Office Panel Element Configuration

The present invention relates to office panel elements, sometimes referred to as office panel tiles, which are adapted to cover an office panel frame.

Office panelling systems for subdividing office space have become a well recognized approach for effectively subdividing office space and defining various work stations. One of the most popular approaches with respect to office panelling systems is that each office panel has a separate frame to which office panel elements are secured to effectively cover the frame and provide a finished surface. Each frame may be adapted to receive a plurality of office panel elements to one side or to both sides and typically the frames have a plurality of vertical members interconnected by horizontal members or horizontal rail members.

These office panel elements are designed to absorb sound and have a sound absorbing filler material immediately behind the facing material which is often cloth, particularly in the case of sound absorbing elements. A metal back support member provides the recess for receiving and supporting the filler material and has typically been made of a metal, having metal sides and metal ends with the front being open for receiving the filler material. The fabric is then applied over the combination and is typically adhesively secured in a more or less tensioned state to the rear surface of the back support. Each element typically includes a peripheral edge region of shallower depth which overlaps with the frame, with a central area being of greater depth and being received within the recess of the frame. Various clips are secured to the back support and often form a spring detente arrangement maintaining the element within an office panel frame. As can be appreciated, the procedures for manufacturing of the back support require closing of both the sides and ends and complicate the manufacture of the element.

According to the present invention, an element of an office panel has a back support member which cooperates with molded end pieces received in the back support member, with these molded end pieces effectively closing the ends of the office panel element. A filler material is received within the back support member and a decorative facing member covers the filler material and is attached to the back support member and the molded end pieces whereby the facing material forms a finished face of the element.

According to an aspect of the invention, the back support is of a constant cross section open at either end with the molded end pieces being slidably received at either end of the back support member.

According to yet a further aspect of the invention, the back support member includes locking recesses therein which receive locking members of respective molded end pieces which retain the molded end pieces relative to the backing member when fully received in the back support member.

According to yet a further aspect of the invention, the molded end pieces each include at either end thereof means to cooperate and form a spring detente arrangement used for fastening of the element in an office panel frame.

According to yet a further aspect of the invention, each molded end piece includes a lower hook arrangement for engaging a rail of an office frame and an upper spring detente arrangement for engaging a higher rail of the office frame.

According to yet a further aspect of the invention, the upper spring detente is a resiliently mounted tab having a camming surface thereon for engaging a rail of the office panel frame. In one aspect of the invention, the molded end pieces have a projecting portion of greatly reduced depth relative to the back support member, with this projecting portion defining one edge of the element. This projecting edge is typically a peripheral edge at either end of the back support member.

According to yet a further aspect of the invention, this projecting portion is further reduced at the edge thereof to define a narrow edge strip. This narrow edge strip is used to conceal a fastening arrangement provided at the edge of the office panel.

According to yet a further aspect of the invention, the upper spring detente includes a top facing spring detente and a side outwardly facing spring detente, each of which can be used for engaging a frame member of an office panel frame.

The molded end piece for an office panel element, according to the present invention, has a front face support portion cooperating and merging with a panel edge profile. The molded end piece includes means for engaging a panel backing member and means for releasably engaging and allowing securement of the molded end piece to a panel frame.

According to an aspect of the invention, the molded end piece for an office panel element has a hook arrangement at a lower edge for being placed on a horizontal rail of a panel frame and an upper spring detente arrangement for engaging a further member of the panel frame.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view showing a number of office panels and the various elements associated therewith;

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of an office panel element prior to having a facing material applied thereto;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the molded end pieces and associated back support member of an office panel element;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view of an office panel element received in an office panel frame;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along lines 5--5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the molded end piece;

FIG. 7 is a horizonal sectional view showing how the office panel element effectively covers the exposed face of the vertical members of the office panel frame; and

FIG. 8 is a front view showing the office panel elements of FIG. 7.

The office panelling system, generally shown as 2 in FIG. 1, is made up by interconnecting individual office panels 4 and forming a network. Each office panel 4 has an office panel frame 6. Typically, the office panel frame 6 has vertical members 8 and a number of horizonal rail members 10 which provide the support for the office panels. Office panel elements, generally shown as 12, are removably secured to the office panel frame. A number of office panel frames may be stacked, one on top of the other, and the frames are available in different heights. The most common arrangement uses rectangular elements 12, although some systems do allow the use of larger element, for example, two vertically aligned elements in FIG. 1 could be replaced by a single office element of greater height. Typically, there is a fixed spacing between the horizontal rails to define a modular type arrangement.

