US20070294953A1 - Cubicle work space organizer - Google Patents
Cubicle work space organizer Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20070294953A1 US20070294953A1 US11/474,874 US47487406A US2007294953A1 US 20070294953 A1 US20070294953 A1 US 20070294953A1 US 47487406 A US47487406 A US 47487406A US 2007294953 A1 US2007294953 A1 US 2007294953A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- accessory
- organizer
- shelf
- work space
- support surface
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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Classifications
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47B—TABLES; DESKS; OFFICE FURNITURE; CABINETS; DRAWERS; GENERAL DETAILS OF FURNITURE
- A47B83/00—Combinations comprising two or more pieces of furniture of different kinds
- A47B83/001—Office desks or work-stations combined with other pieces of furniture, e.g. work space management systems
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47B—TABLES; DESKS; OFFICE FURNITURE; CABINETS; DRAWERS; GENERAL DETAILS OF FURNITURE
- A47B57/00—Cabinets, racks or shelf units, characterised by features for adjusting shelves or partitions
- A47B57/30—Cabinets, racks or shelf units, characterised by features for adjusting shelves or partitions with means for adjusting the height of detachable shelf supports
- A47B57/40—Cabinets, racks or shelf units, characterised by features for adjusting shelves or partitions with means for adjusting the height of detachable shelf supports consisting of hooks coacting with openings
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47B—TABLES; DESKS; OFFICE FURNITURE; CABINETS; DRAWERS; GENERAL DETAILS OF FURNITURE
- A47B2200/00—General construction of tables or desks
- A47B2200/01—Office wall with desktop function
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47B—TABLES; DESKS; OFFICE FURNITURE; CABINETS; DRAWERS; GENERAL DETAILS OF FURNITURE
- A47B2220/00—General furniture construction, e.g. fittings
- A47B2220/0075—Lighting
- A47B2220/0077—Lighting for furniture, e.g. cupboards and racks
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F21—LIGHTING
- F21W—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO USES OR APPLICATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS
- F21W2131/00—Use or application of lighting devices or systems not provided for in codes F21W2102/00-F21W2121/00
- F21W2131/40—Lighting for industrial, commercial, recreational or military use
- F21W2131/402—Lighting for industrial, commercial, recreational or military use for working places
Definitions
- This invention generally relates to accessories for organizing an office workspace and more particularly to accessories for suspending from a set of partitions defining a work space commonly called a cubicle for organizing the office supplies and working files commonly used in a cubicle environment.
- a typical office floor plan includes a ring of outer offices surrounding a large central common area.
- the central area is commonly partitioned using a wall system such as that found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,442,909 to Waalkes et al. to give office workers a bit of privacy, reduce noise, and cut down on distractions.
- the individual partitions typically include a framework with a fabric material covering the open area of the framework and a set of fasteners such as hooks extending from the vertical ends of the framework. Multiple partitions are joined together with a rectangular connector post having a number of vertically aligned, spaced apart, retention slots.
- the set of retention slots run throughout the length of the post and appear on all four sides so that the connector post is universal.
- the retention slots are constructed to receive and retain the partition hooks and facilitate the joining of multiple partitions from any side of the post. Multiple partitions cooperate to form a cubicle or work space.
- the typical cubicle environment is three sided and defined by at least one front wall and two side walls and includes a desk and a chair, an overhead light source, and possibly a file cabinet and a table or other flat workspace for each occupant.
- an overhead storage compartment is hung from the top edge of one or more partitions to provide additional storage space and complement any files cabinets in the work space. Commonly, the overhead storage compartment is only accessible when the worker is standing.
- a supplemental overhead lighting source such as a fluorescent lamp may be mounted to the underside of the storage compartment when the compartment is mounted above the desktop.
- This cubicle arrangement provides the office worker with a designated work space in which to conduct his or her daily business.
- office workers To remain somewhat organized, office workers frequently purchase or are supplied with office accessories to help them organize the work space and get their tasks accomplished.
- Exemplary office accessories include pens, pencils, note pads, letter openers, tape dispensers, staplers, paper clips, binder clips, in/out boxes, pencil holders, filing racks, and other well known office supplies.
- Each office worker is also typically provided with a telephone and a computer monitor on the desktop.
- personal items such as pictures, calendars, and awards, may take up valuable work space. While these office supplies assist in organizing some of the clutter they also tend to take up a significant amount of working desk top space, leaving the cubicle user with little room to work.
- the connector posts between the partitions are commonly universal to accommodate two-way, three-way, and four-way panel connections and thus include a series of vertically spaced retention slots on each side of the rectangular post. Where no partition is joined, a number of these slots face inwardly into the cube space.
- These unused retentions slots may appear between partitions in the middle of the wall or at the corners and typically a desk is arranged and centered on at least one vertical connector post. More unused slots are located elsewhere in the cube.
- Even if an overhead storage compartment is used usually a couple of feet or more exists between the bottom of the overhead bin and the desktop with exposed retention slots. Should a simple conventional shelf be placed therein, such shelf would provide limited organizational capabilities and would further block the light from the overhead lighting source making it a poor alternative.
- an organizer for use in a cubicle work space generally comprises an accessory support surface having an elongated planar shelf with a trailing edge and a leading edge and a light transmissible region therebetween and a tray projecting outwardly from one side of the shelf and at least one mounting bracket projecting rearwardly from the other side shelf with the shelf and tray cooperating to define an accessory mounting surface whereby the mounting bracket may be releasably coupled to an existing connector post having a set of retention slots to position the accessory support surface between a desktop and an overhead lighting so that a cubicle user may selectively remove office supply accessories from the desktop and place them on the accessory support surface while light from said overhead lighting source may still pass through at least a portion of said light transmissible region to illuminate said desktop below.
- the accessory support surface is extended to include a plurality of adjustable hooks for suspending a plurality of mountable office supply accessories.
- Another feature of the present invention is the subdivision of the tray section to provide additional organizational capabilities.
- the shelf and tray section are integrally formed and may be releasably secured to at least one elongated mounting bracket.
- Another embodiment of the present invention is directed to a supplemental accessory support surface with a bracket mounted to a cross bar with adjustable or exchangeable hangers mounted thereto.
- a method of organizing a cubicle work space using a cubicle work space organizer in accordance with the present invention is also disclosed herein.
- FIG. 1 is a front schematic view of an exemplary cubicle work space having a set of conventional partitions, connector posts, overhead storage cabinet, and lighting source, along with an exemplary embodiment of a cubicle work space organizer in accordance with the present invention installed therein with the organizer supporting a number of exemplary office supply accessories normally found on a conventional desktop;
- FIG. 2 is a similar view to FIG. 1 illustrating the typical work space clutter of a conventional cubicle work space with a desktop bearing the exemplary office supply accessories of FIG. 1 and prior to the installation and use of the cubicle work space organizer;
- FIG. 3 is a top view, in enlarged scale, of the cubicle work space organizer installed in FIG. 1 in accordance with the present invention without the exemplary office supply accessories;
- FIG. 4 is a cutaway end view, in enlarged scale, taken along lines 4 - 4 of FIG. 3 ;
- FIG. 5 is a front view, in enlarged scale, of the cubicle work space organizer of FIG. 3 ;
- FIG. 6 is a side view, of an unassembled alternative embodiment of the cubicle work space organizer in accordance with the present invention.
- FIG. 7 a is a top view of a representative desktop with exemplary office supply accessories placed thereon;
- FIG. 7 b is a top view of another alternative embodiment of the cubicle work space organizer in accordance with the present invention and supporting the office supply accessories of the desktop of FIG. 7 a;
- FIG. 8 a is a side view an alternative embodiment of the cubicle work space organizer in accordance with the present invention.
- FIG. 8 b is a forward perspective view, in enlarged scale, of the cubicle work space organizer of FIG. 8 a;
- FIG. 9 a is a side view of an alternative embodiment of the cubicle work space organizer in accordance with the present invention.
- FIG. 9 b is a forward perspective view, in enlarged scale, of the cubicle work space organizer of FIG. 9 a;
- FIG. 10 is a front schematic view of a conventional cubicle work space with a pair of cubicle work space organizers as shown in FIGS. 8 a and 8 b installed therein and with a couple of conventional office supply accessories shown on the desktop;
- FIG. 11 is a similar view to FIG. 10 with the office supply accessories supported by the cubicle work space organizers and depicting a cleared off desktop;
- FIG. 12 is a forward perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the cubicle work space organizer with adjustable hangers in accordance with the present invention.
- FIG. 13 is a forward perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the cubicle work space organizer with exchangeable hangers in accordance with the present invention.
- FIG. 14 is a side view, in enlarged scale, of an exemplary exchangeable hanger for use with the cubicle work space organizer of FIG. 13 ;
- FIG. 15 is a side view of an alternative exchangeable hanger for use with the cubicle work space organizer of FIG. 13 ;
- FIG. 16 is a rear perspective view of the cubicle work space organizer of FIG. 13 with a pair of exemplary exchangeable hanging posts of FIG. 15 installed thereon and supporting a removable shelf placed shown in phantom lines;
- FIG. 17 is a front view of a conventional cubicle partition with a central connecting post with a schematic representation of a cubicle work space organizer of FIGS. 12 , 13 , or 16 installed thereon and showing a mounted office accessory in phantom lines;
- FIG. 18 is a set of exemplary conventional office supply accessories, each having a single mounting receptacle.
- FIG. 19 is a set of exemplary conventional office supply accessories, each having a pair of mounting receptacles.
- FIGS. 1-2 a first exemplary embodiment of a cubicle work space organizer in accordance with the present invention is illustrated.
- the cubicle work space organizer generally designated 30
- the cubicle work space organizer is installed in a conventional cubicle work space, generally designated 32 , and supports a number of typical office supply or work space accessories normally found on a desktop thereby clearing off that primary work surface for the cubicle user.
- FIG. 2 is a prior art view of the same cubicle work space, without the benefit of the cubicle work space organizer, schematically depicting a typical desktop clutter of office accessories. As viewed in FIGS.
- the conventional cubicle work space 32 includes a left side partition 34 coupled to a front left partition 36 by a left side connection post 38 forming a ninety degree left hand corner 40 .
