FURNITURE UNIT WITH COMPONENTS ROTATABLY SUPPORTED BY A SINGLE UPRIGHT, PARTICULARLY FOR OFFICE USE

Abstract: A multi-component furniture unit (1) particularly for use with computers, their peripherals and accessories, in which these components are hinged to a single upright (2) in such a manner as to be able to be rotated about the single upright independently of each other.

Description: FURNITURE UNIT WITH COMPONENTS ROTATABLY SUPPORTED BY A SINGLE UPRIGHT, PARTICULARLY FOR OFFICE USE This invention relates to a furniture unit particularly for use with computers, their peripherals and accessories. In the office furniture sector, some furniture units are particularly designed to allow the comfortable use of office machines such as computers, their peripherals and accessories. One of these furniture units consists in practice of a table provided with an extractable under-shelf on which the computer keyboard rests. The monitor and possibly the printer rest on the table, whereas the computer rests on a further lower shelf. The described furniture unit is extremely uncomfortable as the table on which the computer rests impedes the operator's movements. Moreover the furniture unit is bulky and is unable to receive other peripherals, disks or further filing material. A foldable furniture unit is also known, but this can be folded only if the computer and the peripherals are previously removed. The main object of this invention is to provide a furniture unit particularly intended for use with computers, their peripherals and accessories in general, which is able to assume various configurations on the basis of the available space and, if required, can assume a very compact configuration without the need to remove the computer and the relative peripherals. This and further objects which will be more apparent from the ensuing detailed description are attained by a furniture unit the special characteristics of which are defined in the accompanying cl aims . The invention will be more apparent from the detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, given hereinafter by way of non-limiting example and illustrated on the accompanying drawings, on which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the furniture unit of the invention in one of its possible utilization configurations; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the furniture unit of the invention in its closed non-utilization configuration, ie of smallest bulk; Figure 3 is an elevation of a detail of the furniture unit, the detail relating to a hinge connecting one component of the furniture unit to a common upright; Figure 4 is an exploded view of the hinge of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a partial section through the hinge on the line A-A of Figure 3; Figure 6 is a vertical half-section through the hinge and through the upright with which it is associated; Figure 7 is a detailed section relative to the fixing of a specific hinge to a tubular component (arm); Figure 8 is perspective view of an insert for the fixing of Figure 7. In the figures the reference numeral 1 indicates the furniture unit overall. It comprises a single preferably tubular upright 2 resting on the ground via a pedestal or foot 3, which is removable for example by virtue of a threaded connection. The other components are hinged to this upright at different suitable heights, namely a container component 6 (hereinafter called "container") at 4 and 5, a table component 8 (hereinafter called "table") at 7, an arm component 10 (hereinafter called "arm") at 9, and and a support component 13 (hereinafter called "support") at 11 and 12. The container 6 comprises an outer part or half-shell 14 defining an interior 15 comprising a work shelf 16 and a series of day compartments 17 to house commonly used objects or the like. Below the work shelf it can also comprise a conventional extractable support 18 for paper files. At that end distant from the hinged end, the container 6 rests on the ground via a conventional rotatable ball or swivel wheel 22. At or close to that end distant from the hinged (at 7) end, the table 8 rests on a pair of legs 19, 20 carrying at their ends idle swivel wheels 21 which can be locked by a known locking device operated by the user. The table can be used to support the computer keyboard and a usual mouse and pad. As can be seen, the height of the table 8 from the ground is greater than that of the work shelf 16 of the container 6. The arm 10 is tubular and is L-shaped, with a horizontal portion 10a and a vertical portion 10b which terminates in an idle swivel wheel 23 by which it rests on the ground, and which can also be associated with a known locking device. Along its horizontal portion 10a the arm 10 is provided with a series of diametric holes 24 for connecting to the arm 10 supports 25, 26 for supporting a monitor or a printer. The supports comprise a support plate 27, to the underside of which there is fixed in known manner an inverted U-shaped member 28, for example of sheet metal, which is positioned straddling the arm 10 and is fixed thereto by screw means 29 which pass through the diametric holes 24 of the portion 10a and aligned holes present in the arms of the U of the member 28. The distance between