AU2016101309A4 - A pedestal drawer unit - Google Patents

Abstract

A pedestal drawer unit (31, 51, 61) able to be positioned below a desk surface (32) of a desk (31) is disclosed. The desk has a leg or vertical desk support column (34) with a forwardly extending horizontal foot (38) and which supports the desk surface in cantilever fashion. The unit has two side walls (45, 46) and a rear wall (47). Three drawers (42, 43, 44) form the front wall of the unit. The sidewalls, rear wall and front wall each have a lower edge. The rear wall lower edge has a rebate (49, 59, 69) sized to accommodate the foot (38) of the desk support column. The pedestal drawer unit can have castor wheels (15) and/or a tray top (22). Preferably the lower edges of the sidewalls, rear wall and front wall are substantially co-planar. A method of positioning the pedestal drawer unit is also disclosed. The pedestal drawer unit is located under the desktop, is substantially aligned with one leg of the desk, and the rear wall of the unit substantially abuts the leg. The pedestal drawer unit finds particular application with cantilever desks having motorised legs which permit the desk height to be adjusted. 558OA-D1 ifts C) loto CS-5

Description

A Pedestal Drawer Unit

The present invention relates to office furniture and, in particular to desks used in offices.

Traditionally, one way of forming a desk was to provide two pedestal units each of which contained several drawers and supported the desk top. Between the pedestal units was an opening into which the person sitting at the desk could place their knees. Over time many ways of supporting a desktop have been devised, however the term “pedestal unit” has continued to be used for any boxlike structure having drawers, and which is located beneath the desktop. Often such pedestal units are provided with castor wheels in which case they are termed mobile pedestal units.

In recent times, desks have been created with two vertical desk support columns, or legs, which are located towards the rear of the desk surface. That is to say, the desk surface is to a large extent cantilevered towards the front. The desk surface has a left to right width of approximately 1200-2100mm and a front to rear depth of approximately 600-800mm. In order to counteract the force of gravity on the deck surface, each desk support column is provided with a forwardly extending horizontal foot. Typically such columns are spaced apart approximately 900-1800 mm leaving a distance between the edge of the desk and each column of approximately 900-1800mm. Similarly, such a foot has a length of 300-500mm, a width of approximately 80mm and a height of approximately 50mm. In particular, in recent times the desk support columns have been provided with a motorised adjustment system so that the user can raise and lower the height of the desk surface. A problem with such desks, having desk support columns which are located towards the rear of the desk surface, is that a conventional desk pedestal unit with drawers which has a front to rear dimension of approximately 500-400mm and a left to right width of approximately 450mm cannot be conveniently located in front of one of the desk support columns. The reason for this is that the horizontal foot interferes with the desk pedestal unit. Accordingly, a conventional pedestal unit has to be located either on the outside of the foot and its column, or on the inside of the foot and its column. In the first position the desk pedestal unit generally extends beyond the side edge of the desk and therefore constitutes an obstacle by protruding into an aisle, for example. In the second position the desk pedestal unit unduly restricts the space available for the knees and legs of the person sitting at the desk.

The Genesis of the present invention is a desire to enable a pedestal unit with its drawers to be positioned in front of one of the support columns of such a desk.

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a pedestal drawer unit to be positioned below a desk surface of a desk, said desk having a vertical desk support column with a forwardly extending horizontal foot, said unit comprising two side walls, a front wall, a rear wall and a top, at least one drawer slidably mounted between said slide walls, the or each drawer having a drawer front and a draw base, said front wall receiving said drawer front(s); said side walls, said rear wall and said front wall each having a lower edge, and the lowermost drawer base being spaced from said side wall lower edges by a predetermined distance, wherein said rear wall lower edge has a rebate sized to accommodate said desk support column foot.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of positioning a pedestal drawer unit below a desk surface of a desk, said desk having a vertical desk support column with a forwardly extending horizontal foot, said pedestal drawer unit comprising two side walls, a front wall, a rear wall and a top, at least one drawer slidably mounted between said slide walls, the or each drawer having a drawer front and a drawer base, said front wall receiving said drawer front(s); and said side walls, said rear wall and said front wall each having a lower edge; said method comprising the steps of forming a rebate in said rear wall lower edge, said rebate being sized to accommodate said desk support column foot, whereby said pedestal drawer unit can be located under said desk top, substantially aligned with said desk support column, and with said rear wall substantially abutting said desk support column. A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is perspective view of a dual or twin prior art cantilevered desk arrangement and incorporating a mobile pedestal unit;