- a right side partition 42 is coupled to a front right partition 44 by a right side connection post 46 forming a ninety degree right hand corner 48 .
- the front partitions 36 and 44 are connected by a central connector post 50 .
- the partitions cooperate to form a three-sided, channel shaped, work space.
- a rectangular desktop 52 or table top work space spans the width between the left and right side partitions and has a rear edge 54 that abuts the front partitions and connecting posts.
- the desktop normally defines the primary work space or working surface for the cubicle user. Facing into the cubicle work space from each connecting post is a number of unused, vertically aligned, spaced apart, exposed, retention slots 55 from which the cubicle work space organizer 30 may be hung as will be described below.
- an overhead storage compartment 56 positioned above the desktop 52 and anchored to the connecting posts 38 , 46 , 50 is an overhead storage compartment 56 divided into left and right sides.
- An overhead lighting source 58 such as a fluorescent lamp is connected to the underside 60 of the storage compartment. When activated, the lamp normally illuminates the desktop 52 below.
- the bottom portion of the desk and an exemplary desk chair have been omitted in FIGS. 1-2 for ease of description. It will be appreciated that the construction and assembly of such a conventional cubicle work space 32 as shown in FIG. 2 is well known and other cubicle configurations may be used as well.
- strewn about the representative conventional desktop 52 are a variety of work space accessories generally found at an office supply retailer. These work space accessories may generally be divided into two categories, mountable accessories, generally designated 62 , and non-mountable accessories, generally designated 72 . The mountable accessories may further be categorized into those with single mounting receptacles and those with multiple mounting receptacles.
- Exemplary mountable work space accessories 62 with single mounting receptacles are shown in FIG. 18 and include a telephone 64 a , a file bucket 64 b , a utensil holder 64 c , and a clock 64 d .
- Each of these work space accessories 62 includes a corresponding mounting receptacle 68 a , 68 b , 68 c , and 68 d.
- Exemplary work space accessories 62 with multiple mounting receptacles are illustrated in FIG. 19 and include a clipboard 66 a , a picture 66 b , a dry marker board 66 c , an enlarged file bin 66 d , and a toy basketball hoop 66 e .
- Each of these accessories includes dual mounting receptacles 70 a , 70 b , 70 c , 70 d , and 70 e , respectively.
- the mounting receptacles provided in the work space accessories 62 are provided by the manufacturer of the office accessory using known techniques and typically appear on the rear surface of the accessory with a lower enlarged circular section and a reduced diameter upper elongated section forming a keyhole configuration. Other receptacle shapes are well known.
- Exemplary non-mountable accessories 72 may include such items as rulers, staplers, pens, pencils, markers, paper clips, writing and note pads, tape dispensers, file folders, and documents some of which are schematically represented in FIGS. 1-2 and under reference designation 272 in FIGS. 7 a and 7 b .
- FIGS. 1-2 depict mountable accessories 62 and non-mountable accessories 72 generally mixed together.
- the examples of office accessories described herein are not meant to be exclusionary and other work space accessories such as those commonly found in a conventional office supply catalog and useful in a cubicle work space setting will occur to one of ordinary skill in the art.
- the exemplary cubicle work space organizer 30 for installing in a conventional cubicle work space 32 generally includes a shelf region 73 adjacent an outwardly extended tray region 74 . Both regions cooperate to form an accessory support surface for organizing and carrying work space office accessories 62 , 72 normally found on the desktop 52 .
- the shelf region includes an elongated rectangular planar shelf 75 with a leading edge 76 and a trailing edge 78 and a light transmissible region 80 extending therebetween.
- the light transmissible region includes a large number of perforations 88 projecting all the way through the shelf to facilitate the passage of light therethrough.
- a light transmissible region that is substantially coextensive with the shelf region is preferred so as to maximize the amount of light that may pass through the shelf, especially when a substantial portion of the shelf is covered with work space accessories 62 , 72 when in use.
- the light transmissible region may be formed of a translucent or transparent material as well in place of or in combination with the perforations.
- a practical shelf will have sufficient depth to carry a number of commonly used office space accessories. Shelves having a depth from 6 to 24 inches have been found to be practical for most cubicle settings. The length of the shelf may span across the entire desktop or underlying workspace or a shorter or longer shelf may be used as desired within the constraints of the cubicle wall configuration. Other suitable dimensions will occur to one of ordinary skill in the art.
- the shelf 75 may be coextensive with the shelf region 73 or merely form a portion thereof.
- the tray region 74 includes a tray 82 that curves downwardly and forwardly from the leading edge 76 of the shelf 75 into a trough 83 and then curves upwardly and forwardly to terminate in a distal lip 87 , relative to the trailing edge 78 of the shelf, to form an open topped, bowl shaped tray.
- a tray 82 that curves downwardly and forwardly from the leading edge 76 of the shelf 75 into a trough 83 and then curves upwardly and forwardly to terminate in a distal lip 87 , relative to the trailing edge 78 of the shelf, to form an open topped, bowl shaped tray.
- Other suitable tray shapes including three sided channel shapes will occur to one of ordinary skill in the art.
- the uppermost extent of the distal tray lip may be flush with or lower or higher than the upper surface 89 of the shelf 75 . In the illustrative example shown in FIG. 4 , the lip is slightly higher than the upper shelf surface.
- the tray 82 is coextensive with the leading edge 76 of the shelf 75 .
- the tray may be span more or less of the length of the shelf region or multiple trays may be spaced apart on the leading edge or sides of the shelf.
- a transverse divider 90 runs along the trough 83 of the tray parallel to the leading edge 76 of the shelf 75 thereby subdividing the tray into a rear section 91 and a front section 93 .
- Running perpendicularly to the transverse divider is a set of five stiffening ribs 92 a , 92 b , 92 c , 92 d , and 92 e having an arcuate lower edge following the curvature of the tray and a straight upper edge 94 terminating at or below the lip 87 of the tray although the upper edge of stiffening rib may project above the upper lip of the tray if desired.
- the stiffening ribs add structural integrity to the tray and resist bending moments applied to the forward lip of the tray.
- the intersection of the transverse divider with the five stiffening ribs also subdivides the tray into ten sub-compartments for organizing the non-mountable accessories 70 .
- These compartments may be the same size or differ in dimensions and are preferably sized to accommodate office supplies such as pens, pencils, markers, paper clips, binder clips, small note pads, staple removers and other small office supplies commonly used throughout the day.
- a transversely projecting slider bar 96 is connected to a set of four short extension ribs 102 a , 102 b , 102 c , 102 e projecting from the front surface 100 of the tray 82 .
- the extension ribs are evenly spaced along the length of the slider bar.
- the slider bar may be welded to, adhered to, or formed integrally with the extension ribs or otherwise suitably connected to the forward facing surface of the tray.
- the slider bar spans the length of the tray but may span more or less of that length as desired.
- a set of five adjustable accessory hangers 98 a , 98 b , 98 c , 98 d , and 98 e are mounted on the slider bar.
- the hangers extend the carrying and organizational capacity of the work space organizer 30 and complement and form a portion of the accessory support surface.
- Each hanger includes a collar 101 a , 101 b , 101 c , 101 d , 101 e slidably attached to the slider bar from which is supported a corresponding accessory mounting hook and extension post 104 a , 104 b , 104 c , 104 d , and 104 e , respectively.
- the collar 101 d of hanger 98 d is channel shaped and wraps around the top and bottom surfaces of the slider bar 96 but is open on the left and right sides so that the collar may slide back and forth along the slider bar.
- the rear surface of the collar includes an open section so the collar may slide over the nearby support ribs such as the rib designated 102 d .
- the forward facing surface of the collar includes a centrally located threaded aperture (not shown) to receive an exchangeable accessory mounting hook and post 104 d .
- the hook and post includes a cylindrical post 106 d having a threaded section that may be screwed into the threaded aperture of the collar. At the opposing end of the threaded section, the post transitions into an enlarged circular disk 108 d with an outwardly facing slot 110 d to form the hook.
- the disk is preferably sized to fit within the mounting receptacles of the receptacled accessories 62 .
- the hook and post 104 d may be screwed into the corresponding collar 101 d using a conventional flathead screwdriver in the slot 110 d so that the innermost end of the post 106 d abuts the slider bar 96 and releasably locks the collar in place on the slider bar similar to the use of a set screw. If a new hanger position is desired on the slider bar, a user may use the screwdriver to loosen the hook and post until the innermost end of the post no longer engages the slider bar. The collar of the associated hanger 98 d may then be slid along the length of the slider bar to a new location and locked into place by screwing the hook and post back into the aperture to engage the slider bar.
- Each of the other hangers 98 a - c and 98 e are constructed identically and operate in the same manner as the hanger designated 98 d .
- the user may align a single hanger to mate with the single receptacle mounting accessories 64 a - d ( FIG. 18 ) and align two hangers to mate with a dual receptacle mounting accessory 70 a - e ( FIG. 19 ) taking into account the overall size of each accessory to maximize the number of accessories that may be hung from the slider bar.
- this exemplary embodiment includes ten sub-compartments in the tray 82 and five accessory mounting hangers 98 a - e on a forwardly disposed slider bar 96 , these numbers are not meant to be limiting and other suitable configurations will occur to one of ordinary skill in the art.
- One suitable alternative in accordance with this invention would be to provide transversely or longitudinally projecting slots in the outward facing surface of the tray with the adjustable hangers slidably engaged with the walls of the slots. Such a configuration would omit the slider bar.
- the cubicle work space organizer 30 includes a pair of mounting brackets 84 a , 84 b projecting rearwardly from the trailing edge 78 of the shelf 75 near the opposing short ends of the shelf.
- the exemplary right hand bracket 84 b includes an upper retention hook 86 a and a lower retention hook 86 b projecting from an upright 102 b .
- a triangular brace 112 b connects the upright to the shelf 75 and lends additional structural integrity to the organizer 30 .
- the left hand bracket 84 a is constructed in a similar manner with similar components.
- each brace may be releasably coupled to the cubicle wall 36 , 44 by inserting the hooks into a corresponding number of the existing retention slots 55 in the connecting posts 38 , 46 , 50 as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art when mounting a conventional bracketed shelf.
