Modular office furniture system

The Village Wall system utilizes furniture, equipment, components, and accessories in the creation of unique office designs. Two parallel rails are attached to existing walls and support fixed tackboards and rolling accessories, e.g., markerboards, shelves, bookcases, etc. An outrigger beam is releasably connected, orthogonally, anywhere along the length of one of the rails. The other end of the outrigger beam is fixed to a pedestal which rotatably supports a work surface. Electrical power and communication services are provided through a wire managing service zone attached to the existing wall, a wire managing channel formed in the outrigger beam, a wire and cable storage facility within the interior of the pedestal, and through a grommet to the top of the work surface. Work areas without walls are defined by the location of the work surface along the existing wall.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
 1. Field of the Invention
 This invention relates to a system of modular office furniture and
 accessories which combine to provide versatility in design and function
 for a wide variety of office arrangements.
 2. Description of Related Art
 It is known to hang office accessories on a wall.
 Tackboards, e.g., bulletin boards made of sheets of cork or compressed
 paper, are commonly found attached to walls in offices, as are hanging
 markerboards (blackboards, whiteboards), shelves, lights, clocks, etc.
 Representative prior art showing same include Chervenak, U.S. Pat. No.
 4,133,507 (cabinets), Laughon et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,928,913 (shelves),
 Rellinger et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,301,477 (whiteboards), and Nagamitsu et
 al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,765,315 (markerboards). The accessories of Chervenak,
 Laughon et al. and Rellinger et al. merely hang on hooks or the
 equivalent. Nagamitsu et al. provide a single writing board for rolling,
 parallel movement along the wall in front of cabinets.
 Wire management has been a subject of inventive endeavor for some time.
 Routing wires or cables through channels formed in furniture components is
 well known, as is covering the slots running along the channels with
 flexible materials. Propst et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,372,629 show a wire
 manager including a brush covering a slot between a wire housing channel
 and a work surface attached thereto. Wires may exit at any point along its
 length in order to minimize the distance between power or communication
 outlets and their associated utility devices on said work surface, thereby
 minimizing cable clutter. Fortsch U.S. Pat. No. 5,144,896 discloses a
 flexible flap covering an entrance to a wire manager channel attached to
 the underside of a work surface. Wires exiting along its length are held
 in place by being pinched. Frattini, U.S. Pat. No. 5,715,761 discloses a
 flexible flap covering an entrance to a wire manager channel formed in at
 least one of the legs of a table. Ryburg et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,852,500
 disclose wire managing channels within an integrated work station for
 servicing computer-related components attached thereto. The work station,
 which is movable around a floor as a unit, comprises a computer-housing
 panel, a monitor mounted on the panel, a work surface pivotally
 cantilevered on a horizontal beam extending from the panel, and the
 computer-related components. The manner of providing power and
 communication cables to the work station is not disclosed. Ryburg et al.
 provide for limited movement of their monitor and work surface relative to
 the panel in order to afford minor adjustments for comfort of the user.
 Service for removable peripherals is not provided. Hellwig et al. U.S.
 Pat. No. 5,428,928 disclose a non-rotatable work surface adjustably
 secured along a partition. Wire managing channels are attached to the work
 surface with the wires and/or cables outside the channels laying on the
 floor. Each of these prior art patents incorporate their wire managers
 into the work surface structure where it is fixed and thereby of localized
 utility.
 Bates U.S. Pat. No. 4,601,137 and Kelley et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,383,318
 provide wire and cable management raceways fixed to temporary walls or
 partitions. Bates hinges a service access panel to his raceway, said panel
 being latched with hook and loop-type fasteners (such as VELCRO.TM. brand
 fasteners), and Kelley et al. snap-fit an access service panel to their
 raceway, the service panels allowing access to the raceways. The service
 panels cover the wires and cables but do not appear to provide any egress
 for them.
 Many prior patents show a pedestal or pedestal-like structure for
 supporting a work surface. Most are nothing more than a framework resting
 on a leg. Examples include patents to Pruyser U.S. Pat. No. 4,688,748,
 Ball U.S. Pat. No. 4,831,791, Ryburg et al. supra, Greshem et al. U.S.
 Pat. No. 5,265,952, Gresham et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,352,033, Hellwig et al.
 supra, and Johnson et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,714,179. None of these patents
 permit rotation of the work surface about the supporting pedestal.
 Carr U.S. Pat. No. 5,638,758, and Carpinella U.S. Pat. No. 5,686,700, show
 a pedestal grommet and a pedestal, to provide electrical services to work
 surfaces, but both appear to be independent structures, separate from and
 unattached to their associated work surfaces.
