초록 ▼

A space-dividing wall panel has glass panels mounted on opposite faces of the wall panel to permit viewing therethrough. Each glass panel is defined by a sheet of glass and edge rails extending about the periphery of the glass. The edge rails include fixing channels on opposite sides thereof which a

A space-dividing wall panel has glass panels mounted on opposite faces of the wall panel to permit viewing therethrough. Each glass panel is defined by a sheet of glass and edge rails extending about the periphery of the glass. The edge rails include fixing channels on opposite sides thereof which are press-fit onto respective edges of the glass without the use of a resilient gasket within the fixing channel.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. In an office furniture arrangement having an office furniture component which is positionable in an office area, said office furniture component including a weight-bearing support structure positionable in the office area and a glass panel assembly mounted to said support str

What is claimed is: 1. In an office furniture arrangement having an office furniture component which is positionable in an office area, said office furniture component including a weight-bearing support structure positionable in the office area and a glass panel assembly mounted to said support structure wherein said support structure orients said glass panel assembly relative to a floor of said office area and permits viewing of said glass panel assembly from an exterior of said office furniture component, comprising the improvement wherein said glass panel assembly comprises a sheet of glass defined by a peripheral glass edge and opposite glass faces extending between said glass edge which said glass faces define a thickness of said sheet of glass, said glass panel assembly further including an edge frame which is joined to said peripheral glass edge wherein said edge frame removably connects to said support structure and said edge frame carries the weight of the sheet of glass, said edge frame including an elongate rigid edge rail which extends along said glass edge and rigidly supports said sheet of glass along said glass edge, said edge rail including an elongate fixing channel which extends parallel to and opens toward said glass edge wherein said glass edge is received within said fixing channel, said fixing channel including opposite channel walls which are spaced apart to define a channel opening that is proximate to but is narrower than said thickness of said glass, said channel walls extending generally parallel to said opposite glass faces and being formed of a rigid wall material which defines rigid opposing interior wall surfaces that are rigid and respectively contact said opposite glass faces of said sheet of glass, at least one of said channel walls being resiliently deflectable so as to be deflected by insertion of said glass edge in said channel opening wherein said glass faces are in tight-fitting compressive contact by the rigid opposing interior wall surfaces of said deflectable channel wall and the other of said channel walls to thereby join said sheet of glass to said edge rail. 2. The office furniture arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said glass has a rectangular shape defined by opposite vertical edge sections, and opposite top and bottom horizontal edge sections each of said vertical edge sections being supported along a vertical length thereof by one said fixing channel. 3. The office furniture arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said support structure maintains the glass panel assembly in a fixed orientation. 4. The office furniture arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said edge rail is formed of extruded metal. 5. The office furniture arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said support structure carries a weight of said glass panel assembly. 6. In an office furniture arrangement having an office furniture component which is positionable in an office area, said office furniture component including a weight-bearing support structure positionable within the office area and a glass panel assembly removably mounted to said support structure wherein said support structure orients said glass panel assembly relative to a floor and permits viewing of said glass panel assembly from said office area, comprising the improvement wherein said glass panel assembly comprises a sheet of glass defined by glass edges and opposite glass faces extending between said glass edges which said glass edges define a thickness of said sheet of glass, said glass panel assembly further including an edge frame which is joined to said sheet of glass wherein said edge frame removably connects to said support structure and said edge frame carries the weight of the sheet of glass, said edge frame having rigid edge rails which extend respectively along said glass edges, at least one of said edge rails including an elongate fixing channel which extends parallel to and has an open side that opens toward said respective glass edge wherein said glass edge is received in compression within said respective fixing channel, each said fixing channel including opposite channel walls which are spaced apart to define said open side and which extend generally parallel to said opposite glass faces of said sheet of glass, said channel walls being formed of a rigid wall material which said wall material defines rigid opposing interior wall surfaces between which said respective glass edge is received, said rigid wall material permitting at least one of said channel walls to be resiliently deflectable upon insertion of said respective glass edge in said fixing channel such that said glass faces are in tight-fitting gripping contact with said rigid interior wall surfaces of said deflectable channel wall and the other of said channel walls to thereby join said sheet of glass to said edge rail, each said deflectable channel wall including an elongate rigid projection proximate a distal end thereof which defines one of said rigid interior wall surfaces wherein said projection contacts an opposing one of said glass faces substantially continuously along the length of said edge rail. 7. The office furniture arrangement according to claim 6, wherein said projection converges to a peak which said peak is disposed in direct contact with said respective glass face, said respective glass faces being disposed in compression between said peak of said deflectable channel wall and an opposing interior surface of the other of said channel walls disposed directly opposite to said peak. 8. The office furniture arrangement according to claim 7, wherein at least one of said edge rails is coated with a coating material. 