Abstract:
An improved structural combination for a free-standing panel wall system and comprises first and second pluralities of elongated channel members which meet one another at various locations along the length of the channel members to define an intersection, and a cap member overlying or underlying the intersections of the channel members, and means for anchoring the cap member to the intersecting portions of the channel members at their intersection. Preferably, the materials of construction of the channel member and the cap members are noncombustible.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application is a continuation-in-part of copending application Ser. No. 10/001,110, filed Nov. 2, 2001. 
     
    
     
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
         [0002]    Not Applicable  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    This invention relates to removable panel wall systems of the type commonly employed for the display of merchandise in retail establishments or as “temporary” enclosures (at times referred to as “cubicles”) which are located interiorly of a permanent building for occupancy by personnel or for storage purposes.  
           [0004]    Commonly, panel wall systems comprise horizontal stringers or channels which are secured to the interior wall of a retail establishment, vertical standards which are secured to the stringers, and planar panels which are secured to the standards. This structure provides the background for the display of merchandise which is exhibited on shelves that are supported by brackets that are mounted on, and which project outwardly from, the panel wall system.  
           [0005]    It is frequently desired that a panel wall system be freestanding, that is, the system is not anchored to either the ceiling or the wall of the retail establishment so that the system may be relocated within the establishment without reference to the permanent walls of the establishment. Thus, in free-standing panel wall systems, the system rests on the floor of the establishment. In certain prior art instances, the system is retained against tipping by the structural design of the system, such as through the means of horizontal legs that are attached to the bottom of the panel wall system and which project laterally from the wall system to provide lateral “anti-tipping” support to the wall system. Such structural members present obstacles to the flow of customer or worker traffic, including the possibility of customers or workers tripping over the lateral projections. In other instances, the panel wall system may be stabilized against tipping over by embedding relatively large and strong posts in the floor of the establishment such that these posts extend upwardly from the floor and serve to anchor the wall system to the floor. This concept is frequently employed when the floor of the establishment comprises concrete. This concept for stabilizing the wall system against tipping requires destructive modification of the floor, is expensive to install and otherwise tends to inhibit relocation of the wall system, a most undesired result.  
           [0006]    In one embodiment, free-standing panel wall systems desirably provide for the display of merchandise on shelves which are provided on both the front and rear sides of the wall system. This desired feature of the wall system requires that the panel wall system provide for the support of shelving on both the front and rear upright faces of the system. This desirable feature imposes upon a free-standing wall system the need for enhanced strength to provide stable support of merchandise that rests on shelves that are cantilevered from the opposite surfaces of the wall system. Notably, the overall weight of the merchandise displayed on the shelves on the front surface of the wall system may not be, and frequently is not, of the same or nearly the same, overall weight as the merchandise displayed on the shelves on the rear surface of the wall system. Thus, this factor imposes an even more demanding requirement relative to the strength and stability of a free-standing panel wall system. In another embodiment, removable free-standing panel wall systems comprise enclosures (cubicles) for housing personnel or for storage, all disposed within a permanent building, but being independent of the fixed walls of the building. These panel wall systems desirably are to be readily constructed in situ and readily removable, both at minimum expense and damage to the permanent building.  
           [0007]    Further, known prior art free-standing panel wall systems are constructed of materials which are not fireproof or fire-resistant, partly due to the difficulty of initially installing and subsequent dismantling of the system for movement to a new location within the establishment and again installing the system at its new location.  
           [0008]    These and other requirements of a free-standing panel wall system are met, and/or exceeded, by the present invention.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    The present invention comprises an improved structural combination for a free-standing panel wall system and comprises first and second pluralities of elongated channel members which intersect one another at various locations along the length of the channel members, and a cap member overlying or underlying the intersections of the channel members, and means for anchoring the cap member to the intersecting portions of the channel members at their intersection.  
           [0010]    Preferably, the materials of construction of the channel member and the cap members are non-combustible. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 is a representation of one embodiment of a freestanding panel wall embodying various of the features of the present invention;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 is a representation of a portion of a panel wall system embodying cap members mountable at various intersections of various channel members in one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 is a representation of a portion of an elongated channel member suitable for use in the present invention;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the channel member depicted in FIG. 3 and taken generally along the line  4 - 4  of FIG. 3;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 5 is a representation of a 135 degree, 2-way, angled cap member useful in the present invention;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 6 is a representation of a 90 degree, 3-way, angled cap member useful in the present invention;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 7 is a representation of a 90 degree, 4-way, angled cap member useful in the present invention;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 8 is a representation of a 120 degree, 3-way, angled cap member useful in the present invention;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 9 is a representation of a curved cap member useful in the present invention; and,  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 10 is a representation of one embodiment of a standard useful in the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0021]    Referring initially to FIGS. 1, 2 and  10 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a freestanding panel wall system  12  which is both strong and stable. A main section  10  of the present wall system comprises at least one substantially rigid and generally U-shaped (in cross section) floor rail  14 , the face web  16  of which lies flat on, and, as needed, may be anchored to, the floor  18  of an establishment with its opposite side webs  20 ,  22  projecting upwardly from the floor. The width of the face web of the floor rail is chosen to provide for the placement of floor anchors spaced apart laterally on the face web to provide laterally spaced apart points of anchoring of the floor rail to the floor. In other embodiments of the present panel wall system, no anchoring of the wall system to the floor is required.  
