Title of Invention	MOVABLE PARTITION WITH SEVERAL LATERALLY DISPLACEABLE WALL PANELS
Abstract	A sliding wall with several laterally displaceable wall elements (12/1 - 12/n) guided by means of rollers at a carrying profile (14) alongside a sliding rail, at least one of the wall elements (12/2) being executed as door element operable by means of a door closer (30), whereby an automatic coupling respectively uncoupling slide arm assembly is provided between the door closer (30) and the wall element (12/2) serving as door element and during displacement of the sliding wall the door element will be automatically maintained in the sliding wall's travelling position.

Title of Invention

MOVABLE PARTITION WITH SEVERAL LATERALLY DISPLACEABLE WALL PANELS

Abstract

A sliding wall with several laterally displaceable wall elements (12/1 - 12/n) guided by means of rollers at a carrying profile (14) alongside a sliding rail, at least one of the wall elements (12/2) being executed as door element operable by means of a door closer (30), whereby an automatic coupling respectively uncoupling slide arm assembly is provided between the door closer (30) and the wall element (12/2) serving as door element and during displacement of the sliding wall the door element will be automatically maintained in the sliding wall's travelling position.

Full Text	Title: Movable Partition with several laterally displaceable wall panels Description This invention relates to a movable partition with several laterally displaceable wall elements guided via rollers in a sliding rail, at least one of these wall elements is executed as a door element operable by means of an automatic drive or a door closer. Known from EP 0 601 326 B1 for example, for such movable partition not-guided near the floor area, the door closer assigned to the door element is arranged within a frame structure of the door element concealed in its upper horizontally extending profile section such that only its driving axle pointing towards the floor extends from the frame structure and can be connected via a transverse coupling pin with the door element's fitting oriented towards it. Accordingly, the door closer being in permanent working connection with the door element is moved together with the wall element of the movable partition comprising other wall elements, when the movable partition is conveyed. Such construction is complex, as especially the support of the torque to be performed by the door closer is difficult to accomplish at the via rollers displaceable suspension of the door element, as each wall element respectively door element presents its own drive for the displacement. Furthermore the weight of the door elements to be displaced and thus their inertia is increased, which is disadvantageous for the displacement events. The known embodiment is therefore expensive. DE 24 10 623 A1 reveals a movable partition, which individual wall elements are guided in the upper and in the lower part and-by means of a common drive they are conveyed through folding into the open and / or into the closed position. Such movable partition only provides the option of complete opening or complete closing of the building's aperture. Especially in the cold season it is however desire, if the movable partition is closed, to autonomously open or close at least one wall element for example as swing door. The object of the invention is to find a solution through a new conception and execution of a movable partition with several wall elements comprising at least one wall element being executed as door element operable by means of a door closer. On the basis of the known movable partition according to EP 0 601 326 B1, this problem is solved with the invention in that an automatic swing door operator or the door closer is arranged stationary with regard to the displaceable wall elements of the movable partition, and that actuation means located between the swing door operator / door closer and the door element are executed as a rod assembly that becomes automatically operative respectively inoperative 2 during displacement of the wall elements and that a blocking member is provided, which serves to maintain the door element in the traveling position during displacement and which released it upon transfer into the operation position with the swing door operator or the door closer. The stationary mounting of the drive arrangement, provided for opening and closing the door element and executed as controllable door closer, guarantees a vibration-free operation of the assigned drive motor and of its gear components and or the transmission rod assembly, which is extremely advantageous for an operationally reliable function over long operation periods. Furthermore the suspensions of the wall elements serving as door elements are discharged from load, as from now on the drive arrangement's weight can be supported by the building structure. This circumstance improves the smooth running of the movable partition, as now all the wall elements approximately present the same mass. The support of the torque, to be performed by the door closer upon opening and closing of the wall element being executed as a door element, is from now on simply and safely realized fixedly to the building structure, a fact that has also a positive influence on the operational reliability. Moreover the supply of the drive arrangement, which can operate electromechanically as well as electro hydraulically, with electric energy, is considerably simplified. The drive arrangement's inventive embodiment furthermore allows simple retrofitting of already existing movable partition. 