Wall panel with accessible interior channels for laying in of cables

Claim 1

In a wall system formed from a plurality of upright prefabricated panels which are horizontally serially connected, at least one said panel including an upright panel-like core structure, said upright panel-like core structure including a pair of substantially vertically planar side plates disposed in substantially parallel relationship and secured adjacent opposite sides of a substantially rectangular frame, said frame including substantially horizontally extending top and bottom frame elements secured between the parallel side plates adjacent upper and lower edges thereof, said frame also including substantially parallel vertically extending side rails secured between said side plates adjacent opposite vertical edges thereof, and a pair of vertically enlarged flexible fabric-like side mats extending substantially coextensively over the planar side plates of the panel-like core structure for defining exterior vertical side surfaces of the panel, the improvement comprising vertically elongated cable-receiving channel means stationarily secured to and extending vertically along at least one side rail of said core structure substantially between said side mats, said channel means defining therein a vertically extending channel for receiving cables therein, said channel means having a vertically elongated opening in a sidewall thereof for providing access to said channel, said opening facing toward one of said vertical side surfaces of said panel, door means swingably movable between a closed position wherein it closes off said opening and an open position wherein the door means projects transversely outwardly away from said one vertical side surfaces so as to provide free access to said channel through said opening, said door means including a door member which is hingedly interconnected to said core structure for swinging movement about a substantially vertical axis, said door means also including a flexible fabric-like mat part positioned externally of and extending coextensively over said door member, said mat part being integral with and defining a part of said side mat so as to define a substantially continuous exterior surface which visually hides said door means when the latter is closed, a first hook-and-slot connection means coacting between opposed vertical edges of said core structure and said channel means for releasably securing them together, a vertically elongated trim rail positioned adjacent and extending vertically along the other vertical edge of said channel means, and a second hook-and-slot connection means coacting between said trim rail and said other vertical edge of said channel means for releasably securing said trim rail to said channel means, said second connection means being identical to said first connection means so that said trim rail can be connected directly to the vertical edge of said core structure.