9. The office furniture arrangement according to claim 8, wherein said coating is a shearable material which is removable by said glass edge upon insertion of said glass edge into said respective fixing channel such that said coating conforms to a shape of said glass. 10. The office furniture arrangement according to claim 6, wherein said one of said edge rails with said fixing channel extends along a respective one of said glass edges which extends vertically. 11. In an office furniture arrangement having an office furniture component which is positionable in an office area, said office furniture component including a support structure positionable within the office area and a glass panel assembly attached to said support structure wherein said support structure permits viewing of said glass panel from said office area, comprising the improvement wherein said glass panel assembly comprises a sheet of glass defined by glass edges and opposite faces extending between said glass edges, said glass panel assembly further including an edge frame which is joined to said sheet of glass wherein said edge frame removably connects to said support structure and said edge frame carries the weight of the sheet of glass, said edge frame having edge rail sections which extend respectively along said glass edges, at least one of said edge rail sections including an elongate fixing channel which extends parallel to and opens toward said respective glass edge wherein said glass edge is received within said respective fixing channel, each said fixing channel including opposite channel walls which are spaced apart and extend generally parallel to said opposite glass faces, said channel walls being formed of a rigid wall material which said wall material defines rigid opposing interior wall surfaces between which said respective glass edge is received, said rigid wall material permitting at least one of said channel walls to be resiliently deflectable upon insertion of said respective glass edge in said fixing channel such that said glass edge is in tight-fitting gripping contact with said rigid interior wall surfaces of said deflectable channel wall and the other of said channel walls to thereby fixedly join said sheet of glass to said edge rail, said deflectable channel wall and said other channel wall being joined together by a side wall of said edge rail to define rigid corners of said edge rail, said edge rail having an undercut formed in said edge rail proximate a juncture defined between said deflectable channel wall and said side wall proximate one of said corners. 12. In a space-dividing wall panel having a base frame that defines a periphery of said wall panel, said base frame being defined by elongate frame members which are joined together to define an open interior region between said frame members, said wall panel further including a glass panel assembly which is supported on said base frame to overlie said open interior region while permitting viewing of said glass panel assembly from an exterior of said wall panel, comprising the improvement wherein said glass panel assembly comprises a sheet of glass having glass edges extending about the periphery thereof and opposite faces extending between said glass edges, said glass panel assembly further including an edge frame comprising a plurality of edge rails which said edge frame is joined to said glass to support said glass edges and removably mounts to said base frame to support said sheet of glass on said base frame, at least one of said edge rails including an elongate fixing channel which extends parallel to a respective one of said glass edges and opens toward said respective glass edge to tight-fittingly receive said respective glass edge therein, each said fixing channel including opposite channel walls which are spaced apart and extend generally parallel to said opposite glass faces wherein said channel walls have opposing rigid interior wall surfaces which abut against said opposite glass faces, at least one of said channel walls being deflectable upon insertion of said glass edge therein so that said glass faces are in gripping contact with said rigid interior wall surfaces, said deflectable channel wall including an elongate rigid projection proximate a distal end thereof which defines a respective one of said rigid interior wall surfaces wherein said deflectable channel wall is spaced from said glass face adjacent said projection and is in continuous contact with said opposing glass face through said projection along the length of said projection. 13. The wall panel according to claim 12, wherein said projection converges to a peak which is in continuous contact with said glass face, said respective glass faces being disposed in compression between said peak of said deflectable channel wall and the rigid interior wall surface of the other of said channel walls. 14. The wall panel according to claim 12, wherein said rigid interior wall surfaces define substantially non-compressible hard surfaces. 15. The wall panel according to claim 14, wherein at least one of said channel walls comprises a coating thereon which said coating defines said respective rigid interior wall surface. 16. The wall panel according to claim 15, wherein said coating is a shearable material which is shearable by said glass edge upon insertion of said glass edge into said respective fixing channel such that said coating conforms to a shape of said glass face. 17. The wall panel according to claim 12, wherein said rigid interior wall surface of the other of said channel walls is flat so as to be in rigid face-to-face contact with said respective opposing glass face directly opposite to said projection. 18. In a space-dividing wall panel having a load-bearing panel frame that defines a periphery of said wall panel, said wall panel further including a glass panel assembly which includes an edge frame and a sheet of glass wherein said edge frame is mounted to said panel frame by connector parts, comprising the improvement wherein said glass panel assembly comprises said sheet of glass having glass edges extending about the periphery thereof and opposite faces extending between said glass edges, said glass edges being arranged in substantially parallel edge pairs disposed on opposite sides of said glass, said glass panel assembly further including said edge frame comprising a plurality of edge rails wherein said edge frame is joined to said glass to support said glass edges and said connector parts connect said edge frame to said panel frame to support said glass on said panel frame, said glass edges of at least one of said edge pairs being supported within fixing channels defined within a corresponding pair of said edge rails, each said fixing channel extending parallel to a respective one of said glass edges and opening toward said respective glass edge to tight-fittingly receive said respective glass edge therein, each said fixing channel including opposite channel walls which are spaced apart and extend generally parallel to said opposite glass faces, said channel walls having opposing rigid interior wall surfaces which are rigid and are normally spaced apart a distance less than a thickness of said glass wherein at least one of said channel walls deflects outwardly upon insertion of said respective glass edge within said respective fixing channel with said rigid interior wall surfaces being disposed in rigid contact with said glass faces. 