GB2281326A

GB2281326A - Partitioning System

Info

Publication number: GB2281326A
Application number: GB9416238A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Terrence Michael Clasby
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1993-08-11
Filing date: 1994-08-11
Publication date: 1995-03-01
Anticipated expiration: 2014-08-11
Also published as: GB2281326B; GB9416238D0

Abstract

A partitioning system comprises, in combination: a primary mounting generally H-section member having a pair of external walls (3) and a bridging wall (2) therebetween and a first complementary mounting member (7) (for example a glazing bar door lining frame or other adaptor) said primary mounting member comprising a first channel section having first mounting elements (9) in said channel section for engagement and to locate said first complementary mounting member (7) so that a main component or body of said complementary mounting member extends laterally across said channel section, and said primary mounting member also having a second channel section which itself comprises second mounting elements (9') to co-operate with a second complementary mounting member, characterised in that said first mounting elements comprise rebates (9) provided at the junction between each respective external wall (3) of the first channel section ad the bridging wall (2). Figs. 15 and 16 (not shown) illustrate a glazing bar which is a twist fit within a mounting rail. <IMAGE>

Description

PARTITIONING SYSTEM Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a de-mountable partitioning system.

Background to the Invention The merits of de-mountable partitioning systems are now widely appreciated and many different products are currently available on the market. Each of these products offers a number of different facilities and benefits. Of the various systems available, amongst the most convenient, compact and efficient systems are those which comprise nesting primary and secondary mounting members such as described in UK patent application number GB 2 240 557. The primary member is generally an H-section member which may be straight or folded and may be simple H or may be a composite H having legs on the bridging wall of the H profile. A complementary secondary mounting member clip-fits to the first mounting member.

As stated in GB 2 240 557, the conventional method of clip fitting the secondary member to the primary member exploits mounting elements provided on the interior of the external walls of the H section. This gives rise to a problem of deflection of those external walls when the secondary member is fitted. The proposed solution in GB 2 240 557 is to provide the mounting element of the primary mounting member on the bridge wall portion rather than on those external walls. However, this increases the cost and complexity of construction, fails to optimise strength and integrity of the fitment and limits the range of profiles of the secondary mounting member which may be fitted to the primary mounting member.

It is a general objective of the present invention to overcome these problems of the prior art partitioning system referred to hereinabove.

Summarv of the Invention According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a partitioning system which comprises, in combination: a primary mounting member being a generally H-section member having a pair of external walls (3) and a bridging wall (2) therebetween; and a first complementary mounting member (for example a glazing bar, door lining frame or other adaptor) said primary mounting member comprising a first channel section having first mounting elements in said channel section for engagement and to locate said first complementary mounting member so that a main component or body of said complementary mounting member extends laterally across said channel section, and said primary mounting member optionally also having a second channel section which itself comprises second mounting elements to co-operate with a second complementary mounting member, characterised in that said first mounting elements comprise rebates provided at the junction between each respective external wall of the first channel section and the bridging wall.

Unlike conventional glazing bar secondary mounting members, those of the present invention are suitably so configured as to mount a glazing panel without intermediary of glazing beads.

Preferably the second mounting elements of the second channel section are formed as rebates at the junction of the external wall and bridging wall of the second channel in the same fashion as the first mounting elements.

The first and/or second mounting channels suitably further have outer mounting elements provided at the outer ends of the external walls of the primary member for co-operative engagement with a tertiary mounting member such as a glazing bead or a panel of the partitioning system.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provides a partitioning system of the first aspect pre-characterised portion and characterised in that the free ends of the external walls are turned to be substantially plane parallel with the bridging wall to provide third and/or fourth channel sections with mounting elements for engagement and to locate third and/or fourth complementary mounting members.

According to a third aspect of the present invnetion there is provided a partitioning system characterised in that there is provided a glazing bar or the like each end of which twist fits and friction grips within a mounting rail.

Brief Description of the Drawings Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figures 1 to 6 are transverse sectional views of six variants of primary mounting member; Figures 7 to 10 are views similar to Figure 2 and illustrating co-operative engagement of the primary with secondary mounting members; Figures 11 and 12 are transverse sectional views illustrating the partitioning system, in use, with the primary and secondary mounting members mounting partition panels thereby; Figures 13 and 14 are views similar to those of Figures 11 and 12 and in which the mounted partition panels are respectively two or three layers in thickness; and Figures 15 and 16 are respectively an elevation view of a twist fit mounting rail for panels and a transverse sectional view thereof.

Description of the Preferred Embodiments Referring to Figures 1 to 6, these show a number of different primary mounting members 1, ranging from a simple H-section member having two axies of symmetry as shown in Figure 1 to a composite H-section member having the cross wall 2 between the external walls 3 staggered and provided with intermediate legs 4 projecting therefrom in both directions perpendicularly from the bridging wall 2.

The bridging wall 2, in each case, effectively divides the H-section profile into first and second channels 5, 6.

By referring to Figures 7 to 10, it will be seen that each of the channels 5 and 6 is adapted to receive therewith in a complementary secondary mounting member 7 which may be of any one of a range of cross sectional profiles as exemplified in each of Figures 7 to 10. Each of those complementary secondary mounting members 7 shares the common feature that it has a foot 8 adapted to co-operatively engage with a rebate 9 which is formed on the internal face of each external wall at the junction between the external wall 3 and the bridging wall 2.

By provision of rebates 9 at the junction of the external walls with the bridging wall 2 it is possible to mount the complementary secondary mounting member 7 with minimal or non-existent deformation of the walls 3 and providing high integrity and strength with minimal wastage of the internal space within the primary mounting member 1.

