DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a wall comprising a plurality of panels coupled with one another two by two. In particular, the present invention relates to a wall comprising a plurality of panels coupled together two by two by means of gripping members of the mechanically loosenable type. More in detail, the present invention relates to a wall comprising a plurality of panels coupled together two by two by means of gripping and stiffening members of a mechanically loosenable type.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the sector of modular walls there are many known solutions for mechanically coupling panels together. A discussion of the more interesting state-of-the-art solutions for coupling panels mechanically follows. With reference to the case PCT WO0056589, teachings are provided for coupling two panels through coupling members that enable the respective panels to be orientated on one another by an angle that is settable at will inside a set range, which depends on the peripheral extent of a coupling element. The panels connected together by the coupling members are box panels. This document, "589, is not the first in which joint means with an adjustable angle size is disclosed. In fact, teachings that are useful for making a modular wall shaped like a broken line are found in patent GB1288454, in which panels of box type are disclosed, each of which has opposite plates; the panels are coupled together by a joint shaped so as to enable the reciprocal rotation of two panels coupled together through elements provided by spoked coupling elements. In the case of patent CA2233826 the coupling between the panels is obtained through the interposition of a joint with which the panels

are coupled in a substantially telescopic manner. Accordingly, at least in principle, two panels coupled together are free to run on one another longitudinally and to jeopardise the stability of the structure if the panels have a reduced width with respect to the longitudinal extent .

Recently, in the sector of modular walls comprising panels of reduced width, a particular type of coupling between panels has been studied, a diagram of which is shown in figure A attached to this disclosure. According to this coupling diagram, a coupling portion of a first panel comprises a circular portion furrowed internally in a central position by a longitudinal groove. The second panel has a coupling panel that has by analogy the shape of an anchor provided with a stock. In the analogy of the anchor the coupling panel of the second panel has a rib located at the end of the trunk that is suitable for engaging the aforementioned grooving and peaks of the anchor enable coupling with the ends of the circular portion of the first panel . Caps are furthermore provided for the ends that are shaped to contain within themselves the part that centrally cuts the circular portion and carries the rib. The mounting of the two coupling portions is through a snap connection, but the coupling seal is limited in the body of the wall if transverse force of even a small amount is applied, with the result that the wall opens to full width. Furthermore, sliding between the panels coupled by this type of coupling is half stable, it being incapable of supporting loads acting sideways, to which it yields through sliding of a panel on one another. On the other hand, it is possible that the aforementioned solution is stable only in some set loading/use conditions because in the design phase a very slim structure without screw connections was chosen that not only places aesthetic constraints but also increases

the weight of the wall. These drawbacks could be of secondary importance in modular walls that have to be left in position for long times but they are of greater importance if the modular wall has to be used in temporary installations like those of extemporaneous exhibitions of short duration, the so-called "road shows", which may also be held in open environments, characterised by a great number of visitors in a short time and which are therefore often characterised by great movement. On the other hand, in the case of permanent or semi-permanent installations if the setting is open-air, the use of threaded connections coupling materials of different type may cause rapid deterioration of the metal positioned further down in the electrochemical series. In the case of a coupling in which the panels are made of aluminium or relative alloys and the connecting screws are made of iron or steel material the aluminium of the panels may be damaged, compromising the durability of the panels, which are decidedly the most costly coupling component. For the reasons disclosed above, the drawback of the side stability of the modular walls made of extruded material is an interesting challenge for the applicant who has set himself the objective of overcoming this drawback in an innovative manner and with moderate costs. In consideration of what has been disclosed above, it would be desirable to have a modular wall comprising a plurality of panels made of extruded material that by overcoming the drawbacks illustrated above that are typical of the prior art would set a new standard for such types of product . SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention relates to a wall comprising a plurality of panels coupled with one another two by two. In particular, the present invention relates to a wall comprising a plurality of panels coupled together two by

two by means of gripping members of a mechanically loosenable type. More in detail, the present invention relates to a wall comprising a plurality of panels coupled together two by two by means of gripping and stiffening members of a mechanically loosenable type.

The object of the present invention is to make a modular wall that enables the drawbacks illustrated above to be overcome and which is suitable for meeting a set of needs that at the current time have not yet been solved and are therefore suitable for constituting a new and original source of economic interest that is able to modify the current modular wall market.

According to the present invention a modular wall is made, the main features of which will be disclosed in at one the claims that follow.

