US5065559A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Wall system and method of construction
Assignee: ART GUILD Inc
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Filing: 1990-09-13
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Granted: 1991-11-19
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Expires: 2010-09-13
Abstract
Abstract A wall system is comprised of wall frame components and wall covering components. The wall frame components include a pair of space vertical supports and an array of selectively spaced cross membes spanning between and rigidly attached to the vertical supports. Pinch bars, designed to matingly engage the frame cross members are mounted on wall covering components in a matching spaced array. The wall covering components are secured to the wall frame component by matingly engaging the pinch bars with the cross member supports. The wall frames include locking connectors such that vertical supports of multiple frame components are serially locked together to form a wall system of any desired floor plan configuration. An infinitely variable hinge frame corner connector and a universal medial connector facilitate the construction of non-linear and/or complex floor plan configurations.
Inventors
- 👤 Douglas R. Zegel
- 👤 Gary S. Jensen
- 👤 Mark R. Hernick
- 👤 Michael J. Daniels
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 01:00
CPC Classifications
E; E04; E04B; E04B2/00; E04B2/74; E04B2/7407; E04B2/7416; E04B2/7422; E04B2/7427; E04B2/7431; E04B2/7425
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
119 words
A wall system comprising: (a) at least one wall frame including: (i) a pair of spaced vertical supports, (ii) an array of at least three cross members spanning between and rigidly connected to said vertical supports thereby fixing said vertical supports in spaced, parallel alignment; and (iii) each of said vertical supports having means for lockingly engaging respective complementary vertical supports of a second wall frame; (b) wall frame covering means including means for matingly engaging at least three of said cross members in unison; and (c) said wall frame covering means matingly engaged with at least three of said wall frame cross members thereby securely mounting said wall frame covering means to one side of said wall frame.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
119 words
A wall system comprising: (a) at least one wall frame including: (i) a pair of spaced vertical supports, (ii) an array of at least three cross members spanning between and rigidly connected to said vertical supports thereby fixing said vertical supports in spaced, parallel alignment; and (iii) each of said vertical supports having means for lockingly engaging respective complementary vertical supports of a second wall frame; (b) wall frame covering means including means for matingly engaging at least three of said cross members in unison; and (c) said wall frame covering means matingly engaged with at least three of said wall frame cross members thereby securely mounting said wall frame covering means to one side of said wall frame.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
45 words
A wall system according to claim 1 further comprising a second wall frame covering means matingly engaged with at least three of said wall frame cross members on the opposite side of said wall frame on which the other wall frame covering means is mounted.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
125 words
A wall system according to claim 1 comprising: (a) a plurality of wall frames each including: (i) a pair of spaced complementary vertical supports having means for lockingly engaging respective complementary vertical supports, and ii) an array of cross members spanning between and rigidly attached to said vertical supports; b) complementary vertical supports of at least two of said wall frame in lockingly engagement thereby rigidly connecting said respective wall frames together; and c) a plurality of wall frame covering means having means for matingly engaging said frame cross member arrays; and d) at least one side of said rigidly connected wall frames being covered with at least two of said covering means by matingly engaging said wall frame covering means with said wall frames.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
123 words
A wall system according to claim 1 comprising: a) a plurality of wall frames each including: i) a pair of spaced complementary vertical supports having means for lockingly engaging a complementary vertical supports, and ii) an array of cross members spanning between and rigidly attached to said vertical supports; b) at least one hinge means having a first means for lockingly engaging one of said wall frame vertical supports hingedly connected with a second means for lockingly engaging the complementary wall frame vertical supports; and c) at least two wall frames hingedly connected together by lockingly engaging one of said wall frames to said first hinge locking means and lockingly engaging the second of said wall frames to said second hinge locking means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
60 words
A wall system according to claim 3 comprising: a) a plurality of wall frame covering means having means for matingly engaging said frame cross member arrays; and b) at least one side of said hingedly connected wall frames being covered with at least two of said covering means by matingly engaging said wall frame covering means with said wall frames.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
25 words
A wall system according to claim 1 wherein said vertical supports have a generally uniform cross section and are selectively configured for self-mating, aligning engagement.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
24 words
A wall system according to claim 6 wherein said vertical supports, said frame cross members and said cross member engaging means are aluminum extrusions.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
136 words
A wall system comprising: (a) a plurality of wall frames each including: (i) a pair of spaced complementary vertical supports having means for lockingly engaging respective complementary vertical supports, and (ii) an array of at least three cross members spanning between and rigidly attached to said vertical supports; (b) complementary vertical supports of at least two of said wall frame in lockingly engagement thereby rigidly connecting said respective wall frames together; and (c) a plurality of wall frame covering means, each having means for matingly engaging at least three of said frame cross members of one of said wall frames in unison; and (d) at least one side of said rigidly connected wall frames being covered with at least two of said covering means by matingly engaging said wall frame covering means with said wall frames.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
136 words
A wall system comprising: (a) a plurality of wall frames each including: (i) a pair of spaced complementary vertical supports having means for lockingly engaging respective complementary vertical supports, and (ii) an array of at least three cross members spanning between and rigidly attached to said vertical supports; (b) complementary vertical supports of at least two of said wall frame in lockingly engagement thereby rigidly connecting said respective wall frames together; and (c) a plurality of wall frame covering means, each having means for matingly engaging at least three of said frame cross members of one of said wall frames in unison; and (d) at least one side of said rigidly connected wall frames being covered with at least two of said covering means by matingly engaging said wall frame covering means with said wall frames.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
25 words
