposing side panels, said at least one desk drawer adapted to be moved from a closed storage position beneath said rectangular desktop panel into an opened access position located away from the rear of said desk and said closed storage position;

two telescoping support members secured to said rectangular top panel and adapted to be slid horizontally from storage locations directly beneath said rectangular top panel between said at least one desk drawer and said pair of opposing side panels into a supporting position in front of said office desk and directly beneath said rectangular front panel whereon said two telescoping support members are adapted to make contact with and support said rectangular front panel after said rectangular front panel is deployed into additional horizontal meeting space; and

at least one leg stowed within the front panel and adapted to be swung ninety degrees into a supporting position at the opposite end of the front panel located furthest away from the front, center of the desk.

3. A system adapted for providing private meeting and conference space for executives, a professionals and managers, comprising:

an office desk adapted for use with at least three chairs in a private office and adapted to enable an office desk user to provide additional desktop workspace for at least two additional participants engaged in a meeting with the office desk user around the office desk, said office desk further comprising a pair of opposing side panels, each side panel having a front end portion, a rear end portion, a top end portion and a bottom end portion, and a rectangular desktop panel horizontally disposed onto and attached near opposite width ends of said rectangular desktop panel to said top end portions of the opposing side panels, wherein opposite length ends of said rectangular desktop panel define a front of said office desk associated with a first length end of said rectangular top panel and a rear of said office desk associated with a second length of said rectangular desktop panel wherein the rear of said office desk has a cavity formed between said pair of opposing side panels and beneath the rectangular top panel wherein part of one of said at least three chairs and the office desk user'"'"'s legs can be stowed during the meeting;

a drawer movably installed near the middle and at the rear of said desk beneath said rectangular desktop panel and between said pair of opposing side panels, said drawer adapted to be moved from a closed storage position beneath said rectangular desktop panel into an opened access position located away from the rear of said desk and said closed storage position;

a rectangular front panel attached by control hardware along a first length end of said rectangular front panel to the front of said office desk near said first length end of said rectangular desktop panel, said rectangular front panel adapted to be stowed in a flat vertical position against the front of said office desk beneath said first length of said rectangular top panel when not required for the provision of additional office desktop workspace for the at least two additional participants and wherefrom the rectangular front panel is further adapted to be rotated 90 degrees vertically and swung 90 degrees horizontally into a deployed horizontal position wherein one end of the front panel is located and touching near the front, center of the desktop and the opposite end is located furthest way from the front, center of the desk, thereby converting the desktop and the front panel into a T-shaped workspace for use by multiple collaborators, said control hardware further comprising at least one of spring loaded, hydraulic and pneumatic hardware adapted to restrict movement speed between said rectangular front panel during its movement between stowed and deployed positions and adapted to enable the rectangular front panel to be physically manipulated into deployed or storage positions with respect to said office desk by a single user, whereby said rectangular front panel extends outwardly from and substantially level with said rectangular desktop panel along their respective first length ends;

two telescoping support members adapted to be stowed in storage locations located beneath said rectangular top panel in-between said drawer and said pair of opposing side panels, said two telescoping support members secured to said rectangular top panel, wherein each of said telescoping support members are further adapted to be movable from the storage location into a supporting positions beneath said rectangular front panel after said rectangular front panel is deployed into additional horizontal meeting space;

a support structure located beneath said at least one telescoping support member and said rectangular desktop panel near the front of said office desk, said support structure adapted to provide support to said at least one telescoping support member when extended front underneath said rectangular desktop panel to provide support to said rectangular front panel when said rectangular front panel is deployed into said additional horizontal meeting space; and

at least one leg stowed within the front panel and adapted to be swung ninety degrees into a supporting position at the opposite end of the front panel located furthest away from the front, center of the desk.