the holes in the arm is equal to the distance between the holes provided in the member 28. The two supports 25 and 26 can hence be moved along and fixed to the arm 10 in the position considered most suitable by the user. The support 25 is formed in known manner such that it can be rotated about a vertical axis. The height of the portion 10a of the arm 10 from the ground is greater than the height of the table 8, and the distance of the vertical portion 10b of the arm 10 from the upright 2 is greater than that between the end of the table 8 and the upright 2. The fact that the arm 10 can be moved relative to the table 8 and hence relative to the user results in the advantage of being able to position the monitor at a safe distance, so satisfying current regulations. It should be noted that in traditional arrangements, in oder to respect this distance, support surfaces of considerable depth have to be provided. The support 13 is provided for supporting the computer and has a cross-section in the form of a U which enlarges from its free end towards the upright 2. The support 13 is the most lowerly situated component of the furniture unit. The upright 2 to which the components are hinged in such a manner as to be able to rotate (by being manually rotated about the upright independently of each other by means of the hinges 4, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 12) lowerly comprises an entry aperture 30 for passage of an electricity supply cable 31 connected to a control panel 32 (mounted on the upright) in which there are provided switches, light intensity regulators and electric sockets for powering the monitor and computer. The control panel 32 controls a light source positioned at the (inclined) upper end 33 of the upright and a lamp 34 projecting from the upright via an articulated arm 35 connected in known manner to the upright. The electric cables for the two light sources pass through the interior of the upright. All the hinges 4, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 12 have common parts. Some differ from the others only by the rotatable means by which they are connected to the respective components. With specific reference to Figures 3 to 6, a hinge will now be described in relation to those parts common to all hinges. The hinge comprises: a first annular element 50 having a certain elasticity (for example of hard rubber or injectable plastic) split along a radial plane; a second annular element 51 of identical material, also split along a radial plane and coupled to the first; interposed between the two, a rotatable member 52 to be connected to said components of the furniture unit and with that portion external to the hinge of which it forms part having an appropriate shape for the purpose; and screw means 53 positioned within the annular elements 50, 51 to clamp to the upright the two annular elements 50, 51 which surround it. The first annular element 50 comprises a part 50a of greater outer diameter and a part 50b of lesser outer diameter. The part 50b has a first annular step 50c at the transition between the two parts and a second annular step 50d at its upper end. To the two sides of the split in the ring there are respectively provided in the part 50a a tangential dead hole 50f and a tangential through hole 50g substantially aligned with the dead hole and having a lead-in cavity 50h at its end. A self-tapping screw 53 passing through the two holes 50f and 50g clamps the annular element 50 to the upright. The rotatable member 52 has a hole 52a of diameter approximately equal to the diameter of the lower annular step 50c and has a thickness substantially equal to or slightly less than the height of this step. At least in the region of the hole and adjacent to it, the rotatable member 52 is essentially a flat plate. The second annular element 51 has an outer diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the other element 50 and on its inside possesses a recessed annular step 50m substantially equal to the projecting step 50d of the first annular element 51, with which it mates. The height of the second annular element 51 is substantially equal to the height of the part 50b less the height of the lower step 50c. The second annular element 51 also has a screw clamping arrangement 53 identical to that described in relation to the first annular element 50 (as shown in particular in Figure 3) . Before connecting the relative components of the furniture unit to the rotatable means 52 of the hinges, before mounting the relative pedestal 3 on the upright 2 and before connecting the electrical means, the hinges are mounted on the upright from the bottom and from the top, namely the hinges 4, 9 and 7 from the top and the hinges 5, 11 and 12 from the bottom. The electrical connections are positioned within the upright, and the described components (6, 8, 10, 13) of the furniture unit are fixed to the rotatable means 52 of the hinges after positioning these latter at the necessary heights. The rotatable means 52 relative to the hinges 4 and 5 of the half-shell 6 (see Figure 1) have their ends positioned at an angle of 90° to their flat part surrounding the upright 2. These angled ends are fixed by screws 80 to holes or seats 81 provided in a vertical wall 6a