Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02339550 2001-03-06
TITLE
STACKABLE PANEL SYSTEM FOR
MODULAR OFFICE FURNITURE
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to modular office wall and panel systems, and
more particularly to a stackable panel assembly having a universal engagement
mechanism incorporated into its frame for use with new or existing office wall
systems.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In modern interior office design, it is important to have versatility in
construction and reconfiguration of office paneling systems. In particular,
wall systems
of various heights have been used to enhance the aesthetics of the work
environment.
For example, wall panels can come in various heights and widths such as 39
inches, 48
inches and 64 inches high or ~4 inches, 36 inches, 48 inches and 60 inches
wide. In
addition, numerous types of panels can be used in these modular wall systems,
such as
clear glass, fiber coated panels, composite material covered panels,
translucent
materials or metal, perforated mesh panels. Each of these panels should be
capable of
being interchangeably used within a wall system in order to create a variety
of
appearances.
In addition, freestanding wall panels, such as may be used for room dividers,
for
example, are also utilized within the open office environment. These panels
can be
used to divide the work area but may not be structurally designed for
supporting office
CA 02339550 2001-03-06
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accessories such as book shelves and the like, which are commonly found on
office
wall panel systems. At times, after the office modular system has been
installed, it may
later be desired to change the look of the office for a variety of reasons,
either by
increasing panel height, changing panel coverings or further dividing the work
area. In
the past, this generally involves the removal or deconstruction of the office
layout and
the installation of new office wall systems and panels. It would be
advantageous,
therefore, to have a means whereby existing office panel systems can be
reconfigured
by the addition of new panels without the need to significantly disassemble
current
panels or wall system layouts. Additionally, it is desired to be able to
reconfigure any
type of office system from a v~~riety of manufacturers.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a panel system
which
can be added on or stacked upon an existing wall system.
It is a further object of the present invention to have a panel system which
can
also be used in a free standing mode, such as a room area divider.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a panel
system
which can be standardized and attached to any type of wall configuration to be
able to
configure the wall system with any type of panel.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a panel which can
utilize any type of covering or fabric so as to provide a variety of options
for the
appearance of the modular office system.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a means for
converting
existing panels or systems into a stackable panel system.
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It is yet a still further object of the present invention to provide a panel
framing
system which incorporates a stackable panel design.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a panel system
comprises a perimeter frame, wherein each corner of the perimeter frame
includes a
corner support member. Each of the corner supports comprises a generally L-
shaped
member having a central open area, one leg of the L-shaped corner support
having a
first portion of a sliding engagement mechanism thereon. Means for supporting
the
perimeter frame in an upright position, either upon a second panel, the top
portion of a
wall or upon the floor, are provided, the supporting means having a second
portion of
the sliding engagement mechanism and adapted to receive the first portion on
the L-
shaped corner support therein. In one embodiment, the first portion comprises
a pair of
opposed rails which project into tlhe central open area and the second portion
comprises
a pair of complementary shaped grooves for slidably receiving the opposed
rails.
In another embodiment of the stackable panel system for adding onto a top
portion of a modular office wall system, the stackable panel system comprises
a
perimeter frame and a corner support member disposed on each of the corners of
the
perimeter frame. Each of the corner support members includes a centrally open
area
and a first leg portion including a pair of opposed rails disposed within the
centrally
open area. A mast assembly comprising a mast base is secured to a top portion
of the
modular office wall system and a mast upright is attached to the mast base,
wherein the
mast upright includes a pair of opposed grooves adapted to receive the opposed
rails of
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the corner support member. A corner filler trim piece generally corresponding
to the
corner support member is provided as a finished trim piece, one leg of the
trim member
having a second pair of opposed grooves for receiving the opposed rails of the
corner
support member, and a plurality of perimeter trim means is disposed about the
perimeter frame between the corner support members. In this manner, an outer
surface
of each of the corner support members, the mast upright, the corner trim
members and
said perimeter trim means are generally compatible to provide an aesthetically
pleasing
appearance. Preferably, these components have a substantially identical outer
surface
for a uniform wall panel perimeter .
