EP0921245A1

EP0921245A1 - Wall panel for a system wall and coupling component therefore

Info

Publication number: EP0921245A1
Application number: EP98204033A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Gerrit Richard Seppen; Jurrien Martin Van Herwerden
Original assignee: Interfinish Project BV
Current assignee: Interfinish Project BV
Priority date: 1997-12-04
Filing date: 1998-11-30
Publication date: 1999-06-09
Also published as: NL1007697C2

Abstract

A wall panel for a system wall. The wall panel (2) is provided on at least one of its side edges (10) with at least one coupling element (11) by means of which the wall section can be fixed to a further part of the system wall. The coupling element can be bent round from a transport position, in which the coupling element extends along the side edge and is overlapped by the side edge, to a coupling position in which the coupling element juts out from the wall panel. The coupling element can comprise a lip joined (15) to the wall panel along a fold line (16), which lip can be brought from the transport position into the coupling position by folding around said fold line. The fold line can have been provided with one or more attenuations (17), such as cut-outs. The coupling element or the lip can have been provided with engaging means, such as projections (18). Further a coupling element suitable for a wall panel.

Description

The present invention relates to a wall panel for a system wall, wherein the wall panel has two opposing main panel faces which are joined to one another at the sides having side edge faces, and wherein the wall panel is provided at at least one of its sides with at least one coupling component, by means of which the wall panel can be fixed to a further part of the system wall, wherein the coupling component comprises a coupling element that can be bent round from a transport position into a coupling position, in which the coupling element juts out from the wall panel.
A wall panel of this type is disclosed in US Patent US-A 5 632 128.
Furthermore, wall panels provided with coupling components for system walls are also known in a variety of designs. In general, a wall panel is clamped between a floor section and a ceiling section by its edges which are horizontal in the assembled state. In order to counteract bulging and/or rattling of the wall panel clamped in this way, a wall panel of this type is fixed to vertical supporting sections by its edges which are vertical in the assembled state. In this context with the one type of wall use is made of coupling components provided on the wall panel and with the other type of wall use is made of separate coupling components which can be fixed/coupled in some way or other to the vertical supporting sections.
Coupling components of this type can in general jut out from the wall panel or can be used as separate coupling/clamping components. In the case of components fixed to the wall panel beforehand, this can lead to problems during transport of the wall panels. This leads to problems when transporting the wall panels since it makes it more difficult to stack the wall panels on top of one another or to set them down next to one another. One solution to this is to provide the coupling components in the form of a coupling component to be fixed separately over the position where the system wall has to be erected. However, this entails assembly work where the panels are to be installed and also introduces the risk that the coupling components are not fixed in the correct position.
As has already been indicated, a wall panel of the type mentioned in the preamble is disclosed in US Patent US-A 5 632 128. Said US Patent discloscs a plasterboard wall panel with a coupling component. The coupling componcnt consists of a connector, in fact two connectors, and wings formed thereon via an attenuated fold line, which wings can be bent through 90° by folding them around the fold lines, in order to couple the wall panel to a system wall. In the initial position, before bending for the purposes of coupling up, the wings extend in the plane of the connectors, more particularly parallel to the face of the wall panel, and are overlapped by the face of the wall panel. When such panels are stacked for storage or transport, the wings lying parallel to the wall panel will be pressed into or against the panel face as a consequence of the weight of the panels above. This makes it more difficult to bend the wings through 90° from the starting position into the coupling position for the purposes of coupling up.
Furthermore, European Patent Application EP-A 0 085 630 discloses a wall panel with a coupling component, wherein the coupling component is provided with wings which are attached along a fold line to a connector. Here again, in the starting position, the wings are parallel to the panel and can be bent through 90° for coupling up in a system wall. A disadvantage of this construction is that, in the starting position, the wings are parallel to the panel face and project outwards with respect to the side of the panel. The consequence of the wing being parallel to the panel face is that when a number of panels are stacked the wing can be pressed against or into the panel face and the lateral projection is impractical for transport and storage of the panels.
The aim of the present invention is to provide an improved wall panel for system walls of the type indicated at the start, the intention being, inter alia, to improve the accessibility of the coupling element for bending into the coupling position without said coupling element being in the way during transport and storage.
