Appeal No. 97-4240
Application 08/294,074
include all the subject matter of the claims from which they
depend. We reverse.
The appellants’ invention pertains to (1) an integrated
utility distribution and panel system for open office plans and
(2) a panel system for open office plans. Independent claims 1
and 28 are further illustrative of the appealed subject matter
and read as follows:
1. An integrated utility distribution and panel system for
open office plans and the like, comprising:
a prefabricated floor construction adapted to be abuttingly
supported on a building floor, and including a hollow interior
portion thereof defining at least one raceway to route utilities
therethrough, and a floor surface shaped to support at least one
workstation thereon;
at least two utility posts for distributing utilities from
said floor construction to the workstation, and each including a
foot shaped to be mounted on said floor construction to rigidly
support said utility posts in a generally upstanding orientation;
said utility posts each include a fixed panel support channel
extending longitudinally along a substantial portion of the same,
and a utility channel which communicates with the raceway in said
floor construction for dispensing utilities to the workstation;
and
at least one non-structural panel extending between and
supported by said utility posts; said panel having a lightweight
non-structural construction, with connectors positioned adjacent
opposite ends thereof which are slidably received directly in and
mate with the panel support channels in said utility posts to
2
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