Panel construction and connection system

• US 6,141,926 A
• Filed: 06/05/1998
• Issued: 11/07/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tetrad Marketing/Sales Limited
• Original Assignee: Tetrad Marketing/Sales Limited
• Inventors: Jones, Steven, Gammon, Scott, Rossiter, Paul, Schoenherr, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): CHILCOT, RICHARD E
• Application Number:
  US09/092,612
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: 52/239, 52/475.1, 52/476, 52/656.9, 52/657, 52/280, 52/281, 52/282.2, 52/285.2, 52/285.12, 52/284, 160/135, 160/351, 160/371, 160/381
• US Class Current: 52/239
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2/7425 Details of connection of panels E04B2/7427 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2002/742 Details of panel top cap
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2002/7479 Details of connection of flexible sheets to frame or posts

Abstract

A light weight panel for use in modular and free standing office landscaping systems. The panels form free standing partitions which can be rearranged and assembled into space divider or partition systems. Panels can be interconnected and positioned in a variety of ways relative to adjacent panels via posts and/or special connectors. The panels are constructed with perimeter frame members along each edge, the perimeter frame members being inter-connected with the vertical frame members by corner connectors. The corner connectors have protrusions which engage hollow cavities in the ends of the frame members. The perimeter frame members incorporate formations to secure panel fabric and trim as desired. An inter-panel connection system cooperates with the corner connectors to provide an easy to assemble but rigid partition system.

Claims

1. A partition panel of generally rectangular outline having a plurality of marginal edges and a plurality of corners, and a perimeter frame assembly comprising a plurality of frame members extending along the marginal edges of the panel, and a plurality of corner connectors each located at a respective one of the corners of the panel and attaching between adjacent ends of said frame members, said frame members including spaced primary flanges, said frame members each further including a double-walled web extending between said primary flanges and providing a lengthwise extending hollow cavity, each corner connector including a pair of tongues each fitting tightly into adjacent ends of the frame members via the associated hollow cavities to secure said frame members together at said corners of the panel, and wherein said primary flanges are each provided with an outwardly directed ledge, said ledges being disposed adjacent the marginal edges of the panel such that said ledges at least partly encompass a rectangular area, and a sheet of rigid material seated in said rectangular area in close juxtaposition to said primary flanges to define a major face of the panel with said ledges extending along the perimeter of the rigid sheet and encompassing the latter.

2. The partition panel of claim 1 wherein each said corner connector has shoulders thereon which butt-up against respective adjacent ends of the perimeter frame members when the tongues of the corner connectors are fully inserted into said hollow cavities of said frame members, said tongues being in a close friction fit within said cavities.

3. The partition panel of claim 1 wherein the corner connectors and the frame members are provided with grooves therein which engage marginal portions of fabric material extending over at least one of the major faces of the panel to provide an exterior covering therefor.

4. The partition panel of claim 1 wherein said frame members comprise plastics extrusions of uniform cross-section throughout their lengths, said spaced primary flanges having a U-shaped groove therebetween directed outwardly of the panel and said corner connectors also having spaced corner flanges thereon mating with said primary flanges and having U-shaped recesses therebetween mating with the U-shaped recesses of said frame members.

5. A partition panel of generally rectangular outline having opposed major faces, a plurality of marginal edges and a plurality of corners, and a perimeter frame assembly comprising a plurality of frame members extending along the marginal edges of the panel, and a plurality of corner connectors each located at a respective one of the corners of the panel and attaching between adjacent ends of said frame members, said frame members including spaced primary flanges, said frame members each further including a double-walled web extending between said primary flanges and providing a lengthwise extending hollow cavity, each corner connector including a pair of tongues each fitting tightly into adjacent ends of the frame members via the associated hollow cavities to secure said frame members together at said corners of the panel, and wherein said frame members comprise plastics extrusions of uniform cross-section throughout their lengths, each frame member including a flexible rib extending therealong intermediate said primary flanges and projecting outwardly of the margins of the partition panel for contacting a frame member of an adjacent panel when in use to prevent light and hinder sound transmission therebetween.

