Static structures (e.g. – buildings) – Ornamental: color – thickness variation – or dissimilar... – Elements interfit or abut to create design
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-17
2002-01-29
Canfield, Robert (Department: 3635)
Static structures (e.g., buildings)
Ornamental: color, thickness variation, or dissimilar...
Elements interfit or abut to create design
C052S519000, C052S536000, C052S554000, C052S506010, C052S592100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06341461
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to modular wall panels systems, and more specifically to such systems having reduced complexity and cost.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Modular wall panel systems have been known for decades.
FIG. 1
depicts one such related art system
10
that includes an upper rail
12
, a lower rail
14
, stiles
16
, panels
18
with raised portions
20
, a cap
22
and a base shoe
24
. Conventionally, panels
18
are made of a solid wood, rather than a wood veneer coated core material, so panels
18
comparatively are expensive to fabricate. Moreover, since panels
18
may be relatively wide (e.g., greater than six inches), panels
18
are made of several pieces of solid wood that are glued together, resulting in visible seams
19
that reduce the aesthetic value of system
10
.
FIG. 2
shows that a stile
16
is joined to upper rail
12
and lower rail
14
by use of an intricately machined joint
26
, commonly referred to as a coped joint, with tight tolerances. Preparing such coped joints is typically a complex job that is performed by a highly skilled artisan with the use of specialized equipment, increasing the cost of preparing system
10
. Moreover, due to these coped joints, stiles
16
are stapled, nailed or otherwise in rigid communication with the wall. Any holes formed in stiles
16
during this process are filled with wood putty and subsequently painted or stained, reducing the aesthetic value of system
10
.
In system
10
, the outer surfaces
17
,
13
and
15
of stile
16
, upper rail
12
an lower rail
14
, respectively, are located in substantially the same plane for aesthetic reasons. If the outer surface of any of these components is even slightly out of plane, the appearance of system
10
is greatly diminished. Therefore, the outer surfaces of these components are often precision sanded subsequent to assembly of system
10
. Since this type of sanding can remove wood veneer coatings to expose the core material, stile
16
, upper rail
12
and lower rail
14
normally are formed from solid wood, increasing the cost of system
10
.
FIGS. 3A and 3B
show different embodiments of the manner in which stile
16
is joined to panel
18
. In the embodiment shown in
FIG. 3A
, stile
16
and panel
18
are flush with the wall, and stile
16
has a lip
28
under which a tongue portion
30
of panel
18
fits. In the embodiment shown in
FIG. 3B
, stile
16
is flush with the wall, but panel
18
is displaced a distance from the wall. Stile
16
has an outer lip
32
and an inner lip
33
between which a tongue portion
34
of panel
18
fits. In both of these embodiments, stile
16
and panel
18
should remain flush as the wood expands and contracts with changes in temperature and humidity for system
10
to maintain its aesthetic appeal. Therefore, while stiles
16
are in rigid communication with the wall, panels
18
are allowed to float between stiles
16
, upper rail
12
and lower rail
14
without being in rigid communication with the wall.
FIG. 4
shows the manner in which stiles
16
a
and
16
b
of system
10
are joined at an outside corner of a wall. Stiles
16
a
and
16
b
have edges
36
a
and
36
b
, respectively, that are mitered to 45° angles so that the stiles can be joined effectively with a good seal. Because stiles
16
a
and
16
b
typically are formed of relatively long pieces of wood (e.g., twenty-four to thirty inches), forming these mitered 45° angles can be difficult and time consuming.
In view of the foregoing discussions, it can be seen that, despite the limitations on the aesthetic value of traditional wall panel systems, these systems can be relatively expensive, complicated and time consuming. Usually, a highly skilled artisan prepares these wall panel systems. Therefore, it is desirable within the art to provide an aesthetically appealing wall panel system that is comparatively inexpensive to prepare and simple to install. In particular, it would be advantageous to provide such a system that could be installed by non-highly skilled artisans in a relatively short period of time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one illustrative embodiment, the present invention provides a wood panel system. The system comprises an upper rail, a lower rail and a stile. The upper rail has a noncoped groove and is in rigid communication with a wall. The lower rail has a groove and is in rigid communication with the wall. The stile has an upper tongue and a lower tongue. The upper tongue is adjacent to the noncoped groove of the upper rail, and the lower tongue is adjacent the groove of the lower rail.
In another illustrative embodiment, the present invention provides a wood panel system. The system comprises an upper rail, a lower rail and a stile. The upper rail also has a groove and is in rigid communication with the wall. The lower rail has a groove and is in rigid communication with the wall. The stile has an upper tongue, a lower tongue and an outer edge. The upper tongue is adjacent to the groove of the upper rail, and the lower tongue is adjacent the groove of the lower rail. The upper rail has an outer edge that is located in one plane substantially parallel to the wall, and the stile has an outer edge that is located in a different plane substantially parallel to the wall.
In yet another illustrative embodiment, the present invention provides a wood panel system. The system comprises an upper rail, a lower rail and a stile. The upper rail has a lip that extends over a portion of the stile. The upper rail also has a groove and is in rigid communication with a wall. The lower rail has a groove and is in rigid communication with the wall. The upper tongue is adjacent the groove of the upper rail, and the lower tongue is adjacent the groove of the lower rail.
In a further illustrative embodiment, the present invention provides a wood panel system. The system comprises an upper rail, a lower rail and a stile. The upper rail has a groove and is in rigid communication with a wall. The lower rail has a groove and is in rigid communication with the wall. The stile has an upper tongue and a lower tongue. The upper tongue is adjacent the groove of the upper rail, and the lower tongue is adjacent the groove of the lower rail. The stile floats with respect to the upper and lower rails.
In still a further illustrative embodiment, the present invention provides a wood panel system. The system comprises an upper rail, a lower rail and a stile. The upper rail has a groove and is in rigid communication with a wall. The lower rail has a groove and is in rigid communication with the wall. The stile has an upper tongue and a lower tongue. The upper tongue is adjacent the groove of the upper rail, and the lower tongue is adjacent the groove of the lower rail. The stile is formed of a core material surrounded by a wood veneer.
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Contract Joinery, Ken Austin, pp. 79-84, First U.S. Publication Aug. 1988.
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“The Cost of Solid Wood Raised Panels Is R
Crowley John S.
Lameyer Edward H.
MacDiarmid John
Canfield Robert
Heslin Rothenberg Farley & & Mesiti P.C.
New England Classic Interiors, Inc.
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