GB1591032A - Demountable desk or table - Google Patents

Description

(54) DEMOUNTABLE DESK OR TABLE (71) We, PEL LIMITED, a British Company, of Rood End Road, Oldbury, Warley, West Midlands, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a Patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The object of the present invention is to provide, in an improved form, a desk or table.

In accordance with the invention, there is provided a desk or table which comprises a base frame, a worktop having a continuous upper working surface, and a tray for storing articles, said tray being supported on the base frame and having a base and upwardly divergent walls extending from at least two opposite sides of said base, said tray being disposed adjacent to the underside of said worktop in a position such that its base and walls form, together with the worktop, a receptacle, the base frame, worktop and tray being connected together by releasable fastening means.

The tray is conveniently arranged so that its base is of rectangular form and the frame may be formed of tubular members. The tray may have along its in situ upper edge an outwardly extending flange which can rest on some of the tubular members at the upper part of the frame so as to be supported thereby. The worktop can be formed of any suitable material and is conveniently provided with two or more threaded inserts so that said releasable fastening means may then comprise a like number of screws which are arranged to extend upwardly through aligned apertures formed in the base frame and the tray so as to be thereafter engageable with said inserts for the purpose of securing the base frame, tray and worktop together.

The invention will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is an elevation of one example of a desk in accordance with the invention Figure 2 is an "exploded" perspective view of the desk shown in Figure 1, and Figures 3 and 4 are scrap sectional views, on an enlarged scale showing respectively, the connection between the tray and co-acting channel seen in Figures 1 and 2, and an alternative connection which can be used for locating said tray on the frame.

Referring to the drawings, the desk shown therein comprises a tubular steel frame 10, a flat worktop 12 which as shown has a continuous upper working surface and sandwiched therebetween a tray 14 of moulded or formed synthetic resin material or pressed metal. As shown, the tray is disposed adjacent to the underside of the worktop so that the tray ànd worktop together form a receptacle.

The frame 10 has substantially identical front and rear inverted U-shaped tubular members 16, 18 respectively, the term "front" referring to that part of the desk which will be nearest to the user. The legs of the rear member 18 are slightly longer than those of the front member 16 to provide the usual slope of the top 12 of the desk towards the user. In the case of a table however the legs would be all of the same length.

The member 16, 18 are held in fixed parallel relationship by parallel fore-and-aft side members 20, 22 welded to the members 16,18. A transverse front rail 24 is welded between the legs of the front member 16, and has welded therealong a sheet steel rearwardly opening channel 26 (see also Figure 3). In an alternative construction the rail 24 in formed of a tube having an unwelded longitudinal seam, and part of said seam is then forced open to form a channel, or the tube may be formed with one or more longitudinal slots. Such a construction is shown in Figure 4.

The tray 14 is formed with a base 28, upwardly divergent side walls, and (optionally) rear wall 30, and an outwardly extending flat flange 32 which may be omitted from the rear wall 30 where the latter is provided. Furthermore, in the construction shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the tray 14 is dimensioned so that the front edge 34 of its base 28 engages in said channel 26 with the flange 32 resting on the side members 20, 22.

The work-top 12 comprises a rigid sheet of chipboard or the like having a surrounding wooden edge and covered on top and underneath by sheets of plastics bonded thereto. A groove 36 is cut towards the rear of the top 10, for retention of pencils and the like.

The whole desk is assembled from its components by locating the front edge of the tray 14 in the channel 26 ( as seen in Figure 3) and, with the flange 32 supported on the frame 10, placing the top 12 on the flange 32 and then screwing the components together with two screws 40. The screws 40 pass upwardly through aligned holes 42 in the side members 20, 22 and the flange 32 and are screwed into threaded inserts 44 provided in the underside of the top 12. The screws 40 may have slots to fit a coin which can be used instead of a screwdriver.

In the alternative construction shown in Figure 4, the tray 14 has an upturned lip or lips 38 which is or are entered into the longitudinal slot or slots 46 formed in the front rail 24 by aligning said lip or lips with the slot or slots. The tray is then turned to bring the flange 32 into engagement with the upper surfaces of the members 20 and 22.

When dismantled, a plurality of tops 12 can be stacked together for transport in one package. A plurality of trays 14 can be stacked densely in another package by virture of the aforesaid divergent walls 30 and a plurality of frames 10 can be densely packed in another package. A plurality of separate desks can then be easily assembled from the packages, each desk being held together by only two screws or other appropriate fasteners so that it can readily be put together by unskilled labour using the simplest of tools or even a convenient coin.

