AU730487B2 - A panel assembly - Google Patents

Description

S F Ref: 428699

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT o 10.0

ORIGINAL

I Name and Address of Applicant: Holmes for Doors and Related 177 The Entrance Road Erina New South Wales 2250

AUSTRALIA

Products Pty Ltd Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Invention Title: ASSOCIATED PROVISIONAL [31] Application No(s) P09342 Kevin Dunn and Gerald Holmes Spruson Ferguson, Patent Attorneys Level 33 St Martins Tower, 31 Market Street Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia A Panel Assembly APPLICATION DETAILS [33] Country

AU

[32] Application Date 22 September 1997 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- 5815 i. 'i 1 A PANEL ASSEMBLY Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a panel assembly for forming a door or bench top and the like.

Prior Art Conventional panel assemblies made, for example from a wide section of laminated timber, that is sections of timber bonded on each edge to an adjacent section of timber may suffer from the problems arising from a differential in dryness across the depth of the panel which can result in "cupping", that is forming a hollow or rise across the outer surfaces of the panel.

"V •Object of the Invention It is the object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the above disadvantages.

S. Disclosure of the Invention There is disclosed herein a panel assembly including: a first end section and a second end section; S: "a primary intermediate section; and a secondary intermediate section, said first end section being spaced from said second end section by said intermediate sections, said intermediate sections being connectable to said first and second end sections, said primary intermediate section having a channel for receiving said secondary intermediate section, said secondary intermediate section being slidably engageable with said primary intermediate section •along said channel for forming a fit with said primary intermediate section.

Preferably, said panel assembly includes a plurality of secondary intermediate sections slidably engageable with said primary intermediate section, said primary intermediate section having a plurality of said channels for receiving said plurality of secondary intermediate sections.

Preferably, said secondary intermediate section or sections and said primary intermediate section are formed from timber, preferably laminated timber, said timber of said primary intermediate section having a first grain and said timber of said secondary intermediate section or sections having a second grain, said first grain running in a direction substantially perpendicular to said second grain when said secondary intermediate section or sections are received in said channel or channels in said primary intermediate section to inhibit cupping.

[N:\LIBTT]01229:KEH Preferably, said secondary intermediate section and said channel in said primary intermediate section are configured such that said secondary intermediate section forms a dovetail fit with said primary intermediate section.

Preferably, said secondary intermediate section or sections and said channel in said primary intermediate section are configured such that said secondary intermediate section or sections form a tongue and groove type cooperation with said channel or channels in said primary intermediate section.

Preferably, one or other of said end sections or intermediate sections has a protruding section which is receivable in a corresponding groove in the other of said end sections or intermediate sections to connect said end sections to said intermediate sections.

Preferably, said primary intermediate section includes a main panel section and a plurality of subsidiary panel sections, said subsidiary panel sections being spaced from one another by a plurality of said channels and extending laterally across the main 15 panel section, said channels between said subsidiary panel sections forming the channels for receiving said plurality of secondary intermediate sections.

Brief Description of the Drawings Preferred forms of the present invention will now be described by way of :example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a schematic parts exploded perspective view of a panel assembly; Figure 2 is a schematic cross sectional elevation along the line 2-2 of the panel *assembly of Figure 1 in the assembled configuration; Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a panel section in the panel assembly of Figures 1 and 2; and 25 Figures 4, 4A, 4B and 4C are schematic cross-sectional end elevational views of different primary intermediate section configurations and corresponding secondary intermediate sections.

