Modular wall panel system

• US 6,341,461 B1
• Filed: 08/17/2000
• Issued: 01/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: American Pacific Corporation (Flamingo Parent Corp.)
• Original Assignee: New England Classic Interiors, Inc.
• Inventors: Crowley, John S., Lameyer, Edward H., MacDiarmid, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Canfield, Robert
• Application Number:
  US09/640,980
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• Field of Search: 525/060.1, 525/060.5, 523/111, 523/112, 525/921, 525/19, 525/36, 525/54, 525/060.6
• US Class Current: 52/311.2
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 13/10 of wood or with an outer layer of wood E04F13/0864 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 19/0495 Plinths fixed around wall openings or around corners of walls
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 2019/0409 of wood
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 2019/0431 of two or more materials
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 2019/0454 with decorative effects

Abstract

A wood panel system that includes an upper rail, a lower rail and a stile is provided. The upper rail and lower rails are in rigid communication with a wall, while the stile may float between the upper and lower rails. In certain embodiments, the upper rail and the stile are joined by a noncoped groove. The outer edges of the upper rail and the stile may be disposed within different planes that are each parallel to the wall. The upper rail may have a lip that extends over a portion of the stile. Preferably, the stile is formed of a wood veneer coated core material.

Claims

1. A wood panel system comprising:

an upper rail having an upper rail L-shaped groove, the upper rail being in rigid communication with a wall;

a lower rail having a lower rail L-shaped groove, the lower rail being in rigid communication with the wall; and

a first stile having a first stile upper L-shaped groove and a first stile lower L-shaped groove formed respectively in part by an upper tongue and a lower tongue, wherein the upper tongue and the lower tongue respectively mate with the upper rail L-shaped groove and lower rail L-shaped groove such that the upper tongue is sandwiched directly between a surface of the upper rail L-shaped groove and the wall, and the lower tongue is sandwiched directly between a surface of the lower rail L-shaped groove and the wall.

2. The wood panel system according to claim 1, wherein a groove in at least one of the upper rail, the lower rail and the first stile is noncoped.

3. The word panel system according to claim 1, wherein the first stile floats with respect to the upper and lower rails.

4. The wood panel system according to claim 1, further comprising a panel having an upper tongue and a lower tongue, the upper tongue of the panel being directly sandwiched between the surface of the upper rail L-shaped groove and the wall, and the lower tongue of the panel being directly sandwiched between the surface of the lower rail L-shaped groove and the wall.

5. The wood panel system according to claim 4, wherein the first stile has a first stile side L-shaped groove and the panel has a side tongue, wherein the side tongue is sandwiched directly between a surface of the first stile side L-shaped groove and the wall.

6. The wood panel system according to claim 4, further comprising a second stile, the second stile in contact with the upper rail and lower rail on a side of the upper rail and lower rail opposite the first stile.

7. The wood panel system according to claim 1, wherein the stile is formed of a core material surrounded by a wood veneer coating.

8. A wood panel system comprising:

a rail having an L-shaped groove, the rail being in rigid communication with a wall;

a stile having a tongue at one edge of the stile and an L-shaped groove at an adjacent edge of the stile;

a panel having a tongue at an edge of the panel; and

wherein the tongue of the stile is sandwiched between the L-shaped groove of the rail and the wall and the tongue of the panel is sandwiched between the L-shaped groove of the stile and the wall.

9. A wood panel system comprising:

an upper rail having an upper L-shaped groove and an outer surface, the upper rail being in rigid communication with a wall, the outer surface of the upper rail being disposed within a first plane substantially parallel to the wall;

a lower rail having a lower L-shaped groove, the lower rail being in rigid communication with the wall; and

a first stile having an upper tongue, a lower tongue and an outer surface, the upper tongue of the first stile being sandwiched directly between a surface of the upper rail L-shaped groove and the wall, the lower tongue of the first stile being sandwiched directly between a surface of the lower rail L-shaped groove and the wall, the outer surface of the first stile being disposed within a second plane substantially parallel to the wall, and the second plane being different than the first plane.

