Modular structure for modular partition walls formed of juxtaposed panels

A modular supporting structure is intended to support juxtaposed panels in order to form a modular partition wall adapted to subdivide and define a space to be used as an office into independent working zones. The modular supporting structure comprises a lower cross member, a plurality of intermediate cross members, an upper cross member and a plurality of upright spacers, with each upright spacer interconnecting a pair of adjacently arranged cross members. Only one joining element is provided for interconnection of each intermediate cross member to a pair of lower and upper upright spacers, respectively, at their point of concurrence, in order to form a supporting structure consisting of a framework of rectangular elementary cells intended to frame the juxtaposed panels.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to the field of office furnishings and, in particular, to construction of sectional partition walls consisting of juxtaposed panels of a kind used in offices for a purpose of dividing and defining an office space into independent zones.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

According to known art, construction of partitions of the aforementioned kind generally makes use of a supporting structure comprising interconnected uprights and cross members which rest on a floor of a space to be furnished, and act as support for panels in order to frame the same within the uprights and the cross members of the supporting structure. The panels are made from wooden, synthetic or composites materials or the like, and may exhibit a covering made of an aesthetically pleasing material.

Such a construction has, however, some disadvantages which limit applicability thereof, unless provision is made for relatively expensive measures. As a matter of fact, with a supporting structure made according to the known art of the kind described above by assembly of uprights and cross members, a variety of available measures for partitions to be erected is limited, because both the uprights and the cross members are generally produced with a limited number of measures. Moreover, a conventional supporting structure exhibits a serious disadvantage in that its rigidity tends to decrease when dimensions of walls to be erected exceed certain limits, and this sets a more stringent restriction to measures of walls which can be erected.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is aimed at obviating the above-mentioned disadvantages of conventional supporting structures for partition walls, and provides a novel modular supporting structure for sectional partition walls consisting of juxtaposed panels.

According to the present invention, the modular supporting structure is intended to support juxtaposed panels in order to form a modular partition wall adapted to subdivide and define a space to be used as an office into independent working zones, and comprises a lower cross member, a plurality of intermediate cross members, an upper cross member and a plurality of upright spacers, with each upright spacer interconnecting a pair of adjacently arranged cross members. Only one joining element is provided for interconnection of each of the intermediate cross members to a pair of lower and upper upright spacers, respectively, at their point of concurrence, in order to form a supporting structure consisting of a framework of rectangular elementary cells intended to frame juxtaposed panels.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1of the drawings illustrates a sectional partition wall member10intended to be joined together with other similar members, not shown in the Figure, in order to form a wall adapted to subdivide an interior space to be used as an office according to specific functional and aesthetical criteria. Such a partition wall member is formed in a manner known per se, by juxtaposing several decorative panels11.

For supporting the panels11of the sectional partition wall member10, according to this invention, there is provided an improved modular supporting structure, generally designated by20inFIG. 2. This supporting structure20comprises a lower cross member21, one or more intermediate cross members22, an upper cross member23and a plurality of upright spacers24. The lower cross member21, the intermediate cross members22, the upper cross member23and the upright spacers24are joined together at their point of concurrence in a manner which will be described hereunder, in order to form a framework intended to frame the juxtaposed decorative panels11which form the modular partition wall member10. By virtue of the fact that the cross members21,22,23and the spacers24are joined together in order to form a framework consisting of a plurality of rectangular elementary cells having measures which are independent from overall dimensions of the sectional partition wall member10, the modular supporting structure20of the present invention exhibits a greater rigidity than known supporting structures for forming sectional partition walls.

With reference toFIGS. 3 and 4of the drawings, there are illustrated two possible variants of the modular supporting structure20in accordance with the present invention. By observing these variants, one can see that they differ in that a length and width of the cross members21,22,23and a number of spacers24are different. It is possible to erect supporting structures of different dimensions by suitably choosing a length and width of the cross members and a number of spacers while maintaining unchanged, however, characteristics of rigidity of the supporting structure which are given by interconnecting of the cross members and the spacers to form a plurality of rectangular elementary cells.

InFIG. 5Aof the drawings, there is shown an arrangement by which the lower cross member21, the intermediate cross members22, the upper cross member23, and the upright spacers24are joined together to form the modular supporting structure20shown inFIG. 2. For a better understanding of the means by which the interconnection of the cross members and the spacers is realized, an illustration of the decorative panels11forming the partition wall member10has been omitted. For interconnection of the intermediate cross members22and the upright spacers24a special joining element, generally designated by25, is used, whereas for interconnection of the lower cross member21and the upper cross member23to the upright spacers24ordinary connection elements, e.g. screws, are used which are generally indicated as26and27, respectively.

FIG. 5Billustrates an arrangement by which the decorative panels11are joined together with the lower cross member21, the intermediate cross members22, the upper cross member23and the spacers24to form the sectional partition wall member10. As can be seen, in smaller vertical sides of each decorative panel11a groove S is formed which extends throughout a length of each smaller vertical side of the decorative panel and is intended to receive therein an upright spacer24. The groove S is then closed by a covering element C which is fixed to the upright spacer24, for example by virtue of a snap clip F, so that the upright spacer24is concealed from view.

