Steelcase Inc.

Robert J Luchetti

Gregg Robert Draudt

David A Shipman

Charles Anthony Seiber

Phillip M Hobson

James B Eldon, Iii

David Dean McClanahan

Benjamin G Shaw

Christopher O Lada

Don S Minami

Paul T Cornell

Kurt S Bodden

Linda K Zimmer

Anne C Ackerly

Michael E Tingley

Robert P Poppe

Jack A Tanis

Ernest P Greer

Karl Jahn Mead

James D Houda

Harold Halvorson, Jr

Gary S Juhlin

Peter C Greenberg

James H Davies

David J Battey

Michael E Miles

Ronald A Dykstra

Daniel Grabowski

Robert E Jeffers

Allen C Hager

Steven F Goodman

Scott H Russell

Roy W Fink

Michael D Elsholz

Anthony A Stachowiak

Steven C Gortsema

David M Lewis

David P Churchill

Richard A Benoit

Genevieve Wing

Peter J Schauer

Steven Imrich

Gregg A Draudt

A freestanding portable partition panel system is provided for open office spaces and the like. Each panel includes a partition frame having vertical upright frame members positioned adjacent opposite side edges thereof, and multiple horizontal frame members attached to the upright frame members in a vertically spaced-apart relationship to rigidly interconnect the same. One or more horizontal rows of discrete slots are defined in each of the horizontal frame members. Cover panels are mounted on the partition frames that permit access to the slots, and off-module connectors with hooks are provided for engaging the slots for interconnecting furniture units in off-module positions. For example, the hooks of the connectors are engaged with selected slots to hold a furniture unit, such as a partition panel, perpendicular to a second partition panel in an off-module position on its face.

Method of connecting partition panels

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

Furniture system

A partition system for subdividing a building space includes a spine partition having a horizontal frame member defining a first horizontal row of apertures for supporting a furniture unit, and a floor channel configured to stably engage a floor surface and supporting the partition. The floor channel defines a second horizontal row of apertures corresponding to the first horizontal row of apertures for supporting the furniture unit. A fin partition has an end positioned adjacent a front of the spine partition at an off-module position located between vertical side edges of the spine panel, with a top and bottom of the end attached to selected apertures in the first and second rows of apertures. A method related to the above is also claimed.

Partition system including floor channel

A freestanding portable partition panel system is provided for open office spaces and the like. Each panel includes a skeleton-like frame having two vertical uprights positioned adjacent opposite side edges thereof, and at least two pairs of horizontal stringers attached to the outer faces of the uprights in a vertically spaced-apart relationship to rigidly interconnect the same. One or more horizontal rows of slots are defined in each of the stringers. Cover panels are detachably mounted thereon to provide ready access to the frame. The cover panels permit access to the slots, and special off-module connectors with hooks for engaging the slots are provided for interconnecting adjacent panels in off-module positions. The hooks of the connectors are engaged with selected slots to hold a first partition panel perpendicular to a second partition panel in an off-module position on its face.

Partition frame construction having wireways and off-module connection

A freestanding portable partition panel system is provided for open office spaces and the like. Each panel includes a skeleton-like frame having two vertical uprights positioned adjacent opposite side edges thereof, and at least two pairs of horizontal stringers attached to the outer faces of the uprights in a vertically spaced apart relationship to rigidly interconnect the same. One or more horizontal rows of slots are defined in each of the stringers. Cover panels are detachably mounted thereon to provide ready access to the frame. The cover panels permit access to the slots, and special off-module connectors with hooks for engaging the slots are provided for interconnecting adjacent panels in off-module positions. The hooks of the connectors are engaged with selected slots to hold a first partition panel perpendicular to a second partition panel in an off-module position on its face.

