Partition System With Offset Hinges And Adjustable Head Rails
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional partition systems with pilasters obstruct floor cleaning, create visibility lines, and are difficult to align on uneven floors, failing to provide a modern aesthetic and adequate privacy.
Innovation Solution
A partition system with spaced apart posts and doors that intersect at specific angles, using offset hinges for wider door clearance and adjustable head rails for leveling, and T- or L-shaped framing elements for a clean aesthetic, eliminating pilasters and ensuring no visibility lines.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If pilasters are provided on either side of each door in conventional partition systems, then structural support and alignment are improved, but floor cleaning becomes difficult and the footprint increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the pilaster elements from the partition system, extracting the problematic structural component that obstructed floor cleaning. The support function is redistributed to wall-mounted brackets and post structures that do not interfere with floor access, thereby eliminating the cleaning difficulty while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a footprint-based support structure (pilasters extending from floor) to a wall-mounted support system. By moving the support function to a vertical dimension on the walls rather than occupying horizontal floor space, the system maintains structural support while eliminating the obstruction to floor cleaning.
2Stability of the object's composition
If pilasters are provided in conventional partition systems, then structural stability is improved, but visibility lines are created that compromise privacy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the pilaster elements that created visibility lines, removing the source of the privacy problem. The support function is transferred to wall-mounted brackets and post structures positioned away from the door gaps, thereby maintaining structural stability while eliminating the harmful visibility lines that compromised privacy.
3Adaptability or versatility
If pilasters and posts are placed in shoes attached to the floor for adjustment, then adaptability to uneven floors is improved, but misalignment between adjacent doors and titled head rails occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces adjustable wall-mounted brackets as intermediary elements between the floor and the door assembly. These brackets provide the necessary adjustment for uneven floors while maintaining precise alignment through their rigid wall-mounted construction, preventing the misalignment and titling problems that occurred with floor-attached shoes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the support system into separate functional components: wall-mounted brackets for structural support and alignment, and adjustable post elements for floor level adaptation. This segmentation allows each component to perform its function independently, maintaining precision while accommodating uneven floors.
4Stability of the object's composition
If conventional U-shaped or H-shaped frames are used with visible hardware, then structural support is provided, but aesthetic appearance deteriorates with an industrial look
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the visible U-shaped or H-shaped frame hardware from the partition system. The support function is transferred to wall-mounted brackets and post structures that can be concealed or minimized, thereby eliminating the industrial aesthetic while maintaining structural support.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different visual qualities to different parts of the system: the wall-mounted brackets and posts provide structural support while being designed to be aesthetically pleasing, whereas the traditional visible hardware is completely removed. This creates a localized quality difference between the functional support elements and the aesthetic surface elements.
Data Source
AI summary
In a partition system partitions there are two or more doors, positioned in a common plane. Adjacent doors have angled sides that meet when the doors are closed. Each door is attached to a post or partition by a pair of hinges and is mounted so that there is a space adjacent each side surface of the doors when the front surfaces of those doors are parallel to the common plane. When the front surfaces of those doors are parallel to the common plane each door is mounted so that and any sight line through each space will intersect at least one of the spaced apart posts and the spaced apart partitions when the front surfaces of the doors are parallel to the common plane.The hinges may provide an axis of rotation that is inward from the edge of the door. The partitions are preferably mounted on frame members that have an L-shaped or inverted T-shaped cross-section. The partitions have a slot along one side which receives the upright portion of the frame members.