19. The wall panel according to claim 18, wherein said glass has a vertical height and said fixing channels support said glass edges substantially along the entire vertical height of said glass. 20. The wall panel according to claim 18, wherein said edge frame includes said edge rails at a bottom and a top of said glass wherein said bottom and top edge rails are fixed to said panel frame by connector parts. 21. In a space-dividing wall panel having a base frame that defines a periphery of said wall panel, said wall panel further including a glass panel assembly having a sheet of glass and an edge frame joined to said sheet of glass, said edge frame being supported on said base frame by connector parts wherein said base frame vertically supports a weight of said glass panel assembly, comprising the improvement wherein said glass panel assembly comprises said sheet of glass having glass edges extending about the periphery thereof and opposite faces extending between said glass edges, said glass edges being arranged in substantially parallel edge pairs disposed on opposite sides of said glass, said glass panel further including said edge frame comprising a plurality of edge rails joined together which said edge frame is joined to said glass to support said glass edges and includes said connector parts to support said sheet of glass on said base frame, said glass edges of at least one of said edge pairs being supported within fixing channels defined within a corresponding pair of said edge rails, each said fixing channel extending parallel to a respective one of said glass edges and opening toward said respective glass edge to tight-fittingly receive said respective glass edge therein, each said fixing channel including opposite channel walls which are spaced apart and extend generally parallel to said opposite glass faces, said channel walls having opposing rigid interior wall surfaces which are normally spaced apart a distance less than a thickness of said glass wherein at least one of said channel walls deflects outwardly upon insertion of said respective glass edge within said respective fixing channel with said rigid interior wall surfaces being disposed in rigid contact with said glass faces, said deflectable channel wall being spaced outwardly of said opposing glass face and including an elongate rigid projection along a length thereof which projects toward said respective glass face and spans said space therebetween so as to rigidly contact said opposing glass face, said glass faces being disposed in gripping contact between said projection and an opposing one of said rigid interior wall surfaces. 22. In an office furniture arrangement having an office furniture component which is positionable in an office area to separate adjacent work areas, said office furniture component including a glass panel supported thereon, comprising the improvement wherein said glass panel comprises a sheet of glass having glass edges extending about the periphery thereof and opposite faces extending between said glass edges, said glass panel further including an edge frame comprising a plurality of edge rails which said edge frame is joined to said glass to support said glass edges, at least one of said edge rails including an elongate fixing channel which extends parallel to a respective one of said glass edges and opens toward said respective glass edge to tight-fittingly receive said respective glass edge therein, each said fixing channel including opposite channel walls which are spaced apart and extend generally parallel to said opposite glass faces wherein said channel walls have opposing interior wall surfaces which face toward and abut against both of said opposite glass faces, at least one of said interior wall surfaces further including a coating thereon which is shearable by said glass edge upon insertion of said glass edge into said respective fixing channel such that said coating conforms to a shape of said glass face and said channel walls are in gripping contact with said glass edge. 23. The office furniture arrangement according to claim 22, wherein said coating is a powder coating. 24. The office furniture arrangement according to claim 23, wherein said edge rails are defined by extruded metal to define said fixing channel. 25. The office furniture arrangement according to claim 22, wherein at least one of said channel walls is resiliently deflectable and is in a deflected position when said glass edge is received within said fixing channel. 26. The office furniture arrangement according to claim 25, wherein said glass has opposite vertical side edge sections, said glass edges of said side edge sections being received within said fixing channels of said edge rails wherein said edge rails extend vertically. 27. In an office furniture arrangement having an office furniture component which is positionable in an office area, said office furniture component including a glass panel supported thereon, comprising the improvement wherein said glass panel comprises a sheet of glass having a glass edge extending about the periphery thereof and opposite faces extending between said glass edge, said glass panel further including an edge rail which said edge rail is joined to said glass to support said glass edge, said edge rail including an elongate fixing channel which extends parallel to said glass edge and opens toward said glass edge to tight-fittingly receive said glass edge therein, each said fixing channel including opposite channel walls which are spaced apart and extend generally parallel to said opposite glass faces wherein said channel walls have opposing interior wall surfaces which abut against said opposite glass faces, at least one of said interior wall surfaces further including a powder coating thereon which is shearable by said glass edge upon insertion of said glass edge into said respective fixing channel such that said coating conforms to a shape of said glass face and said glass edge is in gripping contact with said channel walls.