DECORATIVE WALL SYSTEM
A wall system consists of a metal supporting framework and multiple modular panels made of glass or other materials such as metal, wood and textile, secured thereupon. The metal framework is anchored at the top and bottom to a ceiling and a floor. It consists of horizontal upper and lower metal components to which are attached to vertically disposed flat metal supports that carry slidably attached metal support clips. The clips are adjustable in the vertical direction and can be set in place by set screws so as to hold the weight load of the decorative panels. Each set of horizontally disposed clips holds the weight of the horizontally disposed panels immediately above.
The present disclosure relates to interior wall systems of the sort that can be built into existing interior spaces such as those of offices, schools, homes and the like.
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSUREMost large office buildings are typically erected with only the exterior and a few load bearing interior walls being completed. The additional interior walls are later added depending on the needs of the occupants.
Interior walls can also be constructed according to conventional techniques wherein wooden or metal studs extend from floor to ceiling at regularly spaced intervals. Wall panels are then nailed or screwed to the studs. This type of construction requires additional work to cover the holes created by the nails to achieve a finished look. This finishing requires considerable time and therefore, considerable expense. Also, these types of wall cannot be taken down or moved without severely damaging the materials used to construct them.
Decorative interior wall systems are well known. Such systems are commonly used, for example, to finish the open spaces of office buildings, schools, and theaters. One type of interior wall system is a modular partition wall system which is composed of multiple wall panels arranged side-by-side and vertically in a rectangular array.
Another type of known interior wall system comprises a framing structure of U-shaped channel members into which prefinished wall panels are inserted. This system requires that the U channels be made of heavy gauge metal to prevent the side flanges of the U channels from deforming which would allow the wall panels to fall out. Also, this type of interior wall system typically does not adequately keep out noise from one room to the next, nor is it very sturdy.
Decorative interior wall systems that can be constructed from glass panels (whether transparent, translucent, or opaque) have become increasingly popular due to their aesthetic aspects. Such wall systems are commonly referred to as “glass walls.” Generally speaking, they can be time-consuming to install because the members making up the framing structure are often complex, and thus the cost of such systems can be high. Glass, however, is not the only type of aesthetically appealing material used in decorative interior walls. Wood, metal, and textile-based designs can also be incorporated into adaptable interior wall systems.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSUREAccording to a preferred embodiment, a wall system is configured for mounting a plurality of rectangular solid panels. The wall system comprises a plurality of vertical support members, each vertical support member having at least three sets of two support clips slidably attached to first and second adjacent vertical support members. Each of the support clips has a front portion which projects horizontally outward from the vertical support members. At least one guide pin extends vertically through the front portion of each support clip. A plurality of rectangular solid panels, each having at least two cylindrical bores on an upper surface and at least two cylindrical bores on a lower surface, such that each cylindrical bore is adapted to receive one of the guide pins whereby a first of the rectangular solid panels is secured upon the two support clips of the first set of support clips on the first and second vertical support members, respectively, and beneath the two support clips of the second set of support clips on the first and second vertical support members. A second of the rectangular panels is secured upon second set of support clips on the first and second vertical support members and beneath third set of two support clips on the first and second vertical support members.
According to another preferred embodiment, a method of mounting a plurality of rectangular solid panels of a wall system comprises providing at least first and second adjacent vertical support members. A first set of two support clips each with a front portion which projects horizontally outward therefrom is secured to the at least first and second adjacent vertical support members so that the two support clips of the first set are horizontally aligned with each other. Each of the plurality of rectangular solid panels is provided with at least two cylindrical bores on an upper surface and at least two cylindrical bores on a lower surface. A first of the rectangular solid panels is mounted to the front portion of the first set of support clips with a guide pin disposed between each of the front portions of the two support clips of the first set and the two cylindrical bores on the bottom surface of the first rectangular solid panel.
The structure, operation, and advantages of the present invention will become further apparent upon consideration of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures (FIGURES). The figures are intended to be illustrative, not limiting.
Certain elements in some of the figures may be omitted, or illustrated not-to-scale, for illustrative clarity. The cross-sectional views may be in the form of “slices”, or “near-sighted” cross-sectional views, omitting certain background lines which would otherwise be visible in a “true” cross-sectional view, for illustrative clarity.
Often, similar elements may be referred to by similar numbers in various figures (FIGs) of the drawing, in which case typically the last two significant digits may be the same, the most significant digit being the number of the drawing figure (FIG).
The present wall system 10 can be installed as a free-standing wall, anchored to the floor and ceiling. The wall system 10 is configured for mounting a plurality of rectangular solid panels 12, or it can be used over an existing internal wall, in which case it might be secured to the existing wall as well as to the floor and ceiling. Typically, the wall system is used as an indoor system, however it is within the terms of the present invention to use an embodiment as an outdoor wall system.
