Patent Application
20200354953
Embodiments of the disclosure relate generally to movable partition systems configured to subdivide a space utilizing a folding partition. More specifically, disclosed embodiments relate to movable partition systems including floating jambs secured within a pocket when the movable partitions are in an extended position, and related methods.
Movable partitions are utilized in numerous situations and environments for a variety of purposes. Such partitions may include, for example, a foldable or collapsible door configured to enclose or subdivide a room or other area. Often, such partitions may be utilized simply for purposes of versatility in being able to subdivide a single large room into multiple smaller rooms. The subdivision of a larger area may be desired, for example, to accommodate multiple groups or meetings simultaneously. In other applications, such partitions may be utilized for noise control depending, for example, on the activities taking place in a given room or portion thereof.
Movable partitions may also be used to provide a security barrier, a fire barrier, or both a security barrier and a fire barrier. In such a case, the partition barrier may be configured to automatically close upon the occurrence of a predetermined event, such as the actuation of an associated alarm. For example, one or more accordion or similar folding-type partitions may be used as a security barrier, a fire barrier, or both a security barrier and a fire barrier wherein each partition is formed with a plurality of panels connected to one another, with hinges in some cases. The hinged connection of the panels allows the partition to fold and collapse into a compact unit for purposes of storage when not deployed. The partition may be stored within a pocket formed in the wall of a building when in a retracted or folded state. When the partition is deployed to subdivide or separate a space within a building, so as to secure an area during a fire or for any other specified reason, the partition may be extended along an overhead track, which is often located above the movable partition in a header assembly, until the partition extends a desired distance across the room.
When deployed, a leading end of the movable partition, often defined by a component known as a lead post, complementarily engages another structure, such as a wall, a post, or a lead post of another door. A trailing end of the movable partition may include a fixed jamb or, alternatively, a floating jamb configured to slide within the pocket accommodating the movable partition when in a retracted position. Jamb stops may be provided to retain the floating jamb within the pocket when the movable partition is in the extended position.
In one embodiment of the disclosure, a movable partition system may include a movable partition, a floating jamb attached to an end of the movable partition and located within a pocket configured to retain the movable partition when in a retracted position, at least two base plates attached to the floating jamb, and at least two jamb stops attached to opposing interior walls of the pocket. Each of the at least two jamb stops are configured to engage a respective base plate of the floating jamb, wherein the floating jamb, the at least two base plates, and the at least two jamb stops are configured such that disengaging the floating jamb from a secure position within the pocket when the movable partition is in an extended position requires disengaging one of the at least two jamb stops from the respective base plate on each side of the movable partition.
In another embodiment of the disclosure, a movable partition system includes a movable partition having a distal end and a proximal end, a lead post attached to the distal end of the movable partition, and a floating jamb attached to the proximal end of the movable partition. The floating jamb is configured to glide within a pocket during extension and retraction of the movable partition. The movable partition system also includes a security assembly including at least two opposing base plates attached to the floating jamb, each of the at least two opposing base plates comprising a base portion and a lip, and at least two opposing jamb stops attached to sidewalls of the pocket, each of the at least two opposing jamb stops comprising a hinged portion including a lip. The lip of the hinged portion of the at least two opposing jamb stops is configured to engage the lip of a respective base plate when the movable partition is in an extended position. The floating jamb, the at least two opposing base plates, and the at least two opposing jamb stops are configured such that displacement of the floating jamb is prevented when accessed through only one side of the movable partition when the movable partition is in the extended position.
In a further embodiment of the disclosure, a method of providing a security barrier includes extending a movable partition along at least one track with which the movable partition is engaged, securing a lead post attached to a distal end of the movable partition to a receptacle of a post, an opposing wall, or another lead post of another movable partition, and securing a floating jamb attached to a proximal end of the movable partition within a pocket configured to retain the movable partition when in a retracted position. Securing the floating jamb includes engaging at least one first jamb stop attached to a sidewall of the pocket with at least one first base plate attached to the floating jamb and engaging at least one second jamb stop attached to an opposing sidewall of the pocket with at least one second base plate attached to the floating jamb. The floating jamb, the at least one first base plate, the at least one second base plate, the at least one first jamb stop, and the at least one second jamb stop are configured such that releasing the floating jamb from a secure position within the pocket when the movable partition is in an extended position requires accessing the at least one first jamb stop from a first side of the movable partition to release a first side of the floating jamb and accessing the at least one second jamb stop from a second, opposing side of the movable partition to release a second, opposing side of the floating jamb.
