GB2388522A

GB2388522A - A metal desk pedestal

Info

Publication number: GB2388522A
Application number: GB0209537A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Terry Ronald Hunt
Original assignee: METAL OFFICE EQUIPMENT Ltd
Current assignee: METAL OFFICE EQUIPMENT Ltd
Priority date: 2002-04-26
Filing date: 2002-04-26
Publication date: 2003-11-19
Anticipated expiration: 2022-04-26
Also published as: GB0209537D0; GB2388522B

Abstract

A metal pedestal for example for use with a desk comprises a unitary front frame 11 having a pair of opposed side members 26, a base 27 and a top 28, and a cladding member 13 which has a pair of opposed side panels 14 and a back panel 15 extending between the rear edges of the side panels. The front edges of the side panels 14 are connected to the front frame 11 such that the front frame extends back towards the rear edges of the side panels for less than one half of their front-to-rear depth. Three pairs of drawer runners 21,22, 23 are attached solely to the side members 26 in opposition to one another so that drawers 18,19,20 can be supported by the runners for sliding movement into and out of the pedestal.

Description

! -1 DESK PEDESTAL

This invention relates to a pedestal primarily - but not exclusively intended for use with an office or study desk, to provide one or more drawers for use when working at the desk.

Modern office or study furniture often does not incorporate a set of 5 drawers as a part of a desk. Instead, it is a common practice to provide a separate set of drawers either as a free standing unit to be located beside a desk, or for connection to the desk, under its top. Either type of set of drawers is conventionally referred to as a pedestal, which term is used throughout this specification.

to In order to permit the economic manufacture of pedestals, it is usual to employ mass-produced drawer frames and runner assemblies, which permit the easy mounting of a drawer within a carcass. A suitable drawer front to match the carcass may be secured to the drawer frame, whilst using standardised parts for the slidable mounting of the drawer.

15 In the case of a pedestal carcass manufactured from a wood product such as MDF, appropriately surfaced with a hard plastic material or a wood veneer, it is relatively easy to secure to the inner face of the carcass the required drawer runners, in the appropriate positions, using screws threaded directly into the MDF. However, for a metal carcass, intended to be used with a 20 desk constructed primarily of metal, special fixings or mounting points have to be provided within the carcass, to permit the attachment of the runners at the required locations. Metal furniture tends to be somewhat cheaper than wood based furniture, but the additional complexities required for mounting drawer runners within a metal pedestal can significantly increase the cost of

( - 2 manufacture of a metal pedestal, so eroding the price differential between metal and wood-based fumiture.

With a metal carcass, the conventional practice is to provide within the carcass side frame members at the front and rear of the carcass on which are mounted two side panels, so as to permit the mounting of opposed runners on the two sides of the pedestal, each runner being attached to the front and rear side frame members. Such frame members have to be manufactured separately, and then fitted within the carcass, so increasing the cost.

It is a principal aim of this invention to provide a pedestal having a 10 drawer supported by runners, which pedestal is made primarily of metal but which is configured to minimise the complexity of mounting a drawer runner therewithin, so as to reduce the manufacturing cost of a metal pedestal.

Accordingly, this invention provides a metal pedestal comprising: a unitary front frame having a pair of opposed side members, and opposed base 15 and top members extending respectively between the lower ends and upper ends of the side members; a cladding member for the pedestal comprising a pair of opposed side panels and a back panel extending between the rear edges of the side panels, the front marginal portions of the side panels being connected to the front frame such that the front frame extends back towards 20 the rear edges for less than one half of the depth of the side panels measured from their front-to-rear edges; a pair of drawer runners attached solely one to each side member in opposition to one another; and a drawer supported by said runners for sliding movement into and out of the pedestal.

Though described herein as a "metal pedestal", it will be understood that 2s other materials besides metal could be used in completing the pedestal, such

- 3 as a wood product for its top. Thus, the term "metal pedestal" is intended to mean the pedestal is made principally of metal, with the important structural parts of metal.

It will be appreciated that with the metal pedestal of this invention, a 5 unitary front frame is provided which frame has a pair of opposed side members and opposed base and top members. The side frame members should extend from the front of the carcass back towards the rear for a significant part of the overall depth of the pedestal, and typically up to one half of the depth of the pedestal but preferably around 30% of the depth of the 10 pedestal. Such a unitary front frame imparts considerable rigidity to the carcass of the pedestal such that the cladding may be secured just to the front frame and the provision of a rear frame may be eliminated. Then, the drawer runners may be attached solely to the side members of the front frame whilst still giving sufficient support for a drawer, provided that the drawer is not to be heavily 5 loaded.