- the retention hooks releasably retain and anchor the organizer on the cubicle wall.
- the upright of each bracket adds additional stability acting as a brace to maintain the shelf in a horizontal position projecting straight out from the cubicle wall.
- the brackets 84 a , 84 b would align with and attach to the left and right connector posts 38 , 46 , respectively.
- the brackets should be mated with the connecting posts at the same height to provide a level shelf surface.
- a third bracket (not shown) projecting from the trailing edge of the shelf and aligned with the central connecting post 50 may be used for additional structural rigidity.
- a single bracket may also be used provided that the shelf and the anticipated weight of the work space accessories, especially at the outer ends of the shelf, may be held up safely. Alternatively, other suitable connections will occur to one of ordinary skill in the art.
- the organizer 30 may be moved to another location by simply removing all objects from the apparatus and lifting the unit upwardly and outwardly while rotating the front end of the organizer downwardly to disengage the bracket hooks from the connecting posts. The organizer may then be reinstalled at another convenient location within the cubicle.
- the brackets may also be adjustable relative to the trailing edge 78 of the shelf to accommodate different connector post spacings. If the shelf 75 is not coextensive with the shelf section 73 , the mounting brackets may alternatively be connected or made integral with the rear portion of the shelf section.
- a cubicle user selects a desired organizer 30 having a mounting bracket 84 a , 84 b spacing matching the connecting post 36 , 46 , 50 spacing of the cubicle work space 32 .
- the organizer is mounted on the cubicle walls 36 , 44 by inserting the hooks 86 a , 86 b of mounting bracket 84 b through a corresponding number of retention slots 55 in connecting post 46 while similarly engaging the retention hooks of mounting bracket 84 a with the connector post 36 at a location between the desktop 52 and overhead lighting source 58 .
- the mounting brackets 84 a , 84 b should be mounted to the connecting posts at the same height to ensure a substantially level shelf surface.
- the installation and removal of the organizer from the connector posts is similar to mounting a conventional shelf in a partition wall system.
- the cubicle user may selectively remove the non-mountable accessories, generally designated 72 , such as the pens, pencils, staplers, markers, and notepads from the desktop 52 .
- the non-mountable accessories may be placed in the tray region 74 of the organizer within the various sub-compartments of the tray 82 .
- Larger non-mountable accessories may be placed in the shelf region 73 on the shelf 75 in a manner befitting the cubicle user.
- the cubicle user may also adjust the hangers 98 a - e by unscrewing the threaded posts 106 a - e and sliding the collars 101 a - e of each hanger to a position to align the hangers with the expected hanging position of the mountable accessories, generally designated 62 .
- the cubicle user may dedicate hangers 98 a and 98 b to the clipboard, hangers 98 c and 98 d to the picture, and hanger 98 e to the telephone.
- the hangers 98 a - e are locked in place by screwing in their respective posts 106 a - e .
- the cubicle user may then selectively remove each of the mountable accessories 64 a , 66 a , and 66 b and hang them on their dedicated hangers by inserting the hooks 108 a - e into the receptacles of the mountable accessories thereby removing them from the desktop 52 as well.
- the desktop 52 is clear as shown in FIG. 1 .
- the desktop is the primary working surface of the cubicle user, the removal and organization of the office accessories from the desktop will allow the user to focus on a current set of files to avoid mixing files or documents and restores the space for use in working on projects with oversized documents.
- the tray may also be perforated providing a secondary light transmissible region so that the cubicle user may see the outline of the contents in each sub-compartment from below to prevent guesswork in selecting the desired accessory from the tray ( FIGS. 1 and 7 b ).
- the organizer 30 is ergonomically devised.
- the cubicle user may easily reach office accessories 72 located in the rear or front tray sections 91 , 93 , respectively, and grasp a pen, pencil, paper clip or other non-mountable office accessory.
- the mounted accessories 62 hanging from the front side of the tray 82 are well within the reach of the typical cubicle user.
- the cubicle user may also leave the hangers 98 a - e loose on the slider bar 96 so that the mountable work space accessories may be slid along the slider bar to a more convenient position, if desired.
- the organizer may also be raised or lowered on the connecting posts 38 , 46 , 50 to facilitate different users.
- other cubicle walls typically include connector posts with retention slots such as those described above.
- An organizer 30 may be mounted on those walls as well for additional storage and organization of the cubicle work space.
- the shelf region 73 , tray region 74 , and mounting brackets 84 a , 84 b may be integrally formed of a rigid metal or hard plastic material or may be assembled from separate components.
- the mounting brackets 84 a , 84 b may extend forwardly to terminate in the tray region and a separate shelf unit may be placed over the top of the opposing brackets similar to FIG. 16 discussed below.
- the organizer generally designated 130 , wherein like components are like numbered, includes an integral shelf and tray unit, generally designated 131 .
- the shelf and tray unit includes a shelf 175 that extends into a bowl shaped tray 188 that terminates in a forward lip 187 .
- a hanger 185 extends from a short rib 103 on the front side 199 of the tray near the forward lip.
- the hanger includes a short post 186 that extends forwardly from the short rib and terminates in an enlarged circular hook 188 .
- the hook may be fixed or adjustable as in the first embodiment.
- a modified mounting bracket 184 b includes an elongated support 182 b that terminates a locking boss 115 b .
- the locking boss fits within an anchoring notch 155 b in the bottom surface of the shelf 175 near the leading edge 176 of the shelf to inhibit the shelf from sliding relative to the bracket 184 b .
- the shelf and tray unit 131 may be coupled to the bracket using clamps or suitable fasteners. Use of this organizer 130 is similar to the first embodiment.
- the mounting bracket 184 b may be installed on a connector post first and then the shelf and tray unit 131 mounted on the bracket or the shelf and tray unit may be assembled on the mounting bracket and entire assembly mounted to the connector post or posts.
- FIGS. 7 a and 7 b another embodiment of the cubicle work space organizer, generally designated 230 is shown.
- a prior art desk top 252 bearing a number of non-mountable accessories, some of which have been designated 272 is shown reducing the usable primary work space of the cubicle user.
- the organizer is 230 is hung above the desktop with the trailing edge 278 of the organizer aligned with the rear edge 254 of the desktop.
- the organizer 230 includes a shelf 275 and tray 282 and a set of forwardly extending adjustable hangers 298 a - f suspended on a front slider bar 296 .
- a lateral slider bar 297 is provided with two lateral adjustable hangers 298 g and 298 h suspended therefrom.
- the organizer 230 does not extend the entire length of the desktop and incorporates a pair of accessory hangers on the exposed lateral side 291 of the shelf 275 .
- both the shelf and tray include a light permissible region, 280 and 281 , respectively, so that more light from the overhead lighting source passes through the organizer 230 to the desktop below.
- this feature allows the cubicle user to see the outline of the accessories in the tray from below thus saving time in retrieving the desired work space accessory when sitting.
- a supplemental work space accessory organizer may provide a primary or complementary accessory support surface for hanging mountable office accessories 62 ( FIG. 18-19 ) and take advantage of other unused retention slots 55 around the cubicle.
- the supplemental accessory organizer 330 includes a single mounting bracket 384 with a single pair of vertically aligned upper and lower retention hooks 386 a , 286 b , respectively connected to an oversized rectangular brace plate 312 .
- a rectangular mounting block 313 with a protruding cylindrical collar 317 having a central threaded bore (not shown) into which is received one end of a threaded post 315 .
- an enlarged circular accessory mounting hook 316 with a tool engaging slot 318 in its end surface. The hook may be inserted into a mounting receptacle 68 a - d of a single mounting receptacle accessory 64 a - d , respectively ( FIG. 18 ).
- the enlarged hook can slip into the mounting receptacle and the reduced collar allows the hanger to slide up into a reduced diameter section of the mounting receptacle restraining the accessory from slipping off the hanger.
- the post and hook are exchangeable and may be unscrewed and removed from the collar 317 so that other hook configurations may be used.
- FIGS. 10-11 a cubicle user of a conventional cubicle work space 32 similar to that shown in FIG. 2 , wherein like components are like numbered, may use one or more supplemental organizers 330 a , 330 b for organizing and hanging work space accessories such as the telephone 64 a and picture frame 66 b .
- a first supplemental organizer 330 a is hung above a second supplemental organizer 330 b on the central connecting post 50 by inserting their respective retention hooks 386 a , 386 b into available retention slots 55 .
- the supplemental organizers are located above the desktop 52 and below the overhead lighting source 58 and are substantially flush to the surrounding partition walls 36 , 44 .
- the user may select one of the single mounting receptacle accessories 64 a , 66 b and insert the mounting receptacle over the enlarged accessory mounting hook 316 and to rest on the post 315 to suspend the work space accessory over the desktop.
- the other work space accessory may be hung from the other available supplemental organizer.
- the desktop 52 is clear of all work space accessories 64 a , 66 b which are suspended from a pair of vertically aligned supplemental organizers 330 a , 330 b .
- the brace plate and hook may be angled to the retention hooks to maintain the suspended accessory in a slanted orientation. An upwardly angled brace plate and hook may be useful in maintaining a telephone on a receiver base for instance.
- the brace plate may also be extended downwardly to provide additional support for the work space accessory when suspended from the supplemental organizer.
- the relatively short post 315 of this type of supplemental organizer 330 maintains the work space accessory 64 a , 66 b relatively flush with the surrounding cubicle wall 36 , 44 . In some instances, however, it may be desirable to locate the work space accessory further from the cubicle wall and closer to the cubicle user. In those instances, an alternative supplemental accessory, generally designated 430 , as shown in FIGS. 9 a , 9 b may be used.
- This supplemental organizer 430 is constructed similarly to the embodiment designated 330 except that there is no oversized brace plate. Instead the mounting bracket 484 includes an elongated neck 414 connected to the rear surface of the mounting block 413 .
- a cylindrical collar 417 with a threaded bore receives the threaded end of the post 415 that terminates at its opposing end in an enlarged circular accessory mounting hook 416 .
- the hook includes a slot 418 for receipt of the working end of the flathead screwdriver.
