Cubical Topper
20220010552 · 2022-01-13
Assignee
Inventors
- Michael Barkman (Mandeville, LA, US)
- Keith Barkman (Huntington Beach, CA, US)
- Paul Barkman (Neshanic Station, NJ, US)
Cpc classification
E04B2/7416
FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
E04B2002/7418
FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
E04B2/7409
FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
International classification
Abstract
A cubicle topper includes a rectangular body including a bottom side configured to extend along a top surface of a cubicle wall, a top side parallel to and opposite the bottom side, two short sides that are perpendicular to the bottom and top sides and opposite to each other, and a plurality of body slots formed in the bottom side, and a plurality of legs configured to connect the rectangular body to the cubicle wall, each of the legs including: a body connector piece including a leg slot configured to slide into a respective body slot to thereby connect the leg to the rectangular body, and a cubicle gripper piece including two protruding members configured to grip opposite side surfaces of the cubicle wall and a flat inner surface formed between the two protruding members, the flat inner surface configured to rest on the top surface.
Claims
1. A cubicle topper configured to extend a height of a cubicle wall, the cubicle topper comprising: a rectangular body comprising: a bottom side configured to extend along and adjacent to a top surface of the cubicle wall, the bottom side being oriented in a lengthwise direction, a top side parallel to and opposite the bottom side, two short sides that are perpendicular to the bottom and top sides and opposite to each other, the two short sides each being a shorter length than the bottom and top sides and each being oriented in a heightwise direction perpendicular to the lengthwise direction, a thickness in a widthwise direction perpendicular to the lengthwise direction and the heightwise direction, and a plurality of body slots formed in the bottom side, each of the body slots being formed as a rectangular-shaped opening comprising two side surfaces spaced apart from each other and extending upwards into the body in the heightwise direction, and a flat end surface extending across the lengthwise direction from one of the side surfaces to the other of the side surfaces, the rectangular-shaped opening being open across the entire thickness of the rectangular body in the widthwise direction; and a plurality of legs configured to connect the rectangular body to the cubicle wall, each of the legs comprising: a body connector piece comprising a leg slot configured to slide into a respective body slot among the plurality of body slots to thereby connect the leg to the rectangular body, each of the leg slots being formed as a rectangular-shaped opening comprising two side surfaces spaced apart from each other and extending downwards into the body connector piece in the heightwise direction, and a flat end surface extending across the widthwise direction from one of the side surfaces to the other of the side surfaces, the flat end surface of the leg slot being a same width as the thickness of the rectangular body, and a cubicle gripper piece comprising two protruding members configured to grip opposite outer side surfaces of the cubicle wall, and a flat inner surface formed between the two protruding members and extending in a widthwise direction from one of the protruding members to the other of the protruding members, the flat inner surface being uniformly flat across the entire width thereof, having a larger width than a width of the flat end surface of the respective leg slot, and configured to rest on the top surface of the cubicle wall, wherein, when the rectangular body is slid down onto the legs, the flat end surfaces of the body slots contact and rest upon the flat end surfaces of the corresponding leg slots, and the bottom side of the rectangular body and the flat inner surfaces of the cubicle gripper pieces are each coplanar with each other in the lengthwise and widthwise direction and jointly contact and rest on the top surface of the cubicle wall.
2. The cubicle topper according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of legs connects the rectangular body to the cubicle wall in a state of stable equilibrium using only a gripping strength of the plurality of legs and without any drilling or physical modifications to the cubicle wall.
3. The cubicle topper according to claim 2, wherein the rectangular body further comprises rounded corners.
4. The cubicle topper according to claim 3, wherein the body connector piece comprises a flat rectangular shape having two rounded corners at one side, and the body connector piece is configured to slide into the respective body slot such that the one side with the two rounded corners slides into the respective body slot and the flat rectangular shape is oriented in the heightwise direction that is perpendicular to the bottom side of the rectangular body.
5. The cubicle topper according to claim 4, wherein the two protruding members extend in the heightwise direction that is perpendicular to the flat inner surface.
6. The cubicle topper according to claim 5, wherein the body connector piece and the cubicle gripper piece are integrally formed.
