Login| Sign Up| Help| Contact|

Patent Searching and Data


Title:
SUPPORT RAIL ASSEMBLY FOR OFFICE ACCESSORIES
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2000/065955
Kind Code:
A2
Abstract:
A support rail assembly (14) for positioning work-related accessories adjacent a worksurface (11) such as a table. The rail assembly includes a horizontally elongated rail (16) supported in upwardly spaced relationship from the worksurface by a support arm or stanchion (15). The rail defines therein an elongate slot which permits the mounting of accessories in various positions on the rail which are convenient to the user. The rail is supportable from either the rear edge (13) of a worksurface or may be cantilevered forwardly from a wall adjacent the worksurface or from a wall panel to which the worksurface is attached.

Inventors:
SAYLOR CHARLES
WAYNER ROBERT
BYRNE DAVID
BRINKS KEVIN L
ROELS RICKY D
COMPTON CHERYL C
PHILLIPS SHELDON
MITCHELL EDWARD
Application Number:
PCT/US2000/011350
Publication Date:
November 09, 2000
Filing Date:
April 26, 2000
Export Citation:
Click for automatic bibliography generation   Help
Assignee:
HAWORTH INC (US)
International Classes:
A47B17/03; A47B21/03; (IPC1-7): A47B21/00
Foreign References:
DE8629967U11986-12-18
CH680414A51992-08-31
US5154126A1992-10-13
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
Thiel, Dale H. (Thiel Boutell & Tani, P.C. 2026 Rambling Road Kalamazoo MI, US)
Download PDF:
View/Download PDF      PDF Help
Claims:
What is claimed is:
1. An office accessory arrangement for use with a worksurface having an enlarged upper surface, said arrangement comprising: an elongate support rail stationarily positioned above the worksurface and extending generally along a longitudinal edge thereof, said support rail defining therein a pair of slots in communication with one another and which open outwardly via a common access opening defined in a peripheral wall of said support rail; and an accessory supported in its entirety on said support rail so as to be free of supportive engagement with the worksurface, said accessory having a mounting part which projects into one of said slots to releasably secure said accessory to said support rail.
2. The arrangement of Claim 1 wherein said slots and said access opening extend along substantially the entire lengthwise extent of said support rail such that said accessory is positionable at any desirable location therealong.
3. The arrangement of Claim 1 wherein said peripheral wall of said support rail defines front and rear legs each defining one of said slots therein, said rear leg and the respective slot projecting generally horizontally and said front leg and the respective slot projecting forwardly and angling downwardly from a junction with said rear leg such that said front and rear legs together define a downwardlyopening, shallow V shape configuration with said access opening extending longitudinally along said junction.
4. The arrangement of Claim 3 wherein said front and rear legs and the respective slots together define an included angle of greater than 90° such that said accessory is positionable in either a generally horizontal orientation upon said mounting part thereof being inserted into said slot of said rear leg or in an angled position upon said mounting part thereof being inserted into said slot of said front leg.
5. The arrangement of Claim 1 wherein said peripheral wall of said support rail defines front and rear legs each defining one of said slots therein, said front and rear legs each including a pair of opposed and spacedapart top and bottom walls connected to one another by an edge wall extending therebetween, said edge wall of said front leg defining a forwardmost extent of said support rail and said edge wall of said rear leg defining a rearward most extent of said support rail, said top, bottom and edge walls of the respective front and rear legs together defining the respective said slot.
6. The arrangement of Claim 5 wherein said access opening is defined by adjacent and opposed free edges of said top walls of said front and rear legs.
7. The arrangement of Claim 1 wherein said accessory comprises a document support tray having a base wall, and said mounting part includes a stiff but resiliently deflectable flange which is secured to and cantilevered downwardly from said base wall for projection into said one slot.
8. The arrangement of Claim 7 wherein said mounting part includes a generally vertically oriented leg part which projects outwardly from said base wall and is connected at an outer end thereof to said mounting flange to space same horizontally downwardly from said base wall.