Said aim is achieved with a wall panel of the type mentioned in the preamble in that, in the transport position, the coupling element extends along the side edge face and is overlapped by the side edge face, preferably completely overlapped by the latter. This has a number of advantages. The coupling element in the transport position is arranged in a space-saving manner, that is to say it does not jut out from the wall panel, so that stacking a number of wall panels on top of one another, or setting down a number of wall panels next to one another, is not impeded by said coupling element, and such that the coupling element does not become damaged on such stacking on top of one another or setting down next to one another. A further advantage is that, in the transport position, the coupling element is entirely in contact with the side and thus protects said side. Said protection has the advantage that the wall panel will become less easily damaged in transit. Because the coupling element is already fitted in the factory, fitting does not have to take place at the location where a system wall is to be erected, which can lead to a saving in time and also reduces the risk that the wall panel becomes damaged where it is to be installed and then has to be replaced by an undamaged, new wall panel. At the site of installation, the location where the system wall has to be erected, it is necessary only to bend the coupling element round into a coupling position in which the coupling element juts out from the wall panel so as then to be usable for fixing the wall panel to a further component of the system wall, such as, for example, a profile section. Said fixing can be effected in a variety of ways; for instance, consideration can be given, for example, to a hole made in the coupling element, in which a projection arranged on the further component of the system wall, or a resilient pin attached thereto, is able to engage.
According to the invention, the coupling element can be made of very simple construction if it has a lip joined to the wall panel along a fold line, which lip can be brought from the transport position into the coupling position by folding around said fold line. In the case of wall panels produced from sheet metal, such a lip is easy to form as an integral part of the wall panel by providing a lip joined to the wall panel via a fold line along an edge of said panel. However, such a lip can also be a part of a coupling element fixed to the wall panel as a separate component.
Thus, according to the invention it is highly advantageous, especially in the case of a wall panel made of a material able to take teeth or nails, if the lip is an edge section of a connector provided with teeth elements, which edge section has been bent round along the fold line, the teeth and the lip facing essentially in the same direction perpendicular to the plane of the connector in the transport position and the connector being driven with its teeth into the rear face of the wall panel at the side of the wall panel. In this context the rear face is understood to be that face which faces away from the face intended as the visible face. With this arrangement, in the transport position the lip will be positioned from the fold line towards the free end in contact with the side edge, pointing in the direction of the visible face.
In the case of the use of a coupling element fixed as a separate component to the wall section, the lip can, especially in the case of a wall panel made of a hard sheet material, such as chipboard, which in general is relatively hard, highly advantageously be an edge section of a plate bent round along the fold line, which plate is stuck to the rear face of the wall panel by means of adhesive means, such as glue or tape. When such adhesive means are used, the adhesive means will preferably have been applied to the coupling element beforehand, so as subsequently to be applied to the rear of the wall panel, after removal of a protective layer.
In order to facilitate bending around along the fold line, it is advantageous according to the invention if the fold line is provided with one or more attenuations, such as cut-outs. Such cut-outs can, for example, be punch holes or perforations distributed along the fold line.
Although the coupling element, in particular when this is a lip, can be fixed to a further component of the system wall by, for example, screwing a self-tapping screw through it at this point, it is advantageous in relation to ease of assembly and assembly efficiency if the coupling element, in particular the lip, is provided with engaging means which are able to engage on a further component of the system wall for fixing thereto. Engaging means of this type can be a hole or cut-out in the coupling element in which a projection or resilient element formed on the further component of the system wall is able to engage.
With a view to making simple, snap-fit fixing of a wall panel according to the invention possible, especially when fixing panels located side by side next to one another in a straight line, it is advantageous according to the invention if the engaging means are a projection which is made on that side of the coupling element which, in the transport position, faces away from the side of the panel. For assembly of two wall panels located side by side next to one another in a straight line, the coupling element will then be bent through 180° from the transport position into the coupling position, so that the projections of adjoining coupling elements of adjoining wall panels then face away from one another. This makes it possible, in particular, to position adjoining wall panels very close to one another, so that the transition seam can be kept very small.
