GB2218631A - Folding screens - Google Patents

Abstract

Folding screen assembly e.g. for display purposes comprises two or more panel sections (A, B, C) of uniform width connected by hinges formed from flexible bands (20, 22) which extend across front and rear faces of the sections alternately, crossing each other between the immediately adjacent side edges of the sections so that the sections are articulated for selective arrangement in a variety of angular relationships including translation to reverse each section so that it faces the opposite way while remaining at the same position in the sequence of sections and disposition of the sections to radiate from a common centre. <IMAGE>

Description

FOLDING SCREENS This invention relates to free-standing screens comprising a plurality of operatively vertical planar folding panel sections which can be arranged at an angle to each other to stand the screen with the side faces of the panel sections exposed.

The invention is particularly applicable to folding display screens for use in hanging and displaying notices, bulletins, pictures and other articles in exhibitions, public halls, schools, offices etc. though screens embodying the invention may have other applications or be used in other ways indoors or outdoors in forming temporary or movable structures for decorative and/or utilitarian purposes, for example draught or sight screens e.g. in 'open plan" offices, for temporary division of rooms, forming enclosures, or the like.

The coject of the invention is to provide a fo:'irg screen construction which is simple, reliable and durable in use, of neat and pleasing appearance, and particularly adaptable in permitting a wide variety of arrangement of its panel sections so as to be extremely versatile in use.

According to the invention there is provided a screen assembly comprising a plurality (typically three or ore) panel sections of uniform width interconnected by hinge means for angular movement of each section relative to the other section or sections; characterised in that the hinge means comprises at least two flexible ligatures which are located to extend across front and rear faces of the sections alternately, crossing each other.between the immediately adjacent-side edges of the sections so as to connect the sections together for articulation permitting their selective arrangement in a variety of angular relationships including translation reversing each individual panel section to face the opposite way while occupying the same position in the sequence of sections.

It is to be understood that said lengths of ligature may be parts of a common ligature, either an endless loop or having its ends connected directly to each other; or said ligature or lengths may have ends connected or anchored to appropriate points on one or more of the panel sections and/or resiliently tensioned thereabout.

The ligatures may be flat bands or ribbons e.g. of woven or other fabric webbing, metal strip or other strapping or they may be wire or other cords, filaments or chains.

The hinging portion or portions of the panel sections which carry and are located by the ligatures may be integral with associated panels or may be formed to releasably engage the panels e.g. at their top and bottom edges at common hinging portions can be used with a variety of panels, e.g. of differing heights.

' Provision may be made for two or more panel assemblies to be engaged or located one on top of the other to form a taller structure e.g. by the assemblies having spigot and socket connections provided, for example, in vertical tubular side members of each assembly and said side members may also serve as the anchorage for the ligatures or ligature lengths.

For example a set of six panels could be arranged two high and three wide using three hinging portions positioned respectively at the top, bottom and centre of the construction so formed.

Examples of the invention will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a screen assembly in one condition of use, Figure 2 is a plan view thereof with panel sections in co-planar relationship, Figures 3, to 8 are like plan views thereof showing other configurations in which the panel sections can be readily arranged, and Figure 9 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a modified form of assembly.

The screen assembly shown in Figures 1-8 of the drawings comprises three rectangular panel sections A,B,C of uniform dimensions, respective panels each of which have planar front and rear faces identified respectively as AF,AR etc.

The sections are linked together and articulated by hinge means located across the top and bottom margins of the sections and their operatively vertical side edges are defined by upright side members, e.g. of circular section tubular metal identified respectively as A1,A2;B1,B2 etc these references also identifying the left and right hand edges of the sections as viewed from the front in the condition of Figures 1 and 2. It is to be noted that the front and rear faces of the sections are, in this example, identical in appearance, their major surface areas being adapted for mounting posters, bulletins, pictures or other types of display material e.g. by means of pins.However, it will be appreciated that the or each front and/or rear face of the sections could provide different display or other facilities for example, pegboard, blackboard or other surface finish for receiving directly drawings or script, and/or decorative finishes.

Reverting to the hinge means the arrangement at the top and bottom of the sections is identical, thus, for clarity, only the top hinge connections bill be described in detail.

Said connections comprise three horizontallengths of flexible ligament in the form of flat bands or straps of webbing or metal strip, a first length 20 being interposed in the vertical sense between the other two lengths 22a and 22b, the latter lengths running parallel and following a common path round the sections.

Length 20 has its opposite ends anchored to the outer most side members Al and C2, as viewed in the drawings and it is horizontally tensioned to run across the front face AF of section A then across the rear face BR of section B and then across the front face CF of section C.

The other two bands 22a,22b also have their ends anchored to members Al and C2 but alternate between the front and rear faces of the sections in the opposite sense to length 20 i.e. they cross the front face BF of the intermediate section B but cross the rear faces of sections A and C.

It will be seen that the bands cross over each other between the immediately adjacent side edges A2,B1, and 82, C1 of the assembly of sections so that they are connected together for hinging movement.

In most patterns of known screen assembly the pairs of adjacent side edges of the panel sections are close coupled by some kind of hinge means i.e. A2 would be hinged to B1 and 82 hinged to C1. The hinges have to be constructed to allow full angular movement of the panels between the straight line condition shown in Figure 2, the zig-zag arrangement shown in Figure 1 and the fully folded face to face arrangement shown in Figure 3.