The second channel 6 on the alternate side of the primary mounting member 1 is provided with corresponding rebates 9' for co-operative engagement with the feet 8' of a further complimentary secondary mounting member 7' (not shown in Figures 10 but shown in Figures 11 to 14).

In addition to the mounting element comprised of the rebate 9, 9' for cooperative engagement with the complementary secondary mounting member, the free termini of the external walls are each provided with flanges 11 serving as further mounting elements for co-operative engagement with tertiary mounting members such as the glazing beads 10, 10' illustrated in Figure 12.

Referring to Figure 11, this illustrates the primary and secondary mounting members in use to mount partition panels 12 by means of complementary secondary mounting members 7, 7' such as shown in the Figure 7 variant.

The ends of the partition panels 12 are frictionally engaged within the central socket of the secondary mounting member 7, 7' by means of an elastomeric seal 13 or other suitable mounting means.

The primary 1 and secondary 7 mounting members are suitably of substantially rigid construction, being manufactured of steel or aluminium or tough plastics material as is known in the art.

Further illustrated in Figure 11 is a multi-direction fitting post member 14 which may act as a corner post between 2 to 4 radiating walls formed by partition panels 12.

A corner post 15 having glazing beads 10' and suitable for supporting glazing panels 16 is illustrated in Figure 12.

In each case, the Figure 11 and Figure 12 embodiments, corner posts 14 and 15 have primary mounting members 1 which are adapted to have outwardly turned ends 17 of the external walls 3. Those outwardly turned ends 17 are substantially perpendicular to the externals walls 3 and hence substantially plane parallel with the bridging wall 2 and are provided with rebates 9, 9' for engagement with the secondary mounting members and the flanges 11, 11' for engagement with the tertiary mounting members.

Turning to Figure 13, this shows use of a secondary mounting member 7 as illustrated in Figure 8, for mounting both a single panel 12 and a composite backing board 18 which may, for example, be a fibre board for providing additional strength and sound insulation.

Referring to Figures 15 and 16, these show a novel system for fixing a glazing panel to a support member by means of a twist fit action The glazing panel is slotted at each end within a channel 21 of a glazing bar 20 and the glazing bar 20 is, mounted at each end to a respective rail 22 by twist fit engagement into a channel 23 of each rail 22. The profile of the channel 23 of each rail 22 is suitably similar to that of a venetian blind channel.

The glazing bar 20 mounts to the rail 22 by insertion of two tapping screws 24 into each end of the glazing rail 20 in sockets 25 which are nominally spaced apart by the width of the channel 23 of the rail 22 and such that the counter sunk head of the screws 24 co-operatively engage with the complementary shaped rims 26 of channel 23 thereby providing a friction fit.

As illustrated at 20A in Figure 15, by twisting the rail 20 about an axis perpendicular to the channel 23 the rail 20 may be engaged or disengaged with the channel 23 of the rail 22.

The pressure fit between the rail and the glazing bar can be varied by adjusting the depth of the screw to thereby allow levering of the rail if orientated horizontally or plumbing of the rail if orientated vertically.

Variable pressure engagement also allows for tolerance and dimension variations in assembly.

The twist fit/friction grip mounting approach described above may be used in any chosen orientation and may be used for panels other than glazing panels if so designed.

From the description of the invention hereinabove it will be appreciated that the system of the present invention is extremely versatile and numerous alternative embodiments fall within the scope of the invention.

Claims

ClAIMS

1. A partitioning system which comprises, in combination: a primary mounting member being a generally H-section member having a pair of external walls (3) and a bridging wall (2) therebetween; and a first complementary mounting member (for example a glazing bar, door lining frame or other adaptor) said primary mounting member comprising a first channel section having first mounting elements in said channel section for engagement and to locate said first complementary mounting member so that a main component or body of said complementary mounting member extends laterally across said channel section, and said primary mounting member optionally also having a second channel section which itself comprises second mounting elements to co-operate with a second complementary mounting member, characterised in that said first mounting elements comprise rebates provided at the junction between each respective external wall of the first channel section and the bridging wall.

2. A partitioning system as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the base of each external wall at the junction with the bridging wall has an inwardly thickened form and the respective rebate is formed therein

3. A partitioning system as claimed in Claim 2 wherein each said thickened base is inclined toward the bridging wall to guide a corresponding co-operatively engaging foot on the secondary mounting member into cooperative engagement with the rebate.

4. A partitioning system as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the secondary mounting members are glazing bars, and are so configured as to mount a glazing panel without intermediacy of glazing beads.

5. A partitioning system as claimed in and preceding Claim wherein the second mounting elements of the second channel section are formed as rebates at the junction of the external wall and bridging wall of the second channel in the same fashion as the first mounting elements.

6. A partitioning system as claimed in any preceding Claim wherein the first and/or second mounting channels suitably further have outer mounting elements provided at the outer ends of the external walls of the primary member for co-operative engagement with a tertiary mounting member such as a glazing bead or a panel of the partitioning systems

7. A partitioning system as claimed in any preceding Claim or precharacterising portion of Claim 1 and characterised in that the free ends of the external walls are turned to be substantially plane parallel with the bridging wall to provide third and/or fourth channel sections with mounting elements for engagement and to locate third and/or fourth complementary mounting members.

8. A partitioning system characterised in that there is provided a glazing bar or the like each end of which twist fits and friction grips within a mounting rail.

9. A partitioning system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any suitable combination of the accompanying drawings.