Patent ID: 8534021
Filing Date: 2013-09-17
Classification: E04B

Abstract:
1. A freestanding, portable variable width partition for open offices spaces, comprising: (a) a skeleton frame having two opposite faces, a foot portion adapted to abuttingly support said partition on a floor surface, and orthogonally related top, bottom and two end edges, at least one of said two end edges being shaped for direct connection with a corresponding end edge on an adjacent partition to create a substantially freestanding utility panel system; said skeleton frame including spaced apart, parallel vertical frame members and spaced apart, parallel horizontal frame members that extend generally orthogonally to said vertical frame members, said vertical frame members being rigidly secured to at least one of the horizontal frame members, and said horizontal frame members being rigidly secured to at least one of the vertical frame members, said two opposite faces of the skeleton frame comprise a front face and a rear face, (b) a plurality of covers, each cover shaped to cover at least a portion of one of the faces of said skeleton frame, the covers comprise at least one front cover to cover the front face and at least one rear cover to cover the rear face, (c) a plurality of clips comprising a set of remote clips and a set of proximate clips, each remote clip of the remote set of clips being removably attachable to the frame for replacement by a corresponding proximate clip of the set of the proximate clips and each proximate clip of the set of proximate clips being removably attachable to the frame for replacement by a corresponding remote clip of the set of remote clips, each cover being detachably connectable with the clips to the skeleton frame for detachment to provide ready access to an interior portion of said partition, each cover is detachably secured to the frame with either the proximate clips or in the alternative with the remote clips, wherein (i) when the remote clips are coupled to the frame, when each cover is detachably connected to the frame with the remote clips, each cover is in a first proximate position and in the alternative (ii) when the proximate clips are coupled to the frame, when each cover is detachably connected to the frame with the remote clips each cover is in a second remote position, in both the first proximate position and the second remote position each cover covers the same respective portion of one of the faces, each front cover in the remote position is spaced forwardly from the frame a greater extent than when the front cover is in the proximate position, each rear cover in the remote position is spaced rearwardly from the frame a greater extent than when the rear cover is in the proximate position, at least one front cover having a forwardly directed surface forming a front face of the partition when the front cover is connected to the frame in the proximate position and the remote position, the at least one rear cover having a rearwardly directed surface forming a rear face of the partition when the rear cover is connected to the frame in the proximate position and the remote position, the partition having a width from the front face of the partition to the rear face of the partition, wherein when each said front cover and each said rear cover is connected to the frame in the proximate position the width of the frame is a first width, and in the alternative when each said front cover and each said rear cover is connected to the frame in the remote position the width of the frame is a second width greater than the first width.