3 Hereinafter the invention is explained on the basis of an embodiment example more or less diagrammatically illustrated in the drawing. It is shown in detail: Figure 1: a view of a building aperture closable by means of a movable partition comprising several wall elements in the closed position together with the inventive drive arrangement for a wall element executed as door element. Figure 2: a view according to Figure 1 showing the movable partition transfer into the open position. Figure 3: a section of the drive arrangement in scale-up according to the view of Figure 1. Figure 4: a section according to line IV-IV in Figure 3. As illustrated in the Figures 1 and 2, a movable partition 10 includes several laterally displaceably arranged wall elements 12/1 to 12/n, which upper edges are embraced respectively by a carrying profile 14 and which lower edges are embraced by a cover profile 15, in case these are executed as all-glass elements. The carrying profiles 14 present load-bearing bolts 17, which height-adjustably connect the wall elements 12/1 to 12/n respectively with a drive slide 23 guided in a sliding rail 20 by means of rollers 21 and guiding rollers 22. 4 Each drive slide presents a drive motor, which is non-illustrated here, by means of which each wall element is displaceable alongside the sliding rail. The sliding rail 20 is fixedly secured to the building at the ceiling of the room to be closed through the movable partition. It is however also possible to connect the wall elements 12/1 to 12/n to each other and to displace them by means of one drive. The building, only suggested in Figure 1, is identified as a unit by the reference numeral 12. Fittings 25 are provided at the individual wall elements' 12/1 to 12/n longitudinal edges facing each other, which fittings articulately connect the wall elements 12/1 to 12/n to each other. The fitting 25/1 between the wall elements 12/2 and 12/3 are executed as hinges, which allow pivoting of a wall element 12/2 executed as a door element in a way to be described later, a stationary mounted controllable drive 30 serves for the purpose as door operator. A frame profile 27 is assigned to the sliding rail 20, compare figure 4, covering the sliding rail and the load-bearing bolt 17 on the view side. For the execution of the wall element 12/2 serving as door element (swing leaf), the assigned carrying profile 14 is conceived in two pieces and includes identical partial profiles 14/1 and 14/2, compare especially Figure 4. The upper carrying profile 14/2 is connected via the load-bearing bolts 17 with the assigned drive slide 23, whereas the lower partial profile 14/1 embraces the upper edge of the wall element 12/2 serving as door element. The upper partial 5 profile 14/2 is .connected by means of the fitting 25 with the wall elements 12/1 and 12/3, these fittings also secure the mutual connection of all the wall elements 12/1 to 12/n. The upper partial profile 14/2 is furthermore assigned a fix stopper 28 (compare Fig.4) at which the wall element 12/2 serving as door element closely abuts with its partial profile 14/1, when the movable partition is in the closed position. The upper partial profile 14/2 furthermore carries a rotatably supported \e\/er arm or rocker 29, as it is particularly visible from Figure 4, in the rest position according to Figure 2 under the load of a spring, is positioned with its end regions 29/1 in front of the lower partial profile 14/1 of the wall element 12/2 serving as door element and thus retains the latter in the plane of the movable partition. The lower partial profile 14/1 is connected by means of the first hinge 25/1 with the adjacent wall element 12/3, whereas the second hinge 25/1 acts on this wall element in its lower region. The already mentioned drive 30 is stationary mounted at the frame profile 27 in the region of the wall element 12/2 serving as door element, and namely in the place, where this wall element is positioned when the movable partition is in the closed position, compare Figure 1. In this region at the lower partial profile 14/1 of the wall element 12/2 is attached the sliding rail 32 of the slide arm assembly assigned to the drive 30, which slide rail arm 33 is positioned on a driving axis 35 of the drive 30 and engages the sliding rail 32 by means of a journal 37, 6 when the movable partition is in the closed position, as clearly illustrated in Figure 4. Ultimately the rocker 29 is assigned a stationary stopper 38, which is attached at the frame profile 21 in the region of the wall element 12/2 serving as door element and which extends into the displacement way of the rocker 29 connected to the upper partial profile 14/2. The described arrangement works as follows: In the closed position of the movable partition as illustrated in Figure 1, the drive 30 engages with the slide rail arm 33 via a journal 37 into the sliding rail 32 and thus gets into a working connection with the wall element 12/2 serving