Technical domain

The present invention relates to a foldable partition, such as for ex ample a foldable wall, a folding door or foldable window, comprising a number of panels that are hingedly connected or connectable to each other and that are moveably suspended from a top rail.

Prior art

Foldable partitions are known, for example from the following patent publications. KR 200486680 Y1 describes a foldable window system comprising a number of window panels that are hingedly connected to each other. Each win dow panel is suspended so as to be rotatable at a central axis in a frame com prising a rail both at the bottom and at the top.

JP11294005 describes a folding door comprising a number of door panels that are hingedly connected to each other. Each door panel is suspended so as to be rotatable at a central axis in a top rail and a bottom rail. Hinge ele ments that hingedly connect the door panels to each other are provided with han dles to facilitate moving the door panels.

Description of the invention It is an aim of the invention to provide a foldable partition that allows wear and tear of the suspension means by which the panels are suspended to be reduced.

In a first aspect, the invention relates to a foldable partition, com prising: a top rail; a plurality of partition panels that are hingedly connected or connectable to each other and that are moveable between a folded position, in which the partition panels essentially abut each other, and an unfolded position, in which the partition panels are essentially in the same plane; and suspension elements that each suspend one of the partition panels in a moveable manner to the top rail, wherein each of the suspension elements is connected to the respec tive partition panel at a central axis of said partition panel. Each of the suspension elements preferably comprises a ball joint structure allowing a movement of the respective partition panel relative to the suspension element with at least the fol lowing degrees of freedom:

- rotating the partition panel about the central axis;

- tilting the partition panel about an axis perpendicular to the central axis.

Due to the presence of the joint structure, leverage forces, which may for example occur during operation of the foldable partition, are not or to a lesser extent transferred to the top rail and/or a top portion of the suspension elements located in or on the top rail. In this way, wear and tear of these parts can be reduced.

In embodiments according to the invention, the joint structure may comprise one or more hinges, for example a first hinge enabling the rotation about the central axis and a second hinge enabling the tilting about the axis perpendic ular to the central axis.

In embodiments according to the invention, the joint structure may comprise a flexible element, for example a flexible coupling in an elastic material, a rope, a cable or a chain, or the like.

In embodiments according to the invention, the joint structure may comprise one or more ball joints, for example a ball joint at the level of the top rail and/or a ball joint at the level of the top edge of the partition panel.

In embodiments according to the invention, each suspension ele ment comprises a rod extending downward, wherein the ball joint is provided on the rod. This has the advantage of a simple, yet robust construction of the sus pension element. In embodiments according to the invention, the ball joint is formed by a protrusion at a bottom end of the rod, wherein the protrusion has a convex spherical top surface, and a ring cooperating with the protrusion and con nected or connectable to the partition panel, wherein the ring has a concave spherical bottom surface. This has the advantage of a simple, yet robust construction of the suspension element.

In embodiments according to the invention, the ball joint is located in a top edge of the respective partition panel. In this way, a pivot point is created in this top edge, which may further reduce the transferal of leverage forces to the top rail and/or a top portion of the suspension elements located in or on the top rail. In this way, wear and tear of these parts can be further reduced.

In embodiments according to the invention, each suspension ele ment has a body moveably mounted to the top rail by means of wheels. In alter native embodiments, the suspension elements may also be slidable arranged in/on the top rail, and a sliding contact may be provided to this end.

In embodiments according to the invention, the partition panels may be releasably suspended from the suspension elements. In embodiments, the partition panels are individually suspendable from their respective suspension el ement, i.e., the partition panels may each be suspended separately from the cor responding suspension element, after which the partition panels are hingedly connected to each other.

In an aspect according to the invention, optionally combined with other features of the foldable partition described herein, a magnetic coupling is provided for magnetically coupling the partition panels to each other and/or to the door jambs in the unfolded position, so that the partition panels essentially form a single assembly in the unfolded position and remain positioned in the unfolded position. This allows a bottom rail to be omitted, or limited to a minimal height, mainly intended to guide the panels during the movement between the different positions. Omitting or limiting the bottom rail offers advantages, for example for wheelchair users, and/or may prevent an accumulation of dirt in the bottom rail.

