US3807823A

US3807823A - Light-weight corrugated desk

Info

Publication number: US3807823A
Application number: US00317632A
Authority: US
Inventors: G Rouse
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1972-12-22
Filing date: 1972-12-22
Publication date: 1974-04-30
Anticipated expiration: 1991-04-30

Abstract

A light-weight corrugated collapsible desk is provided for use at conventions, hotels, schools, homes and the like. The desk, which can be easily assembled or disassembled, includes at least a pair of spaced pedestal shells, each of the shells containing a plurality of differently sized sliding drawers, a modesty panel which locks across the spaced pedestal shells, and a self-edged desk top disposed above and engaging each of the spaced pedestal shells.

Description

o United States Patent 1191 1111 3,807,823 Rouse 1451 Apr. 30, 1974 [54] LIGHT-WEIGHT CORRUGATED DESK 1,930,348 10/1933 Parrott 3l2/l95 X 2,174,679 10/1939 Zinser 108/157 [75] Inventor George Rouse Malvem 3,729,244 4/1973 Butler 312/195 [73] Assignee: Joseph R. Orie, Arlington Heights,

111. a part interest Primary Examiner-James C. Mitchell Filed: Dec. 1972 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Raymond P. Niro [21] Appl. No.: 317,632 [57] ABSTRACT A light-weight corrugated collapsible desk is provided [52] U.S. Cl 312/195, 108/157, 312/259, r us at n n hotels, schools. homes and the 312/261 like. The desk, which can be easily assembled or disas- [51] Int. Cl A47b 17/00 sembled, includes at least a pair of spaced pedestal [58] Field of Search 312/195, 258, 259, 261; shells, each of the shells containing a plurality of dif- 108/ 150, 157 ferently sized sliding drawers, a modesty panel which locks across the spaced pedestal shells, and a self- [56] Refere es Cit d edged desk top disposed above and engaging each of UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/1902 Jordan 312/261 UX the spaced pedestal shells.

8 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEB IPR 30 I874 SHEET 3 UF 3 55 59 +65 50 a] 22 :79 56 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to collapsible desks and specifically to strong, light-weight corrugated desks that can be easily stored or disassembled and yet when assembled are sturdy and rigid by reason of the interlocking nature of the various desk components.

A rather significant need has developed for a lowcost, light-weight collapsible desk that can be rapidly assembled and used at conventions, hotels, schools, seminars and the like. In particular, an urgent need has developed for a commercial size desk that has a pleasing aesthetic appearance, that has multiple drawers of different sizes for storage and filing, that can be repeatedly assembled and disassembled without sacrificing strength or appearance.

Currently, most collapsible desks are either far too small and lack the appearance, strength and storage space of typical office size desks or are too large, contain rigid metal parts, are expensive and cannot be moved or shipped without substantial risk of bending or damaging the interior metal framework. It is desirable, therefore, to provide a low-cost, easily assembled corrugated desk that is strong and rigid and yet can be repeatedly assembled, disassembled, and stored or moved without serious risk of damage to permanent or semi-permanent framework.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with this invention, a low-cost, light weight, collapsible corrugated desk is provided which includes at least a pair of spaced pedestal shells, designed to house a plurality of differently sized, slidable drawers, a multi-layered self-edged top for the desk, and an interlocking modesty panel spaced between the oppositely disposed pedestal shells.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The collapsible corrugated desk of this invention will for a pedestal shell for the assembled corrugated desk.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION One embodiment of the corrugated desk of this invention is shown fully assembled in FIG. 1. The assembled desk generally comprises two oppositely disposed pedestal shells 11 and 12 which not only form a support be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an assembled corrugated desk embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a file type drawer for the corrugated desk shown in an unassembled state;

FIG. 3 is'a perspective view of a letter size drawer for the corrugated desk, also shown in an unassembled state;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the corrugated desk in an unassembled state, showing the various parts of the desk and the manner in which the unas-- sembled parts can be easily placed together to form an assembled desk;

FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view of the desk taken through a pedestal shell and illustrating the manner in which the drawer dividers and drawers for the desk are disposed within the pedestal shell and the manner in which the desk top and modesty panel are secured to the two pedestal shells;

FIG. 6 is a fragmented sectional view taken across line 6-6 of FIG. 5 and showing in greater detail the manner in which the various drawers can be secured within one of the pedestal shells; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmented sectional view taken across line 77 of FIG. 6 illustrating the interior construction surface to a self-edged desk top 13, but also house a plurality of

slidable drawers

14, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19.

