WORKSPACE DIVIDING WALL SYSTEMS
A system for dividing a workspace includes a wall designed to divide the workspace into a workspace and an area outside of the workspace. The wall includes a variety of features and may be at least partially formed from a construction element including a sheet of metal configured to be self supporting and a layer of cushioning material configured to encase the sheet of metal to form a composite construction element that is free of sharp edges. The composite construction element is configured to be mounted to a wall having a top, bottom, and two sides configured to divide an area into a workspace and an area outside of the workspace. Furthermore, the wall may be formed a meltable material that can be melted and smoothed to at least reduce an appearance of unsmooth portions within the wall and, when positioned proximate to another wall, can be melted and smoothed to at least reduce the appearance of seams between the wall and the another wall.
This application is based on provisional application 60/744,320 filed Apr. 5, 2006 entitled “Workspace Dividing System” and claims the benefit thereof.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENTNot applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention is related to workspace dividing systems and, more particularly, to a modular workspace dividing system for use in constructing open concept office structures.
In modern work environments it is often desirable to create “non-traditional” offices, conference rooms, and the like. That is, it is often economically advantageous and aesthetically appealing to remodel buildings not originally designed to house traditional office space. For example, it is increasingly common to remodel large industrial buildings such as factories or warehouses to accept “open-concept” office designs. In these cases, open-concept office designs are often employed in order to make non-traditional office spaces more amenable to workflows and business procedures.
One primary component of open-concept office designs is the use of divider systems. That is, while it is desirable and economically efficient to have numerous workstations collocated within a large open room, it is still necessary to provide barriers between workspaces and to provide individuals with a sense of personal space. In this regard, open-concept office designs must constantly balance the dichotomy created by the advantages to having large, open work environments shared by many individuals and the desire for and advantages provided by creating personal space within a work environment.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a system and method for creating structures within an open-concept office that by create personal space within a work environment while still providing the feel, look, and various advantages provided by large, open work environments that can be shared by many individuals.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks by providing a divider or wall system that is flexible and modular. Each wall includes numerous features that are readily adaptable to non-traditional offices and aid in creating structures, such as meeting or conference rooms, within open concept office spaces.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a wall system for dividing a workspace is disclosed that includes a wall designed to divide an area into a workspace and an area outside of the workspace. The wall includes a slit extending horizontally across at least a portion of the wall at a level designed to provide individuals seated within the workspace with a constant view of the area outside of the workspace at both an immediate periphery of the wall as well as areas at a distance from the wall. Furthermore, the slit includes dimensions configured to provide individuals located in the area outside of the workspace with a view into the workspace when at a distance from the wall and restrict individuals located in the area outside of the workspace from views into the workspace when in close proximity to the wall.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a wall construction element is disclosed that includes a sheet of metal configured to be self supporting and a layer of cushioning material configured to encase the sheet of metal to form a composite construction element that is free of sharp edges. The composite construction element is configured to be mounted to a wall having a top, bottom, and two sides configured to divide an area into a workspace and an area outside of the workspace.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, a system is disclosed that includes a wall having a top, bottom, and two sides configured to divide an area into a workspace and an area outside of the workspace. A visual shield is included that extends from the top of the wall at an angle away from the wall to provide visual privacy to individuals located within the workspace.
In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, a divider system is disclosed that includes a wall having a top, bottom, and two sides configured to divide an area into a workspace and an area outside of the workspace. A visual shield extends from the top of the wall at an angle away from the wall to provide visual privacy to individuals located within the workspace.
In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, a divider system is disclosed that includes a wall having a top, bottom, and two sides configured to divide an area into a workspace and an area outside of the workspace. A seat back is located in the workspace and is positioned proximate to and spaced from the wall. Accordingly, a space is formed between the seat back and the wall to accommodate at least one of lights and display elements.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a divider system is disclosed that includes a round wall having a vertically, flat interior wall configured to divide an area into a workspace and an area outside of the workspace. A seat extends from the interior wall that supports a seat back positioned proximate to and extending substantially parallel to the interior wall to focus individuals toward a common point within the workspace.
