Flexible furniture screen

Abstract

A flex screen including: a width, a length, a thickness; a first perimeter edge and a second perimeter; a first stringer laterally spaced from a second stringer; an opening positioned between first second stringers; and a bridge to span between the terminus of the stringers. The opening is laterally bounded between first and second stringer and longitudinally bounded by the bridge. The flex screen may be elastically flexed in a flex direction about a flex axis to a flexed orientation that includes the torsional deflection of the first stringer. The lateral width of the opening is greater than the thickness of one of the first and second stringers.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A flex screen including:
 a lateral screen width along a lateral direction, a longitudinal screen length along a longitudinal direction, a screen thickness along a thickness direction; a first perimeter edge along said lateral width and a second perimeter edge longitudinally opposed and spaced from said first perimeter edge;   a plurality of elongated stringers, with each stringer extending along a generally longitudinal stringer axis, including a first stringer and a second stringer laterally spaced from said first stringer;   an opening laterally positioned between said first stringer and said second stringer, said opening having a longitudinal opening length and a lateral opening width;   a bridge serving to span between and to connect the longitudinal terminus of said first stringer to the longitudinal terminus of said second stringer;   wherein said opening is laterally bounded between said first stringer and said second stringer and is longitudinally bounded by said bridge;   wherein said flex screen may be elastically flexed in a flex direction about a flex axis to a flexed orientation;   wherein said elastic flex includes the torsional deflection of at least one of said first stringer and said second stringer;   wherein the lateral width of said first opening is greater than the thickness of at least one of said first stringer and said second stringer.   
     
     
         2 . The flex screen according to  claim 1 , including a furniture element extending in said thickness direction, wherein at least a portion of at least one of said first perimeter edge and said second perimeter edge is supported by said furniture element, wherein said furniture element includes a longitudinally extending cavity such that at least a portion of one of said first perimeter edge and said second perimeter edge is positioned within said cavity to longitudinally overlap said cavity and to maintain said flex screen in said flexed orientation. 
     
     
         3 . The flex screen according to  claim 2 , wherein said cavity is a pocket and one of said first perimeter edge and said second perimeter edge includes a tab, wherein said tab is positioned within said pocket to longitudinally overlap said pocket. 
     
     
         4 . The flex screen according to  claim 2 , wherein said cavity is a laterally extending track groove and at least a portion of a mating one of said first perimeter edge and said second perimeter edge is positioned within said track groove such that said one of said first perimeter edge and said second perimeter edge longitudinally overlaps said track groove. 
     
     
         5 . The flex screen according to  claim 4 , wherein the lateral length of said track groove is longer than the lateral length of said mating one of said first perimeter edge and said second perimeter edge, such that said flex screen may be slidably laterally displaced within said track groove. 
     
     
         6 . The flex screen according to  claim 2 , wherein said furniture element is a first furniture element, including a second furniture element longitudinally offset from said first furniture element, wherein said flex screen is longitudinally sandwiched between said first furniture element and said second furniture element in a longitudinally abutting engagement to limit the longitudinal displacement between said first furniture element and said second furniture element. 
     
     
         7 . The flex screen according to  claim 6 , wherein said flex screen is longitudinally compressed between said first furniture element and said second furniture element. 
     
     
         8 . The flex screen according to  claim 2 , wherein said furniture element is a first furniture element, including a second furniture element longitudinally offset from said first furniture element, wherein said flex screen is captured between said first furniture element and said second furniture element to limit displacement between said flex screen and at least one of said first and second furniture elements in said thickness direction and said longitudinal direction. 
     
     
         9 . The flex screen according to  claim 8 , including clearance between said flex screen and both said first furniture element and said second furniture element to permit displacement of said flex screen in said lateral direction relative to both said first furniture element and said second furniture element. 
     
     
         10 . The flex screen according to  claim 1 , wherein said bridge is a first bridge, including a second bridge longitudinally spaced from said first bridge, including said stringer spanning longitudinally therebetween, wherein said first bridge is longitudinally adjacent said first perimeter edge and said second bridge is longitudinally adjacent said second perimeter edge. 
     
     
         11 . The flex screen according to  claim 1 , including a continuous arcuate profile blend between said bridge and said stringer as viewed in the plan view. 
     
     
         12 . The flex screen according to  claim 11 , including a plurality of said arcuate profile blends between a respective plurality of said bridges and a respective plurality of said stringers, such that said plurality of arcuate profile blends, said bridges, and said stringers combine to form a curvilinear wave form as viewed in the plan view. 
     
     
         13 . The flex screen according to  claim 1 , including a plurality of said openings, wherein the combined area of said openings constitutes an open area of said flex screen, wherein said open area is at least 30% of the area of said flex screen when viewed in the plan view of said flex screen. 
     
     
         14 . The flex screen according to  claim 1 , wherein said opening is a gap opening, wherein said gap opening is bounded by said first stringer, said second stringer, a singular one of said bridge, and a traversing member traversing laterally between said first stringer or a connected extension thereof and said second stringer or a connected extension thereof at a location longitudinally offset from said singular one of said bridge, said traversing member serving to provide resistance to accordioning of said flex screen in at least one of said laterally inwardly direction and said laterally outwardly direction. 
     
     
         15 . The flex screen according to  claim 14 , wherein said traversing member is a flexure, wherein said flexure may be flexed in said thickness direction during flexure of said flex screen about said flex axis while also serving to resist the accordioning of said flex screen in said lateral direction; and wherein at least one of (i) the thickness of said flexure is less than the thickness of at least one of said bridge and said first stringer; and
 (ii) the flexural modulus of the material of said flexure is less than the flexural modulus of the material of said first stringer.   
     
     
         16 . The flex screen according to  claim 14 , including a plurality of said traversing members to include a first traversing member and a second traversing member, wherein said first traversing member is laterally spaced from said second traversing member, with at least one of said first stringer and said bridge therebetween such that said plurality of said traversing members cooperate to provide said resistance to accordioning. 
     
     
         17 . The flex screen according to  claim 14 , wherein said traversing member is a hinge element traversing laterally between said first stringer and said second stringer, and/or between said first bridge and said second bridge, wