Partition construction

• US 5,943,834 A
• Filed: 11/13/1997
• Issued: 08/31/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Steelcase Development Inc.
• Original Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Inventors: DuBuis, Melissa A., Miller, Scott M., Jeffers, Robert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Friedman, Carl D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DORSEY, DENNIS
• Application Number:
  US08/970,251
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: 52/238.1, 52/239, 52/221, 52/235, 52/726, 52/730, 52/731, 52/656.1, 52/36.5, 52/38.1, 52/220.1, 52/220.3, 52/220.7, 52/36.1, 52/36.6 , 52/479, 52/481.1, 52/481.2, 52/483, 160/351
• US Class Current: 52/239
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2/7425 Details of connection of panels E04B2/7427 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2002/7462 using resilient connectors, e.g. clips
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2002/7474 using releasable connectors actuable with a key or a tool
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2002/7487 Partitions with slotted profiles
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2002/749 Partitions with screw-type jacks

Abstract

A furniture system for outfitting a building space, includes a plurality of partition frames, each having horizontally spaced apart uprights with opposing sides, and having horizontal frame members connecting the uprights. A top one of the horizontal frame members is one-piece and attached to a top of the uprights. The top one horizontal frame member includes opposing side faces that are spaced apart a distance greater than the opposing sides and that include cover-supporting connectors. Cover panels are provided having frame-engaging connectors extending horizontally beyond an inside surface of the frame. The frame-engaging connectors are configured to releasably engage the cover-supporting connectors. This allows the cover panels, when attached to the partition frames, to define an internal cavity in the frame that extends horizontally a width of the frame and vertically substantially the height of the frame. This in turn allows utilities to be flexibly routed vertically and horizontally within the partition frame, and from partition frame to partition frame.

Claims

1. A freestanding partition system for subdividing a building space, comprising:

a partition frame having horizontally spaced apart uprights and having horizontal frame members connecting the uprights, a top one of said horizontal frame members being attached to a top of the uprights, the uprights including opposing sides defining a first distance therebetween, the top horizontal frame member including a single tubular member having a top section, opposing structural sidewalls that are spaced apart a second distance substantially greater than the first distance and are adapted to support loads thereon, outwardly angled sidewalls, and including a sidewall-supporting bottom section for structurally supporting the sidewalls;

at least one cover panel configured to releasably engage the horizontal frame members including the top horizontal frame member, whereby the at least one cover panel, when attached to the partition frame, defines an internal cavity in the frame that extends horizontally an entire width of the frame including around the uprights, and extends vertically substantially an entire height of the frame up to a bottom of the top horizontal frame member, thus allowing utilities to be laid into the internal cavity and flexibly routed vertically and horizontally within the partition frame, and from the internal cavity of the partition frame to an internal cavity of an adjacent/identical partition frame; and

a furniture component attached to at least one of the sidewalls and structurally supported by the top horizontal frame member.

2. The partition system defined in claim 1 wherein the bottom section of the top horizontal frame member is butt welded to a top end of the uprights.

3. The partition system defined in claim 2 wherein the top section of the top horizontal frame member defines an upwardly open channel.

4. The partition system defined in claim 3 including apertures in the structural sidewalls, and furniture-component-supporting connectors engaging the apertures in the sidewalls.

5. The partition system defined in claim 1 wherein the top horizontal frame member comprises a tubular shape having a horizontal center section, and including an in-line connection system connecting the partition frame to another partition frame, the in-line connection system including a stiffening plate attached to the center section, a connector bracket interconnecting the partition frame to the another partition frame, and a fastener configured to engage the stiffening plate holding the connector bracket to the stiffening plate.

6. The partition system defined in claim 1 including a stacker partition frame having stacker uprights that align with the uprights on the first-mentioned partition frame, and including a stacker connector extending through the top horizontal frame member and rigidly connecting the first-mentioned uprights and the stacker uprights.

7. The partition system defined in claim 1 wherein the top horizontal frame member includes a horizontal row of apertures in the structural sidewalls, and including an off-module connector engaging selected ones of the apertures for supporting furniture components selectively along the top horizontal frame member.

