The present invention relates generally to office furniture and, more particularly, to conference tables for conference rooms.
Conference rooms in office settings are often fixed at a desired location in a room. When it is desired to provide a larger table or working surface, a second conference table may be brought into the room and the two conference tables may be moved relative to one another to provide a dual table top arrangement in the conference room, if the conference room is large enough to accommodate two conference tables.
The present invention provides a conference room table with a table top that slides or moves relative to its base or pedestal, so that the table top may be moved from a centered location or arrangement to an extended or offset arrangement (in either or both directions relative to the base), while the base of the table remains fixedly disposed in the room. The table top thus may be adjusted to provide additional room or clearance at one end or to move the table top towards and into engagement with another similarly moved table top to join two separate conference tables into a single unit, without having to move the bases or pedestals of the conference tables.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a conference room table includes a base, a table top movably disposed at the base and movable relative to the base between a generally centered position, where the table top is generally centered at the base, and an extended position, where the table top is extended from the base, and a braking or locking or securing device that is operable to retain the table top relative to the base in any desired position between the generally centered position and the extended position and to allow for movement of the table top relative to the base between the generally centered position and the extended position. Optionally, the table top may support at least one electrical accessory, and wiring may extend from the base to the table top via a unidirectional flexing track that flexes in one direction and is substantially non-flexible in a direction transverse to the one direction.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a table system includes a first table comprising a first base and a first table top movably disposed at the first base, and a second table comprising a second base and a second table top movably disposed at the second base. The first and second tables are spaced apart from one another and, when the first table top is in the first generally centered position and the second table top is in the second generally centered position, opposing ends of the first and second table tops are spaced apart from one another, and wherein, when the first table top is in the first extended position and the second table top is in the second extended position, the opposing ends of the first and second table tops abut one another and cooperate to form a single table top.
Optionally, when the first table top is in its first generally centered position and the second table top is in its second generally centered position, a partition may be removably disposed between the first and second table tops such that the first table is disposed in a first room and the second table is disposed in a second room (with the partition forming a common or shared wall of the first and second rooms). When it is desired to combine or connect or join the table tops, the partition may be removed and the table tops may be moved to their extended positions, whereby the opposing ends of the table tops abut one another and the table tops cooperate to form a single table top spanning partially into each of the two “rooms”.
Optionally, the first table top may comprise a first pattern or color and the second table top may comprise a second pattern or color, wherein the first and second patterns or colors generally correspond to one another at least at the opposing ends of the first and second table tops. The first table may include a joining element at the opposing end of the first table top, with the joining element being configurable to attach at the opposing end of the second table top when the opposing ends of the first and second table tops abut one another. The second table may also include such a joining element at the opposing end of the second table top.
Therefore, the present invention provides a table and table system that has a movable or adjustable or slidable table top that adapts the table for different applications. The table tops of two spaced apart tables may be moved towards one another to abut and form a larger table that may span two rooms or room portions and may be moved away from one another so that the tables are two separate stand-alone tables, whereby a partition may be provided between the two separate tables to establish separate rooms with a respective table disposed therein.
These and other objects, advantages, purposes and features of the present invention will become apparent upon review of the following specification in conjunction with the drawings.
Referring now to the drawings and the illustrative embodiments depicted therein, a conference table 10 includes a base or pedestal 12 and a table top 14 that is movably or adjustably or slidably disposed at the base 12 (
In the illustrated embodiment, base 12 of table 10 comprises a pedestal type base and is a single pedestal for supporting the table top 14. Base 12 may include an electrical connector or the like for connecting power wires and/or control wires to a power source and/or control or the like at the floor or support structure when the table is disposed at the floor or support structure. As shown in
Because only the table top moves or slides while the base remains fixed, the table top of the table of the present invention can sometimes be in a highly cantilevered state relative to the base when the table top is at the extreme ends of its travel range. Therefore, the base of the table may be weighted and/or secured in place with floor anchors or the like, to limit tilting of the table when in its fully extended or substantially extended state. The result is a rigid structure capable of supporting the most demanding loads while still allowing for easy repositioning of the table top. In addition, the anchoring allows the base to be smaller in scale, providing more leg room for the users and creating a striking cantilevered design of the table top over the base.
