Vertically folding wall partitions

Details Vertically folding wall partitions Vertically folding wall partitions

2000-03-03

2001-07-31

Johnson, Blair M. (Department: 3634)

Flexible or portable closure, partition, or panel

Plural strip, slat, or panel type

With mounting or supporting means

C160S084080, C160S218000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06267169

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to operable wall partitions and, more particularly, to such operable wall partitions which are vertically movable between raised and lowered positions.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known to use movable wall partitions to selectively divide interior building spaces, such as conference room, halls and school gymnasium, into smaller interior spaces.
Currently available operable wall partitions are typically formed of vertically extending wall panels or curtains slidably mounted at an upper end thereof in horizontal overhead tracks or rails fixed to an overhead structure of a building. Because such horizontally displaceable wall partitions slide from one end of the tracks to the other end thereof, the loads on the overhead structure of the building are not evenly distributed, especially when they are displaced to a storage position. In some cases, this can cause deflection problems as well as highly concentrated loading problems. Furthermore, horizontally movable wall partitions requires extra storage space for the partition in the plan area of the building.
In an attempt to overcome the above mentioned drawbacks, it has been proposed to replace conventional horizontally slidable wall partitions by vertically folding wall partitions. Such a vertically folding wall partition system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,062,464 issued on Nov. 5, 1991 to Peterson. More specifically, this patent discloses a vertically folding wall partition system comprising a plurality of arm support panels pivotally mounted in series on either side of a vertically contractible/expandable pantograph skeleton framework hanging from an overhead structure in the central plane of the wall partition. Each arm support panel includes a pair of elongated arm segments pivotally connected to each other via a hinge moving towards and away from the plane of the pantograph skeleton framework in response to vertical movements of the point of attachment of the arm support panel with the skeleton framework. The provision of the skeleton framework causes all the arm support panels to fold and unfold simultaneously.
Although the vertical folding wall partition described in the above mentioned patent is effective, it has been found that there is a need for a new and simplified vertically folding wall partition which is adapted to fold in a predetermined sequence in order to prevent the bottom panels of the wall partition to interfere with objects placed near the wall partition, as the panels move outwardly away of the plane of the wall towards the collapsed, folded position thereof.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an aim of the present invention to provide a vertically folding wall partition which is adapted to fold in a predetermined sequence.
It is also an aim of the present invention to provide a vertically folding wall partition system having improved safety features.
It is a further aim of the present invention to provide a new method of operating a vertically folding wall partition.
It is a still further aim of the present invention to provide a sealing member which can be used either as an end seal or a hinge seal.
Therefore, in accordance with the present invention there is provided a vertically folding wall partition comprising a vertical series of similar panel assemblies. The wall partition is pivotally connected at an uppermost edge thereof to an overhead support structure for rotation about a horizontal axis. Successive panel assemblies in the vertical series are pivotally connected to each other by a horizontal joint for allowing relative pivotal movement therebetween. Each panel assembly includes top and bottom panels pivotally related to one another at opposed horizontal edges thereof for pivotal movement between an unfolded position in which the top and bottom panels extend substantially in a common vertical plane and a folded position in which the top and bottom panels extend laterally outwardly of their common vertical plane in an opposed surface-to-surface stacked relationship. A moving mechanism is provided for displacing the vertically folding wall partition between a retracted raised, storage position and a deployed, unfolded, wall-forming position. The moving mechanism is operatively connected to at least a selected one of the joints and to a bottom end of a lowermost panel assembly of the vertical series to successively fold the panel assemblies in a folding sequence starting with the first panel assembly located above the selected joint.
In accordance with a more specific aspect of the present invention, the moving mechanism includes a first lifting arrangement operable to displace the selected joint vertically upwardly to cause the first panel assembly located thereabove to fold independently of the lowermost panel assembly. A second lifting arrangement is operable to displace the bottom end of the lowermost panel assembly vertically upwardly to cause the same to fold once the first panel assembly has been displaced to the folded position thereof.
In accordance with a further general aspect of the present invention, there is provided a convertible sealing member adapted to be used in a folding wall partition having a plurality of pivotally interconnected panels with successive panels having confronting edges. The sealing member comprises a resilient piece of material having first and second opposed longitudinal surfaces extending between opposed longitudinal side edges and opposed end edges. The flexible piece of material has opposed side portions extending inwardly from the opposed longitudinal side edges at an acute angle to the first longitudinal surface. The resilient piece of material is selectively usable as an intermediate seal member wherein the opposed side portions are secured to the confronting edges of a pair of adjacent panels, and as an end seal wherein the opposed side portions are brought together in opposed surface-to-surface relationship to form an anchor for securing the resilient piece of material to a distal end of a terminal panel of the folding wall partition.
In accordance with another general aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of lifting a wall partition composed of a series of vertically foldable paired wall segments, the series having a lowermost paired wall segments. The method comprises the steps of: lifting the lowermost paired wall segments by folding at least another selected one of the vertically foldable paired wall segments from an extended position to a collapse position thereof, and subsequently folding the lowermost paired wall segments to a collapse position thereof.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3344837 (1967-10-01), Young
patent: 4027714 (1977-06-01), Dixon et al.
patent: 4303117 (1981-12-01), Lindbergh
patent: 4724884 (1988-02-01), Weem
patent: 4763712 (1988-08-01), Van Der Klaauw
patent: 4867221 (1989-09-01), Dixon et al.
patent: 5062464 (1991-11-01), Peterson
patent: 549404 (1957-11-01), None

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