Table assembly with adaptable ganging connections

Abstract

A table assembly includes a first table having a first edge, and a ganging member. The ganging member includes a connecting member and a first affixing member. The first affixing member affixes the connecting member to the first table in a first ganging position, in which the connecting member extends a first distance beyond the first edge and connects the first table to a first furniture unit to gang the first furniture unit to the first table, and a second ganging position, in which the connecting member extends a second distance beyond the first edge, and gangs the first table to the first furniture unit and to a second furniture unit in series. The second distance is greater than the first distance.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A table assembly, comprising:
 a first table having a first edge; and   a ganging member, comprising:
 a connecting member, and 
 a first affixing member that affixes the connecting member to the first table in:
 a first ganging position, in which the connecting member extends a first distance beyond the first edge and connects the first table to a first furniture unit to gang the first furniture unit to the first table, and 
 a second ganging position, in which the connecting member extends a second distance beyond the first edge that is greater than the first distance and gangs the first table to the first furniture unit and to a second furniture unit in series. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The table assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first table has a tabletop, and the affixing member affixes the connecting member to the tabletop. 
     
     
         3 . The table assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the tabletop extends longitudinally from a first longitudinal edge to a second longitudinal edge, and laterally from a first lateral edge to a second lateral edge, and wherein the first edge is one of the first or second longitudinal edges, or one of the first or second lateral edges. 
     
     
         4 . The table assembly of  claim 1 , wherein, when the connecting member connects the table to a first furniture unit only, the connecting member is affixed to the first table in one of a plurality of first ganging positions that are at different angles with respect to each other. 
     
     
         5 . The table assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the connecting member includes:
 a first base-attachment portion, which the first affixing member engages in the in the first ganging position; and   a second base-attachment portion, which the first affixing member engages in the second ganging position.   
     
     
         6 . The table assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the connecting member includes:
 a first ganging-attachment portion that is engaged by a second affixing member that affixes the connecting member to the first furniture unit when the connecting member is affixed in the first ganging position; and   a second ganging-attachment portion that is engaged by a second affixing member that affixes the connecting member to the one of the first or second furniture units when the connecting member is affixed in the second ganging position.   
     
     
         7 . The table assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the connecting member includes a third ganging-attachment portion that is engaged by a third affixing member that affixes the connecting member to the other of the first or second furniture units in the second configuration when the connecting member is affixed in the second ganging position. 
     
     
         8 . The table assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the second base-attachment portion and the second and third ganging-attachment portions are aligned linearly. 
     
     
         9 . The table assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the first base-attachment portion is aligned linearly with the second base-attachment portion and the second and third ganging-attachment portions. 
     
     
         10 . The table assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the first base-attachment portion and first ganging-attachment portion are aligned with each other at a non-parallel angle from the alignment of the second base-attachment portion and second and third ganging-attachment portions, such that the connecting member in the first ganging position is oriented at a different angle in the first ganging position than in the second ganging position. 
     
     
         11 . The table assembly of  claim 6  wherein the first ganging-attachment portion defines a side slot that extends generally laterally to receive the second affixing member by rotating the connecting member about the first affixing member to engage the side slot. 
     
     
         12 . The table assembly of  claim 6 , wherein at least one of the ganging-attachment members defines a slot with an open end to slidingly receive the respective affixing members. 
     
     
         13 . The table assembly of  claim 6 , wherein at least one of the ganging-attachment members defines an enlarged opening to receive an enlarged head of the respective affixing member, and a narrowed slot open to the enlarged opening to slidingly receive post of said respective affixing member but prevent reception therethrough of the enlarged head. 
     
     
         14 . The table assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the connecting member defines a slot that connects the first and second base-attachment portions to allow the connecting member to slide over the first affixing member between the first and second ganging positions. 
     
     
         15 . The table assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the affixing members comprises a knob having an enlarged head that is manipulable by a user, and a shaft that attaches to the respective table or furniture unit to affix the attachment portions of the connecting member. 
     