Description of the Preferred Embodiments Figures 1 and 3 show a panel assembly 1 which includes a first end section 2, a second end section 4, a primary intermediate section 6 and a plurality of secondary intermediate sections 8. The primary intermediate section 6 includes a main panel section 10 having a substantially planar outer face and a plurality of subsidiary panel sections 12 spaced along the length L of the primary intermediate section 6, the subsidiary sections 12 extending from the rear face 14 of the primary intermediate section 6. The subsidiary panel sections 12 extend laterally along the width of the main panel section 10 and are spaced from one another by a plurality of troughs 15 to form a "dovetail trench" between adjacent subsidiary panel sections 12.* [N:\LIBTT]01229:KEH 3 In further preferred embodiments shown in Figures 4, 4A, 4B and 4C the plurality of troughs 15 may form grooves into which the plurality of secondary intermediate sections 8a, 8b or 8c are received, the secondary intermediate sections 8c being configured to form a tongue and groove type cooperation with the grooves in the primary intermediate section 6. Other configurations are shown in Figures 4A and 4B.

For example, 4A depicts an intermediate section 8a including six elongate protrusions, each adapted to be slidably received by one of a corresponding six elongate recesses in trough In Figure 4B, the intermediate section 8b includes a pair of opposed elongate protrusions, each adapted to be received within a corresponding elongate recess in the trough It should be noted that the alternative arrangements shown in Figure 4 are not present in a single primary intermediate section 6. Figure 4 merely shows optional .**"configurations.

S 15 The plurality of secondary intermediate sections 8 are slidably engageable with ":rr the subsidiary panel sections 12, the secondary intermediate sections 8 being received S00 0in the dovetail trenches 15 of the primary intermediate section 6.

Once the secondary intermediate sections 8 have been slidably inserted into the dovetail trenches 15 along the main panel section 10, as shown in figure 1, the first and °20 second end sections 2, 4 are connectable to the primary and secondary intermediate sections 6, 8 by means of a protruding section 18 which extends laterally from each of 0.o the inner faces 16 of the side edges of the first and second end sections 2, 4. The protruding sections 18 are received in corresponding grooves 20 which extend inwardly from the end faces 21 of the subsidiary panel sections 12 and secondary intermediate 25 sections 8. The secondary intermediate sections 8 are a tight fit, preferably a marginal interference fit with the subsidiary panel sections 12 of the primary intermediate section 6.

Adhesive may be placed on the end faces 21 of the subsidiary panel sections 12 and/or along the inner faces 16 of the side edges of the first and second end sections 2, 4 such that when the protruding sections 18 of the first and second end sections 2, 4 are inserted into the grooves 20 in the subsidiary panel sections 12 and secondary intermediate sections 8, the adhesive causes the first and second end sections 2, 4 to adhere to the subsidiary panel section 12 to hold the panel assembly 1 in the assembled configuration.

In a preferred embodiment, the secondary intermediate sections 8 are shorter in length than the subsidiary panel sections 12. This allows compensation for contraction of the sections 2, 6, 8, and 10 due to moisture loss.

[N:\LBTT]01229:KEH The main panel section 10 is preferably formed from, for example, glued butt edge-laminated timber. The secondary intermediate sections 8 are preferably formed from timber or a timber composite, for example fibreboard. Preferably, the grain of the secondary intermediate sections 8 is substantially perpendicular to the grain of the subsidiary panel sections 12 of the main panel section 10 to inhibit cupping.

As discussed above, the adhesive is preferably located either on the inner faces 16 of the side edges of the first and second end sections 2 and 4 or along the end sections of the subsidiary panel sections 12 of the main panel section 10. The advantage of not placing adhesive on the end faces of the side edges of the secondary intermediate sections 8 is that whilst the secondary intermediate sections 8 are effectively mechanically locked to the end sections 2 and 4 in the assembled configuration, the secondary intermediate sections are free to move to allow for contraction or expansion as a result of the loss or presence of moisture.

.The strength of the assembled panel assembly 1 is increased by having a 15 significant surface area (for example around 80 percent) of the side edges of the first and second end sections 2, 4 being bonded by adhesive to the main panel section The dovetail type connection between the main panel section 10 and the secondary intermediate sections 8 is particularly advantageous as any residual tension *across the main panel section 10, present when there is a moisture differential across 20 the panel, is reduced by the presence of the troughs 15 and the presence of the secondary intermediate sections 8 locatable in the troughs 15 which, due to their °dovetail shape also displace the residual tension.