With the hinged construction of the invention not only is the last described articulation readily provided, but further arrangements of the sections can readily be carried out without dismantling or disconnecting the sections from each other. When the sections are in face to face relationship the connecting ligatures cross each other between the abutting faces as shown, somewhat exaggerated, in Figure 4 and this allows a translatory movement of each section to bring their other side edges adjacent to each other as shown in Figure 5 where, viewed from the front, Section C is now to the left and section A to the right of section 8 with edge members 82 and 81 , 82 and Al adjacent to each other - thus the sequence of material displayed on the panel faces can be changed round without dismounting from the screen assembly.

The hinge arrangement also has the advantage that the panel sections can be disposed to radiate from a common centre as shown in Figure 6 giving a particularly compact, regular and neat display with all six faces equally accessible and three pairs of adjacent faces viewable at the same time. With a conventional three fold screen only the arrangements shown in Figures 7 and 8 are possible to give most compact viewing, the disadvantage of the Figure 7 arrangement being that only one side of each panel is accessible while the Figure 8 arrangement gives poor viewing and accessibility to the inwardly directed face of the panels.

The Figure 7 and 8 arrangements are, of course, equally possible with the screen assembly described above with the added advantage of being able to interchange -the relationship of the panel sections as already described.

It It will be appreciated that, while a three fold screen assembly has been described any number of sections can be provided, i.e. additional intermediate panel sections can be interposed between the end sections A and C with the ligatures led round them alternately across front and rear faces as already described. Such a- multi- leaf assembly can be arranged in the various ways shown in the drawings as a straight line, zig-zag fold, in radial relationship like the spokes of a wheel and/or in other regular or irregular formations. A five-fold assembly with some intermediate sections of reduced height is shown diagrammatically in Figure 9.

The vertical edge members of the sections may be provided with spigot and s-ocket formations at their ends, e.g. the lowermost spigots 24 (Fig.l) serving as feet when the assembly is stood upright directly on the ground, and upwardly opening sockets (26) locating the spigots of a like assembly when two or more assemblies are to be stood on top of each other for increased height.

In another alternative arrangement the assemblies comprise dismountable hinging sub-assemblies or portions which are releasably attached between separable panels.

This enables sets of panels of different heights to be substituted and/or panels to be stacked on top of each other e.g. with hinge assemblies at top and bottom and common hinge assemblies between the upper and lower edges of the adjacent panels.

While three interlaced ligatures at each hinging location as described above are found to be convenient it is to be understood that more or less ligatures might be used, possibly two lennths only of ligature could be employed or, for added security and strength, further ligature lengths or pairs of lengths could be added. It is also to be understood that the ligature lengths need not necessarily be anchored to edge portions of the outer sections A,C, thus they could be led round said edges to be anchored to some other parts of those sections.They might possibly be continued e.g. to form a single closed lotop or winding by connecting the ends to each other, possibly with or without attachment to the outer sections though some form of location of the ligatures will be necessary to ensure that they are guided correctly and cannot be displaced from their proper positions, they might be located in guide grooves for example.

Tensioning screws and or resilient means might be provided acting on the ligatures to take up any stretching and secure the sections in close alignment (the spacing between the edges of the panels has been exaggerated in the diagrams for greater clarity).

An assembly according to the invention may comprise two panel sections only although the full advantages of the invention are only realised if three or more are used..

Locating means might be provided to assist'in keeping the sections in correct vertical alignment with each other and/or to control their pivoting movement relative to each other more closely, for example interengaging gear like teeth around the peripheries of the vertical edges and/or inter-locating tongue and groove formations or the like e.g. to. resist any tendency of the row of sections to twist out of proper alignment.

Claims (12)

CLAT-x 'S

1. A screen assembly comprising a plurality of panel sections of uniform width interconnected by hinge means for angular movement of each section relative to the other section or sections; characterised in that the hinge means comprises at least two flexible ligature lengths which are located to extend across front and rear faces of the sections alternately, crossing each other between the immediately adjacent side edges of the sections so as to connect the sections together for articulation permitting their selective arrangement in a variety of angular relationships including translation reversing each individual panel section to face the opposite way while occupying the same position in the sequence of sections.

2. An assembly as in Claim 1 comprising three or more said panel sections.

3. An assembly as in Claim 1 or 2 wherein the panel sections are interconnected by respective hinge means located across top and bottom margins of the sections.

4. An assembly as in Claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the lengths of ligature comprising the or each hinge means are parts of a common ligature.

5. An assembly as in Claim 4 wherein said common ligature is in the form of an endless loop or has its ends connected directly to each other.

6. An assembly as in any preceding claim wherein said lengths of ligature have ends connected or anchored to appropriate points on one or more of the panel sections.

7. An assembly as in any preceding claim wherein said ligature lengths are resiliently tensioned about the panel sections.

8. An assembly as in any preceding claim wherein the panel sections each include a hinging portion or portions which carry and are located by the ligature lengths, and panels releasably engageable with said portion or portions.

9. An assembly as in any preceding claim including means for engaging or locating a further like panel assembly therewith in vertical relationship to form a taller structure.

10. An assembly as in Claim 9 incorporating tubular side members providing spigot and socket connections for said location in vertical relationship.

11. An assembly as in Claim 10 wherein said side members also serve as anchorages for ends of the ligature lengths.

12. A screen assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figures 1-, or Figure 9 of the accompanying drawings.