In order to construct the stackable panel of the present invention, for
example, a
perimeter frame for an office panel is provided. The perimeter frame comprises
a
plurality of frame members, each of the frame members comprising, in cross
section, a
generally semi-circular interior frame section and an opposed generally flat
exterior
frame section. A plurality of corner connectors are used to securely join the
plurality of
frame members, each of said corner connectors being of a generally L-shaped
configuration having a circular member receivable within the generally
circular interior
frame section and a generally flat portion in abutting relationship with the
opposed
generally flat exterior frame section. Means are provided for securing the
plurality of
corner connectors to the plurality of frame members such that the securing
means are
not visible within an interior area defined by the perimeter frame. By way of
example,
screws may be threadingly secured to the corner connectors and the flat
exterior frame
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section, whereby they project into the generally semi-circular interior frame
section and
are thereby "hidden" .
In order to convert an existing modular office panel into a stackable panel of
the
present invention, a corner mounting arrangement kit may be provided. The kit
comprises a plurality of generally L-shaped corner supports, each of which
includes a
generally open central area and one leg of the L-shaped corner support has a
first
portion of a sliding engagement mechanism, such as opposed rails projecting
into the
open area. A plurality of mast assemblies are provided, each having a second
portion
of the sliding engagement mechanism, such as a pair of opposed grooves
complementary to the shape of the rails. The mast assemblies can support the
panel
either on top of an existing wall system or upon the floor. The kit further
comprises a
plurality of corner trim pieces also including the second portion of the
sliding
engagement mechanism, and a plurality of top connectors for joining adjacent
panels.
The outer surface of each of the components of the kit are generally
compatible so as to
provide for an aesthetically pleasing appearance for the converted stackable
panel. In
addition, the kit may include a plurality of intermediate connectors for
adding up
additional stackable panels.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Various other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become
more apparent by reading the following description in conjunction with the
drawings,
which are shown by way of example only, where:
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Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the stackable panel system
of the present invention installed as part of a modular office wall system;
Figure 2, consisting of Figures 2A and 2B, illustrates a perspective view of a
corner support, Figure 2A showing the corner support attached to a stackable
panel
system and Figure 2B showing only the corner support;
Figure 3 is an exploded view of one embodiment of a mast assembly for the
present invention;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a mast base for the
mast assembly of the present invention;
Figure S is a detailed perspective view of a mast upright of the present
invention;
Figure 6 is a perspective view of an intermediate connector for the stackable
panels system of the present invention;
Figure 7 is a detailed exploded view of one embodiment of a top connector
assembly for the stackable panel system of the present invention;
Figure 8 is a detailed perspective view of a corner filler trim piece for the
stackable panel system of the present invention;
Figure 9 is an exploded. view of one embodiment of a perimeter framing system
which may be used for the stackable panel system of the present invention;
Figure 10 is a cross sectional view of a perimeter framing member as shown in
Figure 9;
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Figure 11 is a cross sectional view of one embodiment of a perimeter framing
trim piece for the stackable panel system of the present invention;
Figure 12 is a cross sectional view of a second embodiment of a perimeter
framing trim piece for the stackable panel system of the present invention;
Figure 13 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a leveling glide for a
free
standing stackable panel system of the present invention; and
Figure 14 is an exploded view of a prior art panel system; and
Figure 15 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the corner
mounting arrangement of the present invention as used with existing panel
designs to
create a stackable panel system.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the drawings in detail, there is shown in Figure 1 a
stackable
panel system 20 which incoporates a unique corner mounting arrangement 23
which
allows a panel to be adapted or added on to any type of wall system. In a
preferred
embodiment, the stackable parcels 26 include the corner support arrangement 23
at each
of the four corners 29, which allow such stackable panels to be added to any
type of
wall system or open office modular panel system 32. The corner support
arrangement
23, shown in detail in Figure 2, preferably comprises a pretrimmed generally L-
shaped
component 35 which has an outer surface 38 which matches the outer surface of
an
extruded panel trim 41 which is placed around the perimeter of a typical panel
26 in the
areas defined between the corner supports 35. The L-shaped corner supports 35
are
attached to the frame 44 of the office panel preferably by means of two screws
47
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which pass through appropriate openings 50 or slots 53 within attachment tabs
56 on
the legs of the corner support 35 so as to secure the corner supports 35 to
the panel
frame 44. The corner supports 35 have an open central area 59, the long
portion or leg
62 of the L-shaped corner support 35 including a pair of rails 65 which
project inwardly
from the sides 68 of the long portion 62. The rails 65 form a first portion of
a sliding
engagement mechanism. On the shorter portion or leg 71 is included a
rectangular
recessed area 74 for receiving various elements of the corner mounting
arrangement as
will be more fully described hereinafter.
