Abstract:
A variable workstation furniture system having a furniture frame with vertical columns and foot extensions, whereby the lower ends of the columns can be connected to base elements to which the front and rear foot extensions can be connected. The design of the foot is simplified by the parts and assembly, while broadening variation possibilities, so that the foot extensions and the foot intermediate pieces form an assembly. The front foot extensions facing the columns include a column receptacle as a base unit which is open in an upward manner and in which a column can be inserted and connected to the foot extension.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a variable workstation furniture system having a furniture frame, which can include vertical columns and foot extensions, wherein the lower ends of the columns can be connected with base elements, to which front and rear foot extensions can be connected. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     A variable workstation furniture system is known from European Patent Reference EP 0 681 439 B1. There, the columns of the furniture frame as embodied as double supports, both of which are connected at their lower ends with a base element. Front and rear foot extensions of variable extensible length can be connected to the base elements. 
     Moreover, the two base elements for a double support are fixedly connected with each other via a base connector. Thus the design of the foot of a piece of workstation furniture in particular requires a considerable cost for parts and assembly. Furthermore, the design of the foot is limited to a single piece of work furniture and cannot be expanded to work furniture combinations. 
     It is one object of this invention to design the outlay for parts and assembly for the furniture frame of a variable workstation furniture system so that a further variation of the design of the foot is possible for work furniture combinations. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with this invention, this object is achieved with front foot extensions of different extension lengths, rear foot extensions and intermediate foot elements that form a kit. The front foot extension has as the base element a column receiver, which faces the column and is open at the top, into which a column can be inserted and can be connected with the front extension. A rear foot extension or an intermediate foot element can be connected to the column receiver of a front foot extension and can also be connected with the front foot extension. 
     With this embodiment of the front foot extension, the base elements are no longer separate elements, they are formed as one piece to the front foot extension. The remaining elements of the kit, rear foot extensions and intermediate foot elements, do not require any base elements, for example column receivers, and can be directly connected with the column receivers of front foot extensions. There, the intermediate foot elements offer the option of connecting two front foot extensions with each other, wherein two spaced-apart column receivers allow the construction of two pieces of workstation furniture which adjoin each other in the rear and which are connected with each other via common feet extending over the two pieces of furniture. 
     If an extension element, which is open toward the bottom, adjoins the column receiver and has a fastening receiver with a fastening flange and a nut receptacle in the area of the free end, a height adjustment device can be attached to the front foot extension. 
     The connection between the column and the column receiver is preferably provided by screwing them together, wherein in one embodiment, at least two fastening receivers with fastening flanges and nut receptacles, to which a column can be fixed by screws, are formed on a bottom of the column receiver. 
     In accordance with a further embodiment, the connection of a rear foot extension or of an intermediate foot element to the column receiver is accomplished with a fastening sleeve, which can be brought into congruence with a fastening plate of a rear foot extension, or of an intermediate foot element, and can be connected with it by a screw connection, that is formed on the free end of the column receiver. In this case the fastening and the alignment can be further improved because two plug-in receivers are formed in the area of the free end of the column receiver of a front foot extension, into which vertically upward oriented plug-in shoulders of a rear foot extension or of an intermediate foot element can be inserted. 
     First the plug-in connections are made, and then the two adjoining parts are screwed together. 
     If the intermediate foot elements have identical fastening plates and plug-in shoulders on both ends, the same as the fastening plates and plug-in shoulders of the rear foot extensions, an intermediate foot element can be connected at both ends with a column receiver of a front foot extension. 
     The rear foot extensions are designed as hollow bodies open toward the bottom and are reinforced by longitudinal and/or transverse strips. A fastening receiver with a fastening plate and a nut receptacle is formed on the free end of the rear foot extensions, so that they can be directly connected with a front foot extension and equipped with a height adjustment device. 
     An embodiment advantageous for the design of the foot extensions is visually sufficient because the rear foot extensions extend over a connecting element and an extension element, and the extension element, the same as the extension elements of the front foot extensions, are continuously reduced in structural height and width toward the free end. 