The present invention furthermore refers to a locking member for panels of a modular wall that are adjacent to one another .

According to the present invention a locking member is furthermore made for panels of a modular wall that are adjacent to one another, that is particularly valid because of the practicality and capacity to increase the rigidity to lateral loads of the wall as a whole, and the multiplicity of advantages offered by this connecting member. These include, in addition to the decisively low cost, the possibility of acting as a wall support, supporting elements displaying information to be made public, being easily assemblable and dismantleable without the need to use particular tools, and being free of problems of oxidation of the aluminium.

Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for mounting and installing a modular wall.

According to the present invention a rapid and efficient method is furthermore provided for the mounting

and installation of a modular wall made according to the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features and advantages of the modular wall according to the present invention will become clearer from the following disclosure, shown with reference to the attached figures that illustrate at least an embodiment thereof by way of non-limitative example in which identical or corresponding parts of the device are identified by the same reference numbers. In particular:

Fig. A is a schematic plan view and with parts removed for clarity of a coupling portion of a known wall;

- Fig. 1 is a schematic front view with parts removed for clarity of a wall according to the present invention; - Fig. 2 is a schematic plan view on reduced scale of figure 1 ;

- Fig. 3 is a bottom view on enlarged scale and with parts removed for clarity of figure 2 ;

- Fig. 4 is a schematic perspective view with parts removed for clarity of a portion extracted from figure 3;

- Fig. 5 is an exploded view of figure 4;

- Fig. 6 is a schematic perspective top view and on reduced scale of a detail extracted from figure 2;

Fig. 7 illustrates the detail of the figure 6 overturned and subsequently rotated axially by 90° anticlockwise; and

- Fig. 8 is a bottom view on enlarged scale and with parts removed for clarity of figure 2, it represents the double of figure 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

In figure 1, No 1 indicates overall a modular wall comprising a plurality of panels 10, each of which is delimited in width by the respective first and second portions 15 and 16 that are elongated in height, separated

from one another by a central plate 17. These first and second portions 15 are 16 oriented vertically in the figure 1 and therefore transversely to their width. Furthermore, these elongated first and second portions 15 and 16 are shaped in such a way as to snap-connect two panels 10 that are slidingly adjacent to one another in respective length, as will be seen better below. The connection between the first and second elongated portions 15 and 16 gives rise to a cavity 20 with an annular cross section that is shown in figures 3 and 4. With this cavity 20 there is associated a locking unit 30 suitable for cooperating with the first and second elongated portions 15 and 16 of two panels that are coupled together to fix them together rigidly. This locking unit 30 comprises a locking member 40 that is more clearly visible in figures 6 and 7, that is shaped similarly to an internally hollow cap and is provided with an upper portion

42 that is similar to a cover and which will therefore be referred to as such hereinafter. It should be noted that the external cylindrical skirt 37 of the locking member 40 that engages the cavity 20 is interrupted in several parts to give rise to the longitudinal elements 38. In particular, the locking member 40 comprises at least an elastic connecting member 41 that is provided with a sheet

43 that is delimited longitudinally by a transverse end key 44 that is suitable for cooperating elastically with the first and second elongated portions 15 and 16. In particular, but not exclusively, the locking member 40 has a pair of connecting members 41 arranged diametrically opposite one another. Thus, as clearly illustrated in figures 6 and 7, each sheet 43 will normally correspond to one of the longitudinal element 38 obtained in the cylindrical skirt 37 of the locking member 40.

Each first/second elongated portion 15/16 of a panel 10 has a longitudinally open cross section for coupling the