         [0022]    At spaced apart locations along the length of the floor rail, there are received the bottom ends  26  of a plurality of rigid wall standards  28 , (FIGS. 2 and 10) each being of a generally U-shaped cross section, and including generally planar wings  30 ,  32  which extend laterally from the distal edges  34 ,  36  of each of the side webs  38 ,  40  of the standard and provided with holes  50  through the thickness thereof and spaced uniformly and equally spaced apart along the length of each wing. The opposite lateral wings  30 ,  32  of each standard are disposed externally of the floor rail and are disposed alongside and substantially parallel to the plane of their respective one of the upstanding side webs  20 ,  22  of the floor rail. These bottom ends  26  of the standards are releasably anchored to respective ones of side webs  20 ,  22  of the floor rail as by screws or other suitable removable fastener  51  which pass through registered ones of the holes  50  in the wings of the standard and like holes through the thickness of the side webs of the floor rail. The top ends  42  of the standards  28  are likewise disposed externally of the side webs  44 ,  46  of a top rail  48  which is generally U-shaped in cross section with opposite side webs like the floor rail, but with its side webs projecting downwardly of the wall system. The top ends  42  the standards  28  are releasably anchored to a side web of the top rail as by screws, bolts or other suitable releaseable fasteners. In one embodiment of the present invention there is provided on the front face  60  of the main wall section  10  a plurality of standards  28  which comprise a first set  62  of standards. A second set  64  of like standards made up of standards  28 ′ is provided on the rear face  66  of the main wall section.  
         [0023]    At locations intermediate the floor and top rails, the present wall system includes a plurality of horizontal channel members  52 , each of which is substantially rigid and of a generally U-shaped cross section, which may be, but need not be, substantially the same in shape and size as the cross section of the floor rail  14 . Each channel member includes legs  54 ,  56  which are oriented either upwardly or downwardly from the face web  58  of the channel member. As depicted, each leg of each channel member is planar and in the nature of a web. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 2, each channel member is interposed between the first set of standards  28  on the front face  60  of the wall system and the second set of standards  28 ′ on the rear face of the wall system, the standards preferably being disposed directly across the wall system from one another. Each leg  54 ,  56  of each channel member  52  is disposed in substantially planar relationship to the planar wings of its associated front and rear standards, and each is releaseably anchored to at least one, and preferably both, of the planar wings of each of these standards.  
         [0024]    By reason of the U-shaped cross section of each channel member, at least two of these channel members may be combined as by nesting or by inverting one channel member and overlapping it onto a further channel member, as desired to enhance the horizontal support strength of the wall system, to permit greater separation distances between adjacent standards and/or to enhance the resistance of the channel member to torque forces. This combined channel members may be fastened to one another and/or to the standards. Still further, the telescopically combined channel members may be extended or shortened to shorten or lengthen the wall section without full disassembly of the wall section.  
         [0025]    For purposes of establishing modularity and ease of installation, in the present invention each of the planar wings  30 ,  32  of each standard and each of the side webs of each of the floor rail, the top rail and the channel members is provided with holes  41 ,  82  and  84  (typical) through their respective thickness at equally and uniformly spaced apart locations along the length of each such member. For example, holes may be provided one inch on centers along the length of each of the floor rail, top rail, horizontal standard and like-spaced holes may be provided in each of the planar wings  30 ,  32  of each standard  28 . When a hole in or near the bottom end of a standard is in register with a hole in the side web of a floor rail, for example, a screw or bolt or other suitable releaseable fastener may be threaded through the registered holes to interconnect the bottom end of the standard to the floor rail. In like manner the intersections  100  (typical) of the channel members may be interconnected employing a removable fastener  101  that is disposed within registering holes in the standards and channel members. Obviously the top rail of the present wall system can be interconnected to the top ends of the standards of the system in like manner.  
         [0026]    Whereas the panel wall system of the present invention may reside in a single plane, i.e, there are no supporting lateral projections therefrom, in one embodiment, the so-constructed main section  10  of the wall system of the present invention may include one or more laterally extending sections  70 ,  72 . (FIG. 1) For example, a section of the wall system may extend laterally from the main wall section at substantially any location along the length of the main section, and/or from one or both the front and rear faces of the main wall section. That is, one or more lateral sections may be provided at either or both ends of the main section and/or at one or more locations intermediate the opposite ends of the main section.  
         [0027]    At those locations along the main section of the present wall system where a lateral section is to be placed, the lateral section may be made up in the form of a “main” section as described hereinabove, and thereafter attached to the main section employing cap members  102 .  