6. The partition panel of claim 5 wherein each said corner connector has shoulders thereon which butt-up against respective adjacent ends of the perimeter frame members when the tongues of the corner connectors are fully inserted into said hollow cavities of said frame members, said tongues being in a close friction fit within said cavities, each corner connector having, adjacent a proximal end of each of said tongues, a respective boss, said bosses being at right angles to one another and each of which bosses is adapted to mate with a corresponding recess in a panel connector for securing adjacent panels together or a panel to a post.

7. The partition panel of claim 6 wherein each corner connector has a pair of apertures therein each of which is adjacent a respective one of said bosses and being adapted to receive a lug of a panel connector.

8. The partition panel of claim 5 and wherein said primary flanges are each provided with an outwardly directed ledge, said ledges being disposed adjacent the marginal edges of the panel such that said ledges substantially encompass a rectangular area, and a sheet of rigid material seated in said rectangular area in close juxtaposition to said primary flanges to define a major face of the panel with said ledges extending along the perimeter of the rigid sheet and encompassing the latter.

9. The partition panel of claim 5 wherein a wall of said double-walled web of each frame member has a spaced pair of further flanges extending therealong and defining a center channel supporting one or more rigid panels in a plane intermediate the planes defined by said major faces of the panel either within said center channel or to one or both sides thereof in engagement with a respective one of said further flanges.

10. The partition panel of claims 7 wherein said frame members comprise extrusions of uniform cross-section throughout their lengths, said spaced primary flanges having a U-shaped groove therebetween directed outwardly of the panel and said corner connectors also having spaced corner flanges thereon co-operating with said primary flanges and defining U-shaped recesses mating with the U-shaped recesses of said frame members, said bosses being disposed between said spaced corner flanges of said corner connectors.

11. A partition panel of generally rectangular outline having a plurality of marginal edges and a plurality of corners, and a perimeter frame assembly comprising a plurality of frame members extending along the marginal edges of the panel, and a plurality of corner connectors each located at a respective one of the corners of the panel and attaching between adjacent ends of said frame members, said frame members including spaced primary flanges, said frame members each further including a double-walled web extending between said primary flanges and providing a lengthwise extending hollow cavity, each corner connector including a pair of tongues each fitting tightly into adjacent ends of the frame members via the associated hollow cavities to secure said frame members together at said corners of the panel.

12. The partition panel of claim 11 wherein a wall of said double-walled web of each frame member has a spaced pair of further flanges extending therealong and defining a center channel supporting one or more rigid panels in a plane intermediate the planes defined by said major faces of the panel either within said center channel or to one or both sides thereof in engagement with a respective one of said further flanges.

13. The partition panel of claim 11 wherein each said corner connector has formations thereon defining spaced-apart grooves communicating with and generally co-planar with corresponding grooves in said frame members, and a covering material extending over at least one of said major faces and having marginal edges engaged and held in said grooves all around the perimeter of the panel including its corners.

14. The partition panel of claim 11 wherein each said corner connector has shoulders thereon which butt-up against respective adjacent ends of the perimeter frame members when the tongues of the corner connectors are fully inserted into said hollow cavities of said frame members, said tongues being in a close friction fit within said cavities, each corner connector having, adjacent a proximal end of each of said tongues, a respective boss, said bosses being at right angles to one another and each of which bosses is positioned and adapted to mate with a corresponding recess in a panel connector for securing adjacent said panels together or to a post.

15. The partition panel of claim 14 wherein each corner connector has a pair of apertures therein each of which is adjacent a respective one of said bosses and being adapted to receive a lug of a panel connector.

16. The partition panel of claim 15 wherein said frame members comprise plastics extrusions of uniform cross-section throughout their lengths, each frame member including a flexible rib extending therealong intermediate said primary flanges and projecting outwardly of the margins of the partition panel for contacting a frame member of an adjacent panel when in use to prevent light and hinder sound transmission therebetween.

