BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to concertina panels for dividing a room into two spaces and a wall system comprising such concertina panels.

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to concertina panels for dividing a room in two or more spaces, for example in two conference rooms. The known concertina panels comprise a frame provided with a first post for suspending the concertina panels from a rail on a ceiling of the room. A wall system may comprises for example seven concertina panels, wherein one panel is used as a closing panel.

After arrangement of the concertina panels, these concertina panels should be fixed with the rail, such that the concertina panels remain in a flat position in the wall arrangement. Normally, these fixation can be accomplished by hand through latches in the rail and/or floor.

It is also possible that the fixation is established automatically when the flat position of the concertina panels is reached when the concertina panels are pushed into a closed position. Thereto, a first concertina panel is provided with a locking

mechanism comprising a first moveable projection which is moveable between a retracted position and a protruded position for engagement with the rail and a second, adjacent, concertina panel is provided with a second projection directed to the first concertina panel, when viewed in the closed position of concertina panels. The locking mechanism is further arranged to receive the second projection and to move the first projection from the retracted position to the protruded position when the concertina panels are pushed to the closed position and the second projection is received. The locking mechanism can be provided with a spring acting as a release mechanism to retract the first projection to the retracted position when the concertina panels are opened. A drawback of the known concertina panels is that the locking mechanism occupies a relatively large space inside the concertina panels which restricts freedom of design. For example, when the known locking mechanism is integrated in the first post of the concertina panel, a relative large first post is required and a remaining surface of the concertina panel that can be provided with, for example, a transparent plate, is therefore limited.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the invention to mitigate to above mentioned drawbacks of the concertina panels and the wall system.

According to a first aspect of the invention this object is achieved by concertina panels for dividing a room, wherein a first and a second concertina panel each comprising a frame provided with a first post for suspending the first and second concertina panels from a rail, the first concertina panel comprising a locking mechanism provided with a moveable first projection, which is moveable between a retracted position and a protruded position with respect to the first post for engagement with the rail.

The second concertina panel is provided with a second projection directed to the first concertina panel, when viewed in a closed position of the first and second concertina panels, wherein the locking mechanism further comprises a slide movable between a first position and a second position, the slide being further provided with an interface arranged to receive the second projection when the slide is in the first position; and a lever positioned between the slide and the first projection arranged to transfer a first movement of the slide from the first position to the second position into a second movement of the first moveable projection from the retracted position towards the protruded position for engagement with the rail.

In this arrangement, locking of the concertina panels can be automatically accomplished. In operation , when the concertina panels are pushed into a flat position the second projection is pushed to the interface and therewith the slide is pushed from the first to the second position and the first projection is moved from the retracted position to the protruded position for engagement with the rail. This arrangement of the locking mechanism can be compact and enables further integration of the locking mechanism in un upper or lower post of the concertina panels. Also, further latching of the concertina panels is not required anymore.

A further advantage of the integration of the locking mechanism in the upper or lower post of the concertina panels is that when the panels are provided with transparent panels, the locking mechanism and service points of the concertina panels can be moved out of sight. Furthermore, the surface of the transparent plate in the concertina panel can be increased .

In a further embodiment of the concertina panels the lever is arranged such that the second movement of the moveable first projection is larger than the first movement of the slide. This arrangement provides a fast movement of the first projection in a short time when the concertina panels are entering their closed position.

In a further embodiment of the concertina panels the lever is attached with a first end to the slide via a hinge axle, which is perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the first post and perpendicular to a front surface of the first concertina panel, and wherein the movement of the slide is in the longitudinal direction of the first post.

In a still further embodiment of the concertina panels the locking mechanism is provided with a guide to guide the hinge axle of the lever and to direct the first moveable projection in protruded position in the rail, when the slide is moved to the second position. In this protruded position the moveable projection can engage with a cavity of a rail so that the concertina panels can be fixed.

In a still further embodiment of the concertina panels the lever comprises a lever axle parallel to the hinge axle and the guide is provided with first slits arranged to guide the hinge axle and second slits arranged to guide the lever axle in order to direct the moveable first projection to the protruded position in the rail.

In a still further embodiment of the concertina panels the guide comprises a first U-profile and each of the legs of the first U-profile are provided respectively with the first and second slits.