In embodiments according to the invention, the magnetic coupling may comprise permanent magnets arranged in side edges of the partition panels. For example, the magnetic coupling between the partition panels may be formed by at least one permanent magnet, arranged in one of the side edges of the par tition panel and facing the opposite side edge of the adjacent partition panel in the unfolded position, wherein an elastic sealing strip is provided on at least one of the side edges so as to seal a gap between the partition panels in the unfolded position.

In embodiments according to the invention, the foldable partition may not have a bottom rail. A bottom rail may be unnecessary due to the pres ence of the ball joints limiting the transferal of leverage forces. In other words, the bottom rail may be unnecessary because it is not strictly needed for preventing tilting motions of the partition panels.

In embodiments according to the invention, the foldable partition may comprise a bottom rail, wherein the partition panels are provided at the bot tom with positioning elements, which moveably engage with the bottom rail and which serve to position the bottom of the partition panels.

In an aspect according to the invention, optionally combined with other features of the foldable partition described herein, the partition panels are hingedly connected or connectable to each other by means of hinge elements, a hinge axis of which preferably lies outside of the plane formed by the partition panels in the unfolded position. This facilitates the folding of the panels starting from the unfolded position.

In embodiments according to the invention, handles are provided for operation by a user, wherein each handle is located at the opposite side of the partition panels relative to one of the hinge elements. This entails a user pull ing the handles towards themself in order to open the foldable partition.

In embodiments according to the invention, each handle comprises a first portion mounted to an edge of one of the partition panels, and a second portion arranged for operation by a user, wherein, in the folded position, the edges of the partition panels essentially form an end face, and wherein the first portion is essentially located in the end face and the second portion is located outside of the end face. In this way, the partition panels may be arranged very close together, leading to a compact assembly in the folded position. The handles are not in the way and also remain reachable by the user.

In embodiments according to the invention, the handles and the hinge elements are matching parts.

In an aspect according to the invention, optionally combined with other features of the foldable partition described herein, matching parts of the handles and the hinge elements may be located in a chamber of a frame of the respective partition panel and form a reinforcement of the frame. In this way, due to this local reinforcement, the frame may be better able to resist the forces ex perienced by the frame as a result of operation by the user. In many existing designs, the attachment of the handle on, e.g., a wall panel forms a weak point. As a result of the construction, according to preferred embodiments of the inven tion, with the matching parts in the chamber of the frame, the frame is locally reinforced instead of creating a point of weakness.

In embodiments according to the invention, the handles and the hinge elements are respectively located at substantially the same height relative to a bottom edge of the partition panels.

Brief description of the figures

The invention will hereafter be further elucidated in reference to em bodiments according to the invention shown in the figures.

Figure 1 shows a front view of an embodiment of the foldable parti tion in fully unfolded position.

Figure 2 shows the foldable partition of Figure 1 in a partly folded position.

Figure 3 shows the foldable partition of Figure 1 in fully folded posi- tion.

Figure 4 shows a cross section of a top rail of a foldable partition.

Figure 5 to 7 show views of an embodiment of a suspension ele ment of a foldable partition, intended to be received in the top rail of Figure 4.

Figure 8A-B shows a variant embodiment of the suspension ele ment comprising two ball joints.

Figure 9A-B shows a variant embodiment of the suspension ele ment comprising a flexible element.

Figure 10A-B shows a variant embodiment of the suspension ele ment comprising a ball joint at the top.

Figure 11 A-B shows a variant embodiment of the suspension ele ment comprising a ball joint at the top. Figure 12A-B shows a variant embodiment of the suspension ele ment comprising a hinge construction having two axes of rotation perpendicular to each other.

Figure 13 shows a top view of a foldable partition, wherein the par tition panels are suspended by means of suspension elements according to Fig ure 5-7.

Figure 14 shows a transverse view of a bottom rail of a foldable partition and a positioning element moveable along the latter.