A wall system according to claim 8 wherein said vertical supports have a generally uniform cross section and are selectively configured for self-mating, aligning engagement.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
24 words
A wall system according to claim 9 wherein said vertical supports, said frame cross members and said cross member engaging means are aluminum extrusions.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
152 words
A wall system comprising: (a) a plurality of wall frames each including: (i) a pair of spaced complementary vertical supports having means for lockingly engaging complementary vertical supports, (ii) an array of at least three cross members spanning between and rigidly attached to said vertical supports, and (iii) said cross members being selectively spaced and configured for mating engagement in unison with an array of at least three complementary mating engagement means secured to a wall covering means; (b) at least one hinge means having a first means for lockingly engaging one of said wall frame vertical supports hingedly connected with a second means for lockingly engaging the complementary wall frame vertical supports; and (c) at least two wall frames hingedly connected together by lockingly engaging one of said wall frames to said first hinge locking means and lockingly engaging the second of said wall frames to said second hinge locking means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
152 words
A wall system comprising: (a) a plurality of wall frames each including: (i) a pair of spaced complementary vertical supports having means for lockingly engaging complementary vertical supports, (ii) an array of at least three cross members spanning between and rigidly attached to said vertical supports, and (iii) said cross members being selectively spaced and configured for mating engagement in unison with an array of at least three complementary mating engagement means secured to a wall covering means; (b) at least one hinge means having a first means for lockingly engaging one of said wall frame vertical supports hingedly connected with a second means for lockingly engaging the complementary wall frame vertical supports; and (c) at least two wall frames hingedly connected together by lockingly engaging one of said wall frames to said first hinge locking means and lockingly engaging the second of said wall frames to said second hinge locking means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
72 words
A wall system according to claim 11 comprising: (a) a plurality of wall frame covering means, each having means for matingly engaging at least three of said frame cross members of one of said wall frames in unison; and (b) at least one side of said hingedly connected wall frames being covered with at least two of said covering means by matingly engaging said wall frame covering means with said wall frames.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
25 words
A wall system according to claim 12 wherein said vertical supports have a generally uniform cross section and are selectively configured for self-mating, aligning engagement.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
24 words
A wall system according to claim 13 wherein said vertical supports, said frame cross members and said cross member engaging means are aluminum extrusions.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
54 words
A wall system according to claim 1 wherein said matingly engaging means comprises said cross members having a uniform cross-section portion which defines male engagement means and said wall frame covering means includes a plurality of pinch bars, each of said pinch bars defining female engagement means with respect to a respective cross member.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
112 words
A wall system comprising: (a) at least one wall frame including: (i) a pair of spaced vertical supports, and (ii) an array of at least three cross members spanning between and rigidly connected to said vertical supports; (b) said pair of spaced vertical supports of said wall frame including means for lockingly engaging respective complementary vertical supports of a second wall frame; (c) said vertical supports having a generally uniform cross section and being selectively configured for self-mating, aligning engagement; and (d) said cross members being selectively spaced and configured for mating engagement in unison with an array of at least three complementary mating engagement means secured to a wall covering means.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
112 words
A wall system comprising: (a) at least one wall frame including: (i) a pair of spaced vertical supports, and (ii) an array of at least three cross members spanning between and rigidly connected to said vertical supports; (b) said pair of spaced vertical supports of said wall frame including means for lockingly engaging respective complementary vertical supports of a second wall frame; (c) said vertical supports having a generally uniform cross section and being selectively configured for self-mating, aligning engagement; and (d) said cross members being selectively spaced and configured for mating engagement in unison with an array of at least three complementary mating engagement means secured to a wall covering means.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
63 words
A wall system according to claim 16 further comprising: (a) wall frame covering means including means for matingly engaging at least three of said cross members in unison via relative vertical displacement; and (b) said wall frame covering means matingly engaged with said wall frame cross member array thereby securely mounting said wall frame covering means to one side of said wall frame.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
56 words
A wall system according to claim 21 further comprising: (a) first and second wall frame covering means, each including means for matingly engaging at least three of said cross members in unison; and (b) said first and second wall frame covering means matingly engaged with said cross member array on opposite sides of said wall frame.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
103 words
A wall system comprising: (a) a plurality of wall frames each including: (a) a pair of spaced complementary vertical supports having means for lockingly engaging respective complementary vertical supports, (ii) an array of at least three cross members spanning between and rigidly attached to said vertical supports, and (ii) said cross members being selectively spaced and configured for mating engagement in unison with an array of at least three complementary mating engagement means secured to a wall covering means; and b) complementary vertical supports of at least two of said wall frame in lockingly engagement thereby rigidly connecting said respective wall frames together.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
103 words
A wall system comprising: (a) a plurality of wall frames each including: (a) a pair of spaced complementary vertical supports having means for lockingly engaging respective complementary vertical supports, (ii) an array of at least three cross members spanning between and rigidly attached to said vertical supports, and (ii) said cross members being selectively spaced and configured for mating engagement in unison with an array of at least three complementary mating engagement means secured to a wall covering means; and b) complementary vertical supports of at least two of said wall frame in lockingly engagement thereby rigidly connecting said respective wall frames together.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1994-11-18 | 1995-05-20 | 1995-11-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1998-11-18 | 1999-05-20 | 1999-11-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2002-11-18 | 2003-05-20 | 2003-11-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |