Furniture with cable channel

An improved item of furniture, especially a table with a cable channel, is characterized by the following features: on a mounting device there are base bodies lying offset from one another and positioned in the longitudinal direction of the cable channel. On each of the base bodies there is a support rail, each pivotable around a rotating axis, between a cabling position hanging down and a support position facing it and extending at least for the most part parallel to the cable channel, in the operating position the cable channel is raised up so far that the rotating axis lies underneath the cable channel. An abutment, lying offset from the rotating axis, is constructed on the support rails, wherein the cable channel in the dropped cabling position directly or indirectly rests on the abutment in a lower lying plane relative to the raised operating position.

This application is the U.S. national phase of International Application No. PCT/EP2007/003703, filed 26 Apr. 2007, which designated the U.S. and claims priority to German Application No. 20 2006 007 424.4, filed 9 May 2006, the entire contents of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

The invention relates to an item of furniture, especially a work or office table with a cable channel.

On the lower face of office and work tables it is known to provide cable channels in which the power and network cables etc. needed for electrification, office workplaces etc. can be laid.

Sometimes these cable channels are arranged at a sufficient distance below the lower face of a desk top, in order to provide working space, by means of which the cables can be put into the cable channel.

It has also already been proposed to design a work or desk top so that it can be hinged around a horizontal axis in order to access the cable channel located underneath.

The object of the present invention is to create a further improvement, which by simple means makes a cable channel fully accessible in order to be able to install cabling easily and without difficulty.

With the present invention however a simple but very efficient solution is created, wherein a cable channel—as is normally provided on the lower face of a work or desk top—is arranged between an operating position and a cabling position, in which it is fully accessible in order to lay and if necessary remove again corresponding cables in the cable channel.

In the operating position the cable channel is as usual provided underneath the desk top, wherein in accordance with the solution according to the invention it can be arranged almost without any relevant distance from the lower face of the desk top. This results in a space saving arrangement, wherein it is guaranteed that leg movement underneath the desk top is not disadvantageously restricted.

In order to be able to lay cables easily and simply, the cable channel however can be brought from this raised operating position into a cabling position, lower relative to the latter, wherein a comparatively large space is available between the upper face of the cable channel and the table or worktop lower face.

The cable channel according to the invention is held for example by means of one or preferably at least two base bodies, provided offset from one another and positioned in the longitudinal direction of the cable channel, which for example are supported or anchored on the desk top lower face or preferably on a side member running underneath the desk top parallel to the cable channel. This side member for example connects the support and foot structures of the table, rather provided on the front side.

Now, according to the invention two support rails arranged offset in the longitudinal direction of the cable channel, along which the cable channel can be lowered from its raised operating position to the cabling position, are preferably provided. In this dropped position the cable channel rests on the abutment. Depending upon the length of the support rail sufficient working space from the lower table face is made available for installing the cabling. After the cabling has been installed the cable channel can be again raised along the preferably at least two support rails, until the cable channel is again anchored in its characteristic upper operating position. The anchorage can be effected through correspondingly suitable means for example on the base body.

In a preferred embodiment the support rails pass through the cable channel, for which purpose this is provided with corresponding openings. At the same time the support rails are connected for example to the base body mentioned preferably around an upper-lying horizontal rotating axis, so that the cable channel can be raised so far that the horizontal rotating axis comes to lie underneath the cable channel. This permits the support rails, hanging down vertically to a greater or lesser degree in the dropped position of the cable channel, to be pivoted around their upper-lying vertical rotating axis for example by 90°, until they run parallel to the cable channel on its lower face and are connected to the cable channel lower face by a fixing device provided there, preferably a hinge or click mechanism. As a result the cable channel is held at the same time.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention it is proposed that the support rails on one or at least preferably two opposite sides, preferably on their opposite narrow sides, are provided with a corrugation, whose maximum outer distance is adapted to the opening in the cable channel, so that this cannot drop freely along the support rail when the support rail is pivoted downwards but, due to the friction effect generated as a result can be pushed slowly down.

