CA1294107C - Demountable panel system - Google Patents

Abstract

Abstract A demountable panel system has panel members formed with peripheral edge surround sections of extruded rigid material. The surround sections included channels to receive panel material and leg portions with opposed grooves to releasably engage with a clip rail section.
The clip rail section enables various panel structures, such as corner posts, to be interconnected with the panel members. The clip rail section has a tongue extending generally in the direction perpendicular to the panel member and so shaped as to be resiliently engageable with a tongue of an adjacent clip rail section whereby panel members or other panel structures can be clipped together along their length by relative transverse movement. The clip rail section includes opposed, outwardly extending flanges and perpendicular leg parts which cooperate with the channels of the surround section to form a recess having a narrow mouth. A workstation support bracket is retained behind a nib in the recess and wedges therein to lock the bracket relative to the panel members.

Description

DEMouNrrABLE PANEL SY~'rEM
sackqround of the Invention This invention relates to a demountable panel syst~m and relates particularly to a demountahle panel system for use in partitloning for o~Eicss, schools, or any other building structure. The invention also relates to a system which facilitates workstatio~ design and construction to indiviclual requirements but which also allows changes to be made at any time.
Generally, partitions for offices and the like are formed of ~ixed partition material which may be built in situ or formed of prefabricated pan~ls and ~rected on site. More recently, partitions have been formPd of demountable partition panels which can be removed and transported to another site as requir~d.
-Heretofore, demountable paFtitlons have been expensive to install du~ to the relative high cost of the materials used and the labour costs associated with erection. Thu~, the demountable partltions were construct-ed of solid panels with edging of metal, usually extruded aluminium, which could be screwed or bolted together.
Cover strips covered th:e joining screws and could be removed to enable the partitions to be removed when necessary .
To reduce the costs of such demaunkable partitions, cheap construction me~hods and cheap materials havo been used However, thi~ has resulted in relat:Lvely light weight partitions which are sub~ect to damage, structural ~ailure anci ~horten0d life, It is there~ore desirable to provide a panel system which can be used fo:r the construction of of~ice partition-ing and ~he llke and which, when assembled, results in a partition having strength, durability and sound absorp-tion properties similar to that of fixed partitioning 35 but which is demountable and can pe readlly moved to different locations.
Moclern office equipment and office layout designs neecl to utilize the advantages of computers, word pro-9~

