WO1999041467A1

WO1999041467A1 - Wall panel connection

Info

Publication number: WO1999041467A1
Application number: PCT/AU1999/000091
Authority: WO
Inventors: Anthony Stansfield
Original assignee: Anthony Stansfield
Priority date: 1998-02-16
Filing date: 1999-02-16
Publication date: 1999-08-19
Also published as: AUPP184298A0

Abstract

A wall panel assembly (10) consisting of at least two wall panels (11), each wall panel (11) comprising a core (13) and a frame member (20) and being connected to an adjacent wall panel using a connector (50) comprising at least two terminal portions (51) interconnected by a web portion (52). The frame member (20) includes a connecting recess (31) with a narrow throat portion (32) for retaining one of the terminal portions (51) of the connector (50), whereby connected wall panels can rotate relative to one another, either by flexing of the connector web portion (52) or by pivoting of the terminal portion (51) in the connecting recess (31). A wall panel connection means incorporating a pair of opposing gripping members capable of holding the panel when positioned therebetween, biasing means for maintaining the gripping members in a gripping attitude and mounting means for mounting the gripping members on an adjacent structure are also disclosed.

Description

WALL PANEL CONNECTION

This invention relates to a wall panel and a panel assembly consisting of a plurality of said wall panels.

This invention has particular but not exclusive application to wall panels for use in the construction of office partitions, work stations, and the like and for illustrative purposes reference will be made to such application. However, it is to be understood that this invention could be used in other applications, such as the construction of visual displays and temporary fences.

Demountable panel assemblies used in the construction of office partitioning and work stations are widely known. The panel systems usually include a plurality of interconnected wall panels which typically are difficult to assemble, particularly when the wall panels are misaligned.

It is also noted that the position of the wall panels relative to adjacent wall panels can not be easily altered.

The present invention aims to alleviate at least one of the above disadvantages and to provide a wall panel and a panel assembly which will be reliable and efficient in use.

With the foregoing in view, this invention in one aspect resides broadly in a wall panel which may be connected to an adjacent wall panel having similar characteristics using a connector consisting of at least two terminal portions interconnected by an intermediate web portion, each said wall panel including: a body, and a connecting recess associated with a side portion of said body, said connecting recess having a narrow throat portion for retaining one of the terminal portions of the connector, the terminal portion of the connector being capable of pivotal movement relative to said connecting recess .

In yet another aspect, this invention relates to a wall panel which may be connected to an adjacent wall panel having similar characteristics using a connector consisting of at least two terminal portions interconnected by an intermediate web portion, each said wall panel including: a body, and a connecting recess associated with a side portion of said body, said connecting recess having a narrow throat portion for retaining one of the terminal portions of the connector, whereby connected wall panels can pivot relative to one another due to the flexibility of the web portion. In another aspect, this invention relates to a wall panel which may be connected to an adjacent wall panel having similar characteristics using a connector consisting of at least two terminal portions interconnected by an intermediate web portion, each said wall panel including: a body, and a connecting recess associated with a side portion of said body, said connecting recess having a narrow throat portion for retaining one of the terminal portions of the connector, whereby connected wall panels can pivot relative to one another and wherein said connecting recess is formed in a protruding side portion of said body to facilitate pivotal movement between said panels.

Providing the connecting recess in a protruding portion enables relative angular movement of the panels without the need to provide unduly wide connectors. In other words by providing the connecting recess in a protruding portion the distance separating the terminal portions of the connector can be minimised.

In yet another aspect, this invention relates to a wall assembly including: at least two wall panels, each wall panel having a side portion which includes a connecting recess having a narrow throat portion, and connection means comprising at least two terminal portions each locatable within a respective connecting recess and retained therein by said throat portion, said terminal portions being interconnected by a web portion.

Preferably the connection means allows pivotal movement of one wall panel relative to the other wall panel. For example, in some embodiments the web may be flexible and/or the connector may be capable of pivotal movement relative to the connecting recess while maintained in operative engagement with said connecting recess. With reference to each aspect of the invention referred to above, the body or panel core may take the form of a closed wall. For example, the panel core may be of solid or hollow construction and may consist of one or more sheets of wood, glass, metal or plastics materials, including various combinations of the aforementioned materials.

Alternatively the panel core may take the form of an open wall. For example, the panel core may include a frame consisting of a plurality of interconnected core frame members and wherein the core frame members may provide support for a sheet of a mesh like material or a plurality of intermediate bridging members.

The panel core may be any suitable shape. For example the panel core may be substantially rectangular. However in other embodiments the panel core may be hexagonal or substantially circular.

