U.S. patent application number 11/668053 was filed with the patent office on 2008-07-31 for portable room divider with glide feet.
Invention is credited to Paul A. Maas.
Application Number | 20080178543 11/668053 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39666366 |
Filed Date | 2008-07-31 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080178543 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Maas; Paul A. |
July 31, 2008 |
PORTABLE ROOM DIVIDER WITH GLIDE FEET
Abstract
A portable, freestanding room divider includes a plurality of
wall panels connected together by a plurality of hinges. A first
end member has a first vertical post fastened to a vertical edge of
a first wall panel and a second end member has a second vertical
post fastened to a vertical edge of a last wall panel. Each end
member includes a transverse base bar welded to the vertical post
with the ends of the transverse base located on opposite sides of
the vertical post. A separate end glide foot supports each end of
the transverse base bar. A self-leveling intermediate glide foot
projects downward from at least some of the plurality of wall
panels to support those wall panels on a floor.
Inventors: |
Maas; Paul A.; (Riverwoods,
IL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
QUARLES & BRADY LLP
411 E. WISCONSIN AVENUE, SUITE 2040
MILWAUKEE
WI
53202-4497
US
|
Family ID: |
39666366 |
Appl. No.: |
11/668053 |
Filed: |
January 29, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/234 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04B 2/7427 20130101;
E04B 2/7425 20130101; E05C 19/105 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
52/234 |
International
Class: |
E04B 2/74 20060101
E04B002/74 |
Claims
1. A freestanding room divider comprising: a plurality of wall
panels including a first wall panel, a last wall panel, and at
least one intermediate wall panel; a plurality hinges which connect
the first wall panel to an intermediate wall panel, the last wall
panel to an intermediate wall panel, and each intermediate wall
panel to two of the plurality of wall panels; a separate
intermediate glide foot projecting downward from at least some of
the plurality of wall panels to support those wall panels on a
floor; a first end member having a first vertical post fastened to
a vertical edge of the first wall panel, a first transverse base
bar welded to a bottom end of the first vertical post and having
two ends on opposite sides of the first vertical post, and a first
pair of end glide feet supporting the first transverse base bar
adjacent its two ends; and a second end member having a second
vertical post fastened to a vertical edge of the second wall panel,
a second transverse base bar welded to a bottom end of the second
vertical post and having two ends on opposite sides of the second
vertical post, and a second pair of end glide feet supporting the
second transverse base bar adjacent its two ends.
2. The freestanding room divider as recited in claim 1 wherein the
plurality of intermediate glide feet are self-leveling, comprising
mechanisms that automatically maintain the plurality of
intermediate glide feet in contact with the floor.
3. The freestanding room divider as recited in claim 1 further
comprising a separate self-leveling mechanism associated with each
of the plurality of intermediate glide feet, each self-leveling
mechanism comprising: a guide tube attached to one of the plurality
of wall panels; a shaft having one end attached to the associated
intermediate glide foot and a second end slideably received in the
guide tube; and a first spring within the guide tube and biasing
the shaft outward from the guide tube.
4. The freestanding room divider as recited in claim 3 wherein each
self-leveling mechanism further comprises a second spring biasing
the associated intermediate glide foot away from the one of the
plurality of wall panels.
5. The freestanding room divider as recited in claim 1 wherein
there is an odd number of wall panels, thereby defining a middle
wall panel; and a separate intermediate glide foot projects beneath
each wall panel other than the middle wall panel.
6. The freestanding room divider as recited in claim 1 wherein: the
first end member further comprises a first strut connected between
one side of the first vertical post and the first transverse base
bar, and a second strut connected between another side of the first
vertical post and the first transverse base bar; and the second end
member further comprises a third strut connected between one side
of the second vertical post and the second transverse base bar, and
a fourth strut connected between another side of the second
vertical post and the second transverse base bar.
7. The freestanding room divider as recited in claim 1 wherein the
first vertical post has a channel in which the vertical edge of the
first wall panel is received.
8. The freestanding room divider as recited in claim 1 further
comprising a first upper gusset connected to an upper section of
the first vertical post and engaging the first wall panel; and a
second upper gusset connected to an upper section of the second
vertical post and engaging the last wall panel.