The prcsent invention relates in particular to a wall panel which essentially comprises a plasterboard sheet as panel element. Wall panels of this type made of plasterboard are relatively vulnerable, especially at the edges. For this reason, the protective effect of the coupling element in the transport position offers appreciable advantages.
Although the coupling element can, in principle, be bent through a variety of angles from a position in which it is in contact with the side edge, in general running parallel thereto, said angle will preferably be 180°, since the wall panel can then be fixed to a structural part of the system wall behind the wall in a very space-saving manner, especially with respect to adjacent wall panels. The difference in angle between the coupling element in the transport position and the coupling element in the coupling position is then therefore 180°. If the wall panel has to be fixed to an adjacent structural component, that is to say a structural component abutting the side edge, the difference in angle between the coupling element in the transport position and the coupling element in the coupling position will generally be 90°.
The present invention furthermore also relates to a coupling component which is particularly suitable for a wall panel according to the invention. In this context consideration can be given in particular to a coupling element for a wall panel according to the invention which is characterised in that the coupling element comprises a connector provided with teeth elements and a lip-shaped coupling element which is at right angles to the connector and has been formed on said connector by bending an edge section of the connector around a fold line, wherein, in a starting position, the teeth elements and the lip face in essentially the same direction and wherein the lip can be bent round into a further coupling position. In order to facilitate the change of position, the fold line will advantageously have been provided with one or more attenuations, such as cut-outs. In order to facilitate assembly to a further part of the system wall with the aid of the coupling element, it is advantageous with this arrangement if the lip-shaped coupling element is provided with engaging means that are able to engage on a further part of the system wall for fixing thereto. With this arrangement, the engaging means can advantageously be a projection that is made on the side of the lip-shaped coupling element which in the starting position faces away from the teeth elements.
The present invention also relates to a system wall comprising one or more wall panels according to the invention and specifically relates in particular to a system wall comprising one or more wall panels according to the invention wherein the coupling element is in the coupling position facing away from the wall panel concerned.
The invention furthermore also relates to a system wall, preferably a system wall according to the aspects of the invention described above, wherein the system wall comprises visible panels (the one or more wall panels) located on the outside of the wall and wherein one or more additional boards, in particular plasterboard sheets, are provided behind, preferably essentially directly behind said panels, possibly leaving a slit-like gap with a gap thickness of, for example, in the range of 1 to 10 mm. In this way, better sound insulation and improved fire resistance can be achieved.
According to the invention it is also possible, optionally in combination with the aspects of the invention described above, for the visible faces of the wall panels to have been covered with wallpaper, which is stuck down around the longitudinal edges, in particular the vertical longitudinal edges, and optionally also the horizontal longitudinal edges. A neat finish can be achieved in this way. If the wall panels used as visible panels are veneered chipboard panels, in particular the vertical longitudinal edges and optionally also the horizontal longitudinal edges will be provided with an edge veneer, which optionally can have been produced integrally with the veneer on the visible face, in order to give a neat finish.
The present invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to an illustrative embodiment shown in the drawing. In the drawing:
Figure 1 shows, diagrammatically, a perspective view of a system wall according to the invention;
Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a coupling component according to the invention;
Figure 3 shows a diagrammatic sectional view, partially in plan view, of a side edge section of a wall panel according to the invention, and
Figure 4 shows a detail of a cross-sectional view IV - IV in Figure 1.
Figure 1 shows a diagrammatic and perspective view of a system wall 1 with wall panels 2 according to the invention. Partly also with reference to Figure 4, the system wall 1 essentially consists of a ceiling profile 4, a floor profile 3, a vertical support profile 6 and wall panels 2.
The wall panels 2 are fixed, suspended or clamped between the ceiling profile 4, fixed to the ceiling, and the floor profile 3, fixed to the floor. In general, the system wall will be mirror-symmetrical with respect to a mirror surface, indicated by 7 in Figure 4, which extends parallel to the wall panels. That is to say the system wall forms a partition between two rooms, the partition between the rooms having its own wall panels on each side. The wall panels of the adjoining rooms are installed with a gap between them and, as a result of this gap, the cavity can be filled with insulating material 5, such as mineral wool. In order to prevent bulging in the direction of the rear face 8 of the wall panels, vertical support profiles 6 are placed in the cavities which are optionally filled with insulating material 5. With this arrangement, said vertical support profiles 6 are in particular positioned at the vertical side edges of the wall panels. In order to prevent the wall panels 2 bulging outwards in the direction of the visible face 9, the wall panels 2 are usually secured/fixed to the vertical support profiles 6. This is, for example, also disclosed in NL 92.02034. Flapping and/or rattling effects, which could occur, for example, when doors are slammed, can also be counteracted in this way.
