Support System for Landscape Screens

This invention relates generally to the support of landscape screens or the like, and more particularly to a novel and improved system for supporting landscape screens on elevated or computer floor systems.

Landscape screens are often used in commercial work areas to provide space dividers. For example, in a large, relatively open work area, screens are sometimes arranged to separate various areas to provide privacy, to break up open expanses, or to reduce distraction. Such screens are normally not fixed in place, but are movable so that they may be repositioned when work area revisions are required.

Usually, landscape screens are supported by legs or stands which merely rest on a floor structure and extend laterally from the plane of the screen to provide lateral support. Because the supports extend laterally from the screens to provide this lateral support, they provide obstructions to traffic which are undesirable. They also tend to limit the area in which furniture or other equipment can be located. Still further, such supports do not provide a secure support for the screens and the screens are sometimes bumped out of place or tipped over.

In accordance with the present invention, a novel and improved landscape screen support system is provided. Such support system combines sockets within the floor structure itself with removable studs and stud tracks which provide a secure landscape screen support, permit the placement of the screens in substantially any desired position, and also readily permit relocation of the screens when desired.

Further, the support system is located within the lateral confines of the screen itself so that it does not obstruct traffic or the placement of furniture or equipment.

The preferred embodiment of the support system is applied to a floor system including a plurality of removable panels which cooperate when installed to provide a large floor structure. Such floor system is provided, for example, in a floor system generally referred to as a "computer floor" or a "raised floor." Most such floor systems provide square floor panels which are supported by pedestals at a location above the building's basic floor structure to provide a subfloor space through which power lines can pass and/or through which ventilating and conditioning air may also pass. In such floor systems, individual panels may be removed and replaced as required. An example of such a raised or computer floor structure is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,067,156 and in the pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 264,932, filed May 18, 1981.

The actual screen support system includes sockets provided in at least some of the floor panels. The system also includes studs which may be removably positioned in such sockets and mating tracks which are mounted on the lower edge of the landscape screens. The tracks and studs are provided with interfitting structure which allows the studs to be secured to the track at substantially any selected position along the tracks.

For installation of a screen in a desired location, floor panels are located within the floor system so as to provide sockets at the locations where the screen is to be supported. The tracks are mounted on the lower edge of the screen and the studs are positioned in the tracks and moved therealong to a position in which they can be inserted into the sockets. Preferably, means are provided to lock the studs relative to the track in the proper position therealong.

In addition, the studs may be provided with height-adjusting means so that the height of the supported screen with respect to the floor may be adjusted.

With the preferred embodiments illustrated, landscape screens can be positioned at substantially any location and readily moved as desired. Further, a firm support is provided so that the screen is fixed in place and is able to withstand the loads normally encountered thereby. Because the studs do not extend laterally from the screens and are within the envelope of the screen itself, the support system does not produce any traffic obstructions or any obstructions to the placement of furniture or other equipment.

Although the illustrated embodiment of this invention involves the mounting of landscape screens or the like, it is within the broader aspects of this invention to provide a floor system providing floor panels having support means for removably supporting other types of devices or accessories. For example, railing or light posts can be supported in the floor panel sockets illustrated.

These and other aspects of this invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and are more fully described in the following specification.

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, perspective view of an elevated floor system having two landscape screens mounted thereon;

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a floor system having landscape screens of various sizes and shapes mounted in random positions thereon;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary section illustrating a socket applied to one form of elevated floor panel and a stud which may be vertically adjusted with respect to the floor and locked in place;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, perspective view illustrating the track and stud interconnection;

FIG. 5 is a schematic side elevation of a landscaping screen provided with a first system for anchoring the track on the screen;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary section of another track anchoring system;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view similar to FIG. 3 but illustrating another embodiment of socket and stud structure in which there is no vertical adjustment provided; and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view similar to FIGS. 3 and 7 but illustrating still another embodiment of stud and socket anchoring structure.

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a typical elevated floor system in which a plurality of square panels 10 are supported at their corners on pedestals 11 and cooperate to provide a floor surface 12 which is spaced up from the main floor structure of a building. A typical pedestal is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,113,219 (assigned to the assignee of the present invention). Typically, the panels are provided with a floor surface which may be a carpet or tile as the case may be. Such floor panels 10 are individually removable to provide access to the underfloor area between the panel system and the main floor of the building. Such underfloor area is often used for power cables and heating or cooling conditioning air.

