Claims
- 1. In a work space management system for offices in a room having a floor, the work space management system having at least one freestanding wall supported by the floor and comprising rigid frames having edge faces, the frames rigidly joined together at said edge faces to define work spaces, the wall being relatively thin compared to the height and width of the wall, and at least one freestanding cabinet supported on the floor and having a back wall, first and second side walls, a top wall and bottom wall, the back wall and side walls extending from the bottom wall to said top wall and joined together to form an integral unit defining an enclosed storage area having an open front; the improvement which comprises: one of said back wall and said side walls being in facing contact with one of said rigid frames and a connector between said one of said back wall and said side walls for rigidly joining said one cabinet to said one of said frames of said freestanding wall to provide lateral bending moment stability for the freestanding wall.
- 2. A work space management system according to claim 1 wherein said free standing wall has a terminal end portion with a free edge face and said cabinet is joined to said free edge face of said wall.
- 3. A work space management system according to claim 2 wherein said freestanding wall terminal end portion has a planar face perpendicular to said free edge face; and said free edge face is joined to one of said side walls of said cabinet near said back wall so that said back wall is coplanar with the planar face of said terminal end of said wall.
- 4. A work space management system according to claim 3 wherein said cabinet has wire management means at a lower portion thereof adjacent to said back wall in registry with said free-edge face of said freestanding wall; and said freestanding wall has wire management means at a base portion thereof in registry with said cabinet wire management means.
- 5. A work space management system according to claim 2 wherein said freestanding wall terminal end portion has a planar face perpendicular to said free edge face and said planar face is perpendicular to the back wall of said cabinet; and said free edge face of said terminal end portion of said freestanding wall is joined to the back wall of said cabinet.
- 6. A work space management system according to claim 5 wherein the free edge face is joined to said back wall near one of said side walls so that said side wall is coplanar with the planar face of said terminal end portion of said wall.
- 7. A work space management system according to claim 2 and wherein there are first and second cabinets each having a back wall, side walls, a top wall and a bottom wall, joined together to form an integral unit, the back walls of said first cabinet and said second cabinet are positioned in facing relationship to each other, and means for joining said back walls of said first cabinet and said second cabinet together.
- 8. A work space management system according to claim 7 wherein said free edge face is joined to both of said first and second cabinets at one of the side walls thereof and said terminal end portion of said freestanding wall is perpendicular to the side walls of said cabinets.
- 9. A work space management system according to claim 2 wherein there are first and second cabinets, each having a back wall, first and second side walls, a top wall and a bottom wall, all joined together to form an integral unit defining a storage area having an open front;
- said first cabinet and said second cabinet having side walls in facing relationship; and
- means to join said first and second cabinets together at the facing side walls thereof.
- 10. A work space management system according to claim 9 wherein said terminal end portion of said wall has a uniform thickness and said facing side walls at said first and second cabinet are positioned in oppositely facing, but in overlapping, relationship, the extent of overlap of said facing side walls being the thickness of said terminal end portion of said wall panel.
- 11. A work space management system according to claim 10 and further comprising a second terminal end portion of a freestanding wall joined to a side wall of said second cabinet distal from said first cabinet and perpendicular to said side wall of said second cabinet, said second terminal end portion having a planar face coplanar with the back wall of said first cabinet.
- 12. A work space management system according to claim 11 wherein said terminal end portion of the first-mentioned freestanding wall has a planar face perpendicular to said free edge face and said free edge face joined to a second of said side walls of said first cabinet near said back wall so that said planar face of said first terminal end portion of said wall is parallel to the back wall of said first cabinet.
- 13. A work space management system according to claim 9 and further comprising a second freestanding wall having surfaces in facing relationship with the facing side walls of said first and second cabinet; and said joining means for said first and second cabinets comprise means to join said facing side walls of said first and second cabinets to said second freestanding wall.
- 14. A work space management system according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said frames is formed by a horizontal top member, a horizontal bottom member and a pair of vertical side members, all rigidly joined together;
- said cabinet back wall is positioned against at least said side frame members of said at least one of said frames; and
- said connector connects said back wall of said cabinet to said side frame members.
