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US 5,423,463 AGranted
Interlock panel
OwnerBruce V. Weeksinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An interlock panel has a plurality of laterally spaced teeth which define tooth slots and pairs of spaced lugs which define interlock slots. Each tooth slot is aligned with an interlock slot to receive one of the top and bottom area of a panel to provide a double interlock when a pair of panels are joined.
Claims29
An interlock panel having a pair of spaced sidewalls adapted to cooperate with at least one other interlock panel having a pair of spaced sidewalls such that the sidewalls of both panels are aligned vertically with respect to each other to form a space divider structure having plurality of individual compartments of a desired size which comprises:
- a rigid unitary member having a base, a top surface, a central portion intermediate said base and said top surface, first and second end surfaces which between them define a length of said member and spaced first and second side surfaces which between them define a thickness of said member;
- a plurality of laterally spaced teeth formed in said member which project outwardly from said central portion of said member;
- wherein each of said teeth has a pair of lateral sidewalls and a longitudinally extending front tooth edge formed from a portion of said base;
- wherein spaced lateral sidewalls of adjacent teeth define a lateral tooth slot having a bottom slot edge which joins said lateral sidewalls;
- a tooth slot extension surface area formed on each of said first and second side surfaces adjacent each lateral tooth slot with each area having a bottom edge defined by said bottom edge of said slot, a top edge defined by said panel top surface and a pair of side edges defined by the parallel extensions of said pair of adjacent tooth sidewalls outwardly between said bottom slot edge and said top surface;
- at least one pair of spaced lugs on said first side surface located between said bottom slot edge of said lateral tooth slot and said top surface each of which extends laterally outwardly of said first side surface;
- wherein each of said lugs has a lateral end wall which projects laterally outwardly from said first side surface and which is parallel to and laterally spaced from one lateral sidewall of a pair of adjacent teeth along a longitudinal axis of said first interlock slot;
- wherein said pair of lugs are separated such that said lateral end walls of said lugs cooperate with said first side surface to define a first interlock slot on said first side surface of said first panel adapted to receive a tooth of a mating second interlock panel such that said tooth engages each of said end walls;
- and
- at least one of said lateral tooth slots is aligned with said first interlock slot such that a longitudinal axis of said tooth slot extends through said first interlock slot.
7 more elements
An interlock panel adapted to cooperate with a second interlock panel to form a plurality of individual compartments of a desired size which comprises:
- a rigid unitary member having a base, a top surface, a central portion, first and second end surfaces which between them define a length of said member and spaced first and second side surfaces which between them define a thickness of said member;
- a plurality of laterally spaced teeth formed in said member which extend outwardly from said central portion of said member;
- wherein each of said teeth has a pair of lateral sidewalls and a longitudinally extending front tooth edge formed from a portion of said base;
- wherein spaced lateral sidewalls of adjacent teeth define a lateral tooth slot having a bottom edge which joins said lateral sidewalls;
- adjustable length extension means for extending the length of said panel;
- and
- wherein said length extension means has a movable adjustment member.
4 more elements
First and second interlock panels adapted to cooperate with each other to form a plurality of individual compartments of a desired size each comprising:
- a rigid unitary member having a base, a top surface, a central portion intermediate said base and said top surface, first and second end surfaces which between them define a length of said member and spaced first and second side surfaces which between them define a thickness of said member;
- a plurality of laterally spaced teeth formed in said member which project outwardly from said central portion of said member;
- wherein each of said teeth has a pair of lateral sidewalls and a longitudinally extending front tooth edge formed from a portion of said base;
- wherein spaced lateral sidewalls of adjacent teeth define a lateral tooth slot having a bottom slot edge which joins said lateral sidewalls;
- a tooth slot extension surface area formed on each of said first and second side surfaces adjacent each lateral tooth slot with each having a bottom edge defined by said bottom edge of said slot, a top edge defined by said top surface and a pair of edges defined by the parallel extensions of said pair of adjacent tooth sidewalls outwardly from said bottom edge to said top surface;
- at least one pair of spaced lugs on said first side surface located between said bottom slot edge of said lateral tooth slot and said top surface;
- wherein each of said lugs has a lateral end wall which projects laterally outwardly from said first side surface and which is parallel to and laterally spaced from one lateral sidewall of a pair of adjacent teeth along a longitudinal axis of said first interlock slot;
- wherein said pair of lugs are separated such that said lateral end walls of said lugs cooperate with said first side surface to define a first interlock slot on said first side surface of said first panel adapted to receive a tooth of a mating second interlock panel such that said tooth engages each of said end walls;
- wherein at least one of said lateral tooth slots is aligned with one of said first interlock slot such that a longitudinal axis of said tooth slot extends through a center of said first interlock slot;
- and
- wherein said first and second interlock panels are interlocked such that said lateral slot extension of said first interlock panel is received in said lateral tooth slot in said second interlock panel, said lateral slot extension of said second interlock panel is received in said lateral tooth slot in said first interlock panel, one of said teeth on said first interlock panel being received between and engaged by said pair of lugs defining said first interlock slot on said second panel and a tooth on said second interlock panel being received between and engaged by said pair of lugs defining said first interlock slot on said first panel.
8 more elements
First and second interlock panels adapted to cooperate with each other to form a plurality of individual compartments of a desired size each comprising:
- a rigid unitary member having a base, a top surface, a central portion intermediate said base and said top surface, first and second end surfaces which between them define a length of said member and spaced first and second side surfaces which between them define a thickness of said member;
- a plurality of laterally spaced teeth formed in said member which project outwardly from said central portion of said member;
- wherein each of said teeth has a pair of lateral sidewalls and a longitudinally extending front tooth edge formed from a portion of said base;
- wherein spaced lateral sidewalls of adjacent teeth define a lateral tooth slot having a bottom slot edge which joins said lateral sidewalls;
- a tooth slot extension surface area formed on each of said first and second side surfaces adjacent each lateral tooth slot with each area having a bottom edge defined by said bottom edge of said slot, a top edge defined by said top surface and a pair of edges defined by the parallel extensions of said pair of adjacent tooth sidewalls outwardly from said bottom edge to said top surface;
- at least one pair of spaced lugs on said first side surface located between said bottom slot edge of said lateral tooth slot and said top surface;
- wherein each of said lugs has a lateral end wall which projects outwardly from said first side surface and which is parallel to and laterally spaced from one lateral sidewall of a pair of adjacent teeth along a longitudinal axis of said first interlock slot;
- wherein said pair of lugs are separated such that said lateral end walls of said lugs cooperate with said first side surface to define a first interlock slot on said first side surface of said first panel adapted to receive a tooth of a mating second interlock panel such that said tooth engages each of said end walls;
- wherein at least one of said lateral tooth slots is aligned with said first interlock slot such that a longitudinal axis of said tooth slot extends through said first interlock slot;
- and
- wherein said first and second interlock panels are interlocked such that said lateral slot extension of said second interlock panel is received in said lateral tooth slot in said first interlock panel such that said bottom slot edge of said second interlock panel engages said bottom slot edge of said slot in said first interlock panel and one of said teeth of said first interlock panel are received in said first interlock slot in said second interlock panel and engage said lateral end walls of said first interlock slot.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.