The support framework 14 consists of two side rigid structural support members 16,16′, left and right respectively, disposed between an elongated top rigid support member 18 and an elongated bottom rigid support member 20. A plurality of vertical support members 22 are also disposed between the elongated bottom support member 20 and the elongated top support member 18. Each of the rigid support members can be constructed of steel angle, a box section, an I-beam, or a channel made for example of a rigid material such as steel. Although the term steel is used herein to describe a material used in the construction of parts of the preferred embodiments, it is also within the terms of the present embodiments to use other materials including but not limited to other metals such as aluminum, bronze and brass and other non-metallic materials such as for example reinforced plastics.
Two main support clips 24 are shown mounted upon a vertical support 22 in
The left-side side clip 25 design is illustrated in oblique top and bottom views in
The right-side support clip 27 is not shown in detail but its location in relation to the right side member 16′ is shown in
A=7 to 8
B=7 to 8
C=1 to 2
D=8.5 to 9.5
E=9.5 to 10.5
F=1 to 1.5
G=0.5 to 1.0
H=2 to 3
I=2 to 3
J=1 to 1.5
K=1 to 1.5
L=1 to 1.5 Diameter
Continuing with the detail view illustrated in
Yet further illustrated in
Assembly Of The Wall System
The present decorative internal wall system 10 can be installed as a free-standing wall, anchored to the floor and ceiling, by a method of mounting a plurality of rectangular solid panels 12 upon a framework 14 having a plurality of vertical support members 22. Or it can be installed over an existing internal wall, in which case it might be secured to the existing wall as well as to the floor and ceiling.
If it is installed as a free-standing wall, the main frame parts 14,22 can be assembled, including being welded, offsite and brought into position such that the upper part of the frame 18 is anchored to the ceiling while the lower frame part 20 is anchored to the floor. The lowest set of slidable main clips 24 and end clips 25 can then be positioned and secured with the three cone-pointed set screws 30,30′,30″. The first course of decorative panels 12′ (
If it is not possible to assemble the main framework 14 offsite, then it can be assembled in situ. The upper and lower portions 18,20 of the framework 14 are fastened to ceiling and floor, leveled and aligned. The vertical members 22 are then cut to size and fitted with clips 24,25, and then welded or bolted into place using angle steel members 50. Assembly then follows the same sequence as described above.
If the internal wall system 10 is to cover an existing wall, then the procedures are as above, except as allowance might be made to secure the framework 14 to said existing wall.
Although the invention has been shown and described with respect to a certain preferred embodiment or embodiments, certain equivalent alterations and modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon the reading and understanding of this specification and the annexed drawings. In particular regard to the various functions performed by the above described components (assemblies, devices, etc.) the terms (including a reference to a “means”) used to describe such components are intended to correspond, unless otherwise indicated, to any component which performs the specified function of the described component (i.e., that is functionally equivalent), even though not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure which performs the function in the herein illustrated exemplary embodiments of the invention. In addition, while a particular feature of the invention may have been disclosed with respect to only one of several embodiments, such feature may be combined with one or more features of the other embodiments as may be desired and advantageous for any given or particular application.
Claims
1. A wall system configured for mounting a plurality of rectangular solid panels, comprising:
- a plurality of vertical support members;
- at least three sets of two support clips slidably attached to first and second adjacent vertical support members;
- each of the three sets of support clips having a front portion which projects horizontally outward from the vertical support members;
- at least one guide pin extending vertically through the front portion of each of the support clips;
- each of the plurality of rectangular solid panels having at least two cylindrical bores on an upper surface and at least two cylindrical bores on a lower surface, each of the cylindrical bores adapted to receive one of the guide pins whereby a first of the rectangular solid panels is secured upon first and second support clips of the first set of support clips and beneath the first and second support clips of the second set of support clips; and
- a second of the rectangular panels being secured upon the first and second support clips of the second set of support clips and beneath the first and second support clips of the third set of support clips.
2. The wall system of claim 1 wherein the first and second of the plurality of rectangular solid panels are disposed so that the lower surface of the second rectangular solid panel is disposed directly above the upper surface of the first rectangular solid panel.
3. The wall system of claim 2 further wherein each of the support clips includes a body portion which encompasses one of the vertical support members and a front portion which projects horizontally outward from the body portion and through which the at least one guide pin extends.
4. The wall system of claim 3 wherein the front portions of the support clips are disposed between the first and second of the plurality of rectangular solid panels so that the at least one guide pin which projects through the front portion is disposed between one of the cylindrical bores in the lower surface of the second rectangular solid panel and one of the cylindrical bores in the upper surface of the first rectangular solid panel.
