PUSH MOUNT WALL PANEL

Abstract

A wall panel is provided including a panel body having a front face and a rear face. A cavity is provided in the rear face of the panel body. A first mounting member is received fully within that cavity so as to not project beyond the rear face of the panel body. The wall panel system also includes a second mounting member that is secured to the wall. The first and second mounting members are connected together to attach the wall panel to the wall.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to wall panel systems and more particularly to a novel push mount wall panel that is removable, inexpensive to produce and easy to use.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Wall panel systems for decorating walls of structures such as offices and homes are well known in the art. Such systems rely upon decorative and functional wall panels that are mounted to the wall of a structure at selected locations in order to provide the desired aesthetic effect. Wall panels may be made from any number of materials including acoustical insulating materials of a type well known in the art.

In one prior art approach the wall panels are secured to the underlying wall of the structure by using a perimeter adhesive that is applied to the rear of the wall panel and/or the underlying wall structure. While such a panel and mounting system is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and relatively easy to install, it should be appreciated that the wall panels cannot be removed without potentially causing significant damage to the wall panel and/or the underlying wall surface. It should also be appreciated that wall panels are also used as ceiling panels. When applied to a ceiling, if an adhesive has a high enough initial tack to hold the panels from falling, small adjustments in the lateral placement of the panels are not possible and the overall installed quality of the wall panels due to varying gaps between panels is undesirably low.

Various wall panel mounting systems including cooperating fasteners or mounting elements are also well known in the art. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,299,402 to Lee and 3,745,736 to Fischer et al both disclose mounting systems where the floor board or wall panel includes a resilient mounting element that projects rearwardly from the floor board or wall panel and is received in a cooperating mounting element cut into or secured to the floor or wall. Since the resilient mounting element on the panel projects beyond the rear face of the panel the panel may only be mounted flush to the floor or wall if the wall includes a cavity or channel to receive that rearwardly projecting mounting element on the panel. Providing a wall or floor with such cavities or channels is a time consuming and relatively expensive process. The floor or walls are effectively customized to receive the particular type of wall panel in question and must be covered or completely reconstructed if an alternative system is to be used.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,574,936 to Anderson discloses fabric wall panels that releasably attach to walls. This system describes mounting brackets that are fastened to the wall and have flexible, forked-tongue connectors that are inserted into openings in a panel frame. The frame defines a periphery of the panel and supports the fabric that becomes the panel surface. If frames of adjacent panels are not positioned closely enough, the mounting brackets may be visible between panels.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,445,976 to Kowaluk discloses a wall tile or panel including a convex body including two or more spaced concave ribs having cut outs that are received over a cylindrical mounting element that is secured to the face of the underlying wall. While this mounting system does not require providing channels or grooves in the underlying wall, convex wall panels are not desired by many customers or suited for many applications. Also, Japanese published patent document 4-140360 discloses ceramic wall attachments that mount to horizontal brackets. However, in neither of these designs does the concavity in the wall attachments have an embedded mounting member; these panels tend not to be easily removable.

The present invention relates to a relatively simple and inexpensive push mount wall panel of solid, planar construction that may be quickly and easily secured to a wall while also allowing the necessary adjustability to eliminate gaps between wall panels and provide a high quality aesthetic appeal.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the purposes of the present invention as described herein, a wall panel is provided for securing to a wall. The wall panel comprises a panel body having a periphery, a front face and a rear face. A cavity is included in the rear face of the panel body, preferably located interiorly of the periphery. A first mounting member is received or embedded fully within the cavity so as not to project beyond the rear face of the panel body. The wall panel further includes a second mounting member adapted to be secured to a wall. The first and second mounting members are frictionally connected together to secure the wall panel to the wall, such that the connectors lie entirely within the cavity enabling the rear surface of the panel to be spaced closely up to the wall. In accordance with an additional aspect of the present invention the panel body is solid and planar and the first and second mounting members are resilient. A panel body may have multiple cavities and first mounting members disposed therein. This construction is particularly well suited for composite panels, and placing the cavities and mounting members away from the periphery more easily conceals the mounting members.