Each side member preferably is profiled to provide a planar portion spaced inwardly from but parallel to the respective side panel to which the side member is connected. For example, each such side member and the front edge of the adjacent side panel may co-operate to have the planar portion 20 stepped inwardly from the side panel.

Each drawer runner is advantageously configured to permit its rapid attachment to the planar portion of the associated side member. Conveniently, this is achieved by means of inter-engaging tabs and slots, formed respectively on the two components. There are three such possibilities, as follows:

! - 4 1. Each drawer runner has a mounting surface which bears on the planar portion of the side member to which the runner is secured, the runner having at least four backwardly-projecting tabs each of T-shaped form.

The planar portion of the side member has four corresponding slots each having a first section adapted to receive the bar of a T-shaped tab and a second section below the first section and adapted to receive the leg of T-shaped tab, whereby reception of the legs of the tabs in the respective second portions attaches the runner to a side panel. This is the preferred configuration.

to 2. Each drawer runner has a mounting surface which bears on the planar portion of the side member to which the runner is secured, the runner having at least four downwardly-projecting tabs extending parallel to but joggled rearwardly out of the plane of the mounting surface. The planar portion of the side member has four corresponding slots in which the 15 tabs are received, to attach the nunner to the respective side panel.

3. Each drawer runner has a mounting surface which bears on the planar portion of the side member to which the runner is secured, the runner having at least four downwardly-projecting tabs extending substantially in the plane of the mounting surface. The planar portion of the side 20 member has corresponding receptors for the tabs, each receptor being formed by joggling a slotted part of the planar portion forwardly out of the general plane of that portion whereby each tab may be received in the corresponding receptor thereby to attach the runner to the respective side panel.

( ( - 5 Whichever technique is adopted, it is preferred for there to be a locking arrangement for each runner in its attached position. For example, a plastics material clip may be pressed into the slot, to hold the tab of the runner therein.

Alternatively, a self-tapping screw or rivet could be employed, to hold the runner 5 to the side member.

Preferably, each drawer runner comprises a base plate supporting at least two pairs of rollers, mounted with their axes perpendicular to the plane of the base plate. Each drawer may have a rail provided on each of its sides, each of which rails runs between the rollers of each pair thereof on the 0 respective runner. Provided that the spacing of the pairs of rollers is sufficient, there will be adequate support for a typical upper desk drawer, as is conventionally found on a desk pedestal.

In the event that one of the drawers - and typically the lowermost drawer - of a pedestal of this invention is to be more heavily loaded, then a short rear frame may be provided, solely for the purpose of supporting elongate runners for that lowermost drawer. Such a rear frame may comprise a rear base member and two rear side members disposed at the rear of the side panels adjacent the rear panel, each of which rear side members extends upwardly from the rear base member for a distance less than the height of the first 20 mentioned runners, attached solely to the front side members. In this case, each such elongate runner may be in the form of a pair of relatively slidable rails, one secured to the front and rear frames and the other to the drawer. A linear ball race may be provided between the rails, to give smooth operation.

Such a runner is telescopically extensible out of the pedestal as the lowermost

( - 6 drawer is opened, to assist the supporting of the weight of the drawer and its contents. By way of example only, one specific embodiment of a metal pedestal intended for use in association with an office or study desk will now be 5 described in detail' reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an intemal side view of the embodiment of pedestal, including three drawers; Figure 2 is a view similar to that of Figure 1, but with the drawers 10 removed for clarity; Figure 3 is a detail internal view on an enlarged scale of the upper front side region of the carcass; Figure 4 is a diagrammatic illustration of one drawer runner as employed in the embodiment of pedestal of Figures 1 to 3; and 15 Figure 5 is a diagrammatic plan view on a side member and runner as used in the pedestal.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a free-standing threerawer pedestal primarily manufactured from metal, for use with a metal desk. The pedestal includes a main carcass 10 constructed from a front frame 11, a rear 20 frame 12 and a U-shaped cladding 13 providing a pair of side panels 14 and a rear panel 15. The carcass 10 has a top 16 which may be of a wood-based material such as MDF finished with a hard plastics material, to match the top of the desk with which the pedestal is intended to be used. The front and rear frames 11 and 12 support four castors 17 by means of which the pedestal may z be moved as required.

