Furniture system

Patent 5511348 Issued on April 30, 1996. Estimated Expiration Date:

April 30, 2013. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

Re15624

Re32890

529724

561703

575770

703705

713299

785571

847214

885669

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Inventors

Assignee

Steelcase Inc.

Application

No. 774563 filed on 10/08/1991

US Classes:

52/239, Cubicle type; i.e., spaced from floor or ceiling52/64, BARRIER OR MAJOR SECTION MOUNTED FOR IN SITU REPOSITIONING; E.G., REARRANGEABLE OR ROTATABLE52/220.7, Partition type (e.g., raceway arrangement)52/481.2, Demountable type (e.g., partition)52/780, Frame recessed to receive facer52/781, Frame member fabricated from thin walled material160/351, PORTABLE160/377Collapsible or knockdown

Examiners

Primary: Canfield, Robert

Attorney, Agent or Firm

Price, Heneveld, Cooper, DeWitt & Litton

Foreign Patent References

659030 BE. 07/12/1965
943116 CA. 03/12/1974
962425 CA. 02/12/1975
465104 FR 01/12/2012
1408816 FR 07/12/1965
923235 DE 02/12/2012
2025675 DE 09/12/1971
2149177 DE. 04/12/1972
2160216 DE. 01/12/1973
2160513 DE. 06/12/1973
2162388 DE 06/12/1973
2258006 DE. 05/12/1974
2504476 DE 05/12/1976
2616787 DE. 10/12/1977
3207796 DE. 09/12/1983
3607365 DE. 09/12/1987
3616732 DE. 11/12/1987
3730509 DE. 03/12/1989
678486 IT. 12/12/1964
375726 GB 06/12/2012
775841 GB. 05/12/2012
9960490 GB. 12/12/1961
2125083A GB. 02/12/1984
2172624A GB. 09/12/1986

International Class

E04B 002/00

Abstract

A furniture system is particularly adapted to support group activities in open plans, and the like. A plurality of columns support an overhead framework on the floor of a building in a freestanding fashion at a predetermined elevation, generally above average user height. A plurality of individual panels are provided, wherein each panel is constructed to permit easy, manual, bodily translation of the same by an adult user. A hanger arrangement is associated with the overhead framework, and cooperates with connectors on the panels to detachably suspend the panels at various locations along the overhead framework. The panels are manually reconfigurable between many different arrangements to efficiently and effectively support different group activities. Preferably, the panels are capable of providing a partitioning function to visually divide at least a portion of the workspace, and/or a display function to facilitate group communications.

Other References

Peter Isherwood Design (2 pgs.), date unknown--prior to Oct. 8, 1991
Singer Partitions, Inc., Mar. 1, 1968--"Sound Stopper" Ad (8 pgs.)
"Domus", Monthly Review of Architecture Interiors Design Art, 1987, (2 pgs.)--Zero Ad
"Staff" by Staff Lighting Corp., Highland, New York (3 pgs.) 1989
"Egan System" by Egan Visual (6 pgs.), date unknown--prior to Oct. 8, 1991
"Man Space Office Environment" by Bosse Office Environment, Stahler Ufer 3 Germany (12 pgs.) date unknown--prior to Oct. 8, 1991
"Modern Maturity" Unnumbered pp. 25 & 26 of Apr.-May 1990 Issue
Wire Mesh/Electrical World, Apr. 7, 195