5. The wall system of claim 4 wherein each of the cylindrical bores in the upper surface and each of the cylindrical bores in the lower surface of each panel is a blind bore with a bottom surface adapted to be engaged by one end of the at least one guide pin.
6. The wall system of claim 4 wherein the body portion of each support clip includes a rectangular passageway through which one of the vertical support members is slidably received.
7. The wall system of claim 4 wherein the body portion of each support clip includes a locking structure for securing the support clip to a desired location on the vertical support member received therethrough.
8. The wall system of claim 4 wherein each support clip includes a buttress which is disposed between the front portion and the body portion of the support clip.
9. The wall system of claim 1 further comprising at least two side structural support members disposed between an elongated bottom support member and an elongated top support member.
10. The wall system of claim 9 wherein the plurality of vertical support members are disposed between the elongated bottom support member and the elongated top support member.
11. The wall system of claim 1 further including:
- a third of the plurality of rectangular solid panels disposed above the second rectangular solid panel so that the lower surface of the third rectangular plate is disposed directly above the upper surface of the second rectangular solid panel; and
- the third rectangular solid panel having at least two cylindrical bores on a lower surface.
12. The wall system of claim 11 further including:
- at least a fourth set of two support clips slidably attached to the first and second vertical support members with at least one guide pin extending vertically through a front portion of the two support clips of the fourth set whereby the at least two cylindrical bores on a lower surface of the third rectangular solid panel is adapted to receive the guide pins from the third support clips and the at least two cylindrical bores on the upper surface of the third rectangular solid panel receive the guide pins from the two support clips of the fourth set of support clips whereby the third rectangular solid panel is secured between the third and fourth sets of support clips on each of the vertical support members.
13. The wall system of claim 1 further including at least a third vertical support member having a plurality of sets of two support clips and a plurality of rectangular solid panels disposed one above the other and secured between the second and the third vertical support members by the sets of two support clips.
14. A method of mounting a plurality of rectangular solid panels of a wall system, comprising:
- providing at least first and second adjacent vertical support members;
- securing a first set of two support clips each with a front portion which projects horizontally outward therefrom to the at least first and second adjacent vertical support members so that the two support clips of the first set are horizontally aligned with each other;
- providing each of the plurality of rectangular solid panels with at least two cylindrical bores on an upper surface and at least two cylindrical bores on a lower surface; and
- mounting a first of the rectangular solid panels to the front portion of the first set of support clips with a guide pin disposed between each of the front portions of the two support clips of the first set and the two cylindrical bores on the bottom surface of the first rectangular solid panel.
15. The method of claim 14 further including:
- inserting a guide pin into each of the at least two cylindrical bores on the upper surface of the first rectangular solid panel so that the guide pins project outward therefrom; and
- slidably attaching the second set of two support clips each with a front portion which projects horizontally outward therefrom to the at least first and second adjacent vertical support members so that the two support clips of the second set are horizontally aligned with each other whereby the guide pins projecting out of the upper surface of the first rectangular solid panel are inserted into two cylindrical bores on a bottom surface of a second of the plurality of rectangular solid panels.
16. The method of claim 15 further including:
- inserting a guide pin into each of at least two cylindrical bores on the upper surface of the second of the plurality of rectangular solid panels so that the pins project outward therefrom;
- slidably attaching a third set of two support clips, each with a front portion which projects horizontally outward therefrom, to the at least first and second adjacent vertical support members so that the two support clips of the third set are horizontally aligned with each other so that the guide pins projecting out of each of the at least two cylindrical bores on the upper surface of the second of the plurality of rectangular solid panels are inserted into a front portion of the third support clip.
17. The method of claim 14 further including supporting the first rectangular solid panel on the front portion of the two support clips of the first set.
18. The method of claim 17 further including supporting the second rectangular solid panel on the front portion of the two support clips of the second set of support clips.
19. The wall system of claim 18 further including:
- inserting guide pins into the cylindrical bores in the upper surface of the second solid panel and through the front portion of the third set of two support clips;
- disposing a third rectangular solid panel with at least two circular cylindrical bores on an bottom surface and at least two circular cylindrical bores on an upper surface so that the guide pins in the upper surface of the second solid panel extend into the cylindrical bores in the bottom surface of the third solid panel.
20. The wall system of claim 19 further including:
- slidably attaching a fourth set of two support clip with a front portion which projects horizontally outward therefrom to the at least first and second adjacent vertical support members; and
- inserting guide pins through the front portions of the fourth set and into the least two circular cylindrical bores on the upper surface of the third rectangular solid panel.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 25, 2011
Publication Date: Feb 28, 2013
Inventor: Christopher Cosma (Brooklyn, NY)
Application Number: 13/217,676
International Classification: E04B 2/30 (20060101); E04B 2/72 (20060101); E04B 1/38 (20060101);