as door element, which is pivotably articulated via the hinges 25/1 at the wall element 12/3. By means of a stationary stopper 38, the rocker 29 is simultaneously pivoted into its inoperative position, compare Figure 4, such that in a known manner via the drive 30, the wall element 12/2 can be opened or closed as a door element. A sensor control is provided of the purpose, which is not illustrated as it is not part of this invention, which is for example described and illustrated in the brochure "Automatic Door Operator" DORMA ED 300. When the movable partition with the wall element 12/2 closed, an action that can be likewise achieved through a not-illustrated sensor control, is moved by means of the drive slides 23 into the open position, as particularly illustrated in Figure 2, the rocker 29 and the slide rail arm 33 slide out of their positions, 7 represented in Figure 1. The rocker 29 blocks, via its end region 29/1, which comes in position in front of the profile part 14/1, all pivoting movements of the wall element 12/1 serving as door element. Moreover, the drive 30 becomes ineffective as a result of the journal's 37 disengaging from the sliding rail 32. The wall elements 12/1 to 12/n of the movable partition are not almost rigid and they can travel in traditional manner by means of their drive slides 23 into their parking position, such that the building aperture, until now closed by the movable partition, is opened up. When moving the movable partition into the closed position s illustrated in Figure 1, the working status of the described arrangement illustrated in Figure 4 will be achieved again automatically, as the journal 37 of the slide rail arm 33 engages into the sliding rail 32 and via the stationary stopper 38, the spring-loaded rocker 29 pivots into its inoperative position, and the drive becomes again operative. As a matter of fact, the drive can be assigned to any or all wall elements of the movable partition without leaving the inventive idea of an automatic coupling or uncoupling. References 8 9 We Claim: 1. A movable partition with several laterally displaceable wall elements (12/1 - 12/n) guided by means of rollers at a carrying profile (14), at least one of these wall elements (12/2) being executed as a door element operable by means of a door closer (30), characterized in that the door closer (drive 30) is stationary arranged with regard to the displaceable wall elements (12/1 to 12/n), and that an actuation means, provided between the door closer (drive 30) and the wall element (12/2) serving as door element, is conceived as rod assembly (32, 33, 37) becoming automatically operative respectively inoperative during displacement of the wall elements, and that a blocking member (rocker 29) is provided by means of which the wall element (12/2) serving as door element during displacement is maintained in the rest position and is released when conveyed into the operation position with the door closer (drive 30). 2. A movable partition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuation means provided between the door closer (drive 30) and the wall element (12/2) serving as door element are executed as slide arm assembly, which movable partition (32) is assigned to the wall element (12/2) serving as door element and which slide rail arm (33) is assigned to the door closer (drive 30). 5 3. A movable partition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the blocking member executed as spring loaded rocker (29) is assigned to the wall element (12/2) serving as door element, to which rocker is assigned a stationary stopper (38) serving as actuation member. 10 4. A movable partition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wall element (12/2) serving as door element is pivotably articulated by means of hinges (25/1) at the adjacent wall element (12/3) and presents a carrying profile (14/1, 14/2) are rotatably movable with regard to each other and in the parallel oriented displacement position they 15 are supported and can be blocked, the lower partial profile (14/1) being assigned to the wall element (12/2) serving as door element and the upper partial element (14/2) being assigned to the drive slide (23) suspended in the sliding rail (20), 2 5. A movable partition as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the wall element (12/2) serving as door element is detachably held in the pivotable position aligned with the other wall elements (12/1 to 12/n), between a stopper (28) fixed to the profile of the upper partial profile (14/2) and the rocker (29) being in its operation position. 6. A movable partition as claimed in claim 5, wherein the rotatably movable rocker (29) is resiliency held in its blocking position. 3 A sliding wall with several laterally displaceable wall elements (12/1 - 12/n) guided by means of rollers at a carrying profile (14) alongside a sliding rail, at least one of the wall elements (12/2) being executed as door element operable by means of a door closer (30), whereby an automatic coupling respectively uncoupling slide arm assembly is provided between the door closer (30) and the wall element (12/2) serving as door element and during displacement of the sliding wall the door element will be automatically maintained in the sliding wall's travelling position.