 A few examples exist of work surfaces, and thereby the work area, being
 adjustable linearly along a wall. Ball, supra, divides an area by
 partitions including a framework comprising a portable rail along which
 work surface supports are adjustably attached. Once their locations are
 selected, the supports are bolted to the rail. Work surfaces are then
 bolted to the supports. Ryburg et al. supra, slidably connects a
 cantilevered beam to a movable hardware/support panel. A work surface is
 rotatably connected at its near end to said beam for angular adjustments
 relative to said panel. Movement of the work surface is limited by the
 necessity to remain in close proximity to a monitor which is also slidably
 connected to said panel. Hellwig et al. supra, releasably locks a work
 surface along and to a partitioning panel via a connecting section. The
 work surfaces do not rotate, and wire management is provides solely
 through channels formed in the table support structure from cables
 apparently openly tranversing the floor.
 While the above-mentioned patents provide benefits within their own
 isolated spheres of invention, they do not cooperate to produce the
 additional benefits produced by the present invention as described in
 detail below.
 OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 The present invention provides a wire manager comprising an electrical
 service panel assembly including horizontally spaced support brackets,
 each bracket having two vertical panel-engaging surfaces. Each vertical
 surface preferably includes a piece of hook-and-loop fastening material
 attached thereto (as used herein, the term "hook-and-loop fastener" is
 intended to mean any type of suitable type of hook and loop fastener
 including, but not limited to, VELCRO.TM. brand fasteners). A plurality of
 rectangular panels are removably attached to the panel-engaging surfaces
 of the support brackets. An elongated slot above the panels extends the
 entire length of the assembly. A flexible brush strip covers the elongated
 slot and is adapted to allow insertion of electrical cords and cables. The
 electrical service panel assembly is designed to be attached to existing
 walls and can utilize existing electrical outlets and jacks or be fed
 services from independent sources.
 The present invention further comprises a rail system upon which office
 equipment can be attached, the rail system comprising two wall-mounted
 rails, at least one fixed panel, e.g., a tackboard, mounted between the
 two rails, a plurality of slidable panels arranged in two parallel layers,
 the panels riding on rollers which allows the panels to slide horizontally
 along the rails, and various office equipment, including cabinets,
 shelves, lamps, etc., that are designed to be attached to one or both of
 the rails and/or to the slidable panels.
 The present invention further comprises a work surface including a
 floor-standing pedestal pivotably supporting one end of the work surface,
 two legs mounted on casters that support the free end of the work surface,
 and an outrigger beam that connects the pedestal to the wall. The
 outrigger beam is slidably attached to one of the horizontal rails mounted
 on the wall.
 The present invention further includes a cable management system for the
 work surface comprising the outrigger beam including an elongated
 horizontal slot covered by a flexible flap, the pedestal including an
 internal channel which provides a passage for cables from the outrigger
 beam to the top of said work surface, a cable storage area, and an
 electrical outlet strip storage area. A grommet closes the top of the
 pedestal and provides access to the cable and electrical outlet strip
 storage areas for allowing the cables, etc., to egress onto the work
 surface from the pedestal.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
 The modular office furniture system of the present invention comprises a
 product group of furniture, components, and accessories which provides
 office workers with the ability to arrange their workspaces for specific
 tasks, without compromising the level of order that designers and
 facilities managers desire. It furthers the goals of mobility,
 adaptability, and user control for designing office environments.
 In the past, individual or group office spaces were defined by extensive
 utilization of cubicles separated by temporary or permanent walls. These
 modes tended to isolate people which not only promoted a feeling of living
 in solitary confinement, it also inhibited the free flow of ideas. The
 modular office furniture system of the present invention eliminates the
 walls and thereby opens the workspace. The floor area is divided into
 distinct zones: areas assigned to individuals, groups, or for business
 functions, such as for lectures, meetings, presentations, training, or to
 greet clients and customers. Each area is unbounded with no walls to
 restrict office designs to outdated needs. As the needs change, so can
 office assignments. In addition, the workspace can be redesigned with
 nothing to tear down or rebuild. This is accomplished by mounting wall
 assemblies on existing walls and adjustably tethering work surfaces to the
 wall assemblies. The work surfaces, and thereby their associated work
 areas, can be reassigned merely by tethering them to the wall assemblies
 at different locations.