In accordance with an additional aspect of the present invention a method is provided of covering a wall with a wall panel. That method comprises the steps of locating a position on a wall for a second mounting member; attaching said second mounting member to the wall at that position, aligning a first mounting member in the wall panel over the second mounting member and connecting the second mounting member and the first mounting member together within a cavity in the wall panel in order to secure the wall panel to the wall. Due to frictional engagement, eg of resilient mounting members, the panels are easily removable if needed.

In the following description there are shown and described several different embodiments of the invention, simply by way of illustration of some of the modes best suited to carry out the invention. As it will be realized, the invention is capable of other different embodiments and its several details are capable of modification in various, obvious aspects all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions will be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings incorporated herein and forming a part of the specification, illustrate several aspects of the present invention and together with the description serve to explain certain principles of the invention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view illustrating the wall panel of the present invention including a panel body, a first, elongated mounting member held in a cavity in the panel body and a second elongated mounting member that is secured to the wall upon which the wall panel is to be mounted;

FIG. 2 is a detailed cross sectional view illustrating the mounting of the wall panel to a wall; and

FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the invention wherein the mounting members are spaced and of more limited length.

FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 3, showing the method of inserting and securing mounting members.

Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiment of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. The terminology used in the description of the invention herein is for describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used in the description of the invention and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. All references cited herein, including published or corresponding U.S. or foreign patent applications, issued U.S. or foreign patents, or any other references, are each incorporated by reference in their entireties, including all data, tables, figures, and text presented in the cited references. In the drawings, the thickness of the lines, layers, and regions may be exaggerated for clarity.

Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing ranges of magnitudes, such as angular degrees, dimensions, quantities of ingredients, properties such as molecular weight, reaction conditions, and so forth as used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term “about.” Accordingly, unless otherwise indicated, the numerical properties set forth in the specification and claims are approximations that may vary depending on the desired properties sought to be obtained in embodiments of the present invention. Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of the invention are approximations, the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as possible. Any numerical values, however, inherently contain certain errors necessarily resulting from error found in their respective measurements. All numerical ranges are understood to include all possible incremental sub-ranges within the outer boundaries of the range. Thus, a range of 4 to 16 feet discloses, for example, 5 to 9 feet, 12 to 15 feet, and 8-10 feet, etc.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 1-2 illustrating the wall panel 10 of the present invention. The wall panel 10 includes a panel body 12 having a periphery, a front face, a rear face and one or more cavities 14 open toward the rear face. Each cavity 14 receives a first mounting member 16, as described below. A second, cooperating mounting member 18 is secured by means of a fastener such as a screw 20 to a wall upon which the wall panel 10 is to be mounted. In the illustrated embodiment the first and second mounting members 16, 18 are cooperating male and female connectors.

More specifically describing the invention, the panel body 12 may be made from substantially any suitable material including, for example, a composite material comprising a compatible matrix resin and reinforcing fibers. Matrix resins suitable for use in the panel body 12 include but are not limited to polyolefins, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyesters, polyethyleneterephthalate, polybutyleneterephthalate, and combinations thereof. Reinforcing fibers useful in construction of the panel body 12 include natural fibers, synthetic fibers, cotton, hemp, kenaf, cellulose, fiberglass, and combinations thereof. Rigid fiberglass reinforced panels are particularly useful as they are suited for a multitude of applications. They are easy to handle, they may be colored and/or embossed to provide aesthetic appeal, are inexpensive to produce and generally provide desirable acoustical qualities. Rigid fiberglass panels useful as panel bodies 12 in the present invention may, for example, have a density ranging from about 5 to about 9 pounds per cubic foot, preferably about 6 to 7 pounds per cubic foot.

For most applications, the panel body 12 will have a length of between about 2 feet and about 14 feet, preferably between about 2 and 10 feet; a width of between about 1 to about 6 feet, preferably about 2 to 4 feet; and a thickness of between about 0.5 inch and about 4 inches, preferably 0.75 to 2.5 inches. The cavity 14 will have a depth of between about 0.25 inch and about 2 inches, preferably from about 0.5 to 1.5 inches.