Full Text

Title: Movable Partition with several laterally displaceable wall panels
Description
This invention relates to a movable partition with several laterally displaceable wall elements guided via rollers in a sliding rail, at least one of these wall elements is executed as a door element operable by means of an automatic drive or a door closer.
Known from EP 0 601 326 B1 for example, for such movable partition not-guided near the floor area, the door closer assigned to the door element is arranged within a frame structure of the door element concealed in its upper horizontally extending profile section such that only its driving axle pointing towards the floor extends from the frame structure and can be connected via a transverse coupling pin with the door element's fitting oriented towards it.
Accordingly, the door closer being in permanent working connection with the door element is moved together with the wall element of the movable partition comprising other wall elements, when the movable partition is conveyed.
Such construction is complex, as especially the support of the torque to be performed by the door closer is difficult to accomplish at the via rollers displaceable suspension of the door element, as each wall element respectively door element presents its own drive for the displacement.

Furthermore the weight of the door elements to be displaced and thus their inertia is increased, which is disadvantageous for the displacement events.
The known embodiment is therefore expensive.
DE 24 10 623 A1 reveals a movable partition, which individual wall elements are guided in the upper and in the lower part and-by means of a common drive they are conveyed through folding into the open and / or into the closed position.
Such movable partition only provides the option of complete opening or complete closing of the building's aperture. Especially in the cold season it is however desire, if the movable partition is closed, to autonomously open or close at least one wall element for example as swing door.
The object of the invention is to find a solution through a new conception and execution of a movable partition with several wall elements comprising at least one wall element being executed as door element operable by means of a door closer.
On the basis of the known movable partition according to EP 0 601 326 B1, this problem is solved with the invention in that an automatic swing door operator or the door closer is arranged stationary with regard to the displaceable wall elements of the movable partition, and that actuation means located between the swing door operator / door closer and the door element are executed as a rod assembly that becomes automatically operative respectively inoperative
2

during displacement of the wall elements and that a blocking member is provided, which serves to maintain the door element in the traveling position during displacement and which released it upon transfer into the operation position with the swing door operator or the door closer.
The stationary mounting of the drive arrangement, provided for opening and closing the door element and executed as controllable door closer, guarantees a vibration-free operation of the assigned drive motor and of its gear components and or the transmission rod assembly, which is extremely advantageous for an operationally reliable function over long operation periods.
Furthermore the suspensions of the wall elements serving as door elements are discharged from load, as from now on the drive arrangement's weight can be supported by the building structure. This circumstance improves the smooth running of the movable partition, as now all the wall elements approximately present the same mass. The support of the torque, to be performed by the door closer upon opening and closing of the wall element being executed as a door element, is from now on simply and safely realized fixedly to the building structure, a fact that has also a positive influence on the operational reliability. Moreover the supply of the drive arrangement, which can operate electromechanically as well as electro hydraulically, with electric energy, is considerably simplified.
The drive arrangement's inventive embodiment furthermore allows simple retrofitting of already existing movable partition.
3

Hereinafter the invention is explained on the basis of an embodiment example more or less diagrammatically illustrated in the drawing.
It is shown in detail:
Figure 1: a view of a building aperture closable by means of a movable
partition comprising
several wall elements in the closed position together with the inventive drive
arrangement for a wall element executed as door element.
Figure 2: a view according to Figure 1 showing the movable partition transfer into the open position.
Figure 3: a section of the drive arrangement in scale-up according to the view of Figure 1.
Figure 4: a section according to line IV-IV in Figure 3.
As illustrated in the Figures 1 and 2, a movable partition 10 includes several laterally displaceably arranged wall elements 12/1 to 12/n, which upper edges are embraced respectively by a carrying profile 14 and which lower edges are embraced by a cover profile 15, in case these are executed as all-glass elements. The carrying profiles 14 present load-bearing bolts 17, which height-adjustably connect the wall elements 12/1 to 12/n respectively with a drive slide 23 guided in a sliding rail 20 by means of rollers 21 and guiding rollers 22.
4

