Horizontally supported planar surfaces – Plural related horizontal surfaces – Horizontally adjustable
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-14
2001-10-16
Cuomo, Peter M. (Department: 3636)
Horizontally supported planar surfaces
Plural related horizontal surfaces
Horizontally adjustable
C312S196000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06302035
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE ART
This invention relates to a desk and, more particularly, to a desk which is preferably used in offices or at home.
BACKGROUND ART
Conventionally desks in the market are substantially standardized for the convenience of both manufacturers and users. Although the desks are standardized, a plurality of different standards exist or the standard varies in countries. This becomes an obstacle to unification of a manufacturing line of the desks. In addition to this situation, office machines placed on a top plate of a desk have remarkably been increased due to a rapid progress of office automation. A top plates has generally been rectangular, however, top plates having a variety of shapes come into appearance recently so as to cooperate with recent office automation. Further, an odd-shaped top plate to connect top plates of adjoining desks may be required to improve mobility of an office or to fulfill environment of an office. As described above, a specification of a desk to be manufactured is expected to become more and more diversified in the future.
In a frame which supports a top plate, a suitable position at which the top plate is supported differs according to a specification of the top plate. For an optional component such as a shelf, an electrical outlet or a telephone stand, a position on which the component is mounted or an arrangement of mounting the component varies in accordance with a specification of the top plate. In view of the above situation, the frame supporting the top plate has been designed and manufactured one by one to satisfy a demand. However, in the above-described top plate, if the frame is manufactured as conventionally, productivity is getting worse and worse and handling in packing or distribution is getting troublesome.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
In order to solve the above problems the invention is to provide a desk in which a frame can be commonly used for mounting top plates of various different specifications or various optional components.
The desk of the invention is so arranged that a frame which supports a top plate comprises a plurality of frame members, at least a part of the frame members are provided with a longitudinally continuous mounting portion, a certain position on the mounting portion is selected, and a mounting member for mounting a component such as optional components or a top plate can be held at the position.
A mounting portion may be so formed that a rail groove is made to open continuously at an upright wall of the frame, in which case a base end of the mounting member can make an engagement with the rail groove.
In this case a mounting member may comprise a bracket having a mounting face, a liner member which is arranged at a base end of the bracket and a screw which is helically connected with the liner member after passing through the bracket, in which case the mounting member can be fixed by steps of arranging the base end of the bracket affixed to an outer face of the upright wall, arranging the liner member affixed to an inner face of the upright wall in the rail groove, and with this condition kept, helically connecting the screw which has passed through the bracket with the liner member so that the upright wall can be held between the bracket and the liner member.
For making it easy to insert the liner member into the rail groove, it is preferable that the liner member can make an abutting contact with a position which extends over the inner faces of the upright walls after passing over the rail groove by steps of passing through an opening of the rail groove then being rotated at a predetermined angle.
For mounting an optional component such as a telephone stand or a PC stand which is arranged over a top plate suitably, it is preferable that a space is formed between the top plate and the frame, and a part of the mounting member can be extended to a position near an edge of the top plate at which the optional component is mounted.
For mounting an optional component such as an electrical outlet which is arranged under a top plate suitably, it is preferable that a pair of mounting members are provided, and the optional component can be held between the mounting members.
A frame may comprise right and left side frame members, a front frame member which connects front ends of each side frame members and a reinforcing frame member which connects centers of each right and left side frame members and at least the side frame members wherein the front frame member are made of a material extruded to have an isometric cross-section and a rail groove is made to open inwardly at an upright wall.
In this case it is preferable that a rail groove is made to open at an upright wall of both sides of the reinforcing frame member.
It is especially preferable that both ends of the reinforcing frame member can make an engagement with the corresponding rail groove of the side frame members so as to be mounted thereon.
As mentioned above, the desk of the invention is so arranged that at least a part of the frame members are provided with the longitudinally continuous mounting portion, the certain position of the mounting portion is selected, and the mounting member to mount a component such as optional components or a top plate can be held at the position.
In accordance with the arrangement, in case a position at which the top plate is supported or a position on which an optional component is mounted is diversified because of variance of a specification of a top plate according to a standard, or appearance of an odd-shaped top plate which does not meet a conventional standard, a possibility to deal with this case will be improved if a position on which the mounting member is mounted can be selected optionally from the longitudinally continuous mounting portion of the frame, and the mounting member for mounting a component such as optional components or a top plate can be held at the position. As a result, productivity will be improved by far compared with a case that the frame is designed and manufactured one by one to meet a specification of a top plate.
In addition to the arrangement, if the mounting portion is so formed that a rail groove is made to open continuously at an upright wall of the frame, and a base end of the mounting member can make an engagement with the rail groove, the mounting portion can be formed with ease by means of extrusion of the frame and a mounting condition of the mounting member can be made extremely stable.
If the mounting member comprises a bracket, a liner member and a screw, and can be fixed by steps of arranging the base end of the bracket affixed to an outer face of the upright wall, arranging the liner member affixed to an inner face of the upright wall in the rail groove, and with this condition kept, helically connecting the screw which has passed through the bracket with the liner member, the mounting member can be mounted or dismounted with ease and a position on which the mounting members are mounted can be selected optionally.
Further, if the liner member is so arranged that it can make an abutting contact with a position which extends over the inner faces of the standing walls after passing over the rail groove by steps of passing through an opening of the rail groove then being rotated at a predetermined angle, it becomes easy to insert the liner member into the rail groove.
If a space is formed between the top plate and the frame so that a part of the mounting member can be extended to a position near an edge of the top plate, a stand such as a telephone stand or a PC stand and an auxiliary top plate can be mounted over or near the top plate easily with the frame used as a foothold.
Further, if a pair of mounting members are mounted, an optional component such as an electrical outlet can be held between the mounting members with ease even though the position at which the optional component is mounted locates under the top plate. Further, it is possible for the mounting members to mount an optional component of various sizes.
In addition, if the frame comprises side frame memb
Frenkler Fritz
Kolberg Justus
Watabe Eiichi
Anderson Jerry A.
Banner & Witcoff , Ltd.
Cuomo Peter M.
Kokuyo Co. Ltd.
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