CROSS-REFERENCE

The present case claims the benefit of U.S. patent application No. 61/334,896 filed 14 May 2010, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. TECHNIC AL FIELD

The technical field relates generally to panel connection systems for modular panels used in cleanroom constaictions.

BACKGROUND

A cleanroom is a closed space that has a low level of contaminants such as dust, airborne microbes, aerosol particles and chemical vapors. A cleanroom is constaicted and maintained in a way that keeps the room free of contaminants that might otherwise interfere with the precision work undertaken there and/or the quality of the products being made. Cleanrooms are used, for example, in the production of certain electronics and pharmaceutical components. Many other applications are common as well. A cleanroom can be constaicted using a plurality of modular panels. These modular panels are assembled in a larger room of a building so as to form the cleanroom. The various panels are interconnected to one another. At least the interior side of each panel is made of a material that is not generating dust, that is easy to clean and that is non-off-gassing. Generally, it is desirable that the junctions between the panels be airtight and the alignment of the panels be precise so that everything can fit perfectly. It is also desirable to minimize the discontinuities in the wall and ceiling surfaces inside the cleanroom so as to prevent contaminants from accumulating therein.

French Patent Application No. 2 745 045 published 22 August 1997 and French Patent No. 2 826 386 granted 16 July 2004 present examples of panel constaictions for cleanrooms. Although different arrangements have been proposed in the past for use in cleanroom constaictions, the design and the installation of modular panels often remain challenging because of the various simultaneous technical and economical requirements involved. In particular, market pressures to keep the overall costs down are often difficult to meet. One factor is that the installation of modular panels still remains very labor intensive and time consuming. Furthermore, the same types of modular panels should be able to meet most of the needs of clients working in different industries and technological fields. Room for improvements thus always exists in this area.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, there is provided a cleanroom panel connection system for connecting together two juxtaposed and spaced-apart cleanroom modular panels, each modular panel having opposite first and second major surfaces, the two first major surfaces being substantially coplanar and the two second major surfaces being substantially coplanar, the system including: a first and a second panel connection member having a widthwise dimension fitting in-between the first and the second major surfaces of the panels, each panel connection member having a first side and a second side, the first side being rigidly connected to a corresponding side edge of the panels and the second sides of the two panel connection members facing one another, each panel connection member including a central flange projecting from the second side, the central flanges being configured and disposed to partially overlap with one another; a plurality of spaced-apart removable fasteners inserted sideways through overlapping portions of the central flanges; and at least one removable cover closing a gap between the two panels, the at least one cover having an outer surface, whereby, in use, the outer surface is substantially flush and seamless with reference to a corresponding one among the first and the second major surfaces of the panels.

In another aspect, there is provided a method of constaicting a cleanroom, the method including the successive steps of: positioning two pre-fabricated cleanroom modular panels in close juxtaposition with one another, each modular panel having a panel connection member on an edge that is opposite the edge of the other panel, the modular panels being positioned so that opposite central flanges of the panel connection members partially overlap with one another; inserting a plurality of removable fasteners through both central flanges so as to secure the panel connection members together; and inserting a removable cover on at least one side of the panel connection members to create a substantially seamless inside the cleanroom.

Further details on these aspects as well as other aspects of the proposed concept will be apparent from the following detailed description and the appended figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view illustrating an example of ceiling and wall modular panels of a cleanroom constaiction incorporating the proposed concept;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view illustrating two juxtaposed wall panels of the cleanroom constaiction of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top side view of the two juxtaposed wall panels shown in FIG. 2 and also of a third wall panel disposed at right angle;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged horizontal cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an isometric fragmented view illustrating an example of electrical power outlets provided within the panel connection system; and