Figure 15 to 18 show an embodiment of handles and hinges for the foldable partition of Figure 1 .

Figure 19 and 20 show an embodiment of a magnetic coupling of the foldable partition, which may be arranged for magnetically coupling the parti tion panels to each other and/or to the door jambs in the unfolded position.

Detailed description of the figures

The present invention will be described with respect to particular embodiments and with reference to certain drawings, but the invention is not lim ited thereto and is defined only by the claims. The drawings described are merely schematic depictions and are non-limiting. In the drawings, the size of certain elements may be exaggerated and not drawn to scale for illustrative purposes. The dimensions and the relative dimensions do not necessarily correspond to the actual reductions to practice of the invention.

Furthermore, the terms first, second, third and the like are used in the description and in the claims for distinguishing between similar elements, and not necessarily for describing a sequential or chronological order. The terms are interchangeable under the appropriate circumstances and the embodiments of the invention may be operated in other sequences than described or illustrated here.

Moreover, the terms top, bottom, over, under and the like are used in the description and the claims for illustrative purposes and not necessarily for describing relative positions. The terms so used are interchangeable under the appropriate circumstances and the embodiments of the invention described herein may be operated in other orientations than those described or illustrated herein.

Furthermore, the different embodiments, although referred to as “preferred embodiments”, should be construed as examples of ways in which the invention may be carried out rather than as limiting the scope of the invention.

The term “comprising”, as used in the claims, should not be inter preted as being restricted to the means or steps listed thereafter; the term does not exclude other elements or steps. The term should be interpreted as specifying the presence of the stated features, elements, steps or components as referred to, but does not preclude the presence or the addition of one or more other fea tures, elements, steps or components, or groups thereof. Thus, the scope of the expression “a device comprising means A and B” should not be limited to devices consisting only of components A and B. Its meaning is that with respect to the present invention, only components A and B of the device are listed, and the claim should further be interpreted as also including equivalents of these compo nents.

A foldable partition is herein intended to mean any form of partition able to at least partly close off an opening in a wall or side surface, for example a passage between two rooms in a building or a passage from a room to the outside, such as for example a foldable wall, a folding door or foldable window.

A first embodiment of the foldable partition according to the inven tion is illustrated by Figure 1 to 3. This foldable partition 1 is a folding door or foldable wall.

Figure 1 shows a front view of the foldable partition 1 in fully un folded position. The foldable partition 1 comprises a top rail 7, a bottom rail 10, and a plurality of partition panels 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 that are hingedly connected to each other, or releasably connectable to each other. In the unfolded position, the open ing formed by the top rail 7, the bottom rail 10, and left and right door jambs 8, 9 on both sides of the opening, is substantially fully closed off by the partition panels 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

Figure 2 shows a front view, in which the foldable partition 1 is in a partly folded position. The foldable partition 1 comprises suspension elements 20 (see Figure 5-8) that each suspend one of the partition panels in a moveable manner to the top rail 7. Each of the suspension elements 20 is moveably mounted to the top rail and is connected to the respective partition panel 2, 3, 4,

5, 6 at a central axis. The partition panels 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 are rotatable about this central axis. To this end, each of the suspension elements 20 comprises a joint structure, preferably a ball joint allowing the rotation about the central axis, and moreover allowing tilting movements of the suspended partition panel 2, 3, 4, 5,

6, preferably in all directions. In this way, little to no forces that may result from tilting movements of the suspended partition panels are transferred to the top part of the suspension elements 20 and the top rail 7. This reduces wear and tear and can prolong the lifespan of the parts.

Figure 3 shows a front view of the foldable partition 1 of Figure 1 and 2 in the fully folded position and moved up to the left door jamb 8. The parti tion panels 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 are also moveable up to the right door jamb 9. In order to allow to this movement in a simple way, the partition panels 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 may be magnetically coupled to each other in this position, for example by providing a magnetic coupling at the suspension elements 20, so that the suspension ele ments 20 remain together and the panels 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 can easily be moved as a whole. Because the panels form one whole due to the magnetic coupling, unde sired force transfers onto the top rail 7, and wear and tear resulting therefrom, can be avoided. This magnetic coupling of the suspension elements is optional, and thus not essential for proper operation of the foldable partition.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 1 to 3, the partition panels are transparent panels, formed by a transparent plate, e.g., a glass plate, housed in a frame comprising the top, bottom and side edges of the partition panel. In other embodiments, the panels may also be non-transparent panels, or partly transpar ent panels.