In a still further embodiment of the concertina panels the first and second slits make an angle Θ with respect to each other. The angle Θ for example, between the longitudinal axes of the first and second slit can be arranged to set a predetermined conversion factor between the first movement of the slide and the movement of the first projection. In a different embodiment of the concertina panels the locking mechanism comprises a biasing device between the lever and the slide arranged to hold a movement of the first projection when the concertina panels are moving to, but not yet arrived in the closed position, and to accelerate the first projection towards the extracted position when the concertina panels are entering into the closed position. This arrangement reduces grazing of the first projection with the ceiling. The biasing device may comprise a first spring, for example, a first helical spring.

In a different embodiment of the concertina panels the end of the first projection engaging with the cavity is provided with a roller or a wheel. The roller or wheel reduces the friction between the first projection and the rail for suspension.

In a different embodiment of the concertina panels the locking mechanism further comprises a release mechanism for moving the slide from the second position to the first position when the concertina panels are moved to an open position and the first projection is moved to the retracted position. The release mechanism may comprise a second spring, for example, a second helical spring.

In a different embodiment of the concertina panels the locking mechanism is integrated in the first post of the first concertina panel, and the second projection is integrated in the first post of the second concertina panel. The integration of the locking mechanism and the second projection in the first post of the respective concertina panels enables more freedom for design of the concertina panels and the locking mechanism and service points can be positioned out of sight.

In a different embodiment of the concertina panels at least a part of the concertina panels are provided with transparent plates. The transparent plated can be for example glass or PMMA.

The invention also relates to a wall system comprising concertina panels according to any of the claims 1 - 13.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The above and other, more detailed aspects of the invention will be elucidated and described hereinafter, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing. Therein:

Fig. 1 shows a wall system and concertina panel according to an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 shows a first and second concertina panel according to an embodiment of the invention in an open position;

Fig. 3 shows a first and second concertina panel in an intermediate position;

Fig. 4 shows a first and second concertina panel in a closed, flat, position; and

Fig. 5 shows a concertina panel provided with a frame. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

Fig 1 shows a wall system 1 comprising first and second concertina panels 2, 3 for dividing a room and a rail 4 from which concertina panels 2,3 can be suspended. Fig. 1 shows the wall system with a closed or flat arrangement of the concertina panels 2, 3. The number of concertina panels is a wall system can be for example seven. One of concertina panels at the end of the wall is applied as a closing panel. The wall arrangement of the concertina panels 2,3 requires fixation of the first and second panels with the rail 4, such that the concertina panels remain flat in their wall arrangement. This fixation can be made by hand using latches and/or keys.

This fixation of the concertina panels can also accomplished automatically when a flat position of the concertina panels is reached.

Fig. 2 shows a first and second concertina panels in an open position. Each of the first and second panels 2, 3 comprises a frame 5 provided with a first post 6 for suspending the concertina panels to the rail 4. The first and second panels 2,3 can be connected to each other via one or more hinges 30. The first concertina panel 2 comprise a locking mechanism 7. The locking mechanism 7 can be provided with a moveable first projection 8, which is moveable between a retracted position and a protruded position with respect to the first post 6 for engagement with the rail 4.

The second concertina panel 3 can be provided with a second projection 9 directed to the first concertina panel 2, when viewed in a closed or flat position of the first and second concertina panels 2,3.

For example, the locking mechanism can be arranged at a right part of the first post of the concertina panel 2 and the second projection 9 can be arranged at a left part of the first post of the second concertina panel 3, when viewed from the front side of Fig. 2

The locking mechanism 7 may further comprise a slide 10 which can be moved between an first position and a second position, the slide being further provided with an interface arranged to receive the second projection 9 when the slide is in the first position. The interface can be a third projection 11 attached to the slide 10 and directed to the second projection 9.

Furthermore, the locking mechanism 7 can be provided with a lever 12, positioned between the slide 10 and the moveable first projection 8, arranged to transfer a first movement of the slide 10 from the first position to the second position into a second movement of the first moveable projection 8 from the retracted position towards the protruded position for the engagement with the rail 4 when the concertina panels 2, 3 are moved to a flat, closed, position and the second projection 9 is pushed to the third projection 11. The lever 12 can be integrated with the first projection 8. Furthermore, the lever 12 can be arranged such that that the second movement of the moveable first projection 8 is larger than the first movement of the slide 10.

In an embodiment, the lever 12 is attached with a first end to the slide 10 via a hinge axle 13, which is perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the first post 6 and perpendicular to a front surface 15 of the first concertina panel 2, and wherein the movement of the slide 10 is in the longitudinal direction of the first post 6.

