Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
LEVELER LEG
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a leveler, and more particularly to a
leveler for
upright panel systems such as those used in connection with office furniture
systems.
[0002] Upright office panels are commonly used to divide a larger office
spaces into a
series of smaller, usable spaces, such as offices, meeting rooms and
corridors. Due to
inconsistencies and undulations in flooring, these office panels may be
provided with a degree of
adjustment to keep the panels plumb, especially when the panels are arranged
in an elongated
straight line.
[0003] One adjustment option that is known in the prior art is the threaded
glide. As
depicted in Fig. 1, in this design, the panel (not shown) is supported by one
or more vertical
uprights 100, which extends upwardly from a generally horizontal foot 102. A
pair of threaded
glides 103, 104 extend between the floor 105 and opposite ends of the foot
102. In order to
account for the uneven height of the floor surface 105, the glides 103, 104
may be independently
adjusted by threading the glides into or out of the foot to vary the distance
between the head 106
of the glide 103, 104 and the foot 102. For example, Fig. 1 shows a situation
where the glide 104
is threaded into the foot 102 a lesser amount than glide 103 to increase the
distance between the
head 106 of glide 104 and the foot 102 to account for the uneven surface of
the floor 105 and
generally maintain the verticality of the upright 100. A downside of this
construction is the need
for a relatively significant minimum thickness/height of the foot 102 in order
to accommodate
the threaded glide. In general, enough thickness for at least three threads of
the glide 103, 104
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are needed in order to provide sufficient adjustability. This thickness can be
unsightly, a trip
hazard, and can interfere with the positioning of adjacent structures such as
desks and storage.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The present invention provides the advantages of adjustability for a
panel system
in a low-profile design.
[0005] In one embodiment, the present invention includes a foot, an upright
leg for
supporting an object such as a panel, and an upright adjustment mechanism
disposed above the
foot and between the foot and the upright leg to enable adjustment of the
angle of the upright leg
with respect to the foot. In one embodiment, the upright adjustment mechanism
includes a
generally horizontal pin extending through a portion of the upright leg, such
that the upright leg
can pivot about the pin with respect to the foot. In a more specific
embodiment, the upright
adjustment mechanism includes a tubular support extending upwardly from the
foot. A portion
of the upright leg extends into the opening of the tubular support. The pin
extends through the
tubular support and the portion of the upright leg such that the leg can pivot
within the tubular
support. A pair of set screws may extend into opposing sides of the tubular
support and into
engagement with opposing walls of the lower portion of the upright leg to
enable the angle of the
upright leg to be set at a desired angle for leveling the panel.
[0006] This design enables a low profile foot, because the foot does not need
adjustable
glides, and the foot does not need a thickness that accommodates for the
threads of the glides.
These and other objects, advantages, and features of the invention will be
more fully understood
and appreciated by reference to the description of the current embodiments and
the drawings.
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[0007] Before the embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is
to be
understood that the invention is not limited to the details of operation or to
the details of
construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the following
description or
illustrated in the drawings. The invention may be implemented in various other
embodiments
and may be practiced or may be carried out in alternative ways not expressly
disclosed herein.
Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein
are for the purpose
of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of "including"
and "comprising"
and variations thereof is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and
equivalents thereof
as well as additional items and equivalents thereof Further, enumeration may
be used in the
description of various embodiments. Unless otherwise expressly stated, the use
of enumeration
should not be construed as limiting the invention to any specific order or
number of components.
Nor should the use of enumeration be construed as excluding from the scope of
the invention any
additional steps or components that might be combined with or into the
enumerated steps or
components.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] Fig. 1 is a side view of a prior art design.
[0009] Fig. 2 is a perspective exploded view according to one embodiment of
the
current design.
[0010] Fig. 3 is a side view according to one embodiment of the current
design.
[0011] Fig. 4 shows a side view according to an alternative embodiment.
[0012] Fig. 5 shows a side view according to a second alternative embodiment.
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[0013] Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of the leveler leg designed
for
supporting items at 90 degree angles from one another.
[0014] Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a portion of the leveler leg designed
for
supporting items at 120 degrees from one another.
[0015] Fig. 8 is a perspective view of an embodiment with the leveler leg
supporting a
furniture panel in an inline arrangement.
[0016] Fig. 9 is a front view thereof.
[0017] Fig. 10 is a bottom view thereof.
