U.S. patent application number 10/978710 was filed with the patent office on 2005-03-24 for article of furniture having storage components.
Invention is credited to Miller, Grover L..
Application Number | 20050062370 10/978710 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32073490 |
Filed Date | 2005-03-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050062370 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Miller, Grover L. |
March 24, 2005 |
Article of furniture having storage components
Abstract
A furniture unit such as a desk is provided with a slidably
mounted storage drawer located under a work surface of the desk.
The storage drawer is sized to support at least a laptop computer
and a standard-sized alphanumeric computer keyboard. Additionally,
a rear portion of the drawer supports a power and data module
providing an AC power outlet and a phone and/or a data outlet for
the computer. A front edge of the drawer folds down extending the
drawer bottom and includes a wrist support pad for use with the
computer keyboard. The furniture unit may also be supplied with a
rotatable carousel storage unit located under the work surface,
especially under the corner work surface of an L-shaped desk. The
carousel storage unit includes one or more circular shelves
rotatably mounted beneath the work surface and at least one pair of
wire supports mounted to an protruding above each circular shelf.
The wire supports provide lateral support for a row of books,
binders and the like.
Inventors: |
Miller, Grover L.;
(Chrisney, IN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BAKER & DANIELS
111 E. WAYNE STREET
SUITE 800
FORT WAYNE
IN
46802
|
Family ID: |
32073490 |
Appl. No.: |
10/978710 |
Filed: |
November 1, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10978710 |
Nov 1, 2004 |
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10459679 |
Jun 11, 2003 |
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60417996 |
Oct 14, 2002 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
312/208.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47B 49/004 20130101;
A47B 21/0314 20130101; A47B 2021/0335 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
312/208.1 |
International
Class: |
A47B 081/00; A47B
041/06; A47B 063/00; A47B 065/00 |
Claims
1-9. (canceled)
10. An article of furniture, comprising: a furniture housing; a
storage component rotatably mounted within said furniture housing,
said storage component including a first shelf and at least a first
pair of support members mounted to and protruding above said first
shelf, said support members adapted to laterally support
therebetween a plurality of books and the like.
11. The article of furniture of claim 10, further comprising at
least a second pair of support members extending above said first
shelf.
12. The article of furniture of claim 10, wherein said first pair
of support members are disposed parallel to one another, said
support members adapted to laterally support a linear row of books
and the like.
13. The article of furniture of claim 10, wherein said first pair
of support members are disposed at a non-parallel angle with
respect to one another, said support members adapted to laterally
support an arcuate row of books and the like.
14. The article of furniture of claim 10, further comprising: a
second shelf vertically spaced from said first shelf; and a support
structure attaching said second shelf to said first shelf such that
said second shelf is rotatable with said first shelf.
15. The article of furniture of claim 14, wherein said first and
second shelves are circular.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit under Title 35, U.S.C.
.sctn. 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.
60/417,996, entitled DESK STORAGE COMPONENTS, filed on Oct. 14,
2002.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to storage components for
articles of furniture, such as desks, workstations, credenzas,
hutches, and entertainment centers.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Desks and other furniture units which are specifically
adapted for use with computer components and/or for storing books,
binders and the like often provide open shelving and other storage
components above the work surface. However, many users prefer a
more traditional look to a desk or other article of furniture and
prefer that computer components and books and other materials be
stored under the work surface and thus out of sight. This
preference is especially true for desks and other furniture
components that are used in a home office.
[0006] One known furniture unit includes a pullout storage drawer
located below the work surface and above the kneehole in a
pedestal-type desk. The drawer is capable of slidably extending
outward from under the work surface and supporting a computer
keyboard. In addition, the front face of the drawer is rotatable
from a vertical position to a horizontal position and provides a
support pad for supporting the wrists of a user while operating the
keyboard.
[0007] Another known furniture unit having a work surface includes
a fixed support shelf for a laptop computer. The support shelf is
located under the work surface. A portion of the work surface
located above the support shelf folds open and back onto the top of
a remaining portion of the work surface, therefore providing access
to the laptop positioned on the fixed support shelf. Additionally,
an electrical receptacle unit is provided adjacent a rear portion
of the support shelf.
