U.S. patent application number 11/922304 was filed with the patent office on 2009-08-13 for rail-mounted mobile wall element.
Invention is credited to Wilfried Boldt.
Application Number | 20090199491 11/922304 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37489762 |
Filed Date | 2009-08-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090199491 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Boldt; Wilfried |
August 13, 2009 |
Rail-Mounted Mobile Wall Element
Abstract
A rail-mounted movable wall element comprises on the top and/or
lower side thereof at least one sealing element displaceable
between the traveling and operating positions of the movable wall
element with the aid of a powered drive unit. The movable wall
motor-driven element is provided with a sealing element. For this
purpose, the drive unit is introducible into receiving openings
arranged on the faces of the wall body on the top and/or lower side
in such a way that it is detachably connected to the sealing
element.
Inventors: |
Boldt; Wilfried; (Witten,
DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BACHMAN & LAPOINTE, P.C.
900 CHAPEL STREET, SUITE 1201
NEW HAVEN
CT
06510
US
|
Family ID: |
37489762 |
Appl. No.: |
11/922304 |
Filed: |
June 13, 2006 |
PCT Filed: |
June 13, 2006 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP2006/005660 |
371 Date: |
March 18, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/64 ; 160/192;
160/197 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E05D 15/0621 20130101;
E05Y 2201/434 20130101; E05Y 2800/12 20130101; E05F 15/632
20150115; E05F 15/649 20150115; E05Y 2900/142 20130101; E04B 2/827
20130101; E05F 15/652 20150115; E05Y 2800/22 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
52/64 ; 160/197;
160/192 |
International
Class: |
E04B 2/82 20060101
E04B002/82 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 14, 2005 |
DE |
10 2005 027 585.0 |
Feb 16, 2006 |
DE |
10 2006 007 511.0 |
Claims
1-18. (canceled)
19. A rail-mounted movable wall element having a wall body,
comprising at least one sealing element at least one of a top side
and a bottom side, said at least one sealing element being
adjustable between a traveling position and a functional position
of said movable wall element by means of a motor-driven drive unit,
said drive unit being releasably engageable with said at least one
sealing element, and said drive unit being insertable in an area of
at least one of the top side and the bottom side in receiving
openings arranged on end faces of the wall body.
20. The rail-mounted movable wall element according to claim 19,
wherein the wall body is formed of at least one frame element and
plate elements arranged on either side of the frame element.
21. The rail-mounted movable wall element according to claim 20,
further comprising an insulating material is arranged between the
plate elements.
22. The rail-mounted movable wall element according to claim 19,
wherein the wall body is connected with at least one carrying
element at said top side for traversable support in a rail arranged
in a ceiling.
23. The rail-mounted movable wall element according to claim 22,
wherein the wall body is connected by two carrying elements at said
top side.
24. The rail-mounted movable wall element according to claim 23,
wherein the carrying elements are formed by trolleys arrangeable in
the rail and pivotably linked with the wall body by a connecting
rod.
25. The rail-mounted movable wall element according to claim 19,
wherein the receiving opening comprises guides and the drive unit
comprises guide elements interacting with the guides.
26. The rail-mounted movable wall element according to claim 19,
wherein the drive unit comprises a coupling element releasably
engageable with a control element connected with a sealing profile,
and wherein the at least one sealing element is arranged on the
sealing profile.
27. The rail-mounted movable wall element according to claim 26,
wherein the coupling element comprises a hook-shaped receiving
opening.
28. The rail-mounted movable wall element according to claim 26,
wherein the drive unit is formed in such a way that a sealing
profile with the at least one sealing element arranged thereon is
biased in a functional position by a spring element.
29. The rail-mounted movable wall element according to claim 26,
wherein the drive unit comprises an apparatus for manual
operation.
30. The rail-mounted movable wall element according to claim 26,
wherein the drive unit comprises end switches.
31. The rail-mounted movable wall element according to claim 26,
wherein the drive unit is formed as a lifting module to adjust a
sealing profile.
