Patent Application
20170284092
The disclosure relates to room partitioning devices and more particularly pertains to a new room partitioning device for dividing a room horizontally.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a plurality of sectioning modules. Each sectioning module comprises a housing, configured to couple to a first wall, that has an open front. A panel is coupled at a first end to a back wall of the housing. The panel is extendable from and retractable into the housing through the open front. A first fastener is coupled to a second end of the panel. A second fastener that is complementary to the first fastener is configured to couple to a second wall opposite the housing. Each of a pair of guides extends between a respective opposing end of the housing and a respective opposing terminus of the second fastener. The sectioning modules are configured for planer installation within a room, such that an upper part of the room is reversibly separable from a lower part of the room.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A door 28 that is complementary to the open front 16 is hingedly coupled proximate to a top edge 30 of the housing 14, such that the door 28 is positioned to close over the open front 16. A connector 32 that is complementary to the first fastener 24 is coupled to an inside face 34 of the door 28. The connector 32 is positioned to couple to the first fastener 24 when the panel 20 is retracted into the housing 14, such that the door 28 is retained in a closed position.
The panel 20 is extendable from and retractable into the housing 14 through the open front 16. The panel 20 comprises a plurality of vertical connectors 36, a top layer 38 and a bottom layer 40. Each vertical connector 36 is coupled to and extends between the top layer 38 and the bottom layer 40, defining a plurality of sections 42. The plurality of sections 42 may be deformable, such that each section 42 is substantially rectangularly box shaped when viewed longitudinally with the panel 20 in an extended position. Each section 42 is deformable such that the vertical connectors 36 are adjacently positioned with the panel 20 in a retracted position.
Preferably, a plate 44 is coupled to the second end 26 of the panel 20 and the first fastener 24 is coupled to the plate 44.
The panel 20 also may comprise a plurality of boxes 64 that is substantially rigid and a plurality of hinges 66. The hinges 66 are coupled to respective adjacent boxes 64 alternately at respective upper joints 68 and respective lower joints 70. The hinges 66 allow the boxes 64 to be repositioned from an upright configuration to an extended configuration.
In another embodiment of the invention, the panel 20 comprises a plurality of planks 72, such that the panel 20 is rollable. The first end 18 of the panel 20 is coupled to a rotatable shaft 74 positioned in the housing 14.
A second fastener 46, complementary to the first fastener 24, is configured to couple to a second wall opposite the housing 14. Preferably, the second fastener 46 is coupled to a slat 48 that is configured to couple to the second wall opposite the housing 14.
Each sectioning module 12 includes a pair of guides 50. Each guide 50 extends between a respective opposing end 52 of the housing 14 and a respective opposing terminus 54 of the second fastener 46. The guides 50 are configured to couple to a vertical surface. Preferably, the guides 50 are elongated rectangularly box shaped when viewed longitudinally and have an open face 56. A respective opposite end 58 of the plate 44 is positionable in a respective open face 56 of the guide 50 and slidably movable along the guide 50 as the panel 20 is extended from or retracted into the housing 14. Alternatively, each of opposing endpoints of hinges 66 coupled at respective upper joints 68 are slidably positionable in respective open faces 56 of the guides 50.
Each of a plurality of couplers 60 is coupled to a respective guide 50, such that respective couplers 60 are configured to couple the respective guide 50 to a vertical surface. The couplers 60 also are configured to mutually couple adjacently placed guides 50. Preferably, the couplers 60 comprise penetrations 62 through the guides 50.
Also preferably, the connector 32, the first fastener 24 and the second fastener 46 are selected from the group of fasteners consisting of hook and loop fasteners.
The present invention anticipates various means of extending and retracting the panels 20, including manual means, gear and crank mechanisms, and motors.
In use, the plurality of sectioning modules 12 is configured for planer installation within a room, such that an upper part of the room is reversibly separable from a lower part of the room. The housing 14, the second fastener 46 and the pair of guides 50 of each sectioning module 12 are configured to couple to vertical surfaces. The panels 20 are positioned to extend along the guides 50 and the first fasteners 24 are positioned to reversibly couple to the second fasteners 46 to retain the panels 20 in extended positions. The panels 20 are positioned for retraction into the housings 14 when not in use.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