FIG. 6 is a semi-schematic horizontal cross-sectional view illustrating an example of a connection arrangement between the two panels disposed at right angle in FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view illustrating an example of ceiling and wall modular panels of a cleanroom constaiction 10 incorporating the proposed concept. The cleanroom itself is generically referred to at 12. The cleanroom constaiction 10 includes a plurality of wall and ceiling modular panels 14. Some of these modular panels 14 can include doors, windows, air registers, etc. In the illustrated example, each modular panel 14 is manufactured as a pre-fabricated monolithic component so as to reduce the assembly time at the site of the cleanroom constaiction 10. Each modular panel 14 can be made of two parallel sheets 16, 18, for instance two flat metallic or plastic sheets, between which a core 20 is provided. Examples of metallic and plastic materials for the two sheets include steel, stainless steel, aluminum and Formica, to name just a few. Each modular panel 14 forms two major surfaces, one being an outer surface and the other being an inner surface. Both surfaces are flat and parallel to one another in the illustrated example.

Different materials can be used on both sides of a same modular panel. If desired, the four edges of the modular panels 14 can be reinforced by internal studs, for instance studs made of aluminum or an alloy thereof. The core 20 can be made of a thermal insulation and/or fire- resistant material. For instance, it can be made of polystyrene, honeycomb cells, rock wool, fiber glass, etc. If desired, wall panels and ceiling panels can be constaicted differently. Other configurations and arrangements are possible as well. In the illustrated example, the bottom edge of the wall panel 14 is inserted over the upper side of an elongated and horizontally-disposed base beam 22. The base beam 22 includes a bottom portion 24 having a rectangular-shaped cross section over which a smaller upper portion 26 is attached. The upper portion 26 has a square (or rectangular) cross section profile. It is configured and disposed to fit inside a bottom side channel 28 of the wall panel 14. The bottom side channel 28 is located between the two sheets 16, 18.

During the installation of the cleanroom constaiction 10, the height and level of all base beams 22 are first adjusted with reference to the building floor, for example using shims or the like, and the base beams 22 are bolted or otherwise rigidly connected to the floor afterwards. This procedure can greatly facilitate the subsequent installation of the modular panels 14 of the cleanroom constaiction 10. Nevertheless, other procedures are possible as well.

As shown in FIG. 1, the ceiling panels 14 of the illustrated example are rigidly connected to the wall panels 14. The ceiling panels 14 are also connected together using C-shaped beams 30, located inside the ceiling panels 14, to which are connected a plurality of suspension rods 32, one of which is shown in FIG. 1. In the illustrated example, the bottom end of the suspension rod 32 is threaded and is connected to a nut 34 located inside the C-shaped beam 32. The top end (not shown) of the suspension rod 32 can be secured to the ceiling of the room or to another suitable location. This arrangement provided a very convenient way of assembling the ceiling of the cleanroom constaiction 10. Nevertheless, other arrangements and configurations are also possible as well. It should be noted that if desired, the cleanroom constaiction 10 can only include wall panels 14 and use the existing ceiling of the room as the ceiling for the cleanroom 12. FIG. 2 is an isometric view illustrating two juxtaposed wall panels 14 of the cleanroom constaiction 10 of FIG. 1. These panels 14 are interconnected using a panel connection system 40 as proposed herein. The panel connection system 40 rigidly connects the two panels 14 together and maintains their alignment while keeping their mutually-opposite edges slightly spaced apart from one another. In use, a plurality of wall panels 14 would be provided and they will be connected by a plurality of systems 40.

The panel connection system 40 is smaller in width than the thickness of the panels 14. It is hidden by removable vertically-extending covers 42 designed to be substantially flush and seamless with reference to the opposite major surfaces 14a, 14b of the panels 14. This way, the surface will be substantially devoid of discontinuities.

As can be seen, the first major surfaces 14a of the panels 14 are coplanar and the second major surfaces 14b of the panels 14 are also coplanar. FIG. 3 is a top side view of the two juxtaposed wall panels 14 shown in FIG. 2 and also of a third wall panel 14 disposed at right angle with reference to the others. One panel connection system 40 is provided between the two juxtaposed wall panels 14. A corner panel connection system 40' is provided between the two wall panels 14 disposed at right angle.

It should be noted at this point that although the illustrated example shows the major surfaces being substantially devoid of discontinuities on both sides, one can still use, for instance, a cover 42 only on the inner side, especially if the outer surface will not be visible after the assembly. This may be the case if the outer surface is set against an existing wall of a building or the like. Other possible situations also exist.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged horizontal cross-sectional view illustrating taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 shows the constaiction details of the illustrated panel connection system 40. It also shows the reinforcing studs 50 on each side of the panels 14. Each stud 50 extends vertically along a corresponding edge of the panels 14. In the illustrated example, each stud 50 includes a first plate-like portion 52 and two spaced-apart side portions 54. The side portions 54 have a rectangular cross section in the illustrated example. The first portion 52 and the second portions 54 are configured and disposed to create a vertically-extending open channel 58. The ends of the sheets 16, 18 are bent over the studs 50. As can be seen, the panel connection system 40 includes two panel connection members 40a, 40b. Each panel connection member 40a, 40b includes a plate-like base 44a with two side flanges 44b, thereby forming a substantially U-shaped part. It also includes a central flange 46 that is slightly medially offset with reference to the geometric center 47 of the panels 14. The geometric center 47 is shown in FIG. 4 in stippled lines. The two panel connection members 40a, 40b are configured and disposed so that the central flange 46 of one panel connection member 40a, 40b extends parallel to the central flange 46 of the other. The central flanges 46 are thus longer than the spacing between the two panels 14.

Each central flange 46 includes a short side rib 46a projecting on one side at a given distance from the tip of the central flange 46. The ribs 46a provide a very convenient way of aligning the panels 14 with reference to one another during the installation. Nevertheless, one can omit the ribs 46a in some implementations or use other alignment features.

If desired, as shown in FIG. 4, an elongated gasket 46b can be provided between the overlapping portions of the central flanges 46 for sealing purposes. However, if the manufacturing tolerances are small enough and the panels are always precisely aligned, this gasket 46b can be omitted in some implementations.

Each panel connection member 40a, 40b also has a second portion 48 having a substantially square (or rectangular) cross section profile. The second portion 48 is on a side that is opposite the side with the central flange 46. The second portion 48 is inserted into the open channel 58 located on the edge of a corresponding panel 14 and can be glued or otherwise fastened to the panel 14. The panel connection members 40a, 40b can be connected to the panels 14 either on site or at the plant. The panel connection members 40a, 40b can have identical cross sections when positioned side-by-side. This way, only one model of panel connection member is required. The panel connection members 40a, 40b can be extaisions. Other arrangements and configurations are possible as well. As shown in FIG. 4, the second portion 48 can include spacing ribs. If desired, an elongated gasket (not shown) can be provided between the bottom of the open channel 58 and its mating surface located on the second portion 48 of the corresponding panel connection member 40a, 40b.

As aforesaid, the panel connection system 40 is hidden behind covers 42 once the parts are assembled. In FIG. 4, one cover 42 is shown in a detached position and the other is shown attached. In this example, each cover 42 has a substantially flat exterior portion 42a and a pair of spaced-apart resilient strips 42b designed to cooperate with the tips of both opposite side flanges 44b of the panel connection members 40a, 40b. Each cover 42 can be snap-fitted over a corresponding side of the panel connection system 40 by inserting the resilient strips 42b into the gap between the two side flanges 44b. The covers 42 hold in place by interference and/or using another removable connection arrangement, for instance Velcro® bands, adhesives, mechanical connectors, magnets, etc. Other arrangements and configuration are possible as well. Also, if desired, the very small remaining slits between the ends of the covers 42 and the edges of the panels 14 can be sealed using sealant beads or the like. As can be appreciated, two vertically-extending spaces 70 are created between the panels 14 when the covers 42 are in place. These spaces 70 can be used to accommodate utility connectors 72 such as electrical wires, communication wires, gas pipes, etc. This feature can alleviate the need of drilling holes through the panels 14 for these components.

