AU2007229317A1

AU2007229317A1 - Partition system

Info

Publication number: AU2007229317A1
Application number: AU2007229317A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Rowan Phillip Beck; Anthony William Scott
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-03-17
Filing date: 2007-03-19
Publication date: 2007-09-27
Also published as: WO2007106933A1

Description

WO2007/106933 PCT/AU2007/000333 TITLE: PARTITION SYSTEM Introduction This invention relates to partition systems, 5 particularly but not exclusively for use in office fit outs. Background of the Invention The conventional techniques used in fitting out 10 offices start off with a carpeted floor and a completed ceiling. The first tradesman then installs steel or metal runners in both the floor and the ceiling and then erects metal studs at specified gaps defining the internal walls. A plasterer then comes in and places the plasterboard on s15 one side of the wall and then various trades including electrician and/or plumber comes to place cables and pipes from the ceiling and floor into the wall structure. The plasterer then returns to put the plasterboard onto the other side of the wall. The plasterer uses tape and soft 20 plaster to seal up the gaps and finish the joins. Finally, a painter comes in to paint the structure and appropriate skirtings are positioned around the join to the floor. It is further understood that during this process frames may be positioned for doors and windows 25 which are fitted during the process. A problem with this system is that it is trade dependent and requires tradesmen in a particular sequence. A further problem is that although the ceilings in 30 building are fairly true, the external walls and in particular the floors tend to be variable and there tends to be a great deal of cutting, chopping and altering to compensate for floor fluctuations. The job is messy and uses a lot of components. 35 It is these problems that have brought about the present invention.

WO2007/106933 PCT/AU2007/000333 -2 Summary of the Invention According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a partition system that comprises a 5 laminated structure including a core sandwiched between outer panels and at least two height adjustable feet secured to the underside of the partition, the core and panels defining a tongue on one lateral side and a groove on the other so that partitions fit side by side with the 10 tongue of one partition within the groove of the adjacent partition. Preferably, the core is polystyrene glued to outer panels of plasterboard. Alternatively, the outer panels s15 may comprise timber laminate or panels of a variety of other conventional building materials. In a preferred embodiment, a timber strip is attached to the underside of the core and the feet are secured to 20 the timber strip. Preferably the tongue of each partition is shorter than the groove to define a longitudinal duct between adjacent partitions. The position system may also include elongate 25 skirting panels that either clip on to the outer panels or can be attached to the outer panels by screwing into the timber strip. Alternatively, a metal elongate duct is attached to 30 the underside of the partition and the feet are attached to the duct. The duct is preferably an open extrusion defining elongate trunking channels. Skirting panels may clip to either side of the extrusion. In a preferred embodiment, the extrusion includes means to threadedly 35 engage a shank of a foot.

WO2007/106933 PCT/AU2007/000333 - 3 Description of the Drawings Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 5 Figure 1 is an end elevational view of a partition system secured between the floor and the ceiling of a building; Figure 2 is a plan view of the partition; 10 Figure 3 is an end elevational view of an extruded duct for use with the partition; Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the duct in association with the underside of the partition; Figure 5 is an end elevational view of the extruded 15 duct with an adjustable foot; Figure 6 is a perspective view of the duct of Figure 5 secured to the underside of a partition; and Figure 7 is a perspective view of the extrusion attached to a modified form of the partition; and 20 Figure 8 is a perspective view of a wall structure incorporating a partition system of the kind shown in Figures 1 to 7. Description of the Preferred Embodiments 25 The partition system illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 involves a partition 10 usually manufactured in a standard size to be 900mm to 1200mm wide to extend to a standard height of 2700mm with a thickness of about 70 to 80mm which is the usual thickness of an internal office 30 partition wall. In a preferred embodiment the partitions 10 are made of a laminate sandwich comprising a central core 11 of polystyrene and outer panels 12, 13 of conventional plasterboard. The plasterboard panels are glued to the polystyrene core 11. 35 The plasterboard panels 12, 13 are usually approximately 10mm in thickness which means that the WO2007/106933 PCT/AU2007/000333 -4 polystyrene core 11 is about 50 to 60mm in thickness. The laminated sandwich has top and bottom edges 15, 16 and lateral sides 17, 18. 5 The polystyrene core 11 is cut and then assembled to the plasterboard 12, 13 so that there is a projecting tongue 20 on one lateral side 17 and a groove 21 defined by the projecting side of the plasterboard 12, 13 on the other 18. The groove 21 is arranged to be about 75mm in 10 depth and the tongue 20 is arranged to project by 25mm which means that when two partitions are assembled side by side there is a gap 25 or void that is approximately 50mm square between the end of the tongue 20 of one partition and the polystyrene core 11 of the other. 15 As shown in Figure 1, the polystyrene core 11 is also cut on the underside 16 of the partition 10 to define a channel 30 between the ends of the plasterboard 12, 13 and the end of the polystyrene core 11. This channel 30 is 20 approximately 20mm in depth and is filled by a piece of timber 35, preferably radiata pine, to be flush with the ends of the plasterboard 12, 13. The timber strip 35 is glued to the plasterboard 12, 13 and polystyrene core 11 and serves as a means to secure at least two adjustable 25 feet 40, 41 that screw into the timber strip 35. Each adjustable foot 40, 41 comprises an internally threaded spigot 42 that has an externally threaded end 43 that screws into the timber strip 35. The internally threaded spigot 42 is arranged to accommodate the threaded shank 44 30 of a foot 45 and the foot 45 is of circular or hexagonal cross section so that it can be screwed into and out of the spigot 42 to vary the height of the foot. Each partition 10 usually comprises two spaced feet 40, 41 at either end of the partition although it is understood that 35 in certain circumstances more than two feet may be utilised. The feet are preferably moulded in plastics but other materials are also envisaged.

