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US 12,385,305 B2Granted
Leading end assemblies for movable partitions having an articulated leading member, and related systems and methods
AssigneeWon-Door Corporation
InventorsWilliam Michael Coleman, R. Scott Smart, Tracy M. Knight, Ivan W. Stewart
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Movable partitions may include leading end assemblies comprising an articulated leading member. The articulated leading member may be coupled to a support trolley, and at least one coupling between the articulated leading member and the trolley enables the articulated leading member to move relative to the support trolley. Methods of operating a movable partition include displacing a portion of a leading end assembly to align a majority of at least one surface of the leading end assembly with a portion of an adjacent structure.
Claims20
A movable partition system, comprising:
- a movable partition comprising:
- a plurality of hingedly coupled panels movably coupled to a track and suspended thereby, hanging in a first direction;
- and
- a leading end assembly coupled to at least one panel of the plurality of hingedly coupled panels, the leading end assembly comprising:
- a support trolley for moving the leading end assembly along the track;
- an articulated leading member extending in the first direction;
- a vertical support member coupled to the support trolley and extending from the support trolley, a length of the vertical support member extending along and adjacent to the articulated leading member in the first direction;
- a diagonal support member including a first end, proximal to the support trolley, coupled to the support trolley and a second end, distal to the support trolley, coupled to the vertical support member, the diagonal support member extending from the support trolley to the vertical support member forming a triangular support structure with the vertical support member and the support trolley;
- and
- at least one coupling connecting the articulated leading member and the vertical support member at a position on the length of the vertical support member offset from an end of the vertical support member coupled to the support trolley, the at least one coupling enables the articulated leading member to move relative to the vertical support member and the support trolley.
7 more elements
A method of operating a movable partition, the method comprising:
- moving a movable partition along a track between a retracted position and an extended position, the movable partition comprising:
- a plurality of hingedly coupled panels movably coupled to the track and suspended thereby, hanging in a first direction;
- and a leading end assembly coupled to at least one panel of the plurality of hingedly coupled panels, the leading end assembly comprising:
- a support trolley for moving the leading end assembly along the track;
- an articulated leading member extending in the first direction;
- a vertical support member coupled to the support trolley and extending from the support trolley, a length of the vertical support member extending along and adjacent to the articulated leading member in the first direction;
- a diagonal support member including a first end, proximal to the support trolley, coupled to the support trolley and a second end, distal to the support trolley, coupled to the vertical support member, the diagonal support member extending from the support trolley to the vertical support member forming a triangular support structure with the vertical support member and the support trolley;
- and at least one coupling connecting the leading member and the vertical support member at a position on the length of the vertical support member offset from an end of the vertical support member coupled to the support trolley, the at least one coupling enables the articulated leading member to move relative to the vertical support member and the support trolley;
- contacting an adjacent structure with a portion of the articulated leading member;
- and
- responsive to contacting the adjacent structure with the articulated leading member, displacing the articulated leading member to align a majority of at least one surface of the articulated leading member with a portion of the adjacent structure.
8 more elements
A movable partition system, comprising:
- a movable partition comprising:
- a plurality of hingedly coupled panels movably coupled to a track;
- a leading end assembly coupled to at least one panel of the plurality of hingedly coupled panels, the leading end assembly comprising:
- a support trolley for moving the leading end assembly along the track;
- an articulated leading member;
- a vertical support member extending from the support trolley;
- a diagonal support member forming a triangular support structure with the vertical support member and the support trolley;
- and
- at least one coupling connecting the articulated leading member and the vertical support member, the at least one coupling enables the articulated leading member to move relative to the vertical support member and the support trolley;
- and
- a counter-balancing coupling positioned and configured to apply a biasing force to the articulated leading member to counter a weight imbalance of the articulated leading member, the counter-balancing coupling comprising:
- a bracket attached to the articulated leading member, the bracket extending around the vertical support member;
- and
- a spring positioned between the bracket and the vertical support member.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.