 Electrical and communication services are also provided without the need to
 destroy or rebuild existing structures. Service zones are mounted directly
 to existing walls to house the wires and cables needed, thus providing
 clean, unobtrusive management thereof. Connection of the data sources to
 computers and other office equipment on the work surfaces or in the work
 areas is facilitated by the unique combination of the service zones, the
 work surfaces, and special outrigger beams tethered therebetween. Access
 to electrical and communication connections are possible anywhere along
 the length of the service zone.
 Turning to FIG. 1, modular office furniture system 10 of the present
 invention is exemplified in this example by a wall assembly 12, a service
 zone 14, and a utility area 16. Depending on the furniture and accessories
 included in it, utility area 16 is adaptable for any desired function, be
 it a work area, meeting area, private or group office, presentation space,
 or conference room. The example illustrated in FIG. 1 is but one of
 innumerable permutations of the concept of the modular office furniture of
 the present invention, as will become readily apparent in view of the
 following.
 Wall assembly 12 is the backbone of the modular office furniture system of
 the present invention and preferably example comprises an upper rail 18, a
 lower rail 20, tackboards 22, and any of a multitude of rail supported
 accessories including those shown here, namely, an accessory rail panel 24
 with shelf 26 and an open bookcase 28. Other rail supported accessories
 include markerboards, shelves, closed bookcases with or without drawers
 and/or tambour doors, laptop docks, presentation easels, display shelves,
 and accessory bars. All come in a variety of widths, most usually 18 or 36
 inches, but modular office furniture system of the present invention is
 not limited to any particular sizes of components. Wall assembly 12 is
 mounted on an existing wall 30.
 Referring to FIG. 2A, wall assembly 12 is shown in an exploded perspective
 view. An upper hanger bracket 32 and a lower hanger bracket 34, both
 preferably made of steel, are mounted directly to wall 30 and support
 upper rail 18 and lower rail 20, respectively, in a manner to be
 described. An upper end cap 36 covers any exposed end of upper rail 18,
 and a lower end cap 38 performs the same function for lower rail 20.
 Tackboards 22 (only one is shown in FIG. 2A but enough may be provided to
 extend the full length of the wall assembly as shown in FIG. 1) are
 inserted into notches (to be described) in upper and lower rails 18, 20.
 Tackboards 22 provide a background surface adaptable for tacking displays
 of a relatively permanent nature, e.g., pictures, graphs, notices, memos,
 directives, etc. Decorative coverings of various materials, patterns,
 textures, and colors allow tackboards 22 to aid in the creation of unique
 and personalized interiors, a function which expands the versatility of
 tackboards 22 beyond being mere bulletin boards. Upper and lower rails 18,
 20 are often used without tackboards, if wall 30 is such that it is
 desirable not to hide any natural beauty thereof. For example, when
 installing modular office furniture system of the present invention on an
 old, historic brick surface, it may be desirable to allow the brickwork to
 show through.
 A tackboard endcap 44 covers the exposed edge of tackboard 22 to provide a
 finished look to wall assembly 12. FIG. 2B shows a top view of tackboard
 endcap 44 where flanges 46 and 48 define a slot 50 for receiving the
 exposed edge of tackboard 22. Flanges 46, 48 stop short of the ends of
 endcap 44 which overlap endcaps 36, 38. Where needed, endcap 44 may double
 as a wire manager. A channel 52 extends the full height of tackboard
 endcap 44 and may receive, distribute, and conceal wires and/or cables. A
 flap 54 is flexible, as indicated by the dashed lines, and provides access
 to channel 52 for insertion and removal of wires and/or cables.
 Service zone 14 comprises a means for adding electrical and communication
 services to modular office furniture system of the present invention. When
 a building is initially designed as a specific office for a specific
 purpose, electrical and data communication services are usually installed
 in the walls as they are erected. Wallboard or panelling then covers and
 hides the wires and cables. If the need for such services is not
 anticipated, wires and cables may not be installed at all, leaving the
 adjoining spaces without service. The obvious disadvantages of these
 alternatives, of course, is that as needs change, either the walls must be
 ripped apart to change the services required, or exposed, unsightly wires
 and cables must be tacked to the surfaces of the existing walls. Both are
 undesirable. The service zone 14 of the present invention eliminates these
 problems.
 A plurality of service brackets 56 are affixed at spaced locations directly
 to existing walls 30. Brackets 56 are made of rigid strap material shaped
 as shown to support and space a plurality of service zone access panels 58
 away from wall 30 (FIGS. 3B and 5 show side views of brackets 56). It will
 be appreciated that brackets 56 themselves take up very little room
 between panels 58 and wall 30. A large interior 60 for wire and cable
 management and storage is thereby created between wall 30 and panels 58.