[0018] Fig. 11 is a bottom view of an embodiment with a leveler leg supporting
two
furniture panels in a 90 degree arrangement.
[0019] Fig. 12 is a bottom view of an embodiment with a leveler leg supporting
three
furniture panels in a 90 degree arrangement.
[0020] Fig. 13 is a bottom view of an embodiment with a leveler leg supporting
four
furniture panels in a 90 degree arrangement.
[0021] Fig. 14 is a bottom view of an embodiment with a leveler leg supporting
two
furniture panels in a 120 degree configuration.
[0022] Fig. 15 is a bottom view of an embodiment with a leveler leg supporting
three
furniture panels in a 120 degree configuration.
[0023] Fig. 16 is a perspective view of an embodiment with the leveler leg
supporting
furniture panels in an a 90 degree arrangement.
[0024] Fig. 17 is a perspective view of an embodiment with the leveler leg
supporting
furniture panels in a 120 degree arrangement.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE CURRENT EMBODIMENT
[0025] Referring to Figs. 2-3, a leveler leg is shown and generally designated
10. The
leveler leg 10 includes an upright leg assembly 11, a foot 9 and an upright
adjustment
mechanism 12. The upright adjustment mechanism 12 connects the upright leg
assembly 11 to
the foot 9 in such a way that the angle of the upright with respect to the
foot may be adjusted.
[0026] In one embodiment, the foot 9 is a generally low-profile elongated
plate having
a lower ground engaging surface and an upper surface 13 opposite the ground
engaging surface.
The foot 9 may include a first end 14 and a second end 15 opposite the first
end, such that the
foot 9 defines a length between the first 14 and second 15 ends. The length of
the foot may be
varied from application to application.
[00271 The upright assembly 11 includes one or more members extending upwardly
from the foot 9. Although not shown, the upper end of the upright assembly may
be connected
to one of a variety of items for supporting the item. For example, the upper
end of the upright
assembly 11 may connect to one side of a furniture panel for supporting the
furniture panel in an
upright position. This furniture panel may be one in a series of furniture
panels mounted end to
end to form a wall or corridor, wherein each of the screens is supported by an
upright assembly
11. In the illustrated embodiment, the upright assembly 11 includes an inner
structural leg
member 3, a bracket plate 2 and bracket 1 mounted to the inner structural leg
member 3, an
upper cover 4 and a slidable cover 5. It will be noted that in another, more
simplified,
embodiment, the upright assembly may include only a single vertical support,
such as the
structural leg member 3, extending between the adjustment mechanism 12 and the
bracket plate
2.
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[0028] In one embodiment, the upright adjustment mechanism 12 includes a
tubular
support 8 extending upwardly from the upper surface 13 of the foot 9 and
defining an internal
opening, an adjustment block 7 extending into the opening of the tubular
support 8, a threaded
rod 6 extending upwardly from the adjustment block 7, a pivot pin 20, and a
setting element,
such as a pair of set screws 22, 24. As shown in Fig. 2, the tubular member 8
may include a first
set of through holes 26 extending through left and right side surfaces of the
tubular member 8,
and a second set of through holes 28 extending through front and rear surfaces
of the tubular
member 8. The adjustment block 7 may also include a through hole 30 extending
through the
left and right side surfaces. Referring to Fig. 3, the pivot pin 20 extends
through the through
holes 28 in the tubular member 8 and through the through hole 30 in the
adjustment block 7 such
that the adjustment block 7 can pivot about the pivot pin 20 with respect to
the tubular member
8. More particularly, in the illustrated embodiment, the pivot pin 30 extends
perpendicular to the
length of the foot 9, such that the adjustment block 7 pivots in the direction
of the length of the
foot 9. The set screws 22, 24 may extend into the through holes 28 in the
front and rear surfaces
of the tubular member 8. In this way, the set screws may be adjusted to set
the angle of incline
of the upright assembly 11 with respect to the foot 9. Depending on the depth
of the respective
set screws 22, 24, the upright assembly 11 may be set to a desired angle in
the direction of either
the first end 15 or the second end 14 of the foot 9. In an alternative
embodiment, the set screws
22, 24 may be replaced by other structure that can retain the block 7 or the
upright assembly 11
in a desired position.
