Modular componential system for assembling various building interior facade structures

• US 4,949,520 A
• Filed: 05/09/1989
• Issued: 08/21/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Richard W. Bear
• Original Assignee: Richard W. Bear
• Inventors: Bear, Richard W.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US07/351,457
• Time in Patent Office: 469 Days
• Field of Search: 52/287, 52/594, 52/588, 52/587, 52/586, 52/585, 52/288, 312/297, 312/204, 312/245
• US Class Current: 52/287.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 95/002 Plinths, e.g. between furniture and ceiling or wall
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 19/0436 between ceiling and wall

Abstract

A componential system for assembling various interior building facade structures such as soffits and other decorative or functional installations feature a number of modular components extruded and molded from suitable poly-plastic material which can be snapped together, placed in position and afterwards finished in any desired manner, as by painting or papering. No drywalling or like work or other construction is necessary so that soffits, for instance, can be assembled and installed by the cabinet or other installer rather than by carpenters and drywallers, as is typical.

Claims

1. A modular componential system for assembling various building interior facade structures, the system comprising:

(a) at least one elongated base member of generally "L-shaped" configuration in cross-section and extruded in its longitudinal direction from plastic material, the legs of the "L" having a pair of first and second outer faces and a corresponding pair of first and second inner faces, the outer faces of the legs abutting each other at a right angle;

(b) at least one elongated vertical panel of generally rectangular shape having outer and inner faces and extruding in its longitudinal direction from plastic material;

(c) first cooperating means at the exterior face of one of the legs of the base member and adjacent one of the logitudinal edges of the vertical panel for snappingly engaging the vertical panel with the base member in order to join one to the other, the first cooperating means being respectively integrally extruded with the base member and the vertical panel and extending the lengths thereof;

(d) at least one elongated panel brace member molded from plastic material and having opposite longitudinal edges; and

(e) second cooperating means disposed on the interior face of the vertical panel and on one longitudinal edge of the panel brace member for snappingly engaging the panel brace member with the inner face of the vertical panel such that the panel brace member extends transversely of and is joined to the vertical panel, said second means on the vertical panel extending the length thereof, being integrally extruded therewith and comprising a plurality of means uniformly spaced apart transversely of the vertical panel, said second means on the panel brace member extending transversely thereof, being molded integrally therewith and comprising a plurality of uniformly spaced apart means effective to engage as aforesaid said second means on the vertical panel.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said one leg of the base member includes a shouldered inset in its outer face extending the length of the base member and to the outer longitudinal edge of said leg effective to receive said one longitudinal edge of the vertical panel so that the outer faces of said leg and the panel are co-planar, and wherein the first cooperating means on the vertical panel comprises a tongue extending at a right angle from the inner face thereof parallel to the longitudinal edges of the vertical panel, the outer edge of the tongue being longitudinally cylindrically enlarged, and wherein the first cooperating means on said leg comprises a socket extending inwardly from said inset towards the inner face of said leg parallel to the longitudinal edges of the vertical panel and longitudinally cylindrically enlarged along its inner end effective to receive said tongue as aforesaid.

3. The system of claim 2 including a pair of said sockets in said inset and spaced apart transversely thereof effective so that when said panel member is engaged with one of the sockets said longitudinal edge of the panel abuts a wall of said insert and when said panel member is engaged with the other of the sockets said longitudinal edge of the panel is spaced from said wall.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the second cooperating means on the inner face of the vertical panel comprises a longitudinally extending socket generally cylindrical in cross-section, and wherein each of the second cooperating means on the panel brace member comprises a relatively short-in-length tongue cylindrically enlarged at its outer edge effective to be received as aforesaid in said socket.

5. The system of claim 1 further including:

(a) at least one elongated vertical/horizontal panel of generally rectangular shape having outer and inner faces and extruded in its longitudinal direction from plastic material, the inner face of the vertical/horizontal panel including duplicates in structure, formation and disposition of said second cooperating means on the inner face of the vertical panel effective to be snappingly engaged by said second cooperating means on the panel brace member;

(b) at least one elongated panel connector of generally "I-beam" configuration in cross-section and extruded in its longitudinal direction from plastic material, the base of the "I" having outer and inner faces, the web of the "I" extending from said inner face;

(c) third cooperating means at the other longitudinal edge of the vertical panel, at the longitudinal edge of the other of the base member legs, at the opposite longitudinal edges of the vertical/horizontal panel and at the opposite longitudinal edges of the base of the "I-beam" panel connector, for respectively snappingly engaging the "I-beam" panel connector between the vertical/horizontal panel with said other edge of the base member in order to join one to the other so that the respective exterior faces thereof are co-planar, the third cooperating means being integrally extruded with each of the vertical panel, the base member, the vertical/horizontal panel and the "I-beam" panel connector and extending the lengths thereof;

(d) at least one elongated panel connector brace member molded from plastic material and having opposite longitudinal edges; and

