Patent ID: 6035594
Filing Date: 2000-03-14
Classification: E04B,E04C

Abstract:
A prefabricated wall partition arrangement, comprising, in combination:a) a first integral panel comprising upper and lower elongate generally horizontally extending edges, first and second elongate generally vertically extending side edges, and a pair of opposing faces, with the upper and lower elongate generally horizontally extending edges defining a height of the first integral panel with the first and second elongate generally vertically extending side edges defining a width of the first integral panel;b) a first female member, with the first female member comprising a pair of generally vertically extending integral panel strips, with each of the generally vertically extending integral panel strips mounted on one of the opposing faces of the first integral panel and with the generally vertically extending integral panel strips opposing each other, with the generally vertically extending integral panel strips running along at least a portion of the first elongate generally vertically extending side edge of the first integral panel and further extending in a horizontal direction beyond such elongate generally vertically extending side edge of the first integral panel to form a female receptor, with each of the generally vertically extending integral panel strips comprising an inner face and further comprising outer and inner generally vertically extending edges, with the female receptor being defined by the inner faces of the generally vertically extending integral panel strips and the first elongate generally vertically extending side edge of the first integral panel, with each of the generally vertically extending integral panel strips having a width less than the width of the first integral panel;c) a first male member integral with the first panel, with the first male member comprising the second elongate generally vertically extending side edge and a portion of the first integral panel running in from the such elongate generally vertically extending side edge, with such portion which runs in from the side edge comprising an outer face portion of each of the opposing faces, with the first male member running the height of the first integral panel;d) a lower position locator, with the position locator comprising a pair of generally horizontally extending integral panel strips, with each of the generally horizontally extending integral panel strips comprising two ends and a lower elongate generally horizontally extending edge, with each of the generally horizontally extending integral panel strips being on one of the opposing faces of the first integral panel and with the lower elongate generally horizontally extending edges of the first integral panel and generally horizontally extending integral panel strips being generally flush with each other, with one end of each of the generally horizontally extending integral panel strips confronting the inner generally vertically extending edge of one of the generally vertically extending integral panel strips and with the other end of each of the generally horizontally extending integral panel strips terminating at the outer face portion of one of the opposing faces; ande) with the distance between the outer face portions of the male member being approximately equal to the distance between the inner faces of the generally vertically extending integral panel strips of the female member and with the first and second elongate generally vertically extending side edges of the first integral panel being generally parallel to each other;f) such that a second integral panel having one of the first female and first male members is engagable in one of the first female and first male members of the first integral panel, such that the inner faces of the female member confront the outer face portions of the male member to lend support to the first and second integral panels in a direction transverse to the first and second integral panels, such that the first elongate generally vertically extending side edge of the female member confronts the second elongate generally vertically extending side edge of the male member to lend support to the first and second integral panels in a direction defined by a plane in which the first and second integral panels generally lie and such that a portion of the female member of the second integral panel confronts said other end of each of the generally horizontally extending integral panel strips terminating at the outer face portion of one of the opposing faces so as to locate the first and second integral panels relative to each other.