     If the intermediate foot elements are designed so that the intermediate foot elements extend over a connecting element, a center element and again a connecting element, wherein both connecting elements have identical fastening plates and identical plug-in shoulders, then they can be used in two positions for connecting front foot extensions, which simplifies and eases the construction of the furniture frame. 
     The intermediate foot elements can be produced cost-effectively and with sufficient strength if they are designed so that the connecting elements and the center element of the intermediate foot elements are hollow bodies open toward the bottom and are reinforced by longitudinal and/or transverse strips. The center element has a centered screw receiver with a threaded bore. Further elements can be fastened on the center element and the connecting elements of the intermediate foot element. 
     This invention can be used with columns designed as double supports because the column receiver of the front foot extensions is designed for insertion and connection with a double support. 
     If a fastening element, which extends horizontally away and has a vertical bore, to which a height adjustment device can be attached, is formed on the free end of the column receiver, it is also possible to have a height adjustment, or a compensation for uneveness of a bed in the area of the column receiver. 
     In another embodiment, the connection of a front and a rear foot extension, or of an intermediate foot element with front foot extensions, has horizontally oriented pins or pin receivers and screw receivers provided on a connecting face of the free end of the column receiver of a front foot extension. Pin receivers, or pins adapted as counter elements, as well as further screw receivers, are formed on a side of a rear foot extension, or of an intermediate foot element, facing the connecting face. The foot extensions, or foot extensions and intermediate elements, which are initially plugged into each other in an aligned manner can then be solidly fastened to each other simply with screws. In the process, an exact adjustment and a connection without play results because the pins and pin receivers are conically shaped. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     This invention is explained in greater detail in view of an exemplary embodiment represented in the drawings wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a front foot extension of a short extension length; 
     FIG. 2 is a top view of the front foot extension in accordance with FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a front foot extension of a great extension length in reduced scale; 
     FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a rear foot extension, which can be connected with the front foot extension in accordance with FIG. 1 or  3 ; 
     FIG. 5 is a top view of the rear foot extension in accordance with FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of an intermediate foot element with connecting elements on both ends for a connection with front foot elements; 
     FIG. 7 is a top view of the intermediate foot element in accordance with FIG. 6; 
     FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of a foot for a column, assembled from a front foot extension and a rear foot extension; 
     FIG. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view of a foot for a column, assembled from a front foot extension, an intermediate foot element and a rear foot extension for two spaced-apart columns of workstation firniture adjoining at the back; 
     FIG. 10 is a further embodiment of a front foot extension in a partial sectional lateral view; 
     FIG. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view of the foot extension in accordance with FIG. 10; 
     FIG. 12 is a top view of the rear foot extension in accordance with FIGS. 10 and 11; 
     FIG. 13 is a longitudinal sectional view of a further embodiment of a long front foot extension; 
     FIG. 14 is a further embodiment of a rear foot extension in a partial sectional lateral view; 
     FIG. 15 is a top view of the rear foot extension in accordance with FIG. 14; 
     FIG. 16 is a longitudinal sectional view of a further embodiment of an intermediate foot element; 
     FIG. 17 is a lateral view of the intermediate foot element in accordance with FIG. 16; 
     FIG. 18 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line A—A of the intermediate foot element in accordance with FIGS. 16 and 17; and 
     FIG. 19 is a perspective plan view of a foot structure with the foot extensions in accordance with FIGS. 10 to  15 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     As shown in FIG. 1, a column receiver  13  is formed as a column element at the end of a front foot extension  10   k  facing the column  20 . The extension element  11  extending in the direction of the free end is hollow toward the bottom and continuously decreases in structural height and width toward the free end, as shown in the top view in FIG. 2. A sleeve-shaped fastening receiver  12  is formed in and on the free end, is closed at the top by means of a fastening plate  25  having a Fastening bore and is embodied as a nut receptacle  24  underneath the fastening plate  25 . The fastening receiver  12  is used for attaching a height adjustment device. Longitudinally oriented strips  26  are formed on the extension element  11 . The front extension  10   k  and has a short extension length. 