9. The freestanding room divider as recited in claim 1 further
comprising: a first lower gusset having a first base plate attached
to the first transverse base bar, and having a first panel plate
extending from the base plate and attached to the first vertical
post; and a second lower gusset having a second base plate attached
to the second transverse base bar, and having a second panel plate
extending from the second base plate and attached to the second
vertical post.
10. The freestanding room divider as recited in claim 9 wherein the
first base plate extends under the first wall panel; and the second
base plate extends under the last wall panel.
11. The freestanding room divider as recited in claim 1 further
comprising a plurality of position control hinges, each connected
between two of the plurality of wall panels and having a pair of
abutting rough surfaces that resist pivotal motion between those
two wall panels.
12. The freestanding room divider as recited in claim 1 further
comprising a connector for securing the freestanding room divider
to another freestanding room divider.
13. The freestanding room divider as recited in claim 1 wherein
each of the first end member and the second end member further
comprises a recessed handle.
14. A freestanding room divider comprising: a plurality of wall
panels including a first wall panel, a last wall panel, and at
least one intermediate wall panel; a plurality hinges which connect
the first wall panel to an intermediate wall panel, the last wall
panel to an intermediate wall panel, and each intermediate wall
panel to two of the plurality of wall panels; a plurality of
intermediate glide feet projecting downward from beneath at least
some of the plurality of wall panels to engage a floor; a first end
member having by a first vertical post with a first channel in
which is received a vertical edge of the first wall panel, a first
transverse base bar welded to a bottom of the first vertical post
and having two ends on opposite sides of the first vertical post, a
first strut connected between one side of the first vertical post
and the first transverse base bar, and a second strut connected
between another side of the first vertical post and the first
transverse base bar, and a first pair of end glide feet supporting
the first transverse base bar adjacent its two ends; and a second
end member having by a second vertical post with a second channel
in which is received a vertical edge of the second wall panel, a
second transverse base bar welded to a bottom of the second
vertical post and having two ends on opposite sides of the second
vertical post, a third strut connected between one side of the
second vertical post and the second transverse base bar, and a
fourth strut connected between another side of the second vertical
post and the second transverse base bar, and a second pair of end
glide feet supporting the second transverse base bar adjacent its
two ends.
15. The freestanding room divider as recited in claim 14 wherein
the plurality of intermediate glide feet are self-leveling
comprising mechanisms that automatically maintains the plurality of
intermediate glide feet in contact with the floor.
16. The freestanding room divider as recited in claim 14 further
comprising a separate self-leveling mechanism associated with each
of the plurality of intermediate glide feet, each self-leveling
mechanism comprising: a guide tube attached to one of the plurality
of wall panels; a shaft having one end attached to the associated
intermediate glide foot and a second end slideably received in the
guide tube; and a first spring within the guide tube and biasing
the shaft outward from the guide tube.
17. The freestanding room divider as recited in claim 16 wherein
each self-leveling mechanism further comprises a second spring
biasing the associated intermediate glide foot away from the one of
the plurality of wall panels.
18. The freestanding room divider as recited in claim 14 further
comprising a first upper gusset connected to an upper section of
the first vertical post and engaging the first wall panel; and a
second upper gusset connected to an upper section of the second
vertical post and engaging the last wall panel.
19. The freestanding room divider as recited in claim 14 further
comprising: a first lower gusset having a first base plate attached
to the first transverse base bar, and having a first panel plate
extending from the base plate and attached to the first vertical
post; and a second lower gusset having a second base plate attached
to the second transverse base bar, and having a second panel plate
extending from the second base plate and attached to the second
vertical post.
20. The freestanding room divider as recited in claim 19 wherein
the first base plate extends under the first wall panel; and the
second base plate extends under the last wall panel.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] Not Applicable
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] 1. Field of the Invention
[0004] The present invention relates to room dividers, more
particularly, to portable, freestanding room dividers.