17. A corner connector adapted to be located at a corner of a partition panel to secure together, when in use, elongated frame members disposed generally at right angles to one another, said corner connector having a pair of tongues at right angles to one another adapted to be snugly fitted into end portions of lengthwise extending hollow cavities in said frame members, each corner connector having shoulders defined thereon which are adapted to butt-up against respective adjacent ends of the elongated frame members when said tongues are fully inserted into said hollow cavities, each corner connector having, adjacent a proximal end of each of said tongues, a respective boss, said bosses being at right angles to one another and either of which bosses depending on the orientation of a panel with which, when in use, they are associated, is positioned and adapted to mate, in use, with a corresponding recess in a panel connector for securing adjacent partition panels together or, alternatively, to a post.

18. A corner connector as in claim 17 when adapted for use with frame members having flanges having a U-shaped groove therebetween, said corner connector having spaced corner flanges thereon defining said shoulders adapted to abut the ends of the frame members, said corner flanges having U-shaped recesses therebetween adapted to mate with the U-shaped recesses of the frame members and said bosses being located between said spaced corner flanges.

19. The corner connector of claim 18 further having a pair of apertures therein each of which is located adjacent a respective one of said bosses for simultaneously receiving therein a lug of a panel connector as and when the latter is engaged with the boss next adjacent thereto thereby firmly securing said panel connector relative to said corner connector.

20. The corner connector of claim 17 wherein said bosses are of polygonal configuration to mate with a similarly shaped socket in a panel connector when installed thereon.

21. A panel-to-panel connector adapted to extend between adjacent corners of adjacent panels to secure them together, each of which panels comprises a plurality of frame members extending along the marginal edges of the panel with a plurality of corner connectors each located at a respective corner of the panel and forming an attachment between adjacent ends of said frame members, each corner connector having at least one boss thereon, and wherein the panel-to-panel connector defines a body having a pair of non-circular sockets therein spaced apart and located adjacent opposing ends of said connector body, each socket being thus adapted to non-rotatably receive therein a respective boss of each of the panel corner connectors associated with the adjacent panels.

22. The panel-to-panel connector of claim 21 when adapted to secure adjacent panels together in generally co-planar relationship and further including a pair of lugs extending from the connector body, each lug being adjacent a respective one of said sockets and each being adapted to enter into an associated aperture located in the corner connector adjacent each said boss to help prevent rotation of the panel to panel connector about the bosses of the corner connectors of the adjacent panels.

23. The panel-to-panel connector of claim 21 when adapted to secure adjacent panels together at right angles to one another, the connector having an arched intermediate section between said opposing ends to allow the connector to bridge and extend over a marginal edge of a panel at right angles to the connector.

24. The panel-to-panel connector of claim 23 further including pairs of ledges flanking the respective sockets for snap-fit engagement with U-shaped recesses defined in the corner connectors and/or frame members of the panels to prevent rotation of the panel-to-panel connector about said bosses.

25. The panel-to-panel connector of claim 21 including a slot or a cut-out portion leading into each socket from the exterior of the connector body to enable placement of the connector around a glide on the bottom edge of the panel.

26. The panel-to-panel connector of claim 21 wherein the connector body has openings therein co-operating with each said socket for enabling fasteners to be screwed into said bosses through said openings to hold the connector in place.

27. A panel-to-post connector adapted to secure a panel to a vertical post having a channel defining a re-entrant groove extending along at least one face of the post and wherein the panel comprises a plurality of frame members extending along the marginal edges of the panel with a plurality of corner connectors each located at a respective corner of the panel and forming an attachment between adjacent ends of said frame members, each corner connector having at least one boss thereon, said panel-to-post connector defining a body with a socket located adjacent one end thereof shaped to non-rotatably receive the boss of the panel corner connector therein, and the opposing end of the body having a generally T-shaped head adapted to be received and retained in the re-entrant groove defined by said channel, and further including a lug adjacent said socket adapted to fit into an aperture in the corner connector to help avoid twisting of the connector around said boss during use.

