The present invention relates to desks with top access and more particularly to top access to side storage units by displacement from the side of the desk towards the centre of the top panel and/or the inner side panel of said units, or portions of these two.

Drawer systems can account for a significant proportion of the total cost of a desk, for example in a desk with two drawer pedestals it is quite normal for the basic structure and working surface to account for 451 of the total cost and the drawer pedestals 55%. Drawer systems are also relatively inefficient in terms of storage capacity related to overall volume, for example in a standard three drawer pedestal where the drawers are 3/4 extending it is normal for the storage capacity or volume to amount to only 40-45% of the total volume of the unit.

The main advantage of top access is that storage units may be simple box-like structures or even flexible bag-like containers. Top access storage units are cheaper to produce and may easily give a storage capacity/overall volume efficiency of 90%. In terms of ergonomics there are also advantages with top access in that access to stored material may be gained from a generally more agreeable working level and position.

The main disadvantage of most known embodiments of top access is that displacement of the working surface or portion thereof involves the temporary "loss" of working surface in that whatever is on that surface or portion thereof has first to be removed before it is opened: the surface holding function of holding papers or objects is temporarily lost to the opening function. In the terms of

the present invention "permanent" working surface is any portion of the working surface that is able to hold papers or objects while the opening function takes place.

In other known embodiments of top access the working surface has been divided into a multiplicity of sliding portions such that when one or two portions have been removed the rest can be slid in a horizontal plane retaining the surface holding function and performing an opening function. The disadvantage with these embodiments is that the wholeness of the main working area has been lost: the divisions make it difficult to freely spread out as any papers or objects straddling a division line are liable to fall into a storage unit when a portion of the surface is opened unless they have been carefully placed. In the terms of this invention wholeness is directly related to the proportion of the working surface represented by the largest single portion.

A third disadvantage in most known embodiments of top access is that access is only gained to one level of storage. This may be efficient when this one level of storage contains a filing system for example but if a relatively shallow flat volume of storage is required top access, as it has generally been applied, cannot make use of the space underneath the one shallow layer as can a drawer system with its several layers of storage. Known embodiments have sometimes overcome this by raising several layers of storage volume above the level of the working surface but the solution is more costly than the drawer system it replaces.

With a view to gaining the advantages of top access and overcoming or at least diminishing the aforementioned disadvantages of known embodiments the invention provides

a side storage unit or units to which full possible top access is gained or partly gained by the inward displacement from the side towards the centre of; the desk of one or more of the surfaces, or portions of the surfaces, which enclose the total storage volume of the side storage unit. The invention deals primarily with the top surface and the inner side surface of the storage unit but in certain embodidments the other surfaces, front, rear, bottom and outer side surfaces or portions thereof may also be displaced from the side of the desk towards the centre. The invention sometimes uses the word "panel" when these surfaces are rigid but does not exclude the use of flexible material.

In the aspect of the inward displacement of the top surface of a side storage unit the invention provides a working surface extending substantially the full length of the desk such that it fully encloses the top surface area of a side storage unit placed at either end of the,desk or the top surface area of two side storage units one at each end of the desk. The said working surface'may be slid to either side such that on one side it overhangs the side edge of the desk and on the other it affords top access to a storage unit. Thus for example a displacement to the right produces an overhang of the working surface on the right side of the desk and provides top access to a storage unit on the left. The enclosing top surface of the left storage unit is displaced inwards towards the centre of the desk. The embodiment shown in the drawings gives 100% wholeness 100% permanence.

in situations where it is impractical to have the working surface overhang the side of the desk, for example when the desk is part of a desking system with adjacent units, the preferred embodiment is to divide the working surface

into three sections, a large middle section extending to enclose approximately half the top surface area of the

^• storage units at either side, the remaining half of each storage unit being enclosed by a smaller section of working surface. The two side sections may be displaced to permit the middle section to slide to either side, for example the right side section is displaced to permit the middle section to slide to the right through a distance equal to approximately half the width of a storage unit. 0 That portion of the middle section enclosing half the storage unit on the left is thus displaced inwards towards the centre and as the left side section _, is also displaceable top access is gained to the left storage unit.

5 On the assumption that the two storage units extend the full width of the desk and together take up about half the length then most known embodiments of top access to these two storage units would give figures of approximately 50% wholeness 50% permanence. The system provided by the 0 invention gives approximate figures of 75% wholeness and with preferred embodiments for the displacement of the side sections 100% permanence. Only a more costly rising system using one storage unit but a deeper storage volume would match this efficiency.

5 The preferred embodiment for the displacement of the side sections of the working surface provided by the invention is the "double flip-up" system, defined by the invention as one in which the two side sections are displaced from i an approximately horizontal place to an inclined or 0 vertical plane. The sections may be hinged about a horizontal axis approximately in line with the side of the desk but the invention does not exclude other methods for achieving double flip-up.

