MODULAR WALL PANEL SYSTEM

Abstract: A modular wall panel system comprises at least one panel module (1) of rectangular form and a support rail (17) for wall mounting in horizontal fashion and suitably of length an integral multiple of the panel width between opposite side edges. Hook means (15) are provided at a rear and upper portion of the panel module (11) for engagement with the rail (17) and at least one transverse slot (2) extends across a front face of the panel (1) in parallel manner with respect to upper and lower edges of the panel module (1) and is closeable by a filler strip (5) mounted at a front face of the panel module (1). Aligned side apertures (4) formed in side edges (4a) of the panel module (1) are closeable by cover plates (8) or socket outlet means (9).

Description: ' MODULAR WALL PA-NEL SYSTEM' This invention relates to a modular wall panel system for fitt r.g cut rooms sucn, for example, as hotel rooms with user requirements sucn as sneiving for tea making requirements, magazine racks. It is common practice for wall mounted shelf units, electrically powered accessories, tea making facilities to be individually mounted to the wails of a room leading to a lack of conformity in style and a need for separate electrical power supplies. It is an object to provide a modular wall panel system to facilitate the provision of user facilities in a room. A modular wall panel system according to the invention is characterised in that it comprises at least one panel module of rectangular form, a support rail for wall mounting in horizontal fashion and suitably of length an integral multiple of the panel width between opposite side edges, means at a rear and upper portion of the panel module for mounting the panel module on the rail, aligned aperture forming means at opposite side edges of the panel module, at an upper portion thereof , and at least one transverse slot extending across a front face of the panel in parallel manner with respect to upper and lower edges of the panel module and closeable by a filler strip mounted at a front face of the panel module. Suitably a plurality of parallel slots is provided and adjacent slots are suitably equally spaced apart. The aperture forming means may comprise knock- out or removable ulates . The rail is suitably of channel form mountable on, or flush with, a wall surface with the cnannel opening away from the wall and presenting a lower lip for engagement by hook means at a rear of the panel module for the support of the panel module against the wall surface. The filler strips may be a snap-fit in the slots or they may be secured from the rear by screws. The support rail is suitably adapted for the passage of an electric cable for electrical supply to an electrical outlet socket mounted at the aperture forming means at one or both side edges of the panel module. Modular units such as shelf modules are suitably provided, each having a width equal to an integral multiple of a panel module width and mountable in a slot of a panel module or slots of adjacent panel modules arranged to be supported from a common rail. A top portion of the panel module is suitably reieasably secured to a lower portion so that the top portion may be replaced by top portions of different form or function, for example, lighting or radio or clock modules suitably each top module having a width and depth normal to the wall corresponding to that of the panel and reieasably εecurable to the lower portion of the panel for example in snap- fit manner, or by screws. Suitably the panel is box-like, open at a rear, and the slot or slots communicate through apertures in a front portion with a rearwardly open space within tne panel module. Suitably the top portion is reieas¬ ably secured to the lower portion of the panel module at an upper slot with the top portion defining upper peripheral portions of the aperture forming means and an upper slot. The top portion is suitably provided at one end with a male and at the other end with a female coupling for coupling to complimentary female and male couplings formed on the lower panel module portion and is so designed that in coupled condition defines with the lower portion an upper slot across the front face of the panel module. A top portion may be coupled to an inverted top portion to define a slot closeable by a filler strip to provide a cover or cladding for a wall run of the support rail extending between spaced panel modules, or to a source of electrical supply. The hook means are suitably at an upper rear portion of the lower portion cf the panel module so that the top portion may be removed while the lower portion is supported on the wail by the rail. Aperture forming means, suitably closed by a knock-out or removable portion are provided in a lower edge portion of a panel module to provide access for a cable upwardly through a rear portion of the panel module to the support rail where it may be secured to a terminal block and strain relief if required, mounted in the channel of the support rail. A panel module may be provided at a lower edge with a mounting plate for downwardly facing electrical outlet sockets, and the mounting plate is suitably removably mounted. The filler strips are suitably mountable flusn with a front of a panel module and may be provided with outwardly facing electrical outlet sockets. The invention will now bedescribed, by way cf example, with reference to the accompanying partly diagrammatic drawings, m which: - Figure 1 is a partially exploded view cf a waii- mount shelf unit comprising panel modules, shelf modules and filler strips according to an emDodi εnt of the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective of a wall mount shelf unit generally according to Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a perspective of a wall mount magazine rack according to an embodiment of the invention. Referring to Figure 1, a wail mount shelf unit comprises three wall mount panel modules 1 of identical and rectangular form each having three transverse slots 2 across the front face thereof, adjacent slots 2 in each panel module being equally spaced apart. Each slot has a central aperture 3 of rectangular form disposed between side wall portions 4a_ provided with coupling means for reieasably securing trim strips 5, shelf modules 6, 7 or the like in the slots. The panel module 1 is of rearwardly open box¬ like nature, and at each side edge at the upper slot 2 is formed with aligned side apertures 4 closeable by cover plates 8 or socket outlet means 9. A top portion 10 of the panel module is removably connectable - , _ to a lower portion 11 by male and female coupling means 12,13 releasaciy connectable to complimentary female and male couplings on the lower portion cf the panel, the top portion defining an upper half of the upper slot and the lower portion of the module defining the lower half of the upper slot 2, whereoy as shown at 14, an upper portion 10 can be coupled to an inverted upper portion sub-module to define a cover or cladding, m combination with a filler trim strip 5 for an extended cable run from a panel module assembly. The lower panel module portion 11 is formed at upper end portions at opposite side edges with rearwardly facing hook portions 15 for engaging with a lower lip 16 of a channel section support rail 17 adapted for wall mounting, either on or flush with a surface thereof. The support rail is