Fig. 2 is a front perspective view of the prior art mobile pedestal unit of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a rear perspective view of the prior art mobile pedestal unit of Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a front perspective view of a prior art mobile pedestal unit having a top tray;

Fig. 5 is a rear perspective view of the prior art mobile pedestal unit of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a desk having a cantilevered support and accommodating a pedestal unit in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 7 is an inverted fragmentary perspective view of the rear of the pedestal unit of Fig. 6;

Figs. 8 and 9 are views corresponding to Figs. 2 and 3 but illustrating a mobile pedestal unit in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention; and Figs. 10 and 11 are views corresponding to Figs. 8 and 9 but illustrating a mobile pedestal unit incorporating a tray top and being in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention.

As seen in Fig. 1, a dual or twin desk unit 1 has two desk surfaces 2 separated by a privacy screen 3. Both desk surfaces 2 are supported in cantilever fashion by a pair of legs 4. Each of the legs 4 has a vertical support column or upright 6, a short foot 7 and a long foot 8.

In the arrangement of Fig 1, the uprights 6 are closely adjacent the corresponding side edge of the desk surfaces 2. A conventional mobile pedestal unit 11 having three drawers 12, 13 and 14 and castor wheels 15, is located adjacent one of the uprights 6. As a consequence, notwithstanding that the uprights 6 are adjacent the side edges of the desk surfaces, a person (not illustrated) wishing to sit at the desk surface 2 with the pedestal unit 11 has a restricted horizontal access to the volume under the desk surface 2.

In the event that each of the uprights 6 is located away from the corresponding side edge of the desk surface, and with the pedestal unit 11 positioned underneath the desk surface, then the horizontal space available for the knees and legs of a person using the desk surface is even more restricted.

Alternatively, if the pedestal unit 11 is placed on the other side of the adjacent upright 6, then the pedestal unit 11 interferes with any aisle or passageway which extends alongside the desk unit 1.

The prior art pedestal unit 11 is illustrated away from the desk unit in Figs. 2 and 3. An alternative prior art pedestal unit 21 having a tray top 22 is similarly illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5.

Turning now to Fig. 6, a desk unit 31 having a cantilevered desk surface 32 is illustrated. As before, the desk has two vertical support columns, or legs 4, each having an upright 36, a short foot 37 and a long foot 38. The desk surface 32 has a left side edge 39 and a right side edge 40. The uprights 36 are set inwardly from the side edges 39, 40 of the desk surface 32. Such an inward setting is common with desks having motorised legs (not illustrated) which enable the height of the desk surface 32 above the floor to be adjusted. Such desks are becoming increasingly important commercially since they are beginning to sell in large volumes.

Also illustrated in Fig. 6 is the pedestal unit 41 of a first embodiment of the present invention. The pedestal unit 41 has the conventional three drawers 42, 43 and 44 but does not have castors and does not have a tray top 22.

The pedestal unit 41 has a left side wall 45, a right side wall 46 and a rear wall 47.

The rear wall 47 is provided with a foot access aperture, or rebate, 49 which is sized and located so as to permit the pedestal unit 41 to be located in a generally centrally aligned position relative to the corresponding leg 34. That is, the pedestal unit 41 can be pushed up against the leg 34 so that the long foot 38 enters the foot access aperture 49 and the rear wall 47 can substantially abut, or be closely spaced from, the upright 36. In this configuration, the left side wall 45 of the pedestal unit 46 is preferably substantially flush with the left hand side edge 39 of the desk surface 32.