7. The cubicle topper according to claim 6, wherein the rectangular body and the plurality of legs are each made of a same transparent material.
8. The cubicle topper according to claim 7, wherein the transparent material comprises plastic.
9. The cubicle topper according to claim 8, wherein a clear and frosted acrylic application is applied to an outer surface of the rectangular body to make a portion of the outer surface of the body have a frosted translucent appearance.
10. The cubicle topper according to claim 8, wherein an EcoAbsorb® application is applied to an outer surface of the rectangular body, the EcoAbsorb® application comprising a sound absorbing and diffusing material configured to absorb and diffuse sound.
11. The cubicle topper according to claim 8, wherein a corrugated application is applied to an outer surface of the rectangular body, the corrugated application comprising a material that has a corrugated surface pattern comprising an alternating series of ridges and grooves.
12. The cubicle topper according to claim 8, wherein a SoundDelete fabric application is applied to an outer surface of the rectangular body, the SoundDelete fabric application comprising a sound absorbing and diffusing material configured to absorb and diffuse sound.
13. The cubicle topper according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of body slots comprises an odd number of body slots, and the body slots are formed in the bottom side such that one body slot is located in a center of the bottom side and two of the remaining body slots are spaced apart from the one body slot at equal distances in opposite directions.
14. A method of assembling a cubicle topper configured to extend a height of a cubicle wall, the cubicle topper comprising a rectangular body having a bottom side with a plurality of body slots formed therein, the bottom side being oriented in a lengthwise direction, the rectangular body further comprising a top side parallel to and opposite the bottom side, two short sides that are perpendicular to the bottom and top sides and opposite to each other, the two short sides each being a shorter length than the bottom and top sides and each being oriented in a heightwise direction perpendicular to the lengthwise direction, and a thickness in a widthwise direction perpendicular to the lengthwise direction and the heightwise direction, the method comprising: sliding a plurality of legs onto a top surface of the cubicle wall to thereby fix the plurality of legs onto the cubicle wall, each of the plurality of legs comprising a body connector piece comprising a leg slot configured to slide into a respective body slot among the plurality of body slots formed in the bottom side of the rectangular body, each of the body slots being formed as a rectangular-shaped opening comprising two side surfaces spaced apart from each other and extending upwards into the body in the heightwise direction, and a flat end surface extending across the lengthwise direction from one of the side surfaces to the other of the side surfaces, the rectangular-shaped opening being open across the entire thickness of the rectangular body in the widthwise direction, and each of the leg slots being formed as a rectangular-shaped opening comprising two side surfaces spaced apart from each other and extending downwards into the body connector piece in the heightwise direction, and a flat end surface extending across the widthwise direction from one of the side surfaces to the other of the side surfaces, the flat end surface of the leg slot being a same width as the thickness of the rectangular body, and each of the plurality of legs further comprising a cubicle gripper piece comprising two protruding members configured to grip opposite outer side surfaces of the cubicle wall and a flat inner surface formed between the two protruding members and extending in a widthwise direction from one of the protruding members to the other of the protruding members, the flat inner surface being uniformly flat across the entire width thereof and configured to rest on the top surface of the cubicle wall, the flat inner surface having a larger width than a width of the flat end surface of the corresponding leg slot; and aligning the plurality of body slots formed in the bottom side of the rectangular body with the plurality of legs and sliding the aligned slots onto the respective legs, to thereby connect the rectangular body to the cubicle wall such that, when the rectangular body is slid down onto the legs, the flat end surfaces of the body slots contact and rest upon the flat end surfaces of the corresponding leg slots, and the bottom side of the rectangular body and the flat inner surfaces of the cubicle gripper pieces are coplanar with each other in the lengthwise and widthwise direction and jointly contact and rest on the top surface of the cubicle wall.
15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the sliding the plurality of legs comprises sliding the plurality of legs at predetermined locations using a measuring device.
16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the body connector piece of each of the legs comprises a flat rectangular shape having two rounded corners at one side, and the sliding the plurality of legs comprises sliding each of the body connector pieces such that the one side with the two rounded corners slides into the respective body slot and the flat rectangular shape is oriented perpendicular to the bottom side of the rectangular body.