Drawers

16 and 19 are larger file-size drawers and are shown in more detail in FIG. 2. Drawers 14, 15, 17 and 18, on the other hand, are smaller letter-size drawers and are illustrated more specifically in FIG. 3. Each of the slidable drawers is designed to be slidably received within either of the pedestal shells 11 or 12. In addition, each drawer is provided with a pull handle 20 so that it can be easily gripped by hand and then moved forwardly or backwardly into and out of the pedestal shells 11 or 12.

As shown in FIG. 1, the corrugated deskof this invention is also provided with a modesty panel 21 secured to the

opposite inside ends

22 and 23 of pedestal shells l2 and 11, respectively. Besides allowing a female to work comfortably at the corrugated desk of this invention, modesty panel 21 also vastly increases the overall strength of the assembled desk by locking pedestal shells 11 and 12 together.

As shown more specifically in FIG. 2, the larger filesize drawer 19, like the other parts for the corrugated desk of this invention, is initially constructed from a flat piece of corrugated cardboard material. Side walls 24 and 25 are formed from a single thickness of corrugated material, while front and back walls 26 and 27 are formed from a triple thickness of corrugated material. Specifically, front wall 26 comprises an inner flap 28, two

intermediate flaps

29 and 30 which are connected along their edges to side walls 24 and 25 respectively, and outer flap 31 which is connected along folding edge 32 to base 33 and along an opposite folding edge 34 to inner flap 28. In this way, as shown in FIG. 2, front wall 26 is assembled merely by folding

intermediate flaps

29 and 30 inwardly until each of them is perpendicularly disposed to side walls 24 and 25, and then bringing outer flap 31 and inner flap 28 into an adjacent relationship with

intermediate flaps

29 and 30, inner flap 28 being disposed on the inside part of

flaps

29 and 30 while outer flap 29 is disposed outside

flaps

29 and 30. The entire construction is locked in place merely by bringing the projecting

locking surfaces

35 and 36 on inner wall 28 into engagement with

notches

37 and 38 formed along folding edge 32.

The triple walled construction for front wall 26 is identical in all respects to that of back wall 27. As shown in FIG. 2, for example, locking means 39 and 40 are also provided on back wall 37 to lock the entire back wall construction firmly into place.

Handles 20, which are preferably constructed from a bendable plastic material, are easily twistedv into place on drawer 19 by first forcing edges 41 and 42 of handle 20 through die-slot openings 43 and 44 formed in outer flap 31 and openings 45 and 46 of

intermediate flaps

30 and 29, and secondly by releasing twisted edges 41 and 42 of handle 20 so that they can lock in place between inner flap 38 and

intermediate flaps

29 and 30. In particular, edges 41 and 42 of handle 20 are provided with a vertically oriented locking structure which is first '3 twisted into a horizontal position to fit through die-slots 43 and 44 and openings 45 and 46, and then released after passing through these openings so that they can assume their normal vertical orientation and lock handles securely in place.

The letter-size drawer 18, shown in FIG. 3 is identical in all respects with file-size drawer 19, shown in FIG. 2, except that it is smaller than file-size drawer 19. The use of both larger file-size drawers and smaller lettersize drawers in the corrugated desk of this invention provides a great deal of flexibility in'both storage and usage and is a particular advantage of the corrugated desk of this invention.