Supported within the carcass are three drawers 18, 19 and 20. The top and middle drawers 18 and 19 are carried by respective runners 21 and 22 mounted in pairs on the front frame, whereas the lower drawer 20 is carried by runners 23 mounted both on the front frame 11 and the rear frame 12. A key 5 operated lock mechanism 24 operates a linkage (not clearly shown in the drawings) provided within the carcass to permit locking of the drawers in their closed position shown in Figure 1. Such a mechanism 24 and associated linkage is conventional for pedestals and as it forms no part of the present invention will not be described in further detail here.

10 The front frame 11 comprises a unitary pressing shaped from a planar sheet of metal appropriately cut into a blank and which is then folded to provide a pair of opposed side members 26, a base member 27 and a top member 28.

Each side member 26 is generally of J-shape in cross-section and has a side flange 29 turned over to bear on the adjacent side panel 14 (Figures 3 and 5).

15 The front edge 30 of the side panel is stepped inwardly and then fumed back on itself to receive and hold the front edge of the side member 26. In this way, a planar portion 31 extends between side flange 29 and the front edge 30 of the side panel 14. Each planar portion 31 is provided with a plurality of pairs of T-shaped openings 32 spaced along the length of the side member 26, for 20 supporting the runners 21 to 23. Each opening 32 has a wider upper section 33 and a narrower lower section 34.

The rear frame 12 is also of unitary construction, folded from a planar metal blank so as to have a pair of rear side members 36 between the lower edges of which extends a rear base member 37. The rear side members 36 25 are of similar formation to the side members 26 of the front frame 11 and so

! - 8 provide a planar portion 38 spaced from and parallel to the adjacent side panel 14. Each rear planar portion 38 is provided with rectangular openings 39, for the attachment of the runners 23 for the lower drawer 20.

The lower drawer 20 is carried on conventional extending (or telescopic) runners 23, attached to the front and rear side members 26 and 36 by means of tabs 40 which are stepped out of the plane of the runner and locate in the appropriate openings 32 and 39 of the front and rear side members 26 and 36, respectively. Each such runner is in the form of two relatively slidable rails, with a linear ball-race therebetween, one runner having its tabs 40 engaged in the to corresponding openings in the front and rear side frames and the other rail being secured to the drawer. Typically, the lower drawer is able to accommodate paper files suspended from a frame (not shown) provided within the drawer and so may be relatively heavily loaded; the conventional extending runner arrangement just described above is able to support the weight of such 15 a loaded drawer.

By contrast, the top and middle drawers 18 and 19 are supported on special runners 21 and 22 adapted to be attached solely to the side members 26 of the front frame 11. Each runner 21,22 has a base plate 42 which rotatably supports two pairs of wheels 43 and 44, a gap being provided 20 between the wheels 43 of one pair and between the wheels 44 of the other pair.

The top and middle drawers 18 and 19 are provided with respective rails 45 and 46 along their external side faces which rails run between the wheels of each pair, such that the drawer can be pulled out from its closed position shown in Figure 1. A stop 47 is provided at the rear of each rail 45 (or 46) which stop is

- 9 - engageable with a peg 48 upstanding from the base plate 42, so as to limit outward movement of the drawer.

The base plate has upper and lower pairs of side flanges 50 the free margins 51 of which are turned outwardly to lie parallel to the base plate itself, 5 to bear on the side member 26 when attached thereto, so as to hold the base plate and its wheels at an appropriate disposition for the drawer to be carried.

Provided centrally on each margin 51 is a rearwardly projecting tab 52 of T shaped form, the tab having a neck 53 which supports a head 54 furthest from the respective margin 51. The four tabs 52 are appropriately disposed for to interengagement with the T-shaped openings 32 provided in the side members 26, as shown in Figures 3 and 4.

To engage a runner 21 or 22 with a side member 26, the head 54 of each tab 52 is passed through the wider upper section 33 of the corresponding T-shaped opening 32 of a group of four thereof, and then the runner 21 or 22 is lowered so that each neck 53 is located in the narrower lower section 34 of the associated opening 32. From this position, the runner may be released from the side member 26 only by lifting the runner. To prevent this happening, a plastics material clip (not shown) is pressed into at least one of the openings 32 in which is received a tab 52.