In some embodiments, the connecting recess may be formed in a side or edge portion of the material used to construct the panel core including a core frame member. Alternatively, the wall panel may include a plurality of panel frame members which are attached to the side portions of the material from which the panel core is constructed and wherein at least some of the frame members may include a connecting recess formed therein. The panel frame members may be constructed from any suitable material. For example, the panel frame members may be constructed from wood, metal or plastics materials. Preferably the panel frame members are manufactured from extruded aluminium and are of a thin walled construction.

In some embodiments the panel frame members may include a channel shaped recess which extends along all or only a part of same and wherein the channel shaped recess is adapted to receive a side portion of the panel core. For example, the channel shaped recess may include two opposing, substantially parallel, side walls interconnected by an intermediate web portion. To assist the side walls to operatively engage the abutting surfaces of the panel core, the side walls may be provided with engagement means such as a plurality of barbs, teeth, ribs or protrusions.

The connecting recess may be any suitable shape. However it is preferred that the shape of the connecting recess generally compliments the shape of the terminal portion of the connector. In some embodiments the connecting recess may be a re-entrant recess.

The connector is preferably flexible and is manufactured from a resilient material such as a rubber compound or from various plastics materials. However it will be appreciated that rigid or semi rigid connectors may also be used to inter-connect adjacent wall panels and that the web portion need not be substantially straight. The terminal portions may be any suitable shape. For example the terminal portions may be either substantially spherical or cylindrical in shape and in use may bear against an arcuate surface of the connecting recess which in turn may allow relative pivotal movement of the two components. Alternatively, the terminal portions may have a substantially rectangular transverse cross-section and may be loosely retained within the connecting recess.

So as to minimise undue movement of the wall panel relative to an adjacent wall panel it is preferred that the fit between the connecting recess and the terminal portion of the connector retained therein is a tight or close fit.

The wall panel may also include a top and/or a bottom panel frame member each adapted to engage a respective top and bottom edge portion of the panel core.

The top and bottom panel frame members may be constructed from any suitable material. For example, the top and bottom panel frame members may be constructed from wood, metal or plastics materials. Preferably the top and bottom panel frame members are manufactured from extruded aluminium and are of a thin walled construction. The top and bottom panel frame members may each include a channel shaped recess adapted to engage an appropriate edge portion of the panel core. The channel shaped recess may extend along all or only a part of the panel frame member. Furthermore, the channel shaped recess preferably includes two opposing, substantially parallel, side walls interconnected by an intermediate web portion. To assist the side walls to operatively engage the abutting surfaces of the panel core, the side walls may be provided with engagement means such as a plurality of barbs, teeth, ribs or protrusions. In another aspect this invention relates to a wall panel assembly, said wall panel assembly including: a panel; a pair of opposing gripping members which are capable of holding said panel when positioned therebetween; biasing means associated with said gripping members for maintaining said gripping members in an operative gripping attitude, and mounting means associated with said gripping members for mounting said gripping members on an adjacent structure. In the preferred embodiment the adjacent structure is a wall panel and wherein the mounting means is used to mount the panel on said wall panel. For example, the panel may consist of a sheet of glass which may be mounted on the upper edge of a wall panel/office partition so as to extend the height of the wall panel/office partition and the mounting means is a top panel frame member.

The gripping members may be pivotally connected to the mounting means which may consist of a mounting member which includes, by way of example, a channel shaped recess adapted to receive an edge portion of an adjacent structure, and the biasing means may include a spring operatively connecting the two gripping members.

However, it is preferred that each gripping member includes a flange adapted to releasably and pivotally engage a respective recess formed in the mounting member and that the biasing means is derived from the operative engagement of the flange with the recess or some other abutment of the mounting member.

The gripping members may be constructed from any suitable material. For example, the gripping members may be constructed from wood, metal or plastics materials which may as a consequence of use become at least partially deformed by contact with the panel and wherein the biasing means may consist of the resilience of the gripping members themselves. However it is preferred that the gripping members are manufactured from extruded aluminium and are of a thin wall construction.

At least one of the gripping members may be provided with gripping means which is adapted to frictionally engage the panel. The gripping means may also be adapted to resist any relative movement of the panel in a reverse direction when engaged with said panel and wherein the resistance applied to the panel by the gripping means may increase as the force applied to the panel resulting from attempts to remove same is also increased. For example, the gripping means may include a roughened portion of the gripping member. Alternatively, the gripping member may include a knurled surface or a surface which includes a plurality of ribs or several rows of teeth.

Alternatively the gripping means may include a flexible barb and wherein the barb may be configured such that when pulling against the barb, the resulting deformation of the base portion of same will itself grip the panel.

In order that this invention may be more easily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a panel assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 2 is front view of a wall panel constructed in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 3 is an end view of the wall panel illustrated in figure 2;

FIG. 4 is an end view of a panel frame member used in the construction of the wall panel illustrated in figures 2 and 3; FIG. 5 is an end view of gripping means as fitted to the panel frame member illustrated in figure 4, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another panel frame member.