As best illustrated in the cross-section of FIG. 2, the first mounting member 16 comprises a female connector 16 having a base 21 with laterally projecting wings 22 to affix the first mounting member to the panel body 12 in the cavity 14. From the base 21 or wings 22, a pair of walls extend generally rearwardly and then approach together to form a first shoulder 24 and a second shoulder 26, defining a channel therebetween; and then continue rearwardly to ends 44, 46, opening in a “V” shape. Significantly, when the first mounting member 16 is properly secured in the cavity 14, it is fully embedded or received within the cavity and ends 44, 46 are flush with or at least do not project beyond the rear face 42 of the panel body 12.

The base 21 or wings 22 of the first mounting member 16 fit flush against the bottom wall 40 of the cavity 14. The first mounting member 16 may be secured in place by using a router to cut in the panel body 12. The mounting member 16 is then inserted edgewise into the cavity 14 so that the laterally projecting wings 22 are captured in the panel body 12. Embedding the wings 22 into the panel body in this way helps to secure the panel body to the first mounting member 16, which enables the panel to be held to a wall W as described below. Alternatively, the first mounting member may be formed without wings and the base 21 may be secured or fastened to the panel body 12 at the bottom of cavity 14, by any suitable fastening means, including for example, screws, stables, adhesive and the like.

The second mounting member 18 comprises a male connector 28 having a base 30 to affix the second mounting member to the wall to be covered by the panel body 12. The male connector 28 preferably includes a first and second resilient element 32, 36 extending from said base, the first and second resilient elements 32, 36 having respectively a first arcuate end 34 and a second arcuate end 38. As an alternative, the arcuate sections may be somewhat angled such that a diamond shape head (not shown) is formed by the opposing ends. Significantly, it is preferable that a small gap remains between the arcuate ends 34, 38 such that they do not touch and can flex towards one another and spring back, as described below.

The first and second mounting members 16, 18 may be made from substantially any appropriate material and preferably are resilient. Extruded or pultruded plastics with resilient properties are particularly useful in the construction of the mounting members 16, 18. Such plastic materials may include, but are not limited to, polystyrenes, polyolefins, polyvinylchloride, polycarbonates, polyetherimides, polyamides, polyesters, polyvinylidene chloride, polymethylmethacrylate, polyurethanes, polyurea, phenol-formaldehyde, polyisocyanurates, phenolics, copolymers and terpolymers of the foregoing, including for example, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), thermoplastic polymer blends, and the like. These polymers may or may not be reinforced with fibers of glass, carbon, minerals, polymers or other reinforcing materials. They may also be made of lightweight metals, alloys or composites materials, such as aluminum or magnesium, or carbon or graphite fibers. Such materials may lend some rigidity and structural support to the panel as well.

When the wall panel 10 is properly connected to the wall W, the male connector 28 of the second mounting member 18 is securely held in the female connector or first mounting member 16. More specifically, the first shoulder 24 of the female connector 16 engages the first arcuate end 34 of the male connector 28 while the second shoulder 26 engages the second arcuate end 38; the arcuate ends 34, 38 are retained within the channel formed between the shoulders 24, 26. The resilient nature of the male and female connectors allows the arcuate ends 34, 38 of the male connector 28 to pass freely through the shoulders 24, 26 of the female connector as the wall panel 10 is mounted by pushing toward the wall W. More specifically, the shoulders 24, 26 of female connector 16 are forced open to allow the passage of the arcuate ends 34, 38 of the male connector 28 which are pinched slightly together at the same time. Once the arcuate ends 34, 38 pass the shoulders 24, 26, the resiliency of the connectors 16, 28 causes the female connector 16 to come back together and the male connector 28 to spread so that the shoulders 24, 26 capture the arcuate ends 34, 38 to complete the connection (see FIG. 2). As further illustrated, the female connector 16 includes first and second ends 44, 46 that are recessed or substantially flush with the rear face 42 of the panel body 12. These ends 44, 46 and the rear face 42 of the body panel 12 rest directly against the base 30 of the second mounting member 18 when the wall panel 10 is secured to the wall W with the first and second mounting members.

