GB2529709A

GB2529709A - Modular floor-standing workstation

Info

Publication number: GB2529709A
Application number: GB1415397.7A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Dominic Robert Wishlade
Original assignee: Dura Ltd
Current assignee: Dura Ltd
Priority date: 2014-09-01
Filing date: 2014-09-01
Publication date: 2016-03-02
Also published as: GB201415397D0

Abstract

A workstation comprises a user-configurable number of vertical bays 2.1-2.4 of similar height which are connected together in a side-by-side relationship to present a common substantially planar front face (3, figure 1). Each bay has a plurality of vertically arranged fascia panels at least some of which provide may access to internal storage units, whilst other panels may remain fixed to the workstation and may incorporate a flat screen monitor. The fascia panels of all the bays contribute to the substantially planar front face. The fascia panels may have push-to-open catches and some of the panels may provide access to extendable horizontally aligned worktops. The workstation is preferably constructed with uprights (10, figure 4) having a generally C-shaped cross-section with a front wall (10.1, figure 5), parallel side walls (10.2-10.3, figure 5) and inward rear flanges (10.4-10.5, figure 5). The uprights may be connected laterally by top and bottom bay members (11, figure 4) and tieplates (12, figure 4) linking front and rear uprights at various positions secured by quick-release fasteners.

Description

MODULAR FLOOR-STANDING WORKSTATION

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a modular floor-standing workstation which provides a work and storage facility.

BACKGROUND

In modern workplaces such as garages it is often desirable to provide facilities for storage of tools, computers and other items which is both ergonomic and takes up a minimum amount of floor space. Existing workstations often take up large amounts of space and they are not generally user-configurable. They may also be difficult to access when a worker is holding tools or equipment for

example.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention proposes a modular floor-standing workstation of at least head height comprising a plurality of vertical bays of similar height which are connected together in a side-by-side relationship to present a common substantially planar front face, each bay including a plurality of vertically arranged fascia panels at least some of which provide access to internal storage units, the arrangement being such that, in a closed configuration, the fascia panels of all the bays contribute to said substantially planar front face.

The workstation may be mounted directly against a wall, but it could also be used freestanding to form a dividing wall between The invention also provides a modular floor-standing workstation having fascia panels which include both fixed panels and panels which provide access to internal storage units.

The invention also provides a modular floor-standing workstation in which access to internal storage units is provided by push-to-open panels.

The invention also provides a modular floor-standing workstation which includes at least one fascia panel which provides access to a worktop arranged such that it can be extended to form a work surface.

The invention also provides a modular floor-standing workstation having at least two fascia panels which provide access to worktops which, when extended, are aligned at the same level to provide a substantially continuous worksurface.

The invention also provides a modular floor-standing workstation having fixed fascia panels which incorporate an flat screen m 0 n ito r.

The invention also provides a modular floor-standing workstation having at least one fascia panel which provides access to a storage space which contains a waste bin.

The invention also provides a modular floor-standing workstation having a framework which includes a number of uprights.

The invention also provides a modular floor-standing workstation which includes uprights having a front wall and a pair of parallel side walls with in-turned rear flanges.

The invention also provides a modular floor-standing workstation which includes uprights interconnected by horizontal top and bottom bay members.

The invention also provides a modular floor-standing workstation which includes bay members which each span only one pair of uprights.

The invention also provides a modular floor-standing workstation which includes bay members which comprise plates with or without top and/or bottom flanges.

The invention also provides a modular floor-standing workstation which includes bay members and uprights with the bay members joined to flanges of the uprights.

The invention also provides a modular floor-standing workstation which includes front and rear uprights interconnected by tie members at various positions.

The invention also provides a modular floor-standing workstation which includes tie members which comprise plates with or without top and/or bottom flanges.

The invention also provides a modular floor-standing workstation which includes tie members and uprights and the tie members are joined to the side walls of the uprights.

