Patent Publication Number: US-6341461-B1

Title: Modular wall panel system

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 08/781,056, filed Jan. 9, 1997 now abandoned. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to modular wall panels systems, and more specifically to such systems having reduced complexity and cost. 
     2. Discussion of the Related Art 
     Modular wall panel systems have been known for decades. FIG. 1 depicts one such related art system  10  that includes an upper rail  12 , a lower rail  14 , stiles  16 , panels  18  with raised portions  20 , a cap  22  and a base shoe  24 . Conventionally, panels  18  are made of a solid wood, rather than a wood veneer coated core material, so panels  18  comparatively are expensive to fabricate. Moreover, since panels  18  may be relatively wide (e.g., greater than six inches), panels  18  are made of several pieces of solid wood that are glued together, resulting in visible seams  19  that reduce the aesthetic value of system  10 . 
     FIG. 2 shows that a stile  16  is joined to upper rail  12  and lower rail  14  by use of an intricately machined joint  26 , commonly referred to as a coped joint, with tight tolerances. Preparing such coped joints is typically a complex job that is performed by a highly skilled artisan with the use of specialized equipment, increasing the cost of preparing system  10 . Moreover, due to these coped joints, stiles  16  are stapled, nailed or otherwise in rigid communication with the wall. Any holes formed in stiles  16  during this process are filled with wood putty and subsequently painted or stained, reducing the aesthetic value of system  10 . 
     In system  10 , the outer surfaces  17 ,  13  and  15  of stile  16 , upper rail  12  an lower rail  14 , respectively, are located in substantially the same plane for aesthetic reasons. If the outer surface of any of these components is even slightly out of plane, the appearance of system  10  is greatly diminished. Therefore, the outer surfaces of these components are often precision sanded subsequent to assembly of system  10 . Since this type of sanding can remove wood veneer coatings to expose the core material, stile  16 , upper rail  12  and lower rail  14  normally are formed from solid wood, increasing the cost of system  10 . 
     FIGS. 3A and 3B show different embodiments of the manner in which stile  16  is joined to panel  18 . In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3A, stile  16  and panel  18  are flush with the wall, and stile  16  has a lip  28  under which a tongue portion  30  of panel  18  fits. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3B, stile  16  is flush with the wall, but panel  18  is displaced a distance from the wall. Stile  16  has an outer lip  32  and an inner lip  33  between which a tongue portion  34  of panel  18  fits. In both of these embodiments, stile  16  and panel  18  should remain flush as the wood expands and contracts with changes in temperature and humidity for system  10  to maintain its aesthetic appeal. Therefore, while stiles  16  are in rigid communication with the wall, panels  18  are allowed to float between stiles  16 , upper rail  12  and lower rail  14  without being in rigid communication with the wall. 
     FIG. 4 shows the manner in which stiles  16   a  and  16   b  of system  10  are joined at an outside corner of a wall. Stiles  16   a  and  16   b  have edges  36   a  and  36   b , respectively, that are mitered to 45° angles so that the stiles can be joined effectively with a good seal. Because stiles  16   a  and  16   b  typically are formed of relatively long pieces of wood (e.g., twenty-four to thirty inches), forming these mitered 45° angles can be difficult and time consuming. 
     In view of the foregoing discussions, it can be seen that, despite the limitations on the aesthetic value of traditional wall panel systems, these systems can be relatively expensive, complicated and time consuming. Usually, a highly skilled artisan prepares these wall panel systems. Therefore, it is desirable within the art to provide an aesthetically appealing wall panel system that is comparatively inexpensive to prepare and simple to install. In particular, it would be advantageous to provide such a system that could be installed by non-highly skilled artisans in a relatively short period of time. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one illustrative embodiment, the present invention provides a wood panel system. The system comprises an upper rail, a lower rail and a stile. The upper rail has a noncoped groove and is in rigid communication with a wall. The lower rail has a groove and is in rigid communication with the wall. The stile has an upper tongue and a lower tongue. The upper tongue is adjacent to the noncoped groove of the upper rail, and the lower tongue is adjacent the groove of the lower rail. 
     In another illustrative embodiment, the present invention provides a wood panel system. The system comprises an upper rail, a lower rail and a stile. The upper rail also has a groove and is in rigid communication with the wall. The lower rail has a groove and is in rigid communication with the wall. The stile has an upper tongue, a lower tongue and an outer edge. The upper tongue is adjacent to the groove of the upper rail, and the lower tongue is adjacent the groove of the lower rail. The upper rail has an outer edge that is located in one plane substantially parallel to the wall, and the stile has an outer edge that is located in a different plane substantially parallel to the wall. 
     In yet another illustrative embodiment, the present invention provides a wood panel system. The system comprises an upper rail, a lower rail and a stile. The upper rail has a lip that extends over a portion of the stile. The upper rail also has a groove and is in rigid communication with a wall. The lower rail has a groove and is in rigid communication with the wall. The upper tongue is adjacent the groove of the upper rail, and the lower tongue is adjacent the groove of the lower rail. 
