Connector for Lightweight Office Partition

A wall panel system comprising:

• a first wall panel having a front face and a rear face and peripheral edges about each of the front face and the rear face with the peripheral edges of the front face joined to complementary peripheral edges of the rear face by first lateral end surfaces including a first panel lateral end surface disposed vertically,
• a first panel slotway extending vertically and longitudinally of the first panel lateral end surface between the front face and the rear face of the first wall panel inwardly into the first panel lateral end surface from a first entrance opening in the first panel lateral end surface,
• a first transverse pin member spanning the first panel slotway extending horizontally transverse to the first panel slotway,
• a second wall panel having a front face and a rear face and peripheral edges about each of the front face and the rear face with the peripheral edges of the front face joined to complementary peripheral edges of the rear face by second lateral end surfaces including a second panel lateral end surface disposed vertically,
• a second panel slotway extending vertically and longitudinally of the second panel lateral end surface between the front face and the rear face of the second wall panel inwardly into the second panel lateral end surface from a second entrance opening in the second panel lateral end surface,
• a second transverse pin member spanning the second panel slotway extending horizontally transverse to the second panel slotway,
• a connector removably connecting the first wall panel to the second wall panel with the first panel lateral end surface opposed to the second panel lateral end surface spaced from the second panel lateral end surface forming a vertical space between the first panel lateral end surface and the second panel lateral end surface open to both the front face and a rear face of each of the first wall panel and the second wall panel,
• the connector having a central vertical spacing rib, a first tongue and a second tongue,
• the central vertical spacing rib having a first lateral shoulder surface and a second lateral shoulder surface directed away from the first lateral shoulder surface,
• the first tongue carried on the first lateral shoulder surface extending away from the first lateral shoulder surface to a first distal end,
• the first tongue carrying a first hook member with an access bight open vertically downwardly,
• the second tongue carried on the second lateral shoulder surface extending away from the second lateral shoulder surface to a second distal end,
• the second tongue carrying a second hook member with an access bight open vertically downwardly,
• the first tongue slidable horizontally relative the first wall panel into the first panel slotway with the first distal end insertable into the first panel slotway above the first transverse pin member until, in a first unlatched position, the first lateral shoulder surface engages the first panel lateral end surface about the first panel slotway limiting insertion with the bight of the first hook member above the first transverse pin member,
• the second tongue slidable horizontally relative the second wall panel into the second panel slotway with the second distal end inserted into the second panel slotway above the second transverse pin member until in a second unlatched position the second lateral shoulder surface engages the second panel lateral end surface about the second panel slotway limiting insertion with the bight of the second hook member above the second transverse pin member,
• with the connector simultaneously in (a) the first inserted unlatched position relative the first wall panel, and (b) the second inserted unlatched position relative the second wall panel, the connector is slidable vertically downwardly to simultaneously (i) engage the first hook member about the first transverse pin member into a first latched position in which engagement between the first transverse pin member and the bight of the first hook member prevents horizontal sliding of the connector relative to the first wall panel, and (ii) engage the second hook member about the second transverse pin member into a second latched position in which engagement between the second transverse pin member and the bight of the second hook member prevents horizontal sliding of the connector relative to the second wall panel,
• with the connector simultaneously in (a) the first unlatched position relative the first wall panel, and (b) the second unlatched position relative the second wall panel, the spacing rib is disposed in the space accessible to a user between the first panel lateral end surface and the second panel lateral end surface for engagement by a user to move the connector vertically relative the first wall panel and the second wall panel, and
• with the connector simultaneously in (a) the first latched position relative the first wall panel and (b) the second latched position relative the second wall panel, the spacing rib is disposed in the space accessible to a user between the first panel lateral end surface and the second panel lateral end surface for engagement by a user to move the connector vertically relative the first wall panel and the second wall panel.