- Use of this extended supplemental organizer 430 is similar to the organizer designated 330 above except that the mounted accessory will be spaced further away from the cubicle wall and closer to the cubicle user. This may bring the work space accessory closer to the cubicle user and may also accommodate an odd-shaped accessory that will not lay flush against the cubicle wall.
- a suitable length for the neck 414 section of the supplemental organizer will be within the skill of one of ordinary skill in the art.
- the neck may also be constructed as a two-piece assembly wherein one piece may be extended relative to the other to provide a variable length neck section.
- the prior supplemental organizers 330 , 430 are primarily used for suspending mountable accessories 62 having single mounting receptacles such as the set pictured in FIG. 18 . However, many work space accessories are manufactured with dual mounting receptacles such as those pictured in FIG. 19 .
- FIG. 12 another modification of supplemental organizer, generally designated 530 , is shown in FIG. 12 .
- the supplemental organizer 530 includes similar features to the previously described embodiments and like components are like numbered. Similar features include a rear mounting bracket 584 with an upper retention hook 586 a and lower retention hook 586 b disposed in a spaced apart vertical relationship.
- the bracket includes an elongated neck 514 that extends forwardly to join a slider bar 596 similar to the slider bar 96 of the first embodiment.
- the neck and slider bar are joined at right angles to one another and form a T-joint 531 .
- Slidably coupled to the slider bar is a left hanger 598 a and a right hanger 598 b relative to the T-joint 531 and as viewed in FIG. 12 .
- Each hanger 598 a , 598 b includes a slide collar 501 a , 501 b , respectively, having a central threaded bore (not shown) constructed as with the first embodiment.
- Each hanger includes a threaded post 506 a , 506 b that screws into the bore of the respective collar and terminates at its distal end in an enlarged circular disk 508 a , 508 b , respectively that provide accessory mounting hooks.
- the outwardly facing surface of each disk includes a slot 510 a , 510 b for a flathead screwdriver.
- the post provides a set screw for locking and unlocking the corresponding collar at a desired location on the slider bar 596 and the hangers may be adjusted in the same manner as the hangers 98 a - e in the first embodiment.
- Such a supplemental organizer is useful for hanging two single mounting receptacle accessories or one dual mounting receptacle accessory.
- FIGS. 12 and 17 a simplified front view of the cubicle of FIG. 1 is illustrated with the cubicle side walls, desktop, and overhead lighting source removed.
- a dual mounting receptacle accessory such as the file bucket 66 d ( FIG. 19 )
- the cubicle user couples the bracket 584 to the connector post 50 via the retention slots 55 as described above for previously described brackets.
- each slide collar 501 a , 501 b may be loosened and the collars slid along the slider bar 596 to match the distance between the dual mounting receptacles 70 d of the mountable accessory 66 d selected.
- the set screws may then be tightened to lock the collars in place on the slider bar to pre-position the hooks 508 a , 508 b on each hanger 598 a , 598 b , respectively, to align with the dual mounting receptacles 70 d .
- the mountable accessory is then hung from the supplemental organizer 530 as represented by a dotted outline in FIG. 17 .
- the cubicle user has taken advantage of pre-existing and available retention slots 55 around the cubicle work space 32 and freed up space on the primary work surface 52 normally occupied by one or more work space accessories 62 .
- FIGS. 13-16 another embodiment of the supplemental organizer, generally designated 630 , is shown.
- This supplemental organizer includes a bracket 684 with rearwardly projecting upper and lower retention hooks 686 a , 686 b connected perpendicularly to an oversized brace plate 612 similar to the construction of the embodiment designated 330 .
- An elongated cross bar 696 is fastened to the brace plate using a pair of screws 619 a , 619 b . It will be appreciated that the cross bar may be welded, adhered to, integral with, or otherwise suitably connected to the brace plate.
- Each aperture may receive an exchangeable hanger 698 a , 798 a such as those illustrated in FIGS. 14-15 for suspending work space accessories from the supplemental organizer 630 .
- FIG. 14 the side view of a representative exchangeable hanger, generally designated 698 a (also shown on the left side of the cross bar 696 in FIG. 13 ), depicts the hanger with a short post 606 a that extends through a stop 617 a and terminates in an enlarged circular accessory mounting hook 616 a with an outwardly facing slot 618 a for receiving the working end of a flathead screwdriver.
- the section of the post to the left of the stop is threaded for engaging the threads in any one of the apertures 621 a - f .
- the stop prevents the post from threading all the way through the cross bar 696 .
- the hook and section of the post next to the hook fit the mounting receptacle of the work space accessory with the hook resisting outward movement of the accessory.
- the right side exchangeable hanger 698 b is constructed in the same manner. Multiple exchangeable hangers 698 a , 698 b may be screwed into the cross bar as shown in FIG. 13 to accommodate multiple single receptacled accessories 66 a - d ( FIG. 18 ) or dual receptacled mounting accessories 68 a - e ( FIG. 19 ).
- supplemental organizer 630 with exchangeable hangers 698 a , 689 b is similar to the prior embodiments wherein the organizer 630 may be hung from the connector post 38 , 46 , 50 by inserting the mounting bracket 684 into available retention slots 55 and then a receptacled work space accessory 62 may be hung from one or a pair of the hooks 616 a , 616 b.
- an exchangeable hanger 798 a includes a threaded post 706 a and a stop 717 a as described above with the prior exchangeable hanger 698 a but also includes an extended shelf supporting section 715 a that terminates in a ridge 721 a and an accessory mounting hook 716 a . Between the ridge and the hook is a cylindrical collar 723 a with a threaded bore for receiving a reduced diameter section 725 a of the hook that has complementary threading to that of the bore. Thus, the accessory mounting hooks may be exchanged as well. As shown in FIG.
- a supplemental organizer may employ a pair of such exchangeable hangers 798 a , 798 b that are screwed into two of the threaded apertures 721 a - f of the cross bar 796 on either side of the mounting bracket 784 .
- a shelf 775 may be placed over the shelf support sections 715 a , 715 b of the exchangeable hangers with the trailing edge of the shelf abutting the cross bar 796 and leading edge 776 of the shelf abutting the interior surface of the ridges 721 a , 721 b of the respective hangers 798 a , 798 b to prevent the shelf from sliding inwardly or outwardly relative to the mounting bracket.
- a clamp or clamps (not shown) on the undersurface of the shelf may further couple the shelf to the extensions to prevent lateral movement of the shelf if desired.
- the supplemental organizer 730 In use, the supplemental organizer 730 , with shelf supporting surfaces is mounted to a desired connector post 38 , 44 , 50 in the cubicle work space.
- a set of suitable hangers 798 a , 798 b is screwed into two of the selected apertures 721 a - f of the cross bar 796 .
- the removable shelf 775 is placed over the shelf supporting sections 715 a , 715 b of the hangers. The user may then suspend work space accessories from the hooks 716 a , 716 b as described above.
- one or more exchangeable hangers may be selectively attached to the cross bar and that more or less than six apertures may be used.
- the apertures may simply form a sleeve without threads and the posts of the exchangeable hangers may be unthreaded as well and simply inserted into the selected apertures so that the hangers are retained by frictional means.
- Other suitable exchangeable connections will occur to one of ordinary skill in the art.
- the cubicle user may conduct a survey of the work space office accessories 62 , 72 to be organized. Then, once a primary organizer 30 , 130 , 230 is installed in the cubicle and filled up with work space accessories, various supplemental organizers 330 , 430 , 530 , 630 , 730 may be positioned about the cubicle work space 32 at other convenient locations using free retention slots 55 to suspend the remaining work space accessories.
- a typical cubicle includes a three or more partitions with connector posts between each or between elongated sections of wall, free retention slots are usually readily available. The organizers also save wear and tear on the fabric coverings of the partitions.
- the organizer embodiments discussed herein are preferably constructed of a lightweight metal such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy, other suitable metal, or a rigid plastic material. Other suitable materials may be used as well.
- Non-moving components may be manufactured as an integral unit using conventional metalworking or plastics technology and, if the organizer is assembled from separate components, well known welding, adhesion, and coupling manufacturing and assembly techniques may be used to assemble the organizer.
- the set screws or threaded posts and accessory mounting hooks may alternatively be constructed with a ridged or knurled peripheral surface so as to allow hand tightening thus omitting the need for a screwdriver.
- Other suitable locking and release mechanism will occur to one of ordinary skill in the art.
Landscapes
- Tables And Desks Characterized By Structural Shape (AREA)
Abstract
A cubicle work space organizer is provided in the form of an accessory support surface having a first portion defined by a shelf with leading and trailing edges and a light transmissible region therebetween and a second portion defined by an outwardly projecting tray with both portions being supported from a cubicle wall by the releasable coupling of a rearwardly projecting mounting bracket to a set of vertically aligned, cubicle wall retention slots to position the accessory support surface between a desktop and a lighting source for selectively removing accessories from the desktop and organizing them on the accessory support surface while enabling the transmission of light onto the desktop through at least a portion of the shelf.
Description
- 1. Field of the Invention
- This invention generally relates to accessories for organizing an office workspace and more particularly to accessories for suspending from a set of partitions defining a work space commonly called a cubicle for organizing the office supplies and working files commonly used in a cubicle environment.
- 2. General Background and State of the Art:
- A typical office floor plan includes a ring of outer offices surrounding a large central common area. As an alternative to using an open bullpen workspace, the central area is commonly partitioned using a wall system such as that found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,442,909 to Waalkes et al. to give office workers a bit of privacy, reduce noise, and cut down on distractions. The individual partitions typically include a framework with a fabric material covering the open area of the framework and a set of fasteners such as hooks extending from the vertical ends of the framework. Multiple partitions are joined together with a rectangular connector post having a number of vertically aligned, spaced apart, retention slots. Typically the set of retention slots run throughout the length of the post and appear on all four sides so that the connector post is universal. The retention slots are constructed to receive and retain the partition hooks and facilitate the joining of multiple partitions from any side of the post. Multiple partitions cooperate to form a cubicle or work space. The typical cubicle environment is three sided and defined by at least one front wall and two side walls and includes a desk and a chair, an overhead light source, and possibly a file cabinet and a table or other flat workspace for each occupant. In some instances, an overhead storage compartment is hung from the top edge of one or more partitions to provide additional storage space and complement any files cabinets in the work space. Commonly, the overhead storage compartment is only accessible when the worker is standing. In addition to overhead lighting being provided by ceiling lights, a supplemental overhead lighting source such as a fluorescent lamp may be mounted to the underside of the storage compartment when the compartment is mounted above the desktop. This cubicle arrangement provides the office worker with a designated work space in which to conduct his or her daily business.