Figure 1 illustrates a panel assembly 10 which includes two wall panels 11 of similar construction which are interconnected by flexible connection means 12. The wall panels 11 each include a panel core 13 comprising a rectangular sheet 14 of plaster board or particle board having a top edge portion 15, a bottom edge portion (not shown), and a pair of opposed side edge portions 16.

A substantially "U" shaped rubber gasket 17 is glued to each of the side edge portions 16 so as to cover same.

The side edge portions 16 are each bounded by a respective panel frame member 20 manufactured from extruded aluminium. The panel frame member 20 includes a channel shaped core recess 21 consisting of a pair of substantially parallel side walls 22 separated by an intermediate web portion 23. The internal surfaces of the side walls 22 include several rows of teeth or barbs 24 which point in the general direction of the web portion 23.

The free end of each side wall 22 includes an outwardly directed flange 25 having a flange like lip 26 which lies in a plane substantially parallel to a plane containing the side wall 22. The panel frame member 20 also includes two opposing "C" shaped recesses 27 located on either side of said core recess 21 and having a second lip 28 coplanar with the lip 26.

The panel frame member also includes a semi-circular end portion 29 consisting of an arcuate wall 30 which extends outwardly from lips 28 in an opposite direction to said core recess 21. The arcuate wall 30 includes a substantially circular recess 31 formed therein which has a narrow throat portion 32.

The top wall portion of the core is bounded by a panel frame member 40 which includes a core recess 41 including a pair of opposing, substantially parallel, side walls 42 separated by an arcuate web 43 having flanges/end portions 44 which extend beyond said side walls 42. The internal surfaces of the side walls 42 include several rows of teeth or barbs 45 which point in the general direction of the web portion 43.

The panel frame member 40 also includes two flanges 46 which each extend outwardly from the external surface of respective side walls 42 and wherein the flanges 46 in combination with the flanges 44 define two opposing recesses 47.

The bottom edge portion of the panel core may be bounded by a panel frame member similar to panel frame member 40 if desired.

The wall panel 11a is connected to an adjacent wall panel lib of similar construction by a connector 50 manufactured from a plastics material. The connector 50 includes two opposing spherical end portions or nodes 51 interconnected by a flexible web 52.

The top of the wall panel 11 also includes a decorative portion 60 consisting of a clear panel 61 manufactured from either glass or a plastics material which has been cut so as to create a wave like impression.

The decorative panel 61 is mounted on the panel frame member 40 using mounting means 65 consisting of three pairs of opposing mounting frame members 66 which grip said decorative panel when located therebetween.

Each mounting frame member 66 is constructed from extruded aluminium and includes a lower hook like mounting portion 67 and a depending abutment 68. The mounting portion 67 is locatable within the recess 47 and wherein the lip of the abutment 68 engages the adjacent end portion of flange 46. The loose fit permits limited pivotable movement of the frame member relative to the top frame member 40.

The mounting frame member 66 also includes an upper "C" shaped recess 65 located adjacent the upper or free edge of said frame member and a lower "C" shaped recess 69 located mid way between the upper and lower edges of said frame member. The upper recess 65 includes a front wall 70 defined by two opposing flanges 71 and 72. the lower recess 69 also includes a front wall 73 defined by two opposing flanges 74 and 75.

The mounting frame member 66 also includes a seat portion 76 consisting of a horizontally orientated flange 77 which depends from flange 75.

The recesses 65 and 69 are each adapted to receive gripping means 80 manufactured from a rubber material and having a mounting portion 81 and a barb like engaging portion 82. The mounting portion 81 has two opposing end portions 83 and 84 which are locatable behind flanges 71 and 72 or 74 and 75 respectively.

The barb like engaging portion 82 extends outwardly from end portion 83 and makes an acute angle with the mounting portion. The barb in use extends through the gap between opposing flanges 71 and 72, and 74 and 75 and wherein the tip extends beyond a plane containing walls 70 and 73. Because of the flexible nature of the material, the barb 82 may be folded against itself as illustrated by the dotted lines 85 and wherein a significant proportion of the folded barb is retained/contained in the region bounded by the edges of flanges 71 and 72, and 74 and 75.

In use, rubber gaskets 17 are secured using an adhesive to the side edge portions 16 of a rectangular panel core 13 prior to locating each side portion 16 in a channel shaped recess 21 of a panel frame member 20 of sufficient length that it extends along the length of said side edge portion 16. The barbs 24 tend to engage the deformed walls of the gasket 17 and thereby inhibit any separation of the panel frame member 20 from the side edge portion 16.