The wall panel 2 according to the invention, which can essentially be made of plasterboard, is provided on its vertical side edge faces 10 with coupling components 11, one of which is shown in perspective view in Figure 2. Said coupling components 11 each consist of a connector 12 having pointed teeth elements 13 punched out therefrom and folded upwards therefrom. Along one side edge ribs 14 and a lip-shaped coupling element 15, hereinafter referred to as a lip, have been formed by bending at right angles. The transition from lip 15 to connector 12 is formed by a fold line 16, along which the lip 15 has been bent relative to the connector 12. As can be seen in Figure 2, five attenuations 17, distributed over the fold line 16, have been made in the fold line. Said attenuations 17 in the form of perforations or punched holes form local interruptions in the fold line 16, so that folding over of the lip 15 along the fold line 16 is facilitated and thus is easier to carry out. The lip 15 can thus easily be bent over, optionally using a separate auxiliary tool, from the so-called transport position, shown by continuous lines in Figure 2 and Figure 3, into the coupling position, shown by dash-and-dot lines in Figure 2 and Figure 3, by folding the lip 15 around through 180° with respect to the fold line 16.
With reference to Figure 2 and Figure 3 it will be clear that the coupling element 11 can easily be fixed against the rear 8 of the wall panel 2 by means of the teeth elements 13 and the connector 12, by driving the teeth elements into the wall panel 2. For this purpose the wall panel 2 must be made of a material that is able to take nails or teeth, such as, for example, wood, chipboard, many plastics and in particular also plasterboard.
As is clearly shown in Figure 3, in the transport position the lip 15 is in contact with the side edge face 10 of the wall panel 2 and entirely within the thickness of the wall panel 2, that is to say the side edge face 10 completely overlaps the lip 15 in the transport position. It will be clear that a number of panels 2 can easily be stacked on top of one another or can be placed closely next to one another in this way, just as it will also be clear that in the transport position the lip 15 protects the side edge face 10 against damage.
At the site of installation, where the wall panel has to be incorporated in a system wall, the lip 15 will be bent round, as is shown by an arrow in Figure 3, into the coupling position shown in Figure 3 and in Figure 2 by dash-and-dot lines. The lip 15, bent round into the coupling position, can then be inserted into a seating opening made in the vertical support profile 6 (see Figure 4), as can also the lip 15, bent round into the coupling position, of another adjoining wall panel to be placed in line with the first wall panel. During this operation the projection 18 formed on the lip 15 drops into a broadened part 19 of the seating opening made in the vertical support profile 6. Completely rattle-free fixing of the wall panels 2 can then be achieved by inserting a profile strip 20, for example made of plastic, between the vertical side edges of the adjacent wall panels 2 and also between the lips 15 of the adjacent wall panels 2. Said profile strip 20 ensures that the projections 18 remain pressed into the broadened section 9.
Although the connector 12 can extend over the entire height along a vertical side edge 10 of a wall panel 2 and, with this arrangement, can then be provided with one or preferably a number of lips 15 arranged with a mutual spacing, in practice it will be preferable to provide a number of, for example three, four or five, coupling components 11, with a length in the direction of the arrow P (Figure 2) of, for example, 10 to 15 cm, mutually spaced along the vertical side edges 10.
It is also shown by dash-and-dot lines in Figure 4 that two additional panels 21 can be provided behind the visible panels. Said additional panels can be made of plasterboard. Such panels are advantageous with regard to sound insulation and, with a suitable choice of material, such as, for example, plasterboard, they also have a fire-retardant effect.
It will be clear that numerous variants of the illustrative embodiment shown in the drawing are conceivable which fall within the essence of the invention and the scope of the claims. For instance, the lips 15 can also be formed as an integral part of a wall panel 2 or can have been fixed to a wall panel 2 in a completely different way than by means of a connector. The teeth elements of the connector 12 could, for example, be omitted, after which the plate 12 can be fixed on the rear face 8 of the wall panel 2 by gluing or by screwing, or optionally could also be inserted in the side edge 10 of a wall panel 2. It will also be clear that the lip 15 can have been fixed to the wall panel 2 by means of a hinge, which can be inset, instead of by means of a fold seam/folding joint. As will be clear from Figure 4, with the construction according to the invention it is possible to keep the gap T between adjoining wall panels 2 relatively very small since it is not necessary that screws have to be screwed via this gap into the vertical support profile 6, where said screws then have to be covered by means of a finishing strip.