32. The rail-mounted movable wall element according to claim 31,
wherein the lifting module comprises a motor-driven, rotatably
mounted spindle and a spindle nut arranged on the spindle and
displaceable along a spindle axis by rotating the spindle, and
wherein a toggle joint is supported at one end in an area of the
spindle nut to be displaced along the spindle axis, and with
another end fixedly and pivotably arranged in an area of a spindle
bearing.
33. The rail-mounted movable wall element according to claim 32,
further comprising one end of a first lever of the toggle joint
extending beyond a pivot point with a second lever of the toggle
joint and being formed for connection with the control element.
34. The rail-mounted movable wall element according to claim 32,
further comprising a spring element contacting with one end a
thrust support axially displaceable on the spindle and with another
end a threaded bearing, the threaded bearing being displaceable
along the spindle axis by rotating the spindle, the toggle joint
being pivotably supported on the thrust support with an end facing
away from the spindle bearing, and the thrust support abutting on
the spindle nut on a side facing away from the spring element.
35. The rail-mounted movable wall element according to claim 34,
wherein the spring element is formed by a helical pressure spring
coaxially arranged on the spindle.
36. The rail-mounted movable wall element according to claim 33,
wherein the connection of the first lever and the second lever is
realized by a pin, and is in the manner of a bayonet lock which is
formed such that assembly to form the toggle joint can only be
carried out during a parallel orientation of the first and second
levers.
37. The rail-mounted movable wall element according to claim 29,
wherein the apparatus for manual operation is formed by a spindle
extension.
38. The rail-mounted movable wall element according to claim 29,
wherein the spindle bearing is formed to receive an electric motor
on a side facing away from the spindle, and wherein the electric
motor is connected with the spindle in an anti-twist manner.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] (1) Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a rail-mounted mobile wall
element having a wall body comprising on the top and/or lower side
thereof at least one sealing element displaceable between a
traveling and an operating position of the moveable wall element
with the aid of a powered drive unit.
[0003] (2) Prior Art
[0004] Several moveable wall elements of the above described type
usually supported in a traversable manner in ceiling-mounted rails
commonly form a partitioning system allowing the creation of a
partitioning wall and therefore variable partitioning of hangers,
halls or other rooms. For separating or partitioning individual
rooms, the individual moveable wall elements are arranged in a row
in the desired position with their end faces adjacent to each
other. Extendable sealing profiles with sealing elements are
displaced toward the ceiling and the floor and thus fix the
individual moveable wall elements. They serve the purpose of sound
insulation and prevent air exchange between the rooms separated by
the moveable wall elements.
[0005] In the traveling position of the moveable wall elements,
i.e. in the position in which they are moved in rails, if present,
and transported to the position desired for partitioning or to
their storage position, the sealing elements must be arranged on
the wall body in such a manner that they do not rub against the
ceiling or floor. The sealing elements, in the traveling position,
are therefore in a position retracted from the ceiling and the
floor. To fix the moveable wall elements and to achieve the above
described sealing of the partitioned rooms, the seals are pressed
against the ceiling or the floor. The end position of the sealing
profiles, i.e. the position, in which the sealing profiles are
fully extended, is also referred to as the functional position of
the moveable wall elements.
[0006] As a matter of principle, the creation of a partitioning
wall with prior art moveable wall elements without motor drive is
very time consuming since the sealing profiles are adjusted by
means of a crank, i.e. are extended against the ceiling and floor
during assembly. The pressing force which is essential for the
stability of the partitioning wall thus created is solely dependent
on the crank force, i.e. on each operating person. In particular
with large rooms, where long partitioning walls can result and a
great number of moveable wall elements have to be used, the
installation of a partitioning wall is very time consuming, and due
to the manual operation it is moreover fixed with a varying degree
of reliability.
[0007] With prior art moveable wall elements of the initially
mentioned type, which are additionally equipped with an electric
motor drive, the latter is arranged in the center of the wall body
due to its size and linked to the top and bottom sides of the wall
body by an expensive and complicated drive mechanism which is also
prone to failure. The creation of openings, in particular door or
window openings, in these wall elements is not possible. Moreover,
the centrally arranged drive mechanism prevents adequate sound and
heat insulation of the moveable wall elements.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] It is therefore an object of the present invention to
provide a moveable wall element having a sealing element able to be
driven by a motor, wherein the motor drive does not limit the
design options of the wall element body.