WO2007/106933 PCT/AU2007/000333 - 5 To assemble a partition wall using the partition system described above an extruded aluminium top track T of conventional configuration is first secured to the 5 ceiling. Each partition 10 is then positioned hard against the top track T and the feet 40, 41 are adjusted to accommodate in variations in the floor. The partitions 10 are then abutted end to end with the tongue 20 of one partition being a sliding fit within the groove 21 of the 10 adjacent partition. Since the tongues and grooves extend down the length of the partition they provides a secure fit with the ends of the plasterboard 12, 13 forming a butt joint. In a situation where the partition 10 is being used to support a door, the void 25 that is defined 15 between the end of the tongue 20 and the end of the groove 21 is filled by an aluminium or steel door frame support F. The metal support F as shown in Figure 2 provides the support for the aluminium door frame D and door hinge H. The remaining voids 25 are used to accommodate electrical 20 or communication cabling or plumbing pipe work that can extend down from the ceiling through the voids 25. Once the partitioning, cabling and plumbing have been completed, a plasterer can then come in and simply tape 25 and stop the wall structure prior to a painter completing the job. However, it is understood that the services do not need to precede plastering. These trades can come in after partitioning is complete. 30 The gap between the base of the partitions 10 and the floor is filled by a metal or timber or PVC skirting panel 50 that, in the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, is screwed to the base of the partition walls by a screw 52 that extends through the plasterboard 12, 13 into the 35 timber strip 35 at the base of the partition 10. As shown in Figure 1 the skirting panel 50 has a countersunk hole 51 to accommodate the head of the screw 52 and the base of WO2007/106933 PCT/AU2007/000333 - 6 the extrusion has an inwardly turned step 53 that can locate on a foot locater channel 55 that is positioned on the floor. The foot 40, 41 can sit in a short channel section 50 that sits on the floor and can be turned to 5 adjust the feet. Alternatively, the foot can be directly on the floor and can be turned by hand or through use of an appropriate wrench or spanner. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, a foot locator channel 55 houses the foot 40 and this channel 55 supports the base of the 10 skirting panel 50 via the inturn step. In the embodiment shown in Figures 3 to 7, the partition system has been adapted for use with a metal trunking system. Conventionally, trunking systems that 15 comprise metal ducting, usually aluminium extrusions, are used in external walls to provide an opportunity for transportation of cabling and plumbing. These systems are not usually used in partition walls and thus the plumbing and cabling usually extends down from the ceiling in walls 20 of this kind. It is however considered by architects that partitioning systems in office design would have increased versatility if a trunking system could be incorporated into partition walls. Thus, the inventors of the partition system described above have modified a trunking 25 system so that it can be used with the system. As shown in Figure 3, an aluminium extrusion 100 is produced to include a central spine 101, a horizontal upper surface 102 with a pair of upstanding elongate 30 location flanges 103, 104. The central spine 101 has projecting laterally therefrom on either side horizontal flanges 105, 106, 107, 108 that define four elongate ducts 110, 111, 112, 113, two on either side of the spine 101. The base of the extrusion 100 has a pair of parallel 35 fluted walls 120, 121 that join the lateral flanges 107, 108. The base of the fluted walls 120, 121 merge with base flanges 123, 124 that in turn support upturned webs WO 2007/106933 PCT/AU2007/000333 - 7 125, 126 on each side of the extrusion 100. The fluted walls 120, 121 are arranged to accommodate the threaded shank of the adjustable feet. The fluted or corrugated edge of the wall structures 120, 121 in effect operate 5 like a thread into which the threaded shank of the feet can engage so that rotation of the shank causes longitudinal movement relative to the fluted structure. The elongate walls 120, 121 give the extrusion the required compressive strength to withstand the load of the 10 partition. The side webs 125, 126 give further stiffness and torsional strength to the extrusion. In use, upstanding location flanges 103, 104 locate the downwardly projecting edges of the plasterboard 12, 13 in a manner shown in Figure 4. 15 An aluminium skirting panel 130 is adapted to clip onto the ducting via interfitting ribs 131, 132 and the skirting panel can support flush mounted GPO's or data sockets. The four elongate ducts provide four separate 20 ducts for electrical or communication cabling and it is even possible to provide cabling through the elongate channels defined on either side of the fluted walls 120, 121. 25 The feet 40, 41 can be positioned directly on the floor or can be positioned in small channel sections 140 that have upstanding ribs 141, 142 to accommodate a lower flange 143 on the skirting panel 130. 30 Figure 8 shows a typical wall structure using the partitions discussed above. The wall has been cut away to illustrate the separate ducts. The skirting plates are shown in position with the adjustable feet being located in channel sections being shown in dotted profile. The 35 use of conventional joint tape, corner angles and plaster is also illustrated.

