GB2313855A

GB2313855A - Partitioning system

Info

Publication number: GB2313855A
Application number: GB9611567A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Clement Ching Wah Lam
Original assignee: PDD Ltd
Current assignee: PDD Ltd
Priority date: 1996-06-04
Filing date: 1996-06-04
Publication date: 1997-12-10
Anticipated expiration: 2016-06-04
Also published as: CN1053250C; GB2313855B; HK1002364A1; ITRM970328A0; HK1000637A1; CN1053251C; CN1157874A; ITRM970328A1; CN1146523A; GB9611567D0; IT1293038B1

Abstract

A partitioning system including a panel (1), and a pillar (6) for supporting the same, the pillar being formed with a longitudinal inwardly enlarged open ended slot (5) for slidably receiving and trapping spaced connecting members (2) on an edge of the panel, wherein the panel is able to rotate about an axis of at least one of said connecting members when the latter is engaged in the slot.

Description

"Partitioning systems This invention relates to partitioning systems for use in buildings to sub-divide spaces, for example to define office spaces or work areas.

It is well known to form such partitions from panels, supported at their edges by upright pillars.

Such pillars are frequently formed with longitudinal slots to receive suitable connecting means on the edges of the panels. It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved system of this kind.

Viewed from one aspect the present invention provides a partitioning system including a panel, and a pillar for supporting the same, the pillar being formed with a longitudinal inwardly enlarged open ended slot for slidably receiving and trapping spaced connecting members on an edge of the panel, wherein the panel is able to rotate about an axis of at least one of said connecting members when the latter is engaged in the slot.

As will be explained in more detail hereinafter, such an arrangement greatly facilitates the connection of the panel to the pillar, by enabling the panel to be rotated relative to the pillar after engagement of one of the said connecting members in the slot by way of an open end thereof, followed by engagement of another connecting member therein. As a result, the panel does not have to be aligned with the pillar while both connecting members are being introduced into the slot.

One way of permitting the said rotation of the panel, in accordance with the invention, is for the said connecting member to be rotatably connected to the panel. The connecting member may then have straight sides for engagement with the sides of the slot, so as not to be rotatable therein.

Another way of permitting the said rotation of the panel, in accordance with the invention, is for the said connecting member to be circular where it slidably engages in the slot. The connecting member may then be fixed non-rotatably to the panel.

It is not necessary for the said panel to be rotatable about the axis of each of the connecting members thereon. If only one of the connecting members were to be such as to provide this facility this would be sufficient to provide an advantage, so long as this connecting member is the first one to be engaged in the slot in the pillar. Preferably however, in order to avoid this restriction on the manner of use of the system, the panel is provided with two said connecting members about whose axes it is able to rotate.

Preferably the panel is provided with a said connecting member at or near to each end of its said edge. Such an arrangement provides for-a stable connection between the panel and the pillar, and also maximises the advantage to be obtained from the rotatability of the panel about at least one of such connecting members, as will be clear from the subsequent description.

The scope of the invention also extends to a panel for use in a partitioning system as set forth above, the panel having two spaced connecting members on an edge thereof, for slidable engagement in a longitudinal inwardly enlarged open ended slot in a supporting pillar, at least one of said connecting members being formed either so as to be rotatable in a said slot when slidably engaged therein or, while not being so rotatable in a said slot, being rotatable relative to the said panel. Such a panel may further include any of the preferred but optional features described above.

Some embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of part of the edge of a panel for use in a partitioning system according to a first embodiment of the invention, showing a connecting member; Figure 2 is a front view of the panel edge; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the panel edge; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the edge of a panel of a second embodiment; Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a typical pillar for use with the panels of Figures 1 to 4; and Figures 6 to 8 are three views illustrating successive stages in the process of connecting the panel of Figures 1 to 3 to the pillar of Figure 5.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3, a partitioning panel 1 made of any suitable material such as plastics or light metal is of rectangular shape and has two connecting members 2 on each of two opposite edges, the connecting members being spaced inwardly a short distance from the opposite ends of the panel edge, as may be seen from Figures 6 to 8. Each connecting member 2 is secured to the panel edge so as to be rotatable relative to the panel about its axis, and has a head 3 with straight sides 4 dimensioned to make a sliding fit in a slot 5 in a pillar 6. The slots in the pillar are open ended, to permit a connecting member to be introduced into the slot from either end, and are inwardly enlarged so as to trap the head of the connecting member therein but to enable it to slide freely along the slot. The rotatability of the connecting member 2 relative to the panel enables the panel to be rotated about the axis of the connecting member when the latter is trapped in the slot 5 and unable itself to rotate therein.