With the double flip-up embodiment the invention provides an optional "scoop", defined as any receptacle on or in or partically both a side section of the working surface into which papers or objects may be placed, said receptacle holding these items when the side section is flipped-up into an inclined or vertical plane. It may for example be a panel set flush into the side section of the working surface which may be hinged open and kept in a fixed open position by means of a fixing stay. The combined double flip-up and scoop embodiments give the side sections a limited but useful permanent working surface function, that is to say papers may easily be placed in the scoop but a telephone may not be placed upon it.

Displacement of the three sections may be carried out separately but the invention provides that they may be linked such that when one section is displaced the other two sections automatically perform their function in whatever three part displacement system is employed. For example in the double flip-up system the invention provides an embodiment in which the middle section moving towards a side section pushes closed a hinged arm underneath the side section, said hinged arm taking up greater vertical distance when closed pushes open the side section. Equally in moving away from a side section the middle section pulls closed the hinged arm by means of a wire around a pulley which translates the inwarrd direction of force of the middle section into an outward direction of force. This system is easily powered by a small electric motor.

While the invention describes this as a three part system it recognises that the side portions may be made out of several smaller sections which does not detract from the essential principles of the invention that there is one

middle part and two deplaceable side parts which may or may not be made up of several sections.

The invention provides another embodiment for the displacement of the side sections which also preserves a permanent working surface function for these sections, comprised of a side section attached to a vertical support located at the rear of the desk below the level of the working surface, said vertical support may be vertically raised together with attached side section and may itself rotate or provide a vertical axis around which the side section may rotate such that the side section may be displaced inwards towards the centre of the desk swinging in an arc until it is longitudinally parallel with the rear of the desk where at a suitable height it may provide a shelf upon which papers and objects may be placed. A second vertical support can be hinged down from the side section to give added stability. One such rising rotating side section approximately equal in width to the width of a storage unit may be used or two side sections of combined width approximately equal to one storage unit to attain top access to both storage units.

In the aspect of the inward displacement of the inner side surface of the side storage unit the invention provides that the top portion of an inner side panel turning about a lower horizontal axis may be displaced inwards towards the centre giving an expanded area of top access. In a side storage unit extending to the ground and of relatively narrow proportions for example this permits the storage of large papers and/or a filing system which can store material in compact form. The expanded top access on opening allows the easy sorting of material. The invention provides that the inward displacement of the inner side panel may expand out a filing system and by

simple linkage raise the filing system so that it is partially above the level of the working surface for easier access. The inward movement of the top panel may be linked to pull open the inner side panel.

The invention provides that this inward displacement of the inner side panel can be achieved by the use of flexible materials in the construction of the storage unit, for example an inner side panel connected to the outer side panel by fabric, perhaps in concertina form, which allows expansion of the volume'- and area of top access of the storage unit, and equally allows the storage unit to be collapsed when not in use.

The invention provides an inward moving drawer which transfers the top layer of storage volume or capacity to the centre of the desk and permits top access to storage volume below. The inward moving drawer may depend upon the storage unit for its running function but preferably uses the longitudinal support structure of the desk. In this way the structure of the storage unit and the drawer may remain simple. It will be noted that in the embodiment shown in the drawings a portion of the outer surface of the storage unit also moves inward towards the centre when the drawer moves.

The invention provides that storage volume or stored material may also be transferred inwards towards the centre by the rising and inward rotating function ^" provided to the side section of the working surface by the invention. A side section may carry on its underside a layer of storage volume or material or equipment which will then be available above the working surface.

While preferred embodiments have been described in this disclosure and in the drawings the invention is not defined by any particular embodiment or embodiments. In particular the invention does not prescribe the proportion of working surface, nor the number nor the size of side storage units in any given desk that must be given to the functions described in the invention. A desk may have a separate portion of working surface along the rear which contains desk wiring for example without affecting the principles of the invention. The front half of the working surface only may be given over to the functions described in the invention or there may be two parallel systems in a single desk. The side storage units need not extend to the rear of the desk nor to the front of the desk nor to the floor. There may be several compartments from front to rear in a side storage unit which may be said to compose several side storage units. There may be one side storage unit on one side of the desk only. The full advantage of inward movement towards the centre of the top and inner side surfaces of a side storage unit are best achieved however in the embodiments shown where the advantages of top access in terms of use, efficiency of storage volume and ergonomics are not outweighed by the loss of wholeness or permanence in the working surface of a desk.

The invention takes into account that there may be certain other requirements in the desk as a whole which call for consideration in that they relate to the functions described in the invention. Access to the middle portion of a desk may also be required - for middle storage units, for desk wiring and to any motor unit which may power movement of of the working surface.