[0009] The present invention achieves this object by a rail-mounted
moveable wall element in combination with the features according to
claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are defined in
the dependent claims.
[0010] In principle, there is a possibility to equip the moveable
wall elements according to the present invention with a
displaceable sealing element only on one side, i.e. at the top or
bottom in the mounted position, and to arrange the opposite sealing
element either fixed or displaceable against a spring force, so
that sealing on this side is indirectly achieved by the opposite
drive and the movement of the moveable wall element caused thereby.
Nevertheless a moveable wall element having top and bottom
motor-driven sealing elements will be assumed in the description
below. The present invention is not thus limited, however.
[0011] The moveable wall element according to the present invention
is characterized in that the drive unit is insertable in receiving
openings arranged on the end side of the wall element body in the
area of the top and/or bottom side to be releasably engageable with
the sealing element.
[0012] The arrangement of the drive unit according to the present
invention enables the wall element body to be formed in any desired
manner in the area between the top and bottom sides since it is
free of functional parts for operating the moveable wall element or
the sealing elements.
[0013] Moreover, the inventive form of the moveable wall elements,
according to which the drive unit is insertable in the wall body
and the accessibility of the drive unit is maintained, allows easy
insertion and extraction of the drive unit. In particular the easy
extraction in the case of the presence of a failure of the moveable
wall element resulting from a defective drive unit allows the
latter to be easily exchanged so that the moveable wall element is
usable again within a very short period of time. Complete
dismounting of the moveable wall element, which is required with
failures of the drive unit of prior art moveable wall elements, can
be completely eliminated. Apart from the excellent exchangeability
of defective drive units, the modular structure of the moveable
wall element according to the present invention also allows it to
be simply and cheaply manufactured.
[0014] The structure of the wall body of the moveable wall element
can be basically achieved in any desired manner. According to a
particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the wall
body, however, comprises at least one frame element and plate
elements on either side of the frame element. The use of frame
elements, such as of various hollow profiles, apart from the
excellent arrangement of the plate elements visible to the outside,
also allows a receiving opening for the drive unit to be
particularly simply formed, and the wall body to be particularly
simply manufactured.
[0015] Moreover, due to the essentially free choice for the
structure of the frame element, the latter can be formed in such a
way that also assembly and disassembly of the sealing elements of
the fully mounted moveable wall element is possible. Assembly of
the moveable wall element is thus additionally simplified.
Furthermore, the use of such frame elements also allows the sealing
elements to be particularly simply exchanged, if needed.
[0016] The use of frame elements also enables the free space formed
between the plate elements to be completely filled with insulating
material, so that the insulating properties, in particular the
sound insulating properties of the partitioning walls created with
the use of the thus further developed moveable wall elements are
thereby substantially improved over and above the conventional
partitioning walls. The use of an insulating material between the
plate elements is still possible even if the moveable wall element
is provided with closeable openings, such as windows or doors,
which can be arranged in any desired position due to the inventive
structure of the moveable wall element.
[0017] The rails for guiding the moveable wall element, and the
corresponding structure of the moveable wall elements can be in any
particular desired form. According to an advantageous embodiment of
the invention, the wall body is connected, however, for traversable
support in a rail arranged in a ceiling, at its top, however, with
at least one, preferably two, carrying elements, particularly
preferably formed as a trolley, pivotably connected with the wall
body, such as via a connecting rod. When partitioning a room by a
partitioning system using the moveable wall elements according to
the present invention, guiding of the moveable wall elements in a
rail arranged in the ceiling makes it possible to form the floor of
said room without interruptions, such as floor rails for guiding
the moveable wall elements, which would be visually disruptive and
might even involve the risk of tripping. The use of trolleys has
the advantage that it achieves particularly easy traversability of
the moveable wall elements in the ceiling rails. In particular, the
use of two trolleys for carrying ensures particularly stable and
safe arrangement of the moveable wall element in the rail.
