Abstract:
A wall system has a plurality of intrinsically rigid wall elements, wherein the wall elements have face ends and are magnetically joinable to one another at the face ends.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLIACTION  
       [0001]     The invention described and claimed hereinbelow is also described in U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No.: 60/716,581 filed Sep. 13, 2005. It is also described in German Patent Application No. 10 2005 027 521.1 filed on Jun. 14, 2005, whose subject matter is incorporated here by reference, and which provides the basis for a claim of priority of invention under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d). 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The invention relates to a wall system, particularly for exhibition booths, having a plurality of intrinsically rigid wall elements.  
         [0003]     One such wall system is already known from European Patent Disclosure EP 0 890 982 B1. In this wall system, adjacent wall elements are joined together by a tongue-and-groove joint and are secured to one another by coupling elements in the upper and lower corner regions of the wall elements.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     The object of the present invention is to propose a wall system whose wall elements are structurally constructed even more simply and can be joined together more quickly than the wall elements of the prior art.  
         [0005]     This object is attained according to the invention with a wall system of the type defined at the outset, by providing that the wall elements can be joined together magnetically at their face ends.  
         [0006]     As a result of the magnetic joining of the wall elements, additional fastening means, which would have to be inserted in a separate work step after the wall elements have been pushed together, can be dispensed with. The wall system of the invention can furthermore be constructed completely without tools from the individual wall elements. Thus not only is a faster construction of a wall made up of a plurality of wall elements possible, but the individual wall elements can also be designed structurally more simply.  
         [0007]     The magnetic joining of the wall elements can be done in various ways. In a preferred embodiment, each of the wall elements is provided on one of its face ends with at least one permanent magnet or at least one steel plate and likewise on the opposed face end, at the same level, with at least one permanent magnet or at least one steel plate. Both the at least one permanent magnet and the at least one steel plate can be let into the face ends of the wall elements.  
         [0008]     The magnet has one north pole and one south pole, and the steel plate joins the two poles, and as a result the two wall elements are securely held against one another. If the magnets and steel plates are let into the face end, then after the magnetic fixation, the wall elements rest flush against one another. The wall elements may be equipped with at least one magnet on one face end and with at least one steel plate on the opposite face end, or they may have solely permanent magnets or solely steel plates.  
         [0009]     For simpler assembly, that is, for automatic lateral centering and for absorbing transverse forces, the wall elements may also be connectable to one another via a tongue-and-groove joint.  
         [0010]     A further facilitation of assembly by means of automatic heightwise centering can be attained if the wall elements, on their face ends, can furthermore be joined together via at least one (preferably two) centering bolts, which engage at least one centering sleeve of the next wall element. However, the centering bolts and the centering sleeves serve not only for heightwise centering but also for stabilizing the wall, since by way of them, forces acting laterally on the wall can also be absorbed.  
         [0011]     Preferably, each of the wall elements can be provided, on both vertical face ends, with at least one centering sleeve which has a thread into which one end, provided with a thread, of a centering bolt can be screwed and into which the other end of the centering bolt, without a thread, can be inserted. Thus all the wall elements can initially be equipped with centering sleeves. As needed, then centering bolts can be inserted into the centering sleeves into the left and/or the right face end. Free centering sleeves serve to receive centering bolts of the next wall element in succession.  
         [0012]     So that intrinsically angled walls can also be produced, the wall system can have corner profiles of polygonal cross section, and one wall element can be fixed magnetically and/or mechanically to at least two at a time of the outsides of the corner profiles.  
         [0013]     The corner profiles and the wall elements can also be capable of being joined together via at least one centering bolt, which engages a centering sleeve. It is advantageous if the at least one centering bolt is disposed on the corner profile. In this way, even with a relatively small cross section of the corner profiles, wall elements can be secured to all of the outer sides of the corner profiles. The centering bolts and centering sleeves again serve the purpose of height centering and of additionally stabilizing the joint.  
         [0014]     In an alternative embodiment, the corner profile and the wall elements can be connectable to one another via a centering bolt with a head that is offset from its basic body; the centering bolt can be introduced into an oblong slot with a widened region for receiving the head, so that the head engages the oblong slot from behind.  
         [0015]     To make it possible to attach a further wall element, perpendicular to a first wall element at any arbitrary point on one of the front sides of the first wall element, connection profiles of rectangular cross section may be provided, which are fixable to the upper and lower face ends of the first wall element and on whose outer side the second wall element is magnetically fixable. Once again, the second wall element and the connection profile can be connectable via at least one centering bolt, which engages a centering sleeve. The outer side of the connection profile extends parallel to the front side of the first wall element and can be secured in any arbitrary position on the front side by its being fastened on the upper and lower face ends of the first wall element. A second wall element secured to the connection profile is thus oriented perpendicular to the first wall element and subdivides the front side of that wall element.  