Turning now to Fig. 7, from the inverted perspective view of the underside of the pedestal unit 41, the left side wall 45, right side wall 46 and rear wall 47 of the pedestal unit are visible. All three walls have lower edges which are co-planar. The rear wall 47 has the foot access aperture 49. Also visible in Fig. 7 is one of the pair of rails 52 upon which the bottom drawer 44 of the pedestal unit runs.

It will be apparent from a consideration of both Figs. 6 and 7 that the width of the foot access aperture 49 must be at least just wider than the width of the long foot 38. In addition, the depth of the foot access aperture 49 must be at least just greater than the height of the long foot 38. In addition, the construction is such that the lower surface of the lowermost drawer 44 in operation clears the upper surface of the long foot 38. This enables the drawer 44 to be reciprocated in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 7 without fouling or contacting the long foot 38.

In accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention as illustrated in Fig. 9, the pedestal unit 51 can be provided with a foot access aperture 59 which is curved or arcuate in shape. The pedestal unit 51 of Figs. 8 and 9 is a mobile pedestal unit.

In Figs. 10 and 11a third embodiment of a pedestal unit in accordance with the present invention is illustrated. This pedestal unit 61 is a mobile pedestal unit with a tray top 22 and has a foot access aperture 69 which has a generally trapezoidal shape.

The foregoing describes only some embodiments of the present invention and modifications, obvious to those skilled in the furniture arts, can be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present invention.

For example, the rebate or foot access aperture 49, 59, 69 can be extended horizontally so as to extend from one side wall 45 to the other side wall 46 of the pedestal unit. Under these circumstances, the normal arrangement of the side walls and rear walls of the pedestal unit having lower edges which are substantially co-planar, is not followed. In addition, although it is also possible to extend the vertical extent of the rebate or foot access aperture 49, 59, 69 to a height above the base of the lowermost drawer 44, there is no aesthetic advantage to be achieved by doing so.

The term “comprising” (and its grammatical variations) as used herein is used in the inclusive sense of “including” or “having” and not in the exclusive sense of “consisting only of’.

Claims (5)

1. A pedestal drawer unit to be positioned below a desk surface of a desk, said desk having a vertical desk support column with a forwardly extending horizontal foot, said unit comprising two side walls, a front wall, a rear wall and a top, at least one drawer slidably mounted between said slide walls, the or each drawer having a drawer front and a draw base, said front wall receiving said drawer front(s); said side walls, said rear wall and said front wall each having a lower edge, and the lowermost drawer base being spaced from said side wall lower edges by a predetermined distance, wherein said rear wall lower edge has a rebate sized to accommodate said desk support column foot.

2. The unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein said lower wall edges are substantially co-planar.

3. The unit as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the vertical extent of said rebate is less than said predetermined distance.

4. The unit as claimed in any one of claims 1-3 wherein said rebate has a shape selected from the class consisting of rectangular rebates, curved rebates, and substantially trapezoidal rebates.

5. A method of positioning a pedestal drawer unit below a desk surface of a desk, said desk having a vertical desk support column with a forwardly extending horizontal foot, said pedestal drawer unit comprising two side walls, a front wall, a rear wall and a top, at least one drawer slidably mounted between said slide walls, the or each drawer having a drawer front and a drawer base, said front wall receiving said drawer front(s); and said side walls, said rear wall and said front wall each having a lower edge; said method comprising the steps of forming a rebate in said rear wall lower edge, said rebate being sized to accommodate said desk support column foot, whereby said pedestal drawer unit can be located under said desk top, substantially aligned with said desk support column, and with said rear wall substantially abutting said desk support column.