An interior upright wall arrangement, comprising:
- at least first and second upright wall panels for supportive disposition on a floor, said first and second panels being positioned in adjacent and upright relationship so that the first and second panels are horizontally aligned in a widthwise direction thereof;
- said first and second panels having respective first and second elongate upright edge rails defining thereon edge faces which are disposed in adjacent but opposed facing relationship to define a small space therebetween;
- a plurality of vertically spaced connector assemblies positioned horizontally in said space between and fixedly but releasably engaged with said first and second edge rails for fixedly connecting said first and second panels together in said horizontally aligned widthwise direction;
- each of said first and second edge rails having a pair of parallel elongate grooves disposed in sidewardly spaced relation and extending vertically along said rails and having a mouth opening outwardly of the respective edge face, the mouth of one of said grooves on said first edge rail being disposed horizontally opposite and substantially aligned with the mouth of one of the grooves on said second edge rail;
- the pair of grooves of each said edge rail, as the grooves open inwardly from the respective edge face, defining a pair of oppositely sidewardly facing wedge arrangements;
- each said connector assembly including a connector member positioned between the horizontally opposed edge faces of said first and second panels and elongated horizontally in a thickness direction of the panels;
- each said connector assembly including a pair of transversely enlarged gripping members carried on said connector member in spaced relationship therealong so that rotation of said connector member about its elongate axis causes the pair of gripping members to move longitudinally in opposite directions relative to said connector member;
- each said gripping member having a pair of wedge parts cantilevered outwardly from opposite sides thereof and defining thereon a pair of wedge surfaces which are in angled relationship to one another and engage said wedge faces defined on said grooves;
- each said connector assembly being positionable between the opposed edge faces of the first and second edge rails so that the wedge parts project into the pairs of opposed grooves, and said connector member being rotatable in one direction to cause the gripping members to move lengthwise relative to the connector member in opposite directions into a first end position causing the wedge surfaces to engage the wedge arrangements and simultaneously cause the first and second panels to align as they are drawn together into a fixed position;
- each said gripping member on only one diametrial side thereof having a clamping part fixed to one of said wedge parts and protruding axially outwardly from a rear side thereof so as to be disposed in opposition to a side of the elongate groove which is opposite the respective wedge arrangement;
- and
- each said connector member being reversely rotatable to cause the pair of gripping members to move into a second end position wherein the clamping parts fixedly clampingly engage only a single said edge rail.