 Hook and loop fastener patches 62 mate with complementary hook and loop
 fastener patches (not shown) on the inside surfaces of panels 58 to
 removably mount panels 58 to brackets 56. (In order for them to be
 visually distinguishable from their associated full vertical surface
 areas, patches 62 are shown covering less than said surface areas; in
 practice, patches 62 preferably cover their entire associated areas.)
 A plurality of wire managers 64, which consist of plastic pads with snap-in
 slots for wires and cables, are attached to brackets 56 as shown. If
 electrical and communication outlets 66 are available, plugs and jacks may
 be connected directly thereto to provide power and data capabilities. If
 no such outlets are present, wires and cables are routed through various
 wire management channels to be described hereinafter. An endcap 68 covers
 any exposed end of service zone 14.
 As can be seen in FIGS. 2A (right-hand side), 3B, 5, 7, and 8, when panels
 58 are secured to brackets 56, a gap 70 remains between the top edge 72 of
 panels 58 and lower rail 20. Gap 70 extends the full length of service
 zone 14 and provides access to the interior 60 thereof. Wires and/or
 cables are capable of exiting at any point along gap 70 as needed. Gap 70
 is covered by brush strip 74 which is affixed to lower rail 20, as will be
 described in more detail later.
 Service zones 14 provide control of wires and cables and protect them from
 accidental damage, while hiding them from view. Service zones 14 also
 provide quick access to wires and cables. Wire managers 64 and the open
 space between wire managers 64 and panels 58 simplify rerouting of wires.
 FIGS. 1-5 show wall assembly 12 and service zone 14 in use together. This
 has been done to conserve drawing space. It is readily apparent that each
 system can be used independently of the other, should the circumstances so
 require.
 FIGS. 3-5, 10A, and 10B show details of wall assembly 12 and service zone
 14.
 Referring first to FIG. 3A, it is a side view of the combination wall
 assembly 12 and service zone 14. Endcap 68 is shown in this embodiment
 with a grommet hole 76 (shown exaggerated in size for clarity) through
 which wires and cables can alternatively be fed, if, unlike FIG. 2A, no
 existing outlets are available on wall 30. Lower endcap 38 covers the end
 of lower rail 20, and tackboard endcap 44 covers the edge of tackboard 22.
 The top edge of upper endcap 36 can be seen just above and in front of
 tackboard endcap 44. Endcap 36 includes a funnel-shaped slot 78 at its top
 that leads to a partially open, circular aperture 80 (see also FIG. 2A).
 Slot 78 guides a cable 82 into aperture 80 where it is constrained as it
 passes, as seen in FIG. 2B, from upper rail 18 into wire manager channel
 52 of tackboard endcap 44.
 Also shown in FIG. 3A are two rail mounted panels, a front rail mounted
 panel 84 and a rear rail mounted panel 86. (Front rail mounted panel 84,
 rear rail mounted panel 86, tackboard 22, tackboard endcap 44, and wall 30
 in FIGS. 3A-3B are broken away, as indicated in both figures by braces 88,
 with the central portion of each being eliminated from the drawings. This
 permits illustrating wall assembly 12 on a single sheet with the
 components thereof still being large enough to clearly see their details.)
 Front rail mounted panel 84 and rear rail mounted panel 86 are supported
 by rollers for parallel, rolling movement along wall assembly 12, as will
 be described in more detail later.
 Front and rear rail mounted panels 84 and 86 can be any one of a number of
 accessories provided by the modular office furniture system of the present
 invention 84 and 86. Such accessories are typically either shelving or
 markerboards. By being mounted to move parallel to each other in an
 overlapping relationship, displays on the writing surfaces of the
 markerboards can be juxtaposed or spaced apart in either direction,
 permitting considerable versatility when making involved, complicated
 presentations.
 Referring now to FIG. 3B, an end view of the combination wall assembly 12
 and service zone 14 can be seen with endcaps 36, 38, 44, and 68 (from FIG.
 3A) removed. More particularly, wall assembly 12 includes upper rail 18
 and lower rail 20 with tackboard 22 and front and rear rail mounted panels
 84 and 86 extending between them. Upper rail 18 includes an upper
 extrusion 90 which guides a set of upper roller assemblies 92 attached to
 the upper edges of panels 84 and 86. Lower rail 20 includes a lower
 extrusion 94 on which ride a corresponding set of lower roller assemblies
 96 attached to the bottom edges of panels 84 and 86. Upper extrusion 90 is
 hooked onto upper hanger bracket 32, and lower extrusion 94 is hooked onto
 lower hanger bracket 34.