The invention also provides a modular floor-standing workstation which includes tie members and uprights and the tie members are joined to the uprights by quick-release fasteners.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following description and the accompanying drawings referred to therein are included by way of non-limiting example in order to illustrate how the invention may be put into practice. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a general view of a modular floor-standing workstation in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a front elevation of the workstation; Figure 3 is a general rear view of the workstation; Figure 4 is a further general view of the workstation viewed from the front as in Fig. 1, but shown in a partially assembled condition; Figure 5 is a detail of a top portion of the workstation within the area circled V in Fig. 4; Figure 6 is another detail showing a bottom portion of the workstation as viewed from the rear within the area circled VI in Fig. 4; Figure 7 is a further detail showing a top portion of the workstation within the area circled VII in Fig. 4; Figure 8 is a plan view of the portion shown in Fig. 7 at a later stage in assembly; and Figure 9 is another detailed view of the workstation showing a front portion at the final stages of assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring firstly to Fig. 1, the workstation 1 includes a variable number of vertical bays 2.1 -2.4 which are all of similar height and are connected together in a side-by-side relationship to present a common substantially planar front face 3. The workstation is of at least head height, generally (without limitation) between 1.75 metres and 2.2 metres, and can be mounted directly against a wall or be used freestanding on a floor F to sub-divide work spaces.

Each bay 2.1 -2.4 includes a variable number of vertically stacked fascia panels at least some of which provide access to individual push-to-open units.

Referring to Fig. 2, by way of example the first bay 2.1 is a general storage bay having, from top to bottom, a pelmet formed by a fixed top fascia panel 4.la, an upper cupboard space with a door formed by a push-to-open fascia panel 4.lb, a fixed fascia panel 4.lc provided with electrical and/or data sockets, a slide-out worktop fronted by a push-to-open fascia panel 4.ld, a lower cupboard space with a door formed by a push-to-open fascia panel 4.le, and plinth formed by a fixed fascia panel 4.lf.

By way of further example the second bay 2.2 is configured as a second general storage bay having, from top to bottom, a pelmet formed by a fixed top fascia panel 4.2a, a cupboard space with a door formed by a push-to-open fascia panel 4.2b, a fixed infill panel formed by fascia panel 4.2c, a slide-out worktop fronted by a push-to-open fascia panel 4.2d, three shallow drawers fronted by push-to-open fascia panels 4.2e-4.2g, a deep drawer fronted by a push-to-open fascia panel 4.2h, and a plinth formed by a fixed fascia panel 4.2i.

The third bay 2.3 is configured as a computer workstation having, from top to bottom, a pelmet formed by a fixed top fascia panel 4.3a, a flat screen LCD monitor forming a further fixed fascia panel 4.3b which is ergonomically mounted at head height, a fixed infill panel formed by fascia panel 4.3c, a slide-out keyboard-support worktop fronted by a push-to-open drop-front fascia panel 4.3d, a lower cupboard space in which a computer may be housed, with a door formed by a push-to-open fascia panel 4.3e, and plinth formed by a fixed fascia panel 4.3f.

The final bay 2.4 is configured as a kind of janitorial station and has, from top to bottom, a pelmet formed by a fixed top fascia panel 4.4a, an upper storage space containing dispensers for rubber gloves and paper towels for example, with a door formed by a push-to-open fascia panel 4.4b, a fixed fascia panel 4.4c provided with electrical and/or data sockets, a slide-out worktop fronted by a push-to-open fascia panel 4.4d, a lower storage space containing a slide-out waste bin 5 (see Fig. 3) with a door formed by a push-to-open fascia panel 4.4e, and plinth formed by a fixed fascia panel 4.4f.

It will be noted that the slide-out worktops fronted by fascia panels 4.ld, 4.2d, 4.3d (for the computer keyboard), and 4.4d are all aligned at the same level so that if two or more adjacent worktops are pulled out they provide a continuous ergonomically located worksurface.

The opening fascia panels may be fixed to a drawer or other unit to slide out with the unit, swing open in a hinged manner e.g. to provide access to an internal cupboard space, or they may be provided with mountings of the kind which provide a combined out-and-up movement. Catches of the push-to-open/push-to-engage kind are well known and will not therefore be described in detail. In a closed configuration the opening fascia panels of all the bays, along with the fixed fascia panels, all contribute to the planar front face 3 of the workstation.