[0018] The receiving openings arranged on the end sides of the wall
body and particularly easily accessible according to the present
invention for receiving the drive units, can principally be formed
in any desired manner. For instance, the drive unit can be arranged
in a receiving opening simply u-shaped in cross section, for
example, achieved by a corresponding frame element, since due to
its effective connection with the sealing element it is ensured in
a sufficiently reliable manner that the drive unit is fixed in its
position on the moveable wall element. According to a particular
embodiment of the invention, the receiving opening comprises
guides, however, and the drive unit comprises guiding elements
engageable with the guides. The guides, such as rail-like
longitudinal channels, interacting with webs on the drive unit as
guiding elements, ensure in an advantageous manner both the
positioning of the drive unit and positional fixing of the drive
unit in the operation of the moveable wall element.
[0019] The connection of the drive unit and the sealing elements
can also be principally achieved in any particular manner.
Advantageously it is provided that the drive unit has a coupling
element, preferably a hook-shaped receiving opening, releasably
engageable with a control element connected to a sealing profile,
wherein one or more sealing elements are arranged on the sealing
profile.
[0020] According to this embodiment of the invention, the drive
unit in the state fully inserted in the receiving opening is not
directly connected with the sealing elements, but is connected with
a sealing profile via a usually centrally arranged control element,
the sealing element usually having two parallel sealing elements
extending over the width of the wall body. The sealing profile is
formed in such a way that it encloses the connection rods for
connecting the wall body with the trolley. In the functional
position of the wall body, the rail, and the trolley arranged
therein, are essentially completely covered due to the
advantageously provided use of the sealing profile.
[0021] The connection of the drive unit with the sealing elements
via a control element centrally arranged on the sealing profile
also has the advantage that jamming of the sealing elements or the
sealing profile is effectively avoided. Also in the case where a
movement of the sealing profile from the traversing position into
the functional position is not carried out in parallel to the top
side of the wall body, after a point-wise contact of the sealing
elements on the ceiling or the floor full contact of the sealing
elements on the ceiling or the floor is achieved after further
traversal.
[0022] The functioning of the moveable wall element is ensured even
after the sealing profile fully contacts the ceiling and the floor.
According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the drive
unit is formed in such a way, however, that the sealing profile
with the sealing elements arranged thereon is biased in the
functional position by means of a spring element. The spring bias
causes particularly reliable contact of the sealing elements on the
ceiling and the floor. Due to the spring bias it is also achieved
that the structural components of the drive unit are unstressed in
the functional position so that they are not subject to destructive
permanent stress.
[0023] The spring element also compensates for sagging of the
ceiling due to load changes in the area of the mounted moveable
wall element without loss of the sealing action. The spring element
both allows a movement of the ceiling towards the wall element and
furthermore compensates increases in the distance between the
ceiling and the wall element by having the sealing elements follow
the movement. Moreover, damage on the functional parts of the drive
unit due to the forces acting from the ceiling on the sealing
elements is effectively avoided.
[0024] According to another advantageous embodiment of the present
invention, the drive unit has an apparatus for manual operation.
This enables the moveable wall elements to be used to create a
partitioning wall even if the drive unit fails. This may be
necessary in particular when it is necessary to insert a
partitioning wall, but no exchange drive unit is available.
Moreover, manual operation also enables the partitioning wall to be
dismantled in the case of a failure of the drive unit.
[0025] According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the
drive unit, the latter has end switches. These ensure in an
advantageous manner that the drive unit is only adjustable between
the maximally allowable positions corresponding to the functional
position and the traveling position of the wall element.
[0026] The drive unit can principally be structured in any
particular manner so long as it may be inserted and extracted by
insertion and extraction into and out of the receiving openings,
respectively. According to an embodiment of the invention, the
drive unit is formed as a lifting module, which raises or lowers
the sealing elements. The lifting action can be achieved by means
of any suitable drive elements, such as a piston-cylinder unit or
the like. According to an embodiment of the invention, the lifting
movement is achieved by converting a rotating movement into a
translating movement.
