Laboratory furniture unit

Abstract

A furniture unit is provided specially adapted for use in laboratories. The furniture unit includes a pair of spaced-apart uprights and vibration-dampening legs extending from the uprights for stably supporting the furniture unit on a floor surface. A belt-high structural beam comprising two opposing C-shaped beams is fixedly attached to the uprights to rigidly interconnect the uprights in a spaced relationship. A plurality of worksurfaces is provided, each having a pair of cantilever brackets configured to rigidly connect to a side of the belt-high structural beam and to extend laterally therefrom. The plurality of worksurfaces is separately adjustably supported on the belt-high structural beam for vertical height adjustment, with at least one of the cantilever brackets engaging the belt-high structural beam at a location between the uprights. Shelves are attached between the uprights above the plurality of worksurfaces. Optionally, an accessory panel is mounted between the front and rear shelves for visual shielding and/or for function use, such as a marker board. A Y-shaped lighting support includes a bayonet that telescopingly engages a top of the uprights. A lamp housing structure spans between the lighting supports in a location where a lamp in each lamp housing structure is generally above a front edge of the worksurfaces. A utility distribution beam is mounted between the uprights above the structural beam for communicating utilities, including piped utilities and cabled utilities, to accessible locations along a rear edge of the worksurfaces. The legs include gussets that telescope into the uprights to provide a stable bottom joint.