In the illustrated embodiment, the second mounting member 18 is secured to the wall W by screws 20. It should be appreciated, however, that any appropriate fastener may be utilized for this purpose. Alternatives to screw fasteners include, for example, staples, clips, nails, tacks, adhesive, tapes and combinations thereof.

An alternative embodiment of the wall panel 10 is illustrated in FIG. 3. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 the first and second mounting members 16, 18 are elongated and may extend nearly continuously across the entire width of the panel body 12. In contrast, in the alternative embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, relatively short or segmented mounting members 16, 18 are provided on the panel body 12 in relatively small spaced cavities 14. Importantly, segmented first mounting members 16 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 offer an additional method for attaching the first mounting member 16 to the panel body 12. As represented in FIG. 4, a short first mounting member 16 having laterally projecting wings 22 may be pushed into a cavity 14 (as represented by arrow 15) and then rotated approximately 90 degrees (as represented by arrow 17) to lock the laterally projecting wings under a portion of the panel body 12, thereby securing the first mounting member 16 to the body panel 12.

Using either of the embodiments illustrated in FIG. 1 or 3, the method of covering a wall W with a wall panel 10 comprises the steps of locating a position on a wall for the second mounting member 18 and attaching it there using screws 20 or other appropriate fasteners or fastening means. Typically, the second mounting member 18 extends in a horizontal direction across the wall. Next the first mounting member 16 in the wall panel 10 is aligned over the second mounting member 18 that is secured to the wall W. This is followed by connecting the second mounting member 18 and the first mounting member 16 together within a cavity 14 in the panel body 12 in order to secure the wall panel 10 to the wall W. As discussed above this is accomplished by pushing the wall panel 10 toward the wall W so that the male connector 28 on the second mounting member 18 resiliently snaps into the female connector or first mounting member 16 and is frictionally engaged there.

In embodiments where multiple pairs of first and second mounting members 16, 18 are utilized, it is understood that each of the second mounting members 18 are attached to the wall W with spacing that is dimensioned the same as the spacing between each of the first members 18 in the panel. Installation proceeds by aligning each pair of mounting members and pressing the panel to frictionally engage each of the first mounting members 16 to the corresponding second mounting member 18.

As should be appreciated, it is unnecessary to form a cavity, indentation or channel of any type in the wall W. When the wall panel 10 is properly secured in position on the wall W, the method also allows abutting a rear face 42 of the wall panel flush against the base 30 of the second mounting member 18 and, thus, very close to the wall itself. Since each wall panel 10 is securely held by the cooperating mounting members 16, 18 with the rear face 42 of the panel against the base 30, edge-to-edge alignment between adjacent panel bodies is assured. At the same time the mounting members 16, 18 allow for some lateral adjustment between panels so as to thereby eliminate any gaps between panel bodies to thereby attain maximum aesthetic appeal.

If a quick-setting, strong adhesive is used to secure the second mounting member 18 to the wall W, the installation method may proceed in a different order. In this case, it may be possible to engage the first and second mounting members together first, forming a panel-dual mounting member assembly. Then adhesive is applied to the back of second mounting member 18, and the assembly is then positioned against the wall and held there to adhere the second mounting member 18 to the wall W.

Numerous benefits result from employing the concepts of the present invention. The wall panels 10 are relatively inexpensive to produce. The first and second cooperating mounting members 16, 18 allow for easy and low cost “flush mounting” of a solid planar wall panel to a wall. The panel bodies 12 have great versatility and may be used to provide an aesthetic and/or acoustical covering not only of a wall but also of a floor or ceiling.

Advantageously, due to the design of the first and second mounting members 16, 18, the panel bodies 12 are all mounted with the rear face of the panel body engaging the base 30 of the second mounting member. This ensures proper edge to edge alignment between adjacent wall panels. It should also be appreciated that the wall panels are fully removable without damaging the wall W or the wall panel 10. Accordingly, one can easily access electrical wiring, plumbing or mechanical systems behind the wall panels 10. One can also remove panels for cleaning, repair or replacement as desired.

The foregoing description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. For example, the wall panel may be made out of other materials including, for example, metal such as fully-framed aluminum panels if desired.