[0005] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0006] There are times that it is desired to divide large areas,
such as meeting rooms and assembly halls, into smaller areas. One
method of doing this is by movable wall panels which are suspended
from and move on tracks attached to the ceiling and/or floor. This
partition system is relatively expensive and inflexible as the
space only can be divided according to the pattern of the
tracks.
[0007] Another method for dividing large rooms into smaller private
areas is to use movable freestanding screens. This method is
relatively inexpensive and permits the formation of areas of a wide
variety of sizes and shapes. However, many freestanding screens
must be placed in a zigzag pattern in order to stand by themselves.
That zigzag pattern consumes an amount of otherwise useable floor
space.
[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 5,272,848 discloses a portable room divider
which has a plurality of hinged wall panels positioned between a
pair of transverse end members. The wall panels are supported by a
plurality of casters mounted on feet which project laterally from
the bottom of every wall panel. The end members also are supported
by casters. The combination of wall panels and end members can be
folded into a compact configuration for easy movement and storage.
The hinged wall panels can be unfolded to form a straight wall
which is supported is a stable manner by the casters on the feet
and the end members. A hinged junction between two adjacent wall
panels can be bent at an angle to form a corner of the temporary
wall, for example a 90.degree. corner for a rectangular subdivided
area.
[0009] To further stabilize an extended portable room divider,
removable clips were furnished to attach at the upper edges of two
adjacent wall panels. Each rigid clip bridged the hinge joint to
secure the angle between the wall panels. A set of clips for
90.degree., 135.degree. and 180.degree. wall panel angles were
provided. Although the rigid clips worked well at preventing the
installed wall panels from bending at the hinges, the placement and
removal of the clips increased the time required to set-up and
remove the portable room divider. Between use, the clips were
stored in a container which had to be keep with the room divider
and even with the container individual clips became lost over
time.
[0010] This portable room divider described in the aforementioned
patent functioned extremely well on relatively level floors.
However, the floors in some new and many older buildings tend to be
uneven with humps and depressions. When the portable room divider
is unfolded in such buildings, some of the casters do not touch the
low sections of the floor and thus do not properly support the
associated wall panels. When a caster does not touch the floor, the
associated wall panel may wobble with the slightest lateral force,
thereby rendering the entire room divider unstable. The obvious
solution is to place shims between the casters and the floor, but
this required additional set-up and removal steps. In addition, the
shims have to be stored when not in use and located each time the
portable room divider is needed.
[0011] In some applications, the freestanding room divider was
moved infrequently so that casters were not required. For example,
charter and private schools frequently purchase or lease existing
buildings with large areas of undivided floor space, such as a
vacant retail store. Often money was not available to invest in
permanent walls or even dividers attached to the building
framework. However, the schools required relatively long term, i.e.
several months, subdivision of the space into classrooms and yet
needed to be able to revise the classroom layout for the next
semester or school year. Although the schools required a room
divider that can be moved into a different configuration, such a
divider must resist abuse by the students.
[0012] Therefore, a need exists for a portable, freestanding room
divider that does not employ wheels and which also is convenient to
move when reconfiguring the room for different functions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0013] A portable, freestanding room divider is provided to
partition large rooms into smaller areas. This room divider
comprises a plurality of hinged wall panels, which can be folded
against one another for compact storage and unfolded to form a
wall. The plurality of wall panels include a first wall panel, a
last wall panel, and at least one intermediate wall panel. A
plurality hinges connect the first wall panel to an intermediate
wall panel, the last wall panel to an intermediate wall panel, and
each intermediate wall panel to two of the plurality of wall
panels.
[0014] A separate intermediate glide foot projects downward from at
least some of the wall panels for supporting the room divider on a
floor. Preferably, a self-leveling mechanism maintains each
intermediate glide foot in contact with the floor, even if the
floor is not flat.
[0015] A first end member has a first vertical post fastened to a
vertical edge of the first wall panel. Preferably the first
vertical post has a channel in which the vertical edge is received.
A first transverse base bar is welded horizontally to a bottom end
of the first vertical post with the ends of the first transverse
base bar located on opposite sides of the first vertical post. A
first pair of end glide feet support the first transverse base bar
adjacent its two ends. The end glide feet preferably can be
manually adjusted to accommodate uneven floors. An identical second
end member is fastened to a vertical edge of the last wall
panel.
