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US 9,427,083 B2Granted
Furniture docking system
AssigneeHerman Miller, Inc.
InventorsPaul Dame, Michael J. Katje, Sheryl Knoll
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A furniture docking system includes a dock and various dock supports, including freestanding and non-freestanding dock supports. The dock includes an upper rail having a primary channel and a pair of auxiliary channels opening upwardly from an upper surface of the upper rail, and a pair of side channels opening outwardly from opposite sides of the upper rail.
Claims21
A furniture docking system comprising:
- a plurality of docks each comprising opposite first and second sides and opposite first and second ends defining a length of each said dock, wherein said docks are arranged end-to-end along a longitudinal axis, each of said plurality of said docks comprising an upper rail and a lower rail and a plurality of vertical frame members extending between and connecting said upper and lower rails, said upper rail including an upwardly opening primary channel extending longitudinally along a top of said upper rail;
- at least a first dock support and a second dock support each releasably connectable to each of said plurality of docks in a plurality of longitudinally spaced locations along said length of said dock and comprising a floor engaging portion laterally spaced from said dock, wherein said first dock support extends laterally from said dock on said first side thereof and said second dock support extends laterally from said dock on either of said first or second side thereof, wherein said first dock support is releasably coupled to said upper rail and lower rail, and said second dock support is coupled to at least one of said upper rail, said lower rail and/or one of said plurality of vertical frame members;
- and
- a furniture accessory coupled to said primary channel of said upper rail and extending upwardly from said upper rail;
- wherein said primary channel extends along a centerline of said top of said upper rail, and wherein said upper rail further comprises a pair of upwardly opening auxiliary channels each extending continuously longitudinally along an entire length of a top of said upper rail on opposite sides of said primary channel.
2 more elements
A furniture docking system comprising:
- a plurality of docks each comprising opposite first and second sides and opposite first and second ends defining a length of each said dock, wherein said docks are arranged end-to-end along a longitudinal axis, each of said plurality of said docks comprising an upper rail comprising an upwardly opening primary channel extending longitudinally along a centerline of a top of said upper rail, a pair of upwardly opening auxiliary channels extending longitudinally along a top of said upper rail on opposite sides of said primary channel, and a pair of side channels opening laterally outwardly from opposite sides of said upper rail;
- at least a first dock support and a second dock support each releasably connectable to each of said plurality of docks in a plurality of longitudinally spaced locations along said length of said dock and comprising a floor engaging portion laterally spaced from said dock, wherein said first dock support extends laterally from said dock on said first side thereof and said second dock support extends laterally from said dock on said second side thereof, wherein said first dock support is coupled to said upper rail at one of said auxiliary channels, and said second dock support is coupled to said upper rail at one of said side channels;
- and
- a furniture accessory coupled to said primary channel of said upper rail and extending upwardly from said upper rail;
- wherein said second dock support is coupled to said upper rail with a first draw block engaging said side channel, and further comprising a draw rod coupled between said first draw block and a lower rail vertically spaced from said upper rail, and a second draw block engaging said lower rail and coupled to said draw rod.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.