Patent Publication Number: US-2006000182-A1

Title: Wall stud assembly for modular walls

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      This invention relates generally to a wall stud assembly and more particularly to a wall stud assembly for clean rooms and portable/in-plant buildings.  
      The buildings of the type which utilize wall stud assemblies are typically prefabricated and ready for assembly at the building site. Such buildings include in-plant offices, guard houses, food service buildings, control rooms, toll booths, parking lot booths, noise control buildings, clean rooms, and the like. Such buildings are formed from load-bearing wall structures as opposed to mere partitions. These portable buildings must be of quality construction, strong and durable. They should be energy efficient, have good sound control and low maintenance. Other characteristics of such buildings are that they must be relatively easy to assemble at the job site and easily disassembled for moving to a different location if desired. They should also be economical.  
      Such building structures are well-known in the art as are wall studs for use with such building structures. Typically, such wall studs are of steel or extruded aluminum and have side recesses for receiving the side edges of wall panels to form the walls of the building.  
      One such prior art wall stud has first and second stud members, each of which is generally U-shaped in cross-section with a base and opposing sides forming an open side and a base side of each stud member. Each stud member has laterally extending flanges extending outwardly from the side walls at the open side. The base sides of the stud members are affixed in surface engagement with the open sides of the stud members facing outwardly, therefore to sandwich a wall panel between the outwardly extending flanges of the stud members. The base sides are affixed to each other by means of anchoring screws which extend through the base sides of the stud members. Thus, the fasteners or screws are oriented along a single longitudinal line.  
      Such assemblies suffer certain drawbacks, however. For example, such assemblies are not as strong as desired. Thus, in order to withstand typical loads, the stud assemblies are generally limited to twelve feet in height. Moreover, such assemblies are adapted to walls of limited thickness, generally about 3 inches thick, while in certain situations thicker walls (such as 4 to 5 inches thick) are desired for temperature or sound insulation, ventilation passageways or other reasons. Although the width of the sides of the U-shaped stud members may be increased thereby to deepen the U-shaped cross-section to accommodate thicker walls, it has been found that retooling costs to effect such changes increases the cost of the stud assembly significantly. In addition, it does not adequately address the desire for stronger stud assemblies.  
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
      In one aspect, a wall stud assembly comprising a first elongate stud member, a second elongate stud member, and a plurality of connectors is provided. The first elongate stud member comprises a back section, a front section substantially parallel to the back section, and two substantially parallel side portions connecting and extending between the back section and the front section. The parallel side portions comprise engagement extensions extending past the front section forming a receiver portion with the front section. The back section extends beyond the side portions. The second elongate stud member comprises a back wall configured to engage the front section of the first elongate stud member and two side walls substantially parallel to and extending from the back wall and each configured to engage the engagement extensions of the first elongate stud member. The second elongate stud member also comprises two wall flanges substantially perpendicular to and extending from the side walls. The plurality of connectors attach the side walls of the second elongate stud member to the engagement sections of the first elongate stud member.  
      In another aspect, a wall stud assembly is provided that comprises a substantially rectangular first elongate stud member comprising engagement extensions extending therefrom and forming a receiver portion and a second elongate stud member substantially forming a channel and configured for insertion into the receiver portion.  
      In still another aspect, a wall assembly is provided which comprises a plurality of wall sections and a plurality of wall stud assemblies, each wall stud assembly is between a pair of wall sections. The wall stud assemblies each comprise a substantially rectangular first elongate stud member comprising engagement extensions extending therefrom and forming a receiver portion and a second elongate stud member substantially forming a channel and configured for insertion into the receiver portion of the first stud member. The first elongate stud member and the second elongate stud member are configured to engage the wall sections. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a top view of a wall stud assembly.  
       FIG. 2  is a front view of the wall stud assembly shown in  FIG. 1 .  
       FIG. 3  is a front view of a portion of a wall assembly including wall stud assemblies shown in  FIG. 1  positioned between wall sections.  
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a portion of a wall fabricated using the wall stud assembly shown in  FIG. 1 .  
       FIG. 5  is a top view of another wall stud assembly. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       FIG. 1  is a top view of a wall stud assembly  10  including a first elongate stud member  12 , a second elongate stud member  14 , a cover section  16  and a plurality of connectors  18 . First elongate stud member  12  includes a back section  20 , a front section  22  substantially parallel to back section  20 , and two substantially parallel side portions  24  and  26  connecting and extending between back section  20  and front section  22 . As such, first elongate stud member  12  is substantially rectangular in cross-section. Parallel side portions  24  and  26  also include engagement extensions  28  and  30  respectively, that extend beyond front section  22 , and therefore extend from the substantially rectangular cross-section. In one embodiment, engagement extensions  28  and  30  and front section  22  form a receiver portion  32 . Back section  20  extends beyond parallel side portions  24  and  26  and engages a modular wall section (shown in  FIG. 3 ) to form a portion of a wall.  
      In one embodiment, junctions  34  and  36  are formed where back section  20  and parallel side portions  24  and  26  meet. Junctions  34  and  36 , in one embodiment, each include an arcuate section  37  extending from back section  20  to the respective parallel side portion in order to provide strength to junctions  34  and  36 .  
      Second elongate stud member  14  includes a back wall  40  configured to engage front section  22  of first elongate stud member  12  in a surface-to-surface manner. Second elongate stud member  14  also includes two side walls  42  and  44  substantially parallel to and extending from back wall  40  and two wall flanges  46  substantially perpendicular to and extending from side walls  42  and  44  respectively. Back wall  40  and side walls  42  and  44  form a channel, sometimes referred to as a raceway, for insertion of wiring and the like as further described below. Back wall  40  and portions of side walls  42  and  44  (e.g., the channel) are inserted into receiver portion  32  of first elongate stud member  12  as described in more detail below.  
