Article of furniture and method of installing same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11549537-B2
Application number	US-202117349417-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 16, 2021
Priority date	Jun 19, 2020
Publication date	Jan 10, 2023
Grant date	Jan 10, 2023

Abstract

An article of furniture can include an upper beam member, a first side member, a second side member, and a plurality of attachment bracket members connecting the first side member to the upper beam member adjacent a first side of the upper beam member and also connecting the second side member to the upper beam member adjacent a second side of the upper beam member. Each attachment bracket members can have a body and a plurality of arms extending from the body. The arms can include a first and second top arms, first and second intermediate arms, and first and second bottom arms. The arms can be positioned to define channels.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An article of furniture comprising:
an upper beam member;
a first side member;
a second side member;
a plurality of attachment bracket members connecting the first side member to the upper beam member adjacent a first side of the upper beam member and also connecting the second side member to the upper beam member adjacent a second side of the upper beam member,
wherein the attachment bracket members each have:
a body;
a plurality of arms extending from the body, the arms comprising:
a first top arm extending outwardly,
a second top arm extending outwardly in a direction that is opposite the first top arm;
a first intermediate arm extending outwardly that is positioned below the first top arm to define a first upper channel;
a second intermediate arm extending outwardly that is positioned below the second top arm to define a second upper channel;
a first bottom arm extending outwardly that is positioned below the first intermediate arm to define a first bottom channel; and
a second bottom arm extending outwardly that is positioned below the second intermediate arm to define a second bottom channel.

2. The article of claim 1 , wherein the attachment bracket members are configured to be coupled to the upper beam member via a toolless attachment mechanism.

3. The article of claim 2 , wherein the attachment bracket members are configured to be coupled to the first and second side members via a toolless attachment mechanism.

4. The article of claim 1 , wherein the upper beam member is sized and configured to receive an upper lip of an upper projection of the first side member to define a gap between a bottom of the upper beam member and the upper lip of the first side member and the upper beam member is sized and configured to receive an upper lip of an upper projection of the second side member to define a gap between a bottom of the upper beam member and the upper lip of the second side member.

5. The article of claim 1 , comprising:
outlets positioned in the first side member and outlets positioned in the second side member.

6. The article of claim 5 , wherein the outlets are configured for transmission of electricity and/or data.

7. The article of claim 1 , comprising:
a base or a plurality of legs to support the upper beam member above a floor.

8. The article of claim 7 , wherein each of the legs is attached to at least one foot.

9. The article of claim 1 , wherein a body of each of the attachment bracket members is an integral body comprised of polymeric material.

10. The article of claim 9 , wherein:
a distal end portion of the first top arm has teeth to interlock with teeth of an upper projection of the first side member; a distal end portion of the second top arm has teeth to interlock with teeth of an upper projection of the second side member, a distal end portion of the first intermediate arm has teeth to interlock with teeth of a bottom projection of the first side member, and a distal end portion of the second intermediate arm has teeth to interlock with teeth of a bottom projection of the second side member for toolless attachment of the first and second side members to each of the attachment bracket members.

11. The article of claim 10 , wherein the body also has a top projection for insertion into an inner groove of the upper beam member so rotation of the top projection interlocks the top projection within the inner groove.

12. The article of claim 9 , wherein the body has a top projection for insertion into an inner groove of the upper beam member so rotation of the body rotates the top projection to interlock the top projection within the inner groove.

13. An article of furniture comprising:
an upper beam member;
a first side member;
a second side member;
a plurality of attachment bracket members connecting the first side member to the upper beam member adjacent a first side of the upper beam member and also connecting the second side member to the upper beam member adjacent a second side of the upper beam member, the attachment bracket members being configured to be coupled to the first and second side members via a toolless attachment mechanism and are configured to be coupled to the upper beam member via a toolless attachment mechanism; wherein the attachment bracket members each have:
a body having a top projection for insertion into an inner groove of the upper beam member so rotation of the top projection interlocks the top projection within the inner groove;

a plurality of arms extending from the body, the arms comprising:
a first top arm extending outwardly,
a second top arm extending outwardly in a direction that is opposite the first top arm;
a first intermediate arm extending outwardly that is positioned below the first top arm to define a first upper channel;
a second intermediate arm extending outwardly that is positioned below the second top arm to define a second upper channel;
a first bottom arm extending outwardly that is positioned below the first intermediate arm to define a first bottom channel; and
a second bottom arm extending outwardly that is positioned below the second intermediate arm to define a second bottom channel.

14. The article of claim 13 , wherein a distal end portion of the first top arm has teeth to interlock with teeth of an upper projection of the first side member; a distal end portion of the second top arm has teeth to interlock with teeth of an upper projection of the second side member, a distal end portion of the first intermediate arm has teeth to interlock with teeth of a lower projection of the first side member, and a distal end portion of the second intermediate arm has teeth to interlock with teeth of a lower projection of the second side member for toolless attachment of the first and second side members to each of the attachment bracket members.

15. An article of furniture comprising:
an upper beam member;
a first side member;
a second side member;
a plurality of attachment bracket members connecting the first side member to the upper beam member adjacent a first side of the upper beam member and also connecting the second side member to the upper beam member adjacent a second side of the upper beam member,
wherein the attachment bracket members each have:
a body;
a plurality of arms extending from the body, the arms comprising:
a first top arm extending outwardly,
a second top arm extending outwardly in a direction that is opposite the first top arm;
a first intermediate arm extending outwardly that is positioned below the first top arm to define a first upper channel;
a second intermediate arm extending outwardly that is positioned below the second top arm to define a second upper channel;
a first bottom arm extending outwardly that is positioned below the first intermediate arm to define a first bottom channel; and
a second bottom arm extending outwardly that is positioned below the second intermediate arm to define a second bottom channel; and

wherein a distal end portion of the first top arm has teeth to interlock with teeth of an upper projection of the first side member; a distal end portion of the second top arm has teeth to interlock with teeth of an upper projection of the second side member, a distal end portion of the first intermediate arm has teeth to interlock with teeth of a bottom projection of the first side member, and a distal end portion of the second intermediate arm has teeth to interlock with teeth of a bottom projection of the second side member for toolless attachment of the first and second side members to each of the attachment bracket membe

Assignees

• Knoll Inc

Inventors

• Udagawa Masamichi
• Moeslinger Sigrid
• Jones Mark
• Mckenzie James Harrison

Classifications

• F16B12/2009 Primary

  actuated by rotary motion · CPC title

• A47B2200/0081

  Auxiliary apparatus with electrical connections for office furniture · CPC title

• F16B7/22

  using hooks or like elements · CPC title

• Y10T403/7005

  Lugged member, rotary engagement · CPC title

• A47B2021/066

  with power or communication connection interface · CPC title