With reference toFIGS. 6 to 9of the drawings, there is shown in greater detail the joining element25. This joining element25is substantially formed by a smooth circular cylindrical shank25A having a flange-forming enlargement25B and a pair of threaded end portions30,31extending from a lower portion and an upper portion of the shank25A, respectively. A free end of the threaded end portion31terminates in a hexagonal head portion32in order to permit it to be operated via use of a tool as described in the following.

Again inFIGS. 6 to 9, it can be seen that the cross members22are provided with a through hole33at each end thereof which is intended to receive the shank25A of the joining element25. Upper and lower openings of the hole33are located in a depressed surface34provided on upper and lower sides of the intermediate cross member22. This depressed surface34acts as an abutment surface for the flange25B of the joining element25, thus permitting the shank25A of the joining element25to be retained inside the hole33so that lower and upper threaded end portions30,31project from upper and lower sides, respectively, of free ends of the cross member22. Since the shank25A of the joining element25is smooth, the joining element25is lodged in the hole33with a possibility to turn around its longitudinal axis. Depressed surfaces34further act as abutment surfaces for end portion of the upright spacers24connected to associated intermediate cross members22. A similar depressed surface34is also provided in an upper side of the lower cross member21and in a lower side of the upper cross member23at free ends thereof, in order to act as abutment surfaces for end portions of the upright spacers24connected to the cross members21,23.

Each upright spacer24is provided with a threaded hole at both its lower and the upper end portions, which are adapted to receive the lower and upper threaded end portions30,31, respectively, of the joining element25. Moreover, on an outer surface at an upper end portion of each upright spacer a pair of oppositely arranged planar surfaces29are formed which are adapted to be operated via use of a suitable tool as described in the following.

Assembly of the modular supporting structure20and the decorative panels11forming the sectional partition wall member10is performed in the following steps.

In a first step, a first pair of joining elements25is inserted from the top into the holes33made in the free ends of a first intermediate cross member22until the flange25B of the shank25A of each joining element25comes to a rest against the depressed abutment surface34surrounding the upper opening of the holes33, as shown inFIGS. 6 and 7of the drawings. In this condition, the lower and the upper threaded end portions30and31, respectively, of the first pair of joining elements25project from the lower and the upper openings, respectively, of the holes33in the free ends of the intermediate cross member22so that a pair of lower and upper upright spacers24can be connected thereto.

In a second step, a pair of lower upright spacers24is connected to the lower threaded end portions30of the first pair of joining elements25assembled on the first intermediate cross member22via use of a suitable tool, by acting on the hexagonal head portion32of each upper threaded end portion31of the first pair of joining elements25as shown inFIGS. 7 and 8.

In a third step, a pair of upper upright spacers24is joined to the upper threaded end portions31of the first pair of joining elements25assembled on the first intermediate cross member22via use of a suitable tool, by acting on the oppositely arranged planar surfaces29of each upright spacer24as shown inFIG. 9.

In a fourth step, a first decorative panel11is inserted between the pair of upper upright spacers24connected to the first intermediate cross member22, by passing the upper pair of upright spacers24within the corresponding grooves S in the smaller vertical sides of the first decorative panel11, and then the grooves S are closed by applying the covering elements C to the upright spacers24, so as to conceal the spacers from view.

In a fifth step, a second intermediate cross member22is connected to the upper pair of upright spacers24which have been previously connected to the first intermediate cross member22by inserting a second pair of joining elements25into the holes33in the free ends of the second intermediate cross member22and by screwing the lower threaded end portions30of each joining element25into the holes provided in these upright spacers24, in order to connect the second intermediate cross member22to this pair of upright spacers24, and thus frame the first decorative panel11.

Thereafter, the operation described in the third, fourth and fifth steps, respectively, is repeated for all other intermediate cross members22concerned.

In a sixth step, a lower decorative panel11is inserted between the lower pair of upright spacers24which are connected to a lowest intermediate cross member22and the lower cross member21is connected to the pair of lower upright spacers24by the screws26, so as to frame the decorative panel11which is at a base of the sectional partition wall member10.

In a seventh and last step, an upper decorative panel11is inserted between the upper pair of upright spacers24which are connected to a highest intermediate cross member22, and the upper cross member23is connected to this upper pair of upright spacers24by the screws27, and then screw caps28are applied thereon, so as to conceal the screws from view. Thus, the decorative panel11at the top of the sectional partition wall member10is also framed.

From the foregoing it is apparent how the modular supporting structure in accordance with the present invention allows a sectional partition wall member of different, even comparatively big dimensions to be erected without prejudice to rigidity of the wall member, and this is achieved in a comparatively simple and economic way, since all decorative panels forming such wall member are framed by cross members and spacers fixedly connected together to form a framework of rectangular elementary cells.