 Service zone 14 includes service brackets 56, service access panel 58, and
 brushstrip 74. Service brackets 56 are connected to the base of lower
 extrusion 94 by Christmas tree fasteners 98.
 A segment of upper extrusion 90 is shown in a perspective view in FIG. 10A
 and comprises a unitary structure, typically of extruded aluminum, having
 a plurality of vertical, horizontal, and sloping walls arranged preferably
 as shown to define a plurality of slots, channels, and openings, each with
 its own purpose. The cross-section shown is projected uniformly throughout
 the length of upper extension 90.
 More particularly, upper extrusion 90 comprises back walls 100 that have
 ridges 102 which abut wall 30 and act to space upper extrusion 90
 therefrom while adding strength. An inner flange 104 provides a lip on
 which accessories such as lamps (not shown) may be hooked. An upwardly
 facing channel 106 acts as a wire manager for wires and cables which are
 housed unobtrusively therein due to its elevated location. The open top
 facilitates handling of the wires and cables. A boxed passage 108 is
 located below channel 106 and adds strength to upper extrusion 90 while
 providing a means to easily link multiple upper extrusions by snugly
 fitting a linking pin 110 therein. (Linking pin 110 is shown abbreviated
 in length for clarity in the drawing; in practice it is as long as is
 needed for stability.) A recess 112 provides space for upper hanger
 bracket 32 which coacts with overhanging flange 114 to support upper rail
 18. A retainer lip 116, a retainer slot 118, and an upper roller assembly
 guide 120 will be described in more detail below relative to FIG. 4. A
 downwardly extending flange 122 frames notch 40 which receives and
 constrains the top 124 of tackboard 22, as is also shown in FIGS. 2A, 3B,
 and 4. An inwardly inclined flange 126 partially covers a paper-holding
 slot 128. A cylindrical rod (not shown) fits loosely in slot 128 to pinch
 and hold paper sheets inserted therein. Finally, a pair of tubular
 openings 130 receive fasteners, e.g., conical projections on the interior
 surface of endcap 36 (not shown) which snap-fit into tubular openings 130.
 Of course, any other appropriate removable fastener can be used, such as
 screws.
 Turning back to FIG. 4, upper rail 18 and upper roller assemblies 92 are
 shown in a side view in more detail. Wall 30 is indicated in dashed lines,
 to which upper hanger bracket 32 is secured by screws 132. Upper extrusion
 90 is hooked onto hanger bracket 32 and then fastened to wall 30 by screws
 134. A C-shaped hardware cover 136 is slid or snapped into place within
 upper roller assembly guide 120 to cover screws 134 and present a clean,
 finished appearance. The top 124 of tackboard 22 is snapped into notch 40
 and front and back rail mounted panels 84, 86 are inserted into place in
 upper roller assembly guide 120.
 Upper roller assemblies 92 comprise two pair of back panel roller brackets
 138 and two pair of front panel roller brackets 140, only one of each
 being visible in this side view. Each back panel roller bracket 138
 includes an inverted L-shaped mounting bracket 142 and a roller 144, whose
 axle is welded or peened to an inwardly extending arm 146 of bracket 142
 (a bolt may be used, but is not preferred, since the corresponding nut
 occupies an inordinate amount of space). Roller 144 extends downwardly
 from bracket arm 146. Each bracket 142 is fixedly attached by screws or
 the like adjacent a top corner on the rear surface of back rail mounted
 panel 86. Each front panel roller bracket 140 comprises in like manner an
 inverted L-shaped mounting bracket 148 and a pair of rollers 150 whose
 axles are welded or peened to an inwardly extending arm 152 of bracket
 148. Rollers 150 extend upwardly from bracket arm 152. Each bracket 148 is
 fixedly attached by screws or the equivalent adjacent a top corner on the
 rear surface of front rail mounted panel 84.
 Referring both to FIGS. 4 and 10A, the mounting of front and back rail
 mounted panels 84, 86 to upper rail 18 will now be described. Back panel
 86 is mounted first by inserting rollers 144 and arms 146 through the slot
 154 formed by confronting flanges 156 and 158 of upper extrusion 90 (FIG.
