Furniture arrangement having a slidable intermediate table

Details Furniture arrangement having a slidable intermediate table Furniture arrangement having a slidable intermediate table

2000-11-01

2002-09-24

Mai, Lanna (Department: 3636)

Horizontally supported planar surfaces

Combined

C312S196000, C052S036500, C160S351000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06453826

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a desk arrangement having a cabinet and a table which can be readily repositioned for use and more particularly, to an improved desk arrangement wherein the cabinet and table are interconnected together by an intermediate link top.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In office areas, a table or desk typically is provided on which an occupant works while additional storage cabinets, hutches and file cabinets are provided for storage. These components often are provided separately and grouped as desired into various configurations.
In addition to these furniture components, in most cases it also is necessary to provide power and/or communications cabling to the work area in order to support office components such as computers, printers, modems, lighting and the like. For stationary components such as cabinets and hutches and conventional wall panel arrangements on which furniture components can be directly supported, cabling can be readily routed and supplied to these areas.
However, for movable components particularly for tables and other movable worksurfaces, it is more difficult to provide access to power and/or communication cabling since the position of the furniture component is varied which may therefore interfere with cabling.
In typical arrangements, receptacles may be provided in the floor, walls, free standing pedestals or other suitable locations to provide receptacles adjacent to the movable tables so that a user can connect their equipment thereto. However, these arrangements can be less than desirable since the receptacles and the cabling connected thereto can be exposed and therefore unsightly, or the cables may interfere with movement of the table relative to the receptacles.
The present invention as disclosed herein relates to an improved desk arrangement that overcomes a number of disadvantages associated with known desk arrangements.
More particularly, the desk arrangement of the invention includes a freestanding stationary unit such as a desk, cabinet or hutch, in combination with a freestanding movable unit that typically is a table. The improved desk arrangement also includes an intermediate link top, which extends between and is pivotally connected to the stationary unit and the table. The intermediate link top is pivotally and slidably connected to the desk unit and table to provide various combinations of pivoting and sliding at the opposite ends thereof. As a result, these connections permit the table to being moved away from the desk to an open position and allow the table to be pivoted or swung to a new position for use.
The intermediate link top serves to maintain a connection between the desk unit and the movable tabletop such that the desk and table are continually interconnected to each other. As a result, this arrangement permits cabling to be supported on the intermediate link top wherein the cabling extends between the desk unit and the tabletop. As a result, receptacles can be mounted to the tabletop which provides direct access to receptacles at the table even when the table is moved. Thus, this eliminates cables which hang between the worksurface and floor or to fixed receptacle locations which otherwise limits the ability to move the table.
Still further, the table may be moved adjacent to the desk unit effectively in a closed position such that the table and desk can be used as a single unit having a continuous coplanar worksurface area extending therebetween. When the table is moved to the closed position, the intermediate link top slides and pivots to a stored position under the worksurfaces of the desk unit and table. When the table is in the open position, the intermediate link top also may be used as an auxiliary worksurface.
With this arrangement, electrical and/or power receptacles can be readily provided directly on the table without interfering with movement and repositioning of the table. The increased movability and cabling capacity greatly increases the flexibility of an office area in which the inventive desk arrangement is used.
Other objects and purposes of the invention, and variations thereof, will be apparent upon reading the following specification and inspecting the accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5056172 (1991-10-01), Kaiser et al.
patent: 5490357 (1996-02-01), Lin
patent: 6213191 (2001-04-01), Nizsche
patent: 26 15 235 (1977-10-01), None

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