Claims

Wall panel for a system wall, wherein the wall panel has two opposing main panel faces which are joined to one another at the sides having side edge faces, and wherein the wall panel is provided at at least one of its sides with at least one coupling component, by means of which the wall panel can be fixed to a further part of the system wall, wherein the coupling component comprises a coupling element that can be bent round from a transport position into a coupling position, in which the coupling element juts out from the wall panel, characterised in that, in the transport position, the coupling element extends along the side edge face and is overlapped by the side edge face, preferably completely overlapped by the latter.
Wall panel according to Claim 1, characterised in that the coupling element has a lip joined to the wall panel along a fold line, which lip can be brought from the transport position into the coupling position by folding around said fold line.
Wall panel according to Claim 2, characterised in that the lip is an edge section of a connector provided with teeth elements, which edge section has been bent round along the fold line, the teeth and the lip facing essentially in the same direction perpendicular to the plane of the connector in the transport position and the connector being driven with its teeth into the rear face of the wall panel at the side of the wall panel.
Wall panel according to one of Claims 2 - 3, characterised in that the fold line is provided with one or more attenuations, such as cut-outs.
Wall panel according to one of Claims 1 - 4, characterised in that the coupling element, in particular the lip, is provided with engaging means that are able to engage on a further part of the system wall for fixing thereto.
Wall panel according to Claim 5, characterised in that the engaging means are a projection which is made on that side of the coupling element which, in the transport position, faces away from the side edge of the panel.
Wall panel according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the wall panel is a plasterboard sheet.
Wall panel according to one of the prcceding claims, characteriscd in that the difference in angle between the coupling element in the transport position and the coupling element in the coupling position is 180°.
Coupling elcment for a wall panel according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the coupling element comprises a connector provided with teeth elements and a lip-shaped coupling element which is at right angles to the connector and has been formed on said connector by bending an edge section of the connector around a fold line, wherein, in a starting position, the teeth elements and the lip-shaped coupling element face in essentially the same direction and wherein the lip-shaped coupling element can be bent round into a further coupling position.
Coupling element according to Claim 9, characterised in that the fold line is provided with one or more attenuations, such as cut-outs.
Coupling element according to Claim 9 or 10, characterised in that the lip-shaped coupling element is provided with engaging means which are able to engage on a further part of the system wall for fixing thereto.
Coupling element according to one of Claims 9 - 11, characterised in that the engaging means are a projection that is made on the side of the lip-shaped coupling element which in the starting position faces away from the teeth elements.
System wall comprising one or more wall panels according to one of Claims 1 - 8, wherein the coupling element is in the coupling position facing away from the wall panel concerned.
System wall, preferably according to Claim 13, characterised in that the one or more wall panels are visible panels located on the outside of the wall and in that plasterboard sheet or sheets is/are provided behind said respective visible panels.