Office furniture abstract
A support foot for furniture, in particular office furniture, having
an internal frame and a cover extending about the internal frame,
the internal frame being formed by releasably connecting together
a base (2), an upright (21) and a top piece (25), and the base (2)
and the piece (25) clamping therebetween two lateral elements (44)
to which the cover is connected.
Office furniture claims
We claim:
1. A support foot for furniture, in particular office furniture,
having a frame comprising:
a. a base having a prismatic center portion defining a top panel
and a pair of first couplings oppositely spaced from the central
portion, each coupling being connected to the central portion by
a transverse rib to form two aligned slots between the coupling
and central portion;
b. a top piece having a central portion defining a bottom panel
and first and second pairs of fins extending radially from the central
portion, the fins of the first pair extending in opposite directions
through respective second couplings aligned with the base couplings,
the first pair of fins terminating in respective plates that extend
above the second couplings;
c. a central upright extending between the base top panel and top
piece bottom panel ;
d. a pair of lateral elements spaced transversely from the base
central portion and arranged on opposite sides of and substantially
parallel to the upright, the lateral elements being disengageably
connected to the base and top piece by means of the aligned pairs
of first and second couplings; and
e. screw means extending through the base, upright, and top piece
for holding the internal frame together.
2. The support foot of claim 1 wherein the first and second couplings
are formed as rectangular prismatic bodies extending upwardly from
the base and downwardly from the top piece, respectively, and wherein
the lateral elements are formed as rectangular tubes having walls
adapted to slidingly engage and substantially surround the peripheries
of the prismatic bodies and to extend into the base aligned slots
to connect the lateral elements to the base and top piece.
3. The support foot of claim 2 further comprising:
a. a pair of first covers of generally the same shape as the lateral
elements, each first cover defining a vertical rectangular opening
therethrough to receive a rectangular lateral element therein for
covering the lateral element; and
b. a pair of opposed second covers extending between and connected
to the first covers to cooperate therewith for enclosing the upright.
4. The support foot of claim 3 wherein:
a. the first covers are formed with vertically extending ribs near
the longitudinal margins thereof; and
b. the second covers are formed with vertically extending toothed
tabs adapted to resiliently engage the first cover ribs,
so that the first and second covers cooperate to snap-connect to
each other.
5. The support foot of claim 3 wherein the upright is formed with
a central tubular portion and a plurality of fins extending radially
from the central portion and aligned with the first and second pairs
of fins on the top piece, the upright fins terminating proximate
the first and second covers,
so that the upright and top piece fins and first and second covers
cooperate to form a plurality of enclosed vertical passages through
the support foot.
6. The support foot of claim 1 further comprising a pair of oppositely
extending horizontal work surface support brackets, each surface
support bracket having a central portion defining a lower surface
supported by and releasably fastened to a top piece plate and an
arm extending outwardly from the central portion to support the
work surface.
7. The support foot of claim 6 wherein each surface support bracket
further comprises a pair of arms extending inwardly from the central
portion above the central portion lower surface to create a pair
of facing inner walls on the bracket central portion, the top piece
central portion and plates and the bracket inner walls and inwardly
extending arms cooperating to define a horizontal passage of substantially
rectangular cross section.
Office furniture description
The present invention relates to a support foot for furniture,
in particular office furniture where said foot is intended to support
a desk work surface directly or a bar to which said desk work surface
is connected.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a support foot
designed so as to allow passage therealong of wires and cables for
the electrical power and control services, thus eliminating wires
dangling over the edges of the work surfaces.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a support
foot designed so that its external shape and size may be easily
varied.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a support
foot which may be very easily assembled or disassembled so as to
keep down the assembling costs and to make it easy to inspect the
aforementioned wires and cables.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide
a foot which is cheap and easy to manufacture.
According to the present invention there is provided a support
foot for furniture, in particular office furniture, having a frame
comprising a base, a top piece, a central upright extending between
said base and said top piece, and two lateral elements arranged
on opposite sides of, and substantially parallel to, said upright;
both said base and said top piece being connected to said two lateral
elements by means of axially disengageable coupling means, and screw
means being provided extending through said base, said upright and
said top piece to hold said internal frame together.