Table top 14 is mounted to the base 12 in a manner that allows for selective movement or adjustment of the table top relative to the base, as discussed below. In the illustrated embodiment, table top 14 is fixedly attached to a carriage or support structure or frame 20, such as via a plurality of brackets 22. The table top 14 (or the support structure 20) is movably supported via the slide or roller mechanism 16, which has a base portion or receiving portion mounted along a pair of rails 24 disposed at an upper region of the base 12, and a slide or roller element (having a plurality of rollers or bearings disposed therealong) mounted at brackets or supports 26 attached to an underside of the table top 14 (such as at the opposite end regions of the support structure 20 and at a generally central region of the support structure 20). The roller or slide element moves along and at least partially within the receiving or base element at the respective rail 24 and the slide mechanism (which may be similar to drawer slides and the like known in the furniture art) provides moving support of the table top and limits tipping or tilting of the table top when in its extended position. For example, when the table top and support structure 20 are in the extended position as shown in
Thus, the table top and support structure 20 are free to slide or roll or move relative to the rails 24 of the base 12 to position the table top at a desired position relative to the base. When the table top is so positioned, the braking mechanism 18 is actuated to retain the table top 14 relative to the base 12. The table may include stop elements to mechanically stop or limit extension at a selected or appropriate degree of extension. Optionally, the stop elements may be adjustable (such as adjustably or selectively mounted at a desired location along the table top) to limit movement of the table top relative to the base in either direction at a selected position or degree of extension, such that the degree of extension may be set depending on the particular application of the table and clearance at the ends of the table in the room in which it is installed.
In the illustrated embodiment, braking mechanism 18 comprises a braking rail or element or member 28 disposed along the base 12 and a braking device or clamping device 30 attached at the underside of the table top 14 (such as via brackets 31) and movable with the table top and along the braking rail 28. The braking device 30 may be biased to its engaged or locking position or state, and may be released by an operator actuating a release lever or input element 32 (such as at an underside of the table top and at or near one of the ends of the table top) to release the brake and to allow movement of the table top relative to the base to the desired location. When the table top is at the desired location or position relative to the base (such as centered or fully extended in either direction or any location therebetween), the operator may release the input element 32, whereby the braking device 30 engages the braking rail 28 to frictionally retain the table top relative to the base at the desired or selected position.
In the illustrated embodiment, and as best shown in
Thus, a user or operator may actuate the user input lever 32a to release the braking device 30 to allow the operator to adjust or move the table top 14 relative to the base 12 to set the table top to a desired or selected position relative to the base. When the table top is at the desired or selected position, the operator releases the user input lever 32a, and the braking device 30 returns to its braking state to secure or retain the table top 14 relative to the base 12. Although shown and described as having the braking device attached at the table top and movable with the table top along a braking rail that is attached at the base, clearly, the braking device may be fixedly disposed at the base, with the braking rail attached at the underside of the table top, while remaining within the spirit and scope of the present invention. Also, although shown and described as comprising a clamping or caliper braking device actuated by a cable, clearly, other means for braking or retaining the table top relative to the base may be implemented (such as a braking device that is actuated to mechanically retain the table top relative to the base or to release the retaining or braking means via an electrical actuator or the like), while remaining within the spirit and scope of the present invention.
The table 10 optionally, and desirably, includes one or more electrical outlets and data ports 36 disposed at the table top 14. For example, and as shown in
The electrical power wires and data wires that extend from the end 38b of track or element 38 may be routed along the underside of the table top to the respective outlets and/or data ports 36, such as via any suitable retaining or guiding means. Optionally, the table 10 may include other electrical accessories at or near the outlets and data ports 36 or in place of one or more of the outlets and data ports 36, in order to provide the desired electronic features to the users of the table. For example, the table may include communication devices or audio/video components or devices, such as microphones and/or the like, disposed at the table top and electrically connected to a power source and/or control at the base of the table and/or at the floor or support structure at which the table is disposed. The table may utilize aspects of the tables described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,096,244 and/or U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/113,356, filed May 23, 2011; and/or Ser. No. 10/858,724, filed Jun. 2, 2004 and published Dec. 8, 2005 as U.S. Publication No. US-2005-0268823, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
Thus, the table of the present invention provides an adjustable table top that is movable relative to the base or pedestal of the table. Thus, when the table is positioned in a conference room or other type of room, the table top may be adjusted relative to the base to provide the desired layout or furniture arrangement for a particular meeting or the like, without having to physically lift and move the table itself (which may be very heavy such that such lifting and moving would be difficult to accomplish). For example, and with reference to
Optionally, and as can be seen with reference to
If it is desired to have a single, larger table in a single room (such as for a larger meeting involving several people), the divider wall 50 may be removed from between the tables 10a, 10b and the table tops 14 may be moved (via an operator at each table actuating the release lever 32a at the outer end 14b of the table top 14 to release the braking mechanism for that table) towards one another until their opposed ends 14a generally abut one another, such as shown in
In the illustrated embodiment, the joining means 42 comprises an arm or bracket 44 that is attached at the underside of the table tops via a fastener 46 (such as a threaded fastener or the like) at each end of the bracket 44 that is threadedly received in a respective threaded bore 48 established at the underside of the table tops. As shown in
When the table tops are separated (such as shown in
Optionally, each table may include one bracket 44 and three fasteners 46a, 46b, 46c, such that, when the tables are not joined, the bracket 44 is attached at the table top via fasteners 46a and 46b, with a third fastener 46c retained in a threaded bore at or near a side of the table top opposite from where fastener 46b is disposed. As can be seen in
Typically, it is desirable to use filler tables between two spaced apart conventional tables to span the gap between the existing tables in order to provide a larger continuous tables. However, such filler tables must be stored somewhere when not in use, causing a potential storage dilemma. In addition, the filler tables do not typically have power and data connections available to those seated at these tables. Further, extra chairs to place along the edges of the filler tables are also required. In these examples, the time to bring in the extra furniture, place it in the room and connect it can easily total twenty minutes or more per change-out and is usually performed by facilities personnel. If this is done several times a day, over an hour of down time per conference room can occur as well as numerous man-hours of the facility's time.
