Wall system

Abstract

A wall system suitable for use in applications such as a fence or a wall of a building which comprises posts and panels which are interconnected or interengaged so that the wall may comprise a series of inline panels or corners formed by two panels and a single post, the interconnection or interengagement of the panels being effected without use of mechanical fasteners, glue, welding, or similar modes of attachment.

1 . A wall system comprising:
 at least two posts, each post having at least one subassembly comprising at least two elongated substantially flat structural plates intersecting along the longitudinal edges at an angle of substantially 90 degrees, said posts secured in vertical spaced apart positions;   each subassembly having at least one elongated substantially flat biasing member having a proximal longitudinal edge laterally spaced from the intersection of said two elongated substantially flat structural plates, the distal edge of said biasing member spaced a pre-determined distance from one of said at least two elongated substantially flat structural plates; and   a generally rectangular wall panel oriented in a substantially vertical plane and having two opposite vertical end portions, each of said vertical end portions inserted between said biasing member and said second elongated substantially flat structural plate of each of said posts and clampingly retained therein.   
     
     
         2 . The wall system of  claim 1  additionally including anchoring structure for maintaining each of said posts in a vertical position. 
     
     
         3 . The wall system of  claim 1  wherein said pre-determined distance between said biasing member distal longitudinal edge and said second elongated substantially flat structural plate is less than, before the insertion of the panel vertical end portion into the pre-determined space, the thickness of the panel vertical end portion. 
     
     
         4 . The wall system of  claim 1  wherein each of said posts comprises at least two of said subassemblies oriented and attached so that two adjacent panels are clampingly engaged in each post in co-planar relationship. 
     
     
         5 . The wall system of  claim 1  wherein each of said posts comprises at least two of said subassemblies oriented and attached so that two adjacent panels are clampingly engaged in each post in straight in-line or orthogonal relationship. 
     
     
         6 . The wall system of  claim 1  additionally including a second elongated substantially flat biasing member attached to said first elongated substantially flat biasing member at a longitudinal edge, said second substantially flat biasing member attached to one of said at least two flat structural plates. 
     
     
         7 . The wall system of  claim 6  wherein said first and second elongated substantially flat biasing members are formed from a single sheet of resilient material bent along a longitudinal axis into a V-shaped member. 
     
     
         8 . A post for attachment to a wall panel having vertical end portions of a selected thickness comprising:
 at least one elongated substantially flat structural member disposed in a vertical position;   at least one elongated substantially flat biasing member supported along one proximal longitudinal edge by said at least one substantially flat structural member; and   an additional elongated substantially flat structural or biasing member attached at a proximal longitudinal edge to said at least one structural member so that the distal longitudinal edge of said at least one elongated substantially flat biasing member and said additional structural or biasing member define a predetermined space for receiving and clamping the vertical end portion of the wall panel.   
     
     
         9 . The post of  claim 8  wherein said additional member is a biasing member. 
     
     
         10 . The post of  claim 8  wherein said additional member is a structural member. 
     
     
         11 . The post of  claim 9  wherein said at least one elongated substantially flat biasing member and said additional elongated substantially flat biasing member are longitudinally attached to said at least one structural member so that their distal edges are spaced a distance less than the space between the proximal attachment edges of said biasing members and less than the thickness of the vertical end portions of the wall panel. 
     
     
         12 . The post of  claim 9  wherein said substantially flat structural member has two pair of elongated notches on the opposite sides of said elongated substantially flat structural member, each pair laterally spaced inwardly from the longitudinal edge of said substantially flat structural member and each of said biasing members formed from a single resilient elongated sheet of material having a region complementary to the elongated end of the structural member and inwardly facing longitudinally extending opposed ridges that are resiliently retained in said elongated notches. 
     
     
         13 . The post of  claim 9  wherein said substantially flat structural member has a pair of elongated notches on the opposite sides of said elongated substantially flat structural member, each notch spaced inwardly from the longitudinal edge of said substantially flat structural member and biasing member formed from a single resilient elongated sheet of material having a region complementary to the elongated end of the structural member and inwardly facing extended opposed ridges resiliently retrained in said notches. 
     
     
         14 . The post of  claim 10  wherein said additional elongated flat structural member is attached to or integral with said at least one elongated substantially flat structural member at a 90° angle. 
     
     
         15 . The post of  claim 9  wherein said at least one elongated substantially flat biasing member is attached along its length at a center line to one edge of the at least one elongated substantially flat structural member and the additional elongated substantially flat biasing member is attached along its length at a center line to the opposite edge of the at least one elongated substantially flat structural member. 
     
     
         16 . The post of  claim 9  wherein said at least two elongated substantially flat biasing members and said elongated substantially flat structural member are formed from a single elongated sheet of resilient material. 
     
     
         17 . The post of  claim 16  wherein said at least two elongated substantially flat resilient biasing members laterally project from said elongated substantially flat structural member in the same direction at an acute angle whereby the distal edges of said resilient members are spaced more closely than the longitudinal edges that are joined to said structural member. 
     
     
         18 . The post of  claim 16  wherein one of said at least two elongated substantially flat resilient members laterally projects from said elongated substantially flat structural member at an acute angle and a second elongated substantially flat resilient member laterally projects from said elongated substantially flat structural member at substantially a right angle. 
     
     
         19 . A post for attachment to a wall panel having vertical end portions of a selected thickness comprising:
 at least one elongated substantially flat structural member disposed in a vertical position;   said elongated substantially flat structural member having interlocking structure for vertically attaching two or more substantially flat structural members, each of such members having adjacent each vertical edge a cleat formed by stamping creating an opening, the cleat of a vertically lower adjoining substantially flat structural member projecting upwardly, the cleat of the vertically upper substantially flat structural member projecting downwardly, whereby the upper member cleat may be inserted into the lower member opening while the lower member cleat is inserted into the upper member opening and then vertically forcing the two members into interlocking engagement;   at least one elongated substantially flat biasing member attached at a proximal longitudinal edge to one of said substantially flat structural members; and   an additional elongated substantially flat structural or biasing member attached at a proximal longitudinal edge to one of said structural members so that the distal longitudinal edge of said biasing member and said additional structural or biasing member defined a predetermined space for receiving and clamping the vertical end portion of the wall panel.