CA1038586A

CA1038586A - Panel system and components

Info

Publication number: CA1038586A
Application number: CA269,403A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Gary D. Hanna
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1977-01-10
Filing date: 1977-01-10
Publication date: 1978-09-19
Also published as: DE2716399A1; DE2716399C2

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE INVENTION

A fastener for use in display stands and partitions is provided for securing a pair of elements one to the other. One element is provided with a slot and the fastener is secured to the remaining element.
The fastener is generally hook-shaped and is provided with a cam surface which engages with the rear surface of the slotted element to effect engagement. In an alternative embodiment, the fastener has two projections which engage the adjacent surface of the slotted element to urge the two elements together through the opposing action of the hook member, projections and the surfaces with which they abut.

Description

i This invention relates to display stands and more particularly to components for such display stands as permit ~ them to be easily assembled and disassembled.
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~i BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In British Patent 1,311,761 entitled Display Stand ~1 published March 28, 1973, there is described a knock-down ;~ display stand system which comprises rectangular panels and ~`
posts. The posts are provided with slots, and hooks, engage-able with these slots, are mounted to extend outward of the ~, 10 periphery of the panels to engage the slots. These systems ~' are principally intended as display panels but they can, as ; is apparent, be used for many applications such as room dividers.
`~ . Such systems have several shortcomings: the panels ~are normally constructed of material of substantial weight . .,~ .
which-increases the difficulty of handling~, shipping and costs; the fasteners which serve to secure the panels to the support elements are expensive to install and unsightly, and they are subject to the further criticism that the junctions which are effected between the structural element and the panels are not too firm.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To overcome the various shortcomings in the prior art ;
as known to the present inventor, there is accordingly pro-vided in the present invention a fastener for use in such ~;' ; panelled system which enables panels to be assembled and disassembled in any desired configuration to their respective 1 ~ support panels while remaining pleasing to ~he eye.
The fastener i6 simple to install in that it can be ~ 30 secured to the panel after assembly, and when engaged with the .' ~, . ~' ' ,,,,., i 1 ~ ! ~

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support posts or structural elements, makes a positive connection such that there is minimal noise in use and installation.
Previous structures had a tendency to rattle.
~ The fastener, more particularly, is provided with a body `i 5 which is seated and secured in a channel which surrounds the periphery of the panel. From this body, a hook-shaped arm projects to engage slots on the structural supporting member.
On either side of the hook, there is a projection which extends beyond the outer limit of the channel. The edge or surface of the hook adjacent to the channel has a cam-shaped form so that when engageemnt between the hook and the structural member is ~, achieved, the panel and the structural member are urged together by the cam-surface engaging the remote side of the support member and held in a slightly spaced apart attitude by the projections engaging the outer surface of the support member.
It will be understood that the bias or strength of the relative urging between the components will be dependent upon , the material employed as the fastener, the configuration of the cam surface and the dimensions and spacing of the projections ~ from and relative to the hook-shaped member.
,l These and other advantages of the invention will be '',1 more apparent from the following description in which a pre-i ferred embodiment is described by way of example, and in which:
Figure l is a general perspective view of a panel ~ assembly in accordance with the present invention, partly .:~
`~ broken away, illustrating the relationship between the support ~?j posts, panels and fasteners which are the subject of the present ~ invention;
;~l 30 Figure 2 is an enlarged, partly exploded view, of a 3 fastener in accordance with the present invention;
Figure 3 is a diagrammatic section through ~ support post, fastener and panel showing the interrelations~Lip be ween ; the various components;
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', Figure 4 is a general perspective view, partly fragmented, '-~ showing the relationship between the panel and a fastener in j accordance with the present invention;
, Figure 5 is an alternate fastener structure for use with an alternate form of peripheral channel;
Figure 6 is a perspective view i:Llustrating a further .. ', embodiment of a fastener in accordance with the present invention ','~.~ mounted in an alternate manner on a panel.
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`, Referring.. now to the drawings, in Figure 1, there is ' 10 illustrated a general perspective view showing a panel 10, ... which is supported by a pair o vertical posts 11 and 12. The :~.
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,`,,'~ connection between these vertical posts and the panel 10 is . accomplished by means of fasteners such as 20 which constitutes .
.:. the subject ~atter of the present invention.
,.,~,, 15 It will be observed that panel 10 is surrounded on its ,i~ periphery by a channel generally indicated at 21. The fasteners such as 20 are mounted within this channel in the ~ manner which will be described presently and engage slots ,~ such as 22 on post 12.
..,, . 20 As is illustrated in Figure 2, a fastener in accordance ',:i with the present invention comprises a main body 23, which has ,'', a width such that it will slide within the channel such as 21.
'~ Body 23 comprises a central portion 24, two terminal `~:
.~ portions 25 and 26 which are spaced apart from but connected ,~ 25 to the central portion 24 to define a pair of screw-receiviny ..
recesses 27 and 28.
Thése screw-receiving recesses 27 and 28 are provided ~','.i, with steps such as 50 and 51 and 52 and 53, respectively. These ::,.i steps serve to lock the screws when they are secur,ed down. The .1 30 interaction ~etween the screw threads and the plastic steps :,.;j ;`.. ~ binds the screws and prevents their being shaken loose.
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The central body ~ortion 24 is provided with laterall~
extending flanges such as 29 on each other side thereof, and from the centre of the top surface of body portion 24 a hook-shaped arm 30 extends upwardly and along the main axis thereof.
The two remaining bod~ portions, 25 and 26, are each provided ~ith projections, 31 and 32. The screws which are i employed are normal-set screws such as 33 and 34 which are normally seated with a tight Eit in their respective recesses

