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US 6,185,899 B1Granted
Metal panel structures
OwnerChristopher D. De Nietinventor
Life of this patent
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OwnerChristopher D. De Nietinventor
Estimating the term…
A structural panel, suitable for use as slatwalling in retail outlets, comprised of a metal sheet bent to define on each side of the panel a series of channels of re-entrant cross-section extending continuously across the width of the panel. The panel is manufactured by a bending process wherein a portion of sheet material is deformed into a U-shaped cross-section, and the sides of the channel are deformed by bending into a substantially S-shape to define the re-entrant channel shape, this process being repeated at regular intervals along the sheet material. The bending process is performed by tooling including first and second tool assemblies, the first assembly including a shaping part for deforming a portion of sheet material into a recess defined between a pair of opposed tool elements of the second tool assembly, the opposed tool elements being driven towards each other to deform the channel side walls into an S-shape.
A panel assembly comprising a structural formed from sheet material and comprising on each face of the panel a series of parallel channels (2,3) with substantially the same re-entrant cross-sectional shape, and a support member engageable with one of said channels, wherein the support member is an attachment clip releasably engageable with a snap-fit in said one of said channels (2,3) of the panel, the one of said channels having recesses defined at the opposite sides of the one of said channels, and the support member having mounting portions which engage in the respective recesses.
A wall assembly comprising a panel formed from sheet material and comprising on each face of the panel a series of parallel channels (2,3) with substantially the same re-entrant cross-sectional shape, at least one side edge of the panel having integral tabs, and an elongate support post (31), the integral tabs having the form of hooks (30) and the post having slots (32) for receiving the hooks, and the hooks having a complementary shape to edge portions of the post to allow the panel to be supported with the edge thereof closely adjacent the post.
A structural panel formed from a single piece of sheet material, the panel comprising:
A structural panel formed from a single piece of sheet material comprising on each side thereof a series of parallel channels with substantially the same re-entrant cross-sectional shape, said panel having front and rear faces respectively defined by said sides, each channel having a base wall and opposed side walls, each side wall being substantially S-shape in cross-section to define recesses facing in opposite directions, and each side wall including a side wall part substantially parallel to the base wall;
A method of manufacturing a panel from sheet material, the panel having channels extending across the panel on each side thereof, the method comprising the steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.