In accordance with an additional aspect of the invention, a workspace divider system is disclosed that includes a wall including vertical wall portions and angled shield portions configured to divide an area into a workspace and an area outside of the workspace. Furthermore, the vertical wall portions and angled shield portions are dimensioned so that a person of average height, located in the area outside of the workspace, cannot see into the workspace but can see over the wall.
In accordance with one further aspect of the invention, a wall is disclosed that includes a top, bottom, and two sides configured to divide a workspace into a workspace and an area outside of the workspace. The wall is at least partially formed of a meltable material that, when positioned proximate to another wall, can be melted and smoothed to at least reduce an appearance of seams between the wall and the another wall.
In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, an open concept meeting room is disclosed that includes a plurality of walls configured to divide an area into a workspace and an area outside of the workspace and a bench extending from the plurality of walls into the workspace to focus individuals seated on the bench toward a common point within the workspace. A plurality of legs extends from the bench to support the plurality of walls through the bench. Furthermore, a first shield extends up from a top of the plurality of walls and inward into the workspace to provide visual privacy to the workspace while a second shield extends down from a bottom of the plurality of walls and inward under the bench to mirror an appearance of the first shield.
Various other features of the present invention will be made apparent from the following detailed description and the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Referring to
Formed in each of the walls 12, 14, 16 and extending horizontally thereacross are a plurality of aligned slits 42, 44, 46. The slits 42, 44, 46 extend from the area 20 outside of the workspace 18 through the walls 12, 14, 16 and into the workspace 18. The slits 42, 44, 46 are positioned at a vertical height in the walls 12, 14, 16 (for example, at approximately four feet) designed to provide individual seats within the workspace 18 with a constant line of sight through the slits 42, 44, 46 and provide a view of the area 20 outside of the workspace 18 at both an immediate periphery 50 about the walls 12, 14, 16 as well as areas at a distance 52 from the walls 12, 14, 16. According to one embodiment, the slits 42, 44, 46 have a vertical height of greater than 1 inch but less than 4 inches. Furthermore, as will be explained, the slits 42, 44, 46 and walls 12, 14, 16 include dimensions configured to provide individuals in the area 20 outside of the workspace 18 located at a distance 52 from the walls 12, 14, 16 with a view into the workspace 18, but restrict individuals located at a close proximity 50 to the walls 12, 14, 16 from viewing the workspace 18 so as to provide those located in the workspace 18 with visual privacy.
Similarly, the shields 30, 32, 34 provide visual privacy to individuals seated within the workspace 18 by restricting a line of sight 54 from the area 20 outside of the workspace 18 into the workspace 18, even when an individual of average height is standing in close proximity to the walls 12, 14, 16. That is, while it is contemplated and, in some applications even preferred, that the walls 12, 14, 16 extend above the legs 28 to a total height of less than that of an average individual's standing height (for example, between four and five feet), as will be described with respect to
As previously described, the vertically extending shields 30, 32, 34 provide visual privacy to individuals seated within the workspace 18 and, as will be described, also provide some auditory separation between the workspace 18 and the area 20 outside of the workspace 18. On the other hand, the downwardly extending return shields 36, 38, 40 not only mirror the vertically extending shields 30, 32, 34 and provide aesthetically appealing symmetry in the overall design of the conference room 10, but also allow for a reduced amount of materials to be used in the walls 12, 14, 16 while still providing the feeling of being fully enclosed to individuals located within the workspace 18. In this regard, significant manufacturing and materials cost savings can be realized over traditional wall systems that include walls that extend completely to the floor. That is, the walls 12, 14, 16 are suspended above the floor through a combination of the plurality of legs 18 and the seats 20, 24, 26, which together support the walls 12, 14, 16.
Referring now to
By arranging the seats 22, 24, 26 against the walls 12, 14, 16 (as opposed to arranging desks and other work surfaces against a wall, as in traditional partitioned workspaces), individuals seated in the workspace 18 are focused toward a common point 62 located at the center of the workspace 18 (as opposed to being focused toward one of the walls). As such, the meeting room 10 inherently prepares individuals entering the workspace 18 for collaborative meetings. As will be described below, additional display or communication devices can be integrated into the meeting room 10 in a manner so as to maintain the collaborative focus of the meeting room 10.
