Steelcase Inc.

Steven C Gortsema

David P Churchill

Charles Anthony Seiber

Thomas B Eich

Jonathan Jay King

Anthony A Stachowiak

Douglas G Lyon

Frank A Friedman

Karl Jahn Mead

Gregg Robert Draudt

David J Battey

Mark T Slager

Robert J Luchetti

David A Shipman

Douglas B MacDonald

Robert E Jeffers

Allen C Hager

Steven F Goodman

James D Houda

Scott H Russell

Roy W Fink

Michael E Tingley

Harold Halvorson, Jr

Michael D Elsholz

Gary S Juhlin

Anne C Ackerly

Peter C Greenberg

James H Davies

Frank Freidman

Peter J Schauer

Genevieve Wing

A partition system includes adjacent partitions that have aligned top frame members with abutting and horizontally aligned cantilevered end sections. An in-line connector system includes a flat top connector and a U-shaped bottom connector that mateably span between the cantilevered end sections and that engage top and bottom surfaces, respectively, on the top frame members. Specifically, the top connector fits into a cavity in a top of the top frame member. The bottom connector includes a bottom wall and opposing sidewalls that matingly receive and engage bottom and side surfaces of the cantilevered end sections. The connectors combine with a beam-like strength that holds the cantilevered end sections in a particularly stable in-line condition.

Connector system for in-line connection of freestanding partitions

A partition system includes having a &lsqb;covered&rsqb; face and a horizontal frame member. A C-shaped structured channel is attached to the horizontal frame member outboard of the &lsqb;covered&rsqb; face. The channel extends horizontally and includes top and bottom parallel flanges that attach to the horizontal frame member and that define a horizontal wireway adjacent to the horizontal frame member. Apertures are formed in the top and bottom flanges for routing utilities into the wireway from above or below. Wiring routed through the apertures can be protected by sleeves. A shelf or worksurface is supported in cantilevers on the channel. A flexible is attached over the channel. Vertical blade supports for shelves can also be supported on the partition with vertically spaced rear brackets attached to the partition.

Work station adapted for routing utilities

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

An expandable/contractible furniture component is configured for attachment to a partition system to provide an adjustable structure adapted to adjust with the partition system as the partition system is adjusted to provide different office sizes. The furniture component includes a corner shelf attached to the partition system, and in-line shelves also attached to the partition system. The in-line shelves are telescopingly adjustable into the corner shelf so that the plan dimensions of the shelves are adjustable concurrently with the partition systems to provide storage surfaces and shelves that extend and completely fill at least one dimension of the office. An in-line telescoping straight shelf construction and a two-way telescoping corner shelf construction are also disclosed.

Expandable and contractible work station

Growing community of inventors

Grandville, MI, United States of America

Steven C Gortsema