Each drive slide presents a drive motor, which is non-illustrated here, by means of which each wall element is displaceable alongside the sliding rail. The sliding rail 20 is fixedly secured to the building at the ceiling of the room to be closed through the movable partition. It is however also possible to connect the wall elements 12/1 to 12/n to each other and to displace them by means of one drive.
The building, only suggested in Figure 1, is identified as a unit by the reference numeral 12.
Fittings 25 are provided at the individual wall elements' 12/1 to 12/n longitudinal edges facing each other, which fittings articulately connect the wall elements 12/1 to 12/n to each other. The fitting 25/1 between the wall elements 12/2 and 12/3 are executed as hinges, which allow pivoting of a wall element 12/2 executed as a door element in a way to be described later, a stationary mounted controllable drive 30 serves for the purpose as door operator. A frame profile 27 is assigned to the sliding rail 20, compare figure 4, covering the sliding rail and the load-bearing bolt 17 on the view side.
For the execution of the wall element 12/2 serving as door element (swing leaf), the assigned carrying profile 14 is conceived in two pieces and includes identical partial profiles 14/1 and 14/2, compare especially Figure 4.
The upper carrying profile 14/2 is connected via the load-bearing bolts 17 with the assigned drive slide 23, whereas the lower partial profile 14/1 embraces the upper edge of the wall element 12/2 serving as door element. The upper partial
5

profile 14/2 is .connected by means of the fitting 25 with the wall elements 12/1 and 12/3, these fittings also secure the mutual connection of all the wall elements 12/1 to 12/n. The upper partial profile 14/2 is furthermore assigned a fix stopper 28 (compare Fig.4) at which the wall element 12/2 serving as door element closely abuts with its partial profile 14/1, when the movable partition is in the closed position.
The upper partial profile 14/2 furthermore carries a rotatably supported \e\/er arm or rocker 29, as it is particularly visible from Figure 4, in the rest position according to Figure 2 under the load of a spring, is positioned with its end regions 29/1 in front of the lower partial profile 14/1 of the wall element 12/2 serving as door element and thus retains the latter in the plane of the movable partition.
The lower partial profile 14/1 is connected by means of the first hinge 25/1 with the adjacent wall element 12/3, whereas the second hinge 25/1 acts on this wall element in its lower region.
The already mentioned drive 30 is stationary mounted at the frame profile 27 in the region of the wall element 12/2 serving as door element, and namely in the place, where this wall element is positioned when the movable partition is in the closed position, compare Figure 1. In this region at the lower partial profile 14/1 of the wall element 12/2 is attached the sliding rail 32 of the slide arm assembly assigned to the drive 30, which slide rail arm 33 is positioned on a driving axis 35 of the drive 30 and engages the sliding rail 32 by means of a journal 37,
6

when the movable partition is in the closed position, as clearly illustrated in Figure 4.
Ultimately the rocker 29 is assigned a stationary stopper 38, which is attached at the frame profile 21 in the region of the wall element 12/2 serving as door element and which extends into the displacement way of the rocker 29 connected to the upper partial profile 14/2.
The described arrangement works as follows:
In the closed position of the movable partition as illustrated in Figure 1, the drive 30 engages with the slide rail arm 33 via a journal 37 into the sliding rail 32 and thus gets into a working connection with the wall element 12/2 serving as door element, which is pivotably articulated via the hinges 25/1 at the wall element 12/3. By means of a stationary stopper 38, the rocker 29 is simultaneously pivoted into its inoperative position, compare Figure 4, such that in a known manner via the drive 30, the wall element 12/2 can be opened or closed as a door element. A sensor control is provided of the purpose, which is not illustrated as it is not part of this invention, which is for example described and illustrated in the brochure "Automatic Door Operator" DORMA ED 300.
When the movable partition with the wall element 12/2 closed, an action that can be likewise achieved through a not-illustrated sensor control, is moved by means of the drive slides 23 into the open position, as particularly illustrated in Figure 2, the rocker 29 and the slide rail arm 33 slide out of their positions,
7

