Mobile partition device

Abstract

The present invention provides a movable partition device that can reduce the impact noise when the sealing member comes into contact with the floor surface. [Solution] The opposing surfaces of the blocking member 7 that is in contact with the floor surface in the lead and the subsequent blocking member 7 are made into inclined surfaces 76c and 75c that are inclined with respect to the direction of movement of the partition panel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a movable partition device for partitioning spaces such as banquet halls and multipurpose halls, and particularly to a movable partition device provided with a closing member for closing a gap between the lower end of the partition panel and the floor surface at at least the lower end portion of the partition panel.

Background Art

[0002] In a movable partition device for partitioning spaces such as banquet halls and multipurpose halls, upper and lower closing members for closing gaps between the partition panel and the ceiling and the floor surface are provided movably above and below at the upper and lower ends of a plurality of partition panels movably suspended from a guide rail installed on the ceiling. (See, for example, Patent Document 1). The side end portion of the closing member protrudes in the moving direction of the partition panel in a suspended state where the partition panel is movable, and when the protruding end abuts against the opposing side end surface of the closing member that is in contact with the floor surface first, the upper closing member is moved upward and the lower closing member is moved downward by the action of a support means composed of a link member and a torsion coil spring or the like, and they abut against the ceiling and the floor surface so that the gaps are closed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the movable partition device described in Patent Document 1, since the opposing surfaces of the closing members of the preceding and succeeding partition panels are vertical surfaces, when the side end surface of the closing member of the succeeding partition panel comes into contact with the side end surface of the closing member of the preceding partition panel which is in contact with the ceiling and floor, the action of the support means causes the succeeding closing member to move forcefully only in the vertical direction, which may cause it to hit the ceiling and floor impactfully and produce an unpleasant collision sound. In addition, the collision sound when the vertical surfaces of the closing members come into contact with each other may also be loud.

[0005] This invention was made in view of these problems, and aims to provide a movable partition device that can reduce the collision sound when the sealing member comes into contact with the floor surface. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above problems, the movable partition device of the present invention is In a movable partition device, at least the lower ends of a plurality of partition panels, the upper ends of which are movably suspended on guide rails, are provided with closing members that can move downward from a position away from the floor surface to contact the floor surface, and the side end surface of a subsequent closing member contacts the side end surface of a preceding closing member that is already in contact with the floor surface, thereby moving the subsequent closing member downward, The present invention is characterized in that the opposing surfaces of the blocking member that is in contact with the floor surface in the preceding step and the subsequent blocking member are inclined surfaces that are tilted with respect to the direction of movement of the partition panel. According to this feature, when the inclined surface of a subsequent blocking member comes into contact with the inclined surface of a preceding blocking member that is in contact with the floor, the subsequent blocking member moves diagonally downward in the direction of the preceding blocking member as it contacts the floor. As a result, the force acting on the subsequent lower blocking member is distributed between the force in the direction of movement of the partition panel and the downward force, so that the subsequent blocking member is not moved forcefully only in the vertical direction as in conventional designs, and the impact sound when it comes into contact with the floor can be reduced.

[0007] The aforementioned inclined surfaces of the opposing surfaces are characterized by being parallel to each other. This feature allows the subsequent blocking member to move smoothly diagonally downward while keeping the inclined surfaces of the opposing surfaces in close contact.

[0008] The blocking members are characterized by having a recessed and convex fitting portion consisting of a recess and a convex portion on the opposing surfaces of the blocking members, and the opposing surfaces of the recess and the convex portion being the inclined surface. This feature allows the subsequent blocking member to move smoothly diagonally downward along the inclined surface without moving in the front-to-back direction.

[0009] The aforementioned interlocking fitting portion is characterized in that the thickness of the protrusions in the front-to-back direction is smaller than the front-to-back distance between the recesses. This feature ensures that even if one of the sealing members is displaced in the front-to-back direction due to unevenness in the floor surface, the convex portion will be securely fitted into the concave portion.