Referring now to
Referring again to
While these dimensions are exemplary for particular embodiments, it is contemplated that other arrangements may facilitate reduced heights while still providing the above-described privacy features. For example, referring now to
Referring again to
The seat 26 and wall 16 extending therefrom are supported by the leg 28 positioned inwardly of the return shield 40. It is contemplated that one wall 16 and associated seat 26 may be supported by as few as one leg 28. In this regard, one wall 16, seat 26, and leg 28 will be unable to be self-supporting in the upright position. However, when combined with one or more additional walls 12, 14, such as shown in
Alternatively, each wall 12, 14, 16 and respective seats 22, 24, 26 may be supported by additional legs 70 (as shown in phantom). In this regard, as shown in
Referring now to
In particular, it is contemplated that the exteriors 74 of the walls may be formed from methyl methacrylate resin or similar substances that become malleable when exposed to a given duration of heating. Accordingly, in a manner similar to techniques used for creating a continuous countertop using methyl methacrylate resin or other substances such as Corian, seams between adjoining sections can be removed. Corian is a registered trademark of Du Pont De Nemours and Co. Corp. of Delaware.
Referring now to
Referring now to
Referring now to
In this regard, any of the features described above may be incorporated into a wall system that is designed to form a meeting room of virtually any size or shape. For example, as shown in
Therefore, the above-described invention provides a wall system that is capable of taking creating personal space within a work environment while still providing the feel, look, and various advantages provided by large, open work environments that can be shared by many individuals.
It is specifically intended that the present invention not be limited to the embodiments and illustrations contained herein, but include modified forms of those embodiments including portions of the embodiments and combinations of elements of different embodiments as come within the scope of the following claims.
Claims
1. A construction element comprising:
- a sheet of metal configured to be self supporting;
- a layer of cushioning material configured to encase the sheet of metal to form a composite construction element that is free of sharp edges; and
- wherein the composite construction element is configured to be mounted to a wall having a top, bottom, and two sides configured to divide an area into a workspace and an area outside of the workspace.
2. The construction element of claim 1 wherein the layer of cushioning material includes felt.
3. The construction element of claim 1 wherein the wall is at least partially formed of a meltable material that can be melted and smoothed to at least reduce an appearance of unsmooth portions within the wall and, when positioned proximate to another wall, can be melted and smoothed to at least reduce the appearance of seams between the wall and the another wall.
4. The construction element of claim 1 wherein the composite construction element is configured to line the wall along the workspace.
5. The construction element of claim 1 wherein the composite construction element is configured to be mounted to at least one of the top and the bottom of the wall and extend into the workspace to form a visual shield to restrict views into the workspace from the area outside of the workspace.
6. The construction element of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of walls arranged into one of a circle, a trapezoid, a pentagon, a hexagon, a heptagon, and an octagon and wherein the composite construction element is configured to be mounted to the plurality of walls along the workspace.
7. The construction element of claim 1 further comprising a seat back located in the workspace and positioned proximate to and spaced from the wall to form a space between the seat back and the wall configured to accommodate at least one of lights and display elements.
8. The construction element of claim 7 wherein the composite construction element forms a shield extending vertically from the top of the wall and horizontally into the workspace and wherein the display elements are configured to project a display onto the composite construction element.
9. The construction element of claim 8 wherein the display elements include projectors configured to project a display on the composite construction element.
10. The construction element of claim 7 wherein the composite construction element forms a visual shield extending from the top of the wall and wherein a relative juxtaposition of the wall and seat back allows a height of the wall to be less than an average standing height of an individual without the composite construction element interfering with individuals of average height standing under the composite construction element.
11. The construction element of claim 10 wherein the composite construction element is further configured to form a return shield extending below the seat back to mirror the composite construction element extending from the top of the wall.
12. The construction element of claim 11 wherein the return shield is configured to extend under a bench extending from the seat back into the workspace.