9. A support rail assembly for use with a worksurface having an enlarged upper surface, a front edge portion adjacent a user and a rear edge portion remote from the user, said assembly comprising: an elongate support rail having longitudinally extending front and rear edges and a pair of end edges extending transversely relative to said front and rear edges, said support rail being adapted for mounting an accessory thereon; and a support arm connected to the worksurface adjacent the rear edge portion thereof for stationarily positioning said support rail above the worksurface and generally along the rear edge portion thereof, one of said support rail and said support arm mounting thereon an elongate mounting member which extends in the longitudinal direction of said support rail and the other of said support rail and said support arm mounting thereon a generally tubular member defining therein a channel for slidably receiving said elongate mounting member, said channel being open at opposite ends thereof generally adjacent said end edges of said support rail; said elongate mounting member being slidably and sidewardly insertable into said channel of said tubular member through one of said open ends thereof to releasably but fixedly secure said support rail to said support arm.
10. The assembly of Claim 9 wherein said support rail has a bottom portion having said elongate mounting member projecting downwardly therefrom, and said support arm has an upper end mounting thereon said tubular member and a mounting plate secured thereto, said mounting member being in supportive engagement with said bottom portion of said support rail.
11. The assembly of Claim 10 wherein said elongate mounting member includes a rodlike portion and an elongate rib extending along the length of said rodlike portion for mounting same to said bottom portion, said rib having a smaller crosssectional size than said rod like portion, said channel opening upwardly through an access opening having a smaller crosssectional size than said channel, said rodlike portion being slidably disposed within said channel and said rib extending downwardly through said access opening to secure said support rail to said support arm.
12. The assembly of Claim 9 wherein said support rail includes front and rear legs each defining a longitudinally extending slot therein for mounting an accessory on said support rail, said rear leg and the respective slot projecting generally horizontally and said front leg and the respective slot projecting forwardly and angling downwardly from a junction with said rear leg such that said front and rear legs together define a shallow Vshape configuration.
13. The assembly of Claim 12 wherein said front and rear legs each include opposed and spacedapart top and bottom walls connected to one another by an edge wall extending therebetween, said edge wall of said front leg defining said front edge of said support rail and said edge wall of said rear leg defining said rear edge of said support rail, said top, bottom and edge walls of the respective front and rear legs together defining the respective slot, said slots communicating with one another and opening outwardly via a common access opening for permitting mounting of an accessory on said support rail, said access opening being defined between adjacent and opposed longitudinally extending free edges of said top walls of said front and rear legs.
14. The assembly of Claim 12 wherein said support arm has an upper end mounting thereon front and rear mounting plates disposed on opposite sides of said tubular member, said channel opening upwardly through an access opening defined between inner opposed longitudinal edges of said mounting plates, said front and rear mounting plates being respectively disposed in supportive engagement with said front and rear legs of said support rail.
15. The assembly of Claim 9 wherein said support rail is releasably fastened to an upper end of said support arm, said support arm having a lower end which bears upon the upper surface of the worksurface, said assembly further including a generally Lshaped mounting bracket for securing said support arm and said support rail to the rear edge portion of the worksurface, said mounting bracket having a first leg which overlies the rear edge portion of the worksurface and clampingly engages a portion of said support arm and a second leg which is fixed to a lower end of said first leg and projects partially under the worksurface and is spaced vertically downwardly therefrom.
16. The assembly of Claim 15 including a fastening member associated with said second leg and being adjustable to exert a downwardly directed force on said first leg and fixedly but releasably secure said support arm and said rail to the worksurface.
17. The assembly of Claim 16 wherein said fastening member threadingly engages with said second leg and has an upper end for engagement with the lower surface of the worksurface and a lower end configured for gripping by a hand or tool, said fastening member being manually rotatable to bring said upper end thereof into clamping engagement with the lower surface of the worksurface.