[0008] Yet another known furniture unit having a work surface
includes a hutch positionable on top of a work surface of a desk.
The hutch includes a rotatable rectangular storage cabinet
providing various organizers on each side, for example, a CD rack,
a corkboard, sliding trays, and vertically stacked angular storage
pockets.
[0009] What is needed is a furniture unit including storage
components for computer components and/or books and other materials
which is an improvement over the foregoing.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The present invention provides a furniture unit, such as a
desk or credenza, for example, which includes storage components
under its work surface for computer components and books, binders
and the like. Additionally, the furniture unit includes a power and
data receptacle for powering and providing a data connection to a
computer.
[0011] In one form of the invention, a drawer is provided, which is
slidably located under a work surface and above the kneehole space
between support pedestals which are located under opposite ends of
the work surface. The drawer slides outward from under the work
surface and is dimensioned to receive a laptop computer and a
full-sized auxiliary computer keyboard. A power and data receptacle
is located at the rear of the drawer and provides power and data
connections for the computer. The drawer may include a front
portion for concealing the contents of the drawer when the drawer
is slid entirely under the work surface. The front portion
advantageously folds from a vertical position to a horizontal
position that serves as an extension of the drawer base. A hinged
wrist support may be included along the drawer front. Rotating the
wrist support about its hinges reveals at least one storage
depression or pocket defined in the drawer front.
[0012] In a further form of the invention, a furniture unit such as
a desk is provided having a rotatable storage component or carousel
located under the work surface. For example, the rotatable storage
component may be located under the corner portion of an L-shaped
work surface. The carousel includes at least one circular shelf
rotatably mounted under the work surface and having pairs of wire
support brackets adapted to laterally support books, binders and
the like. Each pair of wire supports may be oriented parallel to
each other, thus supporting a linear row of books, or oriented
angularly along two ends of an arcuate section of the circular
shelf for supporting an arcuate row of binders and the like.
Optionally, the carousel may include a second shelf spaced above
the first shelf and attached to the first shelf by a central
support structure and/or extensions of the wire supports.
[0013] In one form, the present invention provides an article of
furniture, including a furniture housing; and a drawer slidably
mounted within the furniture housing, the drawer having a front
portion and a rear portion and defining a storage area dimensioned
to support at least a laptop computer and an auxiliary computer
keyboard; said drawer rear portion including a power and data
module, the power and data module having an AC power outlet and at
least one of a phone and a data outlet.
[0014] In a further form thereof, the present invention provides an
article of furniture, including a furniture housing; a storage
component rotatably mounted within the furniture housing, the
storage component including a first shelf and at least a first pair
of support members mounted to and protruding above the first shelf,
the support members adapted to laterally support therebetween a
plurality of books and the like.
[0015] Advantageously, the furniture unit drawer concealingly
supports a laptop computer, full-sized keyboard, wrist support pad,
and power and data module.
[0016] Additionally, the furniture unit advantageously provides a
rotatable storage carousel located under the work surface. The
carousel is capable of supporting linear and arcuate rows of books,
binders and the like.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of
this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more
apparent and the invention will be better understood by reference
to the following description of the embodiments of the invention
taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:
[0018] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a furniture unit having a
laptop drawer according to the present invention;
[0019] FIG. 2A is a top perspective view of the laptop drawer of
the furniture unit of FIG. 1 showing a front portion thereof in a
horizontal position;
[0020] FIG. 2B is a top perspective view of the laptop drawer of
FIG. 2A showing a front portion thereof in a vertical position;
[0021] FIG. 2C is a top perspective view of a laptop drawer of the
furniture unit of FIG. 1, according to an alternative
embodiment;
[0022] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an L-shaped furniture unit
having a carousel unit and a laptop drawer according to the current
invention located under the furniture unit work surface;
[0023] FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of the carousel storage
component of the furniture unit shown in FIG. 3; and
[0024] FIG. 5 is a top perspective view of the carousel storage
component shown in FIG. 4 having an arcuate row of binders and a
linear row of binders or books.