In order to attach a stackable panel 26 to the top of an existing wall segment
32,
a mast assembly 77 is utilized. As shown in Figures 3-S, the mast assembly
comprises
a mast base 80 which is secured to a mast upright 83, such as by a bolt 86.
The mast
upright 83 also has an outer surface 89 which preferably matches the panel
trim 41 on
the panel frame 44 and the outer surface 38 of the corner support 35. The mast
upright
83 (Figure 5) includes, on either side thereof, a groove 92 which forms a
second portion
of the sliding engagement mechanism and generally matches the dimensions of
the rails
65 found on the inside surface 68 of the corner supports 35. The grooves 92 of
the mast
upright 83 engage these rails 65 such that the stackable panel 26 is secured
to the mast
upright 83 and thus the existing wall system 32. Additionally, on the inside
surface 95
of the mast upright, opposite the trimmed outer surface 89 which is visible to
a person,
is a generally rectangular cutout portion (not shown) into which the screw 47
which
attaches the corner support 35 to the frame 44 can be received with adequate
clearance
so that the assembled mast and corner assembly provides an aesthetically
pleasing
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appearance for the stacked panel. Additionally, although the rails 65 and
grooves 92
are shown to be generally rectangular, it will be understood by those skilled
in the art
that this slidable engagement mechanism can be of any complementary cross
section,
such as a dove tail connection. Moreover, it will also be understood by those
skilled in
the art that the mast upright may incorporate the rails, and the corner
supports the
complementary shaped grooves, to form the slidable engagement mechanism for
the
corner mounting arrangement.
According to a presently preferred embodiment, the mast upright 83 is
comprised of two separate components: the vertical member 97 which engages in
the
rails 65 of the corner support 35, and a securement block 98 which has a
threaded
opening 101 to receive the bolt 86. Although the securement block 98 may be a
separate piece secured to the vertical member 97, such as by welding, the
vertical
member and securement block can also be formed as an integral one piece
component
for the mast upright 83. As was stated previously, the mast upright 83 is
secured to the
mast base 80 such as by a bolt 86 which passes through a hole 107 in the mast
base
from the bottom and projects upward to be threadingly engaged with the
threaded
opening 101 in the mast securement block 98. The mast base can be of several
forms,
such as shown in Figures 3 and 4, according to the type of panel or wall
assembly to
which the stackable panels of the present invention are to be attached. For
example, an
embodiment of a wall system, such as is disclosed in Canadian Application No:
2,238,536 Al, filed on May 25, 1998, entitled Hybrid Office Panel Construction
for a
Modular Office Furniture System which is assigned to the present applicant,
includes a
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top portion 109 having a crown member 110 which has a grooved portion 113 into
which the mast: base 80 shown in Figure 3 may be received. This mast base
includes a
corresponding rectangular lower segment 116 which can be inserted into the
groove
113 and the mast base secured to the crown 110, such as by two bolts (not
shown)
which pass through openings 117 in the mast base 80. The mast base 80 is
secured to
the crown 110 after the mast upright 83 has been bolted 86 thereto (see Figure
1 ). For a
wall system having a relatively flat top portion 109, the mast base 119 shown
in Figure
4 is preferably used. It is secured to the wall in a similar manner as
discussed above,
such as by a bolt (not shown) passing through opening 120 and threadingly
engaging
the top portion of the wall assembly.
Additionally, the mast upright and mast base can also be formed as an integral
component such that only the mast base need be secured to the crown, for
example,
rather than having to secure two pieces initially. One embodiment of an
integral base
is described more fully hereinafter with respect to a freestanding stackable
panel
system. However, due to the fact that differing types and shapes of mast bases
are
utilized in order to incorporate the present invention with any type of wall
system, it is
presently preferred to have a two piece mast assembly such that only one mast
upright
need be manufactured and only the mast base need be customized for each
application,
depending on the type or manufacturer of the wall system to which the
stackable panel
system of the present invention is to be added. Preferably the mast upright 83
includes
a leg portion 122 which overhangs a portion of the mast base 80. Additionally,
the
securement block 98 passes through the central open area 59 on the shorter
portion 71
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of the corner support 35 and the mast base 80 rests within the recessed
rectangular area
74.
As shown in Figure 1, two mast assemblies 77 are secured to the top portion
109 of a wall assembly 32 according to the width of the stackable panel 26 of
the
present invention. Since the mast base 80 can be secured anywhere along the
crown
110, for example, panels of any size may be manufactured and used for any of
the
variety of wall systems. Alter the mast assemblies have been secured in place,
the
panels can be attached to the mast uprights 83 as hereinafter described.
The rails 65 on the longer portion 62 of the L-shaped corner support 35
slidingly engage the corresponding grooves 92 in the mast upright 83 and
thereby
secure the panel 26 to the crown 110 on the top portion 109 of an existing
wall 32.
Since each of the four corners 29 of the stackable panel include the corner
support 35 of
the present invention, additional or upper 125 stackable panels can be stacked
upon the
first or lower panel 128 which is attached to the top portion 109 of the wall.
This is
accomplished by way of an intermediate connector member 131 shown in Figure 6,
which generally is twice the length of mast upright 83 and generally spans the
distance
between two corresponding corner supports 35 of an upper 125 and lower 128
stackable
panel. The intermediate connector 131 also has a pre-trimmed outer surface 134
and
the second portion of the sliding engagement mechanism or grooves 137 on
either side.
The intermediate connector 1:31 is installed into the upper left corner, for
example, of
the lower stackable panel 128 as shown in Figure 1 and engages the rails
therein. The
intermediate connector, on the side opposite the pre-trimmed outer surface
134, also
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includes two rectangular cutout portions on each end for clearance between the
screw
heads used to attach the corner supports to the panel frames 125, 128 and the
intermediate connector 131. Approximately one half of the intermediate
connector
extends above a top surface of the lower panel 128. Thus, the intermediate
connector
projects above the top surface of the lower panel 128 in much the same manner
as the
upright mast extends upward from the top portion 109 of the wall. One
intermediate
connector 131 is attached to either side of the lower panel 128. A second or
upper
stackable panel 125 is then insl:alled over the lower panel by inserting the
top half of the
intermediate connector 131 into the corresponding central open areas 59 of the
corner
supports 35 on the lower portion of the upper stackable panel 125 and
inserting the rails
65 thereof into the corresponding grooves 13? of the intermediate connector
131.
Although the dimensions of the intermediate connector are generally equal to
twice the
length of the longer leg portion 62 of an individual corner support 35, there
may be a
gap which exists between either end of the intermediate connector 131 and the
corner
supports. For this reason, a spacer member 140 may be incorporated into the
midpoint
section of the intermediate connector 131 so as to provide an equal, smaller
gap
between the ends of intermediate connectors and the corner supports on the
outside of
the upper and lower stacked panels, such that a uniform appearance is provided
for the
wall system. As was stated previously, the intermediate connector 131 may
include the
rails for the sliding engagement mechanism if the corner support 35 has the
complementary grooves.
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In those instances where two stackable panels 26 have been attached in a side
by
side relationship (see Figure 1.), a top connector 143 is installed to join
the two adjacent
panels. As shown in Figure T, this T-shaped connector includes a horizontal
top
portion 146 which is generally twice the size of the length of the smaller leg
portions 71
of the corner support 35. Thus, the horizontal portion 146 of the top
connector 143 fills
a gap 147 that exists between two adjacent stackable panels and rests within
the
recessed rectangular area 74 to be flush with the top of the panel. The lower
vertical
portion 149 of the T-shaped top connector 143 comprises a generally I-beam
shape
(when viewed from below) having a pair of vertically oriented legs 152 which,
when
installed, project frontwards and rearwards to form opposing channels 155 on
the lower
portion of the T-shaped connector. The distance between these legs 152
corresponds to
the outer distance between two corresponding rails 65 which are disposed
adjacent to
each other for the two adjacent stackable panels 26. Thus, the opposing
channels 155
on the lower portion of the T-shaped top connector 143 frictionally engage one
rail 65
on each panel thereby securely locking the two adjacent panels together. It
will be
understood that the lower portion of the top connector may include rails to
fit within
complementary grooves in the corner connector. Together with the mast upright
83
which secures the stacked pa~iel 26 to the wall 32, the mast assembly 77,
intermediate
connector 131, and the top connector 143 operate to provide an adequately
rigid
construction for the stackable panels such that they will not easily become
dislodged
without removing the top connector and individually removing each of the
panels from
each of the respective masts.