     In a further illustrative embodiment, the present invention provides a wood panel system. The system comprises an upper rail, a lower rail and a stile. The upper rail has a groove and is in rigid communication with a wall. The lower rail has a groove and is in rigid communication with the wall. The stile has an upper tongue and a lower tongue. The upper tongue is adjacent the groove of the upper rail, and the lower tongue is adjacent the groove of the lower rail. The stile floats with respect to the upper and lower rails. 
     In still a further illustrative embodiment, the present invention provides a wood panel system. The system comprises an upper rail, a lower rail and a stile. The upper rail has a groove and is in rigid communication with a wall. The lower rail has a groove and is in rigid communication with the wall. The stile has an upper tongue and a lower tongue. The upper tongue is adjacent the groove of the upper rail, and the lower tongue is adjacent the groove of the lower rail. The stile is formed of a core material surrounded by a wood veneer. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a wall panel system according to the related art; 
     FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the related art wall panel system of FIG. 1 taken along line  2 — 2 ; 
     FIGS. 3A and 3B are cross-sectional views of two embodiments of the related art wall panel system of FIG. 1 taken along line  3 — 3 ; 
     FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view through the stiles of a wall panel system at an outside corner according to the related art; 
     FIG. 5 is an elevational view of a wall panel system according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the wall panel system of FIG. 5 taken along line  6 — 6 ; 
     FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the wall panel system of FIG. 5 taken along line  7 — 7 ; 
     FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the wall panel system of FIG. 5 taken along line  8 — 8 ; 
     FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the joint between adjacent stiles at an outside corner according to one embodiment of the present invention; and 
     FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the joint between adjacent stiles at an outside corner according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In one aspect, the present invention relates to a modular wall panel system  50  as shown in FIG.  5 . System  50  includes an upper rail  52 , a lower rail  54 , stiles  56 , panels  58  with raised portions  60 , a cap  62  and a base shoe  64 . Stile  56  has an upper tongue portion  66  that fits between a lip  68  in upper rail  52  and the wall (FIG.  6 ). Stile  56  also has a lower tongue portion  70  that fits between a lip  72  in lower rail  54  and the wall. In contrast to traditional wall panel systems, the outer surface  41  of stile  56  is in a different plane from outer surface  43  of upper rail  52  and outer surface  45  of lower rail  54 . Outer surfaces  43  and  45 , however, should be in substantially the same place. This arrangement creates a strong shadow between outer edges  41 ,  43  and  45  which differentiates and distinguishes these surfaces, making the effect clearly intentional. As a result, the aesthetic value of system  50  is not diminished. 
     An additional benefit from this arrangement of outer surfaces  41 ,  43  and  45  arises due to the fact that these surfaces need not be sanded subsequently to assembly. Thus, stile  56 , upper rail  52  and/or lower rail  54  may be formed of a wood veneer coated core material. To maintain the aesthetic appeal of system  50 , however, each of these components should be made of the same wood veneer coated core material. 
     Preferably, the core material is less expensive than is the wood from which the veneer coating is made. In addition, to reduce the expansion and contraction of these components of system  50 , the coefficient of thermal and/or humidity expansion of the core material should be less than that for the wood material from which the veneer coating is made. An illustrative and nonlimiting list of appropriate core materials includes medium density fiber board, particle board and wheat board. 
     The wood veneer coating may be applied using standard techniques, such as profile wrapping or vacuum forming. This coating should be thick enough to provide an aesthetically appealing wood appearance to system  50 . If the wood veneer coating is too thick, however, the components of system  50  may undergo so much expansion or contraction with temperature and humidity changes that the aesthetic value of system  50  may be compromised. Therefore, the wood veneer coating preferably has a thickness of at most about 0.17 inches, more preferably less than about 0.05 inches and most preferably from about 0.015 inches to about 0.025 inches. 
     During assembly of system  50 , lower rail  54  may be attached to the wall surface by the use of nails or staples disposed within groove  55  and/or groove  57 . Other similar devices for attaching rail  54  to the wall surface may also be used. Next, tongue portion  70  of stile  56  is placed between lip  72  of lower rail  54  and the wall. Similarly, tongue portion  71  of panel  58  is placed between lip  72  and the wall (FIG.  7 ). Stile  56  then is joined with adjacent panels  58   a  and  58   b  by fitting tongue portions  74   a  and  74   b  between lips  76   a  and  76   b , respectively, and the wall (FIG.  8 ). Lip  68  of upper rail  52  is placed above tongue portion  66  of stile  16  and tongue portion  73  of panel  58 . Upper rail  52  is subsequently attached to the wall surface by placing nails, staples or other similar devices within groove  51  and/or  53 . Cap  62  is attached to upper rail  52  using adhesives disposed along the back portion of cap  62 . Alternatively, nails, staples or equivalent devices placed within groove  61  to attach cap  62  to rail  52 . Base shoe  64  is similarly attached to the wall and lower rail  52  by placing nails, staples or equivalent devices within groove  63 . 
