Partition construction including removable cover panels

A partition panel comprising:

• a partition frame having a planar face with a horizontal row of bracket-receiving apertures
• a pair of cover panels attached to the partition frame, the cover panels including top and bottom edges that define a gap therebetween and provide access to the bracket-receiving apertures;
• a flexible strip attached to one of the cover panels and covering the gap and the bracket-receiving apertures;
• and
• a bracket having a connector portion shaped to depress the flexible strip and to engage selected ones of the bracket-receiving apertures to support furniture components on the partition frame.

A partition panel comprising:

• a partition frame having a planar face with clip-receiving apertures and bracket-receiving apertures, the planar face having a back surface;
• a pair of cover panels configured to cover the partition frame, the cover panels including side edges that define a gap therebetween and provide access to the bracket-receiving apertures when the cover panels are attached to the partition frame;
• and
• clips releasably engaging the clip-receiving apertures and retaining the cover panels on the partition frame in a coplanar arrangement, the clips each including a tooth interlockingly engaging the back surface when the clips are engaged with the clip-receiving apertures, and further including a release tab that is depressible to move the tooth to a disengaged position wherein the clips are released from the clip-receiving apertures, the clips being located at a position spaced away from the gap and behind the cover panels so that the clips are not visible through the gap from a position in front of the cover panels.

A method comprising steps of:

• providing a partition frame having a planar face with clip-receiving apertures and bracket-receiving apertures, the planar face having a back surface;
• providing a pair of cover panels releasably attached to the partition frame and covering the partition frame, the cover panels including side edges that define a gap therebetween and provide access to bracket-receiving apertures when the cover panels are attached to the partition frame, the cover panels each including clips releasably engaging the clip-receiving apertures and retaining the cover panels on the partition frame in a coplanar arrangement, the clips each including a tooth interlockingly engaging the back surface when the clips are engaged with the clip-receiving apertures, and further including a release tab that is depressible to move the tooth to a disengaged position wherein the clips are released from the clip-receiving apertures, the clips being located at a position spaced away from the gap and behind the cover panels so that the clips are not visible through the gap from a position in front of the cover panels;
• providing a tool constructed to extend through the gap and extend behind a selected cover panel to engage the release tab on a selected clip;
• depressing the release tab of the selected clip to release the associated tooth from engagement with the back surface of the partition frame;
• sliding the tool along the gap to a next one of the clips;
• and
• repeating the steps of depressing and sliding until the clips of the cover panel are disengaged from the partition frame.