head with a second/first elongated portion 16/15 of an adjacent panel 10 and has at least a housing 32 for each key 44 belonging to each respective connecting member 41. As will be better illustrated below, each housing 32 is normally arranged in a longitudinal flap 18 of the first portion 15 of a panel 10, but could also be obtained in the second portion 16 of the panel 10, without the latter falling outside the protective scope of the present invention. In particular, each housing 32 is obtained at an end portions 19 that longitudinally delimits each flap 18, and in particular on the upper and lower end of the flaps 18, as the locking member 40 has to be associated to both the longitudinal ends of the portions 15 and 16 of panels that are coupled together. It will be noted that each first portion 15 has an open cylindrical cross section and is delimited by two longitudinal flaps 18 that are opposite one another and are arranged substantially symmetrically with respect to the central plate 17 of the corresponding panel 10 to snap- connect panels 10 that are reciprocally tilted by an angle size that is determined by the shape of the second portion 16, as will become clearer from the following disclosure. This angle is sufficient to make the plurality of panels 10 of the wall self-supporting, which are coupled together two by two, even without any locking members 40, owing to the particular structure that derives from the combination of two or more panels 10. In particular, the type of coupling between the portions 15 and 16 of adjacent panels enables walls 1 to be made that have a substantially sinusoidal or closed/annular plan shape, as seen in figure 2, according to the continuous lines or the dashed lines. More in general, walls 1 can be made that have a plan shape in which sinusoid and/or curved portions follow one another in a set manner such as to adapt the plan of the wall 1 to the

features of the place of installation.

With particular reference to figures 4 and 5, each housing 32 comprises a transverse hole made in the flap 18 and indicated for convenience by the same reference number as the housing 32. The key 44 is shaped in a manner matching the housing 32 to snap-engage the latter and for this purpose the key 44 has a circular cross section and a saw-tooth longitudinal section. The orientation of this key 44 is so as to define a tilted plane 45 that is suitable for imposing, upon assembly, increasing deformation on the sheet 43 that is proportional to the insertion degree of the sheet 43 in said cavity 20, up to a facing dimension with the housing 32, the height at which a snap-connection of the key 44 inside the housing 32 is caused. In this way, through the use of a pair of locking members 40, to be installed at the lower and upper ends of the cavity 20, it is possible to fix axially/longitudinally, in a mechanically loosenable manner, the first and second portions 15 and 16 of two adjacent panels and avoid accidental longitudinal sliding of a panel with respect to the another.

Each locking member 40 furthermore has at least a longitudinal rib 34 (shown in the detail only in figure 7) , carried by a longitudinal element 38 in an equidistant position from the two sheets 43 to engage a longitudinal seat 36 obtained in at least one of the first and second elongated portions 15 and 16 to confer further stiffness on the connection between adjacent panels 10 and then to the structure of the wall 1. As clearly illustrated in figures 4 and 5, each seat 36 comprises a longitudinal furrow that is parallel to the flaps 18 of the portion 15 of the corresponding panel 10 without this constituting a limitation to the protective scope of the present invention.

It should be noted that the locking member 40 furthermore comprises, at the opposite side of rib 34, a further longitudinal element 39 that is shaped symmetrically with respect to the rib 34 and has a substantially C-shaped cross section and the function of which will be described better below.

Each locking member 40 has a seat 46 obtained centrally for housing a set member 47. This member 47 may preferably, but not exclusively, comprise a foot 48 suitable for supporting each corresponding panel 10 or a data support 49.

The total of the first and second elongated portions 15 and 16 of each panel 10 and of the faces of the plate 17 defines two opposite concave surfaces 11 and 12 that are shaped in a substantially identical manner. The shape of such surfaces 11 and 12 is such as to enable cladding 50 to be housed that have a thickness that is definable at will to give the corresponding panel 10 at least a set physical feature or simply to make it aesthetically more pleasing. For example, this cladding 50 can comprise material for heat and/or sound insulation or cladding having particular colour and/or textures .

With particular reference to figures 4 and 5, the second portion 16 is substantially C-shaped, and has a respective concavity facing the portion 15 of the panel 10 coupled therewith, and is delimited transversely by longitudinal edges 60 and 62. These edges 60 and 62 are engaged in a non-symmetric manner with respect to the plate 17 of the corresponding panel 10 and in use give rise to a set angle with respect to an adjacent panel 10, which is such as to make said wall 1 self-supporting. Furthermore, such edges 60 and 62 can preferably but not exclusively have respective concavities 61 and 63 of differing extent, both facing outside to be useful for mounting as follows.

In particular, the concavity 63 of the edge 62 is suitable for being engaged by a lower flap 18 of the figure 5 to enable the left panel 10 in figure 5 to be rotated clockwise in figure 5 until the other flap 18, arranged above in figure 5, can come into contact with the outside of the edge 60. At this point, further clockwise rotation of the left panel 10 in figure 5 deforms the flap 18 arranged above in figure 5, which is the more yieldable element between the two elements placed in contact . Following this deformation, this flap 18 covers the edge 60 until it engages the concavity 61, as in figure 4.