         [0016]     In a manner known per se, feet to stand on can be capable of being screwed into the lower face end of the wall elements. These feet make it possible for the wall to stand up more securely and can serve to compensate for unevenness of the floor, if they are adjustable in height.  
         [0017]     The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the present invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]      FIG. 1 , a front view of a wall element in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0019]      FIG. 2 , a section through the wall element of  FIG. 1  taken along the line II-II in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0020]      FIG. 3 , a detail, partly in section, of the upper connection region of two wall elements in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0021]      FIG. 4 , a detail, partly in section, of the upper connection region between one corner profile and one wall element in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0022]      FIG. 5 , a cross section through the corner profile of  FIG. 4  in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0023]      FIG. 6 , a detail, partly in section, of the upper connection region between a second corner profile and a wall element in accordance with the present invention.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0024]      FIG. 1  shows a wall element  10 , which in its interior has a frame, shown in dashed lines, that comprises two vertical frame legs  11 ,  12  and one upper frame leg  13  and one lower frame leg  14 . As shown in the sectional view in  FIG. 2 , taken along the line II-II, the frame legs  11  through  14  are covered, toward the front sides  17 ,  18  of the wall element  10 , by cover plates  15 ,  16 . Between the frame legs  11 ,  12 , the space between the cover plates  15 ,  16  is filled up by a honeycomb structure  19 , for instance of cardboard. By means of this construction, although it is not compulsory, the wall element  10  is especially lightweight. Grooves  22 ,  23  are provided in the frame legs  11 ,  12  on the vertical face ends  20 ,  21  of the wall element  10 ; they serve to receive suitably shaped springs on the face ends of the adjacent wall elements.  
         [0025]     The actual fixation of two adjacent wall elements  10 ,  10 ′ is effected magnetically, however, as  FIG. 3  shows. A permanent magnet  24  is let into the vertical frame leg  12  of the left wall element  10 . At the same height as the permanent magnet  24 , the vertical frame leg  11 ′ of the right wall element  10 ′ has a steel plate  25 .  
         [0026]     For height centering and for additional lateral stabilization, both wall elements  10 ,  10 ′ are provided with centering sleeves  26 . The centering sleeves  26  have a threaded region  26 . 1 . In the case of the wall element  10 , this threaded region  26 . 1  of the centering sleeve  26  serves for screwing in a centering bolt  27 , whose free end is introduced into the centering sleeve  26  of the wall element  10 ′. However, the centering bolt  27  could equally well be screwed into the sleeve  26  of the wall element  10 ′. Thus the wall elements  10 ,  10 ′ may be designed identically with respect to the centering sleeves  26 .  
         [0027]     The connection shown, by means of a magnet  24  and a steel disk  25  as well as by means of centering sleeves  26  and centering bolts  27 , is repeated in a practical way at least in the lower corner region of the connection of the two wall elements  10 ,  10 ′, which is not shown here; as a result, great stability of the joint is attained. To join the wall elements  10 ,  10 ′, merely pushing them together suffices. Undoing the connection of the wall elements  10 ,  10 ′ is also done simply by pulling them apart.  
         [0028]      FIG. 4  shows the connection between one wall element  10  and a corner profile  30 . The corner profile  30 , as  FIG. 5  shows, has a square cross section. Thus wall elements  10  can be connected to each of the outer sides  31 ,  32 ,  33 ,  34  of the corner profile  30 . The connection is again made magnetically, and the corner profile  30  is provided with steel plates  25 , while the wall elements have magnets  24 . In addition, here as well the connection is stabilized by means of a centering bolt  27 , which engages a centering sleeve  26  on the wall element  10 .  
         [0029]     If the corner profile  30  has a correspondingly differently shaped polygonal cross section, then connections of wall elements at an angle other than 90° are also possible.  
         [0030]      FIG. 6  shows an alternative connection between a wall element  10  and a corner profile  30 ′, the latter having an oblong slot  29  with a widened region  29 . 1 , preferably on each of its sides. The head  28 , offset from a basic body  27 . 1 ′, of a centering bolt  27 ′ can be introduced into the widened region  29 . 1 . Next, the corner profile  30 ′ is moved downward, so that the head  28  engages the narrow part of the oblong slot  29  from behind and thus secures the connection.  
         [0031]     This purely mechanical connection between the corner profile  30 ′ and the wall element  10  is very stable, and preferably a second centering bolt and oblong slot connection is provided in the lower region of the corner profile  30 ′ and of the wall element  10 . To facilitate assembly when connecting a plurality of wall elements  10  to the corner profile  30 ′, the widened regions  29 . 1  of the oblong slots  29  may be located on the other sides of the profile  30 ′, outside the narrow region.  
         [0032]     It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above.  
         [0033]     While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a wall system, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.  
         [0034]     Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.