28. The panel-to-post connector of claim 27 wherein said T-shaped head has ribs thereon adapted to co-operate with grooves in said channel to help avoid twisting of the head of the connector out of channel when in use.

29. The panel-to-post connector according to claim 27 wherein said socket is of polygonal outline shape for non-rotatably engaging the correspondingly shaped boss of the panel corner connector.

30. The panel-to-post connector according to claim 27 wherein the connector body has at least one opening therein co-operating with said socket for enabling a fastener to be screwed into said boss through said opening to hold the connector in place on said boss.

31. A corner post for use in a panel system, said post having a plurality of corners and having, as seen in cross-section, a central core and a plurality of spaced apart tubular corner elements each defining one of the corners of the post and secured to said central core and extending parallel thereto, and a plurality of channel defining means extending lengthwise of said core and secured thereto intermediate associated pairs of said tubular corner elements and defining re-entrant grooves for receiving connector elements therein.

32. The corner post of claim 31 wherein said tubular corner elements are provided with sloping profiles adapted to provide for a snap-fit engagement between associated pairs of said corner elements and selected connector elements and/or trim sections.

33. A partition panel of generally rectangular outline having a plurality of marginal edges and a plurality of corners, and a perimeter frame assembly comprising a plurality of frame members extending along the marginal edges of the panel, a plurality of corner connectors each located at a respective one of the corners of the panel and attaching between adjacent ends of said frame members, each corner connector including a pair of tongues each fitting into adjacent ends of the frame members to secure said frame members together at said corners of the panel, and wherein each said corner connector has shoulders thereon which butt-up against respective adjacent ends of the perimeter frame members when the tongues of the corner connectors are fully fitted into said frame members, each corner connector having, adjacent a proximal end of at least one of said tongues, an associated boss and said boss being positioned and adapted to non-rotatably mate with a complimentary recess in a panel connector for securing adjacent such panels together or for securing the panel to a post.

34. The partition panel of claim 33 therein each corner connector has at least one aperture therein adjacent said boss and being adapted to receive a lug of a panel connector to further prevent rotation of a panel connector about the boss when positioned thereon.

35. A panel assembly comprising a plurality of panels each being of generally rectangular outline having a plurality of marginal edges and a plurality of corners, and a perimeter frame assembly comprising a plurality of frame members extending along the marginal edges of the panel, a plurality of corner connectors each located at a respective one of the corners of the panel and attaching between adjacent ends of said frame members, each corner connector including a pair of tongues each fitting into adjacent ends of the frame members to secure said frame members together at said corners of the panel, and wherein each said corner connector has shoulders thereon which butt-up against respective adjacent ends of the perimeter frame members when the tongues of the corner connectors are fully fitted into said frame members, each corner connector having, adjacent a proximal end of at least one of said tongues, an associated boss and said boss being positioned and adapted to non-rotatably mate with a complimentary recess in a panel connector for securing adjacent such panels together or for securing the panel to a post, and further including panel-to-panel connectors securing adjacent pairs of said partition panels together, each said panel-to-panel connector extending between an adjacent pair of said panels and having a pair of said recesses each receiving a respective one of the bosses on said corner connectors of the adjacent panels.

36. The panel assembly of claim 35 wherein the panel-to-panel connector defines a connector body having a pair of said recesses in the form of sockets therein spaced apart and located adjacent opposing ends of said connector body, each socket non-rotatably receiving therein a respective boss of each of the panel corner connectors associated with the adjacent panels.

37. The panel assembly of claim 36 wherein said panel-to-panel connector secures adjacent panels together in generally co-planar relationship and further includes a pair of lugs extending from the connector body, each lug being adjacent a respective one of said sockets and each being disposed in an associated said aperture located in the corner connector adjacent each said boss to help prevent rotation of the panel-to-panel connector about the bosses of the corner connectors of the adjacent panels.

38. The panel assembly of claim 35 wherein said panel-to-panel connector is adapted to secure adjacent panels together at right angles to one another, the connector body having an arched intermediate section between said opposing ends to allow the panel-to-panel connector to bridge and extend over a marginal edge of a panel at right angles to the panel-to-panel connector.