The illustrations presented in this disclosure are not meant to be actual views of any particular movable partition system or component thereof, but are merely idealized representations employed to describe illustrative embodiments. Thus, the drawings are not necessarily to scale. Indeed, some of the features of the devices and systems shown in the drawings are enlarged compared to other features, for clarity. Additionally, elements common between figures may retain the same numerical designation.
Disclosed embodiments relate generally to movable partition systems including floating jambs secured within a pocket when the movable partitions are in an extended position. Such systems may prevent displacement of a floating jamb when the partitions have been deployed and, hence, unauthorized access through or around the partition. More specifically, disclosed are embodiments of movable partition systems including a movable partition and a floating jamb attached to an end of the movable partition and located within a pocket (e.g., a storage pocket of the movable partition system). The movable partition system may include two or more base plates attached to the floating jamb and two or more jamb stops attached to opposing interior walls of the pocket. Each of the at least two jamb stops may be configured to engage a respective base plate of the floating jamb, wherein the floating jamb, the base plates, and the jamb stops are configured such that disengaging the floating jamb from a secure position within the pocket when the movable partition is in an extended position requires disengaging one of the at least two jamb stops from the respective base plate on each side of the movable partition. Further, the jamb stops may include a spring-actuated hinged portion such that respective lips of the base plates and the jamb stops are configured to engage with one another when the movable partition is in the extended position and to automatically disengage from one another when the movable partition moves toward a retracted position. Such systems may also include, for example, installation assemblies and locking panel assemblies to enhance secure placement of the floating jamb within the pocket.
As used herein, the singular forms following “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
As used herein, spatially relative terms, such as “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “bottom,” “above,” “upper,” “top,” “front,” “rear,” “left,” “right,” and the like, may be used for ease of description to describe one element's or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. Unless otherwise specified, the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the materials in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures.
As used herein, the term “substantially” in reference to a given parameter, property, or condition means and includes to a degree that one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that the given parameter, property, or condition is met with a degree of variance, such as within acceptable manufacturing tolerances. By way of example, depending on the particular parameter, property, or condition that is substantially met, the parameter, property, or condition may be at least 90.0% met, at least 95.0% met, at least 99.0% met, at least 99.9% met, or even 100.0% met.
As used herein, the term “about” used in reference to a given parameter is inclusive of the stated value and has the meaning dictated by the context (e.g., it includes the degree of error associated with measurement of the given parameter).
Referring to
In some embodiments, the partition system 100, including the partition 102 thereof, may act as a fire barrier to impede the progress of fire, smoke, and heat. Thus, a fire barrier may retard or resist the deleterious effects of fire, smoke, and heat for a certain period of time. A number of standardized tests that evaluate the effectiveness of fire barrier assemblies have been developed for use in the building industry. These standards are enforced, for example, in the International Building Code (IBC), and by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and published by UNDERWRITERS LABORATORIES® (UL), and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), among others. Various agencies test fire barriers using these standardized tests, and assign ratings to fire barriers that indicate their effectiveness at slowing the progress of a fire. Barrier testing agencies include Intertek Testing Services, UL LLC (also known as UNDERWRITERS LABORATORIES®), Chiltern International Fire, Ltd., and Exova Warrington Certification (formerly known as Warrington Fire Research), among others. The partition system 100 may be rated according to at least a minimum rating for fire-resistant barriers in accordance with an approved testing agency. More specifically, the partition system 100 may achieve, for example, at least a 20-minute rating according to any of the testing methods disclosed in the Tenth Edition of ANSI/UL 10B-2015 document titled, “STANDARD FOR SAFETY Fire Tests of Door Assemblies.”
The partition system 100 may also act as a security barrier. Such a security barrier system or assembly may prevent unauthorized access within designated areas of a building or complex, for example. The partition system 100 may be part of a larger security system that prevents access to commercial centers to secure entire buildings or designated areas within a building, such as during routine business closures. In addition, the partition system 100 may be utilized to secure buildings and/or designated areas upon detection of a security threat, such as, for example, assault by an armed aggressor at an educational institution, a medical facility, etc. In particular, the partition system 100 may be designed to prevent a breach of such a security system once deployed.
