CA1237266A

CA1237266A - Partition wall system

Info

Publication number: CA1237266A
Application number: CA000491797A
Authority: CA
Inventors: John Daski
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1985-09-27
Filing date: 1985-09-27
Publication date: 1988-05-31

Abstract

ABSTRACT

An improvement to a partitioning system is provided wherein fastening clips are used to join vertical metal tubing of abutting panels to enable single caps to be used to finish the panels.

Description

PARTITION WALL SYSTEM

This invention relates to a partition wall system in which partition wall panels are joined together to form continuous walls or right-angled corners.

Description of Prior Art In the prior art it is well known to construct temporary walls or partitions to surround or separate the work stations of employees working within a large room. The prior art discloses a number of embodiments of panelling systems and a variety of connecting means. The prior art disclosures known to the applicant include: Canadian Patent 1,129,167 entitled "Panel Assembly" which issued August 10, 1982; Canadian Patent 1,049,736 entitled "Joint" which issued March 6, 1979; Canadian Patent 961,234 entitled "Acoustic Screen" which issued January 21, 1975; Canadian Patent 720,283 entitled "Connectors For Thin Walled Plane Elements" which issued October 26, 1965;
Canadian Patent 732,800 entitled "Resilient Clip" which issued April 26, 1966; Canadian Patent 1,133,565 entitled "Device For Assembling and Connecting to One Another Constructive Elements Particularly Panels or Furniture and the Like" which issued October 12, 1982; Canadian Patent 1,115,923 entitled "Panel Joint Assembly For Double Wall Panels" which issued January 12, 1982; Canadian Patent 1,128,723 entitled "Panel Connectors"

which issued August 3, 1982; Canadian Patent 1,125,470 entitled "Demountable Interior Partition System Components Therefore and ~2~2~i~

Method of Making Such Components" which issued June 15, 1982;
Canadian Patent 886,808 entitled l'Sheet Metal Joint For Panels and Sheets" which issued November 30, 1971; Canadian Patent 10,243,224 entitled "Modular Partition" which issued January 17, 1978; and ~.S. Patent 4,232,724 entitled "Modular Partition" which issued November 11, 1980.

The prior art also includes partitioning systems where panels are placed in straight lines or at right angles to one another and joined by connector caps. Generally, the panels of this type of system have two parallel, opposite rectangular sides which are joined about their perimeter by square metal tubing. The ends of the panels have vertical sections of metal tubing which are usually open ended at the top and bottom.

In practice, the top and sometimes the bottom apertures of the end tubes are capped by plastic caps which fit within and over the apertures. When a panel is standing alone, single caps are used. When two or more panels are to be joined to form a continuous wall, a plate comprising two caps integrally connected in a straight line may be used to cap and to connect the panels. At corners, two caps at right angles, three caps (two forming a line and one at right angles) or four caps forming an intersection may be used as an integral plate to connect and to cap the panels. It is a problem in the prior art that an inventory of all kinds of different capping plates and single caps must be maintained for this system. Moreover, :~L23'7.~'~6 if the partitioning system is changed, the caps which were installed may not all be useful for the new system configuration.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improvement to this type of panel system that permits connection of panels without dependence on the capping plates, to thereby allow all panels to use single caps and to avoid the need for capping plates of various configurations. It has been found by the inventors that this improvement, although simple in execution, has produced significant cost benefits and has improved the flexibility of this type of panel system.

The invention is a partitioning system comprising in combination partition panels, each said panel having two parallel opposite sides, each side having top, bottom and first and second end edges, each panel also having first and second vertical sections of hollow square tubing having apertures at the top and bottom thereof, said first vertical tubing being sandwiched lengthwise along and between the first ends, the second vertical tubing being sandwiched lengthwise along and between the second ends of the panel sides, one half the width of each said tubing protruding beyond said sides; fastening clips, each said clip having two opposing spring arms integrally joined by a base and spaced apart by the base a distance equal to twice the thickness of a tubing wall, said arms having a width equal to one half the width of an interior tube wall less the thickness of a tube wall, said clips being ~Z3~ 6 adapted to fit into two apertures of adjacent vertical tubing of abutting panels to fasten them together, and square caps adapted to fit within an inner portion of each individual tubing aperture over the fastening clips therein and to cover the aperture and the thickness of the surrounding tube walls.

In the figures which illustrate the preferred embodiment of this invention;
Figure 1 is an illustration of the ends of the partitioning panels, the clip and the cap of this invention;
Figure 2 is a front elevation of two abutting panels connected in the manner disclosed in this invention;
Figure 3 is a plan view of the panels of Figure 2 connected to form a continuous straight wall;
Figure 4 is an illustration of how two panels are connected at right angles;
Figure 5 is an illustration of a joint of three panels intersecting at right angles;
Figure 6 is an illustration of four panels intersecting at right angles.

In the figures, like numerals indicate like elements.

In Figure 1, the panels are illustrated generally as

(2). Each panel is made up of opposite sides (4) and hollow square tubing (6) having apertures at the top (8). The sides (4) and the hollow square tubing (6) form a partial sandwich at each end of the panel whereby one half the width of the hollow square tubing protrudes beyond the ends of the sides (4). As illustrated in Figures 4, 5 and 6, the protrusion of the metal tubing (6) beyond the sides (4) permits at ]east one half of the metal tubing to abut with adjacent metal tubing of other panels at intersections. In Figure ], above the metal tubing is a clip (10) and a cap (12). As illustrated in Figure 3, the clip (10) may be used to join two panels in a continuous wall by inserting the clip (10) over the two abutting tube walls so as to effect a connection. If desired, more than one clip may be used for additional strength. In Figure 2, it is shown that after the connection is made the caps may be fitted over the joint to cover each square tubing to finish off the panel.

Similarly, in Figures 4, 5 and 6 it is illustrated how a clip (10) may be used to fasten panels together in various configurations of intersections. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the maximum width of a clip will be one half the width of the in.erior tube wall less the thickness of a tube wall, otherwise configurations such as those shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6 would not be possible.

Each of the configurations shown in Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 may be capped by the single caps (12) placed over each individual tube (6). As illustrated in Figure 2, each cap comprises a portion (14) adapted to fit within the aperture of the hollow metal tubing (6) and about the clip (10) within the ~23~72~6 aperture. A second integral portion (16) of the cap (12) fits over the top of the aperture and over the thickness of the tube walls. The caps may be no greater in size than that in order to permit capping of adjacent tubes.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A partitioning system comprising in combination;
partition panels, each said panel having two parallel opposite sides, each side having top, bottom and first and second end edges, each panel also having first and second vertical sections of hollow square tubing having apertures at the top and bottom thereof, said first vertical tubing being sandwiched lengthwise along and between the first ends, the second vertical tubing being sandwiched lengthwise along and between the second ends of the panel sides, one half the width of each said tubing protruding beyond the sides; fastening clips, each said clip having two opposing spring arms integrally joined by a base and spaced apart by said base a distance equal to twice the thickness of a tubing wall, said arms having a maximum width equal to one half the width of an interior tube wall, less the thickness of a tube wall, said clips being adapted to fit into two apertures of adjacent vertical tubing of abutting panels to fasten them together and square caps adapted to fit within an inner portion of each individual tubing aperture over the fastening clips therein and to cover the aperture and the thickness of the surrounding tube walls.