 10A) and lowering rollers 144 in place behind flange 158. The weight of
 back rail mounted panel 86 is supported at its lower end, as will be
 described below relative to FIGS. 5 and 10B, with flange 158 guiding
 rollers 144 for rolling movement along upper extrusion 90. Rollers 150 and
 arms 152 are next inserted through slot 154 while front panel 84 is held
 at an angle away from wall assembly 12. When front panel 84 is rotated to
 vertical, rollers 150 will assume their proper position behind flange 156
 which guides them for rolling movement along upper extrusion 90; the
 weight of front panel 84 is also supported from below. When in use, panels
 84 and 86 naturally lean forward, biasing rollers 144 and 150 against the
 back surface of flanges 158 and 156, but bracket arms 146 and 152 are long
 enough to permit sufficient play for rollers 144 and 150 to bounce against
 hardware cover 136 prior to panels 84 and 86 coming into contact with
 surfaces thereunder. A hook 160 of a safety catch plate 162 is hooked over
 lip 116, and catch plate 162 is secured to arm 152 by screw 164. The
 combination functions as a safety catch which prevents derailment.
 Each roller is seen to bracket include two rollers per bracket. While this
 is the preferred embodiment, it is within the purview of the invention to
 include more or less rollers, as the need dictates. For example, heavy
 accessories such as bookcases may require more rollers per bracket and/or
 more brackets per panel, whereas light accessories, e.g., tackboards, may
 do with one roller per bracket.
 Referring now to FIG. 10B, a perspective view is shown of a segment of
 lower extrusion 94 which, like upper extrusion 90, comprises a unitary
 structure, typically of extruded aluminum, having a plurality of vertical,
 horizontal, and sloping walls preferably as shown to define a plurality of
 slots, channels, and openings. The cross-section shown is projected
 throughout the length of lower extension 94.
 Upper extrusion 90 functions primarily as a guide for upper roller
 assemblies 92 and secondarily as a wire management means, where needed.
 Consequently, it is designed to support relatively little weight. Lower
 extrusion 94, on the other hand, must bear the weight of all of the
 tackboards, markerboards, bookcases, shelves, etc., which might be loaded
 thereupon. Its design reflects this added requirement.
 As with upper extrusion 90, lower extrusion 94 includes ribs 166 which
 space lower rail 20 from wall 30 and provide added strength. Extra
 strength is also provided by enclosing more passages; three, 168, 170, and
 172, have been found to be sufficient. Passage 170 doubles as the
 recipient of a linking pin 174 for linking multiple lower extrusions 94. A
 depending flange 176 overhangs the entrance to slot 178 which receives
 lower hanger bracket 34, fixed to wall 30 by screws 180 (FIG. 5), to
 support lower rail 20. A longitudinally extending slot 182 has internal
 thread-like ribs (not shown) for bindingly gripping Christmas tree
 fasteners 98 anywhere along its length.
 Referring to both FIGS. 5 and 10B, concave face 184 of extrusion 94
 includes several important features. A pair of recessed strips 186 provide
 sunken places for screws 188 (FIG. 5) which traverse passages 168 and 172
 to secure extrusion 94 to wall 30. As many holes for screws 188 as are
 necessary are drilled periodically along strips 186, particularly in
 alignment with wall studs, to provide whatever stability is needed for
 this weight-bearing element. A pair of facing flanges 190 and 192
 constrains a hardware cover 194 (FIG. 5) after it has been snapped or slid
 into place to conceal screws 188 and present a finished appearance. A pair
 of confronting flanges 196 and 198 are formed near the front edge of
 concave face 184 for a purpose to be explained later.
 A U-shaped slot 200 running along the lower front edge of lower extrusion
 94 snugly receives a base 202 of brush strip 74.
 Top surface 204 of extrusion 94 has three upstanding, longitudinally
 extending ribs 206, 208 and 210 thereon. Rib 206 defines one side of
 tackboard supporting and confining notch 42. Ribs 208 and 210 constitute
 front and back tracks along which front and back rail mounted panels 84
 and 86 travel.
 As in extrusion 90, a plurality of tubular openings 212 are provided for
 fastening an endcap 38 (not shown in FIGS. 5 or 10B) to exposed ends of
 extrusion 94.
 As shown in FIG. 5, each lower roller assembly 96 comprises an elongated
 extrusion 214 shaped in cross-section like a lower-case "h" with rollers
 216 spaced therealong. Extrusion 214 underlies the full length of the
 bottom edge of its associated panel 84 or 86, which rests on a top surface
 218. An upstanding arm 220 is affixed to the inside bottom edge of its
 panel. In a variation of extrusion 214, a rib may be added along the front
 edge of top surface 218 to form a U-shaped notch for panel 84. It has been
 found in practice that two rollers 216 journalled at each bottom corner of
 the panel is sufficient to support the panel (FIG. 8).