In the embodiment of Figure 4 the connecting member 7 has a round head of such a diameter as to make a sliding fit in the slot 5. In this embodiment the connecting member is fixed non-rotatably to the panel, but the panel can still rotate about the axis of the connecting member 6 when the latter is trapped in the slot, because the circular head of the connecting member can itself rotate in the slot.

Referring now to Figures 6 to 8, in the process of erecting a partition, a pillar 6 is stood vertically, ready to receive a panel 1 provided with rotatable connecting members 2. The pillar might have a foot to enable it to stand, or it might already have been connected to another panel, or it might simply be held in an upright position by an operator, to receive the panel 1. The ceiling of a room is indicated at 8, a short distance above the top end of the pillar 6, from which it may be surmised that the partition to be erected is to extend to almost the full height of the room in question.

To connect the panel to the pillar, the panel is lifted up to the level of the top of the pillar, in a substantially horizontal position, as seen in Figure 6, and with the connecting member 2A at the leading end of the panel rotated so that its side edges 4 are substantially at right angles to the plane of the panel and thus suitably aligned for insertion in the top open end of the slot 5 in the pillar. The connecting member having been inserted in the slot, it is slid down the latter, as shown in Figure 6, while at the same time the panel is rotated about the axis of the connecting member until the position shown in Figure 8 is reached. The second connecting member 2B can now be inserted in the slot and the panel lowered to whatever level is desired, relative to the pillar, to complete the operation. It will be understood that the opposite edge of the panel could at the same time be connected to another pillar in exactly the same manner, if desired.

It will be noted that, in the connection operation just described, the rotatability of the panel about the axis of connecting member 2A enables the panel to be connected to the pillar without ever having to align the plane of the panel with the length of the pillar, until the time comes to insert the other connecting member 2B in the slot. This provides the notable advantage that the connection operation may be carried out with the pillar already in its desired upright position (which it may already essentially occupy by virtue of having already had one or more of its other slots 5 connected to one or more other panels extending in other directions) and with its top end close to the ceiling 8.

The only space needed between the top of the pillar and the ceiling is equivalent to the spacing between the second connecting member 2B and the end of the panel edge, as will be clear from Figure 8, this being one reason why it is preferable to locate the connecting members close to the respective ends of the panel edge, as mentioned previously. It will also be noted that the above described connecting operation could still be carried out in the same way if the panel was not rotatable about the axis of the connecting member 2B, although it is much preferred that it should be so rotatable so as to enable either end of the panel to be the leading end in the connecting operation.

The facility, provided by the present invention, to enable a panel to be connected to a pillar without having to align the plane of the panel with the length of the pillar, until the connecting operation is nearly completed, is useful not only in circumstances where it is desired to erect a full height partition with the top of the pillar close to the ceiling. For example the connecting operation may be carried out with the pillar in other positions, for example lying on the floor (for erection subsequently), and then the described facility means that substantially less space is needed to perform the connecting operation as compared with circumstances where the panel and the pillar must be aligned with each other prior to their interconnection, thus initially needing a space equal to the whole length of the pillar plus the whole depth of the panel.

Claims

1. A partitioning system including a panel, and a pillar for supporting the same, the pillar being formed with a longitudinal inwardly enlarged open ended slot for slidably receiving and trapping spaced connecting members on an edge of the panel1 wherein the panel is able to rotate about an axis of at least one of said connecting members when the latter is engaged in the slot.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said connecting member is rotatably connected to the panel to permit said rotation of the panel.

3. A system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the said connecting member has straight sides for engagement with the sides of the slot, so as not to be rotatable therein.

4. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said connecting member is circular wherein it slidably engages in the said slot, to permit said rotation of the panel.

5. A system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the said connecting member is fixed non-rotatably to the panel.

6. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the panel is provided with two said connecting members about whose axes it is able to rotate.

7. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the panel is provided with a said connecting member at or near to each end of its said edge.

8. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said connecting members are provided on two opposite edges of the panel, to enable it to be connected between two said pillars.

9. A system as claimed in claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. A panel for use in a partitioning system as claimed in claim 1, the panel having two spaced connecting members on an edge thereof, for slidable engagement in a longitudinal inwardly enlarged open ended slot in a supporting pillar, at least one of said connecting members being formed either so as to be rotatable in a said slot when slidably engaged therein or, while not being so rotatable in a said slot, being rotatable relative to the said panel.

11. A panel as claimed in claim 10, having the further features as claimed in any of claims 3 to 8.

12. A panel as claimed in claim 10, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.