Patent Application
20240156283
The present invention relates to a folding room divider and more particularly to a folding room divider that prevents fingers from being pinched during expansion or folding.
Referring to
The frame (60) has four frame straps (62), and two adjacent frame straps (62) are connected through a cap (61) so as to form two outer vertical surfaces (63) at two lateral sides of the frame (60), and the divider panel (50) is coupled inside the four frame straps (62) of the frame (60). At least one outer vertical surface (63) of the frame (60) has a plurality of protruded bases (64) on the frame strap (62), and the protruded bases (64) are formed on the different frames (62) at different heights of corresponding positions, and each of the protruded bases (64) has a plug hole (641) on top downwardly penetrating through the protruded base (64). The anti-pinch plate (70) is positioned and fills the gap between two adjacent divider panels (50). The anti-pinch plate (70) has two vertical through holes (71) at both lateral sides, and each of two vertical supporting columns (80) is adapted to penetrate downwardly through the plug hole (641), the through hole (71), and into the plug hole (641) of the protruded base (64). The supporting columns (80) are positioned in the plug holes (641), and the adjacent divider panels (50) are pivotally connected without gap therebetween through the anti-pinch plate (70). With the recesses (72) located corresponding to the protruded bases (64), a cover piece (73) is formed between the recesses (72), and the recess (72) is adapted to receive the protruded base (64) so as to enable the anti-pinch plate (70) and the protruded base (64) to be pivotally connected smoothly. Moreover, the cover piece (73) is configured to fill the space at the same height between the two protruded bases (64), so as to achieve the anti-pinch effect between the two divider panels (50).
However, the conventional folding room divider has following disadvantages: the vertical supporting column (80) has to penetrate downwardly for a long distance so as to cause difficulties and inconvenience in assembly, thereby increasing the manufacturing cost. Therefore, there remains a need for a new and improved design for a folding room divider to overcome the problems presented above.
The present invention provides a folding room divider comprising at least two divider panels, a plurality of connectors, and at least an anti-pinch plate. Each of the divider panels is connected to a frame at outer edges thereof, and the connectors are positioned on the frame so as to enable the anti-pinch plate to connect to the frame. The two divider panels are pivotally connected through the anti-pinch plate to achieve the anti-pinch effect for the folding room divider. Each of edges of the frame has four parallel connected tube bodies, and the connection of the tube bodies forms two outer vertical surfaces at two lateral sides of the frame, so as to position the divider panel in the frame. Each of the outer vertical surfaces has a sliding groove, and a lateral opening formed at corresponding position of the sliding groove has a smaller diameter than that of the sliding groove. The connector has a first main body and a second main body, and the diameter of the first main body is larger than that of the second main body. The second main body comprises a stepped hole horizontally penetrating through the second main body toward the first main body. At least one end of the connector has a pivot column protruding from the end of the connector. The connector is coupled in the sliding groove through the first main body, and the second main body protrudes out from the lateral opening, so that the connector is adapted to slide along the sliding groove to adjust the position of the connector. After adjustment, the stepped hole is configured to receive a screw so as to secure the position of the connector. The anti-pinch plate is positioned between the two adjacent divider panels, and both of the top and the bottom of the anti-pinch plate have two vertical pivot holes at two sides of the anti-pinch plate, and the pivot hole is adapted to cooperate with and receive the pivot column, so as to enable the anti-pinch plate to be pivotally connected between the two divider panels, thereby fully filling the gap between the two divider panels. The anti-pinch plate comprises four notches at four corners which are adapted to respectively cooperate with the connectors, and two cover pieces are respectively formed at the top and the bottom of the anti-pinch plate, and each of the cover pieces having a smaller diameter than the anti-pinch plate is formed between the two notches. Each of the notches is configured to receive the connector, so as to enable the connectors to smoothly connect to the anti-pinch plate. Also, each of the cover pieces is adapted to fully fill the gap at the height between the two connectors.
Comparing with conventional folding room divider, the present invention is advantageous because: it is simple, rapid and convenient for the assembly process that the connectors are pivotally connected to the anti-pinch plate by inserting the pivot columns into the pivot holes, so as to greatly reduce the manufacturing cost of the folding room divider.
The detailed description set forth below is intended as a description of the presently exemplary device provided in accordance with aspects of the present invention and is not intended to represent the only forms in which the present invention may be prepared or utilized. It is to be understood, rather, that the same or equivalent functions and components may be accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention.
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although any methods, devices and materials similar or equivalent to those described can be used in the practice or testing of the invention, the exemplary methods, devices and materials are now described.
All publications mentioned are incorporated by reference for the purpose of describing and disclosing, for example, the designs and methodologies that are described in the publications that might be used in connection with the presently described invention. The publications listed or discussed above, below and throughout the text are provided solely for their disclosure prior to the filing date of the present application. Nothing herein is to be construed as an admission that the inventors are not entitled to antedate such disclosure by virtue of prior invention.
In order to further understand the goal, characteristics and effect of the present invention, a number of embodiments along with the drawings are illustrated as following:
Referring to
In one embodiment, the divider panel (10) has only one side to connect to the connector (30)(300) on the outer vertical surface (22) (as shown in
In another embodiment, each of two sides of the divider panel (10) is connected to the connector (30)(300) on the outer vertical surface (22), so that both sides of the divider panel (10) are adapted to connect to one divider panel (10) respectively (as shown in
In a further embodiment, the tube body (21) is made of aluminum extrusion.
In still a further embodiment, the open end of the tube body (21) is blocked by an end plug (23).
In an advantageous embodiment, a plurality of sliding wheels are connected at the bottom of the frames (20) so as to facilitate the divider panels (10) to be moved.
In another advantageous embodiment, the anti-pinch plate (40) is pivotally connected between the two divider panels (10) through the connectors (30), and each of the connectors (30) has one pivot column (33) to connect to the anti-pinch plate (40).
In still another advantageous embodiment, more than one anti-pinch plates (40) are vertically and pivotally connected between the two divider panels (10) through the connectors (30)(300), and each of the connectors (300) between the two adjacent anti-pinch plates (40) has two pivot columns (33) at both ends thereof to connect between the anti-pinch plates (40) (as shown in
In a preferred embodiment, the anti-pinch plate (40) is a flat vertical plate.
In actual application, the anti-pinch plate (40) is pivotally connected between the two adjacent divider panels (10), so that the two divider panels (10) can be expanded (as shown in
Comparing with conventional folding room divider, the present invention is advantageous because: it is simple, rapid and convenient for the assembly process that the connectors (30)(300) are pivotally connected to the anti-pinch plate (40) by inserting the pivot columns (33) into the pivot holes (41), so as to greatly reduce the manufacturing cost of the folding room divider.
Having described the invention by the description and illustrations above, it should be understood that these are exemplary of the invention and are not to be considered as limiting. Accordingly, the invention is not to be considered as limited by the foregoing description, but includes any equivalents.