The embodiments were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally and equitably entitled. The drawings and preferred embodiments do not and are not intended to limit the ordinary meaning of the claims in their fair and broad interpretation in any way.

Claims

1. A system for securing a panel to a wall, comprising:

a panel body having a perimeter, a front face and a rear face and including at least one cavity in said rear face disposed interiorly from said perimeter,

at least one pair of first and second mounting members adapted to frictionally engage one another, wherein said first mounting member is embedded fully within said cavity so as not to project beyond said rear face of the panel body, and

means for securing the second mounting member to the wall.

2. The wall panel system of claim 1, wherein said panel body is solid and planar and said first and second mounting members are resilient.

3. The wall panel system of claim 1, wherein said first and second mounting members include cooperating male and female connectors.

4. The wall panel system of claim 1, wherein said first mounting member comprises a female connector with laterally projecting wings to fix said first connector to said panel body within said cavity.

5. The wall panel system of claim 4, wherein said female connector with laterally projecting wings is adapted to be inserted into the panel body and twisted about 90 degrees to secure the wings inside the body panel.

6. The wall panel system of claim 4, wherein said second mounting member comprises a male connector having a base to fix male connector to the wall, a first resilient element with a first arcuate end and a second resilient element with a second arcuate end; and wherein said female connector includes a first shoulder for engaging said first arcuate end and a second shoulder for engaging said second arcuate end.

7. The wall panel system of claim 6, wherein said base of said second mounting member abuts said rear face of said panel body when said wall panel is secured to said wall with said first and second mounting members.

8. The wall panel system of claim 1, wherein the means for securing the second mounting member to the wall is selected from the group consisting of screws, staples, nails, tacks, adhesive and combinations thereof.

9. The wall panel system of claim 1, further including at least two pairs of first and second mounting members.

10. The wall panel system of claim 1, wherein said panel body is a composite material.

11. A method of covering a wall with a wall panel, comprising:

securing a second mounting member to the wall at a predetermined position;

aligning a wall panel over said second mounting member, wherein said wall panel has a perimeter, a front face, a rear face, at least one cavity in said rear face disposed interiorly from said perimeter, and at least one first mounting member embedded within said cavity so as not to project beyond said rear face, such that said first and second mounting members are aligned for engagement; and

frictionally engaging said first and second mounting members together within said cavity in order to secure said wall panel to said wall.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said first and second mounting members include cooperating female and male connectors, respectively, and said engaging step includes inserting said second mounting member into said first mounting member.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said male connector comprises a first resilient element with a first arcuate end and a second resilient element with a second arcuate end and said female connector includes a first shoulder for engaging said first arcuate end and a second shoulder for engaging said second arcuate end.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said wall panel is removable from said wall by disengaging said second mounting member from said first mounting member.

15. The method of claim 11, including securing said second mounting member to an exposed face of said wall by means selected from the group consisting of screws, staples, nails, tacks, adhesive and combinations thereof.

16. The method of claim 11, including abutting a rear face of said wall panel flush against a base of said second mounting member.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein said panel body comprises at least two first mounting members, each embedded within a cavity disposed interiorly from said perimeter so as not to project beyond said rear face; and wherein said securing step includes securing at least two second mounting members to said wall in positions spaced to engage said first mounting members; and said engaging step includes frictionally engaging both sets of first and second mounting members.

18. A wall panel for covering a wall, comprising:

a panel body having a perimeter, a front face and a rear face and including at least one cavity in said rear face disposed interiorly from said perimeter, and

at least one resilient first mounting member embedded fully within said cavity so as not to project beyond said rear face of the panel body, wherein said mounting member is a female connector adapted to frictionally engage a corresponding male connector mounting member secured to the wall.

19. The wall panel of claim 18, wherein said first mounting member comprises a female connector with laterally projecting wings to fix said first connector to said panel body within said cavity.

20. The wall panel of claim 18, wherein said male connector mounting member comprises a first resilient element with a first arcuate end and a second resilient element with a second arcuate end and said female connector includes a first shoulder for engaging said first arcuate end and a second shoulder for engaging said second arcuate end.