13. The construction element of claim I further comprising:
- a slit extending horizontally across at least a portion of the wall at a level designed to provide individuals seated within the workspace with a constant view of the area outside of the workspace at both an immediate periphery of the wall as well as areas at a distance from the wall;
- wherein the slit includes dimensions configured to provide individuals located in the area outside of the workspace with a view into the workspace when at a distance from the wall and restrict individuals located in the area outside of the workspace from views into the workspace when in close proximity to the wall; and
- wherein the composite construction element is configured to be mounted to the wall on either side of the slit along the workspace.
14. A workspace dividing system comprising:
- a wall having a top, bottom, and two sides configured to divide an area into a workspace and an area outside of the workspace;
- a visual shield extending from the top of the wall at an angle toward the workspace to provide visual privacy to individuals located within the workspace; and
- wherein an overall height of the wall and visual shield is such that an individual outside of the workspace is able to see over the wall and visual shield but cannot see into the workspace.
15. The workspace dividing system of claim 14 at least one slit extending horizontally across at least a portion of the wall at and at least partially covered with at least one of glass and plastic and arranged at a level designed to provide individuals seated within the workspace with a constant view of the area outside of the workspace at both an immediate periphery of the wall as well as areas at a distance from the wall
16. The workspace dividing system of claim 14 wherein the wall is at least partially formed of a meltable material that can be melted and smoothed to at least reduce an appearance of unsmooth portions within the wall and, when positioned proximate to another wall, can be melted and smoothed to at least reduce the appearance of seams between the wall and the another wall.
17. The workspace dividing system of claim 14 wherein the wall has a height of less than 4-½ feet and the visual shield includes a vertical rise of less than 2-½ feet.
18. The workspace dividing system of claim 17 wherein a combination of the height of the wall and vertical rise of the visual shield extending from the top of the wall provides visual privacy from a visual sight line extending from the area outside of the workspace at a height of above 6 feet.
19. The workspace dividing system of claim 14 wherein the visual shield comprises:
- a sheet of metal configured to be self supporting; and
- a layer of cushioning material configured to encase the sheet of metal to form a composite construction element that is free of sharp edges.
20. The workspace of claim 19 wherein the layer of cushioning material includes felt.
21. The workspace dividing system of claim 14 further comprising a seating bench extending from the wall into the workspace and supporting a seat back positioned proximate to and spaced from the wall to form a space between the seat back and the wall configured to accommodate at least one of lights and display elements.
22. The workspace dividing system of claim 21 wherein the display elements are configured to project a display onto the visual shield.
23. The workspace dividing system of claim 21 wherein a relative juxtaposition of the wall and seat back allows a height of the wall to be less than an average standing height of an individual without the visual shield interfering with individuals of average height standing under the visual shield.
24. The workspace dividing system of claim 21 further comprising a plurality of legs extending from the seating bench to support the seating bench, seat back, wall, and visual shield and further comprising a return shield extending below the seating bench to mirror the visual shield extending from the top of the wall.
25. The workspace dividing system of claim 24 wherein the return shield is configured to extend under the seating bench into the workspace.
26. The workspace dividing system of claim 14 further comprising a lining arranged against the wall within the workspace comprising a sheet of metal configured to be self supporting and a layer of cushioning material configured to encase the sheet of metal to form a composite construction element that is rigid, substantially thin, and soft along edges of the sheet of metal.
27. The workspace dividing system of claim 14 further comprising:
- a slit extending horizontally across at least a portion of the wall at a level designed to provide individuals seated within the workspace with a constant view of the area outside of the workspace at both an immediate periphery of the wall as well as areas at a distance from the wall; and
- wherein the slit includes dimensions configured to provide individuals located in the area outside of the workspace with a view into the workspace when at a distance from the wall and restricts individuals located in the area outside of the workspace from views into the workspace when in close proximity to the wall.
28. The workspace dividing system of claim 14 wherein the wall is configured to engage another wall to at least partially enclose the workspace.
29. The workspace dividing system of claim 28 wherein the visual shields extending from the top of the wall and the another wall are configured to form a continuous visual shield spanning the wall and the another wall.
