Ulllted States Patent [19]
`Yu et al.
`
`US006161347A
`[11] Patent Number:
`[45] Date of Patent:
`
`6,161,347
`*Dec. 19, 2000
`
`[54] PANEL ARRANGEMENT
`
`FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`[75] Inventors: X. Shawn Yu, Ottawa; Bryan R.
`.
`.
`Gingrich, Holland; Robert L. Thttle,
`Saugatuck, Keith Foco, Holland, all of
`Mlch-
`
`_
`
`_
`
`_
`_
`[73] ASSlgIlGGZ Haworth, IIlC., Holland, MlCh.
`
`[*] Notice:
`
`This patent is subject to a terminal dis-
`claimer.
`
`[21] Appl NO . 09/220 169
`_
`Flled?
`
`.
`
`..
`
`,
`
`[22]
`
`Dec- 23! 1998
`
`Related [18' Application Data
`[63] Continuation of application No. 08/736,512, Oct. 24, 1996,
`Pat. No. 5,852,904, Which is a continuation-in-part of appli-
`cation No. 08/692,344, Aug. 5, 1996, abandoned.
`
`[51] Int. c1.7 ...................................................... .. E04B 2/74
`
`1/1976 Australia '
`73715/74
`2 075 014 2/1993 Canada .
`2 662 216 11
`680 980 A5 12/1992 Switzerland _
`1 563 890 4/1980 United Kingdom .
`2 247 257 2/1992 United Kingdom .
`2 250 759
`6/1992 United Kingdom _
`
`/1991 France .
`
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`
`Article “Innovative construction sets Of?ce Specialty’s Plat
`form panel system apart” by Marilyn Zelinsky, Jun. 1995 (2
`pages).
`Steelcase brochure Montage Product OvervieW, 1994 (13
`
`Tgihsilin Furniture Systems Inc brochure entitled “3 reasons
`Why Tekilion Could Change your mind about O?ice furniture
`systems- > 1982 (8 Pages)
`
`Primary Examiner—Michael Safavi
`gléome? Agent» 0’ Firm—F1Ynn> ThieL 130111611 & Tanis>
`
`[52] US. Cl. ........................................... .. 52/220.7; 52/364
`
`[57]
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`[58] Field of Search ................................ .. 52/2207, 36.1,
`52/364, 239; 312/2231, 223,6, 2233;
`439/215, 216, 209
`
`[56]
`
`References Cited
`U S PATENT DOCUMENTS
`'
`'
`Re. 27,215 11/1971 PIOPSI et a1- -
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`
`3’316’624
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`
`A Space-dividing Wall panel system having a plurality of
`base panels Which are serially connectable one With the
`other to de?ne a vertically enlarged Wall supported on a
`?oor. Each base panel is de?ned by at least one horiZontal
`box-beam rigidly connected to a pair of laterally spaced
`apart vertical uprights Which are connected at the opposite
`ends of the box-beam and have a reduced thickness com
`pared thereto. With this clearance betWeen the faces of the
`box-beam and the uprights, the box-beam, cross rails at the
`ends of the uprights as Well as additional extension panels
`are formed With longitudinally extending channels Which are
`positioned free of interference With the vertical uprights and
`aligned With serially-adjacent channels of serially-adjacent
`Wall panels. The channels provide a continuous linear track
`on the opposite sides of the upright Which permit the
`connection of mounting hooks of furniture components and
`permit continuous, uninterrupted sliding or adjustment of
`the furniture components along the entire length of the
`aligned channels.
`
`20 Claims, 27 Drawing Sheets
`
`ALLSTEEL INC.
`Exhibit 1005, Page 1
`
`

