Protective Clip for Movable Partition Edge Guarding

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing movable partitions lack effective protection for edges and corners, which can cause injuries and fail to provide a complete seal, compromising their functionality as noise, fire, and security barriers.

Innovation Solution

The development of a protective clip with an elongated planar base and a guard portion that protrudes perpendicularly from the base, covering edges and corners of the partition panels, and a method of injection molding to manufacture these clips, which can be attached to movable partitions using a sweep strip mechanism.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If movable partitions are used to partition spaces and provide sealing, then the partition functionality as visual, noise, fire and security barrier is improved, but the exposed edges and corners of the partition panels create safety hazards and fail to provide complete seal

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesealing capabilityVSAvoidinjury from exposed edges

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A protective clip serves as an intermediary component between the partition panel and the sweep strip. The clip has a base portion that attaches to the panel and a guard portion that extends to cover the exposed edge, mediating between the rigid panel and the flexible sweep strip to provide both protection and sealing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The protective clip is divided into distinct functional segments: a base portion for attachment to the partition panel, a guard portion for covering the exposed edge, and a sweep strip attachment feature. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function optimally while working together as an integrated solution

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Object-affected harmful factors

If protective components are added to partition panels to cover edges and corners, then safety and sealing are improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotection from injuryVSAvoidstructure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The protective clip merges multiple functions into a single component: it provides physical protection from exposed edges, enables attachment of the sweep strip for sealing, and attaches to the partition panel. This consolidation reduces the number of separate parts needed while achieving multiple protective and functional goals

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The protective clip is designed as a multi-functional element that simultaneously protects against injury, provides sealing capability through sweep strip attachment, and attaches to various partition panel configurations. The universal design accommodates different panel types and thicknesses while maintaining its protective and sealing functions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS10359064B2Protective clips for movable partitions and related methods

Publication Date: 2019.07.23 WON DOOR CORP

AI summary

Protective clips for movable partitions include a guard portion that protrudes from a top major surface of a base portion. The guard portion extends along the top major surface proximate to a front side of the base portion. The guard portion also may extend along the top major surface proximate to at least one end side surface at a longitudinal end of the base portion. Movable partitions include one or more such protective clips. The protective clips optionally may be used to attach a sweep strip to panels of a movable partition. Methods of forming such protective clips include molding the clips within a mold cavity.