[0010] The aforementioned interlocking fitting portion is characterized in that the tip of the protruding part has a roughly arc-shaped convex curved surface when viewed from above. According to this feature, even if the thickness of the protrusion in the front-to-back direction is made approximately equal to the front-to-back distance of the recess, the protrusion will fit more easily into the recess.

[0011] The invention is characterized in that vertical contact portions are provided on the front and rear of the opposing surfaces of the preceding and succeeding blocking members, which come into surface contact with each other when the succeeding blocking member moves to its lower limit position. This feature allows the subsequent blocking member to be positioned and stopped at the lowest possible position where it contacts the floor surface. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a front view of an interior space equipped with a movable partition device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a front view of a partition panel with a partial cutout, where the lower closing member is spaced away from the floor surface. [Figure 3] This is a front view of a partition panel with a partial cutout, showing the lower closing member in contact with the floor surface. [Figure 4] It is an enlarged front view of the main part showing the supporting means of the lower plugging member. [Figure 5] It is a plan view of the lower plugging member. [Figure 6] It is an enlarged perspective view of the opposing portions of the left and right lower plugging members. [[ID=I0]] [Figure 7] It is a partial front view of a state where a subsequent lower plugging member separated from the floor surface abuts on a lower plugging member that is previously abutting on the floor surface. [Figure 8] It is a plan view of FIG. 7. [Figure 9] It is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 8. [Figure 10] It is a partial front view of a state where a subsequent lower plugging member has moved downward and abuts on the floor surface. [Figure 11] It is a plan view of FIG. 10. [Figure 12] It is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 11.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] A mode for carrying out the moving partition device of the present invention will be described below based on examples.

Example

[0014] The moving partition device according to the example will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 12. In the following, the lower side of the paper surface in FIGS. 5 and 8 is described as the front of the plugging member, and the upper side of the paper surface is described as the rear. As shown in FIG. 1, the moving partition device 1 partitions an indoor space such as a banquet hall or a multipurpose hall using a plurality of movable partition panels 2. Each partition panel 2 is suspended by a guide rail 4 installed on the ceiling 3, and the indoor space is partitioned by sequentially moving each partition panel 2 to the left along the guide rail 4 and abutting the opposing surfaces of each other.

[0015] Each partition panel 2 is provided with an upper closing member 6 at its upper and lower ends to close the gap between the upper end of the panel body 5 and the ceiling 3, and a lower closing member 7 at its lower end to close the gap between the lower end of the panel body 5 and the floor surface 8. The upper closing member 6 is housed in a U-shaped storage space 5a formed at the upper end of the panel body 5, which opens upward and to both sides in a side view, and the lower closing member 7 is housed in a U-shaped storage space 5b formed at the lower end of the panel body 5, which opens downward such a space that it can move vertically and horizontally.

[0016] The upper and lower closing members 6 and 7 are supported by a support means 10, described later, such that their left side ends protrude in the direction of movement of the partition panel 2 when the partition panel 2 is in a movable suspended state. When the partition panel 2 is in a movable suspended state, the lower closing member 7 is housed in the storage space 5b such that its lower end protrudes downward by a required distance from the lower end of the panel body 5.

[0017] The left end of the upper and lower sealing members 6 and 7, which protrudes to the left, comes into contact with the right end of the upper and lower sealing members 6 and 7, which are already sealing the gap between the wall panel 9 or the ceiling 3 and floor 8. This causes them to be pushed into the upper and lower storage spaces 5a and 5b of the panel body 5, and they are moved upward or downward by the support means 10 to seal the gap between the panel body 5 and the ceiling 3 and floor 8.

[0018] The left and right side end surfaces of the panel body 5 are provided with vertically continuous convex and concave shapes (neither of which are shown in the illustration). The left convex shape engages with the right concave shape of the preceding partition panel 2, and the right concave shape fits into the left convex shape of the subsequent partition panel 2, thereby preventing light leakage and enhancing sound insulation.

[0019] Next, the support means 10 that support the upper and lower closing members 6 and 7 will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 4. Since the upper and lower support means are symmetrical and have the same configuration, only the lower support means 10 will be described.

[0020] Support means 10 are provided at both the left and right ends of the lower closing member 7. One end of a link member 11 is pivotally attached to the lower closing member 7 by an axis 12 that faces in the front-rear direction, and an elongated hole 13 facing the longitudinal direction of the link member 11 is drilled at the other end of the link member 11. This elongated hole 13 is loosely fitted into a pin 14 that faces in the front-rear direction and is provided in the lower frame 5c of the panel body 5. Both ends of a torsion coil spring 16 that biases them to move away from each other are fixed to this pin 14 and a pin 15 that is slightly spaced above the axis 12 in the lower closing member 7.

[0021] When the partition panel 2 is in a movable suspended state, the link member 11 is in an obliquely upward position as shown by the solid line in Figure 4. When the left end of the lower closing member 7, which protrudes to the left, comes into contact with the right end of the lower closing member 7, which has already closed the gap with the floor surface 8, and is pushed to the right as shown by the arrow in Figure 4, the link member 11 is rotated counterclockwise against the biasing force of the torsion coil spring 16, and acts to push down the lower closing member 7.

[0022] When the lower closing member 7, which has been pushed down, comes into contact with the floor surface 8, its downward movement is prevented thereafter, and only the link member 11 continues to rotate. This rotation of the link member 11 is permitted by the relative movement of the pin 14 within the elongated hole 13. When the link member 11 rotates until the shaft 12 passes directly above the pin 14, that is, until it has passed the dead center, the biasing force of the torsion coil spring 16 acts to press the panel body 5 in the direction of travel, and the partition panel 2 becomes fixed in the partition position.

[0023] Furthermore, a rubber gasket 17 is attached to the lower end of the lower sealing member 7, and when the lower sealing member 7 comes into contact with the floor surface 8, the frictional resistance is increased by the rubber gasket 17, so that the partition panel 2 is securely fixed in the partition position.

[0024] Next, the configuration of the lower closing member 7 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 5 and 6. Note that the upper closing member 6 has the same configuration except that the inclination direction of the inclined surfaces 75c and 76c, which will be described later, is opposite (inclined in the direction of movement of the partition panel 2), so the description of the upper closing member 6 will be omitted.

[0025] The lower closing member 7 comprises an upper plate 71, a bottom plate 72, a front plate 73, a rear plate 74, and a left end member 75 fixed to the left side end of each, and a right end member 76 fixed to the right side end. Openings 71a are formed on both the left and right sides of the upper plate 71 to accommodate the aforementioned support means 10 into the internal space. The left end member 75 and the right end member 76 form a slightly elongated rectangle in side view.

[0026] On the outer surface of the left end member 75, two vertical plate-shaped leftward-facing protrusions 75a, 75a are integrally connected at the center in the front-rear direction, spaced approximately parallel to each other in the front-rear direction, so as to protrude in the direction of movement of the partition panel 2. Between the opposing surfaces of the leftward-facing protrusions 75a, a rightward-facing recess 75b is formed, opening in both the leftward and vertical directions. The right base end between the rightward-facing recesses 75b forms a concave curved surface that is approximately arc-shaped in plan view and is inclined at an obtuse angle with respect to the direction of movement of the partition panel 2 (see Figure 9). In this embodiment, the inclination angle of the inclined surface 75c with respect to the vertical contact portion 75d is approximately 10 degrees. The front and rear portions of the left end member 75, which sandwich the leftward-facing protrusions 75a, 75a, are vertical contact portions 75d, 75d that make surface contact with the later-described contact portions 76e, 76e of the right end member 76 of the preceding lower closing member 7 when the subsequent lower closing member 7 moves to its lower limit position.

[0027] A bent portion 76a is formed in the center of the right end member 76 in the front-to-back direction, and is bent to the left in a U-shape in plan view, facing right. A rightward-facing protrusion 76b is integrally attached to the center of the right side of this bent portion 76a in the front-to-back direction, so as to protrude in the opposite direction to the movement direction of the partition panel 2. This rightward-facing protrusion 76b is designed to fit into the rightward-facing recess 75b of the left end member 75 of the subsequent lower closing member 7 when partitioning the interior space. The rightward-facing recess 75b and the rightward-facing protrusion 76b form a recessed-protrusion fitting portion 77 that fits together on the opposing parts of the preceding closing member 7 and the subsequent closing member 7 (see Figure 8). When the rightward-facing recess 75b is fitted into the rightward-facing protrusion 76b, the leftward-facing protrusions 75a, 75a of the left end member 75 overlap the front and rear surfaces of the rightward-facing protrusion 76b. Furthermore, the protruding dimension of the rightward-facing convex portion 76b is set to a length that does not protrude beyond the right end of the bent portion 76a.

[0028] The rightward-facing protrusion 76b is slightly tapered, and its thickness in the front-to-back direction is smaller than the front-to-back distance of the rightward-facing recess 75b of the left end member 75. The right end surface of the rightward-facing protrusion 76b is a roughly arc-shaped convex curved surface in plan view, and is an inclined surface 76c at the same angle as the inclined surface 75c of the left end member 75. Leftward-facing recesses 76d, 76d that open to the right and up and down are formed on both the front and rear sides of the rightward-facing protrusion 76b. The front and rear leftward-facing protrusions 75a, 75a of the left end member 75 are fitted into these leftward-facing recesses 76d with ample clearance when partitioning the interior space. The front and rear parts of the right end member 76 are vertical contact parts 76e, 76e that come into surface contact with the contact parts 75d, 75d of the left end member 75 when the subsequent lower closing member 7 moves to its lower limit position.

[0029] Next, the operation of the lower sealing member 7 configured as described above will be explained with reference to Figures 7 to 12. When the left end member 75 of the lower sealing member 7, which is moving to the left while separated from the floor surface 8, comes into contact with the right end member 76 of the lower sealing member 7, which has been in contact with the floor surface 8 and closing the gap between it and the floor surface 8, as shown in Figures 7 to 9, the interlocking parts 77 formed on the opposing surfaces of the right end member 76 and the left end member 75, that is, the upper side of the rightward convex part 76b of the right end member 76 and the lower side of the rightward concave part 75b of the left end member 75, engage with each other, and the inclined surface 76c of the rightward convex part 76b and the inclined surface 75c of the rightward concave part 75b make line contact.

[0030] In this state, if the subsequent partition panel 2 is pushed further while firmly abutting against the side end surface of the partition panel 2 that is already fixed to the floor surface 8, as shown in Figures 10 to 12, the front and rear contact portions 75d, 75d of the subsequent lower closing member 7 will come into surface contact with the front and rear contact portions 76e, 76e of the preceding lower closing member 7, and the subsequent lower closing member 7 will be moved downward by the action of the aforementioned support means 10 and come into contact with the floor surface 8. At this time, the subsequent lower closing member 7 will come into contact with the floor surface 8 while moving diagonally downward and to the left (towards the preceding partition panel 2) in the direction of arrow A in Figures 10 and 12, along the inclined surface 76c of the rightward convex portion 76b and the inclined surface 75c of the rightward concave portion 75b which are parallel to each other. As the subsequent lower sealing member 7 moves diagonally downward and to the left along the inclined surfaces 76c and 75c, the contact portion 75d of the subsequent lower sealing member 7 comes into strong surface contact with the contact portion 76e of the preceding lower sealing member 7 that is in contact with the floor surface. Meanwhile, the upper sealing member 6 moves diagonally upward and to the left as it comes into contact with the ceiling 3.

