1. A table comprising:
a tabletop including at least one opening;
a cover shaped to cover the at least one opening; and
a cover support operably supporting the cover for opening movement in either of two different directions;
wherein the cover support includes end pieces having a cover-supporting surface constructed to support the cover in a horizontal closed position over the opening, the cover support including at least one recess configured to receive an edge of the cover as the cover is pivoted to an opened position;
wherein the at least one recess is configured to receive an edge of the cover and Provide a lip that acts as a fulcrum, so that a person can flip open the cover by pulling on the edge; and
wherein the at least one recess is configured to hold the cover in a propped cantilevered manner when the cover is in one of the opened positions.
2. A table comprising:
a tabletop including at least one opening;
a cover shaped to cover the at least one opening; and
a cover support operably supporting the cover for opening movement in either of two different directions;
wherein the cover support includes end pieces having a cover-supporting surface constructed to support the cover in a horizontal closed position over the opening, the cover support including at least one recess configured to receive an edge of the cover as the cover is pivoted to an opened position; and
wherein the end pieces include an up protrusion configured to engage and support a bottom of the cover when the cover is in the closed position.
3. The table defined in claim 2, including a rubber dampener on the up protrusion configured to soften movement of the cover to the closed position.
4. The table defined in claim 2, wherein the at least one recess is configured to hold the cover in a propped cantilevered manner when the cover is in one of the opened positions.
5. A table comprising:
a tabletop including at least one opening;
a cover shaped to cover the at least one opening; and
a cover support operably supporting the cover for opening movement in either of two different directions;
wherein the opening is elongated, and including light seal flaps that extend along both sides of the elongated opening to prevent visual access along sides of the cover into the elongated opening when the cover is in a closed position.
6. A table comprising:
a tabletop including at least one opening;
a cover shaped to cover the at least one opening; and
a cover support operably supporting the cover for opening movement in either of two different directions;
wherein the cover support includes end pieces having a cover-supporting surface constructed to support the cover in a horizontal closed position over the opening, the cover support including at least one recess configured to receive an edge of the cover as the cover is pivoted to an opened position;
wherein the at least one recess is configured to receive an edge of the cover and provide a lip that acts as a fulcrum, so that a person can flip open the cover by pulling on the edge; and
wherein the cover support defines a recess configured to hold pencils and the like under the cover.
7. A table comprising:
a tabletop including at least one opening;
a cover shaped to cover the at least one opening;
a cover support operably supporting the cover for opening movement in either of two different directions; and
a leg assembly supporting the tabletop, the leg assembly including first and second legs and a beam connected between and stabilizing the first and second legs, the at least one opening in the tabletop being located over the beam, and a utility distribution system supported by the beam including utility outlets.
8. The table defined in claim 7, wherein the cover support includes end pieces having a cover-supporting surface constructed to support the cover in a horizontal closed position over the opening, the cover support including at least one recess configured to receive an edge of the cover as the cover is pivoted to an opened position.
9. The table defined in claim 7, including wireways defined in the beam.
10. The table defined in claim 9, wherein the cover support is constructed to pivotally support the top cover for movement between at least one opened position and a closed position where the top cover is co-planar with the tabletop.
11. The table defined in claim 7, wherein at least one of the first and second legs is tubular and includes a repositionable adjustable divider configured to subdivide a space in the one leg into separated wireways of different cross-sectional sizes.
12. The table defined in claim 11, including beam covers attached to the beam.
13. The table defined in claim 7, including beam covers attached to the beam.
14. The table defined in claim 7, wherein the cover support is constructed to pivotally support the top cover for movement between at least one opened position and a closed position where the top cover is co-planar with the tabletop.
15. The table defined in claim 7, wherein the cover support comprises end pieces that support the top cover for opening movement in two different ways.
16. The table defined in claim 7, wherein the cover support defines virtual pivots that support the top cover for pivotal movement without direct attachment to the top cover.
17. The table defined in claim 16, wherein the cover support comprises end pieces having shaped recesses configured to receive an edge of the top cover in a manner defining the virtual pivot.
18. The table defined in claim 16, wherein the cover support is configured to support the top cover in a propped opened position in either of the two oppositely opened positions.
19. A table comprising:
a tabletop including at least one opening, the at least one opening configured to allow access to utilities located under the tabletop;
a cover shaped to cover the at least one opening; and
a cover support operably supporting the cover for movement between two open positions for allowing access to the utilities under the tabletop from at least two different directions;
wherein the cover support includes end pieces having a cover-supporting surface constructed to support the cover in a horizontal closed position over the opening, the cover support including at least one recess configured to receive an edge of the cover as the cover is pivoted to at least one of the open positions; and
wherein the at least one recess is configured to receive an edge of the cover and provide a lip that acts as a fulcrum, so that a person can flip open the cover by pulling on the edge.
