Slatwall assembly and associated method of installing the same

Abstract

A slatwall panel assembly that exhibits exceptional strength for holding heavy objects and unprecedented durability for long-term, indoor and/or outdoor use, including: (a) a top starter panel; (b) a first slatwall panel; (c) an optional additional slatwall panel; (d) a bottom finishing panel; (e) wherein the top starter panel is securable to an upper portion of the first slatwall panel; and (f) wherein the bottom finishing panel is securable to a lower portion of the first slatwall panel or a lower portion of the optional additional slatwall panel.

Claims

1. A slatwall panel assembly, comprising: a top starter panel, wherein the top starter panel includes a body having a top surface, a bottom surface, an outer surface, an inner surface, a slot, a mounting tab, a first channel, and a second channel formed in cooperation with a first slatwall panel, and wherein the top surface and the bottom surface of the top starter panel are parallel to each other and orthogonal to the inner surface of the top starter panel, and wherein the slot of the top starter panel is positioned below the mounting tab of the top starter panel; wherein the first slatwall panel includes a body having a top surface, a bottom surface, an outer surface, an inner surface, a slot, a mounting tab, a first channel, wherein the first channel is the uppermost channel of the first slatwall panel, a second channel, wherein the second channel is outwardly facing, and a third channel formed in cooperation with an additional slatwall panel, and wherein the top surface and the bottom surface of the first slatwall panel are parallel to each other and orthogonal to the inner surface of the first slatwall panel, and wherein the slot of the first slatwall panel is positioned below the mounting tab of the first slatwall panel; a bottom finishing panel, wherein the bottom finishing panel includes a body having a top surface, a bottom surface, an outer surface, an inner surface, and a first channel, and wherein the top surface and the bottom surface of the bottom finishing panel are parallel to each other and orthogonal to the outer surface of the bottom finishing panel; and wherein the top starter panel is securable to an upper portion of the first slatwall panel, and wherein the bottom finishing panel is securable to a lower portion of the first slatwall panel or a lower portion of an additional slatwall panel, and wherein the mounting tab of the top starter panel is outwardly facing and contacts the first uppermost channel of the first slatwall panel.

2. The slatwall panel assembly according to claim 1, wherein the top starter panel and the first slatwall panel are secured to a substrate via fasteners.

3. The slatwall panel assembly according to claim 1, wherein the top starter panel is fabricated from a material selected from the group consisting of a metal, a metal alloy, a natural resin, a synthetic resin, a plastic, a composite, and/or wood.

4. The slatwall panel assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first slatwall panel is fabricated from a material selected from the group consisting of a metal, a metal alloy, a natural resin, a synthetic resin, a plastic, a composite, and/or wood.

5. The slatwall panel assembly according to claim 1, wherein the bottom finishing panel is fabricated from a material selected from the group consisting of a metal, a metal alloy, a natural resin, a synthetic resin, a plastic, a composite, and/or wood.

6. A slatwall panel assembly, comprising: a top starter panel, wherein the top starter panel includes a body having a top surface, a bottom surface, an outer surface, an inner surface, a slot, a mounting tab, a first channel, and a second channel formed in cooperation with a first slatwall panel, and wherein the top surface and the bottom surface are parallel to each other and orthogonal to the inner surface, and wherein the slot is positioned below the mounting tab; wherein the first slatwall panel includes a first channel, wherein the first channel is the uppermost channel of the first slatwall panel, a second channel, wherein the second channel is outwardly facing; a second slatwall panel; an optional additional slatwall panel; a bottom finishing panel; and wherein the top starter panel is securable to an upper portion of the first slatwall panel, and wherein the bottom finishing panel is securable to a lower portion of the first slatwall panel, a lower portion of the second slatwall panel or a lower portion of the additional slatwall panel, and wherein the mounting tab of the top starter panel is outwardly facing and contacts the first uppermost channel of the first slatwall panel.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Certain embodiments of the present invention are illustrated by the accompanying figures. It will be understood that the figures are not necessarily to scale and that details not necessary for an understanding of the invention or that render other details difficult to perceive may be omitted.

(2) It will be further understood that the invention is not necessarily limited to the particular embodiments illustrated herein.

(3) The invention will now be described with reference to the drawings wherein:

(4) FIG. 1 of the drawings is an unassembled perspective view of a first embodiment of a slatwall assembly manufactured in accordance with the present invention;

(5) FIG. 2 of the drawings is an assembled perspective view of the slatwall assembly of FIG. 1;

(6) FIG. 3 of the drawings is a cross-sectional view of the slatwall assembly taken along line III of FIG. 2; and

(7) FIG. 4 of the drawings is a cross-sectional view of the slatwall assembly of FIG. 1 mounted to a substrate having an accessory item secured thereto.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(8) While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms and applications, there are shown in the drawings and described herein in detail several specific embodiments with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiments illustrated.

(9) It will be understood that like or analogous elements and/or components, referred to herein, may be identified throughout the drawings by like reference characters. In addition, it will be understood that the drawings are merely schematic representations of one or more embodiments of the invention, and some of the components may have been distorted from their actual scale for purposes of pictorial clarity.

(10) Referring now to the drawings, and to FIGS. 1-3 in particular, a first embodiment of slatwall panel assembly 10 is shown as generally comprising top starter panel 12, first slatwall panel 14, second and/or optional additional slatwall panel 16, and bottom finishing panel 18. Top starter panel 12 is releasably securable to an upper portion of first slatwall panel 14, and bottom finishing panel 18 is releasably securable to a lower portion of first slatwall panel 14 or a lower portion of optional additional slatwall panel 16.

