Demountable panel system

A demountable panel system has panel members formed with peripheral edge surround sections of extruded rigid material. The surround sections included channels to receive panel material and leg portions with opposed grooves to releasably engage with a clip rail section. The clip rail section enables various panel structures, such as corner posts, to be interconnected with the panel members. The clip rail section has a tongue extending generally in the direction perpendicular to the panel member and so shaped as to be resiliently engageable with a tongue of an adjacent clip rail section whereby panel members or other panel structures can be clipped together along their length by relative transverse movement. The clip rail section includes opposed, outwardly extending flanges and perpendicular leg parts which cooperate with the channels of the surround section to form a recess having a narrow mouth. A workstation support bracket is retained behind a nib in the recess and wedges therein to lock the bracket relative to the panel members.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a demountable panel system and relates 
particularly to a demountable panel system for use in partitioning for 
offices, schools, or any other building structure. The invention also 
relates to a system which facilitates workstation design and construction 
to individual requirements but which also allows changes to be made at any 
time. 
Generally, partitions for offices and the like are formed of fixed 
partition material which may be built in situ or formed of prefabricated 
panels and erected on site. More recently, partitions have been formed of 
demountable partition panels which can be removed and transported to 
another site as required. 
Heretofore, demountable partitions have been expensive to install due to 
the relative high cost of the materials used and the labour costs 
associated with erection. Thus, the demountable partitions were 
constructed of solid panels with edging of metal, usually extruded 
aluminium, which could be screwed or bolted together. Cover strips covered 
the joining screws and could be removed to enable the partitions to be 
removed when necessary. 
To reduce the costs of such demountable partitions, cheap construction 
methods and cheap materials have been used. However, this has resulted in 
relatively light weight partitions which are subject to damage, structural 
failure and shortened life. 
It is therefore desirable to provide a panel system which can be used for 
the construction of office partitioning and the like and which, when 
assembled, results in a partition having strength, durability and sound 
absorption properties similar to that of fixed partitioning but which is 
demountable and can be readily moved to different locations. 
Modern office equipment and office layout designs need to utilize the 
advantages of computers, word processors and other similar equipment. For 
this purpose, it has become common practice to develop workstations for 
individual staff members, each workstation being individually designed in 
accordance with the working requirements of the user. Such workstations 
generally require a form of desk with either walls or low-level partitions 
separating one workstation from another. 
It is a desirable feature of the present invention that such workstations 
can be constructed utilizing the demountable panel system of the present 
invention. 
It is also desirable that the panel system of the invention is relatively 
economical to produce, is simple to erect and is able to be moved from 
place to place and re-erected with the same or a different format. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided a 
demountable panel for assembly with other similar panels to form a 
partition structure or workstation, said panel comprising a panel member 
having at least opposed side edges defined by a surround section of a 
shape to be secured to the panel member, the surround section including 
leg means extending along the length thereof to releasably engage 
cooperating parts of a clip rail section, a flange on the clip rail 
section extending generally in a direction perpendicular to the plane of 
the panel member, the flange having a shape to snap-engage with a similar 
flange of the partition structure or workstation by an engaging movement 
perpendicular to the panel member. 
The demountable panel of the invention is preferably used with other panel 
members and related parts in a system which may include a number of panel 
members of square or rectangular outline the perimeter of which is formed 
by metal surround sections with coplanar legs defining spaced recesses to 
receive and support spaced lining material, such as plasterboard, plywood, 
particleboard, glass or the like. If desired, the lining material may be 
faced, such as with a fabric or other suitable facing material. 
The panel members are connected to each other by utilizing the clip rail 
section which is releasably engaged with the surround sections on at least 
the opposed edges of the panel members. In one form of the invention, the 
clip rail sections are slidably engaged with the surround sections 
although in a most preferred arrangement, the clip rail sections are snap 
fitted to the surround sections. 
The flange on each clip rail section is preferably resilient permitting 
snap engagement (in a lateral direction relative to the plane of the panel 
members) either with an adjacent clip rail section fitted to an adjacent 
panel member or to similar flanges on other clip rail sections fixed to 
structure members such as a post section or a capping section or other 
demountable part used to form a partition wall or workstation. 
In constructing workstations of a variety of designs and arrangements, it 
is necessary to support horizontal work platforms, desk tops, drawer sets, 
equipment supports and the like at desired locations. For this purpose, 
the present invention provides for a workstation bracket having a head 
portion engageable within a channel formed when a surround section is 
engaged with a clip rail section, the channel extending the length of the 
relevant section. A mouth of the channel is preferably defined on one side 
by a nib part of the surround section. The head portion of the bracket 
includes a shoulder engageable behind the nib part preventing lateral 
disengagement of the head portion from the channel. The bracket further 
includes a wall engaging projection spaced from the head portion and 
arranged to engage the channel wall opposite the nib part while the head 
portion engages behind the nib part. The head part may also be formed with 
a wall engaging shoulder to cause the bracket to be able to be firmly 
wedged within the channel. 