[0031] As described above, in the movable partition device 1 according to the embodiment, when the left end of the subsequent lower blocking member 7 abuts the right end of the preceding lower blocking member 7, the inclined surface 75c of the rightward recess 75b of the left end member 75 of the subsequent blocking member 7 contacts the inclined surface 76c of the rightward convex portion 76b of the right end member 76 of the preceding lower blocking member 7, and the subsequent lower blocking member 7 abuts the floor surface 8 while moving diagonally downward to the left. At this time, a leftward force and a downward force are distributed and act on the subsequent lower blocking member 7, so that the collision sound when the lower blocking member 7 abuts the floor surface 8 can be reduced. Moreover, since the inclined surfaces 75c and 76c are parallel to each other, the subsequent blocking member 7 moves smoothly diagonally downward to the left while keeping them in close contact. Furthermore, the contact portion 75d of the subsequent blocking member 7 moves diagonally downward and to the left as it contacts the contact portion 76e of the right end member 76, thus reducing the contact noise.

[0032] Furthermore, since the thickness of the rightward-facing protrusion 76b in the front-to-back direction is smaller than the front-to-back distance of the rightward-facing recess 75b, even if one of the lower sealing members 7 is displaced in the front-to-back direction due to unevenness of the floor surface 8, the rightward-facing protrusion 76b is reliably fitted into the rightward-facing recess 75b. Moreover, because the rightward-facing protrusion 76b and the rightward-facing recess 75b are interlocked, even if an external force is applied to the adjacent lower sealing member 7, it will not be significantly displaced in the front-to-back direction.

[0033] Furthermore, the right end member 76 of the preceding blocking member 7 and the left end member 75 of the succeeding blocking member 7 have vertical contact portions 76e and 75d that come into surface contact with each other when the succeeding blocking member 7 moves to its lower limit position. Therefore, the succeeding blocking member 7 can be positioned and stopped at its lower limit position where it contacts the floor surface 8.

[0034] Furthermore, when the subsequent lower sealing member 7 comes into contact with the floor surface 8, the vertical contact portions 75d, 75d of the subsequent lower sealing member 7 come into surface contact with the vertical contact portions 76e, 76e of the preceding lower sealing member 7. At the same time, the rightward-facing protrusion 76b of the right end member 76 of the preceding lower sealing member and the leftward-facing protrusions 75a, 75a of the left end member 75 of the subsequent lower sealing member 7 overlap front to back. This creates a labyrinth effect that enhances the sound insulation effect between the opposing surfaces of adjacent lower sealing members 7.

[0035] Furthermore, a recessed-recessed fitting portion 77 is formed on the opposing surfaces of the right end member 76 and the left end member 75 by a rightward-facing protrusion 76b and a rightward-facing recess 75b, and the opposing surfaces of the rightward-facing protrusion 76b and the rightward-facing recess 75b are parallel inclined surfaces 76c and 75c, so the fitting allowance of the recessed-recessed fitting portion 77 is increased and the sound insulation effect is enhanced. Moreover, as the subsequent lower closing member 7 moves diagonally downward and to the left, its contact portion 75d comes into strong surface contact with the contact portion 76e of the lower closing member 7 that is in contact with the floor surface 8, thereby enhancing the sound insulation effect.

[0036] Furthermore, the opposing surfaces of the rightward-facing recess 75b and the rightward-facing protrusion 76b are formed as substantially arc-shaped curved surfaces in a plan view, and their inclined surfaces 76c and 75c are in line contact with each other. Therefore, even if one of the lower closing members 7 is tilted in the front-rear direction, no gap will be formed between their contact surfaces.

