Structure for the creation of room dividing walls particularly for operating theatres and the like

A structure for the creation of room dividing walls or for the lining of pre-existing walls, particularly for operating theatres and the like, comprising upright members (2), independent of one another, each made integral with the ceiling and the floor by appropriate means of anchoring (3, 4), equipped with means of height adjustment (4), to such uprights there being made integral stiffening cross members (5) and front lining panels (6, 206) adjacent to one another, there being furthermore provided means (7) for centering and means (8) for fixing such panels to uprights (2) as well as sealing members (15) for spaces (206a) made in the thickness of panels (206) to accommodate service equipment.

The object of this invention is a structure for the formation and lining of 
walls and the like for rooms such as operating theatres, outpatient 
departments and the like in which there is required complete isolation 
from external contaminating agents and the maintenance of specific 
internal conditions. 
It is known that in operating theatres, outpatient departments and the 
like, where it is necessary to perform operations under optimum hygienic 
conditions, there is posed the problem of containing the level of 
bacterial contamination as much as possible. In particular there is felt 
the need to obtain rooms whose fixed structures, which cannot be 
periodically made sterile with the normal techniques used for small 
utensils, prove the most suitable possible for achieving minimum 
conditions of build-up of dirt and of occurrence of bacteria. 
Furthermore, when it becomes necessary to create more operating theatres 
intended for surgical operations of different medical specializations, it 
is necessary to be able to provide rooms of dimensions suited to each 
particular requirement; for example it is known that operations of 
ophthalmological type require fairly small operating theatres, whereas on 
the other hand in the orthopaedic field much larger sizes are required. 
There is therefore posed the technical problem of providing structures 
capable of being advantageously used in rooms which require particular 
conditions of hygiene while at the same time ensuring ease of assembly, 
modular application, limited weight and dimensions and undergoing little 
deterioration as a result of the frequent washing operations required by 
the particular room to which they are applied. 
Such problems are resolved by a structure according to this invention, 
which comprises a structure for the creation of room dividing walls or for 
the lining of pre-existing walls for operating theatres and the like 
comprising upright members, independent of one another, each made integral 
with the ceiling and the floor by appropriate means of anchoring, equipped 
with means of height adjustment, to such uprights there being made 
integral stiffening cross members and front lining panels adjacent to one 
another, there being furthermore provided means for centering and means 
for fixing such panels to the uprights as well as space sealing members 
made in the thickness of panels (206) and of the double ceiling cavity to 
accommodate service equipment. 
More particularly, the structure according to the invention provides that 
such uprights consist of two "C" sections set against one another, on each 
wing of which are provided such means of centering and means of fixing, 
and that such means of upper anchoring consist of fixed flanges made 
integral with the ceiling of the room and such means of lower adjustment 
consist of screw and nut fasteners located between the lower end of the 
upright and a floor support member made of friction material to prevent 
any shifting of the upright from the position of vertical alignment. 
According to the invention, provision is also made for such panels to 
consist of a surrounding frame to which is applied a front sealing plate, 
such frame having a substantially "U" section on the rear surface of which 
are provided seats for centering and connection to appropriate means of 
restraint, preferably consisting of means of reversible elastic 
deformation capable of becoming deformed during the passage of such 
corresponding seats provided on the rear surfaces of the frame of such 
panels and to recover their initial setting following the passage of such 
seats, thus achieving the mechanical restraint of the said panels. 
The structure according to this invention provides moreover that such front 
panels have a space provided within their thickness, capable of containing 
the thickness of a corresponding panel made integral with the structure by 
means of a concealed hinge and capable of accommodating within the 
interior thereof service equipment, and that such panels are applied 
transversally between two corner panels via corresponding means of 
anchoring shaped in such a way as to make parallel all the adjacent 
surfaces of the aligned and inclined panels.

