Steelcase Inc.

Donnelly Corporation

Robert P Poppe

Gregg Robert Draudt

Charles Anthony Seiber

James B Eldon, Iii

David Dean McClanahan

Robert J Luchetti

David A Shipman

Christopher O Lada

Phillip M Hobson

Benjamin G Shaw

David W Caldwell

Nicholas W Medendorp

A freestanding portable partition assembly and related system are provided for open office spaces and the like. Each partition system includes a floor channel having an aperture defined therein; a partition frame having a downwardly projecting leg assembly received in said aperture; and a locking plate slidably engaging the floor channel and having a slot receiving a portion of the downwardly projecting leg assembly therein for releasably coupling the partition frame to the floor channel. With this construction, the partition frames may be quickly and easily connected to the floor channels, and the entire assembly may be shipped with the floor channel attached without fear of damage. Moreover, the resulting assembly resists damage from catastrophic events, such as earthquakes.

Partition system

A freestanding portable partition panel and related system are 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. A foot extends downwardly from the bottom of the frame to abuttingly support the panel freestanding on a floor surface. Two pairs of horizontal stringers are attached to the outer faces of the uprights in a vertically spaced apart relationship to rigidly interconnect the same, and define therebetween two horizontal raceway cavities which open to the opposite side faces of the frame, and extend continuously between the opposite side edges thereof. Hence, when like panels are interconnected side-by-side, the open ends of adjacent raceway cavities are aligned and communicate. Cover panels enclose at least those portions of the frame side faces disposed between the stringers, and are detachably mounted thereon to provide ready access to the raceway cavities and permit lay-in wiring therealong. The upper ends of the vertical uprights have upwardly extending arms which define yoke shaped receptacles for receiving drop-in wiring. Special connectors are provided for constructing walls by interconnecting adjacent panels in in-line, off-module, and stacked arrangements.

A utility floor construction is provided including a plurality of interconnectable base tiles supported on a floor surface, each of which has upstanding pedestals. A plurality of floor tiles are supported on and attached to the pedestals to create a cavity thereunder. A plurality of differently shaped separator channels are positionable in the cavity and attachable to create a raceway, the separator channels being configured to segregate and shield wires, etc. from other utilities.

Utility floor construction

A user operable power distribution system that is suitable for supplying switched power to an individual workstation, or to an entire office, is expandable to accommodate additional loads. The system includes a user command device, such as a touch panel, for supplying low voltage command signals and a connection device, which responds to the low voltage command signal to interconnect a load with a supply voltage, such as an AC power outlet. The connection device further responds to the low voltage input command signal by producing a low voltage output command signal which may be applied to another connection device to cause that particular connection device to connect another load with a source of supply voltage. In this manner, the connection devices may be ganged in an indefinite number.

Controllable power distribution system

Growing community of inventors

Grand Rapids, MI, United States of America

Robert P Poppe