- As part of this daily business, today's office workers are required to juggle numerous projects, often with short term deadlines, and thus a number of files and documents are worked on throughout the day. Time is primarily spent moving a number of the immediate tasks forward simultaneously to meet deadlines and then starting on new projects. This leaves little time for organizing the documents and files typically associated with these projects and, under these circumstances, the office work space eventually becomes a cluttered area with files and office accessories strewn about the desktop, table space, or any free space found in the work space. Where cubicle space is at a premium, overloaded workers spread working documents over any available flat surface thus leaving little or no room on the primary working space, that is, the desktop. Other non-working files and documents are typically stored in a file cabinet or the overhead storage bin.
- To remain somewhat organized, office workers frequently purchase or are supplied with office accessories to help them organize the work space and get their tasks accomplished. Exemplary office accessories include pens, pencils, note pads, letter openers, tape dispensers, staplers, paper clips, binder clips, in/out boxes, pencil holders, filing racks, and other well known office supplies. Each office worker is also typically provided with a telephone and a computer monitor on the desktop. In addition, personal items such as pictures, calendars, and awards, may take up valuable work space. While these office supplies assist in organizing some of the clutter they also tend to take up a significant amount of working desk top space, leaving the cubicle user with little room to work.
- To further reduce the office clutter, cubicle users often get creative and rely on items such as paper clips and push-pins to secure documents to the fabric wall of the partitions. Other devices such as hook and loop backed products are often attached to the walls as well. However, only relatively lightweight products such as note papers may be supported using these alternatives. In addition, this type of activity leads to damaging the fabric wall coverings over time. Other work space accessories such as document or file baskets may be hung from the top end of the partition walls but supporting these accessories from the top of the cubicle walls usually places them well out of reach of a cubicle user sitting at his or her desk. In addition, these types of hanging accessories are typically constructed to hold only one kind of office accessory such as a file folders or documents and thus lack a certain versatility.
- While each of these existing office accessories has their uses, an enormous amount of potential storage and organizational capacity of the cubicle is wasted. For instance, the connector posts between the partitions are commonly universal to accommodate two-way, three-way, and four-way panel connections and thus include a series of vertically spaced retention slots on each side of the rectangular post. Where no partition is joined, a number of these slots face inwardly into the cube space. These unused retentions slots may appear between partitions in the middle of the wall or at the corners and typically a desk is arranged and centered on at least one vertical connector post. More unused slots are located elsewhere in the cube. Even if an overhead storage compartment is used, usually a couple of feet or more exists between the bottom of the overhead bin and the desktop with exposed retention slots. Should a simple conventional shelf be placed therein, such shelf would provide limited organizational capabilities and would further block the light from the overhead lighting source making it a poor alternative.
- What is needed and heretofore unavailable is a versatile cubicle work space organizer providing alternative work space support surfaces for office accessories and documents to facilitate the clearing and organization of the primary cubicle work space surface while taking advantage of the number of unused mounting slots in a conventional cubicle system.
- In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an organizer for use in a cubicle work space generally comprises an accessory support surface having an elongated planar shelf with a trailing edge and a leading edge and a light transmissible region therebetween and a tray projecting outwardly from one side of the shelf and at least one mounting bracket projecting rearwardly from the other side shelf with the shelf and tray cooperating to define an accessory mounting surface whereby the mounting bracket may be releasably coupled to an existing connector post having a set of retention slots to position the accessory support surface between a desktop and an overhead lighting so that a cubicle user may selectively remove office supply accessories from the desktop and place them on the accessory support surface while light from said overhead lighting source may still pass through at least a portion of said light transmissible region to illuminate said desktop below.
- In one aspect of the present invention, the accessory support surface is extended to include a plurality of adjustable hooks for suspending a plurality of mountable office supply accessories.
- Another feature of the present invention is the subdivision of the tray section to provide additional organizational capabilities.
- In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the shelf and tray section are integrally formed and may be releasably secured to at least one elongated mounting bracket.
- Another embodiment of the present invention is directed to a supplemental accessory support surface with a bracket mounted to a cross bar with adjustable or exchangeable hangers mounted thereto.
- A method of organizing a cubicle work space using a cubicle work space organizer in accordance with the present invention is also disclosed herein.
- Other aspects of the present invention will become apparent with further reference to the following drawings and specification.
-
FIG. 1 is a front schematic view of an exemplary cubicle work space having a set of conventional partitions, connector posts, overhead storage cabinet, and lighting source, along with an exemplary embodiment of a cubicle work space organizer in accordance with the present invention installed therein with the organizer supporting a number of exemplary office supply accessories normally found on a conventional desktop; -
FIG. 2 is a similar view toFIG. 1 illustrating the typical work space clutter of a conventional cubicle work space with a desktop bearing the exemplary office supply accessories ofFIG. 1 and prior to the installation and use of the cubicle work space organizer; -
FIG. 3 is a top view, in enlarged scale, of the cubicle work space organizer installed inFIG. 1 in accordance with the present invention without the exemplary office supply accessories; -
FIG. 4 is a cutaway end view, in enlarged scale, taken along lines 4-4 ofFIG. 3 ; -
FIG. 5 is a front view, in enlarged scale, of the cubicle work space organizer ofFIG. 3 ; -
FIG. 6 is a side view, of an unassembled alternative embodiment of the cubicle work space organizer in accordance with the present invention; -
FIG. 7 a is a top view of a representative desktop with exemplary office supply accessories placed thereon; -
FIG. 7 b is a top view of another alternative embodiment of the cubicle work space organizer in accordance with the present invention and supporting the office supply accessories of the desktop ofFIG. 7 a; -
FIG. 8 a is a side view an alternative embodiment of the cubicle work space organizer in accordance with the present invention; -
FIG. 8 b is a forward perspective view, in enlarged scale, of the cubicle work space organizer ofFIG. 8 a; -
FIG. 9 a is a side view of an alternative embodiment of the cubicle work space organizer in accordance with the present invention; -
FIG. 9 b is a forward perspective view, in enlarged scale, of the cubicle work space organizer ofFIG. 9 a; -
FIG. 10 is a front schematic view of a conventional cubicle work space with a pair of cubicle work space organizers as shown inFIGS. 8 a and 8 b installed therein and with a couple of conventional office supply accessories shown on the desktop; -
FIG. 11 is a similar view toFIG. 10 with the office supply accessories supported by the cubicle work space organizers and depicting a cleared off desktop; -
FIG. 12 is a forward perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the cubicle work space organizer with adjustable hangers in accordance with the present invention; -
FIG. 13 is a forward perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the cubicle work space organizer with exchangeable hangers in accordance with the present invention; -
FIG. 14 is a side view, in enlarged scale, of an exemplary exchangeable hanger for use with the cubicle work space organizer ofFIG. 13 ; -
FIG. 15 is a side view of an alternative exchangeable hanger for use with the cubicle work space organizer ofFIG. 13 ; -
FIG. 16 is a rear perspective view of the cubicle work space organizer ofFIG. 13 with a pair of exemplary exchangeable hanging posts ofFIG. 15 installed thereon and supporting a removable shelf placed shown in phantom lines; -
FIG. 17 is a front view of a conventional cubicle partition with a central connecting post with a schematic representation of a cubicle work space organizer ofFIGS. 12 , 13, or 16 installed thereon and showing a mounted office accessory in phantom lines; -
FIG. 18 is a set of exemplary conventional office supply accessories, each having a single mounting receptacle; and -
FIG. 19 is a set of exemplary conventional office supply accessories, each having a pair of mounting receptacles. - Referring initially to
FIGS. 1-2 , a first exemplary embodiment of a cubicle work space organizer in accordance with the present invention is illustrated. InFIG. 1 , the cubicle work space organizer, generally designated 30, is installed in a conventional cubicle work space, generally designated 32, and supports a number of typical office supply or work space accessories normally found on a desktop thereby clearing off that primary work surface for the cubicle user.FIG. 2 is a prior art view of the same cubicle work space, without the benefit of the cubicle work space organizer, schematically depicting a typical desktop clutter of office accessories. As viewed inFIGS. 1-2 , the conventionalcubicle work space 32 includes aleft side partition 34 coupled to a frontleft partition 36 by a leftside connection post 38 forming a ninety degreeleft hand corner 40. Similarly, aright side partition 42 is coupled to a frontright partition 44 by a rightside connection post 46 forming a ninety degreeright hand corner 48. Thefront partitions central connector post 50. The partitions cooperate to form a three-sided, channel shaped, work space. Within the work space, arectangular desktop 52 or table top work space spans the width between the left and right side partitions and has arear edge 54 that abuts the front partitions and connecting posts. The desktop normally defines the primary work space or working surface for the cubicle user. Facing into the cubicle work space from each connecting post is a number of unused, vertically aligned, spaced apart, exposed,retention slots 55 from which the cubiclework space organizer 30 may be hung as will be described below. - With continued reference to
FIGS. 1-2 , positioned above thedesktop 52 and anchored to the connectingposts overhead storage compartment 56 divided into left and right sides. Anoverhead lighting source 58 such as a fluorescent lamp is connected to theunderside 60 of the storage compartment. When activated, the lamp normally illuminates thedesktop 52 below. Even with theoverhead bin 56 installed in the cubicle work space a large number ofunused retention slots 55 remain between the desktop and the underside of the overhead bin and throughout the remainder of the cubicle work space. The bottom portion of the desk and an exemplary desk chair have been omitted inFIGS. 1-2 for ease of description. It will be appreciated that the construction and assembly of such a conventionalcubicle work space 32 as shown inFIG. 2 is well known and other cubicle configurations may be used as well. - With continued reference to
FIG. 2 , strewn about the representativeconventional desktop 52 are a variety of work space accessories generally found at an office supply retailer. These work space accessories may generally be divided into two categories, mountable accessories, generally designated 62, and non-mountable accessories, generally designated 72. The mountable accessories may further be categorized into those with single mounting receptacles and those with multiple mounting receptacles. - Exemplary mountable
work space accessories 62 with single mounting receptacles are shown inFIG. 18 and include atelephone 64 a, afile bucket 64 b, autensil holder 64 c, and aclock 64 d. Each of thesework space accessories 62 includes a corresponding mountingreceptacle - Exemplary
