AU657006B2

AU657006B2 - A snap-on display wall facing system

Info

Publication number: AU657006B2
Application number: AU27205/92A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Garry L. Reichert
Original assignee: GARRY L REICHERT
Current assignee: NYLEX Corp Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1991-10-24
Filing date: 1992-10-20
Publication date: 1995-02-23
Anticipated expiration: 2012-10-20
Also published as: AU2720592A

Description

Fj Regulation 3.

AUSTRA1IA P0/t SS~ Patents Ac c1990 )IG00

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Ij Iventon Ttle:A SNAP-ON DISPLAY. WALL FACING SYSTEM The following statement is a full description of this Invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:i. .I i I. This invention relates generally to mate.-ials and systems for finishing and facing wall surfaces and relates in particular to a snap-on display wall facing system of interlocked boards on ribbed metal wall mounting strips The invention resides in a snap-on display wall facing system which comprises a plurality of wall boards each having a front surface and a rear surface, a wall mounting and board-attachment strip adapted when in use to be fastened to and to lie against a flat wall surface, the said strip being provided with at least one pair of longitudinally-extending, laterally-spaced, resilient, integral ribs projecting outwardly therefrom for snap-fit engagement within at least one pair of longitudinal channels formed in i the rear surface of each board, the system when assembled providing a plurality of horizontal channels formed in front surfaces and edges of the boards whereby a plurality of i|i hanging brackets may be randomly clipped into the front channels and thus onto the boards for displaying display items.

Preferably, each resilient integral rib of the strip is formed with a terminal lug which is laterallydirected with respect to the longitudinal axis of the strip.

Preferably, opposed formative edges surrounding T-shaped recesses in rear surfaces of adjoining boards are adapted to over-ride lugs of ribs of the strip when each board is pressed onto ribs of the strip.

Preferably, one longitudinal edge of each board is provided with a tongue and the other edge is provided with a correspondingly-shaped groove adapted to receive a corres- -2pondingly-shaped tongue formed along the edge of an associated adjoining board for joining the boards lengthwise and more preferably, a tongue of each board is integrally formed rearwardly of the plane of the front surface of the board but directed towards the said front surface and a groove corresponding in shape to the tongue is integrally formed along the rear surface of the board. More preferably, the tongue is formed along one or rear edge and is asymmetrical and is generally disposed at an angle to the lateral axis of the board and the groove is laterally and inwardly displaced with respect to the other edge or front edge of the board and both the tongue and the groove have faces which are longitudinally and laterally inclined with respect to front and rear surfaces of the board.

Preferably, the front face of each board is provided with a recessed portion adjacent a longitudinal lower edge thereof which forms a space for hanging brackets for display attachments when a plurality of the boards are joined and assembled in a horizontal structure on a wall.

Preferably the wall-mounting strip of the system of the invention has formed therein a plurality of pairs of integrally-formed, resiliently-deformable fastening lugs in the form of ribs of folded-over strip material, each rib having a laterally-directed end portion adapted to be over-riden by one of a pair of opposed overhanging edges surrounding and forming T-shaped channels at the rear surface of the boards to enable the boards to be clipped onto the wall mounting strip by pressing the front surface of the boards towards the strip and against the lugs. More a^ A< n, 1 preferably, each strip has a plurality of laterally-spaced ribs forming a series of channels of narrow width alternating with channels of wider width, the narrow-width channels having ribs with divergent end portions, the wider-width channels having opposed end portions.

Preferably, the edges of each board of the snap-on display wall facing system of the invention are also specially designed for mutual interlocking engagement by means of a laterally-directed, asymmetric tongue on one edge of the board, the tongue being inclined at an angle with respect to the plane of the board, and by mweans of an inset, rearwardly-facing and inclined groove of corresponding shape to the tongue of the board and adjacent to but inset with respect to the other edge. More preferably, a part of the groove of each board is formed by another or secondary tongue also inset from the outer edge of the board.

A non-limitative example of a practical embodiment of the invention will now be described with -4reference to the accompanying drawing Figure 1 which is a diagrammatic sectional elevational view of the snap-on display wall facing system in accordance with the invention.

Referring to the drawing there is shown a snap-on display wall-facing system for fastening to a wall 10 a plurality of wall boards such as the two shown Slabelled 11, 12 which are mounted to the wall via the Ii wall mounting and board attachment strip of sheet material 13 adapted to be rigidly fixed to and to lie flat against an existing vertical wall 10 by fastening members passed therethough such as the screws labelled 14, 15, 16. The strip 13 has formed therein a plurality of pairs of resiliently deformable fastening lugs in the form of deformable integral ribs of folded over strip material such as those labelled 17, 18, 19 (and 20 at the bottom). Each of these ribs has an outwardly directed end portion 17a, 18a, 19a, 20a, designed to be overriden by one of a pair of opposed edges 21, 22, 23, 24 respectively surrounding T-shaped channels 25, 26 at Sthe rear surface of the boards 11, 12, to enable the boards to be clipped onto the wall mounting strip 13 by pressing the front surface of the boards towards the strip and against the lugs. The edges of each board 11, 12, are also specially designed for mutual interlocking engagement by means of a laterally-directed, asymmetric tongue 27, 28 on one edge but inclined at an angle with respect to the plane of the board and an inset rearwardly facing and inclined groove 29, 30 of corresponding shape to the tongue and adjacent to, but inset with respect to the other edge. A part of this groove is formed by another or secondary tongue 31, 32 also inset from the edge.