of the shell 6. The split rings 50, 51 are then clamped by the relative screws 53. The rotatable means relative to the hinges 11, 12 (for the support 13) are flat and holed and are fixed by screws to the top and bottom of the rear wall 90 of the support, after which the hinges 11 and 12 are clamped in succession to the upright by tightening the clamping screws of the relative split rings 50, 51. At the end of its horizontal part 10a, the arm 10 has a slot 91 into which the flat end of the rotatable means 52 of the hinge 9 is inserted. Into the inside of the hinged end of the arm 10 in correspondence with the slot 91 there is welded (see Figure 7) a discoidal sheet metal wall 100 together with an insert indicated overall by 101 and comprising two sheet metal parts 102, 103 defining between them a gap 104 aligned with the slot 91. The part 52 of the hinge is intended to be inserted into this gap and fixed therein. The two parts 102, 103 are of stirrup shape with a portion 104 bounding the gap 104 and two sides 105, 106 in the form of a circular sector. The sides 105 are spot-welded to the disc 100, whereas the sides 106 are spot-welded to the tubular arm 10 as shown. Two internally threaded tubular projections 107 are welded to one of the portions 104, the other portion comprising holes 108 coaxial with these projections and coaxial with holes 109 provided in the arm 10. In the part 52 of the hinge there are provided holes 110 which, when the part 52 has been inserted into the slot 91 and into the gap 104, become aligned with the projections 107 and with the holes 108 and 109. Socket-headed screws 111 passing through the aligned holes 109, 108, 110 are screwed into the projections 107 to secure the part 52 of the hinge by virtue of the fact that the parts 104 (of suitable-thickness sheet metal) deform to clamp the part 52. The hinge 9 is then clamped to the upright 2 by the screws 53 as described in relation to the other hinges. The rotatable means 52 relative to the hinge 7 of the table 8 comprises, in its projecting part, holes which enable it to be fixed to the underside of the table. The hinge 7 is then clamped to the upright by screws 53. As will be apparent from the aforegoing description, the components 6, 8, 10 and 13 of the furniture unit can be rotated independently of each other about the upright 2. They can hence assume the relative configuration desired by the user or imposed by the available space, or when not in use can assume a minimum- bulk configuration such as that shown in Figure 2, so allowing the space saved to be available for other use. A substantial characteristic of the invention is that the upright 2 is in one piece (ie not formed from several coaxial cylindrical parts) with the exception of the base, and that the various hinges are clamped to the outside of it.

Claims: 1. A multi-component furniture unit particularly for use with computers, their peripherals and accessories, wherein these components are hinged to a single upright in such a manner as to be able to be rotated about the single upright independently of each other. 2. A furniture unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein hinges comprising members clampable about the upright are provided for hinging the components. 3. A furniture unit as claimed in the preceding claims, wherein its components comprise a computer support, a table, a support arm, and a container with a work shelf. 4. A furniture unit as claimed in the preceding claims, wherein the arm is bent at a right angle to provide a horizontal part and a vertical part acting as a leg, the horizontal part comprising means for the selective defined positioning of support means for peripherals. 5. A furniture unit as claimed in the preceding claims, wherein the leg of the arm carries at its end a rolling means for bearing on the ground. 6. A furniture unit as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the container has a work shelf, is substantially in the form of a half-shell, and has a vertical wall to which the relative hinges are connected. 7. A furniture unit as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the container rests on the ground via a rotatable means. 8. A furniture unit as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the table rests on the ground via idle rolling means. 9. A furniture unit as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the computer support, the work shelf, the table and the arm are at different distances from the ground, the arm extending horizontally from the upright a greater distance than the table. ' 10. A furniture unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein the hinges comprise a rotatable means interposed between two split-ring parts which can be clamped onto the upright by a means of screws. 11. A furniture unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein one of the split-ring parts is mounted and retained on the other. 12. A furniture unit as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the upright comprises a substantially continuous body, the hinges being clamped onto said tubular body.

Inventors: SARTORI CIRO, SARTORI, CIRO
Applicants: SARTORI CIRO, SARTORI, CIRO
Application year: 1999
Main classification: A47B21
IPC codes: A47B21, A47B81