Fabric tile construction

• US 5,129,202 A
• Filed: 02/23/1990
• Issued: 07/14/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Herman Miller Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Herman Miller Incorporated
• Inventors: Payne, Michael W., Ptacek, Cathy A., Mack, Daniel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Scherbel, David A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wood, Wynn E.
• Application Number:
  US07/484,176
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 52/239, 52/222, 52/273, 52/511, 52/36, 52/144, 160/327, 160/328, 160/354, 160/368.1, 160/402, 160/403, 40/157, 40/320, 40/603, 40/605, 40/624, 181/290
• US Class Current: 52/239
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2009/0492 with fabrics tensioned on frames
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 13/00 Coverings or linings, e.g. for walls or ceilings flooring E04F15/00; decoration of surfaces, mosaic work B44, e.g. paper-hanging B44C7/00; made of webs, e.g. of fabrics or wallpaper , as such, or their manufacturing D03D, D04G, D04H, D06N, D21H; construction of false ceilings E04B9/00; roofings or similar water-tight coverings against precipitation E04D

Abstract

A fabric tile which is formed of a metal pan having tightly stretched thereover a fabric sock. The fabric sock is attached to the metal pan by way of mounting or attachment clips which are sewed and glued to edge portions of the fabric sock and which are engaged over terminal return flanges of the metal pan. Each clip is elongated and extends a major portion of an edged dimension of the metal pan and is of a J-shaped cross section. Each clip includes an elongated stem which terminates in a generally U-shaped hook. The hook includes a first leg which is a continuation of the stem and a second leg disposed in spaced parallel relation to the first leg by way of an integral base. The second leg has a terminal free edge portion which is flared relative to the first leg so as to facilitate engagement of the clip with the metal pan.

Claims

1. A wall tile comprising a pan having a front face, rearwardly extending side edges, and a marginal return flange carried by each of said side edges, and fabric covering said pan, said fabric having edges and there being J-shaped clips attached to said fabric along said fabric edges, said fabric being stretched across said front face and side edges of said pan and held in place by said J-shaped clips extending along and being engaged over said marginal return flanges.

2. A wall tile according to claim 1 wherein each of said J-shaped clips includes an elongated stem terminating in a U-shaped hook portion, said elongated stem overlying a respective one of said marginal return flanges with said U-shaped hook portion being engaged over a free edge of said respective marginal return flanges.

3. A wall tile according to claim 2 wherein each U-shaped hook portion includes a free leg, and a free end portion of said free leg is flared away from said elongated stem.

4. A wall tile according to claim 2 wherein at least certain of said clips extend beyond edges of said fabric.

5. A wall tile according to claim 2 wherein certain of said clips have long elongated stems with said stems extending beyond edges of said fabric, and others of said clips have short elongated stems with said fabric edges extending beyond said other clips.

6. A wall tile according to claim 5 wherein said fabric is spaced from said marginal return flanges by said clips.

7. A wall tile according to claim 2 wherein two opposite ones of said marginal return flanges have attaching means for attaching said wall tile to a supporting structure, said J-shaped clips engaging said two marginal return flanges are elongated in the direction of extent of said marginal return flanges, and said two J-shaped clips have openings therethrough clearing said attaching means.

8. A wall tile according to claim 1 wherein said fabric has corners, and there are spring clips securing said fabric corners to said marginal return flanges separate and apart from said J-shaped clips.

9. A wall tile according to claim 1 wherein said fabric is in the form of a fabric sock.

10. A fabric sock for attachment to a pan having a front face rearwardly extending side edges, and a marginal return flange carried by each side edge to form a fabric sock tile, said fabric sock being rectangular in outline and including opposite pairs of marginal edges, and a mounting clip carried by marginal edge portions of said fabric sock for securing said fabric sock to a marginal return flange of a pan, said clip being in the form of an elongated sheet like strip having a J-shaped cross section, said J-shaped cross section including an elongated stem terminating at one end in a U-shaped hook, said U-shaped hook having a first leg forming an extension of said stem and a second leg spaced in a parallel relation to said first leg, said second leg having a terminal free end flaring from said elongated leg, wherein said U-shaped hook lies outside the plane defined by the respective marginal edge portion of said fabric sock.

11. A fabric sock according to claim 10 wherein each of said mounting clips extends along a major portion of a respective one of said marginal edges.

12. A fabric sock for attachment to a pan to form a fabric sock tile, said fabric sock being rectangular in outline and including opposite pairs of marginal edges, and a mounting clip carried by marginal edge portions of said fabric sock for securing said fabric sock to a pan, wherein each of said mounting clips extends along a major portion of a respective one of said marginal edges, and wherein each of said mounting clips is J-shaped in cross section and includes an elongated stem terminating in a U-shaped hook, and wherein two opposite ones of said mounting clips have their U-shaped hooks facing towards respective marginal edges of said sock, and two other opposite ones of said mounting clips have their U-shaped hooks facing away from respective marginal edges of said fabric sock.

13. A fabric sock for attachment to a pan to form a fabric sock tile, said fabric sock being rectangular in outline and including opposite pairs of marginal edges, and a mounting clip carried by marginal edge portions of said fabric sock for securing said fabric sock to a pan, wherein two opposite ones of said mounting clips are entirely within respective marginal edges, and two other opposed ones of said mounting clips extend outwardly of respective ones of said marginal edges.