[0016] In a preferred embodiment, each of the first and second end
members has a pair of struts that reinforce the connection between
the vertical post and the adjacent transverse base bar. In
addition, a lower gusset has a base plate, attached to the
transverse base bar, and a first panel plate, extending
orthogonally from the base plate, is attached to the first vertical
post. An upper gusset is connected to an upper section of the
vertical post and engages the adjacent wall panel.
[0017] A further aspect of the freestanding room divider includes a
plurality of position control hinges which are provided with each
one being attached between two of the wall panels. Each position
control hinge has a pair of surfaces which abut in a manner that
resists pivotal motion between the attached wall panels. The
position control hinge prevents low magnitude forces acting on the
wall panels from causing one wall panel to pivot with respect to an
adjacent wall panel, thus aiding the stability and positioning of
the room divider.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portable, freestanding,
room divider according to the present invention in which a
plurality of panels are positioned to form a straight wall;
[0019] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the room divider of FIG. 1
with the wall panels folded against each other for storage and
transport;
[0020] FIG. 3 is a top view of the room divider in the folded
configuration;
[0021] FIG. 4 is a horizontal cross section view illustrating
attachment of end members to the first and last wall panels of the
room divider;
[0022] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a lower gusset plate at the
ends of the room divider;
[0023] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an upper gusset plate at the
ends of the room divider;
[0024] FIG. 7 is a cross section view of an end foot assembly
attached to a base bar that projects transversely outward from ends
of the room divider;
[0025] FIG. 8 is a cross section view of a self-leveling foot
assembly attached to the wall panels;
[0026] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a panel position control
hinge that joins two wall panels; and
[0027] FIG. 10 illustrates a multi-unit connector fastening two
abutting room dividers together.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0028] With reference to FIG. 1, a portable, freestanding room
divider 10 with five wall panels 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 unfolded to
form a straight wall. The wall panels 11-15 are connected by hinges
so that walls of various geometric shapes can be created by forming
acute angles between adjacent wall panels 11. Although an exemplary
room divider 10 has five wall panels, the number of wall panels can
vary to provide room dividers of different lengths.
[0029] The first and last wall panels 11 and 15 are attached to end
members 16 and 17, respectively. As seen in FIG. 4, each member 16
and 17 has a vertical post 18 forming a U-shaped channel 23 in
which a vertical edge of the respective first or last wall panel 11
or 15 is received and attached by screws. The wall panels have a
rigid core 20 with major planar surfaces to which coverings 21 of
fabric and other materials are glued.
[0030] Referring to FIGS. 1-3, each end member 16 and 17 has a
generally inverted T-shape formed by the vertical post 18 with a
bottom end welded to the middle of a transverse base bar 22. The
transverse base bar 22 projects outward on both sides of the
vertical post 18, orthogonally with respect to the plane of the
associated end wall panel 11 or 15. A separate strut 24 extends at
approximately a 45.degree. angle between the vertical post 18 and
each side of the transverse base bar 14 and is welded to those
components to reinforce the joint of the inverted T-shaped end
member 16 or 17.
[0031] A lower gusset 26 also reinforces that joint. With
additional reference to FIG. 5, the lower gusset 26 has a
horizontal base plate 27 from which a panel plate 28 extends
vertically. When the lower gusset 26 is attached to an end member
16 or 17, the panel plate 28 is welded to one side of the vertical
post 18 so that the horizontal base plate 27 extends under the
vertical post abutting the base bar 22 on the other side. The base
plate 27 has a vertical flange 29 that extends along the base bar
22 and is welded thereto. Although it is preferred to fasten
various components of the end members 16 and 17 by welding, other
fastening techniques can be employed.
