Static structures (e.g. – buildings) – Wall – ceiling – or floor designed for utilities
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-06
2003-05-06
Gibson, Jr., Robert W. (Department: 3634)
Static structures (e.g., buildings)
Wall, ceiling, or floor designed for utilities
C052S220700, C052S036600
Reexamination Certificate
active
06557310
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a space-dividing wall panel system formed from upright panels for use in dividing large open office areas into smaller work spaces and, more specifically, to a wall panel system defining an improved load-bearing and cable-accommodating main or “spine” wall to which return or branch walls are connectable to define individual workstations.
This invention also relates to an improved load-bearing main or spine panel which cooperates with similar such panels to define a spine wall, and further relates to an improved branch panel which is connectable in an off-modular manner to the main wall.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Commercial buildings typically include large open office areas which are divided into smaller work spaces or workstations by any of a number of space divider and panel systems that have been developed therefor. These space divider arrangements typically employ upright space-dividing wall panels which serially connect together to subdivide the office area into a plurality of smaller workstations of desired size and configuration. Such panels are typically less than floor-to-ceiling height, and cooperate with other furniture components to define an equipped workstation. These components may include worksurfaces, file cabinets, shelf units and the like which mount directly on and are supported by the wall panels, and may also include free-standing furniture components such as tables, chairs and file cabinets.
In subdividing open office areas into individual workstations, the individual wall panel assemblies have a variety of constructions. Typically, a plurality of upright space-dividing wall panels are employed which serially connect together through two-panel straight or angled connections, or through suitable three or four-panel connections, to subdivide the office area into the plurality of smaller workstations.
In one type of arrangement, a common panel construction is used to construct all of the walls of the workstations whereby each panel is individually connectable with serially adjacent panels through the aforementioned straight or corner connections. With such an arrangement, a group of workstations can be formed, for example, with a common central section of wall panels separating one row of workstations on one side of the central section from a separate row of workstations formed on the opposite side thereof.
Since each workstation usually requires power as well as communications capability such as for computers and telephones or the like, the wall panels preferably have power and telecommunications cabling within interior raceways thereof. Typically the central wall section formed by the wall panels carries the greatest number of cables since it provides access to all or most of the adjacent workstations formed on opposite sides thereof. In such an arrangement, however, the wall panels typically have a relatively narrow thickness to minimize the floor space being used and thereby have a limited cabling capacity. As a result, it may become difficult to accommodate all of the power and telecommunication cabling for all of the workstations associated with a particular group of workstations. Additionally, the central wall section also supports furniture components for the multiple workstations.
To provide an expanded capacity for the space dividing panels, a second type of space divider system is known which utilizes interconnected beams or wall panels having an increased cabling capacity to form a central divider wall. This increased capacity divider wall typically runs the length of a group of workstations and is commonly referred to as a “spine” wall. Such spine walls also provide an increased load-bearing capacity for readily supporting and mounting thereon furniture components of individual workstations.
In one known spine-type space dividing arrangement as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,155,955 (Ball et al.), an office space dividing system is provided where rectangular structural frames are formed of vertical mitered stiles having a vertically enlarged horizontal base rail proximate the lower ends of the mitered stiles and additional horizontal cross rails are disposed thereabove. The frames are connected with adjacent frames such that vertical columns are formed by the mitered stiles. Cabling is accommodated within each frame such that the communication cabling extends vertically through the mitered stiles in the region between the serially-adjacent frames and horizontally through passageways formed through the mitered stiles. This arrangement, however, requires the removal of furniture components when moving these components between panels and also routes horizontal cabling through the posts which thereby makes reconfiguration of workstations more difficult.
In a further spine wall arrangement as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,831,791 (Ball), a plurality of interconnected beams disposed at work-surface height are supported by vertical posts at the opposite ends thereof, which beams have a hollow interior in which cabling is accommodated. Such interconnected beams have stabilizer beams extending sidewardly therefrom which are connectable in the region intermediate the support posts. Additional patents relating to this particular arrangement are U.S. Pat. Nos. B1 4,224,769, 4,404,776 and 4,771,583. This arrangement also requires removal of furniture components when moving these components between wall sections.
A still further spine wall arrangement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,852,904 wherein individual wall panel members are defined by a base panel having a horizontal boxed beam rigidly connected to a pair of laterally spaced apart vertical uprights connected at opposite ends of the box-beam and having reduced thickness compared to the box-beam. Appropriate extension panels can be mounted vertically on top of the base panel to provide variable height. With this arrangement, significant cabling capacity can be achieved, and the spine wall permits off-module connection with branch panels or other loads, including load-bearing branch panels since the box-beam construction provides the spine wall with significant strength capable of withstanding branch panel induced loads. Constructing the spine wall using the box-beam, however, does restrict interior usage of the panel.
Other known wall systems have also employed upright wall panels defined by an open interior frame and employing pads (sometimes referred to as tiles or covers) which detachably mount on both sides of the frame to provide increased flexibility with respect to use of the wall, particularly in terms of different use or job functions in the adjacent work spaces, and ease of installing and accommodating cabling in the wall panels for access from adjacent workstations.
While the known “spine” wall systems generally all function in a generally satisfactory manner, nevertheless most such systems possess structural, appearance, assembly or operational features which are believed to be less than optimal. More specifically, some of the more commonly experienced disadvantages with various known wall systems are:
an inability to mount external loads and specifically branch panels in an off-modular relation or, while some known systems permit off-module mounting, nevertheless many permit off-module mounting only in a restricted manner in that off-module mounting can occur only at selected locations, and as such the system still possesses so-called “dead zones” which are locations where significant off-module external loading is not permittted;
some known systems do not provide optimum flexibility with respect to maximizing the types of tiles or pads which mount on the wall panels, particularly with respect to maximization of pad flexibility both vertically and horizontally so as to provide a wide variety of different appearance and use characteristics in the adjacent workstations;
many of the systems require use of branch or divider panels which are constructed like the spine panels and hence such branch panels are oftentimes over-designed for their inte
Goodchild Jim Thompson
Long Darren R.
Marshall Dale R.
Steeves Robert E.
Vallas Rodney
Flynn ,Thiel, Boutell & Tanis, P.C.
Gibson , Jr. Robert W.
Smed International Inc.
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