- 15. A work space management system according to claim 14 wherein said one frame and said cabinet back wall are coextensive at least in a lateral direction.
- 16. A work space management system according to claim 1 wherein said at least one cabinet has a vertical channel on at least one of said back wall and side walls and extending vertically thereof; and
- said connector comprises a retainer which is positioned in said vertical channel on one of said back wall and side walls for rigidly joining said cabinet to said freestanding wall.
- 17. A work space management system according to claim 16 wherein said channel is located near a corner of said side wall and said back wall.
- 18. A work space management system according to claim 1 wherein said freestanding wall has a planar surface adjacent and facing the first side wall of said one cabinet; and
- further comprising a corner piece mounted to said one edge face along a first face of said corner piece, said corner piece having a second face perpendicular to said first face; and
- said connector joins said first side wall to said corner piece second face.
- 19. A work space management system according to claim 18 wherein said first side wall and said corner piece second face each have vertical indented channels in confronting and aligned relationship; and said connector is positioned in said indented channels, whereby said freestanding wall and said cabinet first side wall are in flush, abutting relationship.
- 20. A work space management system according to claim 1 and further comprising:
- first connector receiving means on at least one of said cabinet back wall and said first and second side walls;
- second connector receiving means on said frame;
- said connector interfaces with said first connector receiving means on said at least one cabinet back wall and on said first and second side walls, and with said second connector receiving means on said frame for rigidly joining said cabinet to said frames.
- 21. A work space management system according to claim 20 wherein said first connector receiving means comprises a vertical channel extending vertically along the back wall of said cabinet near said first side wall.
- 22. A work space management system according to claim 21 wherein said rigid frames are formed of a horizontal top member, a horizontal bottom member and opposite side members rigidly joined together, said side frame members having said edge face, side faces and an inside face.
- 23. A work space management system according to claim 22 wherein said frame edge face has an indented channel substantially the same shape as the back wall channel and comprises said connector receiving means on said frame;
- whereby said frame can be joined perpendicular to said back wall when the indented channels of said side frame members and said back wall members are in confronting relationship.
- 24. A work space management system according to claim 20 wherein said first connector receiving means comprises a vertically extending indented cabinet wall channel having at least an opening therein;
- said second connector receiving means comprises at least one opening in said edge face of said frame; and
- said connector has:
- block means shaped to pass through said frame opening in one orientation and unable to pass through said frame opening in a second orientation, said block means having fastener receiving means;
- retainer means adapted to mount in said cabinet indented channel, said retainer means having means to grip said block means and having an opening therein;
- collar means adapted to engage said frame and having an opening to permit said means to grip said block to pass therethrough; and
- fastener means having a longitudinal axis and adapted to pass through said opening in said cabinet wall channel and be retained therein, to pass through the openings in said retainer means and collar means, and to adjustably grip said fastener receiving means in said block means to draw said block means tightly into engagement with said frame in said second orientation, and to draw said frame tightly into contact with said cabinet in perpendicular orientation to a cabinet wall having said indented channel therein.
- 25. A work space management system according to claim 20 wherein there are first and second cabinets positioned adjacent to one another with a first connector receiving means of the first cabinet in registry with and confronting the first connector receiving means of the second cabinet, said first connector receiving means of each of said first and second cabinets being positioned an equal distance from and near to first corners thereof;
- said freestanding wall has a terminal edge portion with a free edge face thereof abutting said first and second cabinets at the first corners thereof and generally in parallel relationship with the cabinet wall having the first connector means therein;
- said connector comprising:
- retainer means;
- means for securing said retainer means to said free edge face of said freestanding wall;
- a blade means coupled to said retainer means and extending outwardly thereof between said cabinets and to said first connector receiving means in each of said cabinets; and
- fastener means joining said first connector receiving means in said first and second cabinets and said blade means to rigidly connect said first and second cabinets together and to said freestanding wall.
- 26. A work space management system according to claim 25 wherein said first connector receiving means comprises openings in at least one of said first and second side walls near said back wall and in said back near said side wall;
- said blade means has an opening in registry with the first connector receiving means openings in said first and second cabinets; and
- wherein said fastener means extends through said opening in said blade means and in said first connector receiving means.
