Patent ID: 7661237
Filing Date: 2010-02-16
Classification: E04B

Abstract:
1. An upright wall system, comprising: an upright frame structure including a plurality of elongate frame members interconnected to define one or more open areas which open horizontally through the frame structure, said plurality of frame members including a pair of upright frame members which are disposed in sidewardly spaced and generally parallel relationship and which define said one open area therebetween, said upright frame members having opposite base walls which extend vertically and face sidewardly wherein said base wall on each respective side of said frame structure lies coplanar within a respective vertically-extending side plane, said upright frame members further including a channel wall structure displaced inwardly from a respective said base wall of each of said upright frame members wherein each said channel wall structure defines a vertically elongate channel having a channel mouth which opens sidewardly through said side plane; a large vertically-extending side skin positioned adjacent one side of said frame structure and extending horizontally between said pair of upright frame members for closing off said one open area, said side skin having an interior face defining a rear side and having vertically-extending edge portions which are respectively positioned in engaged relationship with a respective one of the upright frame members wherein said interior face is disposed closely adjacent to and substantially parallel to said side plane; and a snap-on attachment structure extending vertically along and creating a cooperative engagement between each said upright frame member and the respectively adjacent upright edge portion of said skin for fixedly attaching the side skin to the frame structure; said snap-on attachment structure including a vertically elongate attachment clip mounted on said rear side of said side skin adjacent an upright edge thereof, said attachment clip being cantilevered generally horizontally outwardly away from the rear side of said skin and projecting into said channel of the respective upright frame member inwardly of said side plane; said snap-on attachment structure also including an elongate attachment rib fixed to and extending lengthwise of said upright frame member within said channel and cantilevered horizontally outwardly from said channel wall structure in a direction toward the interior face of said skin and terminating in a free end disposed inwardly of said side plane; said attachment rib including an enlarged head part adjacent the free end thereof which terminates at said free end inwardly of said side plane, said enlarged head part having oppositely-facing side surfaces provided with a convex rounded profile, said side surfaces defining a first width therebetween which constitutes the maximum transverse width of the attachment rib; said attachment rib also including a bridge part which is disposed horizontally inwardly from the enlarged head part within said channel and which rigidly joins to an upright wall of said upright frame member, said bridge part being defined between oppositely facing side surfaces which are concavely smoothly rounded and which respectively merge into the convex rounded side surfaces of the enlarged head part, said bridge part having a minimal transverse width as defined between the concavely rounded side surfaces which is substantially smaller than the maximum width defined by said enlarged head part; and said attachment clip including a vertically-elongate wall base which is fixedly carried on said side skin adjacent the interior face thereof, and a pair of sidewardly-spaced vertically-elongate spring legs fixed to and cantilevered rearwardly from said wall base for sideward straddling engagement with the adjacent attachment rib, each said spring leg having thereon an enlarged head part defined by a coil-shaped sector which is integrally joined to the spring leg adjacent a free end thereof and which is coiled inwardly through an angular extent of at least approximately 270 degrees so as to be convexly rounded and project inwardly toward the enlarged head part fixed to the other spring leg, the enlarged head parts being positioned in sidewardly adjacent but sidewardly spaced relation to define a gap therebetween having a minimal width which is less than the minimal width of the bridge part when the spring clip is in a resiliently non-deflected condition, the coil-shaped head part associated with each spring leg being spaced outwardly a substantial distance away from the wall base, and said coil-shaped head parts having an exterior configuration which is compatible with and generally conforms to the shape of the concave rounded side surfaces defined on opposite sides of the bridge part for permitting the bridge part to be gripped between the coil-shaped head parts when the attachment clip is snappingly engaged over the attachment rib.