The table system of the present invention provides two adjustable tables that are spaced apart (and optionally in separate or divided or partitioned rooms). With such a table system, turning two smaller tables into one larger table can be done in less than a minute and is performed by the users of the room, not facilities personnel. In addition, because power and data connections move with each table top, every user at the combined or joined table has access to these connections. Further, there is no need to store additional tables and chairs. While filler tables may provide additional seating capacity, customers are often not in need of such additional seating but are forced into this situation because of the static nature of the original two tables, which are tethered to their location because of power and data cabling, and are nearly impossible to move due to their weight.
When used in such an application, the tables of the present invention may be specified as pairs to ensure a consistent grain and color match when brought together. Each table may reside in a respective adjacent room, and may be centered in that room, with the adjacent rooms separated by a removable divider or partition. Once the removable partition is opened, thereby creating one larger room, the table tops of the two tables can be brought together to form one larger table top, including the power and data connections of each table and with a grain-matched or pattern-matched table top.
The table of the present invention thus can easily and quickly adapt to a wide range of activities typically performed by project teams and other highly productive, hard-working teams. The table comprises a moving or sliding top, allowing it to quickly and easily adapt to a broad range of user activities by properly positioning the table top relative to a presentation surface, monitor or paired table in an adjacent room, all without having to move the base of the table or the table itself.
As shown in the drawings, the table of the present invention may have various shaped table tops. For example, for a single table (that is not part of a joining table system) that is for a single room application, such as typical conference rooms and project rooms, the table top may be available in a rectangle shape and/or a radius boat shape (or any other desirable or suitable shape or profile). Optionally, for a dual table system, which may be intended for adjacent room applications where a removable partition is used to separate the rooms (when a partition may be opened to create a single larger conference room and the two table tops are moved together to form one larger table, and with a ganging device to securely connect the table tops together), the tables may be manufactured as a pair of tables with corresponding table tops having correspondingly shaped ends (such as squared or rectangular shaped ends) and optionally having corresponding finishes or the like to ensure grain-matching and/or color-matching between the table tops when they are joined together. When used in such an application, the two tables can each have a different length, but are both generally the same width, and the table tops may be provided in a rectangular shape (or other shape), preferably with a straight abutting edge to provide for a tight abutment or interface when joined together.
The sliding mechanism of the table of the present invention may utilize heavy duty metal ball-bearing slides for a smooth, effortless motion (when the braking device is released or disengaged). The integrated brake mechanism holds the table top in the desired or selected position until a move is desired or necessary. Then, with a simple pull on a release lever at the underside of the table top, the table top can be moved or slid to the desired position by one person with minimal effort and in a matter of seconds. Built-in adjustable stops allow the end positions to be determined during installation. The stops may be adjustable to limit the degree of extension of the table top in either direction depending on the physical constraints of the room in which the table is installed.
The amount of travel for the table top is a function of its overall length. The travel range for single tables allows the table top to be positioned close to an activity wall or to be moved towards the center of a room, allowing enough space for a chair at the end of the table. With dual tables (such as for the table system described above), the travel range allows enough room for a chair at the end of each table when the tables are in the separated rooms while also allowing the adjacent tops to touch or abut one another when brought together to form a joined table. For example, for a table having a table top that is about eight feet long, the degree of movement of the table top may be approximately 30 inches or approximately 33 inches or thereabouts, while for a table that is about thirteen feet long, the degree of movement of the table top may be approximately 60 inches or thereabouts. Clearly, other length tables may be provided, with different degrees of movement of the table tops relative to the bases, while remaining within the spirit and scope of the present invention.
While repositioning furniture is often troublesome, it becomes even more so when power and data connections are involved. However the power and data options in the table top of the table of the present invention move with the sliding table top, so there are no issues with disconnecting and reconnecting power and data, or with cables getting tangled during movement of the table top. The table of the present invention features a built-in cable management track beneath the table top that manages all cables as the table top moves or slides, eliminating any concerns related to this often challenging issue for reconfigurable furniture. Optionally, the table may provide various power and data options, such as for example, a PowerPUP, a Power Cove and/or a Power Center, providing a fully scalable range of power and data connectivity options.
Changes and modifications to the specifically described embodiments may be carried out without departing from the principles of the present invention, which is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims as interpreted according to the principles of patent law including the doctrine of equivalents.
The present application claims the filing benefits of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61/697,036, filed Sep. 5, 2012, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61697036 | Sep 2012 | US |