cessors and other similar ~quipment. For this purpose, it has become common practice to develop workstations for lndlvidual staff members, ~ach work8ta~ion being individually designed in accordance with the working requirements of the user~ Such workstations gen0rally require a form of desk with either walls ~r low-level partitions separating one work~tation ~rom another.
It is a desirable feature of the present lnvention that such workstations can be constructed utilizing the demountable panel system of the present in~ention.
It is also desirable that the panel sy~tem of the invention is relatively economical to produce, is simple to erect and is able to be moved ~rom place to place and re-erected with the same or a different format.
Summar~ of the Invention In accordance with one aspect of the presen~
invention there is provided a demountable panel for assembly with other similar panels to form a partition structure or workstation, said panel comprising a panel member having at least opposed side edges defined by a surround section of a shape to be secured to the panel member, the surround section including leg means extendlng along the length thereof to releasably engage cooparating parts of a clip rail section, a flange on th0 clip rail section extending generally in a direction perpendicular to the plane o~ the panel memb~r, th~ 1ang~ having a shape to snap-engage with a slmilar ~lange of ~he partltlon structure or work~tation by an engaging movement p~rpendlc-ular to the pan~l member.
The demountable panel of the inventlon is prefer-ably used with other panel members and related par~s in a system which may in~lude a number of panel members of square or rectangular outline the perimeter of which is formed by metal surround sections with coplanar legs defining spaced recesses to receive and support spaced lining material, such as~ plasterboard, plywood, particle-board, glass or the like. If desired, the lining material may be faced, such as with a fabric or other suit~ble ~¢~ 7 facing material.
The panel members are connected to each other by utilizing the clip rail section which i5 releasably engaged with the ~urround sections on at least the opposed edges of the panel members. In one ~orm o~ the invention, the clip rail sections are slidably engaged wi$h the surround sections although in a most preferred arrangem~nt, the clip rail sections are snap fitted to th surround sections.
The flange on each clip rail section is preferably resilient permitting snap engagement (in a lateral dir~c~
tion relative to the plane of the panel members) either with an adjacent clip rail section fitted to an adjacent panel member or to similar flanges on othex clip rail sections fixed to structure members such as a post section or a capping section or other demountable part used to for~ a partition wall or workstation.
In constructing workstations of a variety of designs and arrangements, it is necessary to support horizontal work platformsl desk tops, drawer sets, equip-ment supports and the like at desir~d locations. For this purpose, the present invention provides fox a work-station bracket having a head portion engageable wi~n a channel formed when a surround section is engaged ~iith a clip rail sectlon, the channel ~xte~ding the length of the rel~vant ~ectlon, A mouth oE the channel i9 preferably de~ined on one ~ide by a nib part o~ ~he surroùnd section. q1he head portion o~ th~ bracket include~
a shouldex enga~eable behind the n~b part p~aventlny lateral disen~agement oE the head portion from the channel.
~he bracket ~urther includes a wall engaging pro~ection spaced rom the head portion and arranged to engage the channel wall opposite the nib part while the head portion engages behind the nib part. The head part may also be formed with a wall engaging shoulder to cause the bracket tobe able to be firmly wedged within the channel.
~ rhe bracket according tq` this aspect of th~
invention can be located at any position along a channel ~L~''3~f)7 form~d by th~ surround ~ectlon ~nd olip rail ~ectlon.
In the preferred embodiments, a lockiny screw engages through a lug on the braaket to bear again~it the wall of the channel to hold the bracket in a wedged position in the channsl with the channel wall engaging pro~ection firmly contacting the channel wall while the head portion is wedged between the nib part and the oppo6ed wall~
The bracket may have any suitable con~iguration for supporting a workstation desk top, bench, item of equipment or anything else which needs to be secured relative to the panel system. Naturally, any number o~
brackets may be utilized ~in conjunction with the panel system to build up a workstation of any suitable design.
In order that the invention is more readily under-stood embodiments will now be desciribed with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of a demountable panel system in accordance with the present invention, Figure 2 is a sectional plan view of a panel member of the invention showing the surround section and a clip rail section, Figure 3 is a sectional plan view taken along thelines 3-3 of Figure 1, Figure 4 is a sectional plan vlew taken aiong the lines 4-4 of Figure 1, Figure 5 is a ~ectlonal plan view taken along the lines 5-5 of Flgur~
Figure 6 l~ a sectional plan view takan ~long the lines 6 6 of Flgur~ 1, Flgure 7 ls an elevational ssational view taken along the lines 7-7 o~ Fiyure 6~
Figure 8 i~ a perspective view of a left-hand workstation support bracket, Figure 9 is a sectional view taken along the lines 9-9 of Figure 1, Figure 10 is a sectional view taken along the lines 10-10 of Figure 1, and Figure 11 is a further sectional view taken alsng 0~ ~
the lines 11-1I o Figure 1.
Descr.~etion of the Preerred Embo~iment The drawings herewith illustrate a demountable panel system which comprises a number of panel members generally of rectangular outline.
The individual panel members are formed with spaced, parallel lining material such as plasterboard, plywood, particle board, glass~ metalI plastlcs material or the like. Any other suitable form of lininy material may be used in the performance of the invention and, where glass is used, either one or two sheets may be used as required.
Figure 1 shows, for the purposes of illu~tration of the features of this invention, a partition structure which comprises a main, full height partition wall 13 and three-quarter height partition dividers 15 defining workstation areas, in one of which is a work-top.20.
- The upper panel members 12 of the wall 13 and the upper panel members 12 of the dividers 15 are formed 2u of a pair of glass sheetæ 21 while the lower panel member~
12 comprlse spaced plasterboard sh ets 14 with a facin~
of foam-backed fabric ma~erial 16. The fab~ic material provides an aesthetically pleasing appearance to the panel while the oam backing ensures that the fabric material remains relatively smooth and pleasant to ~ouch.
As shown in the drawi.ngs~ the panel ~embers 12 are ~or~ied as a unitary construction with the per~ph~ral edges of the spaced sheets 14, 16 sup~orted by ~urround secti.on~ 17 whioh can be formed of extruded aluminiurn, all~y, plas~ics material or other relatlvely rigid material. The suxround sections 17 are formed with a pair of spaced channels 18 to directly receive the sheets 14, as shown particularly in Figure 4, or to receive glazing gaskets 19 which support qlass sheets 21 a~ shown in Figures 2 and 3.
The surround sections 17 are further formed with a nib part 22 of relatively thic~ material; the purpose of which is hereinafter descr.ibed.