Figure 4 shows a cross section of the top rail 7. This top rail is a profile having a central cavity 12 in which the suspension elements 20 are move ably mounted. To this end, the profile, at the bottom, comprises a runner surface 13 on both sides, on which the wheels 21 of the suspension elements are ar ranged to roll. In the embodiment shown, these runner surfaces 13 are concave, and the wheels 21 have a corresponding convex peripheral surface. It should be understood that the top rail 7, the runner surfaces 13 and the suspension ele ments 20 may also be implemented in different ways within the scope of the in vention. The top rail may for example also be an l-profile from which the runner surfaces extend outward at the bottom, wherein the suspension elements then engage behind the bottom portion of the top rail. Such embodiments are known as such to the person skilled in the art and will therefore not be described in more detail herein.

Figure 5 to 7 show a possible embodiment for the suspension ele ments 20. The suspension element shown is an assembly of a body 27 with two axes 26 and two wheels 21 on each axis on both sides of the body 27, respec tively, meaning four wheels 21 in total. At the ends of the body 27 of each sus pension element 20, a bumper 5 is provided for absorbing the contact with the other suspension elements. The assembly further comprises a screw 23, a ring

22 and a retaining clip 24. The screw is screwed centrally into a vertical bore in the body 27 and secured at the top using the retaining clip 24, which engages a groove in the end of the screw.

The screw 23 and the ring 22 together form a ball joint. The screw

23 comprises a rod part, on which the thread is provided, and a protrusion or screw head at the bottom having a convex spherical surface 28 which faces up ward in use. The ring 22 is arranged around the rod part of the screw and is provided at the side facing downward in use with a concave spherical surface 29, which matches the convex spherical surface 28 of the screw. The ring 22 is con nected to one of the partition panels 2 to 6, i.e., the partition panel is suspended by means of the ring 22 form the top portion of the suspension element 20. The ring 22 has a central opening larger than the diameter of the rod part, so that a spacious gap is formed between the two and the ring is moveable over the convex spherical surface 28 of the screw, in the manner of a ball joint.

It should be understood that the suspension elements, and in par ticular the joint structure thereof, may also be implemented in different ways within the scope of the invention. The ball joint may for example also be obtained by designing a bottom and a top part of the suspension element in such a way that they are connected to each other by means of two hinge axes that are per pendicular to each other. In yet another possible embodiment, a bottom part, which is connected to one of the partition panels, comprises a spherical element received in a spherical cavity in a top part of the suspension element. However, the embodiment shown in the figures is advantageous in terms of load-bearing capacity and robustness, so that a long lifespan of the suspension element and/or a low cost of maintenance may be achieved.

More in general, the joint structure is such that it allows a movement of the respective partition panel relative to the suspension element with at least the following degrees of freedom: rotating the partition panel about the central axis; and tilting the partition panel about an axis perpendicular to the central axis. This may for example be achieved by a joint structure having one or more hinges, a flexible element and/or one or more ball joints.

Figure 8A-B shows a variant embodiment of the suspension ele ment 20’ having two ball joints, in particular a ball joint both at the side of the top rail and at the side of the partition panel. The ball joints are formed by the parts 30-33, more in particular a bolt 30, a nut 33 and two rings 31 and 32. The bolt 30 has a head with a convex spherical bottom surface that is complementary to a concave spherical top surface of the ring 31 . The nut 33 has a convex spherical top surface that is complementary to a concave spherical bottom surface of the ring 32. The rings 31 and 32 have a central opening having a diameter larger than that of het rod part of the bolt 30, so that there a gap is formed, in similar fashion as described above for the parts 28-29. A retaining clip 34 engages the thread so as to secure the bolt 30.