In an embodiment the locking mechanism 7 can be further provided with a guide 16 arranged to guide the hinge axle 13 of the lever 12 and to direct the first moveable projection 8 into engagement with the rail, when the slide 10 is moved towards the second position. The lever 12 can be provided with a lever axle 14 parallel to the hinge axle 13 and the guide 16 can be further provided with first slits 17 arranged to guide the hinge axle 13 and second slits 18 arranged to guide the lever axle 14 to direct the moveable first projection 8 into engagement with the rail. The guide 16 may comprise a U-profile, wherein each of the legs of the U-profile are provided with respectively the first and second slits 17, 18.

In an embodiment the longitudinal axes of first and second slits 17, 18 make an angle Θ with respect to each other.

The angle Θ adjusts a transition ratio between the movement of the slide 10 and the movement of the first moveable projection 8. The transition ratio can be further defined by the position of the level axle with respect to the first end second end of the lever 12.

Furthermore, in an embodiment the locking mechanism can be provided with a biasing device, the biasing device can be a first spring, for example a first helical spring 21 between the lever 12 and slide 10 and arranged to allow the first projection 8 in the retracted position, when the concertina panels 2,3 are moving to, but not yet arrived in the closed position , and to accelerate the first projection 8 towards the extracted position for engagement with the rail 4, when the concertina panels are arriving at the closed position under the rail 4. In this way grazing of the first projection with the ceiling or the rail can be reduced when the concertina panels are moved into the closed position.

In a further embodiment the locking mechanism may comprise a release mechanism, the release mechanism can be a second spring, for example a second helical spring 22, for moving the slide 10 back from the second position to the first position and moving the first projection 8 from the extracted position into the retracted position when the concertina panels 2, 3 are opened.

In operation, when the concertina panels 2,3 are closed energy is stored by stretching the second helical spring 22 and this energy is released when the concertina panels are opened and used to retract the first projection 8 from the extracted position into the retracted position.

Furthermore, the locking mechanism 7 can be integrated in the first post 6 of the first concertina panel 2 and the second projection 9 can be attached to the first post 6 of the second concertina panel 3.

This arrangement can be very compact and enable large freedom of design of the concertina panels and the wall system. For example, the compact arrangement of the locking mechanism in the first post enables that the locking mechanism and service points can be out of sight, when view from a front side or back side of the concertina panels and the concertina panels can be provided with transparent plates e.g. glass or PMMA.

In an embodiments the first and second concertina panels are respectively provided with the locking mechanism 7 at the right side of the first post 5 and the second projection 9 at the left side of the first post 5 so that a wall of a predetermined length can be assembled from first and second concertina panels 2,3 and suspended from the rail 4 at the ceiling of the room.

Operation of the concertina panels and the locking mechanism 7 is explained in relation to Figs 2,3 and 4.

Fig. 2 shows the concertina panels 2,3 in an open arrangement, wherein the concertina panels can be pushed to a closed or flat position the concertina panels via an intermediate arrangement.

Fig. 3 shows the concertina panels 2, 3 in the intermediate arrangement wherein the second projection 9 is engaging with the third projection 1 lof the slide 10. When the concertina panels 2,3 are closed, the concertina panels pushes the slide 10 from the first position to a second position in the longitudinal direction of the post, and energy is stored in the first helical spring 21 of the biasing device, when the concertina panels are under the rail 4 the energy in the first helical spring 21 is released and the first projection 8 is protruded for engagement with the rail 4,when the concertina panels 2,3 are under the rail 4.

Fig. 4 shows the concertina panels 2,3 in a flat position, wherein the slidelO is in the second position and the first projection 8 is in an protruded position and is fixed in the rail (not shown). During closing of the concertina panels the second helical spring 22 of the release mechanism is stretched when the concertina panels in the closed position. When the concertina panels are opened the spring pulls the slide 10 back from the second position to the first position

Fig. 5 shows a concertina panel 2 in further detail with a frame 5 and a first post 6. The frame can be closed or can be provided with a transparent plate 20 to close the surface of the concertina panels 2.

In an embodiment, the locking mechanism 7 can be integrated in the second, lower, post 61 of the first concertina panel 2 and the second projection 9 can be attached to the second, lower post 61 of the second concertina panel 3 in order to fix the concertina panels 2,3 in a floor rail (not shown).

Other variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure and the appended claims, In the claims the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. The mere fact that certain messages are recited in mutually difference dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.

Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope.