Building panels have a wide variety of configurations. For example, some building panels may comprise solid plywood or particle wood board. These panels are heavy and utilize a substantial volume of material. In addition, such panels are often not very flexible, especially in the case of particle board.
Various attempts have been made to construct other panels which are stronger and lighter in weight. For example, some panels have been constructed from metal. These panels, however, are very expensive both because of the cost of the base materials and the production costs. They are also generally very strong, but not very light.
Some other panels have been developed which are fairly light, but such panels then not very strong, to the point that they will not support connected fasteners (such as screws which are used to mount items to the panel). For example, some wood panels have been constructed with hollow cores or cores of light-weight material. For example, some panels are constructed by applying thin sheets of plywood to either side of a frame having an open center. In this configuration, the core or center of the panel is hollow. These panels are light-weight, but not very strong.
In order to increase the strength of these open-core type panels, foam may be sprayed into the interior or a paper honeycomb material may be located in the interior. However, these panels have a number of other drawbacks. For example, these panels must be pre-constructed in a particular size determined by the size of the frame. Once such a panel is constructed, it is not possible to change the size of the panel. For example, if such a panel is cut in half, the cut severs the supporting frame, causing one or more sides of the cut panels to have no structural integrity.
An improved panel which is light-weight, strong, and inexpensive, is desired.
Another problem involves connecting building or structural panels. It is commonly desired to couple multiple panels together to form walls, floors and the like. For example, at a tradeshow or a convention a number of panels may be connected to form a temporary wall to define a booth. An advantage of using pre-constructed panels is that large structures can be formed from a number of individual panels, each of which is relatively easy to move and store. In addition, such structures can be formed in a non-permanent fashion, permitting the structure to be easily disassembled.
However, such structures must still be stable. In the case of panels which are used to form walls, the panels are generally placed upright and aligned side-to-side. Because the panels are very thin, however, they are not self-supporting in the vertical position. The panels may be connected to one another in a manner in which they maintain their desired position and form the desired structure. For example, panels might be connected with straps connected to the panels with connectors. This has the disadvantage that the straps may be visible and the fasteners may damage the panels, preventing them from being reused. Other means of connection include rotary locks embedded in the panels which can be rotated into engagement with a matting panel. Such locks are effective, but are costly and have a high installation cost. In addition, existing cooperative locking members require that a female locking body be installed in one panel and that a mating male locking body be installed in another panel so that the two locking members can be engaged. However, so configured, only “male” panels can be used with “female” panels. For example, a user might travel to a location and realize that they have 3 panels all fitted with female locking members. These panels cannot be connected to one another. As another example, an existing panel configuration may result in a “male” panel at one end of an assembly. The user can only connect a “female” panel to that “male” panel in order to extend the assembly. If the user does not have a “female” panel, the user can not complete the assembly.
Thus, an improved method and system for connecting panels is also desired.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds