IP Library Granted Patent US 7,707,790
Granted Patent B2
US 7,707,790 · App. 10/835,430 · Granted May 4, 2010

Office system

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,707,790
App. No.
10/835,430
Granted
May 4, 2010
Kind
B2
Abstract

A free-standing, partition-type furniture system adapted to subdivide an open space of a room, comprising a plurality of first partition panels, each including a first body portion having a pair of side edges, and a first screen member operably coupled to the first partition panel and laterally shiftable with respect to the first partition panel such that the first screen member extends from one of the side edges of the first body portion. The furniture system also includes a plurality of second partition panels each including a second body portion having an upper edge, and a second screen member operably coupled to the second partition panel and vertically shiftable with respect to the second partition panel such that the second screen member extends from the upper edge of the second body portion. The plurality of first and second partition panels are operably coupleable and arrangeable so as to subdivide the open space of a room.

Claims (28)

1. A connector assembly for a free-standing partition-type office system including a plurality of panel members, each panel member having at least one frame member, the at least one frame member having a pair of inwardly-extending channes, the connector assembly comprising:

a pair of engagement members, each engagement member including a pair of legs, an inner wall located at and connected to a proximal end of the legs, a web portion located along a length of and connected to the legs, and a pair of tab portions located at a distal end of the legs, wherein the inner wall of at least one of the engagement members includes an aperture extending therethrough; and

an actuator operably received within the aperture of the inner wall of one of the engagement members such that selective actuation of the actuator member forces the inner walls of the pair of engagement members away from one another, and wherein the tab portions are adapted to frictionally engage a pair of channels of a frame member, thereby coupling a pair of panel members together.

2. The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the legs, the inner wall, the web portion and the tab portion of each engagement member are integrally formed.

3. The connector assembly of claim 2 , wherein each engagement member is formed via extrusion.

4. The connector assembly of claim 3 , wherein each engagement member is substantially V-shaped.

5. The connector assembly of claim 4 , wherein the actuator member is a threaded fastener threadably received within the aperture of the inner wall, such that threading the fastener into the aperture of the inner wall of one of the pair of engagement members causes the fastener to abut the inner wall of the remaining one of the pair of engagement members.

6. The connector assembly of claim 5 , wherein the web portion of the engagement member not including the aperture within the inner wall includes an aperture extending therethrough that provides access to the actuator.

7. The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the web portion of each of the engagement members is flexibly resilient, and wherein selective actuation of the actuator member flexes the web portion of each of the engagement members.

8. A free-standing partition-type system adapted to subdivide an open space of a room, comprising:

a first panel member having a first frame member extending along an edge thereof, wherein the first frame member includes a pair of channels extending along a length thereof;

a second panel member having a second frame member extending along an edge thereof, wherein the second frame member includes a pair of channels extending along a length thereof;

a pair of engagement members, each engagement member including a pair of legs, an inner wall located at and connected to a proximal end of the legs, a web portion located along a length of and connected to the legs, and a pair of tab portions located at a distal end of the legs, wherein the inner wall of at least one of the engagement members includes an aperture extending therethrough; and

an actuator operably received within the aperture of the inner wall of one of the engagement members such that selective actuation of the actuator member forces the inner walls of the pair of engagement members away from one another, and the tab portions of each engagement member to frictionally engage one of the channels of the frame member of each of the panel members, thereby coupling the first and second panel members.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the legs, the inner wall, the web portion and the tab portion of each engagement member are integrally formed.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein each engagement member is formed via extrusion.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein each engagement member is substantially V-shaped.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the actuator member is a threaded fastener threadably received within the aperture of the inner wall, such that threading the fastener into the aperture of the inner wall of one of the pair of engagement members causes the fastener to abut the inner wall of the remaining one of the pair of engagement members.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the web portion of the engagement member not including the aperture within the inner wall includes an aperture extending therethrough that provides access to the actuator.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the web portion of each of the engagement members is flexibly resilient, and wherein selective actuation of the actuator member flexes the web portion of each of the engagement members.

15. A connector assembly for a free-standing partition-type office system including a plurality of panel members, each panel member having at least one frame member, the at least one frame member having a pair of inwardly-extending channels, the connector assembly comprising:

a pair of engagement members, each engagement member including a pair of legs, an inner wall located at and connected to a proximal end of the legs, a web portion located along a length of and connected to the legs, wherein a portion of the web is spaced from the legs, and a pair of tab portions located at a distal end of the legs, wherein the inner wall of at least one of the engagement members includes an aperture extending therethrough; and

an actuator operably received within the aperture of the inner wall of one of the engagement members such that selective actuation of the actuator member forces the inner walls of the pair of engagement members away from one another, and wherein the tab portions are adapted to frictionally engage a pair of channels of a frame member, thereby coupling a pair of panel members together.

16. A free-standing partition-type system adapted to subdivide an open space of a room, comprising:

a first panel member having a first frame member extending along an edge thereof, wherein the first frame member includes a pair of channels extending along a length thereof;

a second panel member having a second frame member extending along an edge thereof, wherein the second frame member includes a pair of channels extending along a length thereof;

a pair of engagement members, each engagement member including a pair of legs, an inner wall located at and connected to a proximal end of the legs, a web portion located along a length of and connected to the legs, wherein a portion of the web is spaced from the legs and a pair of tab portions located at a distal end of the legs, wherein the inner wall of at least one of the engagement members includes an aperture extending therethrough; and

an actuator operably received within the aperture of the inner wall of one of the engagement members such that selective actuation of the actuator member forces the inner walls of the pair of engagement members away from one another, and the tab portions of each engagement member to frictionally engage one of the channels of the frame member of each of the panel members, thereby coupling the first and second panel members.

Assignments (2)
MERGER Recorded Jan 14, 2008
From: STEELCASE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
To: STEELCASE INC.
Reel/Frame 020360/0944 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 1, 2004
From: WILLIAMS, OTTO N.; NOBLES, JOE A.; SOREL, TODD J.; SOREL, JESS A.; LUOMANEN, CHRISTOPHER A.; SIMON, DAVID E.; WHITE, BRYAN T.; WILLIAMS, MAX; LEFORS, JON H.
To: STEELCASE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 015843/0198 →