`
`US. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
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`
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`
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`Keiser .
`
`Boulva .
`Gartung .
`Erickson .
`
`Casasanta .
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`Nelson .
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`Joly .
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`White et a1. .
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`Leiher et a1. .
`Hasbrouck .
`
`Hasbrouck .
`Tenser et a1. .
`Morrison .
`DeFouW et a1. .
`
`Bates .
`
`Wilcox .
`Hannah et a1. .
`Zacky et a1. .
`Charman .
`
`Menchetti .
`Kelley .
`Backer .
`Wilson et al. .
`Ball et a1. .
`Beard .
`Rydgvist .
`Ball .
`
`Guerin .
`Schiavello et a1. .
`Boundy et a1. .
`Kelley et al. .
`Brown et a1. .
`Glockenstein .
`Chatterson et a1. .
`Pingston .
`Sireci .
`
`Newhouse .
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`Hinden .
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`Allen .
`Giles et a1. .
`
`3,553,916
`3,567,842
`3,585,768
`3,675,382
`3,749,432
`3,771,277
`3,802,146
`3,814,833
`3,823,251
`3,831,330
`3,834,093
`
`4,203,639
`4,218,579
`
`4,967,531
`
`6,161,347
`Page 2
`
`4,976,080
`4,996,811
`5,004,371
`5,013,112
`5,024,030
`5,038,539
`5,056,577
`5,058,331
`5,058,347
`5,062,246
`5,065,556
`5,069,263
`5,081,808
`5,094,053
`5,101,606
`5,116,235
`5,129,835
`5,134,826
`5,155,955
`5,155,960
`5,172,529
`5,175,969
`5,187,912
`5,195,286
`5,195,287
`5,207,041
`5,209,035
`5,211,502
`5,214,889
`5,214,890
`5,216,859
`5,224,673
`5,228,254
`5,241,796
`5,251,413
`5,274,970
`
`5,277,006
`5,277,007
`5,287,666
`5,287,909
`5,325,649
`5,326,934
`5,337,525
`5,341,615
`5,347,778
`5,357,055
`5,362,923
`5,363,612
`5,370,488
`5,381,994
`5,394,658
`5,400,560
`5,403,232
`
`5,426,904
`5,428,928
`5,465,541
`5,474,402
`5,479,747
`5,487,246
`5,490,357
`5,491,943
`5,502,930
`5 560 418
`5,561,960
`
`a
`
`7
`
`5,826,385
`B1 4,224,769
`B1 4,876,835
`
`12/1990
`3/1991
`4/1991
`5/1991
`6/1991
`8/1991
`10/1991
`10/1991
`10/1991
`11/1991
`11/1991
`12/1991
`1/1992
`3/1992
`4/1992
`5/1992
`7/1992
`8/1992
`10/1992
`10/1992
`12/1992
`1/1993
`2/1993
`3/1993
`3/1993
`5/1993
`5/1993
`5/1993
`6/1993
`6/1993
`6/1993
`7/1993
`7/1993
`9/1993
`10/1993
`1/1994
`1/1994
`1/1994
`1/1994
`2/1994
`2/1994
`7/1994
`7/1994
`8/1994
`8/1994
`9/1994
`10/1994
`11/1994
`11/1994
`12/1994
`1/1995
`3/1995
`3/1995
`4/1995
`4/1995
`6/1995
`7/1995
`11/1995
`12/1995
`1/1996
`1/1996
`2/1996
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`10/1996
`10/1996
`10/1997
`4/1998
`5/1998
`5/1998
`10/1998
`5/1990
`6/1992
`
`Zegel et al. .
`Dull et a1. .
`
`Sorensen .
`
`HellWig .
`
`Morrison .
`Kelley et a1. .
`DeLong et a1. .
`Epps .
`Schuelke et al. .
`Sykes .
`DeLong et a1. .
`
`Edwards .
`Bastian et al. .
`
`MilitZer .
`
`Meru .
`
`Nienhuis et a1. .
`DeFouW et a1. .
`La Roche et a1. .
`Ball et a1. .
`
`Shaanan .
`Van De Riet .
`Knauf et a1. .
`
`Hsueh .
`DeLong et a1. .
`Bruggink .
`
`Wills .
`Hodges et a1. .
`Upham-Hill .
`Nienhuis et a1. .
`Levitan et a1. .
`Moreno et a1. .
`
`Webb .
`Honeycutt, Jr. .
`HellWig et a1. .
`Goodman .
`
`Roberts .
`HellWig et a1. .
`Ruster .
`HellWig et a1. .
`Frascaroli et a1. .
`King et a1. .
`Kajiwara .
`LeMaster et a1. .
`Zaccai et a1. .
`Hodges et a1. .
`Bray .
`Sireci .
`Newhouse et a1. .
`Erickson .
`Sykes .
`Welch .
`Schreiner et a1. .
`HellWig et a1. .
`Helm et al. .
`Edwards .
`
`Gilmore .
`HellWig et a1. .
`Lin et a1. .
`Wu .
`
`Wu .
`Hodges et a1. .
`Lin .
`Vondrejs et a1. .
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`Kelly et al. .
`
`Exhibit 1005, Page 2
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Dec. 19,2000
`
`Sheet 1 0f 27
`
`6,161,347
`
`I}
`
`26
`
`Exhibit 1005, Page 3
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Dec. 19,2000
`
`Sheet 2 0f 27
`
`6,161,347
`
`I F“ 2
`
`F|G.|B
`
`Exhibit 1005, Page 4
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Dec. 19,2000
`
`Sheet 3 0f 27
`
`6,161,347
`
`Exhibit 1005, Page 5
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Dec. 19, 2000
`
`Sheet 4 0f 27
`
`6,161,347
`
`26
`
`Exhibit 1005, Page 6
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Dec. 19,2000
`
`Sheet 5 0f 27
`
`6,161,347
`
`Exhibit 1005, Page 7
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Dec. 19,2000
`
`Sheet 6 0f 27
`
`6,161,347
`
`FIG.6A
`
`Exhibit 1005, Page 8
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Dec. 19, 2000
`
`Sheet 7 0f 27
`
`6,161,347
`
`87(23)
`
`Exhibit 1005, Page 9
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Dec. 19,2000
`
`Sheet 8 0f 27
`
`6,161,347
`
`FIG.7A
`
`Exhibit 1005, Page 10
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Dec. 19, 2000
`
`Sheet 9 0f 27
`
`6,161,347
`
`Exhibit 1005, Page 11
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Dec. 19,2000
`
`Sheet 10 0f 27
`
`6,161,347
`
`5 m2 3 5 E I; E.
`
`Exhibit 1005, Page 12
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Dec. 19,2000
`
`Sheet 11 0f 27
`
`6,161,347
`
`1%
`
`b2
`
`Exhibit 1005, Page 13
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Dec. 19, 2000
`
`Sheet 12 0f 27
`
`6,161,347
`
`40-1
`
`55kg —
`
`67-1
`664 \
`
`. \1 \w
`
`67-1
`\n
`
`Exhibit 1005, Page 14
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Dec. 19,2000
`
`Sheet 13 0f 27
`
`6,161,347
`
`O
`
`T3
`
`1%
`
`+8
`
`@3 TE mi / y x
`
`Exhibit 1005, Page 15
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Dec. 19,2000
`
`Sheet 14 0f 27
`
`6,161,347
`
`11-1\' 55-1
`
`551
`
`Exhibit 1005, Page 16
`
`