39. A partition panel of generally rectangular outline having a plurality of marginal edges and a plurality of corners, and a perimeter frame assembly comprising a plurality of frame members extending along the marginal edges of the panel, a plurality of corner connectors each located at a respective one of the corners of the panel and attaching between adjacent ends of said frame members, said frame members including spaced primary flanges, said frame members each further including a double-walled web extending between said primary flanges and providing a lengthwise extending hollow cavity, each corner connector including a pair of tongues each fitting into adjacent ends of the frame members via the associated hollow cavities to secure said frame members together at said corners of the panel, and wherein each said corner connector has shoulders thereon which butt-up against respective adjacent ends of the perimeter frame members when the tongues of the corner connectors are fully inserted into said hollow cavities of said frame members, each corner connector having, adjacent a proximal end of each of said tongues, a respective boss, each boss extending normal to its associated tongue and either of which bosses, depending on panel orientation, is positioned and adapted to mate with a recess of complimentary shape in a panel connector for securing adjacent such panels together or for securing the panel to a post.

40. The partition panel of claim 39 wherein each said boss is of non-circular shape to inhibit rotation of a mating panel connector when installed thereon, each corner connector having a pair of apertures therein, each of which is adjacent a respective one of said bosses and being adapted to receive a lug of a panel connector to help prevent rotation of the panel connector when installed thereon.

41. A panel assembly comprising a plurality of panels each of which is of generally rectangular outline having a plurality of marginal edges and a plurality of corners, and a perimeter frame assembly comprising a plurality of frame members extending along the marginal edges of the panel, a plurality of corner connectors each located at a respective one of the corners of the panel and attaching between adjacent ends of said frame members, said frame members including spaced primary flanges, said frame members each further including a double-walled web extending between said primary flanges and providing a lengthwise extending hollow cavity, each corner connector including a pair of tongues each fitting into adjacent ends of the frame members via the associated hollow cavities to secure said frame members together at said corners of the panel, and wherein each said corner connector has shoulders thereon which butt-up against respective adjacent ends of the perimeter frame members when the tongues of the corner connectors are fully inserted into said hollow cavities of said frame members, each corner connector having, adjacent a proximal end of each of said tongues, a respective boss, each boss extending normal to its associated tongue and either of which bosses, depending on panel orientation, is positioned and adapted to mate with a recess of complimentary shape in a panel connector for securing adjacent such panels together or for securing the panel to a post, each said boss being of non-circular shape to inhibit rotation of a mating panel connector when installed thereon, each corner connector having a pair of apertures therein, each of which is adjacent a respective one of said bosses and being adapted to receive a lug of a panel connector to help prevent rotation of the panel connector when installed thereon, and further including panel connectors in the form of panel-to-panel connectors securing adjacent pairs of said panels together, each said panel-to-panel connector extending between an adjacent pair of said panels and having a pair of said recesses each receiving a respective one of the bosses on said corner connectors of the adjacent panels.

42. The panel assembly of claim 41 wherein the panel-to-panel connector defines a connector body having a pair of said recesses in the form of sockets therein spaced apart and located adjacent opposing ends of said connector body, each socket non-rotatably receiving therein a respective boss of each of the panel corner connectors associated with the adjacent panels.

43. The panel assembly of claim 42 wherein said panel-to-panel connector secures adjacent panels together in generally co-planar relationship and further includes a pair of lugs extending from the connector body, each lug being adjacent a respective one of said sockets and each being disposed in an associated said aperture located in the corner connector adjacent each said boss to help prevent rotation of the panel-to-panel connector about the bosses of the corner connectors of the adjacent panels.

44. The panel assembly of claim 41 wherein said panel-to-panel connector secures adjacent panels together at right angles to one another, the connector body having an arched intermediate section between said opposing ends to allow the panel-to-panel connector to bridge and extend over a marginal edge of one of said panels.