17-20. (canceled)
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0029] These and/or other aspects will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the exemplary embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
[0030]
[0031]
[0032]
[0033]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0034] Hereinafter, cubicle toppers and methods of assembling and securing cubicle toppers to cubicles according to exemplary embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0035] As described in more detail below, exemplary embodiments disclosed herein provide an apparatus and a method to extend the height of a cubicle wall in a remarkably efficient and effective fashion, without requiring drilling into or otherwise altering the cubicle wall. The cubicle topper according to exemplary embodiments can prevent the spread of airborne particles such as viruses and bacteria, and thus can enhance the safety and security of workplace environments. Moreover, since the cubicle topper is modular and can be manufactured in many different dimensions according to the needs of the customer, the cubicle topper can be effectively utilized in a myriad of different workplace environments. Additionally, the cubicle topper can have various types of optional applications added thereto, such as sound proofing applications and aesthetic applications.
[0036] In the instant specification, according to an exemplary embodiment, the term “cubicle” refers to a work space in an office environment that is typically defined by at least one wall (e.g., a partition) that extends partially but not completely up to the ceiling. The cubicle may be made out of many different materials, for example, metals, plastics, fabrics, ceramics, etc. Additionally, the cubicle may be a series of interlocking panels, and multiple cubicles may be connected together such that office workers share cubicle walls with each other. The cubicle topper according to exemplary embodiments may be used in any and all of these environments, as well as other environments.
[0037]
[0038] The body 102 is a rectangular shape and has two long sides including a bottom side 102a and a top side 102b that are opposite each other, and two short sides 102c and 102d that are opposite each other and perpendicular to the two long sides 102a and 102b, the two short sides 102c and 102d typically being shorter in length than the bottom side 102a and the top side 102b. According to an exemplary embodiment, the body 102 is a solid piece of material and is transparent, translucent, opaque, or some combination thereof. The body 102 may be formed out of various materials, such as plastics (e.g., acrylics, polycarbonates, plexiglass, etc.), fabric wrapped panel, glass, or other materials. The body 102 further includes four corners 102e. According to an exemplary embodiment, the four corners 102e are rounded, which is useful to minimize damage in case a person bumps into one of the corners 102. However, exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto, and the four corners 102e may be other shapes as well, e.g., right angles.
[0039] The body slots 103 and 104 are formed along the bottom side 102a and are narrow openings into which the legs 105 and 106 can be inserted, respectively. The body slots 103 and 104 are designed to have a width that is substantially the same as the width of the legs 105 and 106, so that each of the legs 105 and 106 fits tightly into its respective slot. The width of the body slots 103 and 104 can be, for example, ¼ inch wide, although is not limited thereto. Additionally, the height of the body slots 103 and 104 can be, for example, 2¼ inches high, although is not limited thereto. The body slots 103 and 104 may be spaced apart from each other in various ways. For example, when the length of the body 102 is 24, 36, or 48 inches, the body slot 103 may be located 5¼ inches from the short side 102c, and the body slot 104 may be located 5¼ inches from the short side 102d. Alternatively, when the body 102 is longer than 48 inches, the body 102 may include three slots, including several slots that are spaced closer together towards the ends of the body 102, and another slot located at a center of the body 102. For example, when the length of the body 102 is 60 or 72 inches, the body slot 103 may be located 5¼ inches from the short side 102c, the body slot 104 may be located 5¼ inches from the short side 102d, and a third slot may be located equidistant from the short sides 102c and 102d (i.e., in the center of the body 102). Moreover, when the length of the body 102 is longer than 72 inches, there may be four or more slots. For example, when the length of the body is 84 inches, the body slot 103 may be located 5¼ inches from the short side 102c, the body slot 104 may be located 5¼ inches from the short side 102d, a third slot may be located halfway between a center of the body 102 and the short side 102c (i.e., 21 inches from the short side 102c), and a fourth slot may be located halfway between a center of the body 102 and the short side 102d (i.e., 21 inches from the short side 102d). Furthermore, when the length of the body is 96 inches, the body slot 103 may be located 5¼ inches from the short side 102c, the body slot 104 may be located 5¼ inches from the short side 102d, a third slot may be located halfway between a center of the body 102 and the short side 102c (i.e., 24 inches from the short side 102c), and a fourth slot may be located halfway between a center of the body 102 and the short side 102d (i.e., 24 inches from the short side 102d). As another example, the body slots 103 and 104 may be evenly spaced apart from each other and the side surfaces 102c and 102d. The body slots may be spaced apart to achieve a maximum stable equilibrium, to ensure that the body 102 does not fall over in response to external forces. There are many different ways to configure the slot dimensions and spacing, and exemplary embodiments are not limited to any particular slot configuration.