[0029] In the illustrated embodiment, the upright assembly also enables height
adjustment. In this embodiment, the threaded rod 6 threads into a receiving
threaded portion
(not shown) which is located in the inner structural tube 3. The threaded rod
6 may be rotated
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with respect to the structural leg 3 in order to adjust the height of the
structural leg 3. A jam nut
32 threads onto the threaded rod 6 to engage the receiving threaded portion in
order to prevent
the adjustment mechanism from spinning after the desired height is achieved.
[0030] The upright assembly may also include one or more covers to enhance the
aesthetic appeal of the leveler leg 10. As shown, the upper cover 4 extends
over the inner
structural leg 3 and abuts the plate 2. The upper cover may be fixed with
respect to the structural
leg 3. The slidable cover 5 may extend over a portion of the upper cover 4 and
over the tubular
member 8 to cover and hide the functional aspects of the upright adjustment
mechanism 12. The
slidable cover 5 may be movable by a user to slide up over the upper cover 4
to expose the
tubular member to enable adjustment of the set screws 22, 24 and the upright
adjustment
mechanism 12.
[0031] In operation, the bracket 1 of a leveler leg 10 is mounted to an item,
such as an
upright modular panel for a furniture panel system or to a privacy screen, by
a conventional
method. For example, the bracket 1 may be bolted or otherwise attached to a
lower portion of a
furniture panel. In one embodiment, the bracket 1 of a first leg 10 is bolted
to one side of a
furniture panel and the bracket 1 of a second leg 10 is bolted to the other
side of a furniture panel
such that one leg 10 supports the joint of two furniture panels. More
particularly, different
configurations of bracket 1 may be provided to more efficiently support
different furniture panel
arrangements. Of course, in an alternative embodiment the leg 1 may include a
differently
shaped bracket 1 or a different structure altogether for attaching to the
furniture panel, and in
another embodiment the leg 1 may support a completely different item, such as
a worksurface.
[0032] The foot 9 of each leg 1 is placed on a floor surface and measured with
respect
to level. In the event that the foot is not level, or in the event that one
end of the foot 9 is not in
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contact with the floor, the upright leveler mechanism 12 can be manipulated by
a user to change
the angle of the upright assembly 11 with respect to the foot 9 in order to
bring the system to
level. In order to do so, the user may lift the slidable cover 5 (to the
extent that the product
includes the slidable cover 5), and access the set screws 22, 24 to loosen the
set screws 22, 24.
Once the set screws are loosened, the angle of the foot can be adjusted by
pivoting the block 7
about the pivot pin 20 in the direction of the length of the foot 9 (i.e.,
toward or away from one
of the ends 14, 15). The nature of the pivot pin prevents movement of the
block 7 or upright
assembly 11 in any other direction. The angle of the foot 9 is adjusted until
level, and then the
set screws 22, 24 are tightened against the block 7 to retain the block 7 in
position and thus retain
the angle of the upright assembly in the desired level position.
[0033] In the event that the leg 10 includes height adjustability, such as the
threaded
rod 9 of the illustrated embodiment, the height of the upright assembly 11 may
be adjusted by
manipulating the height adjuster, such as by rotating the threaded rod 6 with
respect to the
threaded portion in the structural leg 3.
[0034] Figs. 4 and 5 show alternative embodiments for setting the upright
adjustment
mechanism at the desired angle. In particular, Fig. 4 shows the set screws 22,
24 replaced by
bolts 22', 24'. The bolts 22', 24' may thread into and out of the block 7 for
setting the angle of
the upright assembly 11, rather than simply abutting the outer surface of the
block 7 in the
manner of the set screws 22, 24. Fig. 5 shows a single bolt 24" that may
thread into and out of
the block 7 for setting the angle of the upright assembly 11.
[0035] Figs. 2, 6 and 7 show variations of the plate 2 and bracket 1 for use
in
supporting furniture panels in different configurations. For example, Fig. 2
shows a plate 2 and
bracket 1 for use in inline and end of run furniture panel configurations such
as those shown in
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Figs. 8-10. In the Fig. 2 embodiment, the plate 2 partially offsets the
bracket 1 from the upright
leg 3, 4 such that an inner edge 37 of the bracket 1 is aligned under a joint
35 between then
uprights 56 of adjacent furniture panels 52, 54, wherein one furniture panel
52 is attached to the
bracket 1 and the other furniture panel 54 is attached directly to the
furniture panel 52, enabling a
single leg 10 to support both furniture panels 52, 54 in the inline
configuration. In addition, this
same plate 2 and bracket 1 configuration can be used in on opposing ends of
the inline
configuration by rotating one of the end of line legs 10 180 degrees from the
other (as shown in
Fig. 9). In such an inline orientation, the feet 9 of the respective leveler
legs 10 are oriented at
approximately a 90 degree angle to the furniture panel sections 52, 54. Fig.