 FIG. 5 also shows a side view of service zone 14. Service bracket 56
 comprises a rear strip 222, a lower box 224, an upper box 226, and a short
 horizontal strip 228 at the top thereof. Strip 228 includes an elogated
 aperture (not shown) through which a Christmas tree fastener 98 passes to
 fasten bracket 56 to lower extrusion 94. Upper box 226 includes an angled
 portion 230 to make room for an upper inclined portion 232 of access panel
 58. A longitudinal indentation 234 runs the length of panel 58. Inclined
 surface 232 and indentation 234 are not just for decorative purposes; they
 also resist torsioning and crimping of panel 58. It can be seen that wires
 and cables can easily be run in, through, and around service brackets 56
 and can exit through brush strip 74 anywhere along the length of service
 zone 14. This function is important to the modular office furniture system
 of the present invention, since it permits placement of tethered work
 surfaces anywhere along wall assembly 12, as will now be described.
 Returning to FIG. 1, the utility area 16 is shown in a perspective view. In
 this embodiment, the utility area is defined by tethering a work surface
 236 to wall assembly 12 by means of an outrigger beam 238. Work surface
 236 preferably comprises a planar table top with no drawers. It can have a
 virtually unlimited variety of outlines including oval, kidney,
 pie-shaped, arcuate, elongated, keyhole, expanding, etc., selected to
 promote a particular function, be it a conference table, study table, or
 computer center.
 Outrigger beam 238 is releasably connected at one end to lower extrusion 94
 by a clamping plate assembly 240 and at the other end to a free-standing
 pedestal 242. Clamping plate assembly 240 is shown in more detail in FIGS.
 7-8 and 11. Work surface 236 is mounted on pedestal 242 for rotation about
 an axis which is preferably locate d nearer to one end of work surface
 236. The free end of work surface 236 is supp orted by Y-legs 244.
 A side view of the arrangement is shown in FIG. 6 where a clamp face plate
 246 is attached to one end of outrigger beam 238 by mea ns of screws (not
 shown) penetrating axially into outrigger beam 238 through face plate 246.
 The other end of outrigger beam 238 is similarly affixed to pedestal 242
 by means of axial screws (see FIG. 9). A pair of clamp handles 248 actuate
 means which clamp outrigger beam 238 to wall assembly 12. Pedestal 242
 rests atop a base 250 which is levelled and adjusted for height by means
 of five threaded feet 252. Y-legs 244 comprise a plate 254 fastened to the
 bottom surface 256 of work surface 236 , a cylindrical tube 258, and a
 pair of legs 260. Plate 254, tube 258, and legs 260 are integral with each
 other. Each of the pair of legs 260 have a swivel-type roller 262 on its
 free end. A manual brake 264 is fitted to each roller 262 to lock work
 surface 236 at the selected orientation. The extent of utility area 16 is
 essentially defined by the rotation a rc of work surface 236 and th e
 associated furniture, chairs and oth er mob ile accessories such as
 bookcases, mobile markerboards, filing cabinets, etc. Tube 258 is long
 enough so that legs 260 pass beneath outrigger beam 238, thus providing
 freedom of motion for virtually a 360.degree. rotation around pedestal
 242. This degree of freedom allows the work area to be expanded or
 contracted, dependent upon the angular location of the work surface
 relative to pedestal 242, to quickly adapt to changing needs for floor
 space utilization.
 FIGS. 7 and 11 show the manner of releasably connecting outrigger beam 238
 to lower extrusion 94. Each of a pair of non-circular, e.g., oval,
 clamping plates 266, preferably made of steel, have welded thereto a
 solid, orthogonally extending, threaded stem 268. Plates 266 can have
 their rims 270 off-set relative to the plane of the plates, as can be seen
 more clearly in FIG. 7. While an off-set rim is desirable, it is not
 critical, as a flat plate will also function. Handles 248 are internally
 threaded (not shown) to mate with threaded stems 268. To attach outrigger
 beam 238 to wall assembly 12, clamping plates 266 are oriented as shown in
 FIG. 11 and inserted into concave face 184. As handles 248 are rotated
 clock-wise, clamping plates 266 are frictionally forced to also rotate
 clock-wise slightly, placing rims 270 behind confronting flanges 196 and
 198 (FIG. 7). Continued rotation of handles 248 causes clamping plates 266
 and face plate 246 to clamp confronting flanges 196, 198 therebetween.
 Outrigger beam 238 is then tightly, but releasably, secured to wall
 assembly 12. It will be appreciated that clamping plate assembly 240 is
 easily connected to extrusion 94 in an infinity of incremental positions
 along lower rail 20. The location of utility area 16 is thereby amenable
 to an infinity of selections, also.