[0040] As shown in
[0041] The leg 106 is manufactured to have substantially the same design as the leg 105. Thus, the leg 106 includes a body connector piece 106a including a leg slot 106f that slides into the slot 104 to connect the leg 106 to the body 102, and further includes a cubicle gripper piece that includes two protruding members 106b and 106c and a flat inner surface 106d. The cubicle gripper piece of the leg 106 functions in substantially the same fashion as the cubicle gripper piece of the leg 105.
[0042] The legs 105 and 106 may be made of the same material as the body 102, or made of a different material than that of the body 102. In the example shown in
[0043] The length of the body 102, which is the length of the bottom and top sides 102a and 102b, is manufactured based on the length of the cubicle wall 108. For example, if the length of the cubicle wall is 4 feet-2.5 inches, the body 102 may be manufactured to have the same length as that of the cubicle wall or may be manufactured to be slightly longer or shorter than the cubicle wall. The height of the body 102, which is the height of the two short sides 102c and 102d, is typically manufactured based on the preferences and needs of the customer. For example, the height of the body 102 may be 12 inches, 18 inches, or 24 inches, although is not limited thereto. Each of these heights may achieve a significant decrease in spreading of airborne particles.
[0044] The body 102 and the legs 105 and 106 may be formed using various manufacturing techniques. For example, the body 102 may be formed as a solid rectangular shape and then the body slots 103 and 104 may be added by cutting out portions along the bottom side 102a (a subtractive manufacturing technique). Alternatively, the body 102 may be manufactured to have the slots 104 formed therein during the initial manufacturing process, such as by using a template with slots already formed therein.
[0045]
[0046] First, as shown in a) of
[0047] Second, as shown in b) of
[0048] Finally, as shown in c) of
[0049] As shown in
[0050]
[0051] As shown in a) of
[0052] As shown in b) of
[0053] As shown in c) of
[0054] As shown in d) of
[0055]
[0056] In operation 402, an installer slides legs onto the top of a cubicle wall. For example, the installer first slides the leg 105 onto the top of the cubicle wall 108 until the flat inner surface 105d contacts the top surface 112 and the two protruding members 105b and 105c grip the side surfaces 110. The installer then repeats this process with leg 106. The legs 105 and 106 can be installed at precise locations using a ruler, a tape measure, or some other measuring device.
[0057] In operation 404, the installer aligns the slots in the body with the respective legs that are fixed onto the top of the cubicle wall and then slides the aligned slots into the slots of the respective legs. For example, the installer physically holds the body 102 up above the legs 105 and 106 so that the body slots 103 and 104 are aligned with the legs 105 and 106, respectively, and then slides the body 102 down so that the body slots 103 and 104 slide into the leg slots 105f and 106f of the legs 105 and 106, respectively, to thereby lock the body 102 onto the legs 105 and 106. At this point, the cubicle topper 100 is assembled.
[0058] In operation 406, the method ends.
[0059] It should be understood that the exemplary embodiments described herein should be considered in a descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. Descriptions of features or aspects within each exemplary embodiment should typically be considered as available for other similar features or aspects in other exemplary embodiments.
[0060] Additionally, although certain exemplary embodiments have been described in which the body and legs have rectangular slots (e.g., slots 103, 104, 105f, and 106f in
[0061] While one or more exemplary embodiments have been described with reference to the figures, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope as defined by the following claims.