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When the desired number of stackable panels have thus been added to the wall
system, the top corners of the uppermost stacked panel 125 are finished or
trimmed off
by the insertion of a corner filler trim piece 158 which matches the trim 41
appearance
of the perimeter of the stackable panels 26. As shown in Figure 8, on the
exposed
surface 159 this trim piece also is of an L-shaped construction, which
generally matches
the size of the central open area 59, the longer arm 161 of which includes the
corresponding grooves 164 for the second portion of the sliding engagement
mechanism which match the rails 65 forming the first portion in the corner
supports 35.
Alternatively, the trim piece 1 S8 may have the rails. The shorter arm 167 of
the L-
shaped trim piece 158 rests within the recessed rectangular area 74 on the
corner
support 35, also being flush with the top of the panel.
By using the stackable panel 26 with the corner supports 35 of the present
invention, in order to reconfigure an already installed modular wall office
system,
extensive disassembly of the existing setup does not have to be undertaken.
Since only
the mast base members need be specially configured for any type of top portion
109 of
an existing wall system 32, the mast assembly 77 can be secured directly to
the existing
wall without having to disassemble that system and attach a special securement
arrangement as is now common with conventional systems. Thus, newer panels can
be
attached to an existing system by installing the mast assemblies and then
using the
stackable panels of the present invention having the versatile corner support
arrangement.
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In order to construct a stackable panel of the present invention, the
perimeter
framing system 170 as shown in Figure 9 can be utilized. Preferably the frame
consists
of an extruded aluminum member 173 having a cross section as shown in Figure
10.
This cross section generally includes a semi-circular or half moon
configuration 176 on
an interior section and a flat portion 179 on an opposite or exterior section,
which can
accept an extruded vinyl edge; molding trim piece 41 which is common in office
panel
systems. When the length and height of the panel to be installed has been
determined,
the extruded aluminum perimeter frame members 173 can be cut to these desired
lengths. Preferably, the aluminum members are mitered at about a 45°
angle and four
sections joined together to form a rectangular frame. In order to rigidly
attach the
extruded aluminum frame members 173, corner connector members 182 are
utilized.
Preferably, these corner connectors are made of a zinc die cast or molded
plastic
material. The corner connectors 182 have a corresponding half moon shape 185
complementary to that of the half moon section 176 of the perimeter frame
member
173. A first leg of the corner connector 182 thus is inserted into one
aluminum frame
member and the other leg is inserted into the other frame member. One or more
screw
holes 188 are included in the flat portion 179 of the frame member 173 and a
screw 191
is used to connect a frame member to each leg of the corner connector 182. In
this
manner all four sides of the rectangular panel frame are rigidly secured at
their corners
according to the desired dimensions, the four corner connectors 182 providing
rigidity
and stability for the perimeter framing system 170.
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The flat portion 179 of the extruded perimeter frame members 173 also is
adapted to accept the corner supports 35 as previously disclosed herein.
Again, the
corner supports are attached to each of the corners of the assembled aluminum
perimeter frame by self tapping screws 47 which are inserted through the holes
50 and
slots 53 in the corner supports and screwed into the aluminum perimeter frame.
If
necessary, extruded aluminum I-beam mullions 194 can be used to span the
distance
either lengthwise or widthwise between parallel frame members. Preferably, a
slot 197
may be machined into a half moon section 176 of the corresponding frame
members in
order to insert the mullions 194 therein. These mullions would be inserted,
for
example, prior to the final securement of the perimeter members and are
thereby
captured between the parallel frame members when the corner connectors 182 are
secured therein. Thus, no additional means of securing the mullions to the
perimeter
frames are necessary.