Turning specifically now to FIG. 4, it can readily be seen that the corrugated desk of this invention is quite easily assembled from the basic pedestal shell and desk top components. Pedestal shells 11 and 12, as shown in FIG. 4, have a two-part construction. Each pedestal shell is provided with an outer shell 61 having a wood grain finished exterior, and an inner shell 62, which is designed to hold a series of drawer dividers 63 and which fits within outer shell 61. Each of the' drawer dividers 63 are spaced within inner shell 62 at locations corresponding to the appropriate heights for the lettersize and file-size sliding drawers. In addition, each of the drawer dividers 63 is secured at the lateral edges by means of stapled flaps 64 which are fixedly attached-to the exterior walls 65 of each inner shell 62. Prior to assembly, therefore, each of the inner shells 62 can be easily collapsed merely by flattening the entire inner shell structure. Similarly, the outer shells 61 can also be easily collapsed into a flattened shape when not in use merely by folding

opposite walls

66 and 67 together into an adjacent relationship.

Upon insertion of inner shells 62 into outer shells 61, fold-back flaps 68 are rotated backwards, as shown in FIG. 4, until they are directly adjacent and lie against the inner walls of inner shells 62. In this way, fold-back flaps 68 provide further structural support for drawer dividers 63 and, in addition, help rigidize the entire desk assembly. Openings 69 are provided in the walls of the inner shells 62 and outer shells 61. After insertion of the inner shell 62 into the outer shell 61, the openings are in aligned relationship and are ready to receive lower tabs 70 of modesty panel 21.

Specifically, and as shown in FIG. 4, modesty panel 21 is a generally V-shaped corrugated sheet having lower tabs 70, adapted to be inserted and locked into openings 69 of outer shell 61, and upper tabs 71 which fold over the upper edges 72 of the outer shells 61. Thus, upon assembly, the modesty panel 21 is simply locked into position between the oppositely disposed walls of outer shells 61 and then spread into a V-shaped support. In this way, the modesty panel 21 improves the overall structural integrity of the assembled desk by serving as a V-shaped brace between the oppositely disposed

pedestal shells

12 and 12.

After assembly of the pedestal shells and modesty panel, final assembly of the corrugated desk requires that the three-piece desk top be secured over top of the oppositely disposed pedestal panels. As shown in FIG. 4, desk 13 is constructed from self-edged top panel 80, intermediate support panel 81 and lower panel 82. Preferably, the exterior of the top panel 80 is provided with a wood grain finish and a self-edged extension lip 83 which surrounds the assembled desk to improve the overall aesthetic appeal of the desk. Intermediate panel 81 is typically constructed from a one piece 700 psi test superboard corrugated material and is disposed between the top panel 80 and lower panel 82 to increase the strength of the assembled desk. Lower panel 82 is likewise preferably constructed from 700 psi test superboard corrugated material to further increase the rigidity and strength of the assembled desk.

Upon assembly, lower panel 82 is first placed over top of the pedestal shells with edge 84 extending downwardly between the walls of the outer shells 66 and inner shells 65. Then, intermediate panel 81 is placed over top of lower panel 82. Finally, top panel 80 is secured over intermediate panel 81, with

edges

83 and 85 extending downwardly in a self-edged manner along the entire periphery of the desktop.

The specific design characteristics and interlocking relationships of the assembled corrugated desk of this invention are further illustrated in cross-sectional FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 which show the double and sometimes triple-walled construction present in the finally assembled desk. Referring first to FIG. 5, it can be seen that the desk top components, top panel 80, intermediate panel 81 and lower panel 82, are securely locked in place by means of locking tabs 86 located on top panel 81 which extend into and engage slots 88 in pedestal walls 66. Edges 83, shown in FIG. 5, and 85, shown in FIG. 6, of the top panel 80, in turn, extend around the periphery of the desk top. Edge 84 of lower panel 82, as shown in FIG. 6, extends downwardly between wall 66 of the outer pedestal shell and wall 65 of the inner pedestal shell to further lock the pedestal shells and top assembly firmly in place. Finally, tabs 89 are used to further secure edges 85 of top panel 80 in place as in FIG. 4.

It should be noted that as a last step in assembly, the various drawers, such as that shown in FIG. 3, are insert ed into the assembled desk. FIG. 5 shows in crosssection corresponding inner flap 53, outer flap 52 and intermediate flap 51 of letter-size drawer 18 in an assembled relationship. Drawer stop tabs 90, as shown in FIGS. 5-7, are provided in drawer dividers 63 to prevent the inserted drawers from being pushed too deeply into the desk.