     The column receiver  13  closed by means of the bottom  27  receives a column  20  embodied as a hollow profiled section, which is screwed into the column receiver  13 . Thus, two fastening receivers  14  and  15 , which are assigned to the narrow sides, are assigned in the embodiment, which are closed off at the top as fastening flanges  18  or  19  with a fastening bore, and are embodied as nut receptacle  16  and  17  underneath the fastening flanges  18  and  19 . If the column  20  with the fastening flanges  18  and  19  has flush fastening flanges, then the column  20  can be screwed together with the column receiver  13  in a simple manner. The end wall of the column receiver  13  has a fastening sleeve  21  formed on it as a free end, and the end area of the cover wall has two plug-in receivers  22  and  23 . The fastening sleeve  21  and the plug-in receivers  22  and  23  are connecting elements for a rear foot extension  30 , or an intermediate foot element  40 . 
     The front foot extension  101  shown in a longitudinal sectional view in FIG. 3 has a greater extension length. The extension element  28  is longer, but has an identical column receiver  13  formed on it. All remaining elements of the front extension  101  are identical, as in the front extension  10   k  in accordance with FIGS. 1 and 2. 
     A rear foot extension  30  shown in a longitudinal sectional view in FIG.  4  and in a top view in FIG. 5, which can be connected with a column receiver  13  of a front foot extension  10   k  or  10   l . Here, a center fastening plate  36  with a fastening bore and two lateral, upwardly oriented plug-in shoulders  37  and  38  are formed on the end facing the column receiver  13 . The column receiver  13  of the front foot extension  10   k  or  10   l  can be plugged from above into the plug-in shoulders  37  and  38 , and in the process they are inserted into the plug-in receivers  22  and  23 . During this, the fastening bore of the fastening sleeve  21  also becomes aligned with fastening bore of fastening plate  36 , so that both elements can be screwed to each other. A nut receptacle can also be formed underneath the fastening plate  36 . A connecting element  35  with bores  39  adjoins the fastening plate  36  and subsequently makes a transition into the extension element  31 , which again is continuously reduced in structural height and width toward the free end. The free end of the rear foot extension  30  also has a fastening receiver  32  with a fastening plate  34  and nut receptacle  33  for attaching a height adjustment device. 
     An intermediate foot element  40  is shown in a longitudinal section view in FIG.  6  and in a top view in FIG. 7, which at both ends has fastening plates  46  and plug-in shoulders  47  and  48 , so that front foot extensions  10   k  or  10   l  can be connected with their column receivers  13  at either end. Nuts  50  are shown underneath the fastening plates  46 , which can be held, secure against rotation, in formed-on nut receivers. 
     The intermediate foot element  40  is also embodied as a hollow body, open at the bottom, which can be reinforced by means of longitudinal and/or transverse strips, as the strips  49  show. The intermediate foot element  40  has a cuboid center element  41 , which can have a screw receiver  42  with a threaded bore  43  in the center for being able to attach further elements. Connecting elements  44  with fastening bores  45  adjoin the center element  41  on both sides, so that further elements can be attached. 
     On their free ends, the connecting elements  44  terminate in fastening plates  46  with fastening bores and two upwardly oriented plug-in shoulders  47  and  48 , the same as the rear foot extensions  30 , so that a front foot extension  10   k  or  10   l  can be connected to either end of the intermediate foot element  40 . Here, the fastening receivers  14  and  15  with the fastening flanges  18  and  19 , as well as the nut receptacles  16  and  17  for screw connections, are used, and the plug-in shoulders  47  and  48  improve the connection of the two parts with each other after they are introduced into the plug-in receivers  22  and  23  of a column receiver  13 . As the nuts  50  in FIG. 6 show, nut receptacles can also be formed underneath the fastening plates  46 . 
