Panels

Abstract

A panel 1 comprises a frame 2 having first and second frame portions 2a, 2b each provided with a longitudinal channel 7. The panel also comprises sheet material 4 extending across the frame 2 between the frame portions 2a, 2b. A first edge portion of the sheet material is inserted into the channel of the first frame portion 2a and a second edge portion of the sheet material is inserted into the channel of the second frame portion 2b. The first edge portion of the sheet material has a region of stiffened edging 6 that is located within the channel 7 of the first frame portion 2a. The second edge portion of the sheet material 4 is gripped within a resilient slot formed by a gripper member 5 that provides at least one resilient gripper element 5b in the channel 7 of the second frame portion 2b.

Claims

1. A panel having a front surface and comprising: a frame; and sheet material; the frame comprising a plurality of frame members assembled into the frame extending around a panel, the frame having a first frame portion provided by a first frame member and a second frame portion consisting of remaining frame members, and each frame member being provided with a longitudinal channel; the sheet material having edges defining a periphery of the sheet material, the sheet material extending in a plane across the frame between the frame portions, wherein a first edge forming a first edge portion of the sheet material is inserted into the channel of the first frame member, and a second edge portion of the sheet material consisting of remaining edges is inserted into the channels of the remaining frame members, such that the sheet material is retained about its entire periphery by being inserted into the channels of respective frame members of the first and second frame portions; wherein each channel is defined by two walls of the respective frame member, an inner wall and an outer wall, the two walls being substantially perpendicular to the plane of the sheet material, and wherein the channel opens at the front surface of the panel for the sheet material to be slotted into; wherein the first edge portion of the sheet material has been adapted to create a region of stiffened edging that is located within the channel of the first frame member and the second edge portion of the sheet material is gripped within a resilient slot formed by gripper members provided in the channels of the remaining frame members, wherein an edge of the second edge portion opposite to the first edge portion is not provided with a region of stiffened edging; wherein each gripper member is inserted into the channel of its frame member to provide at least one resilient gripper element in the channel of its frame member; and wherein the gripper elements are flaps which act to close off the channels to provide the resilient slot and the gripper elements are configured to resiliently deflect or deform when the sheet material is inserted into the resilient slot, and wherein the gripper member clips onto the inner wall of its frame member when the gripper member is inserted into the channel of its frame member.

2. A panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second frame portions consists of frame members having the same profile.

3. A panel as claimed in claim 2, wherein the frame is a rectangular frame.

4. A panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the region of stiffened edging has a thickness substantially corresponding to a width of the channel.

5. A panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the region of stiffened edging has a thickness substantially less than a width of the channel, and wherein the first edge portion of the sheet material is also held by a resilient slot formed by a gripper element of a gripper member provided in the channel of the first frame portion.

6. A panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the region of stiffened edging comprises a strip of material that has been attached to an edge of the sheet material.

7. A panel as claimed in claim 6, wherein a width of the strip material, which extends in a depth direction of the channel, is greater than the width of the channel.

8. A panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the channel of at least the first frame member extends at an angle of greater than 80 to a plane defined by the sheet material.

9. A panel as claimed in claim 8, wherein the channel of at least the first frame member extends at an angle substantially perpendicular to the plane defined by the sheet material.

10. A panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the frame portions include a formation to retain a gripper member.

11. A panel as claimed in claim 10, wherein each gripper member comprises a body, which has been moulded from a first composition and is configured to lock onto a wall forming the channel in a frame portion, and at least one projection, which has been moulded from a second composition that is different to the first composition, the at least one projection being arranged to resist the pulling out of the sheet material from the channel.

12. A panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sheet material is fabric.

13. A panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the panel includes back illumination, and only a region corresponding to the width of the channel is not illuminated.

14. A method of assembling a panel having a front surface and comprising a frame and sheet material, the method comprising: assembling the frame from a plurality of frame members, the frame extending around the panel and the frame having a first frame portion provided by a first frame member and a second frame portion consisting of remaining frame members, each frame member having a longitudinal channel; providing a gripper member in the channel of each of the frame members of the second frame portion, the gripper members forming a resilient slot in the second frame portion; providing sheet material to extend in a plane across the frame between the first and second frame portions to form a body of the panel, the sheet material having edges defining a periphery, a first edge portion and a second edge portion of the sheet material, wherein the first edge portion of the sheet material is a first edge which has been adapted so as to provide a region of stiffened edging and the second edge portion consists of remaining edges of the sheet material, wherein an edge of the second edge portion opposite to the first edge portion is not provided with a region of stiffened edging; inserting the region of stiffened edging into the channel of the first frame member in order to locate the first edge portion of the sheet material with respect to the panel; inserting the second edge portion of the sheet material into the resilient slot provided by the gripper members of the second frame portion to locate the second edge portion of the sheet material with respect to the panel, such that the sheet material is retained about its entire periphery by being inserted into the channels of the respective frame members of the first and second frame portions; and pulling the sheet material taut through pushing the second edge portion of the sheet material into the gripper members of the second frame portion; wherein each channel is defined by two walls of the respective frame member, an inner wall and an outer wall, the two walls being substantially perpendicular to the plane of the sheet material, and wherein the channel opens at the front surface of the panel for the sheet material to be slotted into, wherein each gripper member provides at least one gripper element in the form of a flap which acts to close off the channel to provide the resilient slot and the gripper element is configured to resiliently deflect or deform when the sheet material is inserted into the resilient slot, and wherein the gripper member clips onto the inner wall of its frame member when the gripper member is inserted into the channel of its frame member.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14 comprising: providing a gripper member by inserting and fixing a gripper member to a second frame portion.

16. A method as claimed in claim 14 comprising: attaching a flexible strip to a second edge portion of the sheet material to form the region of stiffened edging.

17. A panel having a front surface and comprising: a frame; and sheet material; the frame comprising a plurality of frame members assembled into the frame extending around the panel, the frame having a first frame portion provided by first and second frame members and a second frame portion consisting of remaining frame members, and each frame member being provided with a longitudinal channel; sheet material having edges defining a periphery of the sheet material, the sheet material extending in a plane across the frame between the frame portions, wherein first and second edges forming a first edge portion of the sheet material, are inserted into the channels of the first and second frame members, and a second edge portion of the sheet material, consisting of remaining edges, is inserted into the channels of the remaining frame members, such that the sheet material is retained about its entire periphery by being inserted into the channels of respective frame members of the first and second frame portions; wherein each channel is defined by two walls of the respective frame member, an inner wall and an outer wall, the two walls being substantially perpendicular to the plane of the sheet material, and wherein the channel opens at the front surface of the panel for the sheet material to be slotted into; wherein the first edge portion of the sheet material has been adapted to create regions of stiffened edging along the first and second edges that are located within the channels of the first and second frame members and the second edge portion of the sheet material is gripped within a resilient slot formed by gripper members provided in the channels of the remaining frame members, wherein an edge of the second edge portion opposite to the first edge portion is not provided with a region of stiffened edging, wherein each gripper member is inserted into the channel of its frame member to provide at least one resilient gripper element in the channel of its frame member; wherein the gripper elements are flaps which act to close off the channels to provide the resilient slot and the gripper elements are configured to resiliently deflect or deform when the sheet material is inserted into the resilient slot; and wherein the gripper member clips onto the inner wall of its frame member when the gripper member is inserted into the channel of its frame member.

18. A method of assembling a panel having a front surface and comprising a frame and sheet material, the method comprising: assembling the frame from a plurality of frame members, the frame extending around the panel and the frame having a first frame portion provided by first and second frame members and a second frame portion consisting of remaining frame members, each frame member having a longitudinal channel; providing a gripper member in the channel of each of the frame members of the second frame portion, the gripper members forming a resilient slot in the second frame portion; providing sheet material to extend in a plane across the frame between the first and second frame portions to form a body of the panel, the sheet material having edges defining a periphery, a first edge portion and a second edge portion of the sheet material, wherein the first edge portion of the sheet material are first and second edges which have been adapted so as to provide regions of stiffened edging along the first and second edges, and the second edge portion consists of remaining edges of the sheet material, wherein an edge of the second edge portion opposite to the first edge portion is not provided with a region of stiffened edging; inserting the regions of stiffened edging into the channels of the first and second frame members in order to locate the first edge portion of the sheet material with respect to the panel; inserting the second edge portion of the sheet material into the resilient slot provided by the gripper members of the second frame portion to locate the second edge portion of the sheet material with respect to the panel, such that the sheet material is retained about its entire periphery by being inserted into the channels of the respective frame members of the first and second frame portions; and pulling the sheet material taut through pushing the second edge portion of the sheet material into the gripper members of the second frame portion; wherein each channel is defined by two walls of the respective frame member, an inner wall and an outer wall, the two walls being substantially perpendicular to the plane of the sheet material, and wherein the channel opens at the front surface of the panel for the sheet material to be slotted into, wherein each gripper member provides at least one gripper element in the form of a flap which acts to close off the channel to provide the resilient slot and the gripper element is configured to resiliently deflect or deform when the sheet material is inserted into the resilient slot, and wherein the gripper member clips onto the inner wall of its frame member when the gripper member is inserted into the channel of its frame member.