(11) Top starter panel 12 preferably includes a body having top 20, bottom 22, outer surface 24, inner surface 26, slot 28 (for directing screws), mounting tab 30 (e.g., male portion), first channel 32, and second channel 34 formed in cooperation with first slatwall panel 14.

(12) First slatwall panel 14 preferably includes a body having top 36, bottom 38, outer surface 40, inner surface 42, slot 44, mounting tab 46 (e.g., male portion), first channel 48 (e.g., female portion), second channel 50 (e.g., female portion), and third channel 52 (e.g., female portion) formed in cooperation with optional additional slatwall panel 16.

(13) Optional additional slatwall panel 16 is configured the same as first slatwall panel 14. As such, the slatwall panel assembly may comprise any one of a number of slatwall panels (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 20, 50, 100, etcetera).

(14) Bottom finishing panel 18 preferably includes a body having top 54, bottom 56, outer surface 58, inner surface 60, and first channel 62 (e.g., female portion). The bottom surface of this finishing panel is preferably stepped so that it is frictionally secured (or snap fit) with the lowest of the slatwall panels.

(15) In accordance with the present invention, starter panel 12, slatwall panel 14, additional slatwall panel 16, and finishing panel 18 can come in any one of a number of lengths, such as 1 ft, 2 ft, 3 ft, 4 ft, 5 ft, 6 ft, 7 ft, 8 ft, 9 ft, 10 ft, 11 ft, 12 ft, 13 ft, 14 ft, 15 ft, 16 ft, 17 ft, 18 ft, 19 ft, 20 ft, 25 ft, 50 ft, 100 ft, etcetera or any length therebetween—just to name a few.

(16) As is best shown in FIG. 4, top starter panel 12, first slatwall panel 14, optional and/or additional slatwall panel 16 are preferably secured to substrate 64 via fasteners 66. The slots help facilitate initial positioning of fasteners 66 during installation. Accessory item 68 (e.g., hooks, brackets, bins, rods, clamps, etcetera) is frictionally secured into a selected and/or preferred channel. Notably, the curved top of the accessory item engages the channel such that the accessory item cannot slide or otherwise move during normal use. In one embodiment, the curved top of the accessory item slightly carves into the channel of the panel and modifies its structure/shape.

(17) In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the top starter panel, the first slatwall panel, any additional slatwall panels, and the bottom finishing panel are independently fabricated from a material selected from the group consisting of a metal, a metal alloy, a natural resin, a synthetic resin, a plastic, a composite, and/or wood.

(18) In a preferred operation, the first step of installing the slatwall assembly comprises aligning and securing the top starter panel to a substrate with one or more fasteners or adhesive. If no starter panel is used, then the first slatwall panel may initiate the installation. Next, the first slatwall panel is frictionally and releasably secured (e.g., snap fit) to the starter panel. Then, the first slatwall panel is secured to the substrate with one or more fasteners or adhesive. This allows an installer to quickly build a wall from top to bottom by adding additional slatwall panels until the wall has a desired height. This step is repeated until the size (e.g., height and width) of the wall is established. Lastly, the installer can frictionally snap fit one or more finishing panels to the lower slatwall panels for the cleanest installation.

(19) The foregoing description merely explains and illustrates the invention and the invention is not limited thereto except insofar as the appended claims are so limited, as those skilled in the art who have the disclosure before them will be able to make modifications without departing from the scope of the invention.

(20) While certain embodiments have been illustrated and described, it should be understood that changes and modifications can be made therein in accordance with ordinary skill in the art without departing from the technology in its broader aspects as defined in the following claims.

(21) The embodiments, illustratively described herein may suitably be practiced in the absence of any element or elements, limitation or limitations, not specifically disclosed herein. Thus, for example, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “containing,” etcetera shall be read expansively and without limitation. Additionally, the terms and expressions employed herein have been used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, but it is recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the claimed technology. Additionally, the phrase “consisting essentially of” will be understood to include those elements specifically recited and those additional elements that do not materially affect the basic and novel characteristics of the claimed technology. The phrase “consisting of” excludes any element not specified.

(22) The present disclosure is not to be limited in terms of the particular embodiments described in this application. Many modifications and variations can be made without departing from its spirit and scope, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Functionally equivalent methods and compositions within the scope of the disclosure, in addition to those enumerated herein, will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing descriptions. Such modifications and variations are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims. The present disclosure is to be limited only by the terms of the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to particular methods, reagents, compounds compositions or biological systems, which can of course vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting.

(23) In addition, where features or aspects of the disclosure are described in terms of Markush groups, those skilled in the art will recognize that the disclosure is also thereby described in terms of any individual member or subgroup of members of the Markush group.

(24) As will be understood by one skilled in the art, for any and all purposes, particularly in terms of providing a written description, all ranges disclosed herein also encompass any and all possible subranges and combinations of subranges thereof. Any listed range can be easily recognized as sufficiently describing and enabling the same range being broken down into at least equal halves, thirds, quarters, fifths, tenths, etcetera. As a non-limiting example, each range discussed herein can be readily broken down into a lower third, middle third and upper third, etcetera. As will also be understood by one skilled in the art all language such as “up to,” “at least,” “greater than,” “less than,” and the like, include the number recited and refer to ranges which can be subsequently broken down into subranges as discussed above. Finally, as will be understood by one skilled in the art, a range includes each individual member.

(25) All publications, patent applications, issued patents, and other documents referred to in this specification are herein incorporated by reference as if each individual publication, patent application, issued patent, or other document was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference in its entirety. Definitions that are contained in text incorporated by reference are excluded to the extent that they contradict definitions in this disclosure.

(26) Other embodiments are set forth in the following claims.