Abstract: A mobile furniture and accessory system for an office environment includes storage components, table or desk components, screen or partition components, paper management components, marker board components, computer support furniture and the like, for use in facilitating flexibility in manufacturing such components to user specifications and in arranging such components according to user requirements.

Abstract: A wheel-type support for an article of furniture includes a laterally extending support member defining an outwardly facing end opening and a downwardly facing recess spaced inwardly from the end opening. A wheel is positioned within the downwardly facing recess, and a wheel retainer arrangement is secured to the support member at the outwardly facing end opening. The wheel is rotatably supported by the wheel retainer arrangement. The wheel includes a central passage, and the wheel retainer arrangement includes an axle that extends through the central passage such that the wheel is rotatable on the axle. The wheel retainer arrangement also includes an axle retainer that fixes the axle on either side of the wheel, and an end member that is secured to the support member over the outwardly facing end opening.

Abstract: A desk or table assembly includes a support member such as a worksurface, and an upright member, which may be in the form of a privacy screen, adjacent an edge of the worksurface. The upright member is interconnected with the support member using a mounting arrangement including a spring to apply a constant upward biasing force on the upright member. The spring resists downward forces applied to the upright member, and assist upward forces applied to the upright member. The spring counterbalances the weight of the upright member so that the upright member is retained at a desired position when moved to the desired position thereto by either a downward or upward external force applied to the upright member.

Abstract: A system and method to attach and retain panel tiles and a top cap to a support frame of a modular wall panel system. The top cap attached to the support frame includes an elongated body having a one or more attachment clips removably attached to the elongated body at desired locations along the length of the elongated body. The attachment clips and elongated body are formed separately and assembled prior to attachment to the modular panel. The elongated body includes a pair of receiving cavities that receive spring arms formed on each of the attachment clips. The attachment clips are rotated into position such that the spring arms engage the elongated body and hold the attachment clips in position. Each panel includes a stiffener bracket having engagement tabs. The engagement tabs are received within notches formed in the vertical posts to secure the tiles to the support frame.

Abstract: An article of seating furniture includes a base, a seat and a back. The back includes a reclining mechanism. The seat is interconnected with the reclining mechanism such that reclining movement of the back moves the seat forwardly and upwardly. When the back is fully reclined and the seat is fully raised, an upper surface of the seat is coplanar with an upper surface of the back. A footrest is movable between a retracted position and an extended position. When extended, the footrest is generally coplanar with the seat. The back includes a spine having a lower end pivotably interconnected with the base. The spine includes a seat mounting extension to which the seat is pivotably mounted. Mounting links between the seat and the base provide movement of the seat when the back is reclined.

Abstract: A protective shroud for a swing arm includes a housing made of two shroud sections that are snapped together around the base of a fixed seating arrangement. The assembled shroud includes two rectangular openings on its sides configured to allow the swing arms of the fixed seating arrangement to pivot on their axes within the shroud. The rectangular openings also include grooves on their upper and lower edges configured to receive a slidable rectangular shield member with a circular opening in its center. The rectangular shields fit over the opposed swing arms and slide within the grooves in the shroud halves as the swing arms pivot, thereby restricting access to the pinch points of the swing arms.

Abstract: An article of seating furniture that is particularly desirable for use with bariatric patients is disclosed. The seating furniture includes a seat portion that includes a front seating area and a rear seating area. The front seating area is defined by a generally semi-elliptical front perimeter surface while the rear seating area is defined by a different, generally semi-elliptical rear perimeter surface. The surface area of the front seating area is less than the surface area of the rear seating area to provide enhanced ingress and egress for a bariatric patient. The seating furniture includes a back portion and two pair of support legs that further enhance the desirability of the seating furniture for a bariatric patient.

Abstract: A wall panel-ceiling engagement device is designed to couple a wall panel to a ceiling. The engagement device, when engaged with the ceiling, holds the wall panel stationary without any fasteners, braces or other securing members that penetrate into the ceiling. The engagement device includes a pair of wall extensions secured to opposite sides of the wall panel and that contain a sound and/or attenuating material, such as a foam material, therebetween. Corner braces are used to join adjacent wall-panels to one another. The corner braces also function to allow the wall panels to sway as a collective and connected unit during seismic events.

Abstract: Gas-assisted injection molding is used to form molded parts having relatively thick cross-sections, such as a support section of a chair back and seat portion of a chair. Gas is injected into a mold cavity using the same nozzle and screw injector that injects molten resin into the mold cavity. The injected gas creates a void in the molten resin that allows a reduced amount of resin to be used to fill a mold cavity without sacrificing the integrity of the molded part.

Abstract: A sliding door is secured to one side of a wall or partition panel having a door opening, and includes a trolley that is held in a track located above the door opening. The wheels or rollers of the trolley move along the track when the door is moved to a closed position until the roller contacts a wedge or ramp associated with the track. The wedge urges the roller inwardly toward the wall or partition panel, such that when the door is in the fully closed position, the trolley is positioned inwardly on the track to move the upper area of the door into engagement with the wall or partition panel. The lower end of the door includes a channel within which is positioned a follower attached to a swing arm, which simultaneously draws the lower end of the door into engagement with the wall or panel.

Abstract: A seating furniture assembly that is convertible from a first position to a second position has a seat member and a back member pivotably connected to the seat member. The back member is pivotable from a first position in which the back member extends upwardly from the seat member to form a seat, and a second position in which the back member overlies the seat member and faces upwardly to form a bed. Movement of the back member from the first position to the second position translates the seat member forwardly to provide wall clearance and a support in which the seat member supports a forward area of the back member when the back member is in the second position.

Abstract: A molded chair shell includes a seat portion and a back portion joined at a junction area. A support or reinforcement member is located at the junction area and is formed integrally with the seat portion and the back portion. The reinforcement member includes an internal cavity between the seat portion and the back portion that is substantially positioned over the junction area. The cavity is formed by cavity walls, which may form ribs that extend forwardly along the seat portion and upwardly the back portion of the chair shell. The chair shell may be formed in an injection molding process, and the internal cavity may be formed in a gas assist operation carried out during the injection molding process.

Abstract: A bin assembly capable of being secured to a work surface such as a table top includes an enclosure secured to the work surface. A platform and an elevating mechanism, which is capable of moving the platform vertically, are contained within the enclosure. The assembly also includes a cover pivotally secured over the enclosure and connected to the elevating mechanism for selectively operating the elevating mechanism, to elevate and lower the platform within the enclosure simultaneously with the movement of the cover to retract and expose an item, such as a laptop computer, positioned on the platform. The cover can be locked in the closed position by a locking mechanism engaged between the cover and the enclosure to secure the item within the assembly. The cover can also be locked in the open position by a lock bracket releasably engaged with the cover in the open position to prevent inadvertent closing of the cover.