In the interest of limiting any erosion of the potential wholeness of the working surface that is provided by this invention the invention provides other displacement functions for the working surface which are based upon and compatible with the side to side sliding function described in this invention. Thus in addition to the side to side sliding function the working surface or portion thereof may be slid in a direction perpendicular to this line and/or it may hinge up from the rear and/or hinge up from the front. Instead of losing wholeness to a working surface panel at the rear designed for access to desk wiring for example the working surface may be slid forward or hinged upwards. These additional functions are of particular importance as the invention provides that the working surface may be linked in its movements to other movable portions of the desk and easy access^ to any central portion of the desk without the necessity of dismantling these links makes the system described in the invention more viable.

The invention provides a sliding system perpendicular and attached to the longitudinal sliding system such that the working surface may slide in a front/rear line. The invention also provides that the working surface may hinge about a rear axis to lift up from the front and/or turn about a front axis to lift up from the back. One embodiment suggested is a double hinge system whereby a double hinge extending from the front to the rear of the desk may slide in a front/rear line in a guide attached to the body of the desk. A guide element on the top arm of the double hinge permits the working surface to slide from side to side. The preferred embodiment provides a front/rear sliding system mounted on the longitudinal runner as are hinges which may be picked up at any chosen point in the lateral sliding movement of the working

surface by elements mounted on the underside of said surface. These elements may be fixed close to the front of the desk for example so that they are in contact with the hinges and it is only possible to hinge the working surface up from the rear. Alternatively the elements could be set back to a midway point on the underside of the working surface so that the working surface could slide forward until the pick up elements engaged with the hinges and sliding movement was arrested. A similar system may operate for hinging about the rear axis. In this way a simple flexible opening system for the centre portion of the desk may be carried on the side to side sliding system already provided by the invention for the smooth functioning of top access by inward displacement from side to centre. The drawings show only the essential principles, for example only one hinge, but the invention provides that the system use as many of these elements as are required.

The invention is further described below by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig 1 Is the front perspective view of a desk with working surface and inner side panel displaced towards the centre and filing system partially raised above said working surface.

Fig 2 is a front view of the system in closed position with face panels removed.

Fig 3 is a front view of the system in opened position.

Fig 4 is a portion of working surface mounted on longitudinal runner.

is a cross section of longitudinal runner and desk support.

is a front side corner view of the desk.

is a plan view of the top front half of the storage unit.

is a diagram of the double flip-up system closed.

is a diagram of the double flip-up system opened.

is a diagram of a nesting system closed.

is a diagram of a nesting system opened.

is a diagram of a lift and rotate system closed.

is a diagram of a lift and rotate system opened.

is a perspective view of storage unit and drawer.

is a longitudinal cross section view of the double flip-up section together with opened scoop'.

is a lateral cross section view showing rear and front U-shaped supports.

is a perspective diagram showing lateral slide guide, front hinge and pick up.

is a longitudinal cross section view of Fig 17.

is a lateral cross section view of hinge ^" and pick up.

Fig ^" 20 is a perspective view of lateral sliding using small side section of working surface as the guide.

Fig 21 is a perspective view of the front part of a double hinge lateral sliding system.

Referring to the drawings - In Figure 1 when the working surface 1 is slid to the right it pulls the inner side panel 2 of the left storage unit inwards towards the centre of the desk which in turn activates an arm 7 which raises a filing grid 6. In this embodiment 3 is the outer side panel of the storage unit and 4 the front panel. 5 is the front longitudinal support and 2a a panel attached to the inner side panel which keeps the storage volume enclosed at a level below the working surface when the inner side panel is in an opened position.

In Figure 2, 8 is a lateral support running from the front to the rear longitudinal supports, 9 is a link connecting the inner side panel with the arm 7 and 10 is the bottom panel of the middle storage unit.

in Figure 3 a small flange 11 mounted on the underside of the working surface pulls the inner side panel open when the working surface is slid to the right. The connecting link 9 pulls on the arm 7 which turns about its axis point 7a attached to the inside of panel 4 which raises the filing grid 6 which turns about its axis point 6a attached to the lateral support 8.

In Figure 4, 1 is a cut away section of the working surface mounted on a cut away section of the front longitudinal runner 12 which slides on rollers 13 set in the longitudinal support 5. Figure 5 gives a cross

section view of Figure 4 but includes the front portion of the longitudinal support 5.

In Figure 6 a cut away section 14 in the side panel allows the longitudinal runner and the flange 11 to pass through. A groove 15 on the underside of the working surface makes allowance for the rising filing grid 6 - see Figure 3.

In Figure 7 the flange 11 mounted on the underside of the working surface or attached to the end of the longitudinal runner contacts the inner side panel 2 at point 16 on its travel towards the centre and pulls it to point 17. 18 are files suspended in the front half of the filing grid.