Method of attaching furniture components to partition

An integrated prefabricated furniture system is provided for fitting-out a building space of the type having a generally open plan interior defined by fixed walls. The furniture system includes a wall-covering frame, freestanding partition frames, and floor-to-ceiling frames that can be interconnected to subdivide the building space. The wall-covering frame is constructed to be positioned against and selectively cover portions of the fixed walls, and the portable partition system and the floor-to-ceiling frames are constructed to spatially divide the building space into a plurality of work areas, with at least one of the freestanding partition frames having an end abutted against the wall-covering frame. A plurality of cover panels are removably attached to the wall-covering frame and to the freestanding partition frames for covering the wall-covering frame, the freestanding partition frames, and the floor-to-ceiling frames. The cover panels include upper and lower cover panels that have bottom and top horizontal edges, respectively, that are spaced vertically apart to define a belt-high utility zone therebetween. The belt-high utility zone has a relatively narrow vertical dimension and extends continuously horizontally along the wall-covering frame and the freestanding partition frames at a common worksurface height to present a uniform horizontal appearance datum throughout the building space. Some of the upper cover panels on the wall-covering frame and on the freestanding partition frames have an identical size and shape, so that the identical upper cover panels can be selectively interchanged between the wall-covering frame and the freestanding partition frames. A horizontal row of slots is provided on one or more of the horizontal structural frame members of the wall-covering frame, the freestanding partition frame, or the floor-to-ceiling frame to provide attachment sites for connection to the frames.

Integrated prefabricated furniture system for fitting-out open plan building space

An elongated floor channel includes a top flange configured to stably engage and support a partition and bottom flanges configured to engage a floor surface. The bottom flanges each define a horizontal row of discrete attachment points configured to receive brackets for connecting a furniture unit to the floor channel, whereby the furniture unit can be attached adjacent the floor surface in a selected off-module position along the floor channel. A method related to the above includes steps of providing a first floor channel having a first horizontal row of discrete attachment points and providing a spine partition having a second horizontal row of discrete attachment points. The method also includes providing a second partition and a second floor channel positioned at an angle to the first floor channel, supporting the spine partition on the first floor channel with the first and second horizontal row of discrete attachment points spaced vertically apart, and attaching the second floor channel and the second partition to selected points in the first and second horizontal row of discrete attachment points. In another related method, an end of the second floor channel is connected to the attachment feature of the first floor channel at a location between ends of the first floor channel.

Floor channel for partition system

Method of connecting partitions

A wall structure for dividing building space includes several different freestanding base panels such as an internally open partition panel, a sound-deadening partition panel, a glass-supporting partition panel, and a doorway-supporting partition panel, and further includes an overhead system comprising a structural expressway construction, a transom subframe, covers for the subframe, and a glass module attachable to the subframe. The structural expressway construction has a torque box bracket for moving support from an inboard location spaced from the vertical side edge of the base panels to the vertical side edge. The transom subframe mounts atop the different base panels, and telescopingly extends into mating engagement with a ceiling channel. The opening between the ceiling channel, the top of the structural expressway construction, and the transom subframes can be selectively covered with either covers or a window subassembly that releasably engages structure on the ceiling channel, the structural expressway construction and the subframes.

Overhead structures for wall system

A movable transparent panel for reconfigurable office partitions and the like is adapted for floor-to-ceiling applications which include a floor track shaped to be supported on a floor surface, and a ceiling track shaped to be supported on a ceiling surface. A panel frame is supported in a normally vertical orientation between the floor track and the ceiling track. The panel frame has vertically spaced-apart upper and lower horizontal members with a pair of vertical side members interconnecting the upper and lower horizontal members and extending therebetween to define a generally quadrilateral opening. The upper horizontal member is operably connected to the ceiling track, and the lower horizontal member is operably connected with the floor track. A substantially transparent sheet is removably connected to the frame and extends across at least the portion of the opening. A vertically adjustable support retains the frame at a selected height above the floor track to permit height adjustment and leveling of the frame to account for variations in the floor surface.

Clear wall panel system

Method and apparatus for displaying information

Partitions with connecting structure

Growing community of inventors

Cambridge, MA, United States of America

Robert J Luchetti