Patent ID: 7856777
Filing Date: 2010-12-28
Classification: E04B

Abstract:
1. A wall panel tile for connection to one side of a panel frame for an upright wall panel, comprising: a main upright tile body having opposite-facing front and rear sides that have height and width dimensions which are large relative to a thickness dimension defined transverse to said main tile body, said front and rear sides defining an outer free edge extending about an inner tile section; an elongate rigid connector member which extends lengthwise in a lengthwise direction between opposite ends, said connector member being fixed to said main tile body rearwardly adjacent said rear side thereof and extending lengthwise along said free edge of said main tile body, which said free edge is disposed outwardly adjacent to said connector member, the outwardly direction extending away from the center of the main tile body and towards the outer free edge thereof; said connector member having a channel-shaped connector part which extends lengthwise and has an outwardly projecting connector leg terminating at a shoulder which outwardly faces the adjacent free edge of said main body in an outward direction to define an outward facing shoulder surface; said connector part, in the vicinity of each said opposite end thereof, having a positioning notch which is formed in said shoulder and opens transversely away from said tile body; a pair of one-piece connector brackets mounted on said connector member adjacent said opposite ends thereof for permitting releasable engagement with the panel frame; each said connector bracket including an open U-shaped body having a bracket interior sized to outwardly slidably engage said U-shaped body in said outward direction over the connector part of the connector member, said U-shaped body having one side thereof defined by a plate-like leg part which is cantilevered from the connector part so as to extend outwardly toward said adjacent free edge of said main body; said leg part having a transversely deformed locking tab which is an integral and monolithic part of said leg part and which has a tab surface that faces in an inward direction opposite said outward direction so that said locking tab is disposed in an overlapping position outwardly adjacent to said shoulder to prevent reverse inward sliding disengagement of said U-shaped body from the connector part, said locking tab being spaced in the lengthwise direction away from said positioning notch when the connector bracket is mounted on the connector member; said leg part also having a transversely deformed positioning tab which is spaced in the lengthwise direction away from said locking tab and is cantilevered so as to extend inwardly generally away from said adjacent free edge for engagement within said positioning notch when the bracket is mounted on the connector member, said locking tab being engaged with said shoulder outside of said positioning notch while said positioning tab is engaged transversely within said positioning notch; and said leg part also having a frame-engaging projection cantilevered transversely outwardly from said leg part in a direction away from said U-shaped body, said projection being configured for engagement within an opening formed in said panel frame for attaching said cover tile to said panel frame.