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Each p~nel mern~er 12 m~y be lnk~,reng~ed with another panel mem~er or with other panel 5ystem parts through the use of clip rail sections 23 shown particularly in Figure 2. Each clip rail section 23 is formed with a pair of legs 24 having longitudinal cooperatin~ grooves 26 to receive ribs 27 on leg parts 28 of the surr~und sections 17, The grooves 26 are preferably engaged with the ribs 27 by longitudinal sliding to ensure that the clip rail sections 23 are firmly secured to the surround 10 sections 17 against dis-engagement in a transverse direction.
The clip rail section 23 is formed with a laterally extending flange or tongue 29 havlng a "wave" or elongated S configuration. The tongue 29 is so disposed as to be lS engageable by a similar tongue 29 of an adjacent clip rail section 23 to releasably lock two clip rail sections together. The engaging movement is a movement perpendic-ular to the plane of the panel members 12 to thereby snap adjacent panel members together as shown in Figure 4.
Alternatively, a clip rail section 23 may be engaged with an end cap 31 ~Figure 3) or a corner post 32 ~Figure 5) or an intermediate post, which may be identical to a corner post 32, as shown in Figure 6.
It will thus be seen that the structure o~ the panel members, the surround sections 17 and the clip rail sections 23 enable a number oi panel rnembers 1Z to be interengaged with each other or with end caps 31 or posts 32 to form a panel system~ The provlsion o~ the toncJue 29 on the clip rail s~ctions 23 ~nsure~ eas~ o~ assembly as weLl as dls-as~mbly o panel members with each other and with the other various sections as illustrated.
A feature of the present in~sn~ion is the ability to assemble the panel members 12 in any desir~d arrangement to constitute partitioning or to form workstations of any desired design or configuration. E~or ;this purpose the clip rail section 23 is cons~-ucted with opposed flanges 33 and leg parts 43 extending at right angles thereto. When assembled with a surround section 17 , the flanges 33 and leg parts ~3 combine with the base part of the channels 18 and the nib part 22 to ~oxm a rec~ss 30 with a restricted mouth 36.
As seen in Figures 6, 7 and 8 work~tatlo~ bracket 37 is designed to engage within the rece~s 30 t~ support workstation equipment such as desk tops, drawer s~ts and the like from the panel assemblyO The workstation bracket 37 includes a head portion 38 which is engageable within the recess 30 and has a width greater than the width o the mouth 36 defined by the 1ange 33 apd nib part 2~, At a lower end of the bracket 37 there is provided a pointed projection 39 spaced some distance below the head portion 38. The bracket 37 also includes a lug 41 having a threaded screw 42 passing throuyh the mouth 36 and adapted to engage on the rear wall of the recess 30 formed by the leg part 43 of the clip rail sections 23.
In use, the brackek head por~isn 3~ is engaged within the recess 30 through a cut-away portion 40 of the nib part 22, shown in Figure 7. The head portion 3B, which is angled relative to the bracket 37, has opposed corner.shoulders 35 and 45 which contact the nib part 22 and the opposed leg p~rt 43. In a loaded posi ion, the point of projection 39 also engages the rear .wall of the recess 30 Pormed by thc lcg part 43. Thus, thc 25 .bracket head 38 becomes l'wedged" within khe rec~ 30 to pr~vent relative, vertical movement of ~he brack~t 37 while the projection 3g clCtS al~o to lock the bracket 37 in po~ltion and to reslst de~ormation of the recess by the head portion 38. ~he nib part 22, being of thickne3~ relatively greater than that of oth~r parts of the surround sections 17 provides the strength necessary to support the appropriate loadings on the ~racket 37.
The threaded screw 42 is movQd into engagement with the leg part 43 to hold the bracket in the "wedged" position.
The bracket 37 may be used to support a desk ~op, a computer stand, a set o~ drawers or any other item o~