2~ and 28.
It will be obser~ed from Figures 3 and 4 that the ~
channels 21 haye lateral flanges ad~acent to the top end and ~;
are proyided with threads on the internal vertical walls.
The lateral flanges 29 on body portion 24 normally sit with ~ their lower surfaces upon the uppermost limit of the threads :~ 15 so khat the upper surface of the body portion 24 is flush or ..
~ slightly below the upper outer limits of the channels 21.
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The projections 31-and 32 on the respective body portions 25 and 26, however, project beyond the upper outer

3~ limits of the channel for a short distance, It will be observed that the hook-shaped number 30 has an arm section 41 which extends substantially parallel to, or . .i .
along the main axis of the body 24. This arm 21 has a cam .; .
~, shaped surface 39 on the side adjacent to the channel 21 and a detent 38, at its innermost end, so that it will define a wide open mouth of decreasing width with the innermost detent 38.
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In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 6, the corres- -~ ponding parts are illustrated with corresponding prime numbers.
;~ It is to be noted that the fastener is secured to the ;1 30 panel by screws which are passed through the fastener and ~, engage the panel. No channel is provided.
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As with the embodiments illustrated in the remaining drawings the hook-shaped member 41l, has a cam~shaped surface 39', adjacent to the adjacent panel side. The projections 31 and 32' also correspond and care should be taken to ensure that these extend beyond the panel edge. This fastener may, as will be apparent, be stamped from metal, or be of plastic.

`' USE OF THE INVENTION
;,i Normally the display panels and their supports are shipped to the loca-tion in which they-are to be employed in a knocked-down condition and in this condition, for facility of transportation, the fastening means are unmounted. At the site, the fastening means are inserted in the channels by merely slipping them into position and aligned with the slots on the vertical posts with which they are to be engaged. The set screws 33 and 34 are then placed into position. In the preferred attitude, the body 24 sits in the channel with the flanges 29 engaging the uppermost thread. As the set screws i ~ 33 and 34 are tightened, then the serrations on the screws J will engage the threads on either side of the channel so as 1 20 to secure the fastener firmly in position.
At this point the arm 30 is passed through the slots 1 .
~ such as 20 in the vertical posts and pushed downward. As the i~ arm 30 is pushed downward, the cam surface 39, engages the . .~ , ..
rear surface of the post and urges the post and panel together in secure engagement. This action permits the securement to be firm. At the same time, the projections 31 and 32 engage i the other surface of the tube, and serve to counter any .~ relative motion between the posts and the panel~
In the embodiments illustrated, it will be observed ! 30 that the fastener is nylon. It will, of course, be understood that any other equivalent material may also be employed for the same purposes.
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.~ It will also be apparent that instead of hollow posts~ ' o-ther structural supports o~ alternate forms such as square -tubes, slotted plates or the like may be employed.
~'; In Figure S r the channel 21 has no threading on the .~ 5 sidewalls but is provided with overhanqing lips. The fastener :i 23 is also modified in that the screws 33 and 34 engage .~ internal threads on the fastener which pass through the J
. fastener body. In this fashion these screws pass through to ~ engage the bottom channel wall ana urge the fastener into :~ 10 engagement with the downwardly facing channel walls.
s: ' .. The interaction of the fastener of Figure 6 with the l structural element will, of course, be the same as that of 't'~ the remaininy fasteners hereinbefore described.
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Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A fastener for securing panels having a peripheral channel to a hollow structural element having slots and an outer surface and an inner surface, said channel having an outer limit, said fastener having a unitary structure and comprising a panel-engaging body securable within said peripheral channel, a hook-shaped member and a pair of projections projectable beyond said channel outer limit extensions from said panel-engaging body, said projections being in spaced apart longitudinal alignment one on either side of said hook-shaped member; said hook-shaped member including a cam-shaped surface facing said channel and spaced apart therefrom whereupon engagement between said hook-shaped member and said slot on said structural member said cam surface engages said inner surface and said projec-tions engage said outer surface at spaced-apart points to urge said panel and said structural element into firm engagement.

2. A fastener as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said cam surface defines with said outer channel limit a passage having a wide mouth, an intermediate part of reduced width and an innermost wider part whereby said panel and said structural element are secured together.

3. A fastener as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said panel-engaging body further includes a pair of spaced apart recesses one adjacent to each of said projections, and removable threaded means mountable therein for engagement with said channel walls.

4. A fastener as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said projections are wider than said slots on said structural member.

5. A fastener as claimed in Claim 1 further including re-movable threaded means for securing said body in said channel.

6. A fastener as claimed in Claim 3 wherein said fastener is a unitary structure.

7. A fastener as claimed in claim 1 wherein said fastener is of synthetic high-impact plastic material.