work space accessories 62 with multiple mounting receptacles are illustrated inFIG. 19 and include aclipboard 66 a, apicture 66 b, adry marker board 66 c, anenlarged file bin 66 d, and atoy basketball hoop 66 e. Each of these accessories includes dual mountingreceptacles work space accessories 62 are provided by the manufacturer of the office accessory using known techniques and typically appear on the rear surface of the accessory with a lower enlarged circular section and a reduced diameter upper elongated section forming a keyhole configuration. Other receptacle shapes are well known. - Exemplary
non-mountable accessories 72 may include such items as rulers, staplers, pens, pencils, markers, paper clips, writing and note pads, tape dispensers, file folders, and documents some of which are schematically represented inFIGS. 1-2 and underreference designation 272 inFIGS. 7 a and 7 b.FIGS. 1-2 depictmountable accessories 62 andnon-mountable accessories 72 generally mixed together. The examples of office accessories described herein are not meant to be exclusionary and other work space accessories such as those commonly found in a conventional office supply catalog and useful in a cubicle work space setting will occur to one of ordinary skill in the art. - Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 3-5, the exemplary cubicle
work space organizer 30 for installing in a conventionalcubicle work space 32 generally includes ashelf region 73 adjacent an outwardlyextended tray region 74. Both regions cooperate to form an accessory support surface for organizing and carrying workspace office accessories desktop 52. The shelf region includes an elongated rectangularplanar shelf 75 with aleading edge 76 and a trailingedge 78 and a lighttransmissible region 80 extending therebetween. The light transmissible region includes a large number ofperforations 88 projecting all the way through the shelf to facilitate the passage of light therethrough. A light transmissible region that is substantially coextensive with the shelf region is preferred so as to maximize the amount of light that may pass through the shelf, especially when a substantial portion of the shelf is covered withwork space accessories shelf 75 may be coextensive with theshelf region 73 or merely form a portion thereof. - With continued reference to
FIGS. 3-5 , thetray region 74 includes atray 82 that curves downwardly and forwardly from the leadingedge 76 of theshelf 75 into atrough 83 and then curves upwardly and forwardly to terminate in adistal lip 87, relative to the trailingedge 78 of the shelf, to form an open topped, bowl shaped tray. Other suitable tray shapes including three sided channel shapes will occur to one of ordinary skill in the art. The uppermost extent of the distal tray lip may be flush with or lower or higher than theupper surface 89 of theshelf 75. In the illustrative example shown inFIG. 4 , the lip is slightly higher than the upper shelf surface. That configuration may be useful for inhibiting office accessories stored on the shelf from accidentally slipping off the shelf in a forward direction toward the cubicle user. In this example, thetray 82 is coextensive with the leadingedge 76 of theshelf 75. However, this is not meant to be limiting and the tray may be span more or less of the length of the shelf region or multiple trays may be spaced apart on the leading edge or sides of the shelf. - As shown in
FIGS. 3-4 , within the tray 82 atransverse divider 90 runs along thetrough 83 of the tray parallel to the leadingedge 76 of theshelf 75 thereby subdividing the tray into arear section 91 and afront section 93. Running perpendicularly to the transverse divider is a set of fivestiffening ribs upper edge 94 terminating at or below thelip 87 of the tray although the upper edge of stiffening rib may project above the upper lip of the tray if desired. The stiffening ribs add structural integrity to the tray and resist bending moments applied to the forward lip of the tray. The intersection of the transverse divider with the five stiffening ribs also subdivides the tray into ten sub-compartments for organizing the non-mountable accessories 70. These compartments may be the same size or differ in dimensions and are preferably sized to accommodate office supplies such as pens, pencils, markers, paper clips, binder clips, small note pads, staple removers and other small office supplies commonly used throughout the day. - Referring now to
FIGS. 3-5 , a transversely projectingslider bar 96 is connected to a set of fourshort extension ribs front surface 100 of thetray 82. In this exemplary embodiment, the extension ribs are evenly spaced along the length of the slider bar. The slider bar may be welded to, adhered to, or formed integrally with the extension ribs or otherwise suitably connected to the forward facing surface of the tray. The slider bar spans the length of the tray but may span more or less of that length as desired. In this exemplary embodiment, a set of fiveadjustable accessory hangers work space organizer 30 and complement and form a portion of the accessory support surface. Each hanger includes acollar - With continued reference to
FIGS. 3-5 , arepresentative hanger 98 d will now be described. As shown inFIG. 4 , thecollar 101 d ofhanger 98 d is channel shaped and wraps around the top and bottom surfaces of theslider bar 96 but is open on the left and right sides so that the collar may slide back and forth along the slider bar. The rear surface of the collar includes an open section so the collar may slide over the nearby support ribs such as the rib designated 102 d. The forward facing surface of the collar includes a centrally located threaded aperture (not shown) to receive an exchangeable accessory mounting hook and post 104 d. The hook and post includes acylindrical post 106 d having a threaded section that may be screwed into the threaded aperture of the collar. At the opposing end of the threaded section, the post transitions into an enlargedcircular disk 108 d with an outwardly facingslot 110 d to form the hook. The disk is preferably sized to fit within the mounting receptacles of thereceptacled accessories 62. - Still referring to
FIG. 305 , the hook and post 104 d may be screwed into thecorresponding collar 101 d using a conventional flathead screwdriver in theslot 110 d so that the innermost end of thepost 106 d abuts theslider bar 96 and releasably locks the collar in place on the slider bar similar to the use of a set screw. If a new hanger position is desired on the slider bar, a user may use the screwdriver to loosen the hook and post until the innermost end of the post no longer engages the slider bar. The collar of the associatedhanger 98 d may then be slid along the length of the slider bar to a new location and locked into place by screwing the hook and post back into the aperture to engage the slider bar. Each of the other hangers 98 a-c and 98 e are constructed identically and operate in the same manner as the hanger designated 98 d. By adjusting the hangers on the slider bar, the user may align a single hanger to mate with the single receptacle mounting accessories 64 a-d (FIG. 18 ) and align two hangers to mate with a dual receptacle mounting accessory 70 a-e (FIG. 19 ) taking into account the overall size of each accessory to maximize the number of accessories that may be hung from the slider bar. - While this exemplary embodiment includes ten sub-compartments in the
tray 82 and five accessory mounting hangers 98 a-e on a forwardlydisposed slider bar 96, these numbers are not meant to be limiting and other suitable configurations will occur to one of ordinary skill in the art. One suitable alternative in accordance with this invention would be to provide transversely or longitudinally projecting slots in the outward facing surface of the tray with the adjustable hangers slidably engaged with the walls of the slots. Such a configuration would omit the slider bar. - Still referring to
FIGS. 3-5 , the cubiclework space organizer 30 includes a pair of mountingbrackets edge 78 of theshelf 75 near the opposing short ends of the shelf. As shown inFIG. 4 , the exemplaryright hand bracket 84 b includes anupper retention hook 86 a and alower retention hook 86 b projecting from an upright 102 b. Atriangular brace 112 b connects the upright to theshelf 75 and lends additional structural integrity to theorganizer 30. Theleft hand bracket 84 a is constructed in a similar manner with similar components. The retention hooks of each brace may be releasably coupled to thecubicle wall retention slots 55 in the connectingposts brackets post 50 may be used for additional structural rigidity. A single bracket may also be used provided that the shelf and the anticipated weight of the work space accessories, especially at the outer ends of the shelf, may be held up safely. Alternatively, other suitable connections will occur to one of ordinary skill in the art. Theorganizer 30 may be moved to another location by simply removing all objects from the apparatus and lifting the unit upwardly and outwardly while rotating the front end of the organizer downwardly to disengage the bracket hooks from the connecting posts. The organizer may then be reinstalled at another convenient location within the cubicle. The brackets may also be adjustable relative to the trailingedge 78 of the shelf to accommodate different connector post spacings. If theshelf 75 is not coextensive with theshelf section 73, the mounting brackets may alternatively be connected or made integral with the rear portion of the shelf section. - Referring now to the cluttered work space configuration as shown in
FIG. 2 and also to theorganizer 30 inFIGS. 3-5 , a cubicle user selects a desiredorganizer 30 having a mountingbracket post cubicle work space 32. In this example, the organizer is mounted on thecubicle walls hooks bracket 84 b through a corresponding number ofretention slots 55 in connectingpost 46 while similarly engaging the retention hooks of mountingbracket 84 a with theconnector post 36 at a location between thedesktop 52 andoverhead lighting source 58. The mountingbrackets - With the
organizer 30 mounted across thecubicle walls desktop 52 filled with work space accessories such as those shown inFIG. 2 , the cubicle user may selectively remove the non-mountable accessories, generally designated 72, such as the pens, pencils, staplers, markers, and notepads from thedesktop 52. Smaller non-mountable accessories may be placed in thetray region 74 of the organizer within the various sub-compartments of thetray 82. Larger non-mountable accessories may be placed in theshelf region 73 on theshelf 75 in a manner befitting the cubicle user. The cubicle user may also adjust the hangers 98 a-e by unscrewing the threaded posts 106 a-e and sliding the collars 101 a-e of each hanger to a position to align the hangers with the expected hanging position of the mountable accessories, generally designated 62. For example, in this illustration, there is atelephone 64 a with a single mountingreceptacle 68 a, aclipboard 66 a with adual mounting receptacle 70 a, and apicture 66 b, also with adual mounting receptacle 70 b. As an exemplary arrangement, the cubicle user may dedicatehangers hangers hanger 98 e to the telephone. Once the desired hanger spacing is determined by the cubicle user, the hangers 98 a-e are locked in place by screwing in their respective posts 106 a-e. The cubicle user may then selectively remove each of themountable accessories desktop 52 as well. With all thenon-mountable accessories 72 andmountable accessories 62 carried on the accessory support surfaces 73, 74, and 98 a-e of theorganizer 30, thedesktop 52 is clear as shown inFIG. 1 . As the desktop is the primary working surface of the cubicle user, the removal and organization of the office accessories from the desktop will allow the user to focus on a current set of files to avoid mixing files or documents and restores the space for use in working on projects with oversized documents. - With a typical conventional shelving unit, light transmission would be obstructed from reaching the area of the
desktop 52 beneath the shelf. However, even with theoffice accessories organizer 30, light from theoverhead lighting source 58 may pass through areas of the lighttransmissible section 80 of theshelf region 73 where no accessories are located to illuminate thedesktop 52 below (FIG. 1 ). The tray may also be perforated providing a secondary light transmissible region so that the cubicle user may see the outline of the contents in each sub-compartment from below to prevent guesswork in selecting the desired accessory from the tray (FIGS. 1 and 7 b). - With continued reference to
FIG. 1 , it will also be appreciated that theorganizer 30 is ergonomically devised. For example, while seated, the cubicle user may easily reachoffice accessories 72 located in the rear orfront tray sections accessories 62, hanging from the front side of thetray 82 are well within the reach of the typical cubicle user. The cubicle user may also leave the hangers 98 a-e loose on theslider bar 96 so that the mountable work space accessories may be slid along the slider bar to a more convenient position, if desired. The organizer may also be raised or lowered on the connectingposts front area partitions cubicle work space 32, other cubicle walls typically include connector posts with retention slots such as those described above. Anorganizer 30 may be mounted on those walls as well for additional storage and organization of the cubicle work space. - The