The partition 102 may include panels 112 interconnected to one another by hinges 114 enabling the panels 112 to fold in a plicated (e.g., accordion-like) manner to extend and retract the partition 102. The partition 102 may be suspended from a track 116, which may be located, for example, in a header assembly 118 or embedded within a ceiling structure of the building. The partition 102 may extend longitudinally (e.g., in an at least substantially vertical direction) from proximate the track 116 to proximate the floor 120. A lead post 122 may be located at an end of the partition 102 opposite the pocket 110 when the partition 102 is in the extended position. The lead post 122 may be configured to engage with a door striker located proximate the second wall 106 or another lead post of a mating partition extending from the second wall 106 to meet and mate with the partition 102 in the space 108. The lead post 122 may be movable laterally (e.g., in an at least substantially horizontal direction), which may cause corresponding expansion and retraction of the partition 102 by relative movement of the panels 112 about the hinges 114. Further, the lead post 122 may be configured to be securely engaged (e.g., locked) when engaged in the fully extended position. Such partition systems are described in detail, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,662,848, issued Dec. 16, 2003 and titled “Automatic Door and Method of Operating Same” and in U.S. Pat. No. 8,967,225, issued Mar. 3, 2015 and titled “Leading End Assemblies for Movable Partitions and Related Methods,” the disclosure of each of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference.
The partition system 100 may include a drive system 130 configured to drive automatic extension and retraction of the partition 102. The drive system 130 may include, for example, a motor 132 configured to mechanically power the movement of the partition 102, a continuous drive member 134 (e.g., a chain, belt) configured to transfer power from the motor 132 to the partition 102, a drive shaft 136 (e.g., a sprocket, gear, roller) operatively connecting the continuous drive member 134 to the motor 132 to transfer motive power from the motor 132 to the continuous drive member 134, and a control system 138 operatively connected to the motor 132 to control the activation, speed, power, and direction of the output of the motor 132. Such drive systems are described in detail, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 8,443,866, issued May 21, 2013 and titled “Methods, Apparatus, and Systems for Movable Partitions” and in U.S. Pat. No. 9,309,710, issued Apr. 12, 2016 and titled “Automatic Drive Systems, Movable Partition Systems Including Such Automatic Drive Systems, and Related Methods,” the disclosure of each of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference. In particular, the control system 138 may be configured to automatically extend or retract the partition 102 upon the occurrence of a predetermined event, such as the actuation of an associated alarm (e.g., a fire alarm or a security alarm). In some embodiments, the control system 138 may be configured to override door opening mechanisms (e.g., onsite push buttons) in order to ensure that the partition 102 remains in a secured position when a security alarm has been activated (e.g., from a remote monitoring location). Further, the control system 138 may be configured to automatically secure (e.g., lock) at least one of the lead post 122 or the floating jamb 140 into secure positions.
The partition system 100 may include a security assembly 150 configured to secure the floating jamb 140 within the pocket 110 when the partition 102 is in an extended position. The security assembly 150 may include, for example, one or more (e.g., two or more) jamb stops 152 attached to an interior surface of the pocket 110 on opposing surfaces of each of the first sidewall 142 and the second sidewall 144, for example, toward a front end of the pocket 110. The security assembly 150 may also include one or more (e.g., two or more) base plates 154 attached to opposing sides of the floating jamb 140. Further, the base plates 154 may be supported on the floating jamb 140 using suitable hardware (e.g., nuts, bolts, washers, support plates, etc.). In addition, spacers 156 (e.g., shims) may be positioned between at least some of the jamb stops 152 and the sidewalls 142, 144 to ensure proper placement (e.g., lateral position) between the jamb stops 152 and the base plates 154 during installation of the partition systems 100 to accommodate differing sizes (e.g., widths) of the floating jamb 140 and/or the pocket 110.
The jamb stops 152 and the base plates 154, as well as the floating jamb 140, may be of any material suitable for providing a fire barrier and/or a safety barrier able to withstand impact forces imposed during a security threat, for example. In particular, materials of the jamb stops 152 and/or the base plates 154 may include, for example, a metal material, such as steel. Further, the spacers 156 may be utilized to adjust spacing between the base plates 154 and the jamb stops 152 such that an inwardly extending lip of the base plates engages with an inwardly extending lip of a respective jamb stop 152. Thus, the jamb stops 152 and the base plates 154 may be configured (e.g., sized and shaped) to prevent displacement of the floating jamb 140 to deter (e.g., prevent) unauthorized access beyond the partition 102 when the partition 102 is in an extended position.