10 illustrates this
embodiment with the feet 9 removed for purposes of illustrating the location
of the leveler legs
10.
[0036] Fig. 6 shows a rear perspective view of a portion of the leveler leg 10
with the
plate 2 and bracket 1 configured for attaching furniture panels at a 90 degree
angle from one
another such as that shown in Figs. 11-13. In this embodiment of the plate 2
and bracket 1, the
plate 2 completely offsets the bracket 1 from the upright leg 3, 4 such that
an inner edge 37 of
the bracket 1 is aligned generally under a side 41 of the upright leg 4,
enabling a single leg 10 to
support two, three or four furniture panels 52, 54 in a 90 degree
configuration as shown in Figs.
11-13 and 16 with the upright leg 3, 4 centered between the uprights 56 of the
furniture panels
52, 52 and underneath the furniture panel connectors 59. To provide additional
support for the
bracket 1 in this embodiment with a greater offset from plate 2, the leg 10
may include a support
gusset 39 extending between the plate 2 and bracket 1. As shown in Fig. 16, a
leg 10 with the 90
degree embodiment is shown in the middle of the unit (illustrated with the
foot 9 removed),
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supporting the uprights 56 of both panels 52, 54. The ends of the panels 52,
42 are supported by
legs of the inline/end of run embodiment as shown in Fig. 2.
[0037] Fig. 7 shows a rear perspective view of a third variation of the
bracket 1 and
plate 2 wherein the plate 2 provides an offset at an angle from the structural
leg 3, 4 and the foot
9 for orienting items such as furniture panels at a 120 degree orientation
with respect to one
another. For example, in this embodiment, the plate 1 may include a first
portion 21 extending in
a first direction and a second portion 23 extending at about a 120 degree
angle from the first
portion 21. This embodiment may also provide a support gusset 39. As in the 90
degree
embodiment of Fig. 6, in this Fig. 7 embodiment the bracket 1 may be
completely offset from the
leg 4. Figs. 14, 15 and 17 show the leveler leg 10 of the Fig. 7 configuration
supporting furniture
panels 50 oriented at 120 degree angles from each other. In particular, Fig.
14 shows a 2-way
connection at a 120 degree angle and Fig. 15 shows a 3-way connection at 120
degree angles. In
each of these views the foot 9 of the leveler leg 10 is removed for purposes
of illustrating the
location of the leveler leg 10. It should be recognized that the foot 9 may be
oriented in any
direction with respect to the various furniture panels 50, and will generally
be oriented at an
angle to two of the screens 50 forming the connection. Referring now to Fig.
17, as in the inline
and 90 degree configurations noted above, in the embodiment with a 120 degree
configuration
(shown on the middle leg 10 in Fig. 17), the offset provided by the plate 2
enables a single
leveler leg 10 to support the uprights 56 of multiple furniture panels 50 with
the upright 4
aligned underneath the connectors 59 extending between adjacent panel uprights
56.
[0038] The above description is that of current embodiments of the invention.
Various alterations and changes can be made without departing from the spirit
and broader
aspects of the invention. This disclosure is presented for illustrative
purposes and should not be
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interpreted as an exhaustive description of all embodiments of the invention.
For example, and
without limitation, any individual element(s) of the described invention may
be replaced by
alternative elements that provide substantially similar functionality or
otherwise provide
adequate operation. This includes, for example, presently known alternative
elements, such as
those that might be currently known to one skilled in the art, and alternative
elements that may
be developed in the future, such as those that one skilled in the art might,
upon development,
recognize as an alternative. Further, the disclosed embodiments include a
plurality of features
that are described in concert and that might cooperatively provide a
collection of benefits. The
present invention is not limited to only those embodiments that include all of
these features or
that provide all of the stated benefits. Features of various embodiments may
be used in
combination with features from other embodiments. Directional terms, such as
"vertical,"
"horizontal," "top," "bottom," "front," "rear," "upper," "lower," "inner,"
"inwardly," "outer,"
"outwardly," "forward," and "rearward" are used to assist in describing the
invention based on
the orientation of the embodiments shown in the illustrations. The use of
directional terms
should not be interpreted to limit the invention to any specific
orientation(s).
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