The bracket according to this aspect of the invention can be located at any 
position along a channel formed by the surround section and clip rail 
section. In the preferred embodiments, a locking screw engages through a 
lug on the bracket to bear against the wall of the channel to hold the 
bracket in a wedged position in the channel with the channel wall engaging 
projection firmly contacting the channel wall while the head portion is 
wedged between the nib part and the opposed wall. 
The bracket may have any suitable configuration for supporting a 
workstation desk top, bench, item of equipment or anything else which 
needs to be secured relative to the panel system. Naturally, any number of 
brackets may be utilized in conjunction with the panel system to build up 
a workstation of any suitable design.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
The drawings herewith illustrate a demountable panel system which comprises 
a number of panel members generally of rectangular outline. 
The individual panel members are formed with paced, parallel lining 
material such as plasterboard, plywood, particle board, glass, metal, 
plastics material or the like. Any other suitable form of lining material 
may be used in the performance of the invention and, where glass is used, 
either one or two sheets may be used as required. 
FIG. 1 shows, for the purposes of illustration of the features of this 
invention, a partition structure which comprises a main, full height 
partition wall 13 and three-quarter height partition dividers 15 defining 
workstation areas, in one of which is a work-top 20. 
The upper panel members 12 of the wall 13 and the upper panel members 12 of 
the dividers 15 are formed of a pair of glass sheets 21 while the lower 
panel members 12 comprise spaced plasterboard sheets 14 with a facing of 
foam-backed fabric material 16. The fabric material provides an 
aesthetically pleasing appearance to the panel while the foam backing 
ensures that the fabric material remains relatively smooth and pleasant to 
touch. 
As shown in the drawings, the panel members 12 are formed as a unitary 
construction with the peripheral edges of the spaced sheets 14, 16 
supported by surround sections 17 which can be formed of extruded 
aluminium, alloy, plastics material or other relatively rigid material. 
The surround sections 17 are formed with a pair of spaced channels 18 to 
directly receive the sheets 14, as shown particularly in FIG. 4, or to 
receive glazing gaskets 19 which support glass sheets 21 as shown in FIGS. 
2 and 3. 
The surround sections 17 are further formed with a nib part 22 of 
relatively thick material, the purpose of which is hereinafter described. 
Each panel member 12 may be interengaged with another panel member or with 
other panel system parts through the use of clip rail sections 23 shown 
particularly in FIG. 2. Each clip rail section 23 is formed with a pair of 
legs having longitudinal cooperating grooves 26 to receive ribs 27 on leg 
parts 28 of the surround sections 17. The grooves 26 are preferably 
engaged with the ribs 27 by longitudinal sliding to ensure that the clip 
rail sections 23 are firmly secured to the surround sections 17 against 
dis-engagement in a transverse direction. 
The clip rail section 23 is formed with a laterally extending flange or 
tongue 29 having a "wave" or elongated S configuration. The tongue 29 is 
so disposed as to be engageable by a similar tongue 29 of an adjacent clip 
rail section 23 to releasably lock two clip rail sections together. The 
engaging movement is a movement perpendicular to the plane of the panel 
members 12 to thereby snap adjacent panel members together as shown in 
FIG. 4. Alternatively, a clip rail section 23 may be engaged with an end 
cap 31 (FIG. 3) or a corner post 32 (FIG. 5) or an intermediate post, 
which may be identical to a corner post 32, as shown in FIG. 6. 
It will thus be seen that the structure of the panel members, the surround 
sections 17 and the clip rail sections 23 enable a number of panel members 
12 to be interengaged with each other or with end caps 31 or posts 32 to 
form a panel system. The provision of the tongue 29 on the clip rail 
sections 23 ensures ease of assembly as well as dis-assembly of panel 
members with each other and with the other various sections as 
illustrated. 
A feature of the present invention is the ability to assemble the panel 
members 12 in any desired arrangement to constitute partitioning or to 
form workstations of any desired design or configuration. For this purpose 
the clip rail section 23 is constructed with opposed flanges 33 and leg 
parts 43 extending at right angles thereto. When assembled with a surround 
section 23, the flanges 33 and leg parts 43 combine with the base part of 
the channels 18 and the nib part 22 to form a recess 30 with a restricted 
mouth 36. 
As seen in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 workstation bracket 37 is designed to engage 
within the recess 30 to support workstation equipment such as desk tops, 
drawer sets and the like from the panel assembly. The workstation bracket 
37 includes a head portion 38 which is engageable within the recess 30 and 
has a width greater than the width of the mouth 36 defined by the flange 
33 and nib part 22. At a lower end of the bracket 37 there is provided a 
pointed projection 39 spaced some distance below the head portion 38. The 
bracket 37 also includes a lug 41 having a threaded screw 42 passing 
through the mouth 36 and adapted to engage on the rear wall of the recess 
30 formed by the leg part 43 of the clip rail sections 23. 