8. A freestanding partition system for subdividing a building space, comprising:

a partition frame having horizontally spaced apart uprights and having horizontal frame members connecting the uprights, a top one of said horizontal frame members being attached to a top of the uprights, the uprights including opposing sides defining a first distance therebetween, the top horizontal frame member comprising a rectangular tube and an inverted W channel with side flanges overlapping onto and welded to side surfaces of the rectangular tube and including opposing structural sidewalls that are spaced apart a second distance substantially greater than the first distance, and including outwardly angled sidewalls attached to the uprights and to the structural sidewalls structurally supporting the sidewalls;

at least one cover panel configured to releasably engage the horizontal frame members including the top horizontal frame member, whereby the at least one cover panel, when attached to the partition frame, defines an internal cavity in the frame that extends horizontally an entire width of the frame including around the uprights, and extends vertically substantially an entire height of the frame up to a bottom of the top horizontal frame member, thus allowing utilities to be laid into the internal cavity and flexibly routed vertically and horizontally within the partition frame, and from the internal cavity of the partition frame to an internal cavity of an adjacent/identical partition frame; and

a furniture component attached to at least one of the sidewalls and structurally supported by the top horizontal frame member.

9. A freestanding partition system for subdividing a building space, comprising:

a partition frame having horizontally spaced apart uprights and having horizontal frame members connecting the uprights, a top one of said horizontal frame members being attached to a top of the uprights, the uprights including opposing sides defining a first distance therebetween, the top horizontal frame member including opposing structural sidewalls that are spaced apart a second distance substantially greater than the first distance, and including outwardly angled sidewalls attached to the uprights and to the structural sidewalls structurally supporting the sidewalls, the top horizontal frame member further including a flange having an extruded hole, and including an in-line connector constructed to connect an identical adjacent frame to the first-mentioned frame, the in-line connector being constructed to mateably engage the flange and having an aperture aligned with the extruded hole, and further including a threaded fastener extending through the aperture en gaging the extruded hole to retain the in-line connector to the partition frame;

at least one cover panel configured to releasably engage the horizontal frame members including the top horizontal frame member, whereby the at least one cover panel, when attached to the partition frame, defines an internal cavity in the frame that extends horizontally an entire width of the frame including around the uprights, and extends vertically substantially an entire height of the frame up to a bottom of the top horizontal frame member, thus allowing utilities to be laid into the internal cavity and flexibly routed vertically and horizontally within the partition frame, and from the internal cavity of the partition frame to an internal cavity of an adjacent/identical partition frame; and

a furniture component attached to at least one of the sidewalls and structurally supported by the top horizontal frame member.

10. A freestanding partition system for subdividing a building space, comprising:

a partition frame having horizontally spaced apart uprights and having horizontal frame members connecting the uprights, a top one of said horizontal frame members being attached to a top of the uprights, the uprights including opposing sides defining a first distance therebetween, the top horizontal frame member including opposing structural sidewalls that are spaced apart a second distance substantially greater than the first distance, and including outwardly angled sidewalls attached to the uprights and to the structural sidewalls structurally supporting the sidewalls, the top horizontal frame member further including marginal material forming apertures in the structural sidewalls, and including cover-panel-supporting connectors on the cover panel engaging the apertures, the connectors including at least one antidislodgement tooth positively, interlockingly engaging a back side of the marginal material to positively retain the cover panel to the frame member;

at least one cover panel configured to releasably engage the horizontal frame members including the top horizontal frame member, whereby the at least one cover panel, when attached to the partition frame, defines an internal cavity in the frame that extends horizontally an entire width of the frame including around the uprights, and extends vertically substantially an entire height of the frame up to a bottom of the top horizontal frame member, thus allowing utilities to be laid into the internal cavity and flexibly routed vertically and horizontally within the partition frame, and from the internal cavity of the partition frame to an internal cavity of an adjacent/identical partition frame; and

a furniture component attached to at least one of the sidewalls and structurally supported by the top horizontal frame member.

11. The partition system defined in claim 10 wherein the cover-panel-supporting connectors include a release tab that is depressible to disengage the antidislodgement tooth from the marginal material, thus permitting at least one cover panel to be removed.