The support rails, as mentioned, are preferably held by means of base bodies, which stand laterally away from the side member mentioned—which forms the preferred mounting device for the base bodies—and can be fastened thereto. At the same time the base bodies lying facing the side member are provided with a stop shoulder and with an opposite-lying clamp shoulder, as a result of which they are detachably fixed to the mounting device. The clamping shoulder in this case can be permanently connected to the base body preferably by a pivotal link, for example by means of a pivot or film hinge.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention is explained below.

InFIGS. 1aand1b, part of a work or office table1has been reproduced as an example of an item or piece of furniture, on which a cable channel3is provided which is still to be explained below.

The exemplary embodiment is explained below on the work or office table1mentioned, the right face of which is shown inFIG. 1afor example with a foot structure5, consisting of a double T foot (or a C foot similar to the latter), although any arbitrary foot structure can be provided. Since the exemplary embodiment shown concerns an L-shaped corner table design, an angularly aligned single foot5′, which then comes to lie in the corner area of a corner table combination, only partly illustrated inFIG. 1a, is provided facing the foot structure5lying to the front inFIG. 1a.

A table or worktop7is merely indicated with broken lines in lateral view in accordance withFIG. 3b.

In the case of the table structure described a mounting device9is provided running in the longitudinal direction of the table or the desk top7, which can consist for example of extruded metal and in addition has several chambers as can be seen from the sectional view in accordance withFIG. 1c.

On the upper and lower face9aor9bof this mounting device9, recesses or undercuts11are formed, on which in the exemplary embodiment shown, two base bodies13are anchored lying offset in the longitudinal direction of the mounting device9.

These base bodies13are formed, seen from the side, as a kind of reverse U, and on the side lying facing the mounting device9have fastening parts15. For this purpose the base body13on its upper side9ais provided with a support lug17lying on top, which engages in an undercut or a recess11pointing upwards in the base body. On the lower face9bof the base body13a fixing cheek19is formed on the leg13alying adjacent to the mounting device9, which for example can be screwed by means of a knurled thumb screw20from below into the leg13aof the base body13(FIGS. 1c,2cand3c). At the same time a corresponding fixing lug21engages from below into a further recess or undercut11into the mounting device9, so that when the screw20is tightened the base body13, formed in this way, is firmly anchored on the mounting device9.

By improving the handling of this fastening device the base body and the fixing cheek19can be connected to one another in an articulated way for example by a hinge link, e.g. a film hinge22or in another way, so that the fixing cheek19is held captively on the base body13.

On the second leg13blying offset to the mounting device9a rotating axis24, on which a support rail25is pivotally held, is formed on the lower face (FIGS. 1c,2cand3c).

InFIGS. 1a-1cthe cable channel3is shown in its raised operating position. In this operating position it completely or almost reaches the upper face of the mounting device9and thus lies at a random short distance from the lower face of a table top7simply shown inFIG. 1b.

Since the cable channel beside a cable channel base3astill has two lateral edge limits3b, the cables laid therein are protected, but in this raised operating position cannot or practically cannot, or can only with great difficulty be installed in the cable channel or removed therefrom, should this be necessary.

In the operating position shown inFIGS. 1ato1cin this case the cable channel3comes to lie at such a height that the rotating axis24mentioned comes to lie below the cable channel base3a. This permits the support rail25fastened on this rotating axis24to be brought to a pivoted position, in which it runs parallel to the cable channel3. Preferably lying nearer the free end25aof the support rail25the support rail25can be fixed on the lower face of the cable channel, for which purpose a fixing device27is provided. In the exemplary embodiment shown this fixing device27comprises for example a ratchet or clamp or click mechanism27a. In addition flexible locking levers, pre-tensioned beforehand, can be provided on the lower face of the cable channel3, which for example in the ratcheted state straddle the side edges of the support rail25in gripping fashion. Likewise—as illustrated inFIG. 2cfor example—the free end25aof the support rail25can be provided with a recess29, into which engages a corresponding ratchet, click or clamp finger, which is provided at a corresponding place on the cable channel lower face. In the exemplary embodiment shown the recess29is produced by two corresponding material sections arranged transversely to the plane of the support rail25, as a result of which two clamp fingers29aare formed. These are embodied flexibly in a resilient fashion and in the hinged condition of the support rail engage into corresponding recesses3cin the base of the cable channel, as a result of which the support rail25is held due to the click or clamp fit.

