Movable partitions, protective clips for movable partitions, and related methods

Abstract

Protective clips for movable partitions include a guard portion that protrudes from a top major surface of a base portion. The guard portion extends along the top major surface proximate to a front side of the base portion. The guard portion also may extend along the top major surface proximate to at least one end side surface a longitudinal end of the base portion. Movable partitions include one or more such protective clips. The protective clips optionally may be used to attach a sweep strip to panels of a movable partition. Methods of forming such protective clips include molding the clips within a mold cavity.

1 . A protective clip for a movable partition comprising:
 an elongated and generally planar base portion comprising:
 a top major surface; 
 a bottom major surface; 
 a front side surface; 
 a back side surface; 
 a side surface at a first longitudinal end of the base portion; and 
 a side surface at a second longitudinal end of the base portion; and 
   a guard portion protruding from the top major surface of the base portion in a direction substantially perpendicular to the base portion, the guard portion extending along at least a section of the top major surface proximate the front side surface of the base portion and along a section of the top major surface proximate at least one of the side surface at the first longitudinal end of the base portion and the side surface at the second longitudinal end of the base portion.   
     
     
         2 . The protective clip of  claim 1 , wherein the guard portion extends along a section of a peripheral edge of the top major surface proximate the front side surface of the base portion between the first longitudinal end of the base portion and the second longitudinal end of the base portion. 
     
     
         3 . The protective clip of  claim 1 , wherein the guard portion extends continuously along a section of a peripheral edge of the top major surface proximate the side surface at the first longitudinal end of the base portion, along a section of a peripheral edge of the top major surface proximate the front side surface, and along a section of a peripheral edge of the top major surface proximate the side surface at the second longitudinal end of the base portion. 
     
     
         4 . The protective clip of  claim 3 , wherein the guard portion extends continuously along only a partial section of the peripheral edge of the top major surface proximate the side surface at the first longitudinal end of the base portion, along a section of the peripheral edge of the top major surface proximate the front side surface at the first longitudinal end of the base portion, and along only a partial section of the peripheral edge of the top major surface proximate the side surface at the second longitudinal end of the base portion. 
     
     
         5 . The protective clip of  claim 1 , further comprising a sweep attached to the base portion, the sweep extending in an outward direction substantially perpendicular to the base portion. 
     
     
         6 . The protective clip of  claim 1 , further comprising a back portion protruding from the top major surface of the base portion in a direction substantially perpendicular to the base portion, the back portion extending along at least a section of the top major surface proximate the back side surface of the base portion. 
     
     
         7 . The protective clip of  claim 6 , wherein a sweep is attached to the back portion, the sweep extending in an outward direction substantially perpendicular to the base portion and substantially parallel to the back portion. 
     
     
         8 . The protective clip of  claim 1 , wherein at least two corners of the base portion are radiused. 
     
     
         9 . The protective clip of  claim 1 , wherein the base portion and the guard portion are formed from at least one of a polymeric material, a composite material, and a metal material. 
     
     
         10 . The protective clip of  claim 1 , wherein the base portion and the guard portion are formed from a glass filled acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). 
     
     
         11 . The protective clip of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one relief, the at least one relief comprising a substantially straight recess extending along the bottom major surface of the base portion between the front side surface of the base portion and the back side surface of the base portion and extending onto the guard portion. 
     
     
         12 . The protective clip of  claim 1 , wherein the guard portion comprises:
 a front side guard portion extending along a section of a peripheral edge of the top major surface proximate the front side surface of the base portion between the first longitudinal end of the base portion and the second longitudinal end of the base portion; and   a back side guard portion extending along a section of a peripheral edge of the top major surface proximate the back side surface of the base portion between the first longitudinal end of the base portion and the second longitudinal end of the base portion.   
     
     
         13 . The protective clip of  claim 12 , wherein the base portion further comprises:
 a substantially circular end portion at the first longitudinal end of the base portion;   a substantially circular end portion at the second longitudinal end of the base portion; and   a middle portion located between the first longitudinal end of the base portion and the second longitudinal end of the base portion, the middle portion protruding in substantially the same plane as the top major surface of the bottom portion.   
     
     
         14 . A movable partition comprising:
 at least one panel;   at least one protective clip coupled to the at least one panel, the at least one protective clip comprising:
 an elongated and generally planar base portion, the base portion abutting with at least one of a bottom surface of the at least one panel and a top surface of the at least one panel; 
 a guard portion protruding from the base portion in a direction substantially perpendicular to the base portion, the guard portion covering at least a portion of a surface adjacent to at least one of the bottom surface of the at least one panel and the top surface of the at least one panel. 
   
     
     
         15 . The movable partition of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one panel comprises a plurality of panels, each panel being hingedly coupled to an adjacent panel, the plurality of panels being supported from an overhead track. 
     
     
         16 . The movable partition of  claim 15 , further comprising a plurality of protective clips, each of the protective clips being coupled to at least one of the plurality of panels and wherein a sweep is attached to at least two of the plurality of the protective clips. 
     
     
         17 . The movable partition of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one panel comprises at least one hinge retainer extending along at least a portion of a peripheral side edge of the at least one panel, wherein the base portion of the at least one protective clip covers a portion of an exterior surface of the at least one hinge retainer located at least one of the top surface of the at least one panel and the bottom surface of the at least one panel. 
     
     
         18 . The movable partition of  claim 14 , further comprising a back portion protruding from the base portion in a direction substantially perpendicular to the base portion, the back portion extending along at least a section of the base portion and wherein the at least one protective clip is coupled to at least one of the top surface of the at least one panel and the bottom surface of the at least one panel at the back portion of the at least one protective clip. 
     
     
         19 . A method of forming a protective clip for a movable partition, the method comprising:
 abutting a plurality of mold parts to form an injection molding cavity;   shaping the injection molding cavity to form a protective clip comprising:
 forming an elongated and generally planar base portion; and 
 forming a guard portion protruding from the base portion in a direction substantially perpendicular to the base portion; and 
   injecting a polymeric material into the injection molding cavity.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein injecting the polymeric material comprises injecting a glass filled acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) into the injection molding cavity. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein shaping the injection molding cavity to form a protective clip further comprises forming a back portion protruding from the base portion in a direction substantially perpendicular to the base portion. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein shaping the injection molding cavity to form a protective clip further comprises forming a curved portion on each end of the guard portion. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein shaping the injection molding cavity to form a protective clip further comprises forming a radius on at least two corners of the base portion. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 providing a plurality of panels;   hingedly coupling each of the plurality of panels to an adjacent panel;   supporting the plurality of panels from an overhead track; and   coupling the protective clip to at least one of the plurality of panels.