US 5,056,577 AGranted

Office space dividing system

AssigneeWestinghouse Electric Corp.

InventorsRonald B. DeLong, James R. Bouse, John P. Conner, Charles G. Raabe, William L. Nieboer

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Abstract

An office space dividing system which includes rectangular post-supported panels having central cores and upper wire troughs. Each panel includes two stiles and upper and lower rails constructed of tubular metallic members having the same substantially rectangular cross-sectional configuration which includes a longitudinal channel. The stiles and rails are arranged to define four corners each having two adjacent unobstructed openings. A right angle reinforcing member is press fit into the adjoining openings to provide four square corners which are maintained by staking. The stiles and lower rail are oriented such that the longitudinal channels support the central core. The upper rail is inverted, with the longitudinal channel supporting the wire trough. A spanner extends across each post, between adjacent panels, from wire trough to wire trough. Post caps, panel caps, and four plastic corners on each panel complete the system.

Claims32

Dependent claims

An office space dividing system, including at least one rectangular panel having a frame which includes first and second stiles and upper and lower rails arranged to define two upper and two lower corners, with the first and second stiles and upper and lower rails having substantially flat front and back sides disposed in common front and back planes, respectively, and inner and outer facing sides which extend between the front and back planes, characterized by:

the first and second stiles and upper and lower rails being constructed of tubular members having the same cross-sectional configuration, and having square cut ends having edges which define openings to the tubular members,
said first and second stiles and upper and lower rails being arranged such that the inner side of each rail is substantially aligned with an end of each stile, and the inner side of each stile is substantially aligned with an end of each rail, to provide adjoining obstructed openings at each of the upper and lower corners,
and including right-angle metallic joining means linking the rails and stiles at each of the upper and lower corners via the adjoining openings, with the rails and stiles being adjusted relative to the right-angle metallic joining means to provide square upper and lower corners,
said right angle joining means including first and second spaced identical right angle members formed from a flat metallic sheet, with each having a centrally located joining tab bent orthogonally towards, and joined to, the joining tab of the other.

1 more element

the first and second stiles and upper and lower rails being constructed of tubular members having the same cross-sectional configuration, and having square cut ends having edges which define openings to the tubular members,
said first and second stiles and upper and lower rails being arranged such that the inner side of each rail is substantially aligned with an end of each stile, and the inner side of each stile is substantially aligned with an end of each rial, to provide adjoining unobstructed openings at each of the upper and lower corners,
and including right-angle metallic joining means linking the rails and stiles at each of the upper and lower corners via the adjoining openings, with the rials and stiles being adjusted relative to the right-angle metallic joining means to provide square upper and lower corners,
said inner facing sides of the identically configured first and second stiles and lower rail having a centrally located channel, and the outer facing sides of the first and second stiles and lower rail having first and second spaced grooves adjacent to the substantially flat front and back sides, with the identically configured top rail being inverted relative to the position of the lower rail such that the inner facing side has said first and second spaced grooves and the outer facing side has said centrally located channel.

1 more element

An office space dividing system, including a post, and at least two rectangular panels supported by the post, with each panel having a frame having an upper rail, characterized by:

said upper rail having an upwardly facing surface which defines a channel having a bight and upwardly extending, outwardly flared sides,
a wire trough fixed to the upper rail of each panel, with the wire trough having a bottom portion nested in the channel defied by the top rail, including a bottom having outwardly flared sides,
including a panel-to-panel spanner fixed to the wire troughs of both of the at least two panels, and to the post, with the spanner having a cross sectional configuration in the shape of an inverted U, including depending legs having portions which are bent inwardly to nest and wedge within the outwardly flared sides of the bottom of the wire trough.

An office space dividing system including at least one rectangular panel having an upper edge, and an elongated panel cap on the upper edge, characterized by:

the elongated panel cap having a substantially C-shaped configuration which includes a bight, depending leg portions, and inwardly turned flange portions,
and a clip member attached to the panel cap which removable connects the panel cap to the upper edge of the panel,
said clip member having a vertical axis, about which the clip member is rotated during assembly with said panel cap,
said clip member having a substantially flat, upper, horizontally oriented surface having first and second longitudinal ends, with the flat upper surface, which is disposed at right angles to said vertical axis, being disposed closely adjacent to the bight of said panel cap, between said depending leg portions,
said clip member further having first and second spaced mounting points at each of said first and second longitudinal ends which are closely adjacent to the depending leg portions of the panel cap, with a mounting point at each longitudinal end being provided by first and second horizontally oriented resilient leg portions which extend horizontally outward from said clip member in opposite directions and respectively terminate at said first and second longitudinal ends, said resilient leg portions being constructed to flex during assembly with the panel cap, during which the clip member is rotated 90 degrees about said vertical axis, such that the mounting points associated with the first and second resilient leg portions are not effective until the desired assembled position is achieved, at which point they become functional by returning to their un-flexed configurations to cooperate with the other mounting point at each longitudinal end to resist disassembly from the panel cap in response to forces which tend to rotate the clip member in either rotational direction about said vertical axis.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.