The nut 33 is incorporated into or onto the profile of the partition panel and may for instance be connected by chemical and/or mechanical means, and the like, to the bolt 30. The partition panel is suspended from the ring 32, for example as described elsewhere herein.

The parts of the ball joints 28-29, 30-33 are preferably lubricated and/or made of a material suitable for reducing frictional resistance between the parts, so that the mobility of the joint structure is improved and the intended relief of the forces to be relieved, which would otherwise act upon the remaining parts, such as e.g. the top rail, profiles of the partition panels, wheels, bearings, axes, and the like, may be carried out more efficiently.

Figure 9A-B shows an embodiment comprising a flexible element. This flexibility may be obtained by means of flexible materials and/or by design. Examples are a coupling comprising a braided cable, a rope, a tube, a rod made of an elastic material such as e.g. rubber, plastic or an elastomer, a linked chain, or a coupled bold chain, with, more preferably, for example, a rotational axis on at least one end of this coupling, or somewhere between the chains of this cou pling. Flexibility by design may be achieved by oriented variations in stiffness by adjusting the geometry accordingly, as a separate parameter of the material. One example is a coupling comprising a rectangular axis that is wider than it is thick, an axis having one or more lateral notches on both sides parallel to the sidewalls of the top rail, etc. Such a design can reduce the stiffness perpendicular to the plane of the top rail, and thereby better relieve forces acting on the rail from this direction, yet still be sufficiently stiff in the sliding direction parallel to the rail.

More in particular, Figure 9A-B shows a variant embodiment of the suspension element 20” having a rod part 35 made from an elastomer. The rod part 35 comprises a flexible portion 36 having a widened part 37 at the bottom. This rod part is preferably integrally made from the elastomer, but may also be made from another flexible material and/or consist of one or more parts, such as e.g. a rope, cable, chain, hose, hollow tube, and the like, and/or a combination thereof, while portion 36 may also be a flexible coupling between two separate parts of rod part 35.

In this embodiment, the rod part 35 is included in a disk 38 that acts as a bearing so that the rod part 35 and the body 27 of the suspension element 20” may rotate relative to each other about the vertical axis. This ensures that portion 36 has no or less torsion to bear during opening or closing of the partition. The disk is, however, optional if the portion 36 is able to absorb the torsion.

The widened part 37 at the bottom of the rod part 35 is included in the parts 39- 40, which are screwed together and are incorporated into or onto the profile of a partition panel, i.e., the partition panel is suspended from the latter.

The parts 27, 35, 38 are preferably lubricated and/or made of a material suitable for reducing frictional resistance between the parts, so that the mobility of the joint structure is improved and the intended relief of the forces to be relieved, which would otherwise act upon the remaining parts, such as e.g. the top rail, profiles of the partition panels, wheels, bearings, axes, and the like, may be carried out more efficiently.

Figure 10A-B shows a variant embodiment of the suspension ele ment 20’” with a ball joint at the top, formed by complementary disks 43, 44. In this embodiment, the disks 43, 44 have convex/concave sides where the disks 43, 44 contact each other, and rod part 41 and bottom plate 45 are chemically and/or mechanically connected to each other via a keyhole slot 46 cooperating with a notch 42 in the rod part 41 . The bottom plate 45 is incorporated into or onto the profile of the partition panel suspended from the latter.

The disks 43 and/or 44 and/or the rod part 41 are preferably lubri cated and/or made of a material suitable for reducing frictional resistance be tween the parts, so that the mobility of the joint structure is improved and the intended relief of the forces to be relieved, which would otherwise act upon the remaining parts, such as e.g. the top rail, profiles of the partition panels, wheels, bearings, axes, and the like, may be carried out more efficiently.

Figure 11 A-B shows a variant embodiment of the suspension ele ment 20”” with a ball joint at the top, formed by the head of screw 47 and ring 48. The screw 47 has a head with a convex spherical bottom surface that is comple mentary to a concave spherical top surface of the ring 48. The screw extends through the body 27 and is screwed into a plate 49 and secured at the bottom with a retaining clip 50. The plate 49 is incorporated into or onto the profile of the partition panel and may for instance be connected by chemical and/or mechanical means, and the like, to the screw 47.