20. The table defined in claim 19, wherein the cover support is constructed to pivotally support the top cover for movement between at least one of the open positions and a closed position where the top cover is co-planar with the tabletop.
21. A table comprising:
a tabletop including at least one opening, the at least one opening configured to allow access to utilities located under the tabletop;
a cover shaped to cover the at least one opening; and
a cover support operably supporting the cover for movement between two open positions for allowing access to the utilities under the tabletop from at least two different directions;
wherein the cover support includes end pieces having a cover-supporting surface constructed to support the cover in a horizontal closed position over the opening, the cover support including at least one recess configured to receive an edge of the cover as the cover is pivoted to at least one of the open positions; and
wherein the at least one recess includes a lip that frictionally snappingly engages the cover when the cover is in a closed position.
22. A table comprising:
a tabletop including at least one opening, the at least one opening configured to allow access to utilities located under the tabletop;
a cover shaped to cover the at least one opening; and
a cover support operably supporting the cover for movement between two open positions for allowing access to the utilities under the tabletop from at least two different directions;
wherein the cover support includes end pieces having a cover-supporting surface constructed to support the cover in a horizontal closed position over the opening, the cover support including at least one recess configured to receive an edge of the cover as the cover is pivoted to at least one of the open positions; and
wherein the end pieces include an up protrusion configured to engage and support a bottom of the cover when the cover is in the closed position.
23. The table defined in claim 22, including a rubber dampener on the up protrusion configured to soften movement of the cover to the closed position.
24. A table comprising:
a tabletop including at least one opening, the at least one opening configured to allow access to utilities located under the tabletop;
a cover shaped to cover the at least one opening; and
a cover support operably supporting the cover for movement between two open positions for allowing access to the utilities under the tabletop from at least two different directions;
wherein the opening is elongated, and including light seal flaps that extend along both sides of the elongated opening to prevent visual access along sides of the cover into the elongated opening when the cover is in the closed position.
25. The table defined in claim 24, wherein the cover support includes end pieces having a cover-supporting surface constructed to support the cover in a horizontal closed position over the opening, the cover support including at least one recess configured to receive an edge of the cover as the cover is pivoted to at least one of the open positions.
26. The table defined in claim 25, wherein the at least one recess is configured to hold the cover in a propped cantilevered manner when the cover is in one of the open positions.
27. The table defined in claim 24, wherein the cover support is constructed to pivotally support the top cover for movement between at least one of the open positions and a closed position where the top cover is coplanar with the tabletop.
28. A table comprising:
a tabletop including at least one opening, the at least one opening configured to allow access to utilities located under the tabletop;
a cover shaped to cover the at least one opening;
a cover support operably supporting the cover for movement between two open positions for allowing access to the utilities under the tabletop from at least two different directions; and
a leg assembly supporting the tabletop, the leg assembly including first and second legs and a beam connected between and stabilizing the first and second legs, the at least one opening in the tabletop being located over the beam, and a utility distribution system supported by the beam including utility outlets.
29. The table defined in claim 28, wherein the cover support defines a recess configured to hold pencils and the like under the cover.
30. The table defined in claim 28, wherein the cover support includes end pieces having a cover-supporting surface constructed to support the cover in a horizontal closed position over the opening, the cover support including at least one recess configured to receive an edge of the cover as the cover is pivoted to at least one of the open positions.
31. The table defined in claim 30, wherein the at least one recess is configured to hold the cover in a propped cantilevered manner when the cover is in one of the open positions.
32. The table defined in claim 28, including wireways defined in the beam.
33. The table defined in claim 32, wherein the cover support is constructed to pivotally support the top cover for movement between at least one of the open positions and a closed position where the top cover is co-planar with the tabletop.
34. The table defined in claim 28, wherein at least one of the first and second legs is tubular and includes a repositionable adjustable divider configured to subdivide a space in the one leg into separated wireways of different cross-sectional sizes.
35. The table defined in claim 34, including beam covers attached to the beam.
36. The table defined in claim 28, including beam covers attached to the beam.
37. The table defined in claim 28, wherein the cover support is constructed to pivotally support the top cover for movement between at least one of the open positions and a closed position where the top cover is coplanar with the tabletop.
38. The table defined in claim 28, wherein the cover support comprises end pieces that support the top cover for opening movement in two different ways.
39. The table defined in claim 28, wherein the cover support defines virtual pivots that support the top cover for pivotal movement without direct attachment to the top cover.
40. The table defined in claim 39, wherein the cover support is configured to support the top cover in a propped opened position in either of the two open positions.