[0027] For this, according to an embodiment of the invention, the
lifting module has a spindle rotatably supported at both ends and
driven by a motor, and a spindle nut arranged on the spindle,
traversable along the spindle axis by means of rotating the
spindle, wherein a toggle joint is supported at its one end
displaceable in the area of the spindle nut and at its other end
fixedly and pivotably supported in the area of one of the spindle
bearings. Driving of the spindle is carried out according to the
present embodiment of the invention, preferably via an electric
motor, rotatably driving the spindle. Due to the rotation of the
spindle, depending on the sense of rotation, the distance between
the spindle nut and the fixed spindle bearing is reduced or
increased, resulting in the toggle joint being flexed and
stretched, respectively. To achieve a lifting movement of the
sealing elements towards the functional position, the distance
between the spindle nut and the fixed spindle bearing is reduced,
which causes the toggle joint to be erected. To transmit the
movement of the toggle joint to the sealing elements, the former is
connectable, in the area of its pivot point, with the control
element of the sealing profile, so that the lifting movement is
directly transferred to the control element and the sealing
elements connected therewith.
[0028] Particularly advantageously, one end of a first lever of the
toggle joint extends beyond the pivot point with the second lever
of the toggle joint and is formed for connection with the control
element. As a result, the lifting distance of the drive unit is
additionally increased while the traversal path of the spindle nut
on the spindle remains the same. Moreover, the end of the first
lever essentially performs a linear movement rather than a pivotal
movement, so that the end of the first lever can be coupled to the
control element in a particularly simple manner. The end of the
first lever is formed for this purpose.
[0029] According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the
present invention, a spring element is provided contacting with its
one end a thrust support axially displaceable on the spindle and
with its other end a threaded bearing, which is traversable along
the spindle axis by means of rotating the spindle, and wherein the
toggle joint is linked with its end opposite the spindle bearing on
the thrust support, which contacts the spindle nut on its side
opposite the spring element.
[0030] According to this embodiment of the present invention, the
spindle nut and the threaded bearing are displaced to the same
degree by displacing the drive unit, wherein the distance between
both of these remains the same. The pivotably linked support of the
toggle joint on the thrust support displaceable against the spring
force makes it possible to press the sealing elements against the
floor or the ceiling with constant spring force. The spring force
is adjustable by determining the distance between the thrust
support and the threaded bearing when the lifting module is
assembled. The drive unit itself does not generate any pressure
force of the sealing profile. The latter is solely achieved by
means of the spring element. The position of the spindle nut
determines the pivotal adjustment of the toggle joint achieved by
the spring force.
[0031] Any suitable component can principally be used as the spring
element. According to an advantageous embodiment, it is formed,
however, by a helical pressure spring coaxially arranged on the
spindle. According to this embodiment of the invention, the
structural size of the lifting module can be kept particularly
small, which results in only a very small structural size being
taken up in the wall body.
[0032] The assembly of the lifting module can be realized in a
simple manner with conventional structural components. A
particularly simple assembly of the toggle joint is achieved
according to an embodiment of the invention by realizing the link
between the first and the second lever by means of a pin in the
manner of a bayonet lock, formed in such a way that assembling it
to the toggle joint can only be carried out when the levers are
oriented in parallel. This orientation is only achieved during
assembly. In the assembled state of the lifting module, the toggle
joint is always flexed at least by a small amount due to its
coupling with the control element, so that the first and second
levers are not oriented in parallel. This embodiment is a
particularly reliable type of link.