20 It will be appreciated that by adopting the construction described above, it is possible to manufacture a pedestal relatively cheaply in that the pedestal includes only one complete rectangular frame. The rear frame is of U-shape and is provided primarily for the purpose of supporting the runners 23 for the lower drawer 20. The runners 21 and 22 for the top and middle drawers 18 and 2s 19 are of relatively simple construction and are attached solely to the front

( ( - 10 frame. In this way, assembly of the pedestal is simplified and there is a significant material saving as compared to the use of two complete rectangular frames, one at the front and one at the rear.

Claims

( ( - 1 1 CLAIMS

1. A metal pedestal comprising: a unitary front frame having a pair of opposed side members, and opposed base and top members extending respectively between the lower ends and upper ends of the side members; 5 - a cladding member for the pedestal comprising a pair of opposed side panels and a back panel extending between the rear edges of the side panels, the front marginal portions of the side panels being connected to the front frame such that the front frame extends back towards the rear edges for less than one half of the depth of the side panels measured from their front-to-rear to edges; - a pair of drawer runners attached solely one to each side member in opposition to one another; and - a drawer supported by said nunnery for sliding movement into and out of the pedestal.

2. A metal pedestal as claimed in claim 1, wherein each side member is profiled to provide a planar portion spaced from but parallel to the respective side panel to which the side member is connected.

3. A metal pedestal as claimed in claim 2, wherein each side member is of top-hat cross-sectional shape.

no

4. A metal pedestal as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, wherein each drawer nunner has a mounting surface which bears on the planar portion of the side member to which the runner is secured, the runner having at least four backwardly-projecting tabs each of T-shaped form, the planar portion of the side member having four corresponding slots each having a first section

! - 12 25 adapted to receive the bar of a T-shaped tab and a second section below the first section and adapted to receive the leg of Tshaped tab whereby reception of the legs of the tabs in the respective second portions attaches the runner to a side panel.

5. A metal pedestal as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, wherein each drawer 30 runner has a mounting surface which bears on the planar portion of the side member to which the runner is secured, the runner having at least four downwardly-projecting tabs extending parallel to but joggled rearwardly out of the plane of the mounting surface, the planar portion of the side member having four corresponding slots in which the tabs are received to attach the as runner to the respective side panel.

6. A metal pedestal as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, wherein each drawer runner has a mounting surface which bears on the planar portion of the side member to which the runner is secured, the runner having at least four downwardly-projecting tabs extending substantially in the plane of the mounting 40 surface, the planar portion of the side member having corresponding receptors for the tabs each receptor being formed by joggling a slotted part of the planar portion forwardly out of the general plane of that portion whereby each tab may be received in the corresponding receptor thereby to attach the runner to the respective side panel.

45

7. A metal pedestal as claimed in any of claims 3 to 6, wherein a respective locking means is provided to secure each runner in its attached position to the associated side member.

( - 1 3

8. A metal pedestal as claimed in claim 7, wherein the locking means comprises at least one clip fitted into a slot in which is also received a tab of the 50 runner.

9. A metal pedestal as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein each drawer runner comprises at least two pairs of rollers between each of which pairs runs a respective rail provided on each side of the drawer.

10. A metal pedestal as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the ss front frame extends from the front edges of the side panels towards the rear edges of the side panels for no more than approximately 30% of the depth of the side panels.

11. A metal pedestal as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein there are two pairs of opposed runners arranged one above the other on the 60 side members, slidably to support two drawers in the pedestal.

12. A metal pedestal as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein there is provided a rear frame comprising a rear base member and two rear side members disposed at the rear of the side panels adjacent the rear panel, each of which rear side members extends upwardly from the rear base member 65 for a distance less than the height of the runners attached to the front side members.

13. A metal pedestal as claimed in claim 12, wherein a pair of elongate drawer runners are attached in opposition to each other to the front and rear side members, to support a sliding lower drawer of the pedestal.

70

14. A metal pedestal as claimed in claim 13, wherein each elongate runner comprises a pair of relatively slidable rails with one rail attached to the front and rear frames and the other rail attached to the drawer.

f - 14

15. A metal pedestal as claimed in claim 14, wherein a linear ballrace is provided between the relatively slidable rails.

Is

16. A metal pedestal as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the front frame is produced by a folding operation performed on a single sheet of planar metal out of which a front frame blank has been cut.

17. A metal pedestal as claimed in claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.