In accordance with the present invention, support means are provided to support landscape screens 13 from the panels 10. In FIG. 1, two landscape screens 13 are illustrated, one of which is parallel to the side edges of the panels 12 and the other of which is positioned in a diagonal position with respect to the side edges of the panels. Each of the screens is supported by a pair of studs 14 which are spaced along the length of the screen and fit into sockets 15 provided in the floor panels 10, as discussed in detail below.

The sockets 15 may be mounted in any suitable manner in the floor panels 10. Various types of floor panels 10 are known in the prior art. For example, some floor panels provide a metal surface which surrounds a core and other panels are fabricated from sheet metal. In the drawings, this invention is illustrated as applied to a floor panel having the construction illustrated in the Swensen, copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 264,932, filed May 18, 1981 (assigned to the assignee of the present invention). Such application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety to illustrate the full structure of one particular floor panel to which the present invention is applicable.

Such floor panel includes an upper plate 16 and a lower frame or support member 17 which is welded to the lower surface of the upper plate 16 and is shaped to provide a beam system extending across the panel to provide a relatively rigid, lightweight panel structure. As best illustrated in such copending application, the frame member 17 provides patterns of legs 18 which extend laterally between the upper and lower surface of the panel and are welded to the upper surface.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, a tubular metal socket 15 provides a flange 19 and a tubular portion 20. The flange 19 is welded to the upper plate in one of the zones defined by associated legs 18. The upper plate 16 is formed with an opening 21, aligned with the socket 15, having a diameter substantially equal to the internal diameter of the tubular portion 20 of the socket 15.

In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the stud 14 is threaded and provides a diameter sized to closely fit the socket 15. In this embodiment, adjustment is provided so that the height of the screen above the floor surface 12 can be adjusted. The stud is threaded, at least at its lower end, to receive a first nut 22 which is threaded along the stud 14 and engages the floor surface 12 to adjustably determine the vertical position of the stud with respect to the floor. A second nut 23 is threaded onto the lower end of the stud 14 and engages the lower end of the socket to clamp the stud in its position to prevent it from rattling and also to prevent it from moving in an upward direction with respect to the floor panel. Access to the second nut 23 can be obtained by removing an adjacent panel during the installation of the stud.

The upper end of the stud is provided with a rectangular flange 24 which is proportioned to fit within a track 26 secured to the lower edge of the landscape screen 13. The flange 24 may be secured to the stud in any suitable manner, such as by welds 27. The track 26 is preferably formed of sheet metal providing a central portion 28 which fits against the lower edge of the landscape screen. Opposite edges of the track are formed with reverse bends at 29 and 31, which cooperate to provide opposed grooves proportioned to embrace opposite edges of the flange 24 and to provide an interfitting structure which connects the stud and track while allowing longitudinal movement of the stud along the track.

In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the landscape screen is provided with a wood core 32 sandwiched between side panels 33 formed of any suitable material, such as sheet metal, paneling, or other decorative surface material. In such instance, the track may be mounted on the landscape screen by relatively long wood screws 34 which are threaded into the track and up into the wood core 32. As discussed in detail below, other means for mounting the tracks may be provided, depending upon the landscape screen structure. In any event, the strength of the connection between the track 26 and the screen 13 must be sufficiently great to prevent the track from being pulled loose in the event the screen is bumped or otherwise subjected to lateral forces.

It is also preferable to provide means to lock the position of the stud along the track. FIG. 4 illustrates one form of lock. Such locking structure is provided by a setscrew 36 which is threaded into the flange 24 so that when it is tightened, it presses up against the center portion 28 of the track and frictionally locks the flange in its adjusted position along the track.

Referring to FIG. 2, the panels are preferably provided with sockets 15 which are eccentrically located with respect to the center of the panels 10. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, the sockets 15 are located near one panel corner. For example, in panels which are about two feet square, the studs may be located about four inches in from the two intersecting side edges of the panel so that they are located substantially adjacent to one corner of the panel but spaced a distance therefrom.