         [0028]    A suitable channel member  52  of the present invention preferably comprises a length of extruded aluminum having a generally “U”-shaped cross section. The channel member thus includes a face web  16  and first and second opposite legs  20 ,  22 , each leg being in the form of a planar web which extends along the length of the channel member and projects substantially perpendicularly from opposite side margins of the face web. Each of the legs is provided with holes  82  extending through the thickness of the leg and preferably spaced apart equidistantly along the length of the leg. The location of and spacing between these holes of each leg preferably is the same for each leg and chosen to provide for registration of these holes with like holes through the legs of a cap member when a cap member is associated with one or more channel members in the formation of a wall system employing the present channel members and cap members.  
         [0029]    A cap member  102  of the present invention (FIGS. 2 and 5, for example), when viewed in a top or bottom plan view, exhibits a unitary overall face web  104  and at least two lateral extensions  95  and  99  (FIG. 2) and  95 ′,  97 ′ of FIG. 5, emanating from a central location  103  of the cap member. The cap member depicted in FIG. 2 includes a third extension  99 . As depicted in FIG. 2, each of these extensions is of a generally “U”-shaped cross section and includes a portion  104 ′ of the unitary face web  104  which extends over the entire face of the cap connector, including the lateral extensions of the cap member. Referring to the embodiment of a cap member  102  as depicted in FIG. 2 each of the lateral extensions of the cap member includes opposite legs  106 ,  107 ,  108 ,  109  and  109 ′ which project substantially perpendicularly from each of the side margins  111 ,  113 ,  115 ,  117  and  117 ″, respectively, of the cap member, each leg comprising a planar web having a plurality of holes through the thickness thereof at equally and uniformly spaced apart locations along each leg in like manner as a channel member  52 . As depicted in FIG. 1, this cap member is fitted over and about the intersection  110  of the top rail  48  of a main section of the present wall system and the abutting portion  112  of the top rail  48 ′ of a lateral section  72  of the present wall system. As depicted in FIG. 2, a cap member also is fitted over and about the intersection  120  of an end  122  of a horizontal channel member  52  of the main wall section with a central portion  124  of a horizontal channel member  52 ′ of a lateral wall section. Specifically, in a typical cap member connected intersection between a first channel member of one wall section with a second channel member of a further wall section, the end  122  of the first channel member is received within the leg extension  99  of the cap member and the central portion  124  of the second channel member is received within the leg extensions  95  and  97 . This placement of the cap member in covering relationship to an intersection provides for registration of holes in the side webs of the cap member with holes in the side webs of the first and second channel members. As noted, each cap member is secured to the first and second channel members as by removable fasteners  128 , such as screws or bolts threaded through the registering holes to provide for removable interconnection and rigid securement of a lateral section of the wall system to the main section of the wall system. For removably securing lateral sections of the wall system to the main section of the wall system at angles of other than ninety degrees, angled cap members of other geometries, such as 135-degree angled  115  (or other degree of angle) (See FIGS. 5 and 8), Y-shaped  111  (FIG. 8), or curved  113  (FIG. 9), etc. may be employed as needed. Other suitable cap member configurations will be recognized by one skilled in the art such as a 90 degree, 4-way cap member  117  as depicted in FIG. 7. It will be noted that these angled cap members provide material rigidity to the present wall system in multiple directions and enhance the resistance of the channel members to rotate about their respective longitudinal axes,  130 ,  132  (FIG. 2) thereby materially contributing to the lack of need in the present wall system for anchoring of the present wall system to either the floor, ceiling or a wall of the establishment. This same desirable effect is obtained when employing the present cap members to attach a lateral wall section to the main wall section at a location at or intermediate the opposite ends of the main wall section. Further, it is noted that a panel wall system constructed employing the channel members and cap members of the present invention is readily erected and dismantled as needed. Moreover, the combination of the channel members and associated cap members has been found to provide exceptional rigidity to a wall panel system, and particularly imparts an unexpected degree of resistance to those forces which normally tend to twist the wall out of its desired upright planar attitude. Such forces are commonly encountered when mounting shelves and the like to one or more of the main and/or lateral sections of the wall.  
         [0030]    Whereas the present invention has been described in specific terms and elements, it will be understood by one skilled in the art that equivalent elements, geometrical configurations, and other obvious modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, it will be recognized by one skilled in the art that any of several possible modes of releasably fastening the various components of the present wall system may be employed. Further, whereas aluminum is preferably employed as the material of construction for the channel member and cap members of the present invention, other suitable, preferably non-combustible, materials may be employed. Accordingly, it is intended that the present invention be limited only as set forth in the claims appended hereto.  
         [0031]    As desired, the top ends of the standards and/or the top rail may be covered with an elongated cap  190  of generally U-shaped cross section such that the side webs  192 ,  194  thereof depend alongside, and cover, the top ends of the standards on either or both faces of a wall section. In similar manner the distal ends  196  of the horizontal connector rails  52 ′ may be covered with a cap  198 .