A wall panel system, comprising:

• a first wall panel having a first front face and a first rear face and first peripheral edges about each of the first front face and the first rear face with the first peripheral edges of the first front face joined to complementary first peripheral edges of the first rear face by first lateral end surfaces including a first panel lateral end surface disposed vertically,
• a first panel slotway in the first panel extending from a vertical first entrance opening in the first panel lateral end surface horizontally inwardly into the first panel between the first front face and the first rear face of the first wall panel,
• a horizontal first transverse pin member spanning the first panel slotway extending horizontally across the first panel slotway transverse to the first panel slotway,
• a second wall panel having a second front face and a second rear face and peripheral edges about each of the second front face and the second rear face with the second peripheral edges of the second front face joined to complementary second peripheral edges of the second rear face by second lateral end surfaces including a second panel lateral end surface disposed vertically,
• a second panel slotway in the second panel extending from a vertical second entrance opening in the second panel lateral end surface horizontally inwardly into the second panel between the second front face and the second rear face of the second wall panel;
• a horizontal second transverse pin member spanning the second panel slotway extending horizontally across the second panel slotway transverse to the second panel slotway,
• a connector removably connecting the first wall panel to the second wall panel with the first panel lateral end surface opposed to the second panel lateral end surface spaced from the second panel lateral end surface forming a vertical space between the first panel lateral end surface and the second panel lateral end surface open to both the front face and a rear face of each of the first wall panel and the second wall panel,
• the connector having a central vertical spacing rib, a first tongue and a second tongue,
• the central vertical spacing rib having a first lateral shoulder surface and a second lateral shoulder surface directed away from the first lateral shoulder surface,
• the first tongue carried on the first lateral shoulder surface extending away from the first lateral shoulder surface to a first distal,
• the first tongue carrying a first catch arm extending upwardly to a first lower distal end, the first catch arm having a first outer catch surface directed towards the first lateral shoulder surface,
• the second tongue carried on the second lateral shoulder surface extending away from the second lateral shoulder surface to a second distal,
• the second tongue carrying a second catch arm extending upwardly to a second lower distal end, the second catch arm having a second outer catch surface directed towards the second lateral shoulder surface,
• the first tongue slidable horizontally relative the first wall panel into the first panel slotway with the first distal end insertable into the first panel slotway below the first transverse pin member until in a first unlatched position, the first lateral shoulder surface engages the first panel lateral end surface about the first panel slotway limiting insertion with the first outer catch surface of the first catch arm vertically below the first transverse pin member,
• the second tongue slidable horizontally relative the second wall panel into the second panel slotway with the second distal end inserted into the second panel slotway below the second transverse pin member until, in a second unlatched position, the second lateral shoulder surface engages the second panel lateral end surface about the second panel slotway limiting insertion with the second outer catch surface of the second catch arm vertically below the second transverse pin member,
• with the connector simultaneously in (a) the first inserted unlatched position relative the first wall panel, and (b) the second inserted unlatched position relative the second wall panel, the connector is slidable vertically upwardly to simultaneously (i) engage the first outer catch surface of the first catch arm with the first transverse pin member and assume a first latched position in which engagement between the first transverse pin member and first outer catch surface of the first catch arm prevents horizontal sliding of the connector relative to the first wall panel in a direction that moves the first lateral shoulder surface away from first panel lateral end surface, and (ii) engage second outer catch surface of the second catch arm with the second transverse pin member and assume a second latched position in which engagement between the second transverse pin member and the second outer catch surface of the second catch arm prevents horizontal sliding of the connector relative to the second wall panel in a direction that moves the second lateral shoulder surface away from second panel lateral end surface,
• with the connector simultaneously in (a) the first unlatched position relative the first wall panel, and (b) the second unlatched position relative the second wall panel, the spacing rib is disposed in the space accessible to a user between the first panel lateral end surface and the second panel lateral end surface for engagement by a user to move the connector vertically relative the first wall panel and the second wall panel, and
• with the connector simultaneously in (a) the first latched position relative the first wall panel, and (b) the second latched position relative the second wall panel, the spacing rib is disposed in the space accessible to a user between the first panel lateral end surface and the second panel lateral end surface for engagement by a user to move the connector vertically relative the first wall panel and the second wall panel.