Portable room divider with glide feet

Abstract

A portable, freestanding room divider includes a plurality of wall panels connected together by a plurality of hinges. A first end member has a first vertical post fastened to a vertical edge of a first wall panel and a second end member has a second vertical post fastened to a vertical edge of a last wall panel. Each end member includes a transverse base bar welded to the vertical post with the ends of the transverse base located on opposite sides of the vertical post. A separate end glide foot supports each end of the transverse base bar. A self-leveling intermediate glide foot projects downward from at least some of the plurality of wall panels to support those wall panels on a floor.

1 . A freestanding room divider comprising:
 a plurality of wall panels including a first wall panel, a last wall panel, and at least one intermediate wall panel;   a plurality hinges which connect the first wall panel to an intermediate wall panel, the last wall panel to an intermediate wall panel, and each intermediate wall panel to two of the plurality of wall panels;   a separate intermediate glide foot projecting downward from at least some of the plurality of wall panels to support those wall panels on a floor;   a first end member having a first vertical post fastened to a vertical edge of the first wall panel, a first transverse base bar welded to a bottom end of the first vertical post and having two ends on opposite sides of the first vertical post, and a first pair of end glide feet supporting the first transverse base bar adjacent its two ends; and   a second end member having a second vertical post fastened to a vertical edge of the second wall panel, a second transverse base bar welded to a bottom end of the second vertical post and having two ends on opposite sides of the second vertical post, and a second pair of end glide feet supporting the second transverse base bar adjacent its two ends.   
     
     
         2 . The freestanding room divider as recited in  claim 1  wherein the plurality of intermediate glide feet are self-leveling, comprising mechanisms that automatically maintain the plurality of intermediate glide feet in contact with the floor. 
     
     
         3 . The freestanding room divider as recited in  claim 1  further comprising a separate self-leveling mechanism associated with each of the plurality of intermediate glide feet, each self-leveling mechanism comprising:
 a guide tube attached to one of the plurality of wall panels;   a shaft having one end attached to the associated intermediate glide foot and a second end slideably received in the guide tube; and   a first spring within the guide tube and biasing the shaft outward from the guide tube.   
     
     
         4 . The freestanding room divider as recited in  claim 3  wherein each self-leveling mechanism further comprises a second spring biasing the associated intermediate glide foot away from the one of the plurality of wall panels. 
     
     
         5 . The freestanding room divider as recited in  claim 1  wherein there is an odd number of wall panels, thereby defining a middle wall panel; and a separate intermediate glide foot projects beneath each wall panel other than the middle wall panel. 
     
     
         6 . The freestanding room divider as recited in  claim 1  wherein:
 the first end member further comprises a first strut connected between one side of the first vertical post and the first transverse base bar, and a second strut connected between another side of the first vertical post and the first transverse base bar; and   the second end member further comprises a third strut connected between one side of the second vertical post and the second transverse base bar, and a fourth strut connected between another side of the second vertical post and the second transverse base bar.   
     
     
         7 . The freestanding room divider as recited in  claim 1  wherein the first vertical post has a channel in which the vertical edge of the first wall panel is received. 
     
     
         8 . The freestanding room divider as recited in  claim 1  further comprising a first upper gusset connected to an upper section of the first vertical post and engaging the first wall panel; and a second upper gusset connected to an upper section of the second vertical post and engaging the last wall panel. 
     
     
         9 . The freestanding room divider as recited in  claim 1  further comprising:
 a first lower gusset having a first base plate attached to the first transverse base bar, and having a first panel plate extending from the base plate and attached to the first vertical post; and   a second lower gusset having a second base plate attached to the second transverse base bar, and having a second panel plate extending from the second base plate and attached to the second vertical post.   
     
     
         10 . The freestanding room divider as recited in  claim 9  wherein the first base plate extends under the first wall panel; and the second base plate extends under the last wall panel. 
     
     
         11 . The freestanding room divider as recited in  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of position control hinges, each connected between two of the plurality of wall panels and having a pair of abutting rough surfaces that resist pivotal motion between those two wall panels. 
     
     
         12 . The freestanding room divider as recited in  claim 1  further comprising a connector for securing the freestanding room divider to another freestanding room divider. 
     
     
         13 . The freestanding room divider as recited in  claim 1  wherein each of the first end member and the second end member further comprises a recessed handle. 
     
     
         14 . A freestanding room divider comprising:
 a plurality of wall panels including a first wall panel, a last wall panel, and at least one intermediate wall panel;   a plurality hinges which connect the first wall panel to an intermediate wall panel, the last wall panel to an intermediate wall panel, and each intermediate wall panel to two of the plurality of wall panels;   a plurality of intermediate glide feet projecting downward from beneath at least some of the plurality of wall panels to engage a floor;   a first end member having by a first vertical post with a first channel in which is received a vertical edge of the first wall panel, a first transverse base bar welded to a bottom of the first vertical post and having two ends on opposite sides of the first vertical post, a first strut connected between one side of the first vertical post and the first transverse base bar, and a second strut connected between another side of the first vertical post and the first transverse base bar, and a first pair of end glide feet supporting the first transverse base bar adjacent its two ends; and   a second end member having by a second vertical post with a second channel in which is received a vertical edge of the second wall panel, a second transverse base bar welded to a bottom of the second vertical post and having two ends on opposite sides of the second vertical post, a third strut connected between one side of the second vertical post and the second transverse base bar, and a fourth strut connected between another side of the second vertical post and the second transverse base bar, and a second pair of end glide feet supporting the second transverse base bar adjacent its two ends.   
     
     
         15 . The freestanding room divider as recited in  claim 14  wherein the plurality of intermediate glide feet are self-leveling comprising mechanisms that automatically maintains the plurality of intermediate glide feet in contact with the floor. 
     
     
         16 . The freestanding room divider as recited in  claim 14  further comprising a separate self-leveling mechanism associated with each of the plurality of intermediate glide feet, each self-leveling mechanism comprising:
 a guide tube attached to one of the plurality of wall panels;   a shaft having one end attached to the associated intermediate glide foot and a second end slideably received in the guide tube; and   a first spring within the guide tube and biasing the shaft outward from the guide tube.   
     
     
         17 . The freestanding room divider as recited in  claim 16  wherein each self-leveling mechanism further comprises a second spring biasing the associated intermediate glide foot away from the one of the plurality of wall panels. 
     
     
         18 . The freestanding room divider as recited in  claim 14  further comprising a first upper gusset connected to an upper section of the first vertical post and engaging the first wall panel; and a second upper gusset connected to an upper section of the second vertical post and engaging the last wall panel. 
     
     
         19 . The freestanding room divider as recited in  claim 14  further comprising:
 a first lower gusset having a first base plate attached to the first transverse base bar, and having a first panel plate extending from the base plate and attached to the first vertical post; and   a second lower gusset having a second base plate attached to the second transverse base bar, and having a second panel plate extending from the second base plate and attached to the second vertical post.   
     
     
         20 . The freestanding room divider as recited in  claim 19  wherein the first base plate extends under the first wall panel; and the second base plate extends under the last wall panel.