The panel connection members 40a, 40b can be made of aluminum or an alloy thereof, or be made of any other relatively soft material. This way, the overlapping portions of the central flanges 46 can then be secured together using a plurality of self-drilling fasteners 74, such as screws or bolts, inserted from the side. One is shown in the illustrated example. This way, no holes need to be machined in advance when manufacturing the panel connection members 40a, 40b. The fasteners 74 can also be removed whenever needed. The fasteners 74 are provided at various locations along the height of the modular panels 14. As can be appreciated, the panel connection system 40 allows removing the modular panels 14 one at a time without the need of removing adjacent panels 14. This is very useful in many instances, such as when a panel 14 needs to be replaced by another one. This may be the case if, for instance, a window or a door must be added to an existing cleanroom constaiction. Reconfiguring and/or resizing an existing cleanroom are also greatly simplified when using the panel connection system 40 of the proposed concept.

FIG. 5 is an isometric fragmented view illustrating an example of electrical power outlets 80 provided within the panel connection system 40. These electrical power outlets 80 are used with faceplates 82 and are inserted into utility boxes 84. Each utility box 84 is located within the panel connection system 40. The central flanges 46 of each panel connection member 40a, 40b was cut or otherwise machined to provide the space for the utility boxes 84. Wires 72 ainning inside the spaces 70 can be directed into the utility boxes 84 to provide the electrical power to the power outlets 80. A back strip 88 provides supports for the back of the utility boxes 84.

If desired, one can use only one power outlet 80 or use more than two. The design of the faceplate can also be different than the one shown herein. It can be for instance flat. Still, one can use another kind of utility outlet following the same principle. Examples of other utility outlets are gas, suction, communication (telephone, fax, computers, etc.) and many others. The boxes 84 can also be replaced by an equivalent, such as backless brackets or the like.

FIG. 6 is a semi-schematic horizontal cross-sectional view illustrating an example of a connection between the two panels 14 disposed at right angle in FIG. 3. In this case, the panel connection system 40' includes two panel connection members 40a', 40b' . Each panel connection member 40a', 40b' has a first plate-like portion 100 and a second portion 102 having a substantially square (or rectangular) cross section profile. The first portion 100 has a width corresponding to the width of the panels 14. The second portion 102 is inserted into the channel on the side of the corresponding panel 14. The panel connection members 40a' is secured to the corresponding panel 14 using self-drilling fasteners 104 inserted on the side. The heads of these fasteners 104 are hidden into chambered holes. To secure the second panel 14 at right angle, the other panel connection members 40b' is first secured to the side of the first panel 14 using self-drilling fasteners 106. Access holes (not shown) are provided along the length of the panel connection members 40b' to insert the fasteners 106 in place. The second panel 14 is secured to the panel connection members 40b' thereafter using self-drilling fasteners 108 inserted on the side. The heads of these fasteners 108 are also hidden into chambered holes. It should be noted that if desired, the panel connection members 40a' can be omitted in the example shown in FIG. 6, especially if the corner will not be visible after the constaiction. This may be the case if the corner is adjacent to an existing wall and/or a ceiling. Still, if desired, it is possible to design one or both panel connection members 40a', 40b' of FIG. 6 with a first portion 100 having a width smaller than the thickness of the panels 14. The spaces (not shown) then created can be filled with sealant beads, for instance. Also, the screws or bolts can be used in conjunction with or replaced by glue. Other configurations and arrangements are also possible.

The present detailed description and the appended figures are meant to be exemplary only, and a skilled person will recognize that many changes can be made while still remaining within the proposed concept. For instance, the exact shape of the various components can differ from what is shown and described, depending on the needs. The fasteners to secure the panels and the panel connection members together do not always necessarily need to the self-drilling screws or bolts. For instance, one can use plain bolts, plain screws, etc. The various possible materials identified in the present disclosure are example only. Other materials can be used as well. Still, many other variants of the proposed concept will be apparent to a skilled person, in light of a review of the present disclosure.