represented in Figure 1. The rocker 29 blocks, via its end region 29/1, which comes in position in front of the profile part 14/1, all pivoting movements of the wall element 12/1 serving as door element. Moreover, the drive 30 becomes ineffective as a result of the journal's 37 disengaging from the sliding rail 32.
The wall elements 12/1 to 12/n of the movable partition are not almost rigid and they can travel in traditional manner by means of their drive slides 23 into their parking position, such that the building aperture, until now closed by the movable partition, is opened up. When moving the movable partition into the closed position s illustrated in Figure 1, the working status of the described arrangement illustrated in Figure 4 will be achieved again automatically, as the journal 37 of the slide rail arm 33 engages into the sliding rail 32 and via the stationary stopper 38, the spring-loaded rocker 29 pivots into its inoperative position, and the drive becomes again operative.
As a matter of fact, the drive can be assigned to any or all wall elements of the movable partition without leaving the inventive idea of an automatic coupling or uncoupling.
References

8

9

We Claim:
1. A movable partition with several laterally displaceable wall elements
(12/1 - 12/n) guided by means of rollers at a carrying profile (14), at
least one of these wall elements (12/2) being executed as a door
element operable by means of a door closer (30), characterized in
that the door closer (drive 30) is stationary arranged with regard to
the displaceable wall elements (12/1 to 12/n), and that an actuation
means, provided between the door closer (drive 30) and the wall
element (12/2) serving as door element, is conceived as rod
assembly (32, 33, 37) becoming automatically operative
respectively inoperative during displacement of the wall elements,
and that a blocking member (rocker 29) is provided by means of
which the wall element (12/2) serving as door element during
displacement is maintained in the rest position and is released when
conveyed into the operation position with the door closer (drive 30).
2. A movable partition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuation
means provided between the door closer (drive 30) and the wall
element (12/2) serving as door element are executed as slide arm

assembly, which movable partition (32) is assigned to the wall element (12/2) serving as door element and which slide rail arm (33) is assigned to the door closer (drive 30).
5 3. A movable partition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the blocking
member executed as spring loaded rocker (29) is assigned to the wall element (12/2) serving as door element, to which rocker is assigned a stationary stopper (38) serving as actuation member.
10 4. A movable partition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wall element
(12/2) serving as door element is pivotably articulated by means of hinges (25/1) at the adjacent wall element (12/3) and presents a carrying profile (14/1, 14/2) are rotatably movable with regard to each other and in the parallel oriented displacement position they
15 are supported and can be blocked, the lower partial profile (14/1)
being assigned to the wall element (12/2) serving as door element and the upper partial element (14/2) being assigned to the drive slide (23) suspended in the sliding rail (20),
2

5. A movable partition as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the
wall element (12/2) serving as door element is detachably held in
the pivotable position aligned with the other wall elements (12/1 to
12/n), between a stopper (28) fixed to the profile of the upper partial
profile (14/2) and the rocker (29) being in its operation position.
6. A movable partition as claimed in claim 5, wherein the rotatably
movable rocker (29) is resiliency held in its blocking position.

3
A sliding wall with several laterally displaceable wall elements (12/1 - 12/n) guided by means of rollers at a carrying profile (14) alongside a sliding rail, at least one of the wall elements (12/2) being executed as door element operable by means of a door closer (30), whereby an automatic coupling respectively uncoupling slide arm assembly is provided between the door closer (30) and the wall element (12/2) serving as door element and during displacement of the sliding wall the door element will be automatically maintained in the sliding wall's travelling position.

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Patent Number

210298

Indian Patent Application Number

IN/PCT/2001/00312/KOL

PG Journal Number

39/2007

Publication Date

28-Sep-2007

Grant Date

26-Sep-2007

Date of Filing

20-Mar-2001

Name of Patentee

DORMA GMBH + CO. KG

Applicant Address

BRECKERFELDER STR.42-48,D-58256 ENNEPETAL,

Inventors:

#	Inventor's Name	Inventor's Address
1	JANUTTA REINHARD	REBHUHNWEG 38, 33415 VERL,
2	BLOBAUM UDO ERNST	GOETHESTR 35 33818 LEOPOLDSHOHE, GERMANY

PCT International Classification Number

E05D 15/06,15/12

PCT International Application Number

PCT/EP00/12068

PCT International Filing date

2000-12-01

PCT Conventions:

#	PCT Application Number	Date of Convention	Priority Country
1	199 59 825.8	1999-12-10	Germany