After the wall mounting strip 13 has been fixed Hi against a flat and vertical wall and the first board is placed in position onto the ribs of and against the strip, succeeding boards are affixed to each other and to the strip by interlocking a tongue formed on the formed at the rear surface and near the top edge of an adjacent board and the front face of each board is ipressed over the pair of lugs (ribs) of the wall |I mounting strip so that the board is attached to the wall mounting strip and also to the preceding wall board.

The purpose of the wall-facing system and method according to the invention is to provide a plurality of horizontal channel profiles such as the T-shaped channel labelled 33 into which suitable brackets may be randomly clipped thus providing a multiplicity of further attachments used to display various items.

Claims

1. A snap-on display wall facing system which comprises a plurality of wall boards each having a front surface and rear a surface, a wall mounting and board- i! attachment strip adapted when in use to be fastened to and to lie against a flat wall surface and having at least one pair of longitudinally-extending, laterally-spaced, resilient, integral ribs projecting outwardly therefrom for snap-fit engagement within at least one pair of longitudinal channels formed in the rear surface of each board, the system when assembled providing a plurality of horizontal front channels in front surfaces and edges of boards whereby a plurality of hanging brackets may be randomly clipped into the front channels and thus onto the boards for displaying display items.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein each resilient integral rib of the strip is formed with a terminal lug which is laterally-directed with respect to the longitudinal axis of the strip,

3. The system according to claim 1 or 2 wherein opposed formative edges surrounding T-shaped recesses in rear surfaces of adjoining boards are adapted to over-ride lugs of ribs of the strip when each board is pressed onto ribs of the strip.

4. The system according to any preceding claim wherein one longitudinal edge of each board is provided with a tongue and the other edge is provided with a correspond- ingly-shaped groove adapted to receive a corresponding- SA L Cq i 4\ ly-shaped tongue formed along the edge of an associated adjoining board for joining the boards lengthwise. -7- The system according to claim 4 wherein a tongue of each board is integrally formed rearwa-dly of the plane of the front surface of the board but directed towards the said front surface and a groove corresponding in shape to the tongue is integrally formed along the rear surface of the board.

6. The system acccording to claim 4 or 5 wherein the j tongue is formed along one or rear edge and is asymmetrical and is generally disposed at an angle to the lateral axis of the board and the groove of the board is laterally and inwardly displaced with respect to the other edge or front edge of the board. !i ii 7. The system according to claim 6 wherein both the tongue and the groove have faces which are longitudinally i and laterally inclined with respect to front and rear Ssurfaces of the board.

8. The system according to any preceding claim i wherein the front face of each board is provided with a t- ,i recessed portion adjacent a longitudinal lower edgesthereof J which form a space for hanging brackets for display attachments when a plurality of the boards are joined and assembled in a horizontal structure on a wall.

9. The system according to any preceding claim wherein S"the wall-mounting strip has formed therein a plurality of pairs of integrally-formed, resiliently-deformable fastening lugs in the form of ribs of folded-over strip material, each rib having a laterally-directed end portion adapted to be over-riden by one of a pair of opposed overhanging edges surrounding and forming T-shaped channels at the rear -8- surface of the boards to enable the boards to be clipped onto the wall-mounting strip by pressing the front surface of the boards towards the strip and against the lugs. The system according to any preceding claim wherein each strip has a plurality of laterally-spaced ribs forming a series of channels of narrow width alternating with channels of wider width, the narrow-width channels having ribs with divergent end portions, the wider-width i channels having opposed end portions.

11. The system according to any preceding claim wherein the edges of each board are also specially designed for mutual interlocking engagement by means of a laterally- directed, asymmetric tongue on one edge of the board, the tongue being inclined at an angle with respect to the plane of the board, and by means of an inset, rearwardly-facing and inclined groove of corresponding shape to the tongue of the board and which is adjacent to, but inset with respect to, the other edge of the board.

12. The system according to claim 10 wherein a part of the groove of each is formed by another or secondary tongue also inset from the outer edge of the board.

13. A snap-on display wall facing system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing. Dated this 8th day of November, 1994 GARRY L.REICHERT By My Patent Attorney JOHN L.DAVIES CO. _I~ ABSTRACT A snap-on display wall facing system for fastening to a wall (10) has a number of wall boards (11,12) with interlocking tongues (27,28) and grooves (29,30) on the edges: these boards (11,12) are fixed flat against the wall (10) by first screwing an attachment strip (13) against the wall; the strip has resiliently deformable fastening ribs or lugs (17,18,19) having an outwardly directed or rolled-over end portion (17a,18a,19a, over-ridden by opposed edges (21,22,23,24) surrounding T-shaped channels (25,26) at the rear surface of the boards (11,12) so that the boards can be clipped onto the wall mounting strip (13) by pressing the boards onto the strip (13) against the ribs or lugs (17,18,19) in a snap fit action.