A unique advantage of this semi-circular half moon cross section 176 on the
inner portion 200 of the perimeter frame allows various types of covering
materials 203
to be used as the outside surface of the stackable panel 26. For example, if a
translucent material or even a clear glass panel is to be installed as the
panel cover for
the stackable panel, the outer covering can be easily secured to the perimeter
frame
without exposing the connecting hardware of the panel frame. The perimeter
frame
includes a relatively flat portion 206 adjacent the flat portion 179 so as to
provide a
square area for the attachment of the panel skin or covering. In addition, the
I-beam
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mullions also provide an intermediate area of support and also can be used as
separations between panes of clear glass to give the effect of a multipane
configuration.
A suitable adhesive, preferably a double sided tape, is applied to the flat
portion
206 of the extruded perimeter frame members 173. The desired panel skin 203 is
then
secured to the perimeter frame by means of this adhesive. In order to cover
the edge
portions 209 of the panel skin, the trim piece 212 (Figure 11 ) includes an
elongated
outer leg portion 215 which over hangs the edges of the panel skin 203. Thus,
any
rough surfaces which may exist, such as for example which may be created in an
aluminum mesh product, are covered by the trim 212. Although it may be
possible to
use the trim piece 212 as the securement means for the panel skin to the
frame, since a
variety of panel skins are to be accommodated, which panel skins have various
thicknesses, it is preferable to use the adhesive and merely use the trim 212
to cover
over any rough edges which rnay exist. For stackable panels constructed with
an
upholstered panel skin, not having rough edges for example, a trim piece 218
having
relatively shorter leg portions 221 as shown in Figure 12 may be used as is
described
more fully hereinafter. In addition the corner supports 35 include trim leg
portions 224
according to the trim design which is used for the differing type panel skins
for a
uniform appearance.
Because of the use of the semi-circular half moon section for the perimeter
frame and the use of the corner connectors to connect each member of the
frame, the
screws which are used to secure the pieces together do not project into the
otherwise
open square area 227 defined by the perimeter frame, but are hidden within the
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respective semi-circular half moon section 176, 185. That is, in those cases
where a
translucent or clear panel skin i s used, the screws 191 which are used to
attach these
members are not visible which is not the case with conventional panel frame
construction. Thus a "clean" appearance is provided in the interior portions
of the
perimeter frame. Therefore, the perimeter frame of the stackable panel of the
present
invention allows the use of any type of non-upholstered panel skin on the
covering,
thereby giving great versatility to the present invention.
Various different modifications of these stackable panels of the present
invention may be utilized. for example, although it is desired to have
standardized
panel frames which have the corner supports of the present invention on each
corner, it
may be also desirable to provide what may be referred to as "top" stackable
panels. In
this instance, only the bottom t:wo corners of the panel frame may include the
corner
support arrangement 23 and the upper corners on the opposite ends can have
conventional extruded trim members thereon. However, due to the added
advantage
that the T-shaped top connectors provide in "locking" two adjacent panels
together, and
due to the standardization which can be easily accomplished by having all four
corners
include the corner supports, it is preferable to construct each stackable
panel having
these corner supports at all four corners. In addition, the top connector can
also have
various configurations such as an X- or an L-shaped connection, when matching
the
stackable panels of the present invention to the existing wall configurations.
For
example, at a corner of a wall, the L-shaped connector for the top corners of
adjacent
panels can be used so as to lock the perpendicularly situated stackable
panels. This is
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also true for a corner connection where the X-shaped top connector can be used
to trim
off and lock intersecting stacked panels.
In addition to using the: stackable panels 26 of the present invention on top
of an
existing wall system, it is also possible to use these panels as a floor
mounted or
freestanding room or space divider 230. In this configuration, rather than
having a mast
base member which is used to secure the mast upright to a top section of a
wall, the
floor mounted mast base portion 233 can include a leveling glide 236 which is
typically
used when supporting a stackable panel 26 on the floor 239, as shown in Figure
13.