The provision of push-to-open fascia panels allows the panels to be easily opened without necessarily requiring a free hand, and also ensures that the workstation has an easily cleanable external surface with minimum projections.

When the workstation is to be mounted against a wall the rear face may be left open as shown in Fig. 3. The rear face may also be provided with adjustable wall brackets 6 for securing the workstation to the wall. Foot brackets 16 (Fig. 6) may also be provided to anchor the workstation to a floor, especially if the As will be explained below, the workstation is modular and user-configurable in that the vertical arrangement of the units fronted by the fascia panels within each bay can be determined during assembly according to the requirements of the user. Thus, for example, a cupboard can be changed for a set of drawers or replaced with a blank panel, if desired. This is of course subject to ergonomic constraints which dictate, for example, the the computer monitor should be at head height, the slide-out work surfaces should be at hand height, and the waste bin should generally be at the bottom of the workstation. The workstation is also horizontally modular and user-configurable in that the number and arrangement of the bays can easily be varied to change the length and layout of the workstation according to user requirements.

Referring to Fig. 4, the workstation is constructed from a framework of full-length front and rear uprights 10 which are joined at their top and bottom ends by bay-width front and rear bay members 11. Horizontal tieplate members 12 (only some of which are shown) connect the front and rear uprights, and these may be positioned as required.

The uprights 10 are of low cost, high strength sheet steel construction, being folded or formed and punched. As can be seen in Fig. 5, the uprights are generally of C-section, comprising a front wall 10.1 and parallel side walls 10.2 and 10.3 with in-turned rear flanges 10.4 and 10.5. All five faces of the uprights are perforated for attachment of the bay members 11 and tieplates 12.

The bay members 11 may be secured in fixed positions using bolts inserted through round holes 18.1 provided in the rear flanges -10 - 10.4 and 10.5 and the side walls 10.2 and 10.3, whereas the tieplates 12 are mounted in various vertical positions by selecting an appropriate set of square holes 18.2 which are provided along the length of the side walls 10.2 and 10.3. Two further rows of square holes 18.2 are provided in the front wall 10.1.

As can be seen in Fig. 6, the bay members 11 are essentially steel plates which may be bolted to the rear flanges 10.4 and 10.5 in fixed positions at the top and bottom of the uprights. The bay members may be provided with flanges 11.1 extending along their top and/or bottom edges for additional strength. Bay members 11 with end brackets 11.2 can also be secured to the side walls 10.2 and 10.3 as in Fig. 7.

Referring back to Fig.s 5 and 6, the tieplates 12 are also steel plates with or without top and/or bottom flanges 12.1 and, according to the configuration of each bay, the tieplates are secured to the side walls 10.2 and 10.3 of the front and rear uprights. Initial location of the tieplates 12 is obtained by means of spaced locating tabs 13 and 14 which are inserted into the square holes, but more permanent attachment is achieved by means of proprietary quick-release quarter turn fasteners 15 which are inserted through aligned square holes in the tieplates 12 and uprights 10. A suitable type of quarter turn fastener has a square insert and a projecting slotted head. The insert is passed through the aligned holes and the head is then rotated by one quarter turn to expand the insert and lock the panels together.

-11 -Since the end uprights 10 are only used with a single bay they may be narrower than the intermediate uprights, as shown in Fig.s 7 and 8. The end uprights have a narrower front wall 10.6 with a single row of square fixing holes 18.2, a narrow side wall 10.7 on the inside of the workstation provided with further fixing holes 18.1 and 18.2, and a wider side wall 10.8 with an in-turned flange 10.9 on the outside. The bay members 11 and tieplates 12 are fixed to the inside wall 10.7, as described. Quarter-turn fasteners can be used to attach top panels 20 (Fig. 9) to flanges 12.1 of tieplates 12 which are fixed at the top of the uprights 10. End panels 21 can be secured to the outer side walls 10.8 of the end uprights.