[0025] Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding
parts throughout the several views. The exemplifications set out
herein illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention, and such
exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of
the invention in any manner.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0026] Referring to FIG. 1, a first exemplary embodiment of
furniture unit 10 is shown. Furniture unit 10, which is shown in
exemplary form as a desk, includes work surface 12, support
pedestals 14 located under opposite ends of work surface 12, and
drawer 20 slidably mounted below work surface 12 and above kneehole
16, which is defined between support pedestals 14 beneath work
surface 12. Drawer 20 advantageously supports and stores laptop
computer 32, a full-sized alphanumeric auxiliary computer keyboard
34, and power and data module 40. Additionally, drawer 20 may
include wrist support pad 54 and other computer-related items such
as mouse 36. Although furniture unit 10 is shown as a desk, the
features of the present invention may also be used in other
furniture components such as credenzas, bookcases, hutches, and
entertainment centers, for example.
[0027] Referring to FIG. 2A, drawer 20 includes planar drawer base
22, rear panel 26, and side panels 24 vertically protruding above
base 22 to form storage area 30. Suitable drawer slides 25 (FIG. 1)
may be attached to side panels 24 and to furniture unit 10 to
slidably mount drawer 20 to furniture unit 10 in a known manner.
Drawer base 22, and thus storage area 30, are advantageously
dimensioned or sized to support and store laptop computer 32, as
well as a full-sized alphanumeric auxiliary computer keyboard 34.
For example, referring to FIG. 2A, the size of storage area 30 is
defined by width W and depth D. In most applications, width W may
vary from about 25 inches to about 38 inches, and depth D may vary
from about 17 inches to about 26 inches, for example. Some suitable
dimensions for width W and depth D, which define storage areas 30
varying from a rectangular shape to a square shape, are: (1) 17"
D.times.38" W; (2) 19" D.times.35" W; (3) 21" D.times.31" W; (4)
23" D.times.28" W; and (5) 26" D.times.25" W.
[0028] Computer keyboard 34 and other peripheral items, such as
mouse 36, are often attached to portable computers such as laptop
32 in order to provide easier ergometric use of the computer in
view of the fact that laptop computer keyboards are often small and
uncomfortable when used for an extended period of time.
[0029] Drawer rear panel 26 defines aperture 27 for receipt of
power and data module 40. Power and data module 40 includes AC
power outlet 42 and may also include data outlet 44 and/or
telephone outlet 46. Laptop 32 may advantageously be plugged into
AC power outlet 42 for power, and may be connected in a suitable
manner to data outlet 44 or telephone outlet 46 for network or
Internet connectivity. An exemplary power and data module 40 is
part #LP1000 manufactured by Furnlite of Fallston, N.C., which may
be connected to suitable AC power, telephone, and data sources
external of furniture unit 10. Power and data module 40 may
alternatively include a DC power outlet or other computer
connections, such as, for example, a universal serial bus (USB)
port.
[0030] As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, aperture 27 and power and data
module 40 are centrally disposed within drawer rear panel 26.
Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 2C, aperture 27 and power and data
module 40 may be disposed in an offset manner toward one of the
left or right sides of drawer rear panel 26. In this manner, the
positioning of power and data module 40 may be selectively varied
in order to suit the particular needs of a user or the particular
configuration of the electrical and data connections of computers
or other devices which are stored within storage area 30. Also,
drawer rear panel 26 may include access hole 29 through which wires
and cords may pass.
[0031] As shown in FIG. 2C, power cord 31 connects laptop 32 with
power outlet 42 of power and data module 40 for supplying power to
laptop 32, and data cord 33 connects laptop 32 with data outlet 44
of power and data module 40 to connect laptop to a suitable data
source, such as a local area network ("LAN"), a wide area network
("WAN"), or the Internet, for example. Additionally, another cord
35 connected to laptop 32 is shown passing through access hole 29
for connecting laptop 32 to a peripheral device, such as a printer,
for example.
