AU607001B2

AU607001B2 - Building panel

Info

Publication number: AU607001B2
Application number: AU23363/88A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Keith Edward Atlee
Original assignee: TELSTAR Pty Ltd
Current assignee: TELSTAR Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1987-10-07
Filing date: 1988-10-03
Publication date: 1991-02-21
Anticipated expiration: 2008-10-03
Also published as: AU2336388A

Description

T. KELLY R.T. KELLY LC~; 9' i7 LIU -~YI~ 1 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA The Patents Act 1952-1969 Name of Applicant(s): Address of Applicant(s): ae e Actual Inventor(s): 6 i C Address for Service: A 0 6 #0 TELSTAR PTY. LTD, 40 DEAKIN AVENUE, SOUTHPORT, QLD. 4215.

KEITH EDWARD ATLEE G.R. CULLEN COMPANY, Patent Trade Mark Attorneys, Dalgety House, 79 Eagle Street, Brisbane, Qld. 4000, Australia.

o CC Oa 4 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR THE INVENTION ENTITLED:

C.

This document contains the amendments made under Section 49 and is correct for printing.

BUILDING PANEL The following statement is a full description of the invention including the best method of performing it known to us Ag To: The Commissioner of Patents o DI a nt Signature of Declarant(s)

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I :1 2 THIS INVENTION relates to building panels including panels intended for access to building services as well as removable wall, ceiling or floor panels. The panels may be intende. for utilitarian purposes such as partitioning or wall or ceiling cladding or may be merely decorative, for example, to cover defects, such as holes in existing walls or ceilings. The present invention is an improvement of the invention disclosed in Australian Patent No. 567122.

The invention disclosed in that patent is a wall or ceiling panel primarily intended to provide access to building services but which also may function as a removable building panel such as a removable wall or ceiling panel. A feature of that invention is that the panel construction is characterised by a laminated construction which includes an outer layer of material which extends beyond the periphery of the panel to provide an abutment surface which engages with a wall surface thereby restraining rearward movement of the panel. The panel is retained in position by one or more connector means each having a pivotally mounted arm which is resiliently biased to move to a position retaining the panel in an aperture by resilient engagement with an abutment surface on rearward movement of the panel into a position at which the outer layer engages the wall surface. It has now been found that while the above panel construction may provide a flush fitting with a wall or other surface, it is more satisfactory where a flush panel is desired to adopt a modified panel construction which does not include the peripheral flange provided by the circumferential extension of the outer layer. Such construction is particularly suitable where it is desired to provide an additional decorative or utilitarian wall surface such as tiling, after fitting of the panel. In such case the same surface may also be applied to the panel. However the improved panel is also useful where the panel is intended to be used in multiple Spanel assembly to provide a wall or ceiling.

o Accordingly, the present invention provides a eo o o o idoo° building panel comprising a panel member adapted to be S supported by at least a pair of support means forming part of I, 0 Sthe structure in which the panel is to be located adjacent S opposed sides of the panel member and overlapping the rear of the panel member adjacent the edges of said sides, one or more connector means mounted on the rear of the panel member adjacent one or more of said edges respectively, the or each connector means including an arm pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on said connector means to pivot about an axis substantially parallel to the adjacent edge of said 2'10 panel member whereby, as the panel member is moved rearwardly into contact with said support means, one end of said arm contacts a forward face of said support means thereby rotating the arm through an angle about its pivot axis w _ereby the arm is actuated to further rotate to move the other end of said arm into contact with a rear surface of said support means to resiliently retain said panel member in position.

3a The panel member may include sound absorbing and/or fire retardant material and may be formed as a unitary sheet of such material or may be formed as a laminate having one or more layers of material with the desired properties. Where the panel member is formed as a laminate the outer layer may provide a decorative surface. However where the panel is i| 6I 4 intended as an access panel it may be advantageous to provide an outer surface of the panel member which may be subjected to the same decorative treatment as the surrounding wall or ceiling surface.

5 In the case of access panels in particular, it is often required to provide such panels in walls, such as -i concrete or brick, which have substantial thickness and which therefore do not include an abutment surface adjacent the rear of the panel. In such case, the supporting means may o o 0 0 conveniently be in the form of angle members having one S flange fixed to the wall aperture at opposed sides thereof and the other flange extending inwardly of the aperture and spaced rearwardly of the wall surface such that when the rear 06 of the panel abuts the flange the front of the panel will be ,"°°oflush with the wall.

a 00 t d The angle members may provide a continuous 0 peripheral abutment surface or may be located only adjacent connector means on the rear of the panel. In the former case the abutment surface may form a peripheral seal with the rear or the panel to inhibit sound transmission or retard the spread of fire. In the latter case additional means, such as a separate abutment member, may be fixed to the aperture to provide a peripheral seal. If desired the abutment may include a layer of suitable material to provide a more effective seal. Where the panel is intended to provide a wall or i ceiling panel the supporting means may comprise elongate

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I members which provide forward abutment surfaces for the rear of the panel and rear abutment surfaces for the connector

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!i means. The elongate members may be formed as flat members or !ii T-shaped or cross-shaped in cross-section.

A preferred connector means comprises a springloaded generally U-shaped arm pivotally mounted on a base member whereby the spring maintains the arm in an open position with one end of the arm disposed adjacent an upper end of the base member and on downward displacement of that :00 1Q end the spring exerts a snap action moving the other end of 0 the arm into a position adjacent the lower end of the base Smember. The arm may comprise a single piece of sheet metal provided with opposed lugs intermediate the ends of the arm, to provide pivotal supports for the arm. The base member is 15'-00 also suitably of sheet metal having an upstanding back and side members carrying attachment feet. The side members are provided with opposed apertures carrying pivots pivotally supporting the arm. The pivots may conveniently be rivets.