18. The assembly of Claim 16 further including a support bracket fixed to said rearwardmost end of said support arm, said support bracket including at least one hook projecting outwardly therefrom for engagement within a slot formed in a rigid upright member of a space dividing wall panel system.
19. The assembly of Claim 9 wherein said support rail is releasably fastened to an upper end of said support arm, said assembly further including a mounting arrangement for removably mounting said support arm to the rear edge portion of the worksurface, said mounting arrangement including a base portion fixed to a lower end of said support arm which bears upon the upper surface of the worksurface and an elongate bracket adapted for connection longitudinally along the rear edge portion and defining an upwardly opening channel, said mounting arrangement further including a generally vertically oriented mounting part fixed to said base portion and overlying the rear edge portion of the worksurface, said mounting part being snugly engaged within said channel of said bracket to secure said support arm to the worksurface.
20. The assembly of Claim 9 wherein said support rail is mounted on a forwardmost end of said support arm, said support arm including a mounting arrangement at a rearwardmost end thereof adapted for securing said support arm to an upright wall member disposed closely adjacent the rear edge portion of the worksurface.
21. A combination comprising: a worksurface having longitudinally extending front and rear edges and defining thereon an enlarged upper surface; a horizontally elongated support rail defining a pair of slots in communication with one another and opening outwardly via a common access opening; an officetype accessory supported in its entirety on said support rail so as to be free of supportive engagement with the worksurface, said accessory having a mounting part which projects into one of said slots via said access opening to releasably secure said accessory to said support rail; and a support arm adjacent the rear edge of the worksurface for stationarily positioning said support rail above the worksurface so as to extend generally along the rear edge thereof, said support rail being slidably mountable on an upper end of said support arm; and a mounting arrangement for removably mounting said support arm adjacent the rear edge of the worksurface.
Description:
InternationalapplicationNo. INTERNATIONALSEARCHREPORTPCT/US00/11350 Box IObservationswherecertainclaimswerefoundunsearchable(Continu ationofitem1offirstsheet) ThisinternationalSearchReporthasnotbeenestablishedinrespecto fcertainclaimsunderArticle17(2)(a)forthefollowingreasons: 1.0 ClaimsNos.: becausetheyrelatetosubjectmatternotrequiredtobesearchedbythi s Authority, namely: 2.ClaimsNos.: becausetheyrelatetopartsoftheInternationalApplicationthatdon otcomplywiththeprescribedrequirementstosuch anextentthatnomeaningfulInternationalSearchcanbecarriedout,s pecifically: 3.Claims Nos.: becausetheyaredependentclaimsandarenotdraftedinaccordancewit hthesecondandthirdsentencesofRule6.4(a). Box 11Observationswhereunityofinventionislacking(Continuationofi tem2offirstsheet) ThisInternationalSearchingAuthorityfoundmultipleinventionsin thisinternationalapplication,asfollows: seeadditionalsheet 1.As allrequiredadditionalsearchfeesweretimelypaidbytheapplicant, thisInternationalSearchReportcoversall searchabieclaims. 2.F]Asalisearchableclaimscouldbesearchedwithouteffortjustify inganadditionalfee,thisAuthoritydidnotinvitepayment ofanyadditionalfee. 3. 1 Asonlysomeoftherequiredadditionalsearchfeesweretimelypaidbyt heapplicant,thisInternationalSearchReport coversonlythoseclaimsforwhichfeeswerepaid,specificallyclaims Nos.: 4.iNorequiredadditionalsearchfeesweretimelypaidbytheapplican t.Consequently,thisInternationalSearchReportis restrictedtotheinventionfirstmentionedintheclaims;itiscovere dbyclaimsNos.: 1-8,21 RemarkonProtestCTheadditionalsearchfeeswereaccompaniedbythea pplicant'sprotest. _ u g Noprotestaccompaniedthepaymentofadditionalsearchfees. u International Application No.PCT/US00/11350 FURTHERINFORMATIONCONTINUEDFROMPCT/ISA/210 ThisInternationalSearchingAuthorityfoundmultiple(groupsof) inventionsinthisinternationalapplication,asfollows: 1.Claims:1-8,21 Supportofanofficeaccessoryaboveaworksurfacebya supportrail 2.Claims:9-20 Supportofasupportrailaboveaworksurfacebysupportarms INTERNATIONALSEARCHREPORT Information on patent family members PCT/US00/11350 PatentdocumentPublicationPatentfamily Publication citedinsearchreportdatemember(s)date DE8629967U18-12-1986NONE CH680414A31-08-1992NONE US5154126A13-10-1992US4884513A05-12-1989 CA1318716A01-06-1993 US5083512A28-01-1992 US5237935A24-08-1993



 
Previous Patent: TOOTHBRUSH

Next Patent: BOX-TYPE FURNITURE ELEMENT