[0032] Drawer 20 also includes front 28 which is attached to drawer
base 22 with one or more front hinges 52. In FIG. 2A, drawer front
28 is shown in an open or extended horizontal position such that
front 28 forms an extension of base 22. Advantageously, as shown in
FIG. 2B, front 28 may be folded upward to a closed or vertical
position in which front 28 conceals drawer storage area 30 and the
contents thereof when drawer 20 is slid entirely under work surface
12.
[0033] Referring again to FIG. 2A, surface 29 of drawer front 28,
which faces upward when drawer front 28 is in the open extended
position, may define storage depressions or pockets 50 along the
length of drawer front 28 for storing pencils, paper clips, and
other items. Advantageously, wrist pad 54 may be attached by hinges
60 to surface 29 of front 28 so that flat lower surface 58 of wrist
pad 54, which is opposite wrist support top 56, may close over
storage pockets 50, retaining the contents therein. Wrist pad 54
supports the wrists of a user when the user types on keyboard 34,
and may be retained to surface 29 of drawer front 28 using magnetic
or other fasteners 62.
[0034] Referring to FIG. 3, a second exemplary embodiment of
furniture unit 110 is shown. Furniture unit 110, which is shown as
an L-shaped desk, includes L-shaped work surface 112, support
pedestals 114 and 118 located beneath opposite ends of L-shaped
work surface 112, and carousel storage component 130 located under
work surface 112 and between support pedestals 114 and 118.
Furniture unit 110 may also include laptop drawer 120 located under
work surface 112 in accordance with the first exemplary embodiment,
as described above.
[0035] In the exemplary embodiment, carousel 130 is shown rotatably
supported on support 122 and concealed by sidewalls 124 and door
126. However, carousel 130 may be located under work surfaces of
non-L-shaped desks and may also be open to view rather than being
concealed by sidewalls 124 and door 126.
[0036] Referring to FIG. 4, carousel 130 generally includes bottom
shelf 132 supported on rotational apparatus 138, with bottom shelf
132 including wire support bracket pairs 140 and 146. Rotational
apparatus 138 may rest on a floor surface or may be formed as a
base panel within furniture unit 110. Center support 136 extends
upwardly from, and is rotatably mounted to, support plate 138.
Additionally, carousel 130 may include one or more top circular
shelves 134 supported above shelf 132 by center support 136 and/or
wire supports 140 and 146.
[0037] Wire supports 140 and 146 are generally provided in pairs.
For example, wire supports 140 each include horizontal portion 142
linking vertical leg portions 144. Leg portions 144 are attached to
shelves 132 and 134. Alternatively, shelves 132 and 134 may
respectively include separate wire supports 140 and 146. Although
shelves 132 and 134 are shown herein as circular, shelves 132 and
134 may have a square shape, or ay other desired shape.
[0038] Wire supports 140 are each disposed along a respective
radius which extends from the center of shelf 134 to the outer
circumference thereof. Stated otherwise, wire supports 140 are
oriented at an angle relative to each other, and along opposite
ends of an arcuate segment of carousel 130 so that any book-like
items, such as binders 154, may be laterally supported by wire
supports 140 in an arcuate manner as shown in FIG. 5. In this
configuration, due to the wedge-shaped profile of binders 154,
space is conserved on shelves 132 and 134 of carousel 130.
[0039] Additionally, wire supports 146 include horizontal portion
148 linking vertical leg portions 150, which are attached to
shelves 132 and 134. A pair of wire supports 146 are oriented
parallel relative to each other so that linear row 152 of books and
the like, shown in FIG. 5, may be laterally supported by wire
supports 146.
[0040] A single or multiple-shelf carousel unit 130 may be located
under work surface 112, as the number of shelves 132 and 134 is
only restricted by the available space beneath work surface 112 and
the height of the items to be stored.
[0041] Advantageously, rotational apparatus 138 allows carousel 130
to rotate relative to furniture unit 110 so that all books and
binders 152 and 154 may be readily accessible upon rotation of
carousel 130 about rotational apparatus 138 relative to furniture
unit 110.
[0042] While this invention has been described as having exemplary
embodiments and scenarios, the present invention can be further
modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This
application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or
adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further,
this application is intended to cover such departures from the
present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in
the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the
limits of the appended claims.
* * * * *