Office furniture system

Abstract

An office furniture system for use in an open plan office environment, the furniture system configured as a “hybrid” system including features of both traditional partition systems and contemporary desking or benching systems. In one configuration, one or more work surfaces each include an electronic services bracket mounted beneath the rear edge(s) thereof, and access covers for providing selective access to electronic service modules mounted to the bracket and disposed within a raceway space beneath the rear edges of the work surfaces. The work surfaces may be associated with a partition system or, alternatively, may be associated with a desking arrangement. In another configuration, at least one electronic services module is mounted beneath a horizontal frame member of a partition, and work surface mounting brackets are used to mount one or more work surfaces on one or both sides of the partition. The work surfaces may include access covers to provide selective access to access spaces adjacent the electronic services modules.

1 . An office furniture system, comprising:
 a first horizontally disposed work surface having an upper face, a lower face, and a rear edge;   a raceway space defined horizontally proximate said rear edge of said first work surface;   a vertically oriented office furniture component disposed above said raceway space;   an electronic services bracket mounted to said lower face of said first work surface, said bracket extending beneath said raceway space; and   at least one electronic services module mounted to said bracket and disposed within said raceway space, said electronic services bracket accessible from said upper face of said first work surface;   said rear edge of said first work surface horizontally spaced from said first vertical side face of said partition to define an access space between said raceway space and said rear edge; and   said first work surface further comprises an access cover pivotably connected to said first work surface, said access cover pivotable between a first position in which said access cover does not obstruct said access space and said at least one electronic services module is accessible from said upper face of said first work surface, and a second position in which said access cover at least partially obstructs said access space and said electronic services module is substantially inaccessible from said upper face of said first work surface, with a vertical gap present between said access cover and said vertically oriented office furniture component.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein said vertically oriented office furniture component comprises a partition defining first and second opposite vertical side faces and including a pair of vertical frame members and at least one horizontal frame member connected to and extending between said vertical frame members, said horizontal frame member disposed above said raceway space. 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a second horizontally-disposed work surface having an upper face, a lower face, and a rear edge, said first and second work surfaces disposed on opposite sides of said vertically oriented office furniture component with said raceway space defined horizontally between said respective rear edges of said first and second work surfaces;   said electronic services bracket mounted to said lower faces of each of said first and second work surfaces, said bracket extending beneath and spanning said raceway space; and   said at least one electronic services module mounted to said bracket and disposed within said raceway space, said at least one electronic services module accessible from said upper faces of each of said first and second work surfaces.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein said rear edges of said first and second work surfaces are each horizontally spaced from said first and second vertical faces of said vertically oriented office furniture component to define respective first and second access spaces between said raceway space and said rear edges, and said first and second work surfaces each further comprise a said access cover pivotably connected thereto, said access covers each pivotable between said first and second positions. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein said vertically oriented office furniture component comprises a screen, and said first work surface is supported by at least one leg assembly. 
     
     
         7 - 9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . An office furniture system, comprising:
 a partition defining first and second opposite vertical side faces and including a pair of vertical frame members supporting said partition from a floor, and at least one horizontal frame member connected to and extending between said vertical frame members, said horizontal frame member spaced upwardly from the floor;   at least one electronic services module mounted beneath said horizontal frame member;   a work surface support bracket secured to said horizontal frame member and extending outwardly of at least a first of said vertical side faces of said partition;   a first horizontally-disposed work surface having an upper face, a lower face, and a rear edge, said first work surface secured to said work surface support bracket with said rear edge of said second work surface horizontally spaced from said first vertical side face of said partition to define a first access space; and   a first access cover pivotably connected to said second work surface, said first access cover pivotable between a first open position in which said first access cover does not obstruct said first access space and said at least one electronic services module is accessible from said upper face of said first work surface, and a first closed position in which said first access cover at least partially obstructs said first access space and said at least one electronic services module is substantially inaccessible from said upper face of said first work surface, with a vertical gap present between said first access cover and said partition.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein said work surface support bracket extends outwardly of each of said first and second vertical side faces of said partition, said partition further comprising:
 a second horizontally-disposed work surface having an upper face, a lower face, and a rear edge, said second work surface secured to said work surface support bracket with said rear edge horizontally spaced from said second vertical side face of said partition to define a second access space; and   a second access cover pivotably connected to said second work surface, said second access cover pivotable between a second open position in which said second access cover does not obstruct said second access space and said at least one electronic services module is accessible from said upper face of said second work surface, and a second closed position in which said second access cover at least partially obstructs said second access space and said at least one electronic services module is substantially inaccessible from said upper face of said second work surface.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein said horizontal frame member includes first and second opposite sides having first and second support flanges, respectively, and wherein:
 said first support flange is disposed at a first, relatively higher vertical level; and   said second support flange is disposed at a second, relatively lower vertical level.   
     
     
         13 - 16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said electronic services bracket includes a plurality of spaced openings therein, said openings providing access to an interior of said electronic services bracket from beneath said first work surface. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said access cover is mounted to said first work surface via a plurality of hinges, said hinges mounted within respective recesses disposed in lower faces of said access cover and said first work surface. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said access cover is mounted to said first work surface via a plurality of hinges, and wherein at least one of said hinges is a friction hinge including respective plate portions frictionally engaged with one another. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising a plurality of mounting brackets attached to said electronic services bracket, said partition mounted to said mounting brackets. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 6 , further comprising a plurality of mounting brackets attached to said electronic services bracket, said screen mounted to said mounting brackets. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein said electronic services bracket includes a plurality of spaced openings therein, said openings providing access to an interior of said electronic services bracket from beneath said first work surface. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein said access cover is mounted to said first work surface via a plurality of hinges, said hinges mounted within respective recesses disposed in lower faces of said access cover and said first work surface. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein said access cover is mounted to said first work surface via a plurality of hinges, and wherein at least one of said hinges is a friction hinge including respective plate portions frictionally engaged with one another.