[0032] The base bar 22 of each end member 16 and 17 has a separate
first glide foot assembly 30 near each end. As shown in detail in
FIG. 7, each first glide foot assembly 30 comprises a disk-shaped,
end glide foot 31 in which a threaded stud 32 is molded. That stud
32 is threaded upward into a hole 33 that extends through the base
bar 22. The position of the glide foot with respect to the base bar
22 is adjusted to maintain the wall panels 11-15 vertical and
prevent them from wobbling. A lock nut 34 on the stud 32 is
tightened against the bar 22 to hold the end glide foot 31 in the
desired position, while still permitting subsequent adjustment. The
end glide foot is made of nylon or a similar low friction material
that enables a person to slide the room divider 10 to across the
floor with minimal drag. The rounded corners of the end glide foot
31 further facilitate that movement.
[0033] The top of the vertical post 18 for the first end member 16
has a first upper gusset 35 attached thereto, by screws for
example, and to the top edge of the first wall panel 11. Details of
the channel shaped upper gusset are shown in FIG. 6. Similarly, a
second upper gusset 36 is attached the top of the vertical post 18
of the second end member 17 and to the top edge of the last wall
panel 15. The first and second upper gussets 35 and 36 reinforce
the upper corner joint between the respective wall panel and the
end member.
[0034] Each wall panel 11-15 is connected to the immediately
adjacent wall panel or panels by a separate piano hinge 38, which
extends substantially the entire height of the wall panels. The
hinges 38 at each end of the intermediate wall panels 12-14 are on
alternate sides of those panels. With reference to FIG. 1, a hinge
38 between wall panels 11 and 12 is on the front side of the room
divider 10, whereas the hinge joining wall panels 12 and 13 is
located on the rear side. Likewise, the hinge 38 between wall
panels 13 and 14 is on the front side of the room divider 10,
whereas the hinge joining wall panels 14 and 15 is on the rear
side. This alternating pattern enables the room divider 10 to be
folded easily and quickly like an accordion door for transport and
compact storage as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. When forming the wall,
the hinge 38 permits two adjacent wall panels to be positioned with
respect to each other at an angle from 0.degree. to 180.degree.,
enabling any wall configuration to be created for the partitioned
space. The full height hinge 38 provides stability at the junction
between adjacent wall panels and resists flexing of the unfurled
room divider at that junction.
[0035] For additional stability, a panel position control hinge 40
is located at the top of each junction between two wall panels
11-15. The position control hinges 40 provide resistance to pivotal
motion between adjacent wall panels so that, after being positioned
to divide a room, a slight amount of force will not cause pivoting
at the hinged junction. This resistance further stabilizes the room
divider 10 and ensures integrity of room divider placement.
[0036] FIG. 9 illustrates the details of each panel position
control hinge 40 which includes a pair of hinge leaves 41 and 42.
Each hinge leaf 41 and 42 has a circular portion 44 or 45 from
which a leg 46 or 47 respectively projects and each leg is attached
by screws to the top edge of a different wall panel 11-15 (see FIG.
3). The illustrated panel position control hinge 40 depicts the
orientation of the hinge leaf 41 and 42 when the two wall panels
are folded side-by-side. The second hinge leaf 42 has an integral
tube 48 projecting upward at the center of the circular portion 44
and has a plurality of ribs 50 on its upper surface 52 extending
radially around the integral tube. The first hinge leaf 41 has an
aperture 54 at the center of its circular portion 45 through which
the tube 48 of the second hinge leaf 42 extends in the assembled
position control hinge 40. The first hinge leaf 41 has a like
plurality of indentations (not visible) extending radially around
the aperture 54 on the lower surface 55 of its circular portion 45.
A spring 56 is located between the upper surface of the first hinge
leaf 41 and a cap 57 that engages the end of the tube 48 which
projects through the aperture 54 in the first hinge leaf. A machine
screw 58 extends through the tube 48 and threads into an aperture
in the cap 58 to hold the position control hinge components
together.
[0037] In the assembled position control hinge 40, the two hinge
leaves 41 and 42 abut with the ribs 50 on second hinge leaf 42
being received in the indentations in the first hinge leaf 41. As
the first and second hinge leaves 41 and 42 rotate about the axis
of tube 48, the ribs 50 ride into and out of the indentations
against the force of the spring 56. This action provides resistance
to such rotation and thus to pivotal motion between the wall panels
11-15 to which the position control hinge 40 is attached. As a
result of that resistance, movement of the hinge occurs in a
controlled, intentional manner. Additional resistance can be
provided by attaching position control hinges at the bottom of each
junction between adjacent wall panels 11-15.
