EP0527179B1 - Cable channel for corner units of corner office furniture combinations - Google Patents

Abstract

The cable channel (6) beneath a corner unit (1) of a corner office furniture combination is surrounded by two channel side walls (9, 10) spaced apart beneath the table top (5) and a channel bottom. The two channel side walls (9, 10) consist of wall sections (9a, 9b, 9c or 10a, 10b, 10c) at an angle to one another and secured together by a joint (12) with a vertical axis. Thus, during assembly, it is easy to adapt the channel side walls (9, 10) to corner unit (1) at different angles.

Description

The invention relates to a cable duct for angle elements of office furniture-angle combinations with two substantially parallel and spaced from each other under a table top of the angle element channel side walls which enclose the cable channel with a channel bottom wall. Such a cable duct is known from DE-U-8707214.

For the concealed laying of cables for electrical and electronic devices, it is known to provide separate cable ducts on office furniture. In desks and other work tables, this cable duct usually runs on the rear edge of the table facing away from the user, either at the level of the table edge or below the table top. This latter arrangement is preferred in order to obtain a work surface which is continuous up to the rear edge of the table.

In very many cases, such desks or work tables are connected to so-called angle combinations with the interposition of angle elements. These angle elements essentially consist of an angle table top, the two side edges of which are in one such an angle to each other as is intended for the assignment of the adjacent work tables.

The provided cable ducts must also continue under the table tops of the angle elements in order to enable a cable connection to the work tables that connect on both sides. In many cases, it proves difficult to give the cable ducts the required angled course under the table top of the angle element. On the one hand, the cable duct should run at a constant distance from the back edge of the angle element. On the other hand, the cable duct should, if possible, run at right angles on the two side edges of the angle element in order to make the transition structurally simple.

In order to achieve an angled course of the cable duct on the angle element, it is necessary to miter and assemble the components forming the cable duct, namely the duct side walls and the duct bottom wall, at the required angle. This is associated with a relatively high amount of work and has a disadvantageous effect when assembling angle furniture combinations.

To adapt the cable duct to different angles, it is also known to design the cable duct as a flexible tube at the transition point from the angle element to the subsequent work table. This construction is also relatively complex.

The object of the invention is therefore to design a cable duct of the type mentioned in the introduction in such a way that adaptation is possible with as little work as possible different angles of the angle elements is made possible.

This object is achieved in that the two channel side walls each consist of wall sections running at an angle to one another, each of which is connected to one another by a joint with a vertical joint axis.

With this joint, it is possible to give the interconnected wall sections the desired angled course when the angle combination is assembled. It is then only necessary to cut the wall sections at right angles to the required length. This work can be carried out with little effort when assembling the angle combination.

It is preferably provided that the wall sections adjoining the two side edges of the angle element meet these side edges at right angles.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the wall sections consist of hollow profile pieces, into each of which a joint half of the joint is inserted at the end.

• Fig. 1 eine stark vereinfachte Draufsicht auf ein Winkelelement einer Büromöbel-Winkelkombination,
• Fig. 2 einen vergrößerten Schnitt längs der Linie II-II in Fig. 1,
• Fig. 3 einen vergrößerten Schnitt längs der Linie III-III in Fig. 1 und
• Fig. 4 in einer Darstellung ähnlich der Fig. 1 eine abgewandelte Ausführungsform eines Winkelelements.

The invention is explained below using exemplary embodiments which are illustrated in the drawing. It shows:

• 1 is a highly simplified plan view of an angle element of an office furniture-angle combination,
• 2 is an enlarged section along the line II-II in Fig. 1,
• Fig. 3 is an enlarged section along the line III-III in Fig. 1 and
• Fig. 4 in a representation similar to Fig. 1 shows a modified embodiment of an angle element.

The angle element 1 shown in FIG. 1 connects two work tables 2, 3 arranged at right angles to one another, on the side edges of which there is a cheek 4 as a supporting element. The angle element 1 consists essentially of a table top 5, under which a cable duct 6 is formed, which connects the cable ducts 7, 8 of the work tables 2 and 3, which are only indicated in FIG. 1. For the sake of clarity, the cable duct 6 of the angle element 1 is shown in solid lines in FIG. 1, although it is located under the table top 5.

The cable duct 6 is enclosed by two duct side walls 9 and 10, which run essentially parallel and at a distance from one another and are fitted under the table top 5, and a duct bottom wall 11 which extends between the duct side walls 9 and 10.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the two channel side walls 9, 10 each consist of three wall sections 10a, 10b and 10c or 9a, 9b and 9c. Adjacent wall sections are connected to one another by a joint 12. The joints 12 make it possible to arrange the interconnected wall sections 10a ... c and 9a ... c to each other at any desired angle.

As can be seen from FIG. 3, each joint 12 consists of two joint halves 12a and 12b, each of which is inserted into the channels of the adjoining wall section 10b or 10c with fastening pins 13. The two joint halves 12a, 12b are connected to one another in an articulated manner by screws 15 forming the vertical joint axis 14.

The channel bottom wall 11 is on both sides on projecting strips 16 which are integrally formed on the channel side walls 9 and 10.

1, in which the work tables 2 and 3 run at right angles to one another, two joints 12 are provided in each channel side wall 9 and 10, respectively. The wall sections 9a, 10a and 9c, 10c meet at the two side edges 17 of the angle element 1 at a right angle. This arrangement, which is favorable for the structural design of the connection of the cable duct 6 to the cheeks 4 or the adjacent work tables 2 and 3, was also retained in the embodiment according to FIG. 4. Since in this example the side edges 17 of the angular element 1 'only run at an acute angle to one another, it is sufficient to provide only two wall sections 9a, 9c and 10a, 10c for each channel side wall 9 and 10, respectively, each by only one Joint 12 are interconnected. Otherwise, the same reference numerals as in FIG. 1 are used in FIG. 4 for corresponding parts.

Claims (3)

1. Cable channel for corner units of corner office furniture combinations, having two channel side walls (9, 10) fitted essentially parallel and at a distance from each other under a desktop (5) of the corner unit (1), which enclose the cable channel (6) with a channel base wall (11), characterised in that the two channel side walls (9, 10) in each case consist of wall sections (9a, 9b, 9c or 10a, 10b, 10c) running at an angle to each other, which are in each case joined to each other by a link (12) with a perpendicular link axis (14).
2. Cable channel according to Claim 1, characterised in that the wall sections (9a, 9c or 10a, 10c) connecting to the two side edges (17) of the corner unit (1, 1') hit these side edges (17) at a right angle.
3. Cable channel according to Claim 1, characterised in that the wall sections (9a, 9d, 9c; 10a, 10b, 10c) consist of hollow-profiled pieces, into the front of which is pushed in each case a half link (12a, 12b) of the link (12).

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