Further, the jamb stops 152 may be configured to be automatically releasable from the base plates 154 (e.g., resettable to an initial, unengaged position) when the partition 102 is deployed toward its retracted position for storage within the pocket 110. In some embodiments, at least one (e.g., both) of the jamb stops 152 may include a portion that is movable (e.g., hinged) relative to an adjacent stationary portion thereof in order to facilitate release and retraction of the components as the partition 102 is returned to the retracted position for storage within the pocket 110. In such an embodiment, one portion of the jamb stops 152 may be attached to the one of the first sidewall 142 or the second sidewall 144 such that the attached portion is stationary during operation, and an adjacent hinged portion of the jamb stops 152 may be configured to extend and retract during deployment and retraction of the partition 102. The base plates 154 may include two stationary portions that are not movable relative to one another, as shown in
Referring now to
Although the disclosure describes and shows the jamb stops 152 including a movable (e.g., a hinged) portion, it is understood that the base plates 154 may additionally, or alternatively, include a hinged portion. Further, specific dimensions of the jamb stops 152, including the acute angle α of the lip 186, in combination with the dimensions of the base plates 154, including the acute angle θ of the lip 202, may be designed such that the safety barrier cannot be breached from only one side of the partition 102 in order to deter (e.g., prevent) displacement of the floating jamb 140 to prevent unauthorized access beyond the partition. Thus, use of the jamb stops 152 and the base plates 154 restricts the ability to shift the floating jamb 140 from one side to another side in order to bypass the jamb stops 152 and to gain unauthorized entry into a secure area.
Referring now to
Referring to
Referring to
The locking panel assembly 170 includes, for example, locking mechanisms 240A, 240B, 242A and 242B (e.g., locks) attached to the floating jamb 140 and configured to engage with stationary supports (not shown) that may be located within the pocket 110 (
The locking panel assembly may also include attachment plates 246A and 246B as attachment points for the wires 244A and 244B. The attachment plates 246A and 246B may include respective pivot points 248A and 248B located proximate (e.g., at) the respective lateral edges of the floating jamb 140. The pivot points 248A and 248B are attached to the floating jamb 140 using suitable hardware (e.g., nuts, bolts, washers, rivets, etc.) that permits each of the attachment plates 246A and 246B to swivel about the respective pivot points 248A and 248B. Actuators 250A and 250B may be associated with (e.g., coupled to) the respective attachment plates 246A and 246B. Further, the actuators 250A and 250B are configured to pivot the attachment plates 246A and 246B about the respective pivot points 248A and 248B in two separate directions (e.g., up and down). In some embodiments, at least some of the components of the locking panel assembly 170 may be positioned within indented portions 238 of the floating jamb 140 such that the components do not interfere with other components of the system that are associated with (e.g., attached to) the floating jamb 140.
In use, the actuators 250A and 250B are accessed and operated independent from one another. For example, the actuator 250A is accessed and operated from one side of the partition 102 (
In some embodiments, the actuators 250A and 250B may be activated by hand. In other embodiments, the actuators 250A and 250B may be activated by a common tool (e.g., screwdriver, wrench, etc.) or a specialized tool that has been designed for this purpose. In yet other embodiments, the actuators 250A and 250B may be activated by a security device including, for example, a key, a coded touch pad, an electromagnetic card, etc. Thus, security may be enhanced by using the locking panel assembly 170 of the security assembly 150. Requiring a two-step activation process on each side of the partition 102 (
In summary, movable partition systems including a floating jamb secured within the pocket when the movable partition is in an extended position in accordance with this disclosure may enable security measures (e.g., security barriers) not previously practiced in the art, such as, for example, preventing displacement of the floating jambs when the partitions have been deployed to deter (e.g., prevent) unauthorized access beyond the partition. Such security measures may be enhanced by using interlocking jamb stops and base plates, as well as by using installation assemblies and/or locking panel assemblies to enhance secure placement of the floating jambs within the pockets. Numerous advantages are achieved by using movable partition systems including such security measures described above. For example, such movable partition systems including floating jambs secured within a pocket when the movable partitions are in an extended position may be utilized to secure buildings and/or designated areas upon detection of a security threat, such as, for example, assault by an armed aggressor, while ensuring that the security barriers cannot be breached from only one side of the barrier.
While certain illustrative embodiments have been described in connection with the figures, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize and appreciate that the scope of this disclosure is not limited to those embodiments explicitly shown and described in this disclosure. Rather, many additions, deletions, and modifications to the embodiments described in this disclosure may be made to produce embodiments within the scope of this disclosure, such as those specifically claimed, including legal equivalents. In addition, features from one disclosed embodiment may be combined with features of another disclosed embodiment while still being within the scope of this disclosure, as contemplated by the inventors.