shelf region 73,tray region 74, and mountingbrackets brackets FIG. 16 discussed below. As another alternative, as inFIG. 6 , the organizer, generally designated 130, wherein like components are like numbered, includes an integral shelf and tray unit, generally designated 131. The shelf and tray unit includes ashelf 175 that extends into a bowl shapedtray 188 that terminates in aforward lip 187. Ahanger 185 extends from ashort rib 103 on thefront side 199 of the tray near the forward lip. The hanger includes ashort post 186 that extends forwardly from the short rib and terminates in an enlargedcircular hook 188. The hook may be fixed or adjustable as in the first embodiment. A modified mountingbracket 184 b includes anelongated support 182 b that terminates a lockingboss 115 b. The locking boss fits within an anchoringnotch 155 b in the bottom surface of theshelf 175 near theleading edge 176 of the shelf to inhibit the shelf from sliding relative to thebracket 184 b. The shelf andtray unit 131 may be coupled to the bracket using clamps or suitable fasteners. Use of thisorganizer 130 is similar to the first embodiment. The mountingbracket 184 b may be installed on a connector post first and then the shelf andtray unit 131 mounted on the bracket or the shelf and tray unit may be assembled on the mounting bracket and entire assembly mounted to the connector post or posts. - Referring now to
FIGS. 7 a and 7 b, another embodiment of the cubicle work space organizer, generally designated 230 is shown. InFIG. 7 a, a priorart desk top 252 bearing a number of non-mountable accessories, some of which have been designated 272, is shown reducing the usable primary work space of the cubicle user. InFIG. 7 b, the organizer is 230 is hung above the desktop with the trailingedge 278 of the organizer aligned with therear edge 254 of the desktop. As with the first embodiment, theorganizer 230 includes ashelf 275 andtray 282 and a set of forwardly extending adjustable hangers 298 a-f suspended on afront slider bar 296. In addition to thefront slider bar 296, alateral slider bar 297 is provided with two lateraladjustable hangers organizer 230 does not extend the entire length of the desktop and incorporates a pair of accessory hangers on the exposedlateral side 291 of theshelf 275. Also, both the shelf and tray include a light permissible region, 280 and 281, respectively, so that more light from the overhead lighting source passes through theorganizer 230 to the desktop below. In addition, this feature allows the cubicle user to see the outline of the accessories in the tray from below thus saving time in retrieving the desired work space accessory when sitting. - Referring now to
FIGS. 8 a and 8 b, in addition to or as an alternative to using the workspace cubicle organizers FIG. 18-19 ) and take advantage of otherunused retention slots 55 around the cubicle. Thesupplemental accessory organizer 330 includes asingle mounting bracket 384 with a single pair of vertically aligned upper and lower retention hooks 386 a, 286 b, respectively connected to an oversizedrectangular brace plate 312. Welded onto the brace plate is arectangular mounting block 313 with a protrudingcylindrical collar 317 having a central threaded bore (not shown) into which is received one end of a threadedpost 315. At the other end or distal end of the post is an enlarged circularaccessory mounting hook 316 with atool engaging slot 318 in its end surface. The hook may be inserted into a mounting receptacle 68 a-d of a single mounting receptacle accessory 64 a-d, respectively (FIG. 18 ). The enlarged hook can slip into the mounting receptacle and the reduced collar allows the hanger to slide up into a reduced diameter section of the mounting receptacle restraining the accessory from slipping off the hanger. The post and hook are exchangeable and may be unscrewed and removed from thecollar 317 so that other hook configurations may be used. - Turning now to
FIGS. 10-11 , a cubicle user of a conventionalcubicle work space 32 similar to that shown inFIG. 2 , wherein like components are like numbered, may use one or moresupplemental organizers telephone 64 a andpicture frame 66 b. In this example, a firstsupplemental organizer 330 a is hung above a secondsupplemental organizer 330 b on the central connectingpost 50 by inserting their respective retention hooks 386 a, 386 b intoavailable retention slots 55. The supplemental organizers are located above thedesktop 52 and below theoverhead lighting source 58 and are substantially flush to the surroundingpartition walls receptacle accessories accessory mounting hook 316 and to rest on thepost 315 to suspend the work space accessory over the desktop. Likewise, the other work space accessory may be hung from the other available supplemental organizer. As shown inFIG. 11 , thedesktop 52 is clear of all workspace accessories supplemental organizers - The relatively
short post 315 of this type ofsupplemental organizer 330 maintains thework space accessory cubicle wall FIGS. 9 a, 9 b may be used. Thissupplemental organizer 430 is constructed similarly to the embodiment designated 330 except that there is no oversized brace plate. Instead the mountingbracket 484 includes anelongated neck 414 connected to the rear surface of the mountingblock 413. As in the prior embodiment, acylindrical collar 417 with a threaded bore receives the threaded end of thepost 415 that terminates at its opposing end in an enlarged circularaccessory mounting hook 416. The hook includes aslot 418 for receipt of the working end of the flathead screwdriver. Use of this extendedsupplemental organizer 430 is similar to the organizer designated 330 above except that the mounted accessory will be spaced further away from the cubicle wall and closer to the cubicle user. This may bring the work space accessory closer to the cubicle user and may also accommodate an odd-shaped accessory that will not lay flush against the cubicle wall. A suitable length for theneck 414 section of the supplemental organizer will be within the skill of one of ordinary skill in the art. The neck may also be constructed as a two-piece assembly wherein one piece may be extended relative to the other to provide a variable length neck section. - The prior
supplemental organizers mountable accessories 62 having single mounting receptacles such as the set pictured inFIG. 18 . However, many work space accessories are manufactured with dual mounting receptacles such as those pictured inFIG. 19 . Thus, another modification of supplemental organizer, generally designated 530, is shown inFIG. 12 . Thesupplemental organizer 530 includes similar features to the previously described embodiments and like components are like numbered. Similar features include arear mounting bracket 584 with anupper retention hook 586 a andlower retention hook 586 b disposed in a spaced apart vertical relationship. The bracket includes anelongated neck 514 that extends forwardly to join aslider bar 596 similar to theslider bar 96 of the first embodiment. The neck and slider bar are joined at right angles to one another and form a T-joint 531. Slidably coupled to the slider bar is aleft hanger 598 a and aright hanger 598 b relative to the T-joint 531 and as viewed inFIG. 12 . Eachhanger slide collar post circular disk slot slider bar 596 and the hangers may be adjusted in the same manner as the hangers 98 a-e in the first embodiment. Such a supplemental organizer is useful for hanging two single mounting receptacle accessories or one dual mounting receptacle accessory. - Referring now to
FIGS. 12 and 17 , a simplified front view of the cubicle ofFIG. 1 is illustrated with the cubicle side walls, desktop, and overhead lighting source removed. In use, assuming a dual mounting receptacle accessory, such as thefile bucket 66 d (FIG. 19 ), for example, is selected to be suspended from thesupplemental organizer 530, the cubicle user couples thebracket 584 to theconnector post 50 via theretention slots 55 as described above for previously described brackets. The set screws 506 a, 506 b of eachslide collar slider bar 596 to match the distance between thedual mounting receptacles 70 d of themountable accessory 66 d selected. The set screws may then be tightened to lock the collars in place on the slider bar to pre-position thehooks hanger dual mounting receptacles 70 d. The mountable accessory is then hung from thesupplemental organizer 530 as represented by a dotted outline inFIG. 17 . Again, the cubicle user has taken advantage of pre-existing andavailable retention slots 55 around thecubicle work space 32 and freed up space on theprimary work surface 52 normally occupied by one or morework space accessories 62. - Referring now to
FIGS. 13-16 , another embodiment of the supplemental organizer, generally designated 630, is shown. This supplemental organizer includes abracket 684 with rearwardly projecting upper and lower retention hooks 686 a, 686 b connected perpendicularly to an oversized brace plate 612 similar to the construction of the embodiment designated 330. Anelongated cross bar 696 is fastened to the brace plate using a pair ofscrews exchangeable hanger FIGS. 14-15 for suspending work space accessories from thesupplemental organizer 630. - In
FIG. 14 , the side view of a representative exchangeable hanger, generally designated 698 a (also shown on the left side of thecross bar 696 inFIG. 13 ), depicts the hanger with ashort post 606 a that extends through astop 617 a and terminates in an enlarged circularaccessory mounting hook 616 a with an outwardly facingslot 618 a for receiving the working end of a flathead screwdriver. The section of the post to the left of the stop, as viewed inFIG. 14 , is threaded for engaging the threads in any one of the apertures 621 a-f. The stop prevents the post from threading all the way through thecross bar 696. The hook and section of the post next to the hook fit the mounting receptacle of the work space accessory with the hook resisting outward movement of the accessory. The right sideexchangeable hanger 698 b is constructed in the same manner. Multipleexchangeable hangers FIG. 13 to accommodate multiple single receptacled accessories 66 a-d (FIG. 18 ) or dual receptacled mounting accessories 68 a-e (FIG. 19 ). The use ofsupplemental organizer 630 withexchangeable hangers 698 a, 689 b is similar to the prior embodiments wherein theorganizer 630 may be hung from theconnector post bracket 684 intoavailable retention slots 55 and then a receptacledwork space accessory 62 may be hung from one or a pair of thehooks - Other suitable exchangeable hangers may be used as well with the threaded
cross bar embodiment 630. Referring now toFIG. 15 , anexchangeable hanger 798 a includes a threadedpost 706 a and astop 717 a as described above with the priorexchangeable hanger 698 a but also includes an extendedshelf supporting section 715 a that terminates in aridge 721 a and anaccessory mounting hook 716 a. Between the ridge and the hook is acylindrical collar 723 a with a threaded bore for receiving a reduceddiameter section 725 a of the hook that has complementary threading to that of the bore. Thus, the accessory mounting hooks may be exchanged as well. As shown inFIG. 16 , a supplemental organizer, generally designated 730, may employ a pair of suchexchangeable hangers cross bar 796 on either side of the mountingbracket 784. Ashelf 775 may be placed over theshelf support sections cross bar 796 andleading edge 776 of the shelf abutting the interior surface of theridges respective hangers - In use, the
supplemental organizer 730, with shelf supporting surfaces is mounted to a desiredconnector post suitable hangers cross bar 796. Theremovable shelf 775 is placed over theshelf supporting sections hooks - For both of the exchangeable
cross bar organizers - With a number of
organizers space office accessories primary organizer supplemental organizers cubicle work space 32 at other convenient locations usingfree retention slots 55 to suspend the remaining work space accessories. As a typical cubicle includes a three or more partitions with connector posts between each or between elongated sections of wall, free retention slots are usually readily available. The organizers also save wear and tear on the fabric coverings of the partitions. - The organizer embodiments discussed herein are preferably constructed of a lightweight metal such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy, other suitable metal, or a rigid plastic material. Other suitable materials may be used as well. Non-moving components may be manufactured as an integral unit using conventional metalworking or plastics technology and, if the organizer is assembled from separate components, well known welding, adhesion, and coupling manufacturing and assembly techniques may be used to assemble the organizer.