The back member provides a stop defining the open and closed positions of the arm. The connector means has been described above with a vertical orientation for clarity of description.

However, the connector means may obviously be arranged in any directional orientation. An example of the. preferred form of connector means is disclosed in Design Registration No.

it 95446. i In order to explain the invention more fully reference is made to thie accompanying drawings in which 6- ,~II I ii i FIG 1 is a diagrammatic section view of a panel according to the present invention in a position for insertion into an aperture; FIG 2 is a similar view illustrating the panel in position closing the aperture; and FIGS 3 and 4 are further diagrammatic section views illustrating wall or ceiling panel arrangements according to the present invention; FIG 5 is a perspective view of the connector means 100I illustrated diagrammatically in Figs 1 to 4.

0 0 o0 As illustrated in Fig 1, wall 1 includes aperture 2 0 0 0o Oo having internal walls 3 formed by the thickness of wall 1.

0 0 o°°o Angle members 4 form abutment means for panel 5 which 0 00 supports panel 5 with its front surface flush with the 15o'"0o surface of wall 1. Connector means 6 are attached to opposed sides of panel 5 for resiliently retaining the panel in .0000 position but which permit the panel to be removed when access o o to aperture 2 is required. Aperture 2 may provide access to 0 0 building services such as air conditioning, electricity or 0 0 water or other services. Fig 2 illustrates the panel 5 in its closed position.

Connector means 6 may suitably be constructed of sheet metal and comprises a U-shaped arm 7 pivotally connected to base member 8 and including a circumferential slot. Base member 8 is provided with feet 9 for attachment of the connector means to the rear of the panel as well as an upstanding back member 10 with attached side members 11. Arm i 7 7 is provided with opposed lugs 12 by means of which the arm is pivotally connected to the base member. Spring 13 resiliently connects arm 7 with base member 8 and is aligned with the slot on arm 7 whereby the arm may occupy an open position illustrated in Fig 1 permitting entry of panel into aperture 2 and a closed position illustrated in Fig 2 in :i which one end of arm 7 contacts the rear face of a'-utments 4.

Figs 3 and 4 illustrate arrangements of panels according to the present invention where the panels are used 1 i as wall or ceiling panels. In each figure the panels 5 are Sretained against supports 14 or 15 which may suitably be Ti, shaped or cross-shaped in section. In Fig 3, the panels provide a flush panelling whereas in Fig 4 the panels are Sspaced by arm 16 on support i 0 °It will be seen that the present invention provides a very convenient arrangement of flush panelling with the Spanels being retained firmly in position yet being easily S4 removable without damage and without requiring dismantling of the supporting framework. The forces retaining the panel in position can be selected by the use of the desired springloading of the arm of each connector means and an appropriate restraining force applied to the panel which may be determined by its intended purpose. Removal of the panel may be effected by handle means attached to the panel. However, a suction cap may also be used where handle means would detract from the appearance of the panel.

I 8 The term "panel" has been used in this specification to include open frame structures which may be intended to have a panel member or members attached thereto as well as members constituting a panel as that term is commonly understood.

While the invention has been illustrated in detail, the invention is not limited thereto and is intended to include all panel constructions falling within the disclosure and claims of the present specification.

i 0

Claims

1. A building panel comprising a panel member adapted to be supported by at least a pair of support means forming part of the structure in which the panel is to be located adjacent opposed sides of the panel member and overlapping the rear of the panel member adjacent the edges of said sides, one or more connector means mounted on the rear of the panel member adjacent one or more of said edges respectively, 00 o" the or each connector means including an arm pivotally O mounted intermediate its ends on said connector means to 00 o pivot about an axis substantially parallel to the adjacent 0o edge of said panel member whereby, as the panel member is 0 °o moved rearwardly into contact with said support means, one 0 end of said arm contacts a forward face of said support means .5 thereby rotating the arm through an angle about its pivot ooo, axis whereby the arm is actuated to further rotate to move 00 0 0 )o the other end of said arm into contact with a rear surface of 0 .o said support means to resiliently retain said panel member in position. 00oo 0 0 o o IC 0 0 0 0 1 o 0 00 0 o o O r o O 0 o 0 0 1 00 S 5 t c of o o 00 00 7 oac 0o o 0 000 0 0 0 0 00 2C

2. A building panel as defined in claim 1 wherein said panel member comprises sound absorbing and/or fire retardant material.

3. A building panel as defined in either of the preceding claims wherein said panel member is a unitary sheet.

4. A building panel as defined in either claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said panel member is a laminate. 3 ni /yl~r -d 7 IVT Li 1 _Y L 111~~ A building panel as defined in any preceding claim wherein said one or more connector means includes an up- standing channel shaped support member connected to said panel member and said arm is U-shaped and pivotally connected to the side walls of said support member and includes a circumferential slot intermediate its ends said connector further including helical spring means having one end connected to said U-shaped member at one end of said slot oo 40 0 C S with the other end being connected to said support member, 00 said helical spring being aligned with said slot. 00 0 o 6. A building panel as claimed in any preceding claim S wherein said one or more connector means is fabricated of sheet metal.

7. A building panel substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 0000 0 DATED this Twentieth day of November, 1990. TELSTAR PTY. LTD. by their Patent Attorneys I CULLEN CO. L I 1 T