IP Library Granted Patent US 10,822,796
Granted Patent B2
US 10,822,796 · App. 15/889,564 · Granted Nov 3, 2020

Privacy screen apparatus

Inventors: Masamichi Udagawa (New York, NY); Sigrid Moeslinger (New York, NY); Joseph A. DeLiso (Langhorne, PA); Adam Deskevich (Pennsburg, PA); James Harrison McKenzie (Perkasie, PA)
Assignee: Knoll, Inc.
E04B2/7405A47B97/00A47G5/00E04B2/7422E04H15/62A47B2200/12E04B2002/7483E04H1/1272
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,822,796
App. No.
15/889,564
Granted
Nov 3, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A privacy screen apparatus can include a body having a plurality of elongated recesses and between elongated pillow regions. The pillow regions can have a larger width than the recesses. In some embodiments, the body can be configured to bend about the elongated recesses to different configurations. A plurality of stand elements can be connected to the bottom of the body to permit the body to be free standing. In other embodiments, a plurality of connectors can be connected to the body for connecting the body to an article of furniture, such as a tabletop or a desktop.

Claims (26)

1. A privacy screen apparatus comprising:

a first body that is configured to be attached to an article of furniture adjacent to a work surface of the article of furniture, the first body having a plurality of spaced apart pillow regions and a plurality of spaced apart recess regions, each recess region spacing apart immediately adjacent pillow regions, each of the pillow regions having a thickness that is greater than a thickness of each of the recess regions, the recess regions defined to provide flexibility in the first body; and

a plurality of connectors, each of the connectors attaching the first body adjacent to at least one edge of the work surface; each of the connectors comprises:

a first member positionable on an outer surface of the first body facing away from the work surface;

a second member positionable on an inner surface of the first body that is opposite the outer surface of the first body and faces toward the work surface, the second member configured so that the second member is attachable to the work surface,

a first fastener element extending from the first member to the second member such that the first fastener element passes through the first body such that an intermediate portion of the first fastener element is between the first member and the second member and is within the first body;

a second fastener element extending from the first member to the second member such that the second fastener element passes through the first body such that an intermediate portion of the second fastener element is between the first member and the second member and is within the first body; and

the first fastener element being spaced apart from the second fastener element about a portion of a width of the first body.

2. The privacy screen apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first body is comprised of an elastomeric material and is formed to have a non-woven appearance.

3. The privacy screen apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first body is formed by a plurality of elongated elastomeric fibers being bonded together to provide the non-woven appearance.

4. The privacy screen apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the connectors are attached to a lower portion of the first body to attach the first body adjacent to the work surface.

5. The privacy screen apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first body is configurable to multiple different orientations via bending or flexing of the first body along at least some of the recess regions, the pillow regions being stiffer than the recess regions; and

wherein the orientations of the first body comprise at least two of: a linearly extending orientation, a generally “U” shaped orientation, a generally “V” shaped orientation, a generally “C” shaped orientation, a generally “S” shaped orientation, a generally “O” shaped orientation, and a generally “L” shaped orientation.

6. The privacy screen apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the orientations of the first body comprise at least all of: the linearly extending orientation, the generally “U” shaped orientation, the generally “V” shaped orientation, the generally “C” shaped orientation, the generally “S” shaped orientation, the generally “O” shaped orientation, and the generally “L” shaped orientation.

7. The privacy screen apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first fastener element and the second fastener element each extends through a pillow region of the first body.

8. The privacy screen apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second member contacts a peripheral edge portion of the work surface.

9. The privacy screen apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, for each connector, the first member is positioned to cover a portion of the outer surface of the first body on a lower portion of the first body.

10. The privacy screen apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a covering positioned on the first body.

11. The privacy screen apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first member is shaped to match a contour on the outer surface of the first body.

12. The privacy screen apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first member is shaped to match a contour on the outer surface of the first body and the first member is positioned so the first member is not in contact with the work surface and is not in contact with another work surface adjacent to the first body,

wherein a proximal end of the first fastener contacting the first member and a distal end of first fastener opposite the proximal end of the first fastener received within the second member; and

a proximal end of the second fastener contacting the first member and a distal end of second fastener opposite the proximal end of the second fastener received within the second member.

13. The privacy screen apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first member has holes in which the first fastener and the second fastener are insertable and the second member has holes in which the distal end of the first fastener and the distal end of the second fastener are positionable.

14. The privacy screen apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the work surface is a desktop or a tabletop.

15. The privacy screen apparatus of claim 14 , wherein each of the pillow regions have a width that this greater than a width of each of the recess regions.

16. The privacy screen apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the pillow regions have a width that this greater than a width of each of the recess regions.

Assignments (5)
ASSIGNMENT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT COLLATERAL Recorded Aug 8, 2025
From: GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 072342/0380 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Jul 20, 2021
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: KNOLL, INC.
Reel/Frame 056924/0159 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 19, 2021
From: KNOLL, INC.
To: GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 057649/0828 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Aug 26, 2019
From: KNOLL, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 050168/0771 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 14, 2018
From: UDAGAWA, MASAMICHI; MOESLINGER, SIGRID; DESKEVICH, ADAM; DELISO, JOSEPH A.; MCKENZIE, JAMES HARRISON
To: KNOLL, INC.
Reel/Frame 045205/0139 →
Continuity (3)
Division 15166420 · May 27, 2016
Provisional Application 62169184 · Jun 1, 2015
Related Publication 20180171628A1 · Jun 21, 2018
Cited By (1)
US 12,390,384