[0038] Referring again to FIGS. 2 and 3, when the wall panels 11-15
are folded at the hinges 38, the room divider 10 is held in that
state by releasable clasps 59 on the end members 16 and 17 of the
first and last wall panels 11 and 15, respectively. The length of
the arm of the clasp 59 is selected to correspond to the number of
panels of the room divider and thus the thickness of the folded
assembly. This fastening allows the folded room divider 10 to be
pulled or pushed into position for storage or setup. A recessed
handle 61 is provided on each end member 16 and 17 for that
movement.
[0039] As seen in FIG. 1, a second glide foot assembly 60 is
provided at the bottom of most of the wall panels (e.g. panels 11,
12, 14 and 15), preferably the middle wall panel 13 at the center
of the divider does not have a second glide foot assembly.
Referring to FIG. 8, each second glide foot assembly 60 extends
into the bottom edge of the associated wall panel 11, 12, 14 and 15
and has an intermediate glide foot 62 located beneath that wall
panel. As used herein, "beneath" means that the intermediate glide
foot is directly blow the respective wall panel and is not offset
to one side. The intermediate glide foot 62 is made of nylon or a
similar low friction material that enables a person to slide the
room divider 10 across the floor with minimal resistance. The
rounded corners of the intermediate glide foot 62 further
facilitate ease of motion. The intermediate glide foot 62 is
affixed by a set screw 63 to the end of a shaft 64 that projects
upward into a metal guide tube 66. The guide tube 66 extends into
the respective wall panel 11, 12, 14 and 15 and has an outward
flange 68 at the bottom end which is welded to a metal bottom frame
70 of that wall panel.
[0040] A first helical compression spring 72 biases the upper end
of the shaft 64 away from a closed upper end of the guide tube 66.
A second helical compression spring 74 is located around the shaft
64 engaging and biasing the intermediate glide foot 62 away from a
bottom frame 70 of the wall panel. When the room divider 10 is
unfolded to partition a room, the compression springs 72 and 74
ensure that each intermediate glide foot 62 contacts the floor in
spite of undulations in the floor surface. Second compression
springs 74 with different spring forces can be selected for use
depending upon the number of wall panels and thus the overall
weight of the room divider 10. The second compression springs 74
can be replaced by ones having a different spring force by removal
of the intermediate glide foot 62. The combined spring force is
selected whereby on a level floor, the weight of the wall panels
11-15 slightly compresses the springs 72 and 74 so that each
intermediate glide foot 62 is at an intermediate travel position
with respect to the wall panel. In other words, the intermediate
glide foot 62 is neither at a fully raised or fully lowered
position and thus can accommodate depressed and humped areas of an
uneven floor. Because the set of intermediate glide feet 62 on the
room divider 10 self-adjust to compensate for non-flat floors, the
wall panels 11-15 always are supported by those glide feet and
cannot easily wobble.
[0041] When two separate room dividers 10 abut end to end,
multi-unit connectors 80 on the end members 16 and 17 of the first
and last wall panels 111 and 15 interlock to secure the room
dividers 10 together. With reference to FIG. 10, a draw latch 82 is
attached by screws to the end member 16 on one room divider and has
a wing handle 86 connected by a cam mechanism to a sliding hook 88.
A keeper plate 84 is attached by screws to the end member 17 on the
abutting room divider. Rotating the wing handle 86 extends the hook
88 beyond a catch on the keeper plate 84. Reverse rotation of the
wing handle 86 draws the hook 88 toward its room divider and
against the keeper plate 84, thereby securing the two room dividers
together.
[0042] The foregoing description was primarily directed to a
preferred embodiment of the invention. Although some attention was
given to various alternatives within the scope of the invention, it
is anticipated that one skilled in the art will likely realize
additional alternatives that are now apparent from disclosure of
embodiments of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the
invention should be determined from the following claims and not
limited by the above disclosure.
* * * * *