The screw head 47 and/or ring 48 are preferably lubricated and/or made of a material suitable for reducing frictional resistance between the parts, so that the mobility of the joint structure is improved and the intended relief of the forces to be relieved, which would otherwise act upon the remaining parts, such as e.g. the top rail, profiles of the partition panels, wheels, bearings, axes, and the like, may be carried out more efficiently. Figure 12A-B shows a variant embodiment of the suspension ele ment 20’”” with a hinge construction with two axes of rotation perpendicular to each other. A first hinge has a horizontal axis and is formed by the protrusions 51 at the bottom of the body 27’ and hinge part 54, which are connected to each other by means of a bolt 52. A second hinge has a vertical axis and is formed by the disk 53, which can rotate about the hinge part 54. In this embodiment, the hinge part 54 and the disk 53 are incorporated into or onto the profile of the par tition panel. The partition panel is suspended from the disk 53.

The disk 53 and/or hinge part 54 are preferably lubricated and/or made of a material suitable for reducing frictional resistance between the parts, so that the mobility of the joint structure is improved and the intended relief of the forces to be relieved, which would otherwise act upon the remaining parts, such as e.g. the top rail, profiles of the partition panels, wheels, bearings, axes, and the like, may be carried out more efficiently.

Figure 13 shows a top view of the partition panels 2 to 6 in the folded position, suspended from suspension elements 20. The figure 13 shows suspen sion elements 20 according to figure 5-7, but each of the suspension elements according to figure 8-12 may also be used. As shown, the joint structure is located inside the top edge 60 of the partition panels. More in particular, the partition panels comprise a frame profile and each ball joint is respectively integrated into the top part 60 of this frame profile. In the top edge, a slotted hole 61 is provided, having a part that fittingly matches the ring 22 and a part that is larger than the diameter of the ring 22. In this way, the partition panels may be suspended in a simple way, individually and releasably, from the suspension elements 20.

Figure 14 shows a transverse view of the bottom rail 10 and a posi tioning element 11 moveable along the latter, which moveably engages the bot tom rail. In each of the partition panels 2 to 6 such a positioning element 11 may be provided at the bottom, at the level of the central axis, in order to position the bottom of the partition panels on the bottom rail. As a result of the construction of the partition panels, with the suspension through the joint structure and/or the magnetic lateral coupling of the panels in the unfolded position, as described herein, the bottom rail and the positioning elements 11 are optional and not essential for proper operation of the foldable partition 1 . However, it may some times be desirable to position the panels at the bottom, more in particular, to keep the center of the panels at the bottom in the plane of the opening formed by the top rail 7 and the jambs 8, 9. In that case, the bottom rail 10 and the positioning elements 11 may be provided. As shown, the bottom rail 10 has a raised ridge 15 of only limited height, for example 1 to 3 cm, preferably ca. 2 cm, so that the ridge forms little to no impediment if the foldable partition 1 is in the folded position. The positioning elements 11 have a groove 16 corresponding to the ridge 15. It should be understood that the bottom rail and the positioning elements, if present, may also be implemented differently within the scope of the invention.

Figure 15 shows an embodiment of handles 70 for the foldable par tition 1. Each handle 70 has a stepped shape and comprises a first portion 71 which is mounted to an edge of one of the partition panels 2 to 6, and a second portion 72 arranged for operation by a user. The first and second portions are connected to each other and are preferably of one piece with each other, i.e., together form a single part. In the folded position, the edges or ends of the parti tion panels essentially form an end face, i.e., the side surfaces of the partition panels are all essentially in the same plane. The stepped shape is such that the first portion 71 of the handles, which is mounted to the edge, is essentially located in the end face in the folded position, and the second portion 72 is located outside of the end face. This means that the second portion leaves room for, or does not interfere with the abutting partition panel. In this way, the partition panels may be arranged very close together in the folded position, leading to a compact assem bly in the folded position, as shown in Figure 15. The handles do not form an obstruction to this and yet remain accessible to the user. It should be understood that this effect may also be achieved in other ways than by means of the embod iment as shown in the figures.