`
`Exhibit 1005, Page 17
`
`

`
`Exhibit 1005, Page 18
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Dec. 19,2000
`
`Sheet 17 0127
`
`6,161,347
`
`158
`26-5
`
`1
`
`1005
`1o4~5
`//1o4-5
`104-5
`101-5
`23-1
`62-1
`124
`
`43-1
`
`55'1
`124
`11-1
`
`62-1
`
`62-1
`
`66-1
`
`19-1
`
`434
`6 6-1
`
`62-1 234
`
`135
`
`F l 6. I50
`
`15 3
`
`Exhibit 1005, Page 19
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Dec. 19,2000
`
`Sheet 18 0f 27
`
`6,161,347
`
`145 81-1
`
`794
`
`141 W
`145
`
`135' '46
`I440
`784
`
`145
`144
`{
`\ 1
`
`6
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`j
`
`_
`
`144
`
`101-2
`
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`
`1135'
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`A 1440
`
`81-1
`
`Q
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`
`100-2
`
`1
`
`144
`
`26-2
`
`Exhibit 1005, Page 20
`
`

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`Exhibit 1005, Page 21
`
`

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`Exhibit 1005, Page 22
`
`

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`Exhibit 1005, Page 23
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`

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`Exhibit 1005, Page 24
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`

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`Exhibit 1005, Page 25
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`

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`Exhibit 1005, Page 26
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`

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`Exhibit 1005, Page 27
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`

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`Exhibit 1005, Page 28
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`

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`Exhibit 1005, Page 29
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`

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`Exhibit 1005, Page 30
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`

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`Exhibit 1005, Page 31
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`

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`Exhibit 1005, Page 32
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`

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`Exhibit 1005, Page 33
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`

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`Exhibit 1005, Page 34
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`

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`Exhibit 1005, Page 35
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`

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`Exhibit 1005, Page 36
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`Exhibit 1005, Page 37
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`

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`Exhibit 1005, Page 38
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`Exhibit 1005, Page 39
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`Exhibit 1005, Page 40
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`Exhibit 1005, Page 41
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`Exhibit 1005, Page 42
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`Exhibit 1005, Page 43