The invention will be described by way of example with reference
to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a support foot in accordance with
the present invention;
FIG. 2 shows an exploded view in perspective of the foot of FIG.
1;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a pair of brackets for supporting
work tops; and
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a clamp which may be assembled
on the stand for supporting bars supporting the said work tops.
In FIG. 1 a support foot 1 is shown which is particularly suitable
for office furniture and is designed to support either a work surface
of said office furniture or bars supporting said work surfaces.
Foot 1 comprises a base 2 having an essentially prismatic centre
portion 3 with a bottom panel which, in use, rests on the floor,
a top panel 4 and four side panels 5. From two opposite side panels
5 two plates 6 extend which are parallel to and in contact with
the floor. From each plate 6 an essentially prismatic body 7 extends
upwards which is shorter in height than the centre portion 3. Each
body 7 is connected to its respective side panel 5 by a central
rib 8 defining two aligned slots 11 extending between body 7 and
the facing panel 5. Centre portion 3 is provided with an axial vertical
through hole 12. Top panel 4 is provided with two vertical extensions
13 arranged on opposite sides of hole 12 and each having an upper
groove 14. Each body 7 is provided with a central vertical threaded
through hole 15 and two lateral weight-reducing cut-outs 16. On
side panels 5 not connected to ribs 8 provision is made for an
essentially rectangular, dovetail recess 19. Base 2 is preferably
made of aluminium and usually cast in one piece.
Base 2 supports an upright 21 comprising a central tubular portion
22 having an axial through hole 23 coaxial with hole 12 and four
fins 24 extending radially from portion 22 and defining four separate
channels extending between base 2 and a top piece 25 supported by
upright 21. Top piece 25 comprises a cylindrical centre portion
26 having a threaded through hole 27 coaxial with hole 23 and four
fins 28 29 extending radially from said portion 26 in the same
plane as fins 24. Two co-planar fins 29 extend each through a respective
cup-shaped hollow body 30 having lateral walls 31 and 34 perpendicular
and parallel respectively to the relevant fin 29 and an internal
cavity 33 open upwards. The end of each fin 29 is connected to a
plate 35 bent essentially to form an arc of a circle and having
its concave side facing towards the opposite plate 35. Each plate
35 extends above the respective body 30 and is provided with a thicker
centre portion 36 and a threaded central dead hole 37. Each of the
outermost walls 31 is provided with a pair of slightly tapered tabs
38 extending upwards.
Base 2 upright 21 and top piece 25 are secured to one another
by a screw 41 comprising a lower head 42 and a threaded stem 40
and engaging holes 12 23 and 27. Moreover, the bottom edges of
two co-planar fins 24 engage with grooves 14 and fins 29 are co-planar
with ribs 8.
The unit comprising base 2 upright 21 and top piece 25 is fitted
with two L-shaped elements 43 each comprising a hollow vertical
portion 44 of rectangular cross-section having an internal plate
45 an external plate 46 and two lateral plates 47. Each element
43 further comprises a horizontal portion 48 extending outwards
from the lower end of portion 44 and including an upper plate 51
two lateral outwardly tapered side plates 52 and an external plate
53.
The unit 2-21-25 mentioned above defines, together with element
43 and in particular together with hollow vertical portions 44
a frame which is provided with an external cover comprising two
cover elements 55 preferably made of plastics, each having substantially
the same shape as element 43 and comprising a vertical hollow portion
56 accommodating a vertical portion 44 and a lower horizontal portion
57 covering a horizontal portion 48. Each cover element 55 has an
external L-shaped surface 58 of any suitable design, and an internal
vertical surface 59 which is provided with two peripheral longitudinal
vertical ribs 60 and with a lower central recess 61 coinciding
with a corresponding recess 62 provided centrally at the lower edge
of the relevant plate 45.