equipment which is required to be. supported for use by an operator~ Shelves and other items can also be supported 3~ 7 by appropriate bracket constructions, The bracket 37 can he moved from its locked or "wedged" position by releasing the screw 42 and liting the body to move the sho~lders 35 and 45 and proj8cti~n 39 out of locking engagement with the walls o~ the recess 30. The bracket is then able to slide vertica~y ln the recess 30.
Referring to Figure 4 of the drawings, there i5 illustrated two panel members 1~, ~oth o~ which are formed of fibrous plaster sheets 14 with foam backed fabric material 16. The interconnection of thë two clip rail sections 23 produces two recesses 30 on each' side with which brackets 37 may be engaged.
Figure 5 shows two panel mem~ers having double gla~ing 21 interconnected utilizing a post 32 as a corner post. A corner cover 45 is clipped to the post 32, If necessary for structural integrity, the post 32 may be reinforced by an appropriate reinforcing member 46, In Figure 6, there is shown three panel members 12 interconnected to each other using the post 32 enabling the clip rail sections 23 to be connected thereto and also having the open side,~overed with a cover strip 44.
Referring to Figure 9, there is illustrated a section o~ a partitlon wall 13 which includes a pair of opposed power cable ducts 47 which are incorporated within the panel member 12 to enable power cablo~, t~lephone cables, computer cables and the like to bo fed through the pan'el member~ 12 to approprlate workstation~, tele-~phones and power outlets. The power ducts 47 extend generally horizontally and include a back-to-back'internal duct members '48 which are fastened at each end to the vertically extending surround sections o the relevant panel. Each internal duct' member 48 includes three compartments 49, 51 and 52 ~o separately contain 'the individual cables for telephone, power and computers.
A front cover 53 is hingedly connected to a lower edge 54 to permit access ~o the cable~ duc-ts 49, 51 and 52~
Power outlets, computer connectors, telephone outlets .~ .~
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and the like are fixed to the duct member 4~ and opening~
are provided in the cover S3 to provide acces~ to those outl~ts.
At the base of the panel member 12, a height adjustment mechanism 58 incorporating a base 53 a threaded post 61 and a nut 62 is positioned on a channel 63.
skirting section 64 engages with the ohannel 63~
In an alternative arrangement where the partition wall 13 is to be supported on existing carpe~ 55, a simple height adjusting foot 60 engages with the lowe~ surround section and has a base 59 which rests directly on the carpet 55 as shown in Figure 10.
The panel members o~ the pre~ent invention are designed to be used as full height and hal~ height parti-tions as well as for use as workstation panels. Inutilizing the panel members as full height partitions, as shown in Figure 11 an upper facia member 56 may be utilized over the upper surround section 17 and which engages with the ceiling 57 of the area in which the partition is to be installed. If desired, an appropriate mastic sealing material 65 can be imposed between the facia member 56 and the ceiling 57.
The panel system according to the present invention is easily demountabl.e and, there~ore, movabl~ from place ~o pLace without struotural change in respect of thc building in which the system has been installed. Reloca-tion of power points, computer terminal outlets, telephone outl.ets and the llke can be made slmply and without the need to dismantle or reconstruct partitionæ or panel members.
The panel system may be constructed utilizing a variety`of different types of panel members interconnect-ed horizontally and/or vertically with other panel members~
In some cases, a single panel memher 12 will incorporate a lower part formed of plasterboar~d sheet material 14 or the like, an intermediate cable duct 47 and an u~per part formed of single or double ~`glass sheets 21. The particular design of the surround sections 17 is ~evised _g_ J

