Learning suite furniture system

• US 9,066,589 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2013
• Issued: 06/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Inventors: Battey, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Jose V
• Application Number:
  US14/007,770
• Publication Number:
  US 20140366782A1
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• Field of Search: 108/27, 108/60, 108/61, 248/441.1, 248/451, 248/460
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 17/065 Pivotally mounted auxiliary tables
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 19/02 Church pulpits ; Stands for lecturers
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/0071 Booth like
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/0085 Supplementary support fixed on the edge of a desk or table
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/0088 Appliance support having rotary joint or articulated connection
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/12 Vanity or modesty panels
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 41/00 School desks or tables attaching to floor A47B91/08
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 41/02 Adjustable, inclinable, sliding or foldable desks tops
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 41/06 Holders or supports for guiding copy-books, slates, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 81/00 Cabinets or racks specially adapted for other particular purposes, e.g. for storing guns or skis
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 83/00 Combinations comprising two or more pieces of furniture of different kinds
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 83/04 Tables combined with other pieces of furniture
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/00 Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26

Abstract

A furniture system for use in a classroom, the furniture system comprising a table assembly including a top member and at least a first leg support member, the top member forming a substantially flat top surface and circumscribed by an outer edge, the at least one leg support member supporting the top member in a substantially horizontal position, a table dock supported by the table assembly adjacent the top surface and forming a table dock channel that opens upwardly where the dock channel is unobstructed by the top member, at least a first substantially flat display panel including a display surface on at least a first of two oppositely facing and substantially parallel side surfaces, the panel circumscribed by a panel edge and an easel assembly spaced apart from the table assembly and including an easel coupler, wherein the panel edge is receivable within the table dock channel to support the display panel in a substantially vertical orientation adjacent the flat top surface and wherein the display panel is alternatively engageable with the easel coupler to be supported in a substantially vertical orientation spaced apart from the table assembly.

Claims

1. A furniture system for use in a classroom, the furniture system comprising:

a table assembly including a top member and at least a first leg support member, the top member forming a substantially flat top surface and circumscribed by an outer edge, the at least one leg support member supporting the top member in a substantially horizontal position;

a table dock supported by the table assembly adjacent the top surface and including oppositely facing, substantially parallel and substantially vertical wall members that form a table dock channel that opens upwardly where the dock channel is unobstructed by the top member;

at least a first substantially flat display panel including a display surface on at least a first of two oppositely facing and substantially parallel side surfaces, the panel circumscribed by a panel edge; and

an easel assembly spaced apart from the table assembly and including a substantially vertically upright frame and an easel coupler supported on one side of the frame;

wherein the panel edge is frictionally receivable within the table dock channel between the oppositely facing walls with the oppositely facing walls adjacent the oppositely facing parallel side surfaces of the display panel to support the display panel in a substantially vertical orientation adjacent and extending upwardly from the flat top surface and wherein the display panel is alternatively engageable with the easel coupler to be supported in a substantially vertical orientation to one side of the frame and spaced apart from the table assembly.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the table assembly further includes a table coupler mounted below the top member wherein the coupler is configured to releasably support the display panel in a storage position hanging substantially vertically downward below the top member.

3. The assembly of claim 2 wherein the top member has a substantially rectangular shape including a depth dimension and a length dimension and wherein the table coupler is located adjacent a lateral edge portion of the outer edge that extends along the depth dimension so that the whiteboard panel extends downward below the lateral edge when in the storage position.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the table forms an opening in the top surface and wherein the table dock includes a grommet inserted in the opening that includes the substantially parallel and vertical wall members that extend upward from the top surface.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the easel coupler includes at least a first substantially horizontal track member supported by the frame, the track member forming at least a first track channel that grips an edge portion of a panel edge when a display panel is supported by the easel assembly.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the display panel has a substantially rectangular shape having perpendicular width and length dimensions and wherein the panel may be supported by each of the table dock and the track member with either of the depth width and the length dimension extending vertically.

7. The system of claim 5 further including a plurality of display panels wherein each display panel has a substantially rectangular shape having perpendicular panel width and panel length dimensions and wherein the track channel grips edge portions of at least two of the display panels to support the panels edge to edge.

8. The system of claim 5 further including at least a second easel coupler including at least a second substantially horizontal track member supported by the frame, the second substantially horizontal track member forming at least a second upwardly opening track channel that grips an edge portion of a panel edge when a display panel is supported by the easel assembly.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the second track member is supported by the frame below the first track member.

10. The system of claim 5 wherein the first track channel opens upwardly and wherein the channel grips a lower edge portion of a panel edge when a panel is supported by the easel assembly.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the display panel includes whiteboard material on the first and second oppositely facing side surfaces.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the display panel includes a flat panel electronic display having a viewing surface on at least the first side surface.