The invention can also be supplied to a table.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A desk or table comprising a base frame, a worktop having a continuous upper working surface, and a tray for storing articles, said tray being supported on the base frame and having a base and upwardly divergent walls extending from at least two opposite sides of said base, said tray being disposed adjacent to the underside of said worktop in a position such that its base and walls form, together with the worktop, a receptacle, the base frame, worktop and tray being connected together by releasable fastening means.

2. A desk or table as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the tray is formed along its in situ upper edge with an outwardly extending flange which is engageable with an upper part of said frame.

3. A desk or table as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the frame is provided with a rail which supports a channel-shaped member which receives and locates an adjacent edge of the base of said tray.

4. A desk or table as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the frame is provided with a rail having a longitudinally extending slot or slots arranged to receive an adjacent lip or lips formed on the base of said tray.

5. A desk or table as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said work-top is provided with two or more threaded inserts, and wherein said releasable fastening means comprise screws adapted to be threadably engaged with said inserts after said screws have been inserted into aligned apertures formed in the base frame and tray so as to extend upwardly therefrom.

6. A desk or table substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, or Figures 1, 2 and 3 as modified by Figure 4 of the accompanying drawing.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (6)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. The tray 14 is formed with a base 28, upwardly divergent side walls, and (optionally) rear wall 30, and an outwardly extending flat flange 32 which may be omitted from the rear wall 30 where the latter is provided. Furthermore, in the construction shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the tray 14 is dimensioned so that the front edge 34 of its base 28 engages in said channel 26 with the flange 32 resting on the side members 20, 22. The work-top 12 comprises a rigid sheet of chipboard or the like having a surrounding wooden edge and covered on top and underneath by sheets of plastics bonded thereto. A groove 36 is cut towards the rear of the top 10, for retention of pencils and the like. The whole desk is assembled from its components by locating the front edge of the tray 14 in the channel 26 ( as seen in Figure 3) and, with the flange 32 supported on the frame 10, placing the top 12 on the flange 32 and then screwing the components together with two screws 40. The screws 40 pass upwardly through aligned holes 42 in the side members 20, 22 and the flange 32 and are screwed into threaded inserts 44 provided in the underside of the top 12. The screws 40 may have slots to fit a coin which can be used instead of a screwdriver. In the alternative construction shown in Figure 4, the tray 14 has an upturned lip or lips 38 which is or are entered into the longitudinal slot or slots 46 formed in the front rail 24 by aligning said lip or lips with the slot or slots. The tray is then turned to bring the flange 32 into engagement with the upper surfaces of the members 20 and 22. When dismantled, a plurality of tops 12 can be stacked together for transport in one package. A plurality of trays 14 can be stacked densely in another package by virture of the aforesaid divergent walls 30 and a plurality of frames 10 can be densely packed in another package. A plurality of separate desks can then be easily assembled from the packages, each desk being held together by only two screws or other appropriate fasteners so that it can readily be put together by unskilled labour using the simplest of tools or even a convenient coin. The invention can also be supplied to a table. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A desk or table comprising a base frame, a worktop having a continuous upper working surface, and a tray for storing articles, said tray being supported on the base frame and having a base and upwardly divergent walls extending from at least two opposite sides of said base, said tray being disposed adjacent to the underside of said worktop in a position such that its base and walls form, together with the worktop, a receptacle, the base frame, worktop and tray being connected together by releasable fastening means.

2. A desk or table as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the tray is formed along its in situ upper edge with an outwardly extending flange which is engageable with an upper part of said frame.

3. A desk or table as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the frame is provided with a rail which supports a channel-shaped member which receives and locates an adjacent edge of the base of said tray.

4. A desk or table as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the frame is provided with a rail having a longitudinally extending slot or slots arranged to receive an adjacent lip or lips formed on the base of said tray.

5. A desk or table as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said work-top is provided with two or more threaded inserts, and wherein said releasable fastening means comprise screws adapted to be threadably engaged with said inserts after said screws have been inserted into aligned apertures formed in the base frame and tray so as to extend upwardly therefrom.

6. A desk or table substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, or Figures 1, 2 and 3 as modified by Figure 4 of the accompanying drawing.