In Figure 8, 19 is the centre section of the working surface, 20 the left side section and 21 the right side section. In Figure 9 the hinging up of the right side section permits the centre section to slide to the right opening up half the top access area to the left hand storage unit, the other half being opened by the hinging up of the left side section of working surface. It shows the area of top access gained is approximately twice the area of permanent working surface lost.

Figure 11 shows the same principle as Figures 8 & 9 but the right side section 21 does not have to open to permit the centre section to slide to the right - the centre section slides over it. The left side section 20 slides to the right and similarly "nests" under 19.

In Figure 12 one side section 22 is mounted on a vertical support 23 which is located to the rear of the desk. This support is raised Figure 13 and the side section 22 is rotated around the support, swinging in an arc towards the centre and then to the rear of the desk such that it ends

up longitudinally parallel to the rear of the desk forming a shelf at the rear of the desk. A support 24 is hinged down to give added stability and the centre portion of the working surface is slid to its central "working" position.

Figure 14 shows a left side storage unit 25 attached at the rear to the rear panel of the desk 29 and at the front to a longitudinal U-shaped structural support 27. There is a similar structural support at the rear. These supports are attached to side panels at either end which in this embodiment are the vertical structural supports (see 30 in figure 15). A drawer 26 slides on runners attached to the sides of the two longitudinal supports 27 and 28 such that when closed its inner side panel wall coincides with the inner side panel wall of the storage unit 25 and when opened it gives top access to inclined compartments in the lower part of the storage unit.

Figure 15 shows a pushing-pulling arm 31 attached to the underside of the centre section of working surface 19. hen the centre section is slid to the left it pushes on a triple hinged arm 32. The arm is hinged at 32a to the side vertical panel 30, one half its length is hinged to the other half at 32b and this second half is hinged at 32c to a smaller carriage portion of itself 32d, preferably mounted on needle bearings, which runs in the rear U-shaped longitudinal support 28. Movement of the centre section of the working surface to the left folds this arm together necessarily pushing the side section 20 of the working surface upwards at point 32b. The side section 20 hinges upwards on a hinge 33. When the centre section 19 moves to the right it pulls on a wire 34 which turning around a pulley 35 pulls the carriage 32d to the left similarly hinging up the side section 20. Thus in

whatever direction the centre section is moved, to right or left, the side sections flip up simultaneous.ly.

On the surface of side section 20 a scoop 36 is opened up to hold papers 37. A retaining stay 36a holds it in this position such that when the side section hinges up the papers are held in place. In this embodiment the retaining stay 36a may be unfastened and the scoop can fold flush into the working surface - position indicated by dotted line 36b.

Figure 16 shows the drawer runners 38 connecting the drawer with the rear and front longitudinal supports. The arm 31 attached to the underside of the centre section of the working surface extends below the U-shaped structural support 28 to connect with the wire 34 at pøint 31a. The triple hinged arm 32 also extends below the U-shaped support to connect with the wire at 32d. A cut away section at the bottom of the U-shaped support runs from the side of the desk to a point approximately above the inner side panel of the storage unit to permit the travel of the extended portions of 31 and 32.

The position of the cogged runner and the electric motor which moves it are indicated by the dotted lines 40 and 41 respectively. The motor is mounted on the rear panel of the desk between the two side storage units,, the cogged runner is attached to the underside of .the working surface. The front longitudinal support contains rollers 39 which are also located in the middle section of the rear lateral support.

In Figure 17 a front/rear sliding system 42 is mounted on and perpendicular to the longitudinal sliding system.

Rollers 43 aid the sliding of the working surface. Also

mounted on the longitudinal runner 12 is a hinge 44, the pick up to the hinge 45 is mounted on the underside of the working surface. Figure 18 gives a cross section of this arrangement as viewed from the front of the desk.

Figure 19 shows a lateral cross section view of the hinge mounted on the longitudinal runner 12. The pick up 45 is engaged with the hinge. If the working surface is slid forward to the front of the desk the hinge will be completely engaged and no further sliding movement will be 0 possible. If a similar pick up for the rear hinge were mounted at a midway point the working surface could be slid back for half its width towards the rear of the desk. 47 is a raised element which keeps the top arm of the hinge in an open position for the pick up. The dotted 5 line 46 shows the line of the underside of the working surface.

Figure 20 shows a system similar to that described in Figures 17, 18, 19 where the front/rear guide system is a small side section of the working surface which is mounted 20 on the longitudinal runner 12.

Figure 21 shows the front part of a double hinge extending from front to rear of the desk - there is a front axis 51 between the top two arms of the hinge 48, 49 and an axis at the rear of the desk between the bottom two arms 49 and

25 50. The double hinge is mounted on a runner 52 which may slide in a front/rear line in the guide 53 attached to the front and rear support panels of the desk. On the top arm of the double hinge is mounted the longitudinal guide 54

^* for side to side sliding of the working surface.