Desk and footrest assembly and method of assembly therefor

Abstract

A desk includes a top defining a working surface, at least one pair of opposed supporting legs supporting the top above a floor, and a swinging footrest assembly pivotally connected to at least one of the supporting legs. The swinging footrest assembly is selectively removable from the desk and can be selectively positioned at a plurality of vertical positions with respect to the floor.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A desk, comprising:
 a top defining a working surface;   at least one pair of opposed supporting legs configured to support the top a distance above a floor; and   and a swinging footrest assembly pivotally connected to at least one of the supporting legs;   wherein the swinging footrest assembly is selectively removable from the desk and is selectively positionable at a plurality of spaced vertical positions with respect to the floor.   
     
     
         2 . The desk of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a stabilizer bar extending generally horizontally and connecting the opposed supporting legs;   wherein the swinging footrest assembly is movable from a use position in which the swinging footrest assembly is freely rotatable, and a stowed position in which the swinging footrest assembly rests on the stabilizer bar.   
     
     
         3 . The desk of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the swinging footrest assembly includes:   at least one upright arm member;   a transverse bar connected to a distal end of the at least one upright arm member for providing support for a user's foot.   
     
     
         4 . The desk of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the swinging footrest assembly further includes a mounting bracket attached to at least one of the supporting legs;   wherein the at least one upright arm member is pivotally connected to the mounting bracket.   
     
     
         5 . The desk of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the mounting bracket includes a clamping collar for removably securing the swinging footrest to the supporting leg.   
     
     
         6 . The desk of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the at least one upright arm member is two upright arm members; and   the transverse bar connects distal ends of the upright arm members to one another.   
     
     
         7 . The desk of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the swinging footrest assembly is movable from a use position in which the swinging footrest assembly is freely rotatable, and a clearance position in which the swinging footrest assembly is positioned out of the way of a user's feet beneath the desk.   
     
     
         8 . The desk of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the opposed supporting legs are vertically adjustable to allow for selective adjustment of the distance of the top above the floor.   
     
     
         9 . A swinging footrest for a desk, comprising:
 at least one upright arm member; and   a transverse bar connected to a distal end of the at least one upright arm member for providing support for a user's foot;   wherein the at least one upright arm member is configured for operative connection to a leg of the desk for rotation about a generally horizontal axis.   
     
     
         10 . The swinging footrest of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a mounting bracket configured for removable connection to a leg of the desk;   wherein the at least one upright arm member is pivotally connected to the mounting bracket.   
     
     
         11 . The swinging footrest assembly of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the mounting bracket includes a clamping collar for removably securing the swinging footrest to the supporting leg.   
     
     
         12 . The swinging footrest assembly of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the at least one upright arm member is two upright arm members; and   the transverse bar connects distal ends of the upright arm members to one another.   
     
     
         13 . The swinging footrest assembly of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 an adjustment mechanism permitting selective positioning of the transverse bar at a desired distance above the floor.   
     
     
         14 . The swinging footrest assembly of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the swinging footrest assembly is movable from a use position in which the swinging footrest assembly is freely rotatable, and a clearance position in which the swinging footrest assembly is positioned out of the way of a user's feet beneath the desk when the at least one upright arm member is connected to the leg of the desk.   
     
     
         15 . A method of configuring a desk with a swinging footrest, comprising the step of:
 pivotally connecting at least one upright arm member of the swinging footrest to a desk to position a foot support of the swinging footrest at a first distance above the floor; and   adjusting the swinging footrest to position the foot support at a second distance above the floor;   wherein the second distance is different from the first distance.   
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , further comprising the step of:
 rotating the swinging footrest to a stowed position where the foot support is positioned generally outside of an area beneath a surface of the desk occupied by a user's feet.   
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein:
 the step of connecting the at least one upright arm member to the desk includes connecting the at least one upright arm member to a leg of the desk.   
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein:
 the step of pivotally connecting the at least one upright arm member of the swinging footrest to the desk includes pivotally connecting a pair of opposed upright arm members of the swinging footrest to opposed legs of the desk.   
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein:
 the opposed upright arm members are pivotally connected to the opposed legs by adjustable mounting brackets.   
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 15 , further comprising the step of:
 removing the swinging footrest from the desk and connecting the swinging footrest to another desk.