     
         16 . The table assembly of  claim 15  wherein the shaft of each affixing member is threaded to the respective table or furniture unit. 
     
     
         17 . The table assembly of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the first affixing member is connected to the table at an edge distance from the first edge;   the ganging-attachment portions are disposed on the connecting member to attach to the respective affixing members, which are positioned at said edge distance from an edge of the respective furniture unit.   
     
     
         18 . The table assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the first furniture unit is a furniture accessory having first and second opposite furniture edges, and the connecting member is disposed equidistant, at said edge distance, from each of the opposite furniture edges. 
     
     
         19 . The table assembly of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the table has a tabletop with a length and a width, the length being substantially twice the dimension of the width, and a width of the furniture accessory being substantially equal to the width of the first platform.   
     
     
         20 . The table assembly of  claim 19 , comprising a plurality of mating members that can affix to the first attachment portion to affix the connecting member, to gang the furniture unit to the edge of the tabletop along the width of the tabletop, or to gang two adjacent furniture units to the edge along the length of the tabletop. 
     
     
         21 . The table assembly of  claim 20 , comprising a plurality of said ganging members that cooperatively affix to and gang the furniture units. 
     
     
         22 . The table assembly of  claim 21 , comprising wherein the plurality of said ganging members gang the furniture units at a plurality of locations about the table. 
     
     
         23 . The table assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the furniture unit is a power bar for housing electrical components, and the ganging member affixes the power bar sufficiently to provide a structural connection to support vertical loads thereon. 
     
     
         24 . The table assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the table comprises a tabletop and a table support that supports the tabletop in a substantially horizontal position on a ground, the ganging member being located on an underside of the tabletop to connect the underside of the tabletop to an underside of the first furniture unit. 
     
     
         25 . The table assembly of  24 , further comprising the table and the first furniture unit, the first furniture unit having a thickness substantially equal to a thickness of the tabletop so that a top surface of the first furniture unit is substantially coplanar with a top surface of the tabletop. and the ganging member, when attached to the first platform in the first configuration, supports the furniture accessory in a horizontal position above the ground. 
     
     
         26 . The table assembly of  claim 6 , wherein, when a user disengages the second affixing member from the connecting member, the second affixing member remains attached to the power bar. 
     
     
         27 . A table assembly, comprising:
 a first table having a first tabletop and a support member;   a ganging member, comprising a connecting member and a first affixing member that affixes the connecting member to the first tabletop; and   a power bar for housing electrical components, the power bar connected to the first table by a second affixing member that extends beyond an edge of the table and affixes the connecting member to the power bar, to support the power bar in cantilever off the edge of the table.   
     
     
         28 . The table assembly of  claim 27 , wherein the ganging member affixes the power bar sufficiently to provide a structural connection to support vertical loads thereon. 
     
     
         29 . The table assembly of  claim 28 , wherein the structural connection supports the tabletop above the ground in a substantially horizontal position, without a support that directly supports the power bar above the ground. 
     
     
         30 . The table assembly of  claim 27 , wherein the ganging member is reconfigurably attachable to the first tabletop, such that in a second ganging position, the connecting member extends beyond the edge of the first horizontal platform and connects the first table to the power bar and to a second table in series. 
     
     
         31 . A ganging member for connecting together two or more furniture articles, comprising:
 a connecting member that extends from a front end to a rear end, the connecting member comprising:
 a first wall that defines an elongate aperture, 
 a second wall that defines hole, 
 a front edge that defines a front slot extending from a front end of the connecting member, 
 a side edge that defines a side slot extending from a side of the connecting member; and 
   an affixing member having a head and a shaft extending therefrom, wherein the elongate aperture, the hole, front slot, and side slot are each configured to slidingly receive the post of the affixing member but prevent reception therethrough of the enlarged head.   
     
     
         32 . The ganging member of  claim 31 , wherein the head is knurled to allow a user to grasp the head to tighten or loosen the first affixing member.