Patent Application
20160235193
The present invention relates to work surfaces and tables, and more particularly to a user configurable table that can be adapted to accommodate a variety of environments.
The present invention provides a table unit including a work surface having an upper surface, a lower surface opposite the upper surface, and a first perimeter side and a second perimeter side. The table unit has a base that includes a floor support, a pedestal, and a top support. An upright wall portion is connected to the base, and the pedestal extends upwardly from the floor support. In addition, the pedestal has an adjustable length extending in a first direction. The top support is supported on the pedestal and includes a frame and a slide. The frame is rotatable about an axis and the slide is linearly movable with respect to the frame. The work surface is mounted on the slide and is movable with the slide. Further, the work surface can rotate with the frame between at least a first position, with the first perimeter side adjacent the upright wall portion, and a second position, with the second perimeter side adjacent the upright wall portion.
In another embodiment, the table unit includes an upright wall, a height adjustable pedestal, and a work surface. The upright wall has a width, an upper end and a lower end, the lower end being capable of supporting the upright wall on a floor. The height adjustable pedestal includes a member that is connected to the upright wall. The work surface is supported on the height adjustable pedestal and includes a first side edge and a second side edge forming a corner therebetween. The work surface is rotatable on the pedestal between a first position with the first side edge facing the upright wall and a second position with the second side edge facing the upright wall.
In another embodiment, the connecting frame member that is connected between the upright wall and the height adjustable pedestal defines a cable management channel.
In yet another embodiment, rotation of the frame, movement of the slide, and adjustment of the pedestal length are independent of one another. Adjustment of the length of the height adjustable pedestal may simultaneously raise or lower the work surface and the upper end of the upright wall.
These and other objects, advantages, and features of the invention will be more fully understood and appreciated by reference to the description of the current embodiment and the drawings.
Before the embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details of operation or to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention may be implemented in various other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in alternative ways not expressly disclosed herein. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including” and “comprising” and variations thereof is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items and equivalents thereof. Further, enumeration may be used in the description of various embodiments. Unless otherwise expressly stated, the use of enumeration should not be construed as limiting the invention to any specific order or number of components. Nor should the use of enumeration be construed as excluding from the scope of the invention any additional steps or components that might be combined with or into the enumerated steps or components.
II. Overview
A user configurable table unit 10 that can be adapted to accommodate a variety of environments is shown in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The table unit 10 is height adjustable, enabling a user to raise and lower a work surface 12. The table unit 10 is also rotatable; the work surface 12 is able to rotate 180°. The table 10 includes a rotational arm that connects the work surface 12 to a privacy screen, such that the privacy screen moves up and down with the work surface 12. The ability to change the orientation of the work surface 12, in combination with the ability to raise and lower the work surface 12, provides a number of different configurations in which the table unit 10 can be arranged. This configurability offers valuable flexibility, especially in the office environment, through the use of a single table unit 10.
Throughout this description, directional terms, such as “vertical,” “horizontal,” “top,” “bottom,” “upper,” “lower,” “inner,” “inwardly,” “outer” and “outwardly,” may be used to assist in describing the invention based on the orientation of the embodiments shown in the illustrations. The use of directional terms should not be interpreted to limit the invention to any specific orientation(s).
II. Structure
Referring to the illustrated embodiment show in
As shown, the base 22 includes a floor support 24, a pedestal 26, and a top support 28. The floor support 24 is a generally T-shaped, flat member configured to be situated on a floor. The pedestal 26 is affixed to and extends upwardly from one portion of the floor support 24, and the wall portion 30 is connected to and extends upwardly from the other portion of the floor support 24. The pedestal 26 includes first and second telescoping sections 46 and 48 such that the length of the pedestal 26 is adjustable and may be extended in a first direction A, illustrated in
The wall portion 30 has a width and includes a lower section 36, which may be referred to as a modesty screen, and an upper section 38, which may be referred to as a privacy screen. In one embodiment, the lower section 36 is a structural member and is capable of supporting the wall portion 30. As illustrated, the lower section 36 may be mounted to the floor support 24 of the base 22 (although it is possible for the wall portion 30 to be supported on a floor support that is not connected to the base 22). The upper section 38 is movably mounted to the lower section 36 and can be moved with respect to the lower section 36 in a direction generally parallel to the pedestal 26. In one example, the upper section 38 is telescopingly mounted to the lower section 36. Additionally, the upper section 38 acts as a privacy screen and may include features such as an accessory tool interface, a tack surface, a dry erase surface, or may contain integrated technology elements, such as power, data, visual display, and the like.
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III. Operation
The table unit 10 is configured such that the work surface 12 is movable between horizontal rotational orientations defined generally by a first position Y and a second position Z. In the first position Y illustrated in
In addition, in the illustrated embodiment, the table unit 10 is configured for the work surface 12 to rotate 180°. Thus, the work surface 12 can move between the first and second positions Y and Z, and to a third position Y′, as shown in
Thus, the work surface 12 orientation can be changed as desired according to the user's needs and preferences. In the second position Z of the illustrated embodiment, the work surface 12 extends a greater distance out from the wall portion 30, while in the first and third positions Y and Y′, the work surface 12 is tucked in closer to the wall portion 30. The flexibility and ability to change the orientation of the work surface 12 provides a facilities planner with a broad range of application solutions, all from the same table unit 10.
The table unit 10 is also configured for adjustment such that a user may raise or lower the height of the work surface 12 as desired. The user can adjust the height of the work surface 12 to accommodate his or her height, or to move the table unit 10 between a sitting posture height, as illustrated in
The table unit 10 described herein offers many benefits and advantages and can be adapted to accommodate a variety of environments. The table unit 10 work surface 12 is adjustable in both its horizontal orientation and its height. A user can raise and lower the work surface 12 and rotate the work surface 12 180°. Further, the work surface 12 is connected to the privacy screen, such that the privacy screen moves up and down with the work surface 12. The ability to change the orientation of the work surface 12, in combination with the ability to raise and lower the work surface 12, provides a number of different configurations in which the table 10 can be arranged. This configurability offers valuable flexibility, especially in the office environment, through the use of a single table unit 10. Examples of a select few of the orientation combinations are shown in
The above description is that of current embodiments of the invention. Various alterations and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and broader aspects of the invention as defined in the appended claims, which are to be interpreted in accordance with the principles of patent law including the doctrine of equivalents. This disclosure is presented for illustrative purposes and should not be interpreted as an exhaustive description of all embodiments of the invention or to limit the scope of the claims to the specific elements illustrated or described in connection with these embodiments. For example, and without limitation, any individual element(s) of the described invention may be replaced by alternative elements that provide substantially similar functionality or otherwise provide adequate operation. This includes, for example, presently known alternative elements, such as those that might be currently known to one skilled in the art, and alternative elements that may be developed in the future, such as those that one skilled in the art might, upon development, recognize as an alternative. Further, the disclosed embodiments include a plurality of features that are described in concert and that might cooperatively provide a collection of benefits. The present invention is not limited to only those embodiments that include all of these features or that provide all of the stated benefits, except to the extent otherwise expressly set forth in the issued claims. Any reference to claim elements in the singular, for example, using the articles “a,” “an,” “the” or “said,” is not to be construed as limiting the element to the singular.