When the sockets are located eccentrically of the panel, a given single socket in a given panel can be positioned in any one of four positions within the floor structure by merely turning the panel to a selected one of the four positions in which it can be inserted within the floor system.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, a landscape screen 13a can be positioned at one diagonal with respect to the panels, a screen 13b can be positioned to extend at an angle of about 45 degrees with respect to the two panels, or a curved landscape panel 13c can be provided. The tracks for curved panels are curved to match the curve of the panels. It should be noted that landscape screens of substantially different lengths can also be mounted on the floor structure. The landscape screens would normally not be mounted in the relative positions of FIG. 2. FIG. 2, however, illustrates some of the various mounting positions provided by this invention and demonstrates that the present invention allows for the mounting of panels in a large variety of positions, even when a given floor panel is only provided with one socket 15. Further, it is not necessary to locate the studs at the ends of the screen, and the studs can be positioned at an appropriate position along the length of the screen to properly position the screen in the desired position on the floor system. Still further, the screens may, if desired, be positioned to abut along an edge or edges to form corners. Also, the screens can be positioned to abut existing walls. When screens abut, it is desirable to interconnect the screens for greater strength.

In practice, it is preferable to provide sockets in only a portion of the floor panels 10 so that the floor panels on which screens are not mounted do not have any openings therein. When it is desired to position a screen in a particular location, a floor panel having a socket therein is positioned at the appropriate location within the floor system and is oriented within the floor system to position the socket at the desired location within the floor system. By providing the sockets in an eccentric location from the center of the floor panel, a given panel can be inserted with the socket in any one of four positions when the panels are square. If, on the other hand, the panels are rectangular, a given socket, even though eccentrically located, could only be positioned in one of two positions within the floor system. Although floor panels with a single socket are illustrated, it is within the broader aspects of this invention to provide floor panels with two or more sockets. When multiple sockets are provided, they are preferably nonsymmetrical so as to provide further optional positioning of the sockets within a floor.

Referring to FIG. 5, a mounting system is illustrated for securing the track 26 on the lower edge of a screen 13 formed, for example, of a foam core. In order to provide good anchoring of the track on such a panel, the track is provided with relatively long rods 41 which extend a substantial distance up along the screen and provide good anchoring of the track on the screen for greater strength. Here again, studs 14 are mounted in the track 26 and extend into sockets 15 (not illustrated in FIG. 5) in the floor panels 10.

FIG. 6 illustrates another embodiment for mounting the track 26 on a screen 13. In such embodiment, side plates 42, welded at their lower edge to opposite sides of the track 26, extend up along the surface of the screen a sufficient distance to properly support the screen on the track. The side plates of such embodiment are spaced apart a distance proportioned to closely fit the sides of the screen and may be secured to the screen by adhesive or screws (not illustrated). This embodiment is normally used with screens which do not provide a sufficiently strong core to support the screen with a core connection.

FIG. 7 illustrates another embodiment in which no height adjustment is provided for the stud. In this embodiment, a stud 14a is not provided with threads, and merely extends down into a socket 15a providing a closed lower end 43. In such embodiment, the stud 14a is preferably formed to fit into the socket 15a with a close fit so that the stud does not have to be clamped in the socket by opposed nuts, as illustrated in FIG. 3. The embodiment of FIG. 7 has the advantage of not requiring threads on the stud and also permitting easier insertion and removal of the studs, since they are not clamped on the underside of the panel and no access is therefore required beneath the panel for the screen mounting.

FIG. 8 illustrates still another embodiment in which height adjustment is again provided but which does not require threads on the stud. In this embodiment, the stud 14b is provided with a collar 44 which is locked at any desired position along the stud by a setscrew 46 to adjustably determine the height of the screen above the floor. In this embodiment, the stud 14b is again sized to closely fit the socket 15 so that the screen is properly positioned and does not rattle.

In all of the embodiments, the elements of the structure are sized so that sufficient strength is provided to support the screen against any lateral loading which is normally encountered. In units in which heavy lateral loading may be encountered, the sockets may be secured to the floor panel at both the upper and lower ends thereof to provide additional strength. Further, the size or diameter of the studs is appropriately selected to provide sufficient strength, and the gauge of the material forming the track is selected to provide sufficient strength to properly support the screen. In the embodiments in which vertical adjustment is provided, of course, the screens can be adjusted vertically. In the embodiment of FIG. 7, however, the height of the screen above the floor is determined solely by the length of the stud which is used to support the screen.

Although the preferred embodiments of this invention have been shown and described, it should be understood that various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the invention as disclosed and claimed herein.