The office panel element, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, has molded end pieces 20 inserted within the ends of the back support member 22 which is typically of a rolled steel. It can be seen that the back support member 22 has a large planar surface 24, first stepped sidewalls 26 connected to planar strip 30 generally parallel with the surface 24, with the planar strips merging with rolled side edges 28. Note in the exploded view of FIG. 3 that the upper edge of the back support member 22 has a curved top edge whereas the bottom rolled edge 28 is generally flat on the bottom and has a much tighter radius at the front lower edge.

The molded end pieces of FIG. 3 are shown as a lefthand molded end piece 20a and a righthand molded end piece 20b. Each molded end piece has a male connecting portion 36 which is inserted in the end of the back support member 22. As part of the male connecting portion 36, locking tabs 38 are arranged to contact the first sidewalls 26. Each locking tab includes a locking protrusion 40 aligned with and receivable within the locking port 27 of the back support member 22. Thus, when the male portion 36 is inserted within the back support member 22, locking protrusion 40 will be received within the locking port 27, thus anchoring the molded end piece in its final position in both of the first sidewalls 26. As can be appreciated, the locking ports 27 can easily be punched in the back support member and the cross section of the back support member can be formed on a continuous basis or as a preset operation and easily formed of steel or other suitable material. The point here is that the open ends of the back support member 22 makes it much easier to produce relative to trying to effectively close the ends of the back support member 22.

Each molded end piece has a male connecting portion 36 which is inserted in the end of the back support member 22. As part of the male connecting portion 36, locking tabs 38 are arranged to contact the first sidewalls 26. Each locking tab includes a locking protrusion 40 aligned with and receivable within the locking port 27 of the back support member 22. Thus, when the male portion 36 is inserted within the back support member 22, locking protrusion 40 will be received within the locking port 27, thus anchoring the molded end piece in its final position in both of the first sidewalls 26. As can be appreciated, the locking ports 27 can easily be punched in the back support member and the cross section of the back support member can be formed on a continuous basis or as a preset operation and easily formed of steel or other suitable material. The point here is that the open ends of the back support member 22 makes it much easier to produce relative to trying to effectively close the ends of the back support member 22.

Each molded end piece includes a rearwardly extending stop flange 42 having thereon parallel ribs 58 for centrally locating the back edge of the planar surface 24 between the ribs. The flange 42 forms a stop face as well as the shoulders 41 of the molded end pieces.

Each molded end piece has a hook member 43 projecting from the rear surface downwardly from the rear surface and defining a recess 44, which recess is sized for receiving a horizontal rail member of an office panel frame. This hook member 43 thus allows the panel to be secured at a lower edge to a horizontal rail member by placing the hook behind the frame member, with the frame member located within the recess 44. Adjacent the locking tab 38 is an integral spring clip 52 which forms a leaf type arm for releasably engaging the lower edge of a horizontal rail member when the panel element is inserted in a panel frame. The rearwardly extending flange 42 also includes a spring detente tab 54 having a camming member 56 on the free end thereof, with this spring detente tab facing outwardly for engaging a vertical frame member. In this way, either the integral spring clip 52 or the spring detente tab 54 can be used for releasably engaging the upper edge of an element to a panel frame once the hook 43 has been properly located behind a horizontal rail member of the panel frame.

Each molded end piece 20 also includes a panel element end defining portion 46 which provides a protective edge for the panel and this also cooperates with the panel edge area 50 for defining the thinned, notched area at the vertical edges of the panel used to conceal portions of the office panel frame.

The vertical section of FIG. 4 shows an office panel element with the back support member and molded end pieces with sound absorbing material 60 located within the recess of the element. It also illustrates how a finish fabric or finish surface 62 has been applied over the panel element and has been attached to the rear surface of the office panel element. Thus, it can be seen that the finish surface has been wrapped around the top and bottom edges, as illustrated in FIG. 4, as well as around the side edges, as illustrated in FIG. 5.

The present office panel element is shown attached to a panel frame in FIGS. 7 and 8 and it can be appreciated that the panel edge area 50 overlies the securing ports 75 provided in the vertical edge members of the office panel frame. It can also be seen that the molded end pieces either side of the panel provide an edge region of the office panel element which conceals the frame members.

Although the office panel element has been described with respect to a recess for receiving sound absorbing material, it is also possible to have the back support member 22 designed to provide a front support surface over which a finish material is applied. This may be the case where sound absorption is not necessary or desired. In this case, the cross section of the support member 22 can change, however, it would still be easier to use the molded end pieces having a suitable front face for extending the support face of the panel while including the specific arrangements for allowing releasable attachment of the elements to the frame of an office panel.

Although various preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described herein in detail, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, that variations may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.