[0037] Furthermore, the leftward-facing recesses 76d, 76d on the front and rear of the right end member 76 and the leftward-facing protrusions 75a, 75a on the front and rear of the left end member 75 also engage in a recessed-protrusion

[0038] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configurations are not limited to these embodiments, and additions and modifications that do not depart from the spirit of the present invention are also included.

[0039] For example, in the above embodiment, a recessed-recessed fitting portion 77 consisting of a rightward-facing protrusion 76b and a rightward-facing recess 75b is provided on the opposing surfaces of the right end member 76 and the left end member 75, and the opposing surfaces of the rightward-facing protrusion 76b and the rightward-facing recess 75b are inclined surfaces 76c and 75c that are parallel to each other. However, instead of providing such a recessed-recessed fitting portion 77, the opposing surfaces of the right end member 76 and the left end member 75 may simply be inclined surfaces that are inclined with respect to the direction of movement of the partition panel 2, and the inclined surfaces 76c and 75c may not be parallel to each other. Furthermore, although the inclination direction of the inclined surfaces 76c and 75c is inclined with respect to the direction of movement of the partition panel 2 in a front view, as shown in Figure 9, etc., it may also be inclined with respect to the direction of movement of the partition panel 2 in a plan view.

[0040] Furthermore, for example, in the above embodiment, a rightward-facing protrusion 76b is provided on the right end member 76 of the preceding lower sealing member 7, and a rightward-facing recess 75b is provided on the left end member 75 of the succeeding lower sealing member 7. However, conversely, a leftward-facing recess may be provided on the right end member 76 of the preceding lower sealing member 7, and a leftward-facing protrusion on the left end member 75 of the succeeding lower sealing member 7.

[0041] Furthermore, for example, in the above embodiment, the inclined surfaces 76c and 75c between the rightward-facing convex portion 76b and the rightward-facing concave portion 75b in the concave-concave fitting portion 77 are curved surfaces that are approximately arc-shaped in plan view, but they may also be flat inclined surfaces that are in surface contact with each other. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0042] 1. Movable partition device 2 partition panels 4 Guide rails 6. Upper sealing member 7. Lower sealing member 10 Support means 71 Top plate 72 Bottom plate 73 Front plate 74 Rear plate 75 Leftmost member 75a Leftward convex part (convex part) 75b Rightward-facing recess (recess) 75c slope 75d Contact part 76 Rightmost member 76a Bend part 76b Rightward convex part (convex part) 76c slope 76d Leftward concave (concave) 76e Contact part 77 Interlocking parts

Claims

1. In a movable partition device, at least the lower ends of a plurality of partition panels, the upper ends of which are movably suspended on guide rails, are provided with closing members that can move downward from a position away from the floor surface to contact the floor surface, and the side end surface of a subsequent closing member contacts the side end surface of a preceding closing member that is already in contact with the floor surface, thereby moving the subsequent closing member downward, A movable partition device characterized in that the opposing surfaces of the blocking member that is in contact with the floor surface in the preceding direction and the subsequent blocking member are inclined surfaces that are inclined with respect to the direction of movement of the partition panel.

2. The movable partition device according to claim 1, characterized in that the inclined surfaces of the opposing surfaces are parallel to each other.

3. The movable partition device according to claim 1, characterized in that a recessed and convex fitting portion consisting of a recess and a convex portion is provided on the opposing surfaces of the blocking members, and the opposing surfaces of the recess and the convex portion are the inclined surface.

4. The movable partition device according to claim 3, characterized in that the thickness of the protrusions in the front-rear direction of the concave-concave fitting portion is smaller than the front-rear distance of the concave portion.

5. The movable partition device according to claim 3, characterized in that the tip of the protrusion of the concave and concave fitting portion has a convex curved surface that is substantially arc-shaped in plan view.

6. The movable partition device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that vertical contact portions are provided on the front and rear of the opposing surfaces of the preceding blocking member and the succeeding blocking member, which come into surface contact with each other when the succeeding blocking member moves to its lower limit position.

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