InFIGS. 2aand3ait is shown how the cable channel can be brought to its dropped cabling position.

For this purpose the two support rails25, in the exemplary embodiment shown, with their snap connection between the support rail25and a fixing or clamp mechanism on the cable channel lower face released, are firstly pivoted around their rotating axis24, until they hang freely down in the vertical direction, that is to say, run substantially perpendicularly to the cable channel3. Also in this position shown inFIGS. 2a-2cthe corresponding end section13b′ of the second leg13bof the base body13, with respect to its cross-sectional dimensions, can be dimensioned so that it corresponds approximately to the size of the opening31in the cable channel base, so that even when support rails25are hanging down, the cable channel is still held non-positively in its position shown inFIGS. 2a-2c, for example due to the friction effect generated as a result. Likewise another certain clamp effect can be provided in this support position, which still holds the cable channel in the raised position even when support rails25are hanging down.

In this position the cable channel can then be pushed down into the dropped cabling position inFIGS. 3a-3cand to be exact along the support rail25. In the dropped position the cable channel3then rests on the end section25aof the support rail25, wherein the free end section25aof the support rail25comprises a larger transverse extension forming an abutment25b, on which the cable channel3rests and is held thereby.

As a result a large working space is provided between the cable channel and the plane of the upper mounting device9and the desktop located over it, only indicated inFIG. 2, so that now cables can be installed in the cable channel without a problem.

As can be inferred from the illustration inFIGS. 2cand3c, the opposite narrow sides33of the support rails25are provided with a corrugation33a, as a result of which a measure of distance, equal to or slightly larger than the size of the opening31, is defined between the two opposite-lying corrugations33a, so that the cable channel cannot fall freely down along the support rails25from its raised operating position into the dropped cabling position, but due to the friction effect generated as a result can be pushed carefully down.

After the cabling has been installed, the cable channel can again be lifted along the support rail25into its raised position and to be exact likewise again overcoming the friction effect between the corrugation33aon the support rails25and the edges of the openings31in the cable channel base3a. On reaching its highest operating position the described clamping, possibly provided, or a snap device arranged there, can function so that the cable channel is already held in its raised position shown inFIGS. 1ato1c, even when the support rails25are still freely hanging down, as shown inFIGS. 2a-2c. Afterwards the support rails25are finally placed again into their horizontal fixing and support position around their rotating axis24.

In order to prevent unwanted rattling, the support rails and/or the cable channel base lower faces can be provided for example with a slightly flexible, pre-tensioned spring mechanism37, which is formed slightly arc-shaped in the exemplary embodiment shown and in the horizontal fixing position of the support rails rests on the lower face of the cable channel base3a. The spring mechanism37mentioned can for example be provided at a place37a, that is to say, preferably in close proximity to the rotating axis24. In other words, the distance of this spring mechanism37to the rotating axis24is selected in such a way that it is less than 50%, in particular less than 40%, 30%, 20% and preferably even less than 10% of the entire length of the support rail25.

As can be seen from the cross section illustrations through the cable channel3, this is again provided with a stiffener39lying inside.

The adjustment according to the invention for the cable channel3explained was described for the case of a work or office table. The principle described for anchoring and adjusting a cable channel, however, can be used on any items of furniture, where the height of a cable channel is to be relatively adjusted, in particular beneath a top structure.

It has already been mentioned that the support rails25at least indirectly are held and anchored by means of a mounting device, preferably in the form of a side member. Exactly in the same way the support rails, however, could also be held directly or indirectly on the lower face of another mounting device, for example in the form of a wall, desk top etc. for example by means of a base body, which is attached to the table lower face. By means of corresponding rotating axes24the support rails also here can be adjusted relative to a base body fixed in this way between a cabling position and an operating position.

The rotating axis mentioned can consist of a normal rotating axis, in particular if support rails and base bodies are used, which consist of a correspondingly suitable material, for example metal, plastic etc. Exactly in the same way, a bend-flexible pivoting mechanism however could also be provided here. In this respect, the concept is in no way limited to specific embodiments.