Naturally, what has been described above with reference to the step of coupling the first and second portions 15 and 16 also applies if the panel 16 is upturned and is thus as in figure 8, which is the double of figure 3. This is in particular possible because the two edges 18 of the first elongated portion 15 are symmetrical to one another with respect to the panel 10, as is the locking member 40 with respect to the rib 34. Thus in figure 8 the second portion 16 is overturned with respect to what is arranged in figures 4 and 5 but the connecting procedure is exactly the same as disclosed above with an initial engagement of the concavity 63 by a first flap 18, shown above in figure 8, followed by rotation of the first elongated portion 15 that ends with the engaging of the concavity 61 by a second flap 18 of the first portion 15.

To prevent corrosion drawbacks in the contact between the locking member 40 and the corresponding portions 15 and 16, the locking member 40 is made of plastics and the respective shape enables it to be produced through a moulding procedure, so with v&τy great volumes and very reduced costs.

The wall 1 and the locking member and the corresponding types of use can easily be appreciated from the above and

do not require further explanations. From what has been disclosed above a method can furthermore be obtained for mounting and installing a modular wall 1. This method comprises the phase of preliminarily placing the panels 10 alongside one another that it is intended to use in such a way as to define a plan arrangement that is suitable for the needs of the case and is at the same time compatible with the requirements attributable, as disclosed above, to the wall 1. A step then follows in which the adjacent panels 10 are connected together, engaging a flaplδ of the first elongated portion 15 in the respective concavity 63 of the second adjacent portion 16 and then rotating, as disclosed above, the first portion 15 until the free flap 18 occupies the respective concavity 61 of the second portion 16, causing a snap connection between the two adjacent panels 10. The method furthermore comprises the step of inserting a pair of locking members 40 at the upper and lower ends of each cavity 20 until the first portion is snap-connected at the corresponding housings 32 through the keys 44. This enables the connection of the adjacent panels 10 to be completed as the degree of longitudinal freedom is eliminated for each pair of panels 10 of the wall 1. The method comprises, according to the needs of the case, a possible step of inserting at least a foot 48 suitable for supporting the panels 10 in contact with the ground into the seat 46 of the lower locking members 40 and/or data support 49 in the seat 46 specially provided in the upper locking members 40. The method finally comprises the step of housing cladding means 50 with a thickness that can be defined at will to give the panels 10 of the wall 1 at least a set physical feature.

It is lastly clear that modifications can be made to the modular wall 1 and the locking member 40 disclosed and illustrated here without thereby falling outside the

protective scope of this invention.

In all cases, on the basis of what has been disclosed above, it should be observed that the locking unit 30 is particularly valid inasmuch as it enables the technical drawbacks illustrated above to be overcome and is such as to make the wall 1 easy to mount and dismantle without requiring the use of tools of any type. In fact, the edges 60 and 62 of the second portion 16 are suitably shaped so as to enable the two adjacent panels 10 to be coupled together through a snap-connection according to a set angle size to make a wall 1 comprising a plurality of panels self-supporting, and the coupling of the two adjacent panels 10 is obtained by simple superimposing of the second portion of one of the two panels 10 by the flaps 18 of the other and the deformation of the latter set during mounting causes sufficient friction to keep the two panels in position. Furthermore, the engagement of the cavity 20 with a pair of locking members 40, i.e. one for each longitudinal end of the cavity 20, and engaging of the corresponding holes 32 by at least a key 44 for each locking member 40 of the sheets 43 enables the first and second portions 15 and 16 to be fixed longitudinally and further stiffness to be given to the assembly of the adjacent panels. It should be noted with reference to figure 3 that after completed installation of two panels that are adjacent to one another through the particular sizing of the locking member 40 and of the edge 60 of the second portion 16, the latter is clamped between a flap 18 of the first portion 15 and the longitudinal element 39. Thus this element 39 contributes to increasing the stiffness of the coupling of two panels 10 that are adjacent to one another. Thus the entire longitudinal element 39 and the corresponding flap 18 that engages the concavity 61 determines a clamp-connecting device 70 of the

edge 60 arranged between the latter.

Lastly, in terms of the above disclosure, the simple inwards deformation of the sheets 43 enables a condition to be caused that is favourable to dismantling of the locking member 40 from the cavity 20 and enables the separation of the first and second portions 15 and 16 that were previously coupled together to be proceeded with.