13. A furniture system for use in a classroom, the furniture system comprising:

a plurality of substantially flat display panels, each panel including a display surface on at least a first of first and second oppositely facing and substantially parallel side surfaces, each panel circumscribed by a panel edge;

a table assembly including a top member and at least a first leg support member, the top member forming a substantially flat top surface and circumscribed by an outer edge, the at least one leg support member supporting the top member in a substantially horizontal position;

at least a first table dock supported by the table assembly adjacent the top surface, the first table dock forming a first dock channel that opens upwardly where the dock channel is unobstructed by the top member, the dock channel having a width dimension so that when an edge portion of one of the panels is received within the dock channel, the dock channel grips the edge portion and supports the panel in a substantially vertical orientation adjacent the flat top surface; and

an easel assembly separate from the table assembly and including a frame and at least a first substantially horizontal track member supported by the frame, the track member including oppositely facing wall members that form at least a first upwardly opening track channel, the track channel having a width dimension between the oppositely facing wall members so that when a lower edge portion of one of the panels is received within the track channel, the track channel grips the lower edge portion and supports the panel in an orientation where the panel extends substantially upward from the track channel.

14. The system of claim 13 further including second and third table docks supported by the table assembly adjacent the top surface, the second and third table docks forming second and third dock channels that open upwardly where the dock channels are unobstructed by the top member, each of the second and third dock channels having a width dimension so that when an edge portion of one of the panels is received within the dock channel, the dock channel frictionally grips the edge portion and supports the panel in a substantially vertical orientation adjacent the flat top surface.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the easel assembly further includes at least a second substantially horizontal track member supported by the frame below the first track member, the second track member forming at least a second track channel, the second track channel having a width dimension so that when an edge portion of one of the panels is received within the second track channel, the second track channel grips the edge portion and supports the panel in a substantially vertical orientation below the first track channel.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein each of the panels has a substantially rectangular shape having perpendicular width and length dimensions and wherein each of the first and second track members has a track length dimension that is greater than the length dimension of each of the panels so that each of the first and second track members can receive edge portions of at least two panels in an edge to edge orientation.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein each of the display panels includes whiteboard material on the first and second oppositely facing side surfaces.

18. A furniture configuration comprising:

a table assembly including a top member and a leg structure, the top member forming a substantially flat top surface and circumscribed by an outer edge, the leg structure supporting the top member in a substantially horizontal position at a first height;

a first table dock supported by the table assembly adjacent the top surface and forming a table dock channel that opens upwardly that is unobstructed by the top member;

at least a first substantially flat display panel having a display surface on at least a first of first and second oppositely facing and substantially parallel side surfaces, the panel circumscribed by a panel edge; and

a first storage coupler supported by the table assembly at a second height below the first height, the first storage coupler configured to releasably receive the at least a first panel;

wherein the display panel is positionable in at least a first use position with a portion of the panel edge gripped in the dock channel and the display panel extending vertically upward adjacent the top surface of the top member and a second storage position with the display panel engaged by the first storage coupler and located below the top member and below the first height.

19. The assembly of claim 18 wherein the panel forms a handle opening adjacent a side edge portion of the panel edge and wherein the first storage coupler includes at least one substantially horizontal post located below an undersurface of the top member where the post passes through the handle opening to support the panel in the storage position.

20. The assembly of claim 18 wherein the horizontal post resides below the table dock, the assembly further including a second display panel, wherein when the first panel is gripped by the table dock, the second panel is engageable with the horizontal post to reside in the storage position substantially parallel to the first panel and below the first panel.

21. An easel assembly comprising:

a plurality of substantially flat and substantially rectangular display panels, each panel including a display surface on at least a first of two oppositely facing and substantially parallel side surfaces and having perpendicular panel width and length dimensions, each panel circumscribed by a panel edge;

an easel frame structure;

at least first and second track members supported on one side of the easel frame and extending substantially horizontally, the first track member supported at a height above the height of the second track member, the first and second track members forming first and second track channels, respectively, each of the channels dimensioned to grip an edge portion of a panel edge when a display panel is supported by an associated track member, the first and second track members spaced apart and juxtaposed such that when the first and second track members support first and second panels, respectively, the first surfaces of the first and second panels are substantially coplanar with the first panel located above the second panel.

22. The assembly of claim 21 wherein each of the first and second track members has a length dimension that is greater than the width dimension of the panels so that each track member can support at least two panels in a side by side fashion.

23. The assembly of claim 22 wherein the length dimension of each of the track members is substantially twice the width dimension of one of the panels.

24. The assembly of claim 21 wherein the first and second channel open upwardly.

25. The assembly of claim 21 further including wheels mounted to the bottom of the easel frame.