- 27. A work space management system according to claim 25 wherein said second connector receiving means comprises at least one opening in the edge face of said frame;
- and said connector means comprises:
- a block adapted to pass through said frame opening in one orientation and unable to pass said frame opening in a second orientation, said block having a fastener receiving means;
- said retaining means has an opening therethrough for receiving a fastener; and
- a first fastener means having a longitudinal axis and adapted to pass through said retaining means opening and be retained therein, to pass through said frame opening, and to adjustably grip said block fastener receiving means.
- 28. A work space management system according to claim 25 and further comprising means for pivotably mounting said blade to said retaining means.
- 29. A work space management system according to claim 20 wherein said second connector receiving means comprises an opening in said frame, and further comprising a resilient pad mounted to said frame and having an opening in aligned relationship with said opening in said frame.
- 30. A work space management system according to claim 22 wherein said one frame has a width substantially the width of said back wall and there is a vertical channel in each side of said back wall, each of said channels being spaced a substantially identical distance from a side edge thereof, whereby said one frame is adapted to be connected to both channels in said back wall through separate ones of said connectors.
- 31. A work space management system according to claim 30 wherein said channels have openings therein and said connector is adapted to extend through said openings.
- 32. A work space management system according to claim 31 wherein said connector comprises first and second plate members perpendicular to each other, said first plate member adapted to be connected to an inside face of said one side frame member and said second plate adapted to lie in facing contact with an adjacent side face of said one side frame member, and a lug on said second plate member adapted to project into an adjacent channel in said back wall when connected to a frame which is lying in facing contact with said cabinet back wall, said lug has a threaded opening adapted to receive a threaded fastener; and
- a threaded fastener adapted to extend through an opening in said vertical channels in said cabinet and threadably engage said threaded opening in said connector lug.
- 33. A work space management system according to claim 1 and further comprising a plurality of tiles removably mounted to said frames to cover the same and provide decorative and/or functional covering for said frames; and wherein said frame outer face has a width and said tiles have a thickness such that an outer face of a tile mounted to said frame is coplanar with said first side wall of said cabinet when said frame is mounted perpendicular to said back wall.
- 34. A work space management system according to claim 1 wherein said cabinet has wire management means at a lower portion thereof adjacent to said back wall in registry with said one of said rigid frames of said freestanding wall; and said freestanding wall has a wire management channel at a base portion thereof in registry with said cabinet wire management means.
- 35. A work space management system according to claim 1 wherein said cabinet open front is adjacent said work space and opens into said work space.
- 36. A work space management system according to claim 35 wherein said cabinet further comprises a door hingedly mounted to one of said side walls to at least partially close the opening in said cabinet.
- 37. A work space management system according to claim 36 wherein said door extends from a bottom to a top of said open front.
- 38. A work space management system according to claim 37 wherein there are two doors, each hingedly mounted to one of said side walls to close off said open front.
- 39. A work space management system according to claim 38 and further comprising means to position said door within said cabinet when said doors are open.
- 40. A work space management system according to claim 36 wherein there are two doors, each hingedly mounted to one of said side walls.
- 41. A work space management system according to claim 1 wherein the frames are open and tiles are removably mounted to the frames to cover the frames.
- 42. A work space management system according to claim 1 and further comprising shelves removably mounted within the enclosed storage area of said cabinet.
- 43. A work space management system according to claim 1 and further comprising a storage drawer mounted within the enclosed storage area of said cabinet.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/656,992 filed Feb. 15, 1991 which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No 533,367 filed Jun. 5, 1990 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,461, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 342,957, filed Apr. 25, 1989, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,976,502 which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 205,307, filed Jun. 10, 1988, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (13)
Non-Patent Literature Citations (2)
Entry |
Stow & Davis publication entitled "The New Elective Elements," author unknown, undated. |
Stow & Davis publication entitled "Elective Elements Planning Guide," p. 18, author unknonw, undated. |
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
656992 |
Feb 1991 |
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Continuation in Parts (3)
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Number |
Date |
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533367 |
Jun 1990 |
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Parent |
342957 |
Apr 1989 |
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Parent |
205307 |
Jun 1988 |
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