[0033] The manual operating member can also be in any suitable
manner. According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the
invention, it is formed, however, by a spindle extension arranged
with its one end on the spindle in an anti-twist manner and with
its other end in the area of the end-side receiving openings. This
is how a rotation of the spindle can be achieved by simple means
with a suitable tool, such as by means of an inside hexagonal
wrench or the like so that the lifting module can be adjusted
between the traveling position and the functional position even if
the motor unit, such as an electric motor, has failed. The freely
accessible end of the spindle extension is formed to receive the
operating tool.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0034] Exemplary embodiments of the invention will be described in
more detail in the following with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which
[0035] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a schematic representation
of a moveable wall element guided in a ceiling rail;
[0036] FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of a cross-section of
the moveable wall element of FIG. 1;
[0037] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a drive unit formed as a
lifting module;
[0038] FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the lifting module of FIG. 3
in a functional position of the moveable wall element;
[0039] FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the lifting module of FIG. 3
in a traveling position of the moveable wall element; and
[0040] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a moveable wall element in
the area of an upper-sided arranged frame element.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)
[0041] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a moveable wall
element 1. A wall body 3 of moveable wall element 1 is formed by
two plate elements 4, each connected with the webs, extending in
parallel, of a frame element 2 having a u-shaped configuration in
cross section. Frame elements 2 are arranged in the area of the top
and bottom 15, 16 of wall body 3. Plate elements 4 have their top
and bottom edges essentially flush with the free ends of the webs
of frame elements 2.
[0042] A plurality of moveable wall elements 1 form a room
partitioning system, by means of which the construction of variable
partitioning walls is possible. To create a partitioning wall (not
shown) moveable wall elements 1 are arranged in such a way that
their end sides 7 are adjacent to each other. Usually, moveable
wall elements 1 are guided in a rail 11 arranged in a ceiling 10
and may therefore be particularly easily positioned. To this end,
wall body 3 has a connection rod 6 at its top 15 connected with a
carrying element 5 arrangeable in rail 11.
[0043] To fix moveable wall element 1 in its functional position,
i.e. in the position in which it forms a partitioning wall together
with further moveable wall elements 1, moveable wall element 1 has
sealing elements 13 arranged on a sealing profile 12 in the area of
the top and/or bottom 15, 16 of wall body 3. Sealing profile 12 is
displaced in the functional position in such a way that sealing
elements 13 contact ceiling 10 or floor 17. In the schematic
representation of moveable wall element 1 in FIG. 1, sealing
profile 12 is not shown in the area of bottom 16 for clarity. To
make it possible to arrange sealing profile 12 in the area of top
15 of moveable wall element 1, the latter has a longitudinal
channel 14 surrounding connection rods 6. Sealing profile 12, and
sealing elements 13 arranged on it, in the functional position in
which they clamp moveable wall element 1 between ceiling 10 and
floor 17, are for securing the position of wall element 1 and for
sound and air insulation.
[0044] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a cross section
of moveable wall element 1, wherein the sectional plane is parallel
to its end face 7. To support moveable wall element 1 in rail 11
arranged in ceiling 10, the carrying element is formed as a trolley
5 connected to the former via connection rod 6 having a forked
configuration in the area of wall body 3. The forked configuration
leads to a receiving opening 9 in the area of top 15 of wall body
3, which is accessible from end face 7 of wall body 3. Receiving
opening 9 makes it possible to arrange a drive unit 30 usable for
adjusting sealing profile 12 between the traveling position, i.e.
the position in which sealing elements 13 do not contact floor 17
and ceiling 10 and moveable wall element 1 is traversable, and the
functional position, wherein drive unit 30 is mechanically coupled
with sealing profile 12 (see FIGS. 3-6).
The drive unit shown in FIGS. 3-6 is formed as a lifting module 30
and is insertable in the receiving openings 9, 8 of wall body 3,
where it is for driving, i.e. lowering or raising the sealing
profiles 12 arranged there.
[0045] Lifting module 30 has a spindle 33, rotatably supported in
an end bearing 42 at one end and by use of a bearing bushing 34
arranged at a motor bearing 31 at the other end. End bearing 42 and
motor bearing 31 are attached to a continuous receiving rail 44 by
means of screws 48. To drive spindle 33, the latter is coupled to
an electric motor 32 in the area of motor bearing 31 arranged on
the side of motor bearing 31 facing away from spindle 33, wherein a
securing bracket 47 additionally secures the position of electric
motor 32 on motor bearing 31.