to provide longitudinal semi-circular channels 66 to receive fastening screws from other pàrts ~or posltively securing parts together. Al~o, the leg parts 67 (Figure 2~ provide support ~or the recess base legs 43 o~ ~he clip rail section 23.

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Claims (16)

1. A demountable panel for assembly with other similar panels to form a partition structure or workstation, said panel comprising a clip rail section, a panel member having at least opposed side edges defined by a surround section of a shape to be secured to the panel member, the surround section including leg means extending along the length thereof to releasably engage cooperating parts of the clip rail section, said clip rail section having a tongue extending generally in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the panel member, the tongue having a shape to engage with a similar tongue of the partition structure or workstation by an engaging movement perpendicular to the panel member.

2. A demountable panel according to claim 1, wherein the surround section comprises laterally spaced, parallel channels to received spaced, parallel sheets of panel material, and the leg means comprises a pair of legs extending in a direction opposite the channels, the legs having either ribs or grooves and the clip rail section having either corresponding ribs or grooves to engage with said grooves or ribs on the legs.

3. A demountable panel according to claim 11 wherein said surround section has a rib part on each side of the surround section which rib part defines, with opposed flange parts and leg portions of the clip rail section, a recess with a restricted mouth.

4. A demountable panel according to claim 31 wherein said rib part is cut-away at a location along its length to receive a head of a mounting bracket into the recess.

5. A demountable panel according to claim 1, wherein said clip rail section tongue is of elongated S-shape in cross section and is sufficiently resilient to snap-engage a similar tongue of an adjacent clip rail section.

6. A demountable panel according to claim 1, wherein said surround sections and said clip rail sections are extruded aluminum alloy sections and the panel members include panel material selected from the group of foam-backed fabric covered plasterboard, plywood, glass and veneered particle board.

7. A demountable panel system comprising a plurality of demountable panels according to claim 3 interengaged with each other by snap-engagement of the tongues of clip rail sections engaged with the surround sections on each panel member or with clip rail sections and including post means interposed between adjacent panel members to which post means the clip rail sections are mounted.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein a mounting bracket is engaged with one of the recesses formed by the surround sections and clip rail sections mounted thereto, said mounting bracket having a body part of a width to pass through the recess mouth, a head on the body part of a width greater than the recess mouth but of dimensions to be slidably received in the recess, wall engaging means on the body part spaced from the head, and locking means, said head having shoulders which engage behind the nib part and on the rear wall of the recess, respectively, when downward forces are exerted on the body part to thereby wedge the head in the recess, and the wall engaging means also engaging said recess rear wall below said head.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein said locking means comprises a lug on the body part and a screw threaded through said lug and arranged to engage a panel member to hold the bracket body part in the position with the shoulders wedged within the recess.

10. A demountable panel system according to claim 7, wherein at least one of said panel members includes at least one cable channel extending substantially horizontally between side surround sections, said cable channel having internal partitioning dividing the channel into at least two compartments, and a front closure panel hinged along its lower edge to the channel and having an upper edge to snap-engage an upper edge portion of the channel.

11. A demountable panel system comprising a plurality of panel members, clip rail sections for interconnecting panel members to each other, post means for connecting panel members to extend at an angle to each other and bracket means for attaching workstation structures to assembled panel members, said panel members comprising peripheral surround sections at least the side sections having channel means to receive sheet panel material, the side surround sections each including mounting means for mounting a clip rail section thereon, tongue means on the clip rail section extending generally transversely to the plane of the panel member, said tongue means being formed to engage with and be held to tongue means of a similar, adjacent clip rail section by relative lateral movement.

12. A panel system according to claim 11, wherein the side surround sections are each formed with a pair of channels laterally spaced to receive spaced sheets of panel material.

13 13. A panel system according to claim 12, wherein said channels include rear surfaces and wherein a nib part extends from the rear surface of each channel.

14. A panel system according to claim 13, wherein each clip rail section attached to a side surround section has a pair of legs extending substantially parallel to the plane of the associated panel member and an outwardly extending flange at right angles to an adjacent one of said pair of legs, each leg being adapted to engage the rear surface of an adjacent channel and form therewith and with the respective flange a recess the mouth of which is partially closed by said nib part.

15. A panel system according to claim 14, wherein said bracket means includes a head part which engages within said recess, said head part having shoulder edges to engage with the recess rear wall and the nib part to wedge the head part against movement along the recess in a given direction.

16. A panel system according to claim 11, wherein said post means comprises an elongated section of a cross configuration with flanges on the ends of each cross arm to receive a clip rail section thereon or an end cap or corner cover.