Foot 1 can be assembled very easily. All that is required is to
assemble the unit consisting of base 2 upright 21 and top piece
25 as already described, but without tightening screw 41 so as
to enable the two elements 43 each fitted with the respective cover
element 55 to be assembled facing each other on base 2. To do this,
each element 43 is simply slid downwards so as to engage its recess
62 with its respective rib 8 and to accommodate its respective bodies
7 and 30. Bodies 7 and 30 engage the respective open ends of portions
44 and act as pins of a pin-and-socket joint to connect elements
43 to the aforementioned unit 2-21-25. Then, by tightening screw
41 the two elements 43 are secured firmly between base 2 and top
piece 25.
As shown in FIG. 1 the cover mentioned hereinabove further comprises
two essentially flat cover elements 65 having an external surface
67 of any suitable design and assembled facing each other between
the two elements 43. The inner face of each element 65 is provided
with two toothed longitudinal vertical tabs 66 each of which snap-engages
a respective rib 60.
Upright 21 and fins 28 and 29 on top piece 25 define four channels
for accommodating electric cables for such functions as supplying
lighting, electronic computers, calculating machines, typewriters,
etc. and, at the same time, for accommodating telephone, telecommunication
or other types of cables which, to operate properly, are usually
to be housed in separate channels from electricity supply cables.
The said electric and other types of cables are threaded inside
foot 1 through holes or openings (not shown) at the bottom of parts
65 and out of foot 1 through top piece 25 from where they are run
through the bar supporting the work tops or through raceways provided
along the said work tops.
FIG. 3 shows two brackets 71 and 72 preferably made of metal and
adapted to be secured to top piece 25 to define a support surface
for at least one work surface 70. In particular, brackets 71 and
72 the first of which is longer than the second, may be used together
to support either a single work surface (70) or respective work
surfaces. Alternatively, each bracket 71 or 72 may be replaced for
the same purposes by a bracket equal to the other.
As shown in FIG. 3 each bracket 7172 comprises a central portion
73 provided with a vertical through hole 74 coaxial with a respective
hole 37 for connection of bracket 7172 to top piece 25 by means
of a screw (69).
Each central portion 73 is provided with two lateral opposite horizontal
arms 76 and 75 the first of which has an upper flat surface 77
adapted to be arranged in contact with the aforementioned work surface
(70), and the second of which is provided with downwardly extending
tabs 78 facing respective tabs 38 and similar thereto.
The two arms 75 define, together with top piece 25 a horizontal
passage substantially rectangular in cross-section, through which
a horizontal bar (100) may be mounted and fixed by means of tabs
38 and 78. The above bar is intended to support one or more work
surfaces (not shown) or any other type of office furniture (not
shown).
If foot 1 is intended to support the aforementioned horizontal
bar (100) only, brackets 71 and 72 are replaced by a U-shaped element
81 shown upside-down in FIG. 4 and comprising a central horizontal
panel 82 and two side panels 83. Side panels 83 are shaped as plates
35 and are each provided with a vertical through hole 84 coaxial
with a respective hole 37 for connection of element 81 to top piece
25 by means of screws.
From the above description it is possible to see that one of the
main features of foot 1 consists in vertical portions 44 of elements
43. These portions 44 define, in fact, together with base 2 top
piece 25 upright 21 and screw 41 an internal frame supporting
all the external structure of foot 1 and make it possible to easily
change the external configuration of foot 1. A first change could
be that of eliminating one or both horizontal portions 48 which
have substantially no structural importance, and replace cover elements
55 with cover elements (not shown) with no lower horizontal portion
57. A second change could be that of replacing one or both elements
65 with cover elements (not shown) having a lower horizontal portion
similar to portion 57.
From the above it results that the external configuration of foot
1 may very easily vary between a straight-pedestal configuration
to a configuration having four lower horizontal extensions without
changing the internal structure, but by simply varying the shape
of four cover elements generally made of plastics, the external
surface of which may be designed according to any suitable design. |