30. The workspace dividing system of claim 14 wherein the wall is configured to engage a plurality of walls to form at least one of a trapezoidal, a pentagonal, a hexagonal, a heptagonal, and an octagonal enclosure about the workspace.
31. A system comprising:
- a plurality of walls configured to divide an area into a workspace and an area outside of the workspace;
- a bench extending from the plurality of walls into the workspace to focus individuals seated on the bench toward a common region within the workspace;
- a plurality of legs extending from the bench to support the plurality of walls through the bench;
- a first shield extending up from a top of the plurality of walls and inward into the workspace to provide visual privacy to the workspace; and
- a second shield extending down from a bottom of the plurality of walls and inward under the bench to mirror an appearance of the first shield.
32. The system of claim 31 further comprising a slit extending horizontally across each of the plurality of walls to provide individuals seated within the workspace with a constant view of the area outside of the workspace at both an immediate periphery of the plurality of walls as well as areas at a distance from the plurality of walls.
33. The system of claim 31 wherein a first wall is at least partially formed of a meltable material that can be melted and smoothed to at least reduce an appearance of unsmooth portions within the wall and, when positioned proximate to a second wall, can be melted and smoothed to at least reduce the appearance of seams between the first wall and the second wall.
34. The system of claim 32 wherein the slit includes dimensions are configured to provide individuals located in the area outside of the workspace with a view into the workspace when at a distance from the plurality of walls and restrict individuals located in the area outside of the workspace from views into the workspace when in close proximity to the plurality of walls.
35. The system of claim 31 wherein the first shield, the second shield, and a lining extending along the plurality of walls within the workspace are formed of a sheet of metal configured to be self supporting and a layer of cushioning material configured to encase the sheet of metal to form a composite construction element that is rigid, substantially thin, and soft along edges of the sheet of metal.
36. The system of claim 31 further comprising a seat back supported by the bench and separated from the plurality of walls to form a space configured to receive at least one of lights and display elements.
37. The system of claim 36 wherein the display elements are configured to project displays at various display points on the first shield to be viewable by individuals seated opposite each display point on the bench.
38. The system of claim 31 wherein the common region is a center point of the workspace between each of the plurality of walls.
39. A system comprising:
- a wall having a top, bottom, and two sides configured to divide an area into a workspace and an area outside of the workspace; and
- wherein the wall is at least partially formed of a meltable material that can be melted and smoothed to at least reduce an appearance of unsmooth portions within the wall and, when positioned proximate to another wall, can be melted and smoothed to at least reduce the appearance of seams between the wall and the another wall.
40. The system of claim 39 wherein the meltable material includes methyl methacrylate resin.
41. The system of claim 39 further comprising a shield extending from the top of the wall to provide at least one of visual privacy and auditory privacy.
42. The system of claim 39 further comprising a seat extending into the workspace form the wall and a plurality of legs extending from the seat to support the seat and wall.
43. The system of claim 39 further comprising a seat back supported by the seat and extending proximate to the wall to focus individuals seated on the seat into the workspace.
44. The system of claim 39 further comprising:
- a slit extending horizontally across at least a portion of the wall at a level designed to provide individuals seated within the workspace with a constant view of the area outside of the workspace at both an immediate periphery of the wall as well as areas at a distance from the wall; and
- wherein the slit includes dimensions configured to provide individuals located in the area outside of the workspace with a view into the workspace when at a distance from the wall and restricts individuals located in the area outside of the workspace from views into the workspace when in close proximity to the wall.
45. The system of claim 39 further comprising:
- a sheet of metal configured to be self supporting;
- a layer of cushioning material configured to encase the sheet of metal to form a composite construction element that is free of sharp edges; and
- wherein the composite construction element is mounted to the wall.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 4, 2007
Publication Date: Nov 15, 2007
Inventors: James Ludwig (Grand Rapids, MI), John Hamilton (Grand Rapids, MI), Daniel Van Alphen (Berlin)
Application Number: 11/696,393
International Classification: E04F 19/00 (20060101); E04H 14/00 (20060101);