US5106173A — Work space management system and cabinet therefor

Claim 1

Independent Claim 111 words

A cabinet for use in combination with a frame having an edge face through which said frames are joined together, said frames having at least one opening; said cabinet comprising: a back wall, first and second side walls, a top wall and a bottom wall, all joined together to form an integral unit; a cabinet indented channel extending vertically along at least one of said back wall and said side walls; openings in a base portion of said cabinet indented channel; a connector adapted to engage said channel openings in said cabinet indented channel, to engage said frame opening and to secure at least one of said frames to said cabinet.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 111 words

A cabinet for use in combination with a frame having an edge face through which said frames are joined together, said frames having at least one opening; said cabinet comprising: a back wall, first and second side walls, a top wall and a bottom wall, all joined together to form an integral unit; a cabinet indented channel extending vertically along at least one of said back wall and said side walls; openings in a base portion of said cabinet indented channel; a connector adapted to engage said channel openings in said cabinet indented channel, to engage said frame opening and to secure at least one of said frames to said cabinet.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 189 words

A cabinet according to claim 1 wherein said frame opening is in an edge face thereof and said connector has: block means shaped to pass through said opening in said frame in one orientation and unable to pass through said opening in said frame in a second orientation; retainer means adapted to mount in said cabinet indented channel, said retainer means having means to grip said block means; collar means adapted to engage said frame and having an opening to permit said retainer gripping means to pass therethrough; said retainer means having an opening passing therethrough, said block means having a fastener receiving means; and fastener means having a longitudinal axis adapted to pass through said opening in said cabinet channel and to be retained therein, to pass through the openings in said retainer means and collar means, and to adjustably grip said fastener receiving means in said block means to draw said block means tightly into engagement with said frame in said second orientation, and to draw said frame tightly into contact with said cabinet in perpendicular orientation to the cabinet wall having said cabinet indented channel therein.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 49 words

A cabinet according to claim 2 wherein said retainer means has arms which are shaped to be received in said cabinet indented channel and be nonrotatably retained therein; and wherein said block means is in said second orientation when said retainer means arms are in said cabinet indented channels.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 55 words

A cabinet according to claim 3 wherein said frames have indented frame channels in said edge face and said frame opening is formed at the base of said frame channel; and said collar has flanges which are received within said indented frame channel to prevent said collar from rotating with respect to said fastener means.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 90 words

A cabinet according to claim 4 wherein said collar further has indentations on a face adjacent to said retainer means arms; and said retainer means arms have embossments on a face adjacent to said collar; and said retainer means arms have spring means for resilient frictional engagement between said retainer means arms embossments and said indentations when said arms are rotated in contact with said collar face about said longitudinal axis of said fastener means and said block means are positioned behind said frame edge face in said second orientation.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 59 words

A cabinet according to claim 5 wherein said fastener means comprises a bolt with a head which is larger than the opening in said cabinet indented channel, and said bolt is threaded, said fastener receiving means is a threaded opening in said block and said bolt is adapted to be threadably received in said threaded opening in said block.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 29 words

A cabinet according to claim 1 wherein said connector is adapted to connect said frames to said side walls or back wall of said cabinet in parallel relationship thereto.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 117 words

A cabinet according to claim 7 wherein said connector has first and second plates perpendicular to each other, said first plate adapted to be connected to an inside face of a frame and said second plate adapted to lie in facing contact with an adjacent side face of a frame, and a lug on said second plate adapted to project into said indented channel in at least one of said back wall and said side walls of side cabinet, said lug having a threaded opening adapted to receive a threaded fastener; and a threaded fastener adapted to extend through an opening in said cabinet indented channel and to threadably engage the threaded opening in said connector lug.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 33 words

A cabinet according to claim 1 and further comprising a second connector means adapted to mount in said cabinet indented channel and to secure two identical cabinets in side-to-side, back-to-back or side-to-back relationship.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 57 words

A cabinet according to claim 9 wherein said second connector comprises a plastic scuff-protection plate having a pair of resilient arms adapted to mount said scuff-protection plate removably in said indented channel and fastener means adapted to extend through said plate and through said indented channel to secure said cabinets together with said scuff protection plate therebetween.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 177 words

