Deployable support device for flexible panels

Abstract

The device comprises a folding structure ( 3, 7, 20 ) involving a set of bars ( 7 ) which are articulated to one another by nodes ( 3, 20 ), and elongate support elements capable of being fixed to roughly vertical rows of receiving nodes ( 3 ) to receive the parallel edges ( 24 ) of the flexible panels ( 1 ). According to the invention, said elongate support elements are formed of flat flexible strips ( 9 ) which are applied by magnetic attraction to the nodes ( 3 ) by one of their main faces.

1 . Support device for flexible panels, comprising a folding structure ( 3 ,  7 ,  20 ) involving a set of bars ( 7 ) which are articulated to one another by nodes ( 3 ,  20 ), each end of a bar being connected by a node to an end of at least one other bar so that the structure can adopt a folded configuration of small bulk and a self-supporting deployed configuration defining a receiving face having at least two roughly vertical rows of receiving nodes ( 3 ) each containing at least two nodes, the device further comprising elongate support elements capable of being fixed to the receiving nodes so as each to run from the top node to the bottom node of one of said rows, it being possible for two elongate support elements associated with two adjacent rows to receive the respective two parallel edges ( 24 ) of a flexible panel ( 1 ), characterized in that said elongate support elements are formed by flexible flat strips ( 9 ) which are applied to the nodes ( 3 ) by one of their main faces.  
     
     
         2 . Device according to  claim 1 , in which each elongate support element is formed of a single flexible strip ( 9 ), the ends of which are fixed respectively to the top node and to the bottom node of the row.  
     
     
         3 . Device according to one of claims  1  and  2 , in which the receiving nodes have means ( 8 ,  22 ) of laterally immobilizing the flexible strips collaborating with the longitudinal edges thereof.  
     
     
         4 . Device according to  claim 3 , in which said lateral immobilizing means consist of the lateral edges ( 8 ) of grooves ( 22 ) formed in the receiving nodes and in which the flexible strips are engaged with a small amount of lateral clearance.  
     
     
         5 . Device according to one of the preceding claims, in which each flexible strip has means ( 10 ) of longitudinal immobilization acting in concert with at least one of the nodes with which it is in contact.  
     
     
         6 . Device according to  claim 5 , in which said longitudinal immobilizing means comprise studs ( 10 ) which engage in recesses ( 6 ) of the nodes.  
     
     
         7 . Device according to one of the preceding claims, in which the flexible strips are made of a magnetic material and each receiving node comprises a magnetized insert ( 5 ) capable of applying the associated strip to the node.  
     
     
         8 . Device according to one of the preceding claims, in which the flexible strips, on their opposite face to the one which is applied to the nodes, have means ( 11 ) for mechanically attaching flexible panels.  
     
     
         9 . Device according to one of the preceding claims, in which the flexible strips, on their opposite side to the one which is applied to the nodes, have magnetized layers ( 12 ) capable of collaborating with layers ( 15 ) of magnetic material secured to the flexible panels along said parallel edges ( 24 ) so as to keep these applied to the flexible strips.  
     
     
         10 . Device according to  claim 9 , in which each of said magnetized layers ( 12 ) has magnetic poles of opposite signs, situated respectively on the left-hand and right-hand halves of the width of the strip so as to collaborate with magnetic poles of opposite signs situated respectively on the layers of magnetic material of the right-hand edge of a flexible panel and of the left-hand edge of another flexible panel, so that these edges can be positioned precisely on said halves.  
     
     
         11 . Device according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one cylindrical storage box ( 13 ) capable of containing, in coiled form, at least one flexible strip ( 9 ) of a length that exceeds the diameter of the box, the latter comprising two opposed end walls, at least one ( 14 ) of which has an opening ( 25 ) to allow the strip to be introduced via one of its ends so that it can be coiled.