41. The table defined in claim 28, wherein the cover support comprises end pieces having shaped recesses configured to receive an edge of the top cover in a manner defining a virtual pivot.
42. A table comprising:
a tabletop including at least one opening, the at least one opening configured to allow access to utilities located under the tabletop;
a cover shaped to cover the at least one opening; and
a cover support operably supporting the cover for movement between two open positions for allowing access to the utilities under the tabletop from at least two different directions;
wherein the cover support defines virtual pivots that support the top cover for pivotal movement without direct attachment to the top cover; and
wherein the shaped recesses include an inner lip that pivotally engages the top cover as the top cover is moved toward one of the open positions, and further include an outer lip that engages the top cover to prop open the top cover when the top cover is in one of the opened position.
43. A table comprising:
a tabletop including at least one opening;
a cover shaped to cover the at least one opening; and
a cover support operably supporting the cover for opening movement in either of two different directions;
wherein the cover support includes end pieces having a cover-supporting surface constructed to support the cover in a horizontal closed position over the opening, the cover support including at least one recess configured to receive an edge of the cover as the cover is pivoted to an opened position;
wherein the at least one recess includes a lip that frictionally snappingly enlarges the cover when the cover is in the closed position; and
wherein the at least one recess is configured to hold the cover in a propped cantilevered manner when the cover is in one of the opened positions.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method for producing a saponified ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer by saponifying an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer in a methanol solution containing an alkali catalyst, the method comprising:
supplying from a first reactor into a second reactor a solution containing a partially-saponified product of the copolymer obtained through saponification under a predetermined pressure in the first reactor; and
saponifying further the partially-saponified product in the second reactor under a pressure higher than the predetermined pressure in the first reactor, whereby to obtain a final saponified copolymer.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein an ethylene content of the ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer is from 10 mol % to 60 mol %.
3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the ethylene content of the ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer is from 10 mol % to 30 mol %.
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein a pressure in the first reactor is from 0.1 MPa to 0.2 MPa, and a pressure in the second reactor is from 0.2 MPa to 2.0 MPa.
5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the partially-saponified product to be supplied into the second reactor has a saponification degree ranging from 60 mol % to 98 mol %.
6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the final saponified product has a saponification degree of at least 99.0 mol %.
7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the amount of alkali catalyst used is from 0.01 to 0.03 in molar ratio to an acetyl group contained in the ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer.
8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the alkali catalyst is supplied to the first reactor alone.
9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the solution supplied from the first reactor into the second reactor contains the alkali catalyst in a range from 0.005 to 0.03 in molar ratio to the acetyl group contained in the partially-saponified product.
10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the alkali catalyst is supplied to the first reactor and the second reactor.
11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the second reactor is a tower reactor divided into at least two regions in a direction from top to bottom of the reactor, and the alkali catalyst is supplied to the respective regions.
12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first reactor and the second reactor are tower reactors.
13. The method according to claim 12, wherein a methanol solution of the ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer and a methanol solution of the alkali catalyst are supplied through the upper portion of the first reactor, and a methanol solution containing the partially-saponified product of the copolymer and the alkali catalyst is supplied from the lower portion of the first reactor to the upper portion of the second reactor.
14. The method according to claim 12, wherein a methanol vapor is supplied through the lower portion of at least one reactor selected from the group consisting of the first reactor and the second reactor, and the methanol vapor is discharged with methyl acetate as a by-product of saponification from the upper portion of the reactor to which the methanol vapor is supplied.
15. An apparatus for producing a saponified ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer by saponifying an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer in a methanol solution containing an alkali catalyst, the apparatus comprises:
a first reactor comprising a copolymer supplying pipe through which the methanol solution of the ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer is introduced, and a catalyst supplying pipe through which the alkali catalyst is introduced;
a second reactor comprising a final saponified product discharging pipe through which a final saponified product of the copolymer is drawn out;
a partially-saponified product delivering pipe that connects the first reactor to the second reactor for allowing a solution to be delivered and supplying the partially-saponified product of the copolymer from the first reactor to the second reactor; and
a pressure-regulating valve for regulating pressure in the second reactor.
16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the first reactor and the second reactor are tower reactors, the copolymer supplying pipe and a catalyst supplying pipe are connected to the upper portion of the first reactor and the final saponified product discharging pipe is connected to the lower portion of the second reactor, and the partially-saponified product delivering pipe connects the lower portion of the first reactor and the upper portion of the second reactor.
17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein a methanol vapor supplying pipe is connected to the lower portion of at least one reactor selected from the group consisting of the first reactor and the second reactor and a methyl acetate discharging pipe is connected to the upper portion of said at least one reactor.