Description

(1) Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described in greater detail by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a front elevation of a complete panel according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a perspective cut-away view of the panel shown in FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a side view of a panel similar to that shown in FIG. 1;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a partial cross-section of a second frame portion illustrating the holding of a second edge of the sheet material according to preferred embodiments of the present invention;

(6) FIG. 5 shows a partial cross-section of a first frame portion illustrating the holding of a first edge of the sheet material of the panel according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

(7) FIG. 6 shows a partial cross-section of a first frame portion illustrating the holding of a first edge of the sheet material according to a second embodiment of the present invention; and

(8) FIGS. 7a to 7e show cross-sections of frame portions according to further embodiments of the present invention.

(9) FIG. 1 shows a front elevation view of a panel 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The panel comprises a frame 2 and sheet material 4. The frame 2 comprises a plurality of extruded aluminium frame members cut with 45 ends which are joined together at the corners of the frame 2 to provide the respective frame portions. In this example, cleats and fixing screws 3 are used to hold the frame portions 2a, 2b together and to secure the frame 2 to a wall (shown more clearly in FIG. 2).

(10) On one side or two sides of the panel 1, the sheet material 4 is provided with a region of stiffened edging 6. This region of stiffened edging 6 is inserted into a channel 7 to set the alignment of the sheet material 4 easily and in a predetermined manner with respect to the panel. On the other sides of the frame 2, a gripper member 5 associated with a channel 7 forms a resilient slot that the remaining edges of the sheet material 4 can be tucked into, allowing the remainder of the sheet material to be pulled taut within the frame 2.

(11) FIG. 2 shows a cut-away perspective view of a corner of panel 1. The figure shows a set of frame members providing a first frame portion 2a that is joined to a second frame portion 2b. Each frame portion 2a, 2b has the same frame profile. The profile includes a channel 7 running the length of each frame portion 2a, 2b. The region of stiffened edging 6 is held within the channel 7 of the first frame portion 2a by an interference-type fit. As the tension in the sheet material pulls substantially perpendicularly to the width direction of the region of stiffened edging 6, it does not have to be a completely tight fit within the channel. The second frame portion 2b has a gripper member 5 which is provided with one or more gripper elements that form a resilient slot with a side of the channel which holds the remaining edges of the sheet material 4 in place.

(12) FIG. 3 shows a side-view of a panel similar to that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The gripper member 5 is a single extruded profile comprising a semi-rigid body portion 5a and two flexible projections in the form of flaps 5b. The body 5a of the gripper member 5 has a shape configured to engage with the profile of the frame portion 2b. As shown it fits over a wall 9 forming the inside edge of the channel 7. The two longitudinal flaps 5b extend a width approximately equal to the width of the channel 7, preferably slightly longer, and so fit tightly within the channel 7. When sheet material 4 is pushed into the channel 7, the flexible projections 5b are deflected into the channel 7 to allow the edge of the sheet material 4 to slide past. The flexible projections 5b spring back against the sheet material 4 such that the ends of the projections 5b resist the removal of the sheet material 4, to keep the panel taut. A tool in the form of blunt blade or spatula can be used to force the sheet material 4 into the frame portions 2a, 2b.