As shown in FIG. 1, one or more operating theatres 1 may be created by 
means of the structure according to the invention, which substantially 
comprises (FIG. 2) a multiplicity of uprights 2 substantially consisting 
of two members 2a and 2b of "C" section set against one another and made 
integral using means which are self-evident and not illustrated. 
Such uprights 2 are attached at the top to the ceiling of the room by means 
of flanges 3 and appropriate means of fixing, not illustrated, while at 
the lower end, to be attached to the floor, they have a supporting foot 4 
adjustable for height by means of screw and nut fasteners 4a (FIG. 5) 
located between upright 2 and a floor support pad 4b equipped with means 
of friction 4c capable of preventing shifting of the floor base from the 
axis of vertical alignment. 
Such uprights 2 are furthermore connected to one another by a multiplicity 
of beams 5 together with which they form a rigid reticular structure 
capable of supporting panels 6 which are made integral with uprights 2 and 
beams 5 as will be more clearly described hereinafter. As shown in FIGS. 
4a and 4b, on the inward-facing wings of "C" uprights 2 openings are 
provided in which are inserted centering pins 7 and flexible restraining 
members 8 for attaching panel 6. As shown in FIG. 3, this mounting 
arrangement consists of a surrounding frame 6a of U section in which are 
provided slots 6b and holes 6c respectively for connection to said pins 7 
and to said flexible restraining members 8. Referring to FIG. 3a, there is 
superimposed on such surrounding frame 6a a flat member 6d of thin section 
with a glazed surface to withstand the action of the products used for 
washing the surfaces. By means of the structure as described, assembly of 
the panels is very simple and quick; thus, after placing in alignment and 
applying the first panel 6 to one of sections 2a of uprights 2, by 
connecting the appropriate pin 7 with the centering slot 6b and flexible 
member 8 to affixing hole 6c, all the subsequent panels can be placed in 
position using the previous panel as a "template" for the next one which, 
on being placed adjacently to such previous panel, is secured to the two 
sections, respectively second 2b and first 2a, of two subsequent uprights 
2. Since, however, interstices 9 formed by the positioning of further 
panels 6 could become points of accumulation of dust and therefore of 
generation of bacteria, they are filled with packing material 10, for 
example of silicone type with subsequent surface finish 11 using epoxy 
paint; in this way the surface finish of the entire wall is devoid of 
points of accumulation of dirt and therefore of bacterial contamination as 
required to ensure the hygienic conditions envisaged for the purpose for 
which such rooms are intended. 
The structure according to the invention provides in addition certain 
features for the completion of particular parts of the room; for example 
the lower strip of the walls in the vicinity of the floor (FIG. 5) is 
completed by means of a skirting 12, formed by two edgepieces 12a and 12b 
joined to one another by a convex bend 12c, made integral with uprights 2 
by means of screw and nut fasteners 12d of known type as illustrated in 
FIG. 5, after which such skirting 12 is applied in the correct position by 
means of centring pins 12e. 
A further finishing feature consists of a counterpanel 106 located at an 
angle of, say, 45.degree. in relation to the corners of the room in order 
to provide better forced air circulation by means of appropriate 
conditioning equipment; in this case provision is made for applying a 
connecting member 13 located between two panels 6, one of which forms the 
angle (FIG. 6); such connecting member 13 is made integral with such panel 
6 by means of screw and nut fasteners 12d and is shaped in such a way as 
to present surfaces adjacent to the various panels 6 and 106 in order to 
form therewith interstices 9 set closely like those existing between the 
adjacent panels and capable like these of being filled with sealant 10 
with final smooth paint finish 11; there are therefore also prevented in 
this case any potential points of accumulation of dust and the like. 
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, a further object of this invention is a panel 
206, like base panels 6, which has in its thickness a recess 206a capable 
of accommodating the full thickness of a door 15 made integral with panel 
206 by means of a concealed hinge 16 which makes possible in one sense the 
complete moving away of door 15 from space 206a which therefore becomes 
accessible for cleaning operations, for example by means of air or fluid 
Jets, and in the opposite sense the accommodation of the thickness of the 
said door so that once closed it is again aligned with adjacent panels 6. 
The space provided in panel 206 is further protected by means of a casing 
which isolates the said panel from the interior of the operating theatre. 
As shown in FIG. 8 a further feature of the structure according to the 
invention is the provision of a double ceiling which is provided by means 
of panels 16' hinged to a double "C" cross member 17 set alternately as 
required in relation to fixed panels 116, each surrounding edge of the 
moving and fixed panels being associated with a sealing section 16a which 
makes it possible to prevent the passage both of air and of dust and the 
like. 
To hinged panels 16' there may be applied electrical devices such as lamps 
and the like, while to fixed panels 116 there are applied apertures 18 for 
the outflow of conditioned air generated by appropriate equipment 19 
located in the cavity of the double ceiling.