(e) fourth cooperating means disposed on one longitudinal edge of the panel connector brace member and on the top of the web of the "I-beam" panel connector for snappingly engaging the panel connector brace member with the "I-beam" panel connector and with the vertical and the vertical/horizontal panels when the "I-beam" panel connector is joined between the vertical panel and the vertical/horizontal panel as aforesaid, the panel connector brace member extending transversely of the "I-beam" panel connector and the interior faces of the vertical and the vertical/horizontal panels in order to join the panel brace member thereto, said means on the top of the "I-beam" panel connector being integrally extruded therewith and extending the length thereof, said means on the panel connector brace member extending transversely thereof, being molded integrally therewith and comprising a plurality of transversely spaced apart means effective to engage as aforesaid said means on the top of the "I-beam" panel connector and said second means on the interior faces of the vertical and the vertical/horizontal panels.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein each of the third cooperating means comprises a tongue extending longitudinally along and from one of said edges of the vertical panel, of the vertical/horizontal panel and of the base of the "I-beam" panel connector in the respective planes thereof, each of said tongues being cylindrically enlarged at its outer edge, and a socket extending inwardly from and longitudinally along the other of said edges of the vertical panel, of the vertical/horizontal panel and of the base of the "I-beam" panel connector in the respective planes thereof, the inner end of each of said sockets being cylindrically enlarged effective to receive one of said tongues as aforesaid.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein each of the fourth cooperating means at the top of the panel connector brace member comprises a longitudinally extending socket generally cylindrical in cross-section, and wherein each of the fourth cooperating means on the panel connector brace member comprises a relatively short-in-length tongue cylindrically enlarged at its outer edge effective to be received as aforesaid in said socket.

8. A structural system for building interior facades, the system being composed of modular components and comprising:

(a) at least one elongated base member of generally "L-shaped" configuration in cross-section and extruded in its longitudinal direction from plastic material, the legs of the "L" having a pair of first and second outer faces and a corresponding pair of first and second inner faces, the outer faces of the legs abutting each other at a right angle;

(b) a shouldered inset in the outer faces of one leg of the base member extending the length thereof and to the outer longitudinal edge of said leg, said inset having a first wall parallel to the outer face of said one leg and a second wall forming a right angle with said first wall;

(c) a pair of parallel sockets in said first inset wall extending the length of the base member and inwardly from said first wall, said sockets being also parallel to said second inset wall and cylindrically enlarged along their inner ends;

(d) an elongated base member panel adapter of generally rectangular shape in cross-section having a pair of opposite parallel outer and inner faces and a pair of opposite edge faces, the panel adapter being extruded in its longitudinal direction from plastic material, the panel adapter being disposable in said inset so that the outer faces of said leg and the panel adapter are co-planar, said inner face of the panel adapter having a tongue extending at a right angle therefrom parallel to the longitudinal edges of the panel adapter, the outer edge of the tongue being cylindrically enlarged effective to snappingly engage one of said sockets in the inset of the base member in order to retain the panel adapter in said inset as aforesaid, the inner face of the panel adapter also having a right-angled shouldered inset laterally disposed from said tongue and extending the length thereof and to one of said opposite edge faces effective to provide a panel retaining seat between the panel adapter and said first wall of the base member inset when the panel adapter is dispose therein as aforesaid;

(e) an elongated panel ceiling retainer extruded in its longitudinal direction from plastic material, the panel ceiling retainer having a panel retaining seat therein extending the length thereof; and

(f) an elongated panel rectangular in plain view and extruded in its longitudinal direction from plastic material, the panel having opposite longitudinal edges respectively fittable in the panel retaining seat provided by the base member panel adapter and in the retaining seat in the panel ceiling retainer.

9. The structural system of claim 8 wherein said panel is formed of flexible material.

10. A component of a modular componential system for assembling various building interior facade structures, the component comprising:

(a) an elongated base member of generally "L-shaped" configuration including a first leg and a second leg in cross-section and extruded in its longitudinal direction from plastic material, the first and second legs of the "L" having a pair of first and second outer faces, respectively, and a corresponding pair of first and second inner faces, the outer faces of the legs abutting each other at a right angle;

(b) a shouldered inset in an upper portion of the outer face of the first leg of the base member extending the length thereof and to the outer longitudinal edge of said leg, said inset having a first wall parallel to the outer face of said first leg and a second wall forming a right angle with said first wall;

(c) means in said inset extending the length of the base member for retaining a panel in said inset so that a face of the panel is co-planar with the outer face of said first base member leg; and

(d) means disposed on said pair of first and second inner faces of said legs of said elongated base member for attaching braces between said legs to resist bending forces imposed on the legs.

11. The component of claim 10 wherein said means for retaining a panel in said inset includes at least one socket in said first inset wall extending inwardly thereof and cylindrically enlarged at its inner end.

12. The component of claim 11 including another socket in the outer edge of the horizontal leg of said legs extending longitudinally the length thereof parallel to the first socket and cylindrically enlarged at its inner end.

13. The component of claim 12 wherein the means disposed on said pair of first and second inner faces of said legs of said elongated base member for attaching braces between said legs includes a pair of parallel sockets extending longitudinally of said elongated base member along and from the inner faces of said legs parallel to the first socket and cylindrically enlarged at their inner ends adapted to receive transverse tongues of said braces.

14. The component of claim 13 including a slot through said first leg adjacent the juncture between said legs, the slot extending longitudinally the length thereof parallel to said sockets and opening through the ends of said leg.