     The longitudinal sectional view in accordance with FIG. 8 represents a foot for a column  20  of a piece of workstation furniture, wherein the column  20  is inserted into the column receiver  13  of the front foot extension  10   k  or  10   l  and is screwed together with it. With its connecting element  35 , a rear foot extension  30  adjoins the free narrow side wall of the column receiver  13 , wherein the fastening sleeve  21  of the column receiver  13  and the fastening plate  36  of the rear foot extension  30  are aligned for being screwed together and are connected with each other. The plug-in shoulders  37  and  38 , inserted into the plug-in receivers  22  and  23  of the plug-in receiver  13 , improve the connection. 
     As shown in FIG. 7, it is also possible to connect an intermediate foot element  40  to the plug-in receiver  13  of a front foot extension  10   k  or  10   l , wherein the fastening sleeve  21  of the plug-in receiver  13  and the fastening plate  46  of the intermediate foot element  40  allow screwing together of both parts, and the plug-in shoulders  47  and  48  in the plug-in receivers  22  and  23  form the additional plug-in connections. A further front foot extension  10   k  or  10   l  can be connected to the other connecting element  44  of the intermediate foot element  40 , because identical fastening means and plug-in means for a screw connection and two plug-in connections are provided at the joint. A connecting element  44  meets a column receiver  13  of a front foot extension  10   k  or  10   l  on both sides of the intermediate foot element  40 . Therefore the assembled foot has two column receivers  13  for two columns  20  of pieces of workstation furniture, which adjoin at their backs and whose distance is fixed by the intermediate foot element  40 . 
     If the columns of the workstation furniture are embodied as double supports, the column receiver  13  can be embodied as double receiver and formed on the front foot extensions  10   k  and  10   l , wherein both column receivers  13  are spaced-apart in accordance with the column spacing of the double receiver, and only the column receiver  13  facing the free end has a fastening sleeve  21  and the two plug-in receivers  22  and  23 . 
     A further embodiment for the design of the short front (FIGS. 10 to  12 ), long front (FIG. 13) and the rear foot extension (FIGS.  14  and  15 ), as well as of the intermediate foot element  40 ′ (FIGS. 16 to  18 ), is shown in FIGS. 10 to  19 . FIG. 19 represents a perspective plan view of a foot structure with the further front foot extension  10   k ′ and the rear foot extension  30 ′. 
     The basic construction of the foot with the front foot extensions  10   k ′, or  10   l ′, the rear foot extension  30 ′, the intermediate foot element  40 ′, as well as the connection with the column  20 , essentially corresponds to the previous embodiment. The connection of the front foot extension  10   k ′, or  10   l ′, with the rear foot extension  30 ′, or with the intermediate foot element  40 ′ is embodied differently, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 19, which has an end face  13 . 1  oriented toward the rear foot extension  30 ′, or the intermediate foot element  40 ′, which has in the upper area conical pin receivers  28  and in the lower area screw receivers  13 . 2 , such as threaded receivers or plug-through receivers. The side of the rear foot extension  30 ′, or of the intermediate foot element  40 ′, facing the end face  13 . 1 , has plug-in pins  37 ′ formed on it and matched to the pin receivers  28 , wherein the side of the rear foot extension  30 ′ and of the intermediate foot element  40 ′ is embodied as a fastening plate  35 . 1  and has passages for connecting screws  35 . 2 . Correspondingly, the end face of the intermediate foot element  40 ′ is embodied as a fastening plate with the protruding plug-in pins  37 ′. A simple solid connection results from the pin and the pin receiver connection and the conical design of the same. 
     Fastening of the column  20  takes place in a manner corresponding to that of the first embodiment, wherein threaded receivers  16 ′,  17 ′ can be formed for a connection in the column receiver  13 . A fastening element  21 ′, formed on the end face of the front foot extensions  10   k ′,  10   l ′, is used for receiving a height adjustment element, for example, to compensate for any uneveness.