A cabinet according to claim 1 wherein said connector comprises: a block shaped to pass through said frame opening in one orientation and unable to pass through said frame opening in said frame in a second orientation, said block having a fastener receiving means; retainer means with an opening therethrough for receiving a fastener; a first fastener means having a longitudinal axis and adapted to pass through said retainer means opening and be retained therein, to pass through said frame opening, and to adjustably grip said block fastener receiving means; blade means coupled to said retainer means, extending outwardly thereof and adapted to extend from a corner of said cabinet to said cabinet indented channel, an opening in said blade means adapted to register with said indented channel; and a second fastener means adapted to extend through the openings in said cabinet indented channel and through said blade means to secure two of said cabinets together and to a frame in abutting relationship with corners of said cabinet adjacent to said cabinet indented channels in respective cabinets.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 80 words

A cabinet according to claim 1 wherein there is a first indented channel extending vertically along said back wall of said cabinet near the side edges thereof; and second indented channels extending along said first and second side walls near an edge adjacent to said back wall; and a second connector adapted to mount in said first and second indented channels to connect multiple of said cabinets together in back wall-to-back wall, side wall-to-side wall, or back wall-to-side wall relationship.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 65 words

A cabinet according to claim 1 wherein said connector includes a resilient pad for mounting said edge face of said frame in abutting relationship to said cabinet and having an opening therein for registry with said one opening, and said connector means further includes a fastener adapted to extend through one of said indented channel openings and into fastening relationship with said one frame opening.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 40 words

A cabinet according to claim 1 and further comprising vertical support members positioned within the cabinet, at a back portion of said cabinet and having a series vertically spaced slots for receiving bracket hooks to support shelves and the like.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 61 words

A cabinet according to claim 1 wherein said cabinet further comprises a rigid framework formed of vertical frame members positioned at vertical corners of said cabinet and horizontal frame members positioned at upper and lower ends of said vertical members; and means for mounting said back wall, first and second side walls, top wall and bottom wall to said rigid framework.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 37 words

A cabinet according to claim 15 and further comprising a series of vertically spaced slots and at least some of said vertical frame members for receiving bracket hooks to support shelves and the like within said cabinet.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 37 words

A cabinet according to claim 1 and further comprising a work surface having at least one leg at one end thereof and means at another end thereof for mounting said work surface to said cabinet back wall.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 35 words

A cabinet according to claim 17 wherein said work-surface mounting means comprises a plate which is received within said cabinet indented channel and a stud which is received within an opening within said vertical channel.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 104 words

A storage cabinet comprising: a back wall, first and second side walls, a top wall and a bottom wall, all joined together to form an integral unit; a cabinet indented channel extending vertically along at least one of the back wall and the side walls; openings in a base portion of the cabinet indented channel; a connector adapted to removably mount in said cabinet indented channel and to pass through said openings in said indented channels of said cabinet in registry with an indented channel of another one of said cabinets to secure two of said cabinets together in side-to-side, back-to-back or side-to-back relationships.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 104 words

A storage cabinet comprising: a back wall, first and second side walls, a top wall and a bottom wall, all joined together to form an integral unit; a cabinet indented channel extending vertically along at least one of the back wall and the side walls; openings in a base portion of the cabinet indented channel; a connector adapted to removably mount in said cabinet indented channel and to pass through said openings in said indented channels of said cabinet in registry with an indented channel of another one of said cabinets to secure two of said cabinets together in side-to-side, back-to-back or side-to-back relationships.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 59 words

A cabinet according to claim 19 wherein said connector comprises a plastic scuff protection plate having a pair of resilient arms adapted to mount said plate removably in said indented channel and a fastener adapted to extend through said plate and through said indented channel to secure said multiple of said cabinets together with said scuff protection plate therebetween.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 97 words

A storage cabinet and work surface combination, said storage cabinet comprising: a back wall, first and second side walls, a top wall and a bottom wall, all joined together to form an integral unit; a cabinet indented channel extending vertically along at least one of said back wall and said side walls; openings in a base portion of said cabinet indented channel; said work surface has at least one leg at one end thereof and means at another end thereof for mounting said work surface at the other end to said back wall through said intended channel.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 97 words

A storage cabinet and work surface combination, said storage cabinet comprising: a back wall, first and second side walls, a top wall and a bottom wall, all joined together to form an integral unit; a cabinet indented channel extending vertically along at least one of said back wall and said side walls; openings in a base portion of said cabinet indented channel; said work surface has at least one leg at one end thereof and means at another end thereof for mounting said work surface at the other end to said back wall through said intended channel.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 36 words

A cabinet according to claim 21 wherein said mounting means comprises a plate which is received within said cabinet indented channel and a stud which is received within one of said openings in said vertical channel.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1995-04-21	1995-10-21	1996-04-21	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1999-04-21	1999-10-21	2000-04-21	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2003-04-21	2003-10-21	2004-04-21	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Work space management system and cabinet therefor

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