Thus, in accordance with this invention a completely corrugated, yet high strength, collapsible desk is-provided which can be easily assembled and disassembled with a minimum of time and effort. The wood grain finit aesthetically pleasing, and the absence of any metal parts or frames make it extremely low-cost and less subject to permanent bending or oth'er'damage during shipping. In addition, all the desk components are designed to be collapsed into a relatively flat shape, boxed and then easily moved from place to place. The collapsible feature of the desk makes it particularly suitable for use at conventions or in hotels where a periodic need for low-cost desks arises. In addition, the desk is particularly suitable for use by students living in dormatories or other semi-permanent facilities.

The multi-layered, high strength, yet light-weight, materials used in assembling the desk, together with the unique interlocking relationships of the various desk components, make the desk sufficiently rigid for use in offices where heavy typewriters or other office equipment can be placed on the desk.

Naturally, it should be understood that the collapsible corrugated desk embodiment described herein is merely illustrative of the invention, and can be modified, altered or changed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A foldably constructible corrugated desk assembly comprising:

at least a pair of spaced pedestal shell means for forming a supporting surface, said pedestal shell means having a back, front and two oppositely disposed side walls, said front wall having a plurality of divided openings;

a plurality of drawer-supporting divider means secured within said pedestal shell means to support and receive a plurality of slidable drawers;

a plurality of drawers slidably disposed within the divided openings on said pedestal shell means, and being slidably supported by said drawer-supporting divider means; and

a top panel in supporting engagement with the supporting surface formed by said pedestal shell means.

2. The corrugated desk assembly of claim 1 being further characterized by a locking-panel section which extends across and is secured into the pair of spaced pedestal shell means to rigidize the pedestal shell means and to form a modesty panel for the assembled desk.

3. The corrugated desk of claim 1 wherein said top panel comprises:

a lower panel section having a pair of oppositely disposed vertically-oriented edges for locking into each of said space pedestal shell means;

an intermediate support panel section disposed adjacent said lower panel section; and

an exterior panel disposed adjacent said intermediate support panel, said exterior panel having a selfedged extension lip around the periphery thereof which extends downwardly along the sides of said pedestal shell means. i

4. The corrugated desk of claim 3 wherein said exterior panel is further provided with a plurality of spaced locking tab means for locking said exterior panel into said pedestal shell means.

5. The corrugated desk of claim 1 wherein said pedestal shell means comprises:

an outer foldable shell having a back, front and two oppositely disposed side-wall sections; and

an inner shell slidably disposed with said outer shell said inner shell containing said plurality of drawersupporting divider means.

6. The corrugated desk of claim 1 wherein the outer surfaces of said pedestal shell means and said top panel have a wood grain finish.

7. The corrugated desk of claim 1 wherein said plurality of drawers comprise both letter-size and file-size drawers.

8. The corrugated desk of claim 7 wherein each of said slidable drawers is provided with an opening adapted to receive self-locking handle.

Claims

1. A foldably constructible corrugated desk assembly comprising: at least a pair of spaced pedestal shell means for forming a supporting surface, said pedestal shell means having a back, front and two oppositely disposed side walls, said front wall having a plurality of divided openings; a plurality of drawer-supporting divider means secured within said pedestal shell means to support and receive a plurality of slidable drawers; a plurality of drawers slidably disposed within the divided openings on said pedestal shell means, and being slidably supported by said drawer-supporting divider means; and a top panel in supporting engagement with the supporting surface formed by said pedestal shell means.

3. The corrugated desk of claim 1 wherein said top panel comprises: a lower panel section having a pair of oppositely disposed vertically-oriented edges for locking into each of said space pedesTal shell means; an intermediate support panel section disposed adjacent said lower panel section; and an exterior panel disposed adjacent said intermediate support panel, said exterior panel having a self-edged extension lip around the periphery thereof which extends downwardly along the sides of said pedestal shell means.

5. The corrugated desk of claim 1 wherein said pedestal shell means comprises: an outer foldable shell having a back, front and two oppositely disposed side-wall sections; and an inner shell slidably disposed with said outer shell said inner shell containing said plurality of drawer-supporting divider means.