Pedestal system

Abstract

A pedestal system includes a cabinet having a bottom wall, a top wall, a pair of sidewalls, and a rear wall that cooperate to define a forwardly-opening aperture that slidably receives a plurality of drawer assemblies therein. The pedestal system further includes interchangeable face plates for covering the drawer assemblies, an attachment system for attaching a drawer lock/interlock assembly that locks the drawer assemblies in a closed position and prevents multiple drawer assemblies from being simultaneously opened, and a drawer divider for segmenting an interior space of each drawer assembly. The drawer lock/interlock system includes a cam assembly that allows a constant force to be applied to each drawer assembly while opening each drawer and activating the lock/interlock assembly. The pedestal system further includes an attachment system for attaching the pedestal system to a free-standing partition system.

1 . A coupling assembly for coupling a furniture component to a free-standing partition assembly, wherein the partition assembly includes a connector member having a plurality of longitudinally extending and aligned slots located in an outwardly exposed face thereof, the coupling assembly comprising:
 a first bracket adapted to couple to a furniture component and having a plurality of first engagement members spaced along a length thereof and adapted to engage a plurality of first slots of a connector member of a partition assembly; and   a second bracket adapted to couple to a furniture component and having a plurality of second engagement members spaced along a length thereof and adapted to engage a plurality of second slots of a connector member longitudinally aligned with a plurality of first slots, wherein the second bracket is longitudinally shiftable with respect to the first bracket prior to coupling the second bracket with a furniture component.   
   
   
       2 . The coupling assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first engagement members are T-shaped. 
   
   
       3 . The coupling assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the second engagement members are T-shaped. 
   
   
       4 . The coupling assembly of  claim 3 , wherein at least some of the plurality of first engagement members and at least some of the plurality of the second engagement members are adapted to engage the same slots within a coupling member of a partition assembly. 
   
   
       5 . The coupling assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the first bracket further includes a substantially planar body portion extending substantially perpendicular to the first engagement members, and wherein the body portion is adapted to abut the furniture component and to be coupled thereto. 
   
   
       6 . The coupling assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the second bracket further includes a substantially planar body portion extending substantially perpendicular to the second engagement members, and wherein the body portion of the second bracket is adapted to abut the body portion of the first bracket and to be coupled to the furniture component. 
   
   
       7 . The coupling assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the second bracket further includes a lift tab extending from the body portion of the second bracket, and wherein the lift tab is adapted to be grasped to facilitate the shifting of the second bracket with respect to the first bracket. 
   
   
       8 . A furniture system, comprising:
 a free-standing partition assembly that includes a connector member having a plurality of longitudinally extending and aligned slots located in an outwardly exposed face thereof;   a furniture component; and   a coupling assembly, comprising:
 a first bracket coupled to the furniture component and having a plurality of first engagement members spaced along a length thereof, wherein the first engagement members are engaged within a portion of the plurality of slots of the connector member; and 
 a second bracket coupled to the furniture component and having a plurality of second engagement members spaced along a length thereof and engaged within a portion of the plurality of slots of the connector member, wherein the second bracket is longitudinally shiftable with respect to the first bracket prior to the second bracket being coupled with the furniture component. 
   
   
   
       9 . The furniture system of  claim 8 , wherein the first engagement members are T-shaped. 
   
   
       10 . The furniture system of  claim 9 , wherein the second engagement members are T-shaped. 
   
   
       11 . The furniture system of  claim 10 , wherein at least some of the plurality of first engagement members and at least some of the plurality of second engagement members engage the same slots within the connection member. 
   
   
       12 . The furniture system of  claim 11 , wherein the first bracket further includes a substantially planar body portion extending substantially perpendicular to the first engagement members, and wherein the body portion abuts the furniture component and is coupled thereto. 
   
   
       13 . The furniture system of  claim 12 , wherein the second bracket further includes a substantially planar body portion extending substantially perpendicular to the second engagement members, and wherein the body portion of the second bracket abuts the body portion of the first bracket and is coupled to the furniture component. 
   
   
       14 . The coupling assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the second bracket further includes a lift tab extending from the body portion of the second bracket, and wherein the lift tab is adapted to be grasped to facilitate the shifting of the second bracket with respect to the first bracket. 
   
   
       15 . The furniture system of  claim 8 , wherein at least some of the plurality of first engagement members and at least some of the plurality of second engagement members engage the same slots within the connection member. 
   
   
       16 . The furniture system of  claim 8 , wherein the first bracket further includes a substantially planar body portion extending substantially perpendicular to the first engagement members, and that is coupled to the furniture component, the second bracket further includes a substantially planar body portion extending substantially perpendicular to the second engagement members, and that is coupled to the furniture component, and wherein the second bracket further includes a lift tab extending from the body portion of the second bracket, and that is adapted to be grasped to facilitate the shifting of the second bracket with respect to the first bracket.