12. A partition system for subdividing a building space, comprising:

a partition frame having horizontally spaced apart uprights with opposing sides, and having horizontal frame members connecting the uprights, a top one of said horizontal frame members comprising a tubular section and being welded to a top of the uprights, the tubular section including opposing vertical sidewalls that extend a width of the partition frame and that are spaced apart a distance substantially greater than the opposing sides of the uprights, the sidewalls being structural and adapted for load bearing, and including cover-panel-supporting apertures therein; and

cover panels attached to the partition frames, the cover panels including connectors releasably engaging the apertures to support the cover panels, the cover panels including inner surfaces defining an internal cavity when attached to the partition frame that extends longitudinally/horizontally a width of the frame and vertically substantially a height of the frame, thus allowing utilities to be flexibly routed horizontally an entire width of the partition frame, and from partition frame to partition frame without threading the utilities through apertures in the frames.

13. The partition system defined in claim 12 wherein the top horizontal frame member includes a bottom with angled wall sections constructed to support the sidewalls.

14. The partition system defined in claim 13 wherein the top horizontal frame member includes a top section defining an upwardly open channel.

15. The partition system defined in claim 14 wherein the bottom is butt welded to a top end of the uprights.

16. The partition system defined in claim 13 wherein the opposing vertical sidewalls of the top horizontal frame member are spaced apart a total distance of at least about three times the distance between the opposing sides of the uprights.

17. A partition panel for subdividing a building space, comprising:

a partition frame having longitudinally/horizontally spaced apart uprights with front and rear opposing side surfaces spaced a first distance apart, a top tubular horizontal frame member attached to a top of the uprights, and additional horizontal frame members attached to the uprights at a location spaced below the top tubular horizontal frame member, the top tubular horizontal frame member having a tubular cross sectional shape defined by a horizontal bottom section, opposing angled sidewalls extending from the bottom section, opposing vertical sidewalls extending from the angled sidewalls, and a top channel-forming section connecting an upper edge of the vertical sidewalls, the additional horizontal frame members including opposing side faces, the sidewalls and side faces being coplanar and defining a front plane and a rear plane at a front and a rear of the partition frame, the front and rear planes being spaced apart a second distance at least twice the first distance between the front and rear opposing side surfaces of the uprights so as to create an enlarged internal cavity in the partition frame when cover panels are hung on the partition frame, the internal cavity being adapted to permit routing of utilities freely throughout the frame between vertical side edges of the partition frame and for routing conduit-covered utilities between and around the uprights inside of any cover panels and under the top horizontal frame member.

18. A partition panel for subdividing a building space, comprising:

a base partition frame including a tubular top horizontal frame member and a pair of base uprights each defining an inboard side, each base upright being attached to the top horizontal frame member, the top horizontal frame member including a plurality of interconnected wall sections defining a channel;

a stacker partition frame having a bottom horizontal frame member and a pair of stacker uprights each defining an inboard side, the stacker uprights being spaced apart to align with the base uprights;

a locator foot on the bottom horizontal frame member engaging the channel to align the stacker partition frame to the base partition frame; and

a pair of stacking connectors extending through the bottom and top horizontal frame members and attached with fasteners to each inboard side of aligned ones of the base and stacker uprights interconnecting the stacker partition frame to the base partition frame.

19. A freestanding partition system for subdividing a building space, comprising:

a partition frame having horizontally spaced apart uprights and having horizontal frame members connecting the uprights, a top one of said horizontal frame members being attached to a top of the uprights, the uprights including opposing sides defining a first distance therebetween, the top horizontal frame member including opposing structural sidewalls that are spaced apart a second distance substantially greater than the first distance, and including outwardly angled sidewalls attached to the uprights and to the structural sidewalls structurally supporting the sidewalls;

at least one cover panel configured to releasably engage the horizontal frame members including the top horizontal frame member, whereby the at least one cover panel, when attached to the partition frame, defines an internal cavity in the frame that extends horizontally an entire width of the frame including around the uprights, and extends vertically substantially an entire height of the frame up to a bottom of the top horizontal frame member, thus allowing utilities to be laid into the internal cavity and flexibly routed vertically and horizontally within the partition frame, and from the internal cavity of the partition frame to an internal cavity of an adjacent/identical partition frame; and

a furniture component attached to at least one of the sidewalls and structurally supported by the top horizontal frame member.

20. The partition system defined in claim 19 wherein said top horizontal frame member includes a tubular member.