WO2007/106933 PCT/AU2007/000333 -8 The advantage of this system is that the demountable partitions are assembled offsite and the only other componentry concerns door frame supports, window frames, doors and the upper and lower tracks. The walls are 5 assembled very quickly, providing ducting for cabling and plumbing. The plasterer simply visits the site once to finish off the joins. The adjustable feet allow accurate adjustment for floor and wall fluctuations and thus the need to trim, cut or alter the partitions is minimised. 10 The tongue and groove location of adjacent partitions provides the inherent lateral strength whilst ensuring a solid join without the need for metal studs. In the claims which follow and in the preceding s15 description of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising" is used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but 20 not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention.

Claims

1. A partition system comprising a laminated structure including a core sandwiched between outer panels s and at least two height adjustable feet secured to the underside of the partition, the core and panels defining a tongue on one lateral side and a groove on the other so that partitions fit side by side with the tongue of one partition within the groove of the adjacent partition. 10

2. The partition system according to claim 1, wherein the core is polystyrene glued to outer panels of plaster board. 15

3. The partition system according to claim 1, wherein the outer panels comprise timber laminate or panels of a variety of other conventional building materials. 20

4. The partition system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a timber strip is attached to the underside of the core and the feet are secured to the timber strip. 25

5. The partition system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tongue of each partition is shorter than the groove to define a longitudinal duct between adjacent panels. 30

6. The partition system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the system includes elongate skirting panels that either clip onto the outer panels or can be screwed to the outer panels. 35

7. The partition system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a metal elongate duct is attached WO2007/106933 PCT/AU2007/000333 - 10 to the underside of the partition and the feet are attached to the duct.

8. The partition system according to claim 7, s wherein the duct is an open extrusion defining elongate trunking channels.

9. The partition system according to claim 8, wherein skirting panels are clipped to either side of the 10 extrusion.

10. The partition system according to either claim 8 or 9, wherein the extrusion includes a means to threadedly engage the shank of a foot. 15

11. A trunking system comprising an aluminium extrusion defining in cross section a central spine supporting a top and a base with spaced lateral webs extending from either side of the spine, the top defining 20 means to support spaced sheets of plaster board or wall panels on either side of the trunking system, the base having a pair of spaced parallel elongate walls with corrugated interior surfaces, the walls being adapted to accommodate the threaded ends of feet that can be screwed 25 into the base of the trunking system.

12. The trunking system according to claim 11, wherein the open sides of the trunking system are closed off by elongate panels that clip onto the trunking system. 30

13. The trunking system according to either claim 11 or 12, wherein the lateral webs define a pair of vertically spaced ducts on either side of the central spine. 35

14. The trunking system according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the elongate walls of the base WO2007/106933 PCT/AU2007/000333 - 11 have laterally extending flanges that extend along the length of the system, the flanges having upturned vertical returns. 5

15. The trunking system according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the top surface has a pair of elongate walls spaced inwardly from the lateral edges each wall adapted to locate a sheet of plaster board or wall panel