The panel section 10 is preferably, for example, around 21 mm thick and the depth of the main panel section 10 between the outer face and base of the dovetail 25 trench 15 is preferably around 4 to 5 mm.

Whilst the material of the subsidiary panel sections 12 is preferably the same as the main panel and end sections 10, 4 and 2, timbers having a greater tensile strength or products other than timber formed, for example, from either an organic or inorganic material, could be used.

The panel assembly 1 illustrated provides a structural configuration which compensates for cupping due to moisture differentials through or across the outer faces of the sections forming the panel. It also provides a means for constructing a frameless panel assembly 1 which is particularly suitable for use as a door, for example, for attachment to a cabinet, or indeed a bench top and the like.

The above-described panel assembly 1 is particularly advantageous as it addresses the problems of previous panels without altering the appearance of the front face of the assembly.

[N:\LIBT7]01229:KEH It will be appreciated that various modifications may be made, for example, the secondary intermediate sections 8 may be replaced by a single secondary interconnecting section (not shown) which is received in a single dovetail trench between subsidiary panel sections 12 in the primary intermediate section 6. Also, the protruding sections 18 are shown and described as being located on the first and second end sections 2 and 4 and are received in grooves in the ends of the primary and secondary intermediate sections 6 and 8. However, in a further preferred embodiment, the protruding sections could be located on the end faces of the primary and secondary intermediate sections 6 and 8 and these protruding sections 18 could be locatable in corresponding grooves in the end faces of the first and second end sections 2 and 4.

OV. o: o• *i [N:\LIBTT]01229:KEH

Claims (8)

1. A panel assembly including: a first end section and a second end section; a primary intermediate section; and a secondary intermediate section, said first end section being spaced from said second end section by said intermediate sections, said intermediate sections being connectable to said first and second end sections, said primary intermediate section having a channel for receiving said secondary intermediate section, said secondary intermediate section being slidably engageable with said primary intermediate section along said channel for forming a fit with said primary intermediate section.

2. The assembly of claim 1 further including a plurality of secondary intermediate sections slidably engageable with said primary intermediate section, said *999 primary intermediate section having a plurality of said channels for receiving said "plurality of secondary intermediate sections. r: 1

3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein said secondary intermediate section or sections and said primary intermediate section are formed from timber, preferably laminated timber, said timber of said primary intermediate section having a first grain and said timber of said secondary intermediate section or sections having a second 9 .grain, said first grain running in a direction substantially perpendicular to said second 9 20 grain when said secondary intermediate section or sections are received in said channel or channels in said primary intermediate section to inhibit cupping.

4. The assembly of claim 2, wherein said secondary intermediate section and said channel in said primary intermediate section are configured such that said secondary intermediate section forms a dovetail fit with said primary intermediate "999 25 section.

The assembly of claim 2, wherein said secondary intermediate section or sections and said channel in said primary intermediate section are configured such that said secondary intermediate section or sections form a tongue and groove type cooperation with said channel or channels in said primary intermediate section.

6. The assembly of any one of the preceding claims, wherein one or other of said end sections or intermediate sections has a protruding section which is receivable in a corresponding groove in the other of said end sections or intermediate sections to connect said end sections to said intermediate sections.

7. The assembly of any one of the preceding claims, wherein said primary intermediate section includes a main panel section and a plurality of subsidiary panel sections, said subsidiary panel sections being spaced from one another by a plurality of said channels and extending laterally across the main panel section, said [N:\LIBTfl]01229:KEH channels between said subsidiary panel sections forming the channels for receiving said plurality of secondary intermediate sections.

8. A panel assembly, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated 23 July, 1998 Holmes for Doors and Related Products Pty Ltd Patent Attorneys for the Applicant/Nominated Person SPRUSON FERGUSON 0 00 0e0oe00 [N:\LIBTT]01229:KEH