US 4,961,295 AGranted

Metal slat and wall system utilizing same

OwnerPaul Kosch, Sr., Paul J. Koschinventors

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Abstract

A slatted wall or panel assembly which may be easily assembled and possesses substantial structural rigidity as well as an attractive appearance, includes a plurality of structurally-supportive backing members having a plurality of mutually-spaced protruding ears which are generally rigid and which form load-bearing slat supports, and further includes a plurality of slats which are mounted upon the backing member by hanging the slats upon the load-bearing ears in interlocked relation with the ears and with adjacent slats by means of flanged edge extremities extending along each slat. Each pair of adjacent slats collectively defines an L-shaped recess which is adapted to receive therein a substantially L-shaped arm of a display shelf, hook, etc., for mounting display item upon the assembly. The slats are configured to permit manufacture by roll-forming bending operations such that the slats may be of sheet metal construction and economically manufactured in quantity.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A slatted display wall assembly providing integral mounting means for display-support members, comprising in combination:

at least one generally rigid backing member having means defining a plurality of generally rigid projecting ears forming load-bearing slat supports;
a plurality of slats having central portions with an outer surface forming the front face of said wall assembly and flanged edge portions defining hanger means for mounting said slats, said slats being mountable adjacent one another and supported in place on said backing member through engagement of said flanged edge portion hanger means over the tops of said projecting ears from a position located at the front of said wall;
said edge portions being configured to define a recess between at least selected pair of said slats mounted adjacent one another on said projecting ears, said recess having a size and shape for receiving and mounting display support members in a manner such that they extend outward and beyond said front face of said slats;
said slats having sufficient structural strength to bear loading applied to said display support members at a point outboard of said front face without crushing of said central slat portion or edge portions, whereby loading placed upon said display support members is transferred to and carried by said projecting ear slat supports through said hanger means and flanged edge portions.

1 more element

A slat for use in a slatted wall assembly, comprising:

a body having a forward and rearward side, an upper flange structure, and a lower flange structure;
said upper flange structure including a first flange portion which projects rearwardly from said body and has a downwardly and rearwardly-opening hook member which extends from said first flange portion, said hook member comprising a hanger which provides a primary load-carrying support means for said slat by engagement over a generally rigid vertically-supportive load-bearing substructure to suspend the slat therefrom and transfer loading thereto carried by the slat;
said lower flange structure including a first flange portion which projects rearwardly from said body and at least a second flange portion extending downwardly from said first flange portion;
said first flange portion of said lower flange structure being located at a predetermined distance below the first flange portion of said upper flange structure so as to define a recess between the adjacent upper and lower first flange portions of adjacent slats positioned with their respective upper and lower flange structures in mutual engagement;
said second flange portion of said lower flange structure being located so as to lie in juxtaposition with and behind at least portions of the upper flange structure of the adjacent slat located immediately below and engaged over the supportive substructure, to thereby index said lower flange structure in place relative to said substructure.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.