Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
189 words
A panel comprising: a pair of spaced parallel sheets; extruded stiles at opposite edges of said sheets, each tile being shaped as a channel having a rigid web and side walls, a pair of spring walls fixed to each web between said side walls, said spring walls having inner portions contiguous to said webs and outer portions remate from said webs, both portions being substantially wider than said side walls, the space between each side wall and the inner portion of the spring wall adjacent thereto being wider than the thickness of the sheets, the outer portions of said spring walls being outwardly offset from the inner portions thereof, said spring walls being normally divergent but being held in generally parallel relation by said sheets, the outer surfaces of said offset portions being flat and in face-to-face contact with said sheets, whereby said spring walls exert outward bias distributed over the surface areas thereof in contact with said sheets to prevent distortion of said sheets, and means between said parallel sheets and between said stiles clamping said stiles and sheets together in assembled relation interlocking said stiles and sheets.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
189 words
A panel comprising: a pair of spaced parallel sheets; extruded stiles at opposite edges of said sheets, each tile being shaped as a channel having a rigid web and side walls, a pair of spring walls fixed to each web between said side walls, said spring walls having inner portions contiguous to said webs and outer portions remate from said webs, both portions being substantially wider than said side walls, the space between each side wall and the inner portion of the spring wall adjacent thereto being wider than the thickness of the sheets, the outer portions of said spring walls being outwardly offset from the inner portions thereof, said spring walls being normally divergent but being held in generally parallel relation by said sheets, the outer surfaces of said offset portions being flat and in face-to-face contact with said sheets, whereby said spring walls exert outward bias distributed over the surface areas thereof in contact with said sheets to prevent distortion of said sheets, and means between said parallel sheets and between said stiles clamping said stiles and sheets together in assembled relation interlocking said stiles and sheets.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
53 words
The panel of claim 1, wherein said interlocking means includes an elongated bar having its ends located between the spring arms of said stiles, the edges of the spring arms of each stile terminating in inturned lips, and said bars at each end having spaced notches in which the opposed lips are captured.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
51 words
The panel of claim 1, wherein the remate edges of the offset portions of the spring walls have inturned lips, a block between the offset stile portions said block being engaged by the lips and being captured between such offset stile portions; and means securing the block to the adjacent web.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
81 words
The panel of claim 3, wherein the blocks are spline members having portions extending out of the stiles at one end of said panel; the portions of said spline members projecting outwardly of said stiles being adapted to extend between the offset portions of the spring walls of the stiles at one end of a similar panel; and means securing said spline members to the portions of the stiles in which they are located, whereby two panels may be secured together.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
91 words
The panel of claim 1, including, at one face of the panel adjacent each edge thereof, a rigid extruded member located in the space between confronting portions of the rigid wall and spring wall, each extruded member having a wall outwardly of the edge of the rigid wall which has an edge abutting the spring wall and abutted by the edge of the face sheet, and said extruded members having spaced slots adjacent the edges of the rigid walls for receiving hooks on shelves to be releasably attached to the panel.