[0046] A spindle nut 45 and a threaded bearing 41 are rotatably
arranged on spindle 33 in such a way that they are engaged with the
thread of spindle 33 so that a rotation of spindle 33 causes a
displacement of spindle nut 45 and threaded bearing 41 along the
spindle axis.
[0047] A thrust support 38 axially displaceable on spindle 33 abuts
spindle nut 45 on the side of spindle nut 45 facing away from motor
bearing 31. Thrust support 38 in turn is biased toward spindle nut
45 by a helical pressure spring 40 on the side facing away from
spindle nut 45, the spring being supported on threaded bearing 41
at its other side. Helical pressure spring 40 is arranged coaxially
with spindle 33. In the assembled state of lifting module 30, the
distance between threaded bearing 41 and thrust support 38 is
invariable. Driving spindle 33 causes common displacement of thrust
support 38 and threaded bearing 41 along spindle 33, while the
distance remains constant. The distance between threaded bearing 41
and thrust support 38, and therefore the spring force applied by
helical pressure spring 40 is freely adjustable during assembly,
wherein thrust support 38 is threaded onto spindle 33 during
assembly more or less toward threaded bearing 41.
[0048] To transform the rotary movement of spindle 33 into a
lifting movement of sealing profile 12, a toggle joint formed of
two levers 35, 36 and a second lever 39 is used, being pivotally
supported on thrust support 38 on the one end and pivotably
supported on motor bearing 31 on the other end.
[0049] For easy assembly of the toggle joint, a pin for pivotable
linking of second lever 39 to levers 35, 36, and the associated
opening on levers 35, 36 to receive the pin, is formed in the
manner of a bayonet lock which allows assembly only in the parallel
oriented state of levers 35, 36, 39. Levers 35, 36 are pivotably
supported by means of bearing pins 37 on motor bearing 31.
[0050] To establish the connection with sealing profile 12, second
lever 39 has a coupling element 49 at its free end in the form of a
pin, circular in cross section, engaging a corresponding receiving
opening of a control element 50 rigidly connected with sealing
profile 12 via a unshaped profile 51.
[0051] In the traveling position of lifting module shown in FIG. 5,
i.e. the position in which sealing profile 12 is essentially
completely retracted in wall body 3, the toggle joint is only
slightly flexed. Turning spindle 33 by electric motor 32, taking
this position as a starting position, causes simultaneous
displacement of threaded bearing 41 and thrust support 38 towards
electric motor 32. Due to the decreasing distance between thrust
support 38 and motor bearing 31 caused hereby, the toggle joint is
flexed by the spring force of helical pressure spring 40, causing
coupling element 49 to be raised, starting from the position shown
in FIG. 5. Upon arrival at the functional position shown in FIG. 4,
sealing profile 12, with sealing elements 13 arranged thereon,
contacts floor 17 or ceiling 10. The pressing force is determined
by helical pressure spring 40 which, due to the axial
displaceability of thrust support 38, can also compensate movements
of ceiling 10 relative to moveable wall element 1. The functional
position as well as the traveling position of lifting module 30 is
defined by end switches 46 arranged in corresponding recesses on
threaded bearing 41.
[0052] FIG. 6 shows a section of a frame element 2 in the area of
top 15 of moveable wall element 1. Lifting module 30 has been
inserted in frame element 2 from its end face 7, wherein coupling
element 49 is in engagement with a corresponding support on control
element 50. Control element 50 is rigidly connected with sealing
profile 12 having sealing elements 13 on its top side, of which
only one is shown as an example in FIG. 6.
[0053] An axial extension 53 arranged on the end of spindle 33
facing away from electric motor 32 ends in the area of end face 7
at its end facing away from spindle 33 and therefore enables the
manual rotation of spindle 33 in the case of a failure of electric
motor 32. Axial extension 53 is formed to receive a tool, such as
an internal hexagonal wrench.
[0054] Trolley 5, by means of which moveable element 1 is guided in
rail 11, in turn is attached by means of connecting rod 6 and a
carrier 19 fixed on frame element 2.
* * * * *