Figure 16 shows that the handles 70 are each respectively located at the opposite side of the partition panels relative to the hinge elements 75. Each hinge element 75 has a hinge axis that, in the unfolded position, lies outside of the plane formed by the partition panels together. The hinge elements 75, and the handles 70, are alternatingly located on one or the other side of the unfolded partition. The hinges 75 can be taken off, so that, when mounting the partition, the partition panels can be suspended one by one from the top rail and then con nected to each other. Conversely, for disassembling the partition, the hinges 75 can be taken off first, so that the partition panels can each be removed separately from the top rail.

Figure 17 and 18 show an embodiment of the handles 70 and hinge elements 75, wherein they comprise matching parts, that are coupled together inside the frame of a partition panel and secured to the frame by means of screws. The frame is hollow inside and comprises slots on both sides, through which the first portion 71 of the handle and the hinge part 75 are inserted into the cavity. The hinge part and the first portion 71 of the handle fit together, or are of comple mentary shapes. The addition of the screws 76 securing these parts to the frame thus leads to a robust construction.

The matching parts of the handles 71 and the hinge elements 75 are located in an inner chamber 77 of the frame 78 and comprise supports resting against the walls of this inner chamber. In this way, the matching parts provide a local reinforcement of the frame. Due to this local reinforcement, the frame 78 is better able to resist the forces experienced by the frame as a result of operation by the user, such as e.g. pulling or pushing of the handles. In many existing de signs, the attachment of the handle on, e.g., a wall panel forms a weak point. As a result of this construction with the matching parts in the inner chamber of the frame, the frame is locally reinforced instead of creating a point of weakness.

Figure 19-20 shows that a magnetic coupling may be provided for magnetically coupling the partition panels to each other and/or to the door jambs in the unfolded position, so that the partition panels 2-6 essentially form a single assembly in the unfolded position and remain positioned in the unfolded position. This allows the bottom rail 10 to be omitted, or limited to a minimal height, as the latter may be mainly arranged for guiding the panels during the movement be tween the different positions, and is not required to have a load-bearing capacity. Omitting or limiting the bottom rail offers advantages, for example for wheelchair users, and/or may prevent an accumulation of dirt in the bottom rail.

The magnetic coupling may comprise permanent magnets 80, arranged in the side edges of the partition panels facing each other. As shown, the magnetic coupling between the partition panels may be formed by at least one permanent magnet 80, arranged in one of the side edges of the frame 78 of a partition panel and facing the - in the unfolded position - opposite side edge of the adjacent partition panel. In the adjacent partition panel, a magnetizable ele ment, e.g. a metal part, may be provided to achieve or strengthen the magnetic coupling.

In the embodiment shown, the frame 78 of the partition panels is made of a magnetizable metal and the permanent magnets 80 are attached to plastic holders 81 arranged in openings in the frame, for example using a snap system. The permanent magnet 80 may be attached to the holder by means of an adhesive. The holder is provided along its perimeter with resiliently deformable parts 82, implemented in such a way that the holder 81 can be snapped into the opening 83 in the frame 78.

Preferably, an elastic sealing strip (not shown) is arranged on top of the side edge of the frame 78, where the holders 81 with the permanent magnets 80 are provided. This sealing strip substantially fully covers this side edge and serves as a finish on the one hand, and on the other, serves to fill or close the gap between the partition panels in the unfolded position.

The magnetic coupling with the left and right door jambs 8, 9 can be implemented in a similar way as the magnetic coupling between the partition panels, i.e., also using holders having the permanent magnets arranged thereon, and placed in the openings in the door jambs and/or the respective side edges of the partition panels, and/or also using sealing strips for finishing and/or closing the gap between the partition panels and the door jambs.

It should be understood that, within the scope of the invention, the magnetic coupling between the partition panels and/or between the partition pan els and the doorjambs may also be implemented differently.