10. The wood panel system according to claim 9, wherein the lower rail has an outer surface disposed within a third plane substantially parallel to the wall, the third plane being different than the second plane.

11. The wood panel system according to claim 10, wherein the first and third planes are a same plane.

12. The wood panel system according to claim 11, wherein the first stile floats with respect to the upper and lower rails.

13. The wood panel system according to claim 9, further comprising a panel having an upper tongue and a lower tongue, the upper tongue of the panel being directly sandwiched between the surface of the upper rail L-shaped groove and the wall, the lower tongue of the panel being directly sandwiched between the surface of the lower rail L-shaped groove and the wall.

14. The wood panel system according to claim 13, wherein the first stile has a first stile side L-shaped groove and the panel has first and second side tongues, wherein the first side tongue of the panel is sandwiched directly between a surface of the first stile side L-shaped groove and the wall.

15. The wood panel system according to claim 14, further comprising a second stile having an upper tongue, a lower tongue and a second stile side L-shaped groove, and wherein the upper tongue of the second stile is sandwiched directly between the surface of the upper rail L-shaped groove and the wall, the lower tongue of the second stile is sandwiched directly between the surface of the lower rail L-shaped groove and the wall, and the second tongue of the panel is sandwiched directly between a surface of the second stile side L-shaped groove and the wall.

16. The wood panel system according to claim 9, wherein the upper rail has a lip extending over a portion of the first stile.

17. The wood panel system according to claim 9, wherein the stile is formed of a core material surrounded by a wood veneer coating.

18. A wood panel system comprising:

an upper rail having an upper L-shaped groove, the upper rail being in rigid communication with a wall;

a lower rail having a lower L-shaped groove, the lower rail being in rigid communication with the wall; and

a stile having an upper tongue and a lower tongue, the upper tongue of the stile being sandwiched directly between a surface of the upper rail L-shaped groove and the wall, the lower tongue of the stile being sandwiched directly between a surface of the lower rail L-shaped groove and the wall, and wherein the stile floats with respect to the upper and lower rails.

19. The wood panel system according to claim 18, wherein the upper rail has a lip that extends over a portion of the stile.

20. A wood panel system comprising:

an upper rail having a non-coped upper L-shaped groove, the upper rail being in rigid communication with a wall;

a lower rail having a non-coped lower L-shaped groove, the lower rail being in rigid communication with the wall; and

a stile having an upper non-coped groove that mates with the non-coped upper L-shaped groove of the upper rail and a lower non-coped groove that mates with the non-coped lower L-shaped groove of the lower rail so that the upper and lower non-coped grooves of the stile are sandwiched between the upper and lower L-shaped grooves of the rails, respectively, and the wall.

21. The wood panel system according to claim 20, wherein at least one of the upper rail, the lower rail, and the stile is formed of a core material surrounded by a wood veneer.

22. The wood panel system according to claim 20, wherein the wood veneer has a thickness of less than about 0.17 inches.

23. The wood panel system according to claim 20, wherein the stile floats with respect to the upper and lower rails.

24. The wood panel system according to claim 20, wherein the upper rail has an outer surface disposed in a first plane substantially parallel to the wall and the first stile has an outer surface disposed in a second plane substantially parallel to the wall, the first plane being different than the second plane.

25. A wood panel kit comprising:

an upper rail having an upper L-shaped groove;

a lower rail having a lower L-shaped groove;

a plurality of stiles having an upper tongue, a lower tongue, and side L-shaped grooves; and

a plurality of panels having upper, lower, and side tongues.

26. The wood panel kit of claim 25, wherein the rails comprise a first thickness, the stiles comprise a second thickness, and the first thickness is different than the second thickness.

27. The wood panel kit of claim 25, wherein at least one of the upper rail, the lower rail, the stiles, and the panels is formed of a core material surrounded by a wood veneer.