 Also shown in FIGS. 7 and 11 is a wire manager 272 incorporated into
 outrigger beam 238. Wire manager 272 is similar to the wire manager 52
 built into tackboard endcap 44 in that a channel 274 is formed along one
 side, or both sides, of outrigger beam 238. A flexible flap 276 covers
 channel 274. FIG. 8 shows outrigger beam 238 attached to wall assembly 12.
 An electrical or communications cable 278 is shown exiting service zone 14
 through brush strip 74 and entering the wire manager 272 on its way to a
 utilization device, e.g., a computer, on work surface 236. It can be seen
 that service is provided in a quite unobtrusive manner with minimal
 exposure of wires or cables. One of the advantageous benefits of modular
 office furniture system of the present invention is that all services are
 provided to any of the work surfaces without having unsightly wires and
 cables littering the workspace. A clean, neat office which presents a
 pleasing, professional impression is therefore attainable.
 The structure of pedestal 242 is shown in an exploded view in FIG. 9.
 Pedestal 242 is supported by a base unit 280 comprising base 250, a stub
 282, and a lower wheel-like plinth 284 including a tubular hub 286, a set
 of radial vanes 288 which are welded to a cylindrical sleeve 294. Base
 unit 280 is a rigid, integral structure. The lower end 292 of cylindrical
 sleeve 294 is fixed by any appropriate means to the outer surfaces of
 radial vanes 288. The upper end 296 of cylindrical sleeve 294 is similarly
 fixed to the outer surface of radial vanes 302 of an upper wheel-like
 plinth 300. Radial vanes 302 support a tubular hub 304 in plinth 300.
 Plinth 300 is also a rigid, integral structure. The depending axle 306 of
 a swivel plate 308 is journal led within tubular hub 304 for free rotation
 about the longitudinal axis of pedestal 242. Swivel plate 308 comprises an
 outer ring 310 connected to axle 306 by a small number of radial arms 312,
 preferably three. Pie-shaped apertures 314 are thereby formed within the
 periphery of swivel plate 308. Swivel plate 308 is attached to bottom
 surface 256 of work surface 236, axially aligned with a circular aperture
 316 through work surface 236. A removable grommet 318 covers aperture 316.
 Outrigger beam 238 is attached to cylindrical sleeve 294 by means of screws
 or bolts passing through screw holes 320 opening toward the end wall 322
 of outrigger beam 238. A kidney shaped aperture 324 through the side wall
 326 of cylindrical sleeve 294 provides communication from wire manager 272
 of outrigger beam 238 to the interior 328 of cylindrical sleeve 294 for
 cable 278. The open interior 328 of cylindrical sleeve 294 provides a
 storage area for excess lengths of cable 278 and any mobile electrical
 unit, e.g., a power strip 330. The utility of pie-shaped apertures 314 in
 providing access to interior 328 for storage and retrieval of power strip
 330 and cable 278 is readily apparent. Notches 332 spaced around the
 perimeter of grommet 318 allow other cables or wires, e.g., computer
 cables, telephone lines, etc., also stored in interior 328, to find access
 to the top of work surface 236.
 Two accesories are shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. A saddlebag storage unit 334
 (FIG. 7) with a lockable tambour door 336 is shown hanging from outrigger
 beam 238. A pair of straps 338, preferably rigid and hook-shaped,
 removably mount saddlebag 334 to outrigger beam 238. Depending on the
 length of outrigger beam 238 (most notably thirty and fourty-eight inches,
 but other lengths are clearly possible), more than one saddlebag can be
 added. Of course, saddlebags 334 can be replaced by file folders, magazine
 racks, pencil holders, or any other small storage device.
 In FIG. 8, an open bookcase 340 with a small drawer 342 is removably
 attached to slotted standards 344 on each side of rail mounted panel 84.
 The use of slotted standards 344 on rail mounted panels allows for
 designing wall assembly 12 to include any type of accessory which is found
 useful at any given time, and to easily convert the workplace to another
 use by simply lifting one accessory off the panel and attaching another.
 For instance, shelf 26 seen in FIG. 1 is removably hooked onto slotted
 standards 344.
 It may be appreciated that the versatility of the disclosed modular office
 furniture system of the present invention is virtually unlimited.
 Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which
 this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the
 designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the
 several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore,
 that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions
 insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present
 invention as defined in the appended claims.
 Further, the purpose of the Abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and
 Trademark Office, and the public generally, and especially the scientists,
 engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or
 legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection
 the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The
 Abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application,
 which is measured solely by the claims, nor is intended to be limiting as
 to the scope of the invention in any way.