Similar gaskets are also secured using an adhesive to the top and bottom edge portions of the panel core prior to locating said edge portions in channel shaped recesses 41 of top and bottom frame members 40.

The top and bottom frame members 40 and the panel frame members 20 combine to form a protective/functional aluminium frame or boarder about the panel core as illustrated in figure 2.

The resulting recesses each defined by the external wall 90 of the panel core 13; flanges 25 and flanges 46 may be filled by a rectangular shaped panel 91 constructed from any suitable material and which for decorative purposes may be covered with a fabric.

The wall panel 11 may be attached to another wall panel 11 of similar construction by one or more connectors 50. The nodes 51 may be located within respective recesses 31 by sliding them into place from above and wherein because of the flexible nature of the web 52, the angle of inclination of adjacent panels 11 may be selectively varied. It will also be appreciated that in other embodiments a connector 50 having three or more nodes, such as a star shaped connector, may be used to interconnect a similar number of panels together.

If desired a decorative panel such as the panel 61 illustrated in figure 2 may be attached to the top of a wall panel 11 using a plurality of opposing pairs of mounting members 66. The pivotal connection connecting the mounting members 66 to the top frame member 40 allows the distal ends of the mounting members to be urged apart enough to allow the panel 61 to be forcibly located therebetween. The downward movement of the panel 61 has a tendency to displace the barbs 82 such that they nestle in the recess defined by opposing flanges 70 and 71, and 74 and 75. In turn the panel 61 is held tightly between the back surfaces 95 of opposing barbs. Efforts to withdraw the panel 61 will have a tendency to push the barbs 82 back against the respective mounting portions 81 thereby causing the base 96 of each deformed barb to swell in size and thus tighten the grip applied by the deformed barbs on the panel 61.

It will of course be realised that while the above has been given by way of illustrative example of this invention, all such and other modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1. A wall panel which may be connected to an adjacent wall panel having similar characteristics using a connector consisting of at least two terminal portions interconnected by an intermediate web portion, each said wall panel including: a body, and a connecting recess associated with a side portion of said body, said connecting recess having a narrow throat portion for retaining one of the terminal portions of the connector, whereby connected wall panels can pivot relative to one another and wherein said connecting recess is formed in a protruding side portion of said body to facilitate pivotal movement between said panels.

2. A wall panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein said connecting recess has a substantially circular transverse cross-section and is adapted to receive a terminal portion which is either substantially spherical or cylindrical in shape.

3. A wall panel as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said web portion is flexible.

4. A wall panel which may be connected to an adjacent wall panel having similar characteristics using a connector consisting of at least two terminal portions interconnected by an intermediate web portion, each said wall panel including: a body, and a connecting recess associated with a side portion of said body, said connecting recess having a narrow throat portion for retaining one of the terminal portions of the connector, the terminal portion of the connector being capable of pivotal movement relative to said connecting recess.

5. A wall panel as claimed in claim 4, wherein said connecting recess has a substantially circular transverse cross-section and is adapted to receive a terminal portion which is either substantially spherical or cylindrical in shape.

6. A wall assembly including: at least two wall panels, each wall panel having a side portion which includes a connecting recess having a narrow throat portion, and connection means comprising at least two terminal portions each locatable within a respective connecting recess and retained therein by said throat portion, said terminal portions being interconnected by a web portion.

7. A wall assembly as claimed in Claim 6, wherein said connection means allows pivotal movement of one wall panel relative to the other wall panel.

8. A wall assembly as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the web portion is flexible.

9. A wall assembly as claimed in Claim 6, wherein said terminal end portions are capable of pivotal movement relative to the connecting recesses in which they are retained.

10. A wall panel assembly, said wall panel assembly including: a panel; a pair of opposing gripping members which are capable of holding said panel when positioned therebetween; biasing means associated with said gripping members for maintaining said gripping members in an operative gripping attitude, and mounting means associated with said gripping members for mounting said gripping members on an adjacent structure.

11. A wall panel assembly as claimed in Claim 10, wherein said gripping members are pivotally connected to the mounting means .

12. A wall panel assembly as claimed in Claim 11, wherein each gripping member includes a flange adapted to releasably and pivotally engage a respective recess formed in the mounting means .

13. A wall panel which may be connected to an adjacent wall panel having similar characteristics using a connector consisting of at least two terminal portions interconnected by an intermediate web portion, each said wall panel including: a body, and a connecting recess associated with a side portion of said body, said connecting recess having a narrow throat portion for retaining one of the terminal portions of the connector, whereby connected wall panels can pivot relative to one another due to the flexibility of the web portion.

DATED THIS SIXTEENTH DAY OF FEBRUARY, 1999 ANTHONY STANSFIELD BY PIZZEYS PATENT & TRADE MARK ATTORNEYS