Thus, on either end of a stackable panel of the present invention, a floor
mounted
upright mast portion 242 is secured to a floor mounted mast base portion 233
which
includes this leveling glide 236. 'this gives an additional advantage to
having an mast
upright 83 separate from the mast base such that any type of base can be used,
even one
which can support the stackable panel on the floor. For the stackable panels
which are
to be joined adjacent to each other and resting on the floor, a one piece,
double-sided
mast upright (not shown) can be used which then incorporates the leveling
glide 236 for
supporting the panel on the floor 239. The use of such leveling glides are
well known
in the art. Thus, the stackable panel construction having the four corner
support
members of the present invention provides many options to the work space
designer.
Although the stackable panels 26 of the present invention are shown attached
to
a wall system or floor mounted arrangement in an adjacent or side-by-side
relationship
(Figure 1), it will be understood by those skilled in the art that numerous
connections
may be used, such as a corner, L-shaped connection, or an intersecting X-
shaped
CA 02339550 2004-12-15
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connection for example. By way of further example, in the floor mounted
embodiment,
instead of supplying a double-sided or "back-to-back" mast upright, an L-
shaped mast
upright could be provided for a corner of a room divider. Such a mast assembly
could
also be used on the top portion of a corner connected or intersecting wall
system.
In addition to utilizing the corner mounting arrangement 23 of the present
invention on new stackable panels, such as those formed by the extruded
aluminum
frame member 173 and corner connector 182 discussed above, the various
components
having the sliding engagement mechanism used to mount a stackable panel can
also be
incorporated into existing panel systems. One example of such a panel system
is
disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,567,698 and 5,024,030 issued to Morrison.
As shown in Figure 14, a typical prior art panel 260 comprises a rectangular
frame constructed of four (4) channel pieces 263 which are held together at
their
corners 266 by clips 269 (see Figure 15). Applied to the opposed surfaces of
the frame
are a panel skin 272, which may be one of numerous materials, such as metal,
glass or
typically a fabric covered panel. Also included may be a base 275 which
supports the
panel 260 on the floor. By way of further example, this panel 269 may also be
used as
the existing wall system 32 to which the stackable panels 26 of the present
invention
may be added.
Referring now in detail to Figure 15, incorporation of the corner mounting
arrangement 23 into this existing panel 260 is discussed. As shown therein, an
L-
shaped corner support 35 can be attached to each corner 266 by screws (not
shown)
CA 02339550 2001-03-06
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which pass through the opening 50 and slot 53 to threadingly engage holes 278
in the
panel clips 269. By installing these corner supports 35 having the first
portion of a
sliding engagement mechmism, the existing panel 260 can then be used as either
a
stackable panel 26 of the present invention, or as a free standing divider 230
as
discussed above. Additionally, if the present construction of the existing
panel 260
permits, the upper corners can have installed the corner support 35 so that
stackable
panels can be added thereon. Alternatively, since in this example the top
portion 281 of
the panel 260 is relatively flat, the flat bottom mast base 119 (Figure 4) can
be bolted
thereon as part of the mast assembly 77 for adding on stackable panels 26. In
the
example shown, upholstered or fabric covered panel skins 272 are used. Thus
the
upholstered trim piece 218 (Figure 12) would be used to provide the uniform
perimeter
appearance.
For converting an existing panel 260 into a stackable panel, all a person need
do
is obtain a corner support arrangement "kit" which can include a plurality of
L-shaped
corner supports 35, mast assemblies 77, which may also include the differing
mast
bases 80 and 119, intermediate connectors 131, top connectors 143, corner
fillers 158,
floor mounted bases 233 and/or trim pieces 212, 218 which have incorporated
therein
the respective complementary rails and grooves for the sliding engagement
mechanism.
Since the components are preferably made of an extruded plastic or vinyl
material, they
can be painted to be compatible with the panel trim appearance to which they
are
installed, either by having a substantially identical color or some other
color which
complements the panel systern's appearance. By incorporating these components
with
CA 02339550 2001-03-06
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existing panels 260, they can be converted into stackable panels since they
would then
include the sliding engagement mechanism for connection to other panels,
mounted
atop a wall system or used as space dividers, all as described hereinbefore.
While specific modes of practicing the invention have been described in
detail,
it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications
and
alternatives to those details may be developed in light of the overall
teachings of the
disclosure. Accordingly, the particular arrangements disclosed are meant to be
illustrative only and not limiting to the scope of the invention which is to
be given the
full breadth of the appended claims, and any and all embodiments thereof.
