MODULAR WALL NESTING SYSTEM

• US 20140102021A1
• Filed: 06/11/2012
• Published: 04/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dirtt Environmental Solutions
• Original Assignee: Dirtt Environmental Solutions
• Inventors: Gosling, Geoff, Smed, Mogens
• Granted Patent: US 9,003,731 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 52/234
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2/7422 with separate framed panels without intermediary support posts
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2/7424 Glazing details
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2/7435 Glazing details
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2/745 Glazing details
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2/7453 with panels and support posts, extending from floor to ceiling
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2002/7483 Details of furniture, e.g. tables or shelves, associated with the partitions

Abstract

Implementations of the present invention relate to systems, methods, and apparatus for incorporating face- and center-mounted panels into a single wall module to form nested wall modules. For instance, face-mounted panels can nest within the center-mounted panels. Additionally or alternatively, center-mounted panels can nest within the face-mounted panels to form windows.

Claims

1. A nested wall module for use in a modular wall system, the nested wall module comprising:

at least two upright supports configured to couple the nested wall module to another wall module;

a center-mounted panel secured between the at least two upright supports; and

a pair of face-mounted panels secured between the at least two upright supports;

wherein;

the center-mounted panel is nested within the pair of face-mounted panels;

or

the pair of face-mounted panels are nested within the center-mounted panel.

2. The nested wall module as recited in claim 1, further comprising a nesting frame assembly coupling the center-mounted panel and the pair of face-mounted panels together.

3. The nested wall module as recited in claim 2, wherein the nesting frame assembly comprises:

one or more panel channels within which the center-mounted panel is secured; and

a plurality of engagement protrusions to which the pair of face-mounted panels are secured.

4. The nested wall module as recited in claim 3, wherein:

the nesting frame assembly comprises a plurality of nesting brackets; and

each bracket including a panel channel and a plurality of engagement protrusions.

5. The nested wall module as recited in claim 4, further comprising a plurality of adjustable cinch assemblies coupling the plurality of nesting brackets together.

6. The nested wall module as recited in claim 3, wherein the pair of face-mounted panels each comprise a hole within which the center-mounted panel is mounted.

7. The nested wall module as recited in claim 6, wherein comprises one or more additional center-mounted panels nested within the pair of face-mounted panels.

8. The nested wall module as recited in claim 6, further comprising a second pair of face-mounted panels nested within the center-mounted panel.

9. The nested wall module as recited in claim 3, wherein the center-mounted panel comprises a hole within which the pair of face-mounted panels are mounted.

10. A modular wall system incorporating nested wall modules, which include one or more face-mounted panels or one or more center-mounted panels, the system comprising:

a plurality of wall modules coupled together to form a divider or wall;

wherein;

one or more wall modules of the plurality of wall modules comprise a nested wall module; and

the nested wall module comprises one of;

a pair of face-mounted panels coupled to a support frame, a hole extending through the pair of face-mounted panels, and a center-mounted panel secured within the hole of the pair of face-mounted panels;

or

a center-mounted panel coupled to a support frame, and a hole extending through the center-mounted panel, and a pair of face-mounted panels secured within the hole of the center-mounted panel;

a pair of face-mounted panels coupled to a support frame, and a a passthrough nested within the pair of face-mounted panels.

11. The modular wall system as recited in claim 10, wherein the support frame comprises:

a first upright support;

a second upright support;

an upper cross member extending between the first and second upright supports; and

a lower cross member extending between the first and second upright supports.

12. The modular wall system as recited in claim 11, wherein:

the center-mounted panel extends;

between the first and second upright supports; and

between the upper cross-member and the lower cross member; and

the pair of face-mounted panels are nested entirely within the center-mounted panel.

13. The modular wall system as recited in claim 11, wherein:

the pair of face-mounted panels extends between the first and second upright supports;

a back surface of each panel of the pair of face-mounted panels is secured to the upper cross-member and the lower cross member; and

the center-mounted panel is nested entirely within the pair of face-mounted panels.

14. The system as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

a nesting frame assembly securing the center-mounted panel and the pair of face-mounted panels together;

wherein the nesting frame assembly comprises one or more nesting brackets, each bracket including;

one or more panel channels within which the center-mounted panel is secured;

a plurality of engagement protrusions to which a back surface of each of the pair of face-mounted panels is secured.

15. A nesting frame assembly, comprising:

a plurality of nesting brackets;

one or more corner cinch assemblies sized and configured to couple two or more nesting brackets of the plurality of nesting brackets together;

wherein each bracket of the plurality of nesting brackets comprises;

a panel channel sized and configured to hold an edge of a center-mounted panel therein;

one or more cinch channels sized and configured to a corner cinch assemblies; and

one or more engagement protrusions configured to couple one or more connectors.

16. The nesting frame assembly as recited in claim 15, wherein at least one corner cinch assembly of the one or more corner cinch assemblies further comprises:

one or more cinch plates;

a corner cinch plate; and

a plurality of couplings configured to couple the one or more cinch plates to the corner cinch plate.

17. The nesting frame assembly as recited in claim 16, wherein:

the plurality of couplings are further configured to move the one or more cinch plates closer to the corner cinch plate; and

the at least one corner cinch assembly is configured to move at least two nesting brackets of the plurality of nesting brackets closer together when the one or more cinch plates move closer to the corner cinch plate.

18. The nesting frame assembly as recited in claim 15, wherein:

at least two nesting brackets of the plurality of nesting brackets comprise mitered ends; and

each mitered end of the mitered ends has an angle less than 90 degrees.

19. The nesting frame assembly as recited in claim 18, wherein:

the mitered ends have angles of approximately 45 degrees; and

the at least two nesting brackets of the plurality of nesting brackets are configured to form an approximately 90 degree angle therebetween when coupled by the one or more corner cinch assemblies.

20. The nesting frame assembly as recited in claim 15, wherein at least one cinch channel of the one or more cinch channels further comprises one or more lips sized and configured to retain at least one corner cinch assembly of the one or more corner cinch assemblies within the one or more cinch channels.