Fabric Wall Panel System and Track

Abstract

A fabric wall panel system includes wall panels mounted on a wall by means of a releasable hanger. Each fabric wall panel comprises a frame and a flat filler insert covered by a fabric. Each frame member has hanger engaging channel and a fabric clamp. The hanger has a flat base affixed to the wall with two forked tongues extend perpendicularly therefrom. The forked tongues engage the hanger engaging channels to hold the fabric wall panel to the wall. The fabric clamp allows the fabric to be installed or removed with the frame mounted on the wall.

1 . A fabric wall panel system for a wall comprising:
 a. a fabric wall panel comprising:
 i. a frame comprising a plurality of frame members connected together to form the frame, each frame member comprising:
 (a) a flat spine; 
 (b) a hanger engaging channel; and 
 (c) a fabric clamp, 
 
 ii. a fabric stretched over and around the frame and secured to each of the frame members by the fabric clamp; and 
   b. a hanger comprising:
 i. a base for attachment to the wall; and 
 ii. an elongated flexible tongue extending from the base and for insertion into the hanger engaging channel for releaseably engaging the frame members. 
   
     
     
         2 . The fabric wall panel system of  claim 1 , wherein the fabric clamp comprises a fixed jaw including a fixed jaw lip and a movable jaw including a movable jaw hook and wherein the movable jaw is movable from an open position in which the fabric can be inserted between the fixed jaw lip and the movable jaw hook to a closed position in which the fixed jaw lip and the movable jaw hook engage each other and the fabric is secured to the frame member between the fixed jaw lip and the movable jaw hook. 
     
     
         3 . The fabric wall panel system of  claim 2 , wherein the movable jaw further includes a flexible joint that connects the movable jaw to the frame member and allows the movable jaw to pivot between the open position and the closed position. 
     
     
         4 . The fabric wall panel system of  claim 2 , wherein the movable jaw further includes an adhesive located on the movable jaw. 
     
     
         5 . The fabric wall panel system of  claim 2 , wherein the movable jaw further includes a flexible joint connected to the frame member, a return web connected to the movable jaw hook, and a movable web between the flexible joint and the return web, and wherein the fixed jaw further includes a back web connected to the frame member and an extending the web connected between the back web and the fixed jaw lip, wherein the back web, the extending web, the movable web, and the return web, defined a fabric housing in which any excess of the fabric is contained. 
     
     
         6 . The fabric wall panel system of  claim 2 , wherein the movable jaw further includes a flexible joint connected to the frame member, a return web connected to the movable jaw hook, and a movable web between the flexible joint and the return web, and wherein the fixed jaw further includes a back web connected to the frame member and an extending the web connected between the back web and the fixed jaw lip, and wherein the extending web is dimensioned so that the movable web angles away from the wall from the flexible joint to the return web when the clamp is in the closed position. 
     
     
         7 . The fabric wall panel system of  claim 2 , wherein the movable jaw further includes a flexible joint connected to the frame member, a return web connected to the movable jaw hook, and a movable web between the flexible joint and the return web, and wherein the fixed jaw further includes a back web connected to the frame member and an extending the web connected between the back web and the fixed jaw lip, and wherein the extending web is dimensioned so that the movable web angles toward the wall from the flexible joint to the return web when the clamp is in the closed position. 
     
     
         8 . The fabric wall panel system of  claim 2 , wherein the movable jaw further includes a flexible joint connected to the frame member, a return web connected to the movable jaw hook, and a movable web between the flexible joint and the return web, and wherein the fixed jaw further includes a back web connected to the frame member and an extending the web connected between the back web and the fixed jaw lip, and wherein the movable web has a chamfered portion. 
     
     
         9 . The fabric wall panel system of  claim 1 , wherein the hanger engaging channel has internal protrusions and wherein the flexible tongue of the hanger includes two forks each with a cam surface and a latching surface to engage the protrusions in the hanger engaging channel. 
     
     
         10 . The fabric wall panel system of  claim 9 , wherein the base of the hanger has two flexible tongues positioned side by side to engage two frames. 
     
     
         11 . An in place method for installing a fabric wall panel in place on a wall, comprising the steps of:
 a. affixing a plurality of hangers to the wall in a predetermined relationship, each hanger comprising:
 i. a base for attachment to the wall; and 
 ii. an elongated flexible tongue extending from the base; 
   b. attaching a plurality of frame members to the plurality of hangers to form one or more frames on the wall, each frame member comprising:
 i. a flat spine; 
 ii. a hanger engaging channel and for receiving the elongated tongue for releaseably engaging the hanger; and 
 iii. a fabric clamp attached to the frame member; 
   c. stretching a fabric over and around the frame and securing the fabric to each frame member of each frame by the fabric clamp.   
     
     
         12 . The in place method of  claim 11 , wherein securing the fabric to the frame member includes opening the fabric clamp to an open position, which fabric clamp comprises a fixed jaw including a fixed jaw lip and a movable jaw including a movable jaw hook, threading the fabric into the fabric clamp between the fixed jaw lip and the movable jaw hook, and closing the clamp by moving the movable jaw from the open position in which the fabric can be inserted between the fixed jaw lip and the movable jaw hook to a closed position in which the fixed jaw lip and the movable jaw hook engage each other and the fabric is secured to the frame member between the fixed jaw lip and the movable jaw hook. 
     
     
         13 . The in place method of  claim 12 , wherein closing the clamp causes the movable jaw to pivot about a flexible joint that connects the movable jaw to the frame member so that the movable jaw pivots between the open position and the closed position. 
     
     
         14 . The in place method of  claim 12 , wherein the stretching step further includes temporarily attaching the fabric to the movable jaw by means of an adhesive located on the movable jaw. 
     
     
         15 . The in place method of  claim 12 , wherein the stretching step further includes inserting any excess of the fabric into a fabric housing of the frame member. 
     
     
         16 . A method for separately fabricating and installing a completed fabric wall panel on a wall, comprising the steps of:
 a. Separately assembling a fabric wall panel by:
 i. assembling a frame comprising a plurality of frame members connected together to form the frame, each frame member comprising:
 (a) a flat spine; 
 (b) a hanger engaging channel; and 
 (c) a fabric clamp attached to the frame member, 
 
 ii. stretching a fabric over and around the frame and securing the fabric to each of the frame members by the fabric clamp to complete the fabric wall panel; 
   b. affixing a hanger to the wall, the hanger comprising:
 i. a base for attachment to the wall; and 
 ii. an elongated flexible tongue extending from the base and for insertion into the hanger engaging channel for releaseably engaging the frame members; and 
   c. mounting the completed fabric wall panel on the wall by engaging the elongated flexible tongue of the hanger with the hanger engaging channel of the frame members.   
     
     
         17 . The method for separately fabricating and installing a completed fabric wall panel on a wall of  claim 16 , wherein securing the fabric to the frame member includes opening the fabric clamp to an open position, which fabric clamp comprises a fixed jaw including a fixed jaw lip and a movable jaw including a movable jaw hook, threading the fabric into the fabric clamp between the fixed jaw lip and the movable jaw hook, and closing the clamp by moving the movable jaw from the open position in which the fabric can be inserted between the fixed jaw lip and the movable jaw hook to a closed position in which the fixed jaw lip and the movable jaw hook engage each other and the fabric is secured to the frame member between the fixed jaw lip and the movable jaw hook. 
     
     
         18 . The method for separately fabricating and installing a completed fabric wall panel on a wall of  claim 17 , wherein closing the clamp causes the movable jaw to pivot about a flexible joint that connects the movable jaw to the frame member so that the movable jaw pivots between the open position and the closed position. 
     
     
         19 . The method for separately fabricating and installing a completed fabric wall panel on a wall of  claim 17 , wherein the stretching step further includes temporarily attaching the fabric to the movable jaw by means of an adhesive located on the movable jaw. 
     
     
         20 . The method for separately fabricating and installing a completed fabric wall panel on a wall of  claim 17 , wherein the stretching step further includes inserting any excess of the fabric into a fabric housing of the frame member but.