- The set screws or threaded posts and accessory mounting hooks may alternatively be constructed with a ridged or knurled peripheral surface so as to allow hand tightening thus omitting the need for a screwdriver. Other suitable locking and release mechanism will occur to one of ordinary skill in the art.
- In the preceding detailed description, the invention is described with reference to a number of specific exemplary embodiments thereof. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in a illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.
Claims (20)
1. An organizer for use in a cubicle work space including an overhead lighting source and at least one cubicle wall with a plurality of vertically aligned retention slots positioned proximate a desktop bearing a plurality of work space accessories, the organizer comprising:
an accessory support surface having a first portion defined by an elongated planar shelf with a trailing edge and a leading edge, said shelf including a light transmissible region operable to transmit light from said overhead lighting source therethrough;
a tray projecting outwardly from said leading edge of said shelf and projecting along at least a portion of the length of said shelf and defining a second portion of said accessory support surface; and
at least one mounting bracket projecting rearwardly from said trailing edge of said shelf and including at least one retention hook operable to releasably couple said accessory support surface to a corresponding number of said retention slots at a first location disposed between said overhead lighting source and said desktop in a horizontal orientation whereby said work space accessories may be selectively removed from said desktop and placed on said accessory support surface and light from said overhead lighting source may pass through at least a portion of said light transmissible region to illuminate said desktop.
2. The organizer as set forth in claim 1 wherein:
said light transmissible region is defined by a perforated section of said shelf between said leading and trailing edges.
3. The organizer as set forth in claim 1 further including:
at least one partition projecting perpendicularly to said leading edge of said shelf within said tray to subdivide said tray along its length.
4. The organizer as set forth in claim 1 further including:
a first partition projecting parallel to said leading edge of said shelf within said tray to subdivide said tray along its width.
5. The organizer as set forth in claim 4 further including:
a second partition intersecting said first partition within said tray to subdivide said tray along its width and length.
6. The organizer as set forth in claim 1 further including:
at least one hook projecting outwardly from an edge of said accessory support surface, said hook being operable to releasably retain one of said work space accessories.
7. The organizer as set forth in claim 6 wherein:
the position of said hook may be adjusted along said edge of said accessory support surface.
8. The organizer as set forth in claim 6 wherein:
a plurality of hooks project outwardly from a distal edge of said tray and at least one of said hooks is adjustable along the length of said distal edge of said tray.
9. The organizer as set forth in claim 1 wherein:
said mounting bracket includes an upper retention hook and a vertically spaced apart lower brace operable to releasably couple said accessory support surface to said cubicle wall within a corresponding number of said retention slots.
10. The organizer as set forth in claim 1 further including:
a supplemental accessory support surface including at least one accessory hanger having a rearwardly facing mounting bracket with at least one anchoring hook operable to releasably couple said hanger to a corresponding number of said retention slots at a second location on said cubicle wall, said accessory hanger further including at least one post member extending outwardly from said mounting bracket and terminating in an accessory mounting hook operable to releasably suspend a work space accessory having a mounting receptacle.
11. The organizer as set forth in claim 10 wherein:
said accessory hanger includes a plurality of spaced apart accessory mounting hooks operable to releasably suspend a work space accessory having a corresponding number of mounting receptacles.
12. The organizer as set forth in claim 10 wherein:
said accessory hanger includes a horizontally projecting slider bar; and
said accessory mounting hook is slidably adjustable along the length of said slider bar.
13. The organizer as set forth in claim 10 wherein:
said accessory hanger includes an enlarged brace section between said retention bracket and said accessory mounting hook.
14. The organizer as set forth in claim 10 wherein:
said accessory hanger includes an elongated neck disposing said accessory mounting hook distally from said retention bracket.
15. The organizer as set forth in claim 10 wherein:
said accessory hanger includes a horizontally projecting cross bar having a pre-determined number of apertures; and
said accessory mounting hook is selectively insertable into one or more of said apertures along said cross bar.
16. The organizer as set forth in claim 10 wherein:
said mounting bracket includes a pair of retention hooks coupled to a horizontally projecting cross bar with a plurality of alignment apertures;
at least two elongated hangers terminating in said accessory mounting hooks are coupled to said bar; and
a second shelf rests on top of said elongated hangers.
17. The organizer as set forth in claim 1 wherein:
said mounting bracket includes an elongated cross bar with a set of spaced apart apertures;
a first hanger having a post member selectively insertable into one of said apertures to dispose a first hook distally from said mounting bracket;
a second hanger having a post member selectively insertable into another of said threaded apertures to dispose a second hook distally from said mounting bracket; and
said shelf and tray are supported on said elongated hangers.
18. An organizer for use in connection with a cubicle wall including at least one connecting post with a series of vertically aligned and spaced apart retention slots and further including an adjacent primary work space bearing a plurality of work space accessories and having an overhead lighting source for illuminating the work space, the organizer comprising:
an accessory support surface including a first portion with an elongated shelf having a trailing edge and a leading edge and a second portion having a plurality of adjustable accessory mounting hooks coupled to an outer edge of the first portion, the mounting hooks being selectively movable to alternate positions along the outer edge of the first portion; and
at least one anchoring hook projecting from one edge of the accessory support surface and constructed to removably couple the accessory support surface to a corresponding number of retention slots on at least one connecting post whereby the accessory support surface may be coupled to the cubicle wall and work space accessories may be selectively removed from the working surface and placed on the accessory support surface.
19. The organizer as set forth in claim 18 further including:
an upwardly facing tray interposed between the leading edge of the shelf and at least one of the accessory mounting hooks and forming a third portion of the accessory mounting surface; and
a light passage section disposed within the accessory support surface, the light passage section being constructed to allow light from the overhead light source to illuminate the work space below the accessory support surface when the accessory support surface is coupled to the connecting post and the overhead light source is activated.
20. A method of organizing a cubicle work space having at least one cubicle wall with a connector post having a set of vertically aligned retention slots, the work space further including an overhead lighting source and a desk bearing a plurality of mountable office accessories having at least one rearwardly facing mounting receptacle and a plurality of non-mountable accessories, the method comprising the steps of:
providing at least one accessory support surface having an elongated shelf section with a trailing edge and a leading edge and a light transmissible region therebetween, an organizer tray on the leading edge of the shelf with at least one outwardly extending adjustable accessory mounting hook, and a mounting bracket projecting rearwardly from the trailing edge of the shelf and including a set of retention hooks for releasable coupling the accessory support surface to the connector post;
inserting the set of retention hooks into a corresponding number of retention slots on the connector post at a position between the desktop and the overhead lighting source to position the shelf in a parallel orientation with the desktop to releasably couple the accessory mounting surface to the cubicle wall whereby light may pass through the light transmissible region to the desktop below when the overhead lighting source is activated;
selectively placing the non-mountable accessories from the desktop on the shelf or in the tray of the accessory support surface;
selectively positioning the adjustable hook along the outer edge of the tray;
selectively hanging a mountable office accessory from the desktop on the adjustable hook; and
repeating the selective positioning and hanging steps until all the adjustable hooks are covered with a mountable office accessory.
Priority Applications (1)
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US11/474,874 US20070294953A1 (en) | 2006-06-26 | 2006-06-26 | Cubicle work space organizer |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
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US11/474,874 US20070294953A1 (en) | 2006-06-26 | 2006-06-26 | Cubicle work space organizer |
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