Workspace Dividing System

Abstract

A system for dividing a workspace includes first and second vertically extending walls having a respective upper and lower edge and respective side edges. The first and second walls are arranged in parallel to partially enclose an area. A ceiling is included that extends between the first and second walls to join the upper edges of the first and second walls and at least partially cover the partially enclosed area. The resulting arch-shaped divider system may include any of a plurality of features. For example, the systems may include integrated work surfaces, seating surfaces, and/or informational areas, or may include viewing passages.

1 . A workspace divider system comprising: 
 first and second substantially vertically extending walls having a respective upper and lower edge and respective side edges and, wherein the first and second walls are arranged substantially in parallel and separated to form an area therebetween;    a ceiling member extending between the first and second walls to join the upper edges of the first and second walls and at least partially covering the area between the walls; and    an elongated slice extending through the ceiling and at least one of the first and second walls to create a continuous viewing passage to and from the area between the walls through the ceiling and the at least one of the first and second walls.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising a rounded joint securing upper ends of the first and second walls to the ceiling and wherein the elongated slice extends through the rounded joint.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising a substantially transparent pane positioned within the elongated slice to form a viewing window into the area between the walls.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising a light diffusing pane positioned within at least a portion of the elongated slice to diffuse and disperse light entering the area between the walls through the diffusing pane.  
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4  further comprising a substantially transparent pane positioned within a portion of the elongated slice extending through one of the first and second wall to form a viewing window into the area between the walls through the substantially transparent pane and wherein the diffusing pane extends along a portion of the elongated slice extending through the ceiling.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the area between the walls is configured to house a desk and a chair.  
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the first and second walls is configured to receive a desk arranged to face the one of the first and second walls and form a backstop extending across an entirety of a work surface of the desk.  
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7  wherein the elongated slice extends through the backstop to provide a user seated at the desk with a view from the area between the walls through the one of the first and second walls.  
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 7  wherein the elongated slice extends along one of the first and second walls not forming the backstop.  
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the first and second walls have a vertical rise of less than seven feet and the ceiling extends between the first and second walls at a termination of the vertical rise.  
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10  wherein the vertical rise is sufficient to allow a user to be seated at a chair arranged within the area between the walls and under the ceiling.  
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising at least one horizontally extending wall extending from one of the first and second walls to further enclose the area between the walls.  
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the first and second walls are configured to disengage from the ceiling to facilitate disassembly of the workspace divider system.  
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1  wherein a side of the first and second walls and the ceiling facing the area between the walls include a sound absorbing material.  
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14  wherein the sound absorbing material includes at least one of cloth and foam.  
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the viewing passage has a width of greater than approximately an inch and less than approximately a foot.  
     
     
         17 . A workspace divider system comprising: 
 a dividing wall having an upper edge, a lower edge, and opposing side edges;    a first informational area formed on the dividing wall and arranged proximate to the upper edge to display a first set of at least one of static information and dynamic information;    a second informational area formed on the dividing wall and separated from the first informational area to display a second set of at least one of static information and dynamic information;    at least one elongated slice formed in the dividing wall to provide a viewing passage through the dividing wall; and    wherein the at least one elongated slice is arranged between the first informational area and the second informational area to divide the first informational area and the second informational area at a height on the dividing wall where at least a portion of the viewing passage is aligned at an average eye level of an individual standing proximate to the dividing wall.    
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17  further comprising a substantially transparent pane extending over the elongated slice to support the first informational area above the second informational area while permitting a line of sight through the viewing passage.  
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17  wherein at least one of the first informational area and the second informational area includes a display system configured to display video.  
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19  wherein another of the first informational area and the second informational area includes a bulletin board including a resilient surface configured to receive push pins.  
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 17  wherein the at least one elongated slice is arranged at a height of approximately five feet along a vertical rise of the dividing wall.  
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21  wherein the dividing wall has a vertical rise of less than seven feet.  
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 17  further comprising at least one foot arranged along the lower side of the dividing wall to allow the workspace divider system to be self-supporting.  
     
     
         24 . A workspace divider system comprising: 
 first and second substantially vertically extending walls having a respective upper and lower edge and respective side edges and, wherein the first and second walls are arranged substantially in parallel to partially enclose an area;    a ceiling extending between the first and second walls to join the upper edges of the first and second walls and at least partially covering the partially enclosed area; and    a plurality of coaxially aligned elongated slices extending through the ceiling and at least one of the first and second walls having a common width to create viewing passages to and from the partially enclosed area.    
     
     
         25 . The workspace divider system of  claim 24  wherein the plurality of coaxially aligned slices are arranged to form a continuous viewing passage extending through the ceiling and at least one of the first and second walls.  
     
     
         26 . A workspace divider system comprising: 
 a vertically extending wall having an upper edge and a lower edge and side edges;    a ceiling extending from the upper edge of the wall and configured to engage a building wall to at least partially enclose an area thereunder; and    an elongated slice extending through the ceiling and the wall to create a continuous viewing passage to and from the partially enclosed area through the ceiling and the wall.    
     
     
         27 . The workspace divider system of  claim 26  further comprising a horizontally extending surface supported by the wall to create at least one of a seating area and a work surface within the partially enclosed area.  
     