      In one embodiment, side walls  42  and  44  are each configured to engage engagement extensions  28  and  30  respectively such that connectors  18  are utilized to attach side walls  42  and  44  to engagement sections  28  and  30 . In a specific embodiment, side walls  42  and  44  each include a V-shaped portion formed therein having a first side  47  and a second side  48 . In the illustrated embodiment, engagement extensions  28  and  30  are at least partially configured to engage first sides  47  of the V-shaped portion. Engagement sections  28  and  30  include a first segment  50  extending inward from parallel side portions  24  and  26 , a second segment  52  extending from first segment  50  that is substantially parallel to parallel side portions  24  and  26 , and a third segment  54  extending outward from second segment  52 , segments  50 ,  52 , and  54  effectively forming a channel. As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , surfaces of second segments  50  are adjacent to a portion of side walls  42  and  44  and third segments  54  are adjacent to first sides  47  of the V-shaped portion of side walls  42  and  44  for insertion of connectors  18 .  
      In one embodiment, connectors  18  are self tapping screws. Alternatively, any means for connecting adjacent surfaces can be used, including rivets, nuts and bolts, pins, rods, and nails.  
      Cover  16 , which in one embodiment is configured to engage side walls  42  and  44  of second stud member  14 , forms a portion of a wall. Cover  16  includes a plurality of clips  60  extending substantially perpendicularly therefrom and configured to provide a snap fit connection with side walls  42  and  44 . Particularly, clips  60  include a protrusion  62  which snaps into the V-shaped portion of side walls  42  and  44  engaging a surface of second side  48  of the V-shaped portion. When cover  16  is fitted onto second elongate stud member  14  as previously described, a channel is formed for routing one or more of ducting, piping, wiring, pressure lines, cabling, plumbing, and the like.  
      Ends  70  of cover  16  extend a short distance beyond the location of clips  60 . In a particular embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 1 , wall flanges  46  are formed with a notch  72  such that ends  70  of cover  16  fit within. Further, a surface  74  of cover  16  is substantially planar with surfaces  76  of wall flanges  46 .  
       FIG. 2  is a front view of a portion of wall stud assembly  10  shown in  FIG. 1  with cover  16  removed. Surfaces  76  of wall flanges  46  extend outward from notches  72  that are formed in wall flanges  46 . Back wall  40  of second elongate stud member  14  is shown as are portions of connectors  18  that have been inserted into and through first sides  47  (not shown) of the V-shaped portion of side walls  42  and  44  of second elongate stud member  14  and third segments  54  (not shown) of engagement sections  28  and  30  (not shown).  
       FIG. 3  is a front view of a portion of wall assembly  100  which includes wall stud assemblies  10  positioned between wall sections  102  with covers  16  in place. Providing more detail,  FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a portion of wall assembly  100  fabricated using wall stud assembly  10  shown in  FIG. 1  and wall sections  102 . It should be noted that dimensions of wall stud assembly  10  can be adjusted according to a particular application. More specifically, a depth of second elongate stud member  14  from wall flanges  46  to back wall  40  (and therefore dimensions of first elongate stud member  12 ) is adjustable. Adjusting the depth allows insertion of, for example, conduit  104  and junction box  106  for routing of electricity. Other embodiments (i.e., ducting, electrical junction boxes, piping, wiring, pressure lines, cabling, and plumbing) are also contemplated all of which are accessible by removing cover  16  from wall stud assembly  10 .  
      The configuration of the components of wall stud assembly  10  also allows for construction of wall section from a single side of wall assembly. By placing a first elongate stud member  12  in position between two respective wall sections  102 , a second elongate stud member  14  is then insertable into the receiver portion of first elongate stud member  12  and connectors  18  are inserted as described above, followed by the snapping in place of cover  16  (after any insertion of wiring and the like).  
       FIG. 5  is a top view of a wall stud assembly  200 , which is similar to wall stud assembly  10  (shown in  FIG. 1 ) which illustrates changed dimensions according to a particular application as described above. Components of wall stud assembly  200  which are substantially similar to components of wall stud assembly  10  are denoted utilizing the same reference numerals. More specifically, and in comparison to wall stud assembly  10 , a depth of second elongate stud member  14  from wall flanges  46  to back wall  40  has been increased, forming a deeper channel portion for insertion of electrical junction boxes and the like as described above. Likewise, a depth of first elongate stud member  12 , specifically a length of substantially parallel side portions  24  and  26  are reduced. In addition, wall stud assembly  200  includes an alternative arrangement for engagement extensions  202  and  204 . Rather than being comprised of a first segment  50 , a second segment  52 , and a third segment  54  as is the case with wall stud assembly  10 , engagement extensions  202  and  204  include first members  206  that are substantially parallel to parallel side portions  24  and  26 , and extend from junctions  208  (similar to junctions  34  and  36  (shown in  FIG. 1 )) where parallel side portions  24  and  26  and front section  22  meet. First members  206  are further adjacent to portions of side walls  42  and  44  of second elongate member  14 . A second member  210  extends outward from first member  206  and is equivalent to third segment  54  (shown in  FIG. 1 ).  
      The above described embodiments allow for the construction of temporary walls that provide routing for electricity, fluids and the like, while also providing a relatively smooth wall surface of the kind typically utilized in clean room construction. Therefore, the wall stud assembly described herein allows for the simple construction of any size room having walls with properties desirable for use in clean rooms and also providing a sturdy construction.  
      The wall stud assembly described herein also allows for construction of in-plant and portable buildings which must support a load such as a roof, as opposed to a partition system that provides little or no structural vertical support. Moreover, wall stud assemblies  10  and  200  are configured not to bow under vertical or lateral loads.  
      While the invention has been described in terms of various specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the claims.