# US 8,769,884 B2 · Self-supporting modular panel for office furnishing

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- Number: US 8,769,884 B2
- Document ID: US8769884B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/954,724
- Filed: 2010-11-26
- Published: 2011-12-01
- Granted: 2014-07-08
- Earliest claimed: 2009-11-25
- Assignees: Unifor S.p.A.
- Applicants: Cesare Picchio
- Inventors: Cesare Picchio
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8769884B2

## CPC

- A47F 5/0846: {Display panels or rails with elongated channels; Sliders, brackets, shelves, or the like, slidably attached therein}
- A47B 83/001: {Office desks or work-stations combined with other pieces of furniture, e.g. work space management systems}
- A47B 96/067: {Horizontal rails as suspension means in a cantilever arrangement (suspension fittings for cabinets to be hung on walls A47B95/008)}
- A47B 96/145: {Composite members, i.e. made up of several elements joined together}
- E04B 2/7422: {with separate framed panels without intermediary support posts}
- E04B 2002/7483: {Details of furniture, e.g. tables or shelves, associated with the partitions}
- E04B 2002/7488: {Details of wiring}
- A47F: SPECIAL FURNITURE, FITTINGS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR SHOPS, STOREHOUSES, BARS, RESTAURANTS OR THE LIKE; PAYING COUNTERS
- A47B: TABLES; DESKS; OFFICE FURNITURE; CABINETS; DRAWERS; GENERAL DETAILS OF FURNITURE (furniture jointing F16B)
- E04B: GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS; WALLS, e.g. PARTITIONS; ROOFS; FLOORS; CEILINGS; INSULATION OR OTHER PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS (border constructions of opening in walls, floors or ceilings E06B1/00; {electromagnetic shielding H05K9/0001})

## Abstract

A self-supporting modular panel for dividing spaces and/or supporting furniture elements includes a support structure including a cross-beam and an upright fastened to the cross-beam. The support structure has a plurality of horizontal notches. A first plurality of cover sheets are fastened to the cross-beam so as to provide a rest base, and define a housing volume arranged within the rest base. A second plurality of cover sheets are fastened to the upright of the modular support structure so as to provide a wall having plurality of horizontal grooves which provide a passageway for a bracket mount which can be geometrically coupled to a shaped profile that is accommodated within one of the horizontal notches of the support structure. The rest base, with the housing volume, defines a wiring recess suitable to accommodate a plurality of wires.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A self-supporting modular panel for dividing spaces and supporting furniture, said panel comprising:
a plurality of modular support structures, each comprising a cross-beam substantially arranged parallel and proximate to a floor, each said modular support structure further comprising an upright fastened to said cross-beam and extending substantially perpendicular to the floor,
a first plurality of cover sheets extending parallel to the floor, fastened to the cross-beam of the modular support structure so as to provide a base, and to enclose a volume within the base;
a second plurality of cover sheets fastened to adjacent uprights so as to provide a wall extending in a longitudinal direction;
the base further comprising two base portions extending laterally in opposite directions from a point where the wall is fastened to the base so as to stabilize the self-supporting modular panel, and
wherein said upright comprises one or more pin elements disposed between an upper tube element and a lower tube element, the pin element, upper tube element and lower tube element configured to form a horizontal notch,
wherein the horizontal notch is adapted for receiving a shaped profile comprising an upper curved portion, a lower curved portion and a planar portion therebetween,
and wherein the volume within the base defines a wiring recess suitable for accommodating wiring, the base having a width, transverse to said longitudinal direction, sufficient to provide stability to the self-supporting modular panel when hanging loads are connected to the wall.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The self-supporting modular panel according to claim 1, wherein the cross-beam comprises
a tubular portion arranged parallel to the floor and
tubular feet which extend towards the floor and abut against the floor so as to stand the tubular portion of the cross beam away from the floor in order to define the wiring recess.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The self-supporting modular panel according to claim 1, wherein the first plurality of cover sheets of the base comprise at least one opening associated with removable closure elements, each said opening with removable closure defining a wiring housing suitable for providing a passageway for wiring.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The self-supporting modular panel according to claim 1, wherein said channel has an undercut coupling surface for removably receiving the bracket.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The self-supporting modular panel according to claim 4, wherein the bracket is suitable for being fastened to wall units, writing desks and the like which may thereby be secured to the wall of the self-supporting modular panel.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The self-supporting modular panel according to claim 1, wherein the profile of a section of said self-supporting modular panel in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the self-supporting modular panel is substantially in the shape of an inverted “T” wherein a portion of the panel parallel to the floor constitutes the base and a portion parallel to the longitudinal axis of the uprights is the wall.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

A multiple work station comprising a self-supporting modular panel, so as defined in claim 1, and at least one writing desk being fixed at one end thereof to the self-supporting modular panel.