suitably an integral number of wall panel widths so that in use supporting a plurality of panel modules in side-by-side array possibly together with one or more assemblies of back-to-back top portions 10, it will be covered. The support rail provides passage for an electrical cable, not shown, for connection to a terminal block and cable clamp assembly 18 secured in the channel 17, or a socket outlet assembly 19 mounted at an end of the channel rail 17 at an aperture 4 of a panel module 1. Socket outlets may be provided in trim or filler strips 5 as illustrated at 20. The panel top module portion may be of alternative forms, as generally illustrated at 21 comprising a clock, radio or light unit or the like. Each panel module may be provided with a lower removable portion adapted to define an aperture for receipt of an electrical socket panel 22 having a down facing socket outlet connected internally of the panel module to the electrical cable in the support rail. The electrical cable in the support rail may be connected to a source of power by extending the rail to a convenient location, or by connection to a terminal block secured in the rail and connected to a cable extending downwardly to a conventional wall mounted supply socket. To this end each panel module is suitably provided with lower aperture forming means for egress of a down cable to a source of power. Figure 2 is an embodiment of the shelf unit of Figure 1 in assembled condition but without electric- al socket provision. Whilst in Figure 1 each of the shelf modules 6,7 and trim strip modules 5 are of single panel module width, it will be apparent that sub-modules of integral multiple panel width may be employed with an appropriate plurality of panel modules. For example, a magazine rack 23 of 2 module width may be face mounted on a pair of panel modules as shown in Fiσure 3.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A modular wall panel system, characterised ir. that it comprises at least one panel module ( 1 ) of rectangular form, a support rail (17) for wall mounting in horizontal fashion and suitably of length an integral multiple of the panel width between opposite side edges, means (15) at a rear and upper portion of the panel module (1) for mounting the panel module (1) on the rail (17), aligned aperture forming means (4) at opposite side edges (4a. of the panel module (1), at an upper portion thereof, at least one transverse slot (2) extending across a front face of the panel (1) in parallel manner with respect to upper and lower edges of the panel module (1) and closeable by a filler strip (5) mounted at a front face of the panel module (1) . 2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of parallel slots (2) is provided and adjacent slots (2) are equally spaced apart. 3. A system as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the aperture forming means (4) comprise knock-out or removable plates ( 8 ) . 4. A system as claimed in claim 1,2 or 3, wherein the rail (17) is of channel form mountable on, or flush with, a wall surface with the channel opening away from the wall and presenting a lower lip (16) for engagement by hook means (15) at a rear of the panel module (1) for the support of the panel module (1) against the wall surface. 5. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the filler strips (5) are a snap-fit in the slots (2). 6. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the filler strips (5) are secured in the slots (2) from the rear bv screws. 7. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the support rail (17} is adapted for trie passage of an electric cable for electrical supply to an electrical outlet socket (19) mounted on the aperture forming means (4) at one or both side edges of the panel module (1). 8. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein modular units such as shelf modules (6,7) are provided, each having a width equal to an integral multiple of a panel module width and mountable in a slot (2) of a panel module (1) or slots (2) of adjacent panel modules (1) arranged to be supported from a common rail (17). 9. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a top portion (10) of the panel module (1) is suitably reieasably secured to a lower portion (11) so that the top portion (10) may be replaced by top portions (21) of different form or function, for example, lighting or radio or clock modules. 10. A system as claimed in claim 9, wherein each top portion (21) has a width and depth normal to the wall corresponding to that of the panel (1) and reieasably securable to the lower portion (11) of the panel (1) for example in snap-fit manner, or by screws. 11. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the panel (1) is box-like, open at a rear, and the slot or slots (2) communicate through apertures (3) in a front portion with a rearwardly open space within the panel module (1) . 12. A system as claimed in claim 9,10 or 11, wherein the top portion (10) is reieasably secured to the lower portion (11) of the panel module (1) at an upper slot (2) '.vith the top portion (10) defining upper peripheral portions of the aperture forming means (4) and an upper slot (2). 13. A system as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein the top portion (10) is provided at one end with a male and at the other end with a female coupling (12,13) for coupling to complimentary female and male couplings formed on the lower panel module portion (11; and is so designed that in coupled condition defines with the lower portion (11) an upper slot (2) across the front face of the panel module (1) . 14. A system as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 13, wherein a top portion (10) is coupled to an inverted top portion to define a slot closeable by a filler strip (15. to provide a cover or cladding for a wall run of the suppor rail (17) extending between spaced panel modules (1), or to a source of electrical supply. 15. A system as claimed in any one of calims 9 to 14, wherein hook means (15) for engagement with the support rail (17) are provided at an upper rear portion of the lower portion (11) of the panel module (1) so that the top portion (10) may be removed while the lower portion (11) is supported on the wall by the rail (17). 16. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein aperture forming means, suitably closed by a knock-out or removable portion, are provided in a lower edge portion of a panel module (1) to provide access for a cable upwardly through a rear portion of the panel module to the support rail (17) where it may be secured to a terminal block and strain relief if required, mounted in a channel of the support rail (17). 17. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a panel module (1) is provided at a lower edge with a mounting plate (22) for downwardly facing electrical outlet sockets . 18. A system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the mounting plate (22) is removably mounted. 19. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein th filler strips (5) are mountable flush with a front of a panel module (1) and may be provided with outwardly facing electrical outlet sockets (20).

Inventors: ODELL JOHN ANTHONY, ODELL, JOHN, ANTHONY
Applicants: HENDON INTERNATIONAL HOTEL & L, HENDON INTERNATIONAL HOTEL & LEISURE PRODUCTS LTD.
Application year: 1989
Main classification: A47B96
IPC codes: A47B87, A47B96, A47F5