     
         28 . A workspace divider system comprising: 
 first and second vertically extending walls having a respective upper and lower edge and respective side edges and, wherein the first and second walls are arranged in parallel to partially enclose an area;    a ceiling extending between the first and second walls to join the upper edges of the first and second walls and at least partially cover the partially enclosed area; and    at least two elongated slices having a common width extend through at least one of the ceiling and the first and second walls to create a set of viewing passages to and from the partially enclosed area.    
     
     
         29 . The workspace divider system of  claim 28  wherein the at least two elongated slices are aligned along a common axis extending along the at least two elongated slices.  
     
     
         30 . A workspace divider system comprising: 
 a first wall and a second wall arranged as parallel, vertically-extending panels;    a ceiling supported by the first wall and the second wall to at least partially enclose an area within the first wall, the second wall, and the ceiling; and    a horizontally extending surface supported by one of the first wall and the second wall to create at least one of a seating area and a work surface within the at least partially enclosed area.    
     
     
         31 . The workspace divider of  claim 30  wherein the first wall extends from a first end supported on a floor to a second end supporting the ceiling and wherein the second wall extends from a first end supported by a desk supported above the floor by a support structure to a second end supporting the ceiling.  
     
     
         32 . The workspace divider of  claim 31  wherein the support structure includes two legs extending from an underside of the desk to the floor to support the desk and the second wall.  
     
     
         33 . The workspace divider of  claim 31  wherein the desk extends from a first end engaged with the second wall to a second end displaced from the first wall to form a passage between the first wall and the second end of the desk designed to receive a chair.  
     
     
         34 . The workspace divider of  claim 30  wherein the horizontally extending surface extends from the first wall to form the seating area and further comprising another horizontally extending surface supported by the second wall to form a desk arranged opposite the seating area.  
     
     
         35 . The workspace divider of  claim 30  wherein the seating area forms a bench extending transversely across the first wall.  
     
     
         36 . The workspace divider of  claim 35  further comprising another horizontally extending surface supported by the second wall to form another seating area arranged opposite the seating area.  
     
     
         37 . The workspace divider of  claim 36  wherein the another seating area forms a bench extending transversely across the second wall.  
     
     
         38 . The workspace divider of  claim 30  further comprising a padded lining extending over a surface of the first wall, the second wall, and the ceiling facing the partially enclosed area.  
     
     
         39 . The workspace divider of  claim 38  wherein the padded lining includes a plurality of padding sections extending transversely across the first wall, the second wall, and the ceiling.  
     
     
         40 . The workspace divider of  claim 30  further comprising an elongated slice extending through at least a portion of the ceiling and at least one of the first and the second wall to form an elongated viewing passage.  
     
     
         41 . A workspace divider system comprising: 
 a first bench extending from a first side to a second side between a front side and a rear side and supported above a floor by a first support structure;    a second bench extending from a first side to a second side between a front side and a rear side and supported above the floor by a second support structure, wherein the front side of the first bench and the front side of the second bench are aligned to extend in parallel;    a first wall supported by the first bench along the rear side to form a back for the first bench;    a second wall supported by the second bench along the rear side forming a back for the second bench; and    a ceiling supported by the first wall and the second wall over the first bench and the second bench.    
     
     
         42 . The workspace divider of  claim 41  wherein the first support structure and second support structure include a pair of legs extending from an underside of the first bench and the second bench, respectively.  
     
     
         43 . The workspace divider of  claim 42  wherein the pair of legs extending from the underside of the first bench and the pair of legs extending from the underside of the second bench form the sole support of the workspace divider above the floor.  
     
     
         44 . The workspace divider of  claim 41  further comprising a padded lining extending over the first bench, the second bench, the first wall, the second wall, and the ceiling.  
     
     
         45 . The workspace divider of  claim 44  wherein the padded lining includes a plurality of padding sections extending transversely across first bench, the second bench, the first wall, the second wall, and the ceiling.  
     
     
         46 . The workspace divider of  claim 41  further comprising rounded interfaces joining the first wall and the ceiling and the second wall and the ceiling.  
     
     
         47 . The workspace divider of  claim 41  further comprising rounded interfaces joining the first wall to the first bench and the second wall to the second bench.  
     
     
         48 . The workspace divider of  claim 41  further comprising an elongated slice extending through at least a portion of the ceiling and at least one of the first and the second wall to form an elongated viewing passage.  
     
     
         49 . A workspace divider system comprising: 
 a first wall extending vertically from a lower end supported by a floor to an upper end;    a desk supported by an associated support structure above the floor;    a second wall extending vertically from a lower end supported by the desk to an upper end;    a ceiling supported at a first end by the upper end of the first wall and at a second end arranged opposite the first end by the upper end of the second wall.    
     
     
         50 . The workspace divider of  claim 49  wherein the desk extends from a first end engaged with the second wall to a second end displaced from the first wall to form a passage between the first wall and the second end of the desk designed to receive a chair arranged proximate to the desk.  
     
     
         51 . The workspace divider of  claim 49  wherein the support structure consists of a pair of legs extending from the floor to support the desk.  
     
     
         52 . The workspace divider of  claim 49  further comprising rounded interfaces joining the upper end of the first wall to the ceiling and the lower end of the second wall to the desk.  
     
     
         53 . The workspace divider of  claim 52  further comprising a right-angle interface joining the upper end of the second wall to the ceiling.  
     
     
         54 . The workspace divider of  claim 49  further comprising an elongated slice extending through at least a portion of the ceiling and at least one of the first and the second wall to form an elongated viewing passage.