     With this arrangement of system  50 , coping is not required at the joints between stile  56  and rails  52  and  54  (i.e., stile  56  is joined to rails  52  and  54  using noncoped grooves which have simple designs, including straight edges, that do not require the use of a highly skilled artisan to machine or assemble), so a person without advanced skills in wood working can readily prepare and/or assemble these elements of system  50 . Moreover, the absence of coped joints allows stiles  56  to float between rails  52  and  54  without being stapled, nailed or otherwise rigidly attached to the wall. Hence, unlike traditional wall panel systems, both stiles  56  and panels  58  can be moved laterally under lip  72  of lower rail  52  during assembly, making system  50  easier to put together than traditional wall panel systems. Furthermore, in contrast to traditional wood panel systems, the aesthetic value of system  50  is not compromised by filling portions of stiles  56  with wood putty and subsequently painting or staining these portions. 
     To reduce the expansion and contraction of panels  58 , cap  62  and base shoe  64  due to changes in humidity and temperature, these components should be made of a wood veneer coated core material. Preferably, panels  58 , cap  62  and base shoe  64  are made of the same wood veneer coated core material as are stiles  56 , upper rail  52  and lower rail  54 . 
     If system  50  is to be assembled to a wall having a substantial bow or cup, a small amount of construction adhesive may be applied to the back of stiles  56  and/or panels  58  using a caulking gun or other appropriate device. The adhesive can work as a formable spacer which reduces the effect of the bow or cup. This allows stiles  56  and/or panels  58  to be held away from the wall and against rails  52  and  54 . 
     Similar to conventional wood panel systems, the ends of upper rail  52 , lower rail  54 , cap  62  and base shoe  64  all are mitered at a 45° angle at an outside corner of a wall. However, in contrast to traditional wood panel systems, the ends of stiles  56  that intersect at an outside corner need not be mitered, reducing the complexity of assembling system  50 . As shown in FIG. 9, stile  56   a  may be allowed to partially overhang the corner and stile  56   b  engages stile  56   a  such that a lip  76   a  in stile  56   a  is interlocked with a lip  76   b  in stile  56   b . Optionally, a small amount of construction glue may be used to adhere stiles  56   a  and  56   b  to the wall. To get an appropriate fit between stiles  56   a  and  56   b , it may be advantageous to reduce the width of stile  56   a  and/or  56   b  by removing a lengthwise portion of these components. 
     FIG. 10 shows an alternate approach to fitting stiles  56   a  and  56   b  at an outside corner of a wall. The lip is removed from stile  56   a , and flat end  57   a  extends beyond the wall. The lip is also removed from stile  56   b  and flat end  57   b  is disposed against flat end  57   a  to form the joint between stile  56   a  and stile  56   b.    
     The particular dimensions of the components of system  50  may vary depending upon the intended use. It is envisioned that certain standard dimensions may be used for each component. For example, panels  58  may have a height of about 23 inches, a maximum thickness of about ½ inch, and, when incorporated into system  50 , exposed widths of about 6 inches, about 9 inches or about 12 inches. Stiles  56  may have a maximum width of about ½ inches, a height of about 23 inches and, when incorporated into system  50 , exposed widths of about 3 or about 10 inches. Upper rail  52  and lower rail  54  both have a height of about 4 inches or about 8 inches and a thickness of about ⅝ inches. Cap  62  and base shoe  64  both have a height of about 1¼ inches. Cap  62  is about 1 ½ inches, and base shoe  64  is about ⅝ inches thick. 
     Typically, system  50  is assembled to partially or entirely cover a wall surface. It is to be understood, however, that system  50  may be applied to any solid surface, whether it be substantially vertical or horizontal. For example, system  50  can be used to partially or entirely cover the vertical support surface of a bar. Alternatively, system  50  can be used to partially or entirely cover the vertical support surface of a lectern or a podium. It is envisioned that system  50  can be used to cover the lower portion of a wall surface (e.g., the lower third of the wall surface), commonly referred to as wainscoting. 
     Having thus described certain embodiments of the present invention, various alterations, modifications and improvements will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such alternation, modifications and improvements are intended as part of this disclosure and are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, the components of system  50  need not be made from a wood veneer coated core material. Instead, they may be made from solid wood or other appropriate solid materials. Each component of system  50 , however, preferably is made from the same wood veneer coated core material. Furthermore, in some embodiments, panels  58  may be flat or indented. Moreover, some components of system  50  may not be directly attached to a wall surface. Rather, in certain embodiments, these components may be indirectly attached to the wall surface by directly attaching the components to an object, such as a board, which is directly attached to the wall surface. Accordingly, the foregoing description is by way of example only and is not intended as limiting. The present invention is limited only as defined by the following claims and the equivalents thereto.