In use, the bracket head portion 38 is engaged within the recess 30 through 
a cut-away portion 40 of the nib part 22, shown in FIG. 7. The head 
portion 38, which is angled relative to the bracket 37, has opposed corner 
shoulders 35 and 45 which contact the nib part 22 and the opposed leg part 
43. In a loaded position, the point of projection 39 also engages the rear 
wall of the recess 30 formed by the leg part 43. Thus, the bracket head 38 
becomes "wedged" within the recess 30 to prevent relative, vertical 
movement of the bracket 37 while the projection 39 acts also to lock the 
bracket 37 in position and to resist deformation of the recess 30 by the 
head portion 38. The nib part 22, being of thickness relatively greater 
than that of other parts of the surround sections 17 provides the strength 
necessary to support the appropriate loadings on the bracket 37. The 
threaded screw 42 is moved into engagement with the leg part 43 to hold 
the bracket in the "wedged" position. 
The bracket 37 may be used to support a desk top, a computer stand, a set 
of drawers or any other item of equipment which is required to be 
supported for use by an operator. Shelves and other items can also be 
supported by appropriate bracket constructions. 
The bracket 37 can be moved from its locked or "wedged" position by 
releasing the screw 42 and lifting the body to move the shoulders 35 and 
45 and projection 39 out of locking engagement with the walls of the 
recess 30. The bracket is then able to slide vertically in the recess 30. 
Referring to FIG. 4 of the drawings, there is illustrated two panel members 
12, both of which are formed of fibrous plaster sheets 14 with foam backed 
fabric material 16. The interconnection of the two clip rail sections 23 
produces two recesses 30 on each side with which brackets 37 may be 
engaged. 
FIG. 5 shows two panel members having double glazing 21 interconnected 
utilizing a post 32 as a corner post. A corner cover 53 is clipped to the 
post 32. If necessary for structural integrity, the post 32 may be 
reinforced by an appropriate reinforcing member 46. 
In FIG. 6, there is shown three panel members 12 interconnected to each 
other using the post 32 enabling the clip rail sections 23 to be connected 
thereto and also having the open side covered with a cover strip 44. 
Referring to FIG. 9, there is illustrated a section of a partition wall 13 
which includes a pair of opposed power cable ducts 47 which are 
incorporated within the panel member 12 to enable power cables, telephone 
cables, computer cables and the like to be fed through the panel members 
12 to appropriate workstations, telephones and power outlets. The power 
ducts 47 extend generally horizontally and include a back-to-back internal 
duct members 48 which are fastened at each end to the vertically extending 
surround sections of the relevant panel. Each internal duct member 48 
includes three compartments 49, 51 and 52 to separately contain the 
individual cables for telephone, power and computers. A front cover 53 is 
hingedly connected to a lower edge 54 to permit access to the cable ducts 
49, 51 and 52. Power outlets, computer connectors, telephone outlets and 
the like are fixed to the duct member 48 and openings are provided in the 
cover 53 to provide access to those outlets. 
At the base of the panel member 12, a height adjustment mechanism 58 
incorporating a base 59 a threaded post 61 and a nut 62 is positioned on a 
channel 63. A skirting section 64 engages with the channel 63. 
In an alternative arrangement where the partition wall 13 is to be 
supported on existing carpet 55, a simple height adjusting foot 60 engages 
with the lower surround section and has a base 59 which rests directly on 
the carpet 55 as shown in FIG. 10. 
The panel members of the present invention are designed to be used as full 
height and half height partitions as well as for use as workstation 
panels. In utilizing the panel members as full height partitions, as shown 
in FIG. 11 an upper facial member 56 may be utilized over the upper 
surround section 17 and which engages with the ceiling 57 of the area in 
which the partition is to be installed. If desired, an appropriate mastic 
sealing material 65 can be imposed between the facia member 56 and the 
ceiling 57. 
The panel system according to the present invention is easily demountable 
and, therefore, movable from place to place without structural change in 
respect of the building in which the system has been installed. Relocation 
of power points, computer terminal outlets, telephone outlets and the like 
can be made simply and without the need to dismantle or reconstruct 
partitions or panel members. 
The panel system may be constructed utilizing a variety of different types 
of panel members interconnected horizontally and/or vertically with other 
panel members. In some cases, a single panel member 12 will incorporate a 
lower part formed of plasterboard sheet material 14 or the like, an 
intermediate cable duct 47 and an upper part formed of single or double 
glass sheets 21. The particular design of the surround sections 17 is 
devised to provide longitudinal semi-circular channels 66 to receive 
fastening screws from other parts for positively securing parts together. 
Also, the leg parts 67 (FIG. 2) provide support for the recess base legs 
43 of the clip rail section 23.