(13) FIG. 4 shows a partial cross-section of a second frame portion 2b in more detail. The second frame portion 2b is provided with a gripper member 5 that grips the sheet material 4 and holds the excess sheet material 4a (the edge being without a region of stiffening edging). The profile of the frame portion 2b includes a channel 7 which is defined by two walls 8, 9. The outer wall 8 is rectangular in cross-section. The inner wall 9 is chamfered near the mouth of the channel 7 and has a groove 9a on the surface facing into the frame 2, with which the rib 5c of the gripper member 5 engages to prevent its removal.

(14) FIGS. 5 and 6 show two possible configurations of the region of stiffened edging 6 held within the first frame portion 2a, though other configurations are also envisaged. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the region of stiffened edging 6 is provided as an extruded strip 6a, for example, of silicone or plastics, of roughly rectangular profile and of substantially the same dimensions as the channel 7. The strip 6a can be attached to the sheet material 4 by mechanical or chemical means (e.g. stitching, stapling, gluing). The strip 6a is attached at a predetermined position in order to set the alignment of the sheet material 4 within the panel 1. Once the strip 6a is pushed home in the channel 7, the frictional force between the strip and the channel will resist the strip from pulling out during normal use. The region of stiffened edging 6 should be sized so that it can be pushed into the channel 7 by hand, allowing it to be removed easily when required, e.g., to change the display on the panel 1.

(15) In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the region of stiffened edging 6 is provided by a thinner strip 6b than in FIG. 5, such that the strip 6b has a thickness which is substantially less than the width of the channel 7. The first frame portion 2a is also provided with a gripper member 5 which has gripper elements to hold the region of stiffened edging 6 in the channel 7. The projections 5b form a resilient slot with the channel to resist the sheet material 4 from pulling out. In this embodiment, all sides of the frame 2 would be provided with gripper members 5.

(16) FIGS. 7a to 7e show example profiles for the frame portions 2a, 2b. As shown in these figures, the depth d of the channel 7 in the frame portions is greater than the width a of the channel. Preferably, the depth d of the channel 7 is greater than twice the width a of the channel, and more preferably the depth of the channel is greater than three times the width of the channel.

(17) Preferably, the width a of the channel 7 is about 4.0 mm. Preferably the thickness b of the inner and outer walls 8, 9 is about 1.0 to 3.0 mm, more preferably about 1.9 mm.

(18) Preferably the width (corresponding to a+b) of the frame across which the sheet material extends (i.e. the width of the region which cannot be illuminated in situations where the panel is illuminated from behind) is less that 10 mm, more preferably less that 7.0 mm and most preferably less than 5.0 mm.

(19) The chamfered edge of the inner wall 9 is chamfered at an angle () to the perpendicular. Preferably, is about 100, for example 98.6, though other angles are possible.

(20) The profiles of the frame portions 2a, 2b are of course not limited to the those disclosed in FIGS. 7a to 7e. The profiles could take on a range of forms to relate to a specific function or application.

(21) An example method of manufacture and assembly of a panel according to an embodiment of the present invention is as follows.

(22) The dimensions of the panel are determined and a suitable extruded frame profile is selected. Sections of the frame are then fixed together, for example, by joining with cleats and fixing screws or by fixing to a wall. Sheet material 4 is provided that is larger than the area to be covered by the panel. At least one aligning edge of the sheet material 4 is determined and the sheet material 4 is finished with a strip on that edge to provide a region of stiffened edging 6. The remaining edges of the sheet material (in particular those edges opposite to the edge(s) finished with a strip 6) are oversized to overlap the perimeter of the frame. The gripper member 5 is fitted to the frame members of the frame 2 where needed. The sheet material 4 is positioned over the frame 2 and the strip is inserted into the corresponding channel 7 on the frame 2. This provides accurate alignment of this edge of the sheet material. A tool is used to insert the remaining edges of the sheet material 4 into the resilient slots provided by the respective gripper members on the remaining edges. The gripper elements on the gripper members deflect to allow the tool and sheet material 4 to enter. The tool is then removed leaving the sheet material 4 locked in the channel 7 by the flexible projections 5b. The process is repeated on all edges until the sheet material has been pulled taut and/or has been put under sufficient tension.

(23) To replace the sheet material 4, for example, to change a display on the panel, then the edges of the sheet material 4 that are held by the gripper members 5 can be pulled out of the resilient slots, the edge with the region of stiffened edging then withdrawn from the frame, and the sheet material 4 replaced for a new one by repeating the installation process described above.