The present invention concerns a table.

Communication between teamworkers is very important nowadays when group work has become significant. One of the problems related to the planning of teamwork has been how to activate teamworkers and how to keep all necessary tools within easy reach and, eventually, how to keep in contact with all necessary people. Besides, present tables are either too big or too small, whereupon it can be difficult to convert them. Their construction does not favour standing work at negotiations or in team¬ work.

In reference US 2481671 is described a table for the use of children, having the function of affording storage space for articles. The shelves are open. Only the opposite walls comprise shelves 4. The other opposite walls comprise only one shelf plane 3 extending through the whole table. It does not comprise shelves for articles. Theremore, the construction described in the US-publication does not widen from below upwards. The leg cannot be supported at least at the end walls.

In reference 2743145 is described a convertible article of furniture, for example a table. This, however, is not similar to the present invention because the sides are covered by doors and the ends comprise a vertical wall. This construction does not either allow of resting one's feet on the shelf plane or show easy access to the shelf planes.

The solutions given by both references are quite different from the table of the present invention to be used at negotiations just like it has been stated in the application, i.e. it comprises the open ends for articles and the separate leg support around the whole table.

The idea of the present invention is to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages.

In order to attain said result, the present invention is characterized by what is set forth in the characterizing part of the claims.

The advantages of the present invention result particularly from the fact that team- workers can be activated better to work and, in addition, that in a small room can be seated more people without limiting too much their working conditions. Facilities can be kept in the vicinity of all workers and within easy reach. Essentially, the persons by the table do not have to move for example "to the other side of the table" to address the meeting. Several persons can participate in the work around table. The weights of the table parts do not exceed the specified weight limitations set to a load which two persons are supposed to lift. The parts under the table top are tapered from head to foot so that there is left as much free space as possible for the legs beneath the table. When standing, workers can lift their legs onto the table plane lying second nearest to the floor. Articles do not have to be kept on the floor, whereupon it is possible to move around the table freely. The weight of the table can be reduced by forming an empty space in the middle of the table under the table plane. Besides, placing of the opposite walls farther off the center of the table and providing the walls with a wall make it impossible to push articles too far away on the storage planes. The solution in accordance with the present invention makes it possible for even top executives and office workers, i.e. so called white-collar workers, to work together in standing position at negotiations, which we traditionally, to a great extent, have been used to regard as sedentary work. Wires laid from the wall to the table can be placed out of workers' sight, i.e. they do not hinder the eye contact between negotiators.

The invention is described in the following text with references to the accompanying drawing in which fig. 1 is a side view of the table, fig. 2 an end view of the table and fig. 3 a view of the table from above.

Fig. 1 is a side view of the table. The table consists of several planes 1, 2 and 3 disposed as ready-made at different levels. The uppermost plane is mounted essentially higher than a usual office table lying at a height of about 75 cm, preferably at a height of 1000 - 1200, more preferably at a height of 1000 - 1100 mm

or, for example, at a height of about 1000 - 1050 mm above the floor. Under the top plane 1 are situated least two spaced-apart planes 2, 3 intended for the storage of different kinds of tools, papers, portable computers or the like so that they can be taken out fast. The plane 2 under the top plane is essentially smaller in diameter, or actually in length and width, than the top plane 1.

The plane 3 under the plane 2, too, is smaller in length and in width than the plane

2. In addition, when the distance between the planes 2 and 3 of the table is preferably 500 - 800 mm, for example 500 - 700 or preferably 600 - 700 mm, workers' knees do not hit the plane 2 even if they held their knees against the plane

3. Of course, it has to be stated that the distance depends on the persons height. On the other hand, in order to solve this problem, the table planes 2 and 3, as it is known, can be made adjustable, for example by means of shelf stands. Consequently, this results in a construction which, essentially, makes it possible for the persons working by the table to stand around the table without the risk of hitting their legs, for example knees, against the table parts. The table legs, in this case, are panels 5, 6, located at an essentially vertical distance from each other.

The panels are constituted by panels placed both lengthways 5 and breadthways 6 of the table, extending from the floor to the table plane. These vertical panels 5, 6 are put in places planned for them on a plane 7 preferably parallel to the floor. Of the panels 5, 6 preferably functioning as a leg is/are formed a cabinet/cabinets. These cabinets are joined together at their sides 5, 6 in such way that the end walls remain open outwards so that it is possible to push tools into the cabinets and take them out of them. The outer edges of the open end wall curve from the table along the planes in such way that the cabinet is deepest at its upper part and narrowest at its lower part. The cabinet "shelves" 2, 3 constitute the spaced-apart planes 2, 3 extending around the table, to be placed under the table plane 1, of which the upper ones are formed to be of larger dimensions than the lower ones. The cabinets intended to be put against one another at their end walls 5, 5 are usually spaced apart so that between them is left a space of 9 mm for wire laying.

The table plane 1 is formed of preferably four parts 10, 11 of which the first part 10

can be placed onto the cabinet line disposed lengthways of the table and the second

10 onto the left-hand cabinet line. Between the parts can be left a gap or a groove¬ like groove which can be opened and closed and which in the closed position forms a level surface with the rest of the table plane 10, 11. Into the groove 12 can be placed socket-outlets needed in electric and data communications, mobile telephone batteries or accessories and so on. The aperture can be covered with a panel parallel to the table plane, easy to lift up for making of connections. The end walls 14, 14 are formed after having placed the cabinets lengthways of the table. The table plane 11 ,

11 consisting of a somewhat semicircular or arched part is placed onto the end walls.

The cabinets at the end walls are essentially T-shaped when seen from above. The planes under the table plane 1 are essentially "shelves" also at the end walls, i.e. the planes 2, 3 under the table plane consist of several shelves which, correspondingly, are placed on a level with one another so that they, together, form the lower planes 2, 3 of the table plane. The planes project from the legs preferably functioning as cabinet side panels so that the legs do not extend outside the plane in the horizontal plane.

The wiring is arranged to run in the groove and onwards under the top plane from the table to the rest of the electrical network. As it is shown in fig. 3, the table tops 10, 11, when assembled, are essentially elliptic when seen from above.

For example, the table parts can be aligned by means of pivot and hole guides in such way that the parts to be joined together before the assembly comprise a hole and a pivot at the same point so that the parts can be fastened to one another, thus making it also easier to fasten the parts to one another.

Of course, there is nothing to prevent that the legs can be made of tubular construc¬ tions, although the panel construction is inexpensive.

It is to be noted that the end wall opposite to the open end wall, preferably, is closed.