Movable partitions are utilized in numerous situations and environments for a variety of purposes. Such partitions may include for example, foldable or collapsible doors configured to close off an opening in order to enclose a room or to subdivide a single large room into one or more smaller rooms. The subdivision of a larger area may be desired, for example, to accommodate the simultaneous meeting of multiple groups. In such applications movable partitions are useful, among other things, for providing privacy and noise reduction.
Movable partitions may also be used to act as a security barrier, a fire barrier or as both. In such a case, the movable partition may be configured to automatically close upon the occurrence of a predetermined event such as the actuation of an associated alarm. For example, one or more movable partitions may be configured as a fire door or barrier wherein each door is formed with a plurality of panels connected to each other by way of hinge mechanisms. The hinged connection of the panels allows the door to fold-up in a compact unit on one side of the opening or it may be stored in a pocket formed within a wall and being designed to conceal the door and preserve the aesthetics of the room where the door is installed. When deployment of the door is necessary, the door is driven by a motor along a track (the track often being incorporated into the header above the door), until the leading edge of the door, often defined by a component called a lead post, complementarily engages a mating receptacle. Such a mating receptacle may be referred to as a jamb or a door post when formed in a fixed structure (such as a wall), or as mating lead post when formed in another door or movable partition. The lead post, when properly engaged with the doorjamb (or the mating lead post), allows corresponding latching mechanisms to engage if desired, and helps to provide a desired seal (e.g., a seal with respect to airflow, sound waves or both).
However, even when a movable partition is properly closed, the door seal may be broken, for example, if the lower edge of the door is laterally displaced relative to the top edge of the door. Such lateral displacement of the lower edge of the door can be caused, for example, by a draft created by a fire, an improperly balanced HVAC system, or simply by a person pushing on the door. When the seal is broken, smoke and flames may intrude around the door if the door is being used as a fire barrier. If the door is being used in a security installation, a person may sufficiently displace the door to enable that person, or another, to slide or crawl underneath the door. At a minimum, displacement of the base of the door is unsightly and significantly reduces the door's effectiveness as a privacy screen and noise barrier.
One approach to preventing or controlling the lateral displacement of a door, including the door's lower edge, is to engage the lower edge of the door in a guide track that is either embedded in or otherwise attached to the floor. However, the use of a track can present various issues. For example, a track disposed in the floor can pose a safety issue, regardless of whether it protrudes above the floor or is recessed within the floor, potentially resulting in a person twisting an ankle or tripping and falling. Likewise, such a track may act as a significant obstacle for wheeled conveyances. Additionally, such a guide track, being exposed when the associated door is in a retracted state, is prone to damage and may act as a collection point for dirt and debris.
Some efforts have been made to prevent the lateral displacement of the lower edge of such a movable partition to prevent fluid flow beneath the movable partition without the use of a track in the floor. For example, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/796,325, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,740,046, issued Oct. 30, 2008, entitled METHOD, APPARATUS AND SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING A MOVABLE PARTITION, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/934,566, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,931,067, issued Apr. 26, 2011, entitled MOVABLE PARTITIONS WITH LATERAL RESTRAINT DEVICES AND RELATED METHODS, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/652,446, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,926.538, issued Apr. 19, 2011, entitled LATERAL RESTRAINT FOR A MOVABLE PARTITION, MOVABLE PARTITIONS INCORPORATING SAME AND RELATED METHODS (the disclosures of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties) discuss various means of reducing or preventing the lateral displacement of the lower edge of a movable partition.
Nevertheless, it is a desire within the industry to continually improve the operation of movable partitions. As such, apparatuses and systems are provided herein to substantially secure a movable partition from lateral displacement. In certain embodiments, methods, apparatuses and systems are provided that substantially maintain the lateral position of a lower edge of a movable partition in order to maintain a seal formed by the partition without the need to employ a track or other structure disposed within a floor over which the partition traverses.
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