Vertically folding wall partition

摘要

A vertically folding wall partition with a set of foldable panel assemblies serially and pivotally connected through a series of vertically spaced apart supports, and a moving mechanism varying a distance between opposed ends of each panel assembly following a downwardly progressing sequence starting with the uppermost panel assembly as the panel assemblies are moved from the deployed position to the folded position, and the moving mechanism varying the distance between the opposed ends of each panel assembly following an upwardly progressing sequence starting with the lowermost of the panel assemblies as the panel assemblies are moved from the folded position to the deployed position.

主权项

1. A vertically folding wall partition comprising:
a set of foldable panel assemblies serially and pivotally connected through a series of vertically spaced apart supports, an uppermost of the panel assemblies having a top end pivotally connected to a hanger for engagement to an overhead structure and a lowermost of the panel assemblies having a bottom end pivotally connected to a bottom linkage, each panel assembly including an upper panel and a lower panel pivotally connected to one another, the upper and lower panels extending substantially in a common vertical plane when in a deployed position and extending laterally outwardly of said common vertical plane in an opposed surface-to-surface stacked relationship when in a folded position; and a moving mechanism engaging each support and the bottom linkage to sequentially move the panel assemblies between the folded and deployed positions, the moving mechanism varying a distance between opposed ends of each panel assembly following a downwardly progressing sequence starting with the uppermost panel assembly as the panel assemblies are moved from the deployed position to the folded position, and the moving mechanism varying the distance between the opposed ends of each panel assembly following an upwardly progressing sequence starting with the lowermost of the panel assemblies as the panel assemblies are moved from the folded position to the deployed position; wherein the moving mechanism includes a support pulley retained on each support and a plurality of hanger pulleys retained on the hanger, each pulley being rotatable about a respective horizontal axis; a cable having a first end connected to the bottom linkage and extending directly to engagement with one of the hanger pulleys, following which the cable extends in engagement with each support pulley in alternation with a corresponding one of the hanger pulley, the support pulleys being engaged following an upwardly progressing sequence starting at a lowermost of the support pulleys; and a motor operatively connected to a second end of the cable to selectively apply tension thereto and release tension therefrom.