As can be seen in Fig.s 8 and 9, the fixed fascia panels 4 are attached directly to the rows of square holes in the front wall of the uprights 10 using quarter turn fasteners 15. The opening front fascia panels may be joined internally to the tieplates 12, using the appropriate kind of mountings. For aesthetic reasons the end uprights 10 can be covered by angle finishing strips 22 (Fig. 8), which may be secured by concealed hooks 22.1 inserted through vertical slots 18.3 in the end uprights. The intermediate uprights are similarly covered by flat finishing strips 23 (Fig. 9) which are provided with concealed hooks to engage in the slots 18.3 in the front wall of the uprights.

From the foregoing description it will be appreciated that the workstation provides a useful addition to many modern workplaces such as garages. The workstation could be installed -12 -within a workshop area to provide additional storage and work facilities, but it could also be useful in other places such as a customer service area at the front of a dealership. There are also numerous other possible uses, such as changing rooms in gymnasiums or swimming baths to name but two. Furthermore, the uses are not limited to commercial premises. The workstation would provide a user-configurable space saving work and storage facility in many situations ranging from domestic use within the home to residential care homes, offices, workshops, laboratories and factories, for example.

Whilst the above description places emphasis on the areas which are believed to be new and addresses specific problems which have been identified, it is intended that the features disclosed herein may be used in any combination which is capable of providing a new and useful advance in the art.

* * * * * * * *

Claims

-13 -CLAIMS1. A modular floor-standing workstation of at least head height comprising a plurality of vertical bays of similar height which are connected together in a side-by-side relationship to present a common substantially planar front face, each bay including a plurality of vertically arranged fascia panels at least some of which provide access to internal storage units, the arrangement being such that, in a closed configuration, the fascia panels of all the bays contribute to said substantially planar front face.
2. A modular floor-standing workstation according to Claim 1 in which the fascia panels include fixed panels and panels which provide access to internal storage units.
3. A modular floor-standing workstation according to Claim 1 or 2 in which access to internal storage units is provided by push-to-open panels.
4. A modular floor-standing workstation according to any preceding claim which includes at least one fascia panel which provides access to a worktop arranged such that it can be extended to form a work surface.
5. A modular floor-standing workstation according to Claim 4 in which at least two of the bays include fascia panels which -14 -provide access to worktops which, when extended, are aligned at the same level to provide a substantially continuous worksurface.
6. A modular floor-standing workstation according to Claim 2 in which the fixed fascia panels incorporate an flat screen m 0 n ito r.
7. A modular floor-standing workstation according to any preceding claim in which at least one of the fascia panels provides access to a storage space which contains a waste bin.
8. A modular floor-standing workstation according to any preceding claim in which the workstation comprises a framework which includes a plurality of uprights.
9. A modular floor-standing workstation according to Claim 8 in which the uprights have a front wall and a pair of parallel side walls with in-turned rear flanges.
10. A modular floor-standing workstation according to Claim 8 or 9 in which the uprights are interconnected by horizontal top and bottom bay members.
11. A modular floor-standing workstation according to Claim in which each bay member only spans one pair of uprights.
12. A modular floor-standing workstation according to Claim or 11 In which the bay members comprise plates with or -15 -without top and/or bottom flanges.
13. A modular floor-standing workstation according to Claims 9 and 10 in which the bay members are joined to the flanges of the uprights.
14. A modular floor-standing workstation according to any of Claims 8 to 13 in which front and rear uprights are interconnected by tie members at various positions.
15. A modular floor-standing workstation according to Claim 14 in which the tie members comprise plates with or without top and/or bottom flanges.
16. A modular floor-standing workstation according to Claim 14 or 15 in which the tie members are joined to the side walls of the uprights.
17. A modular floor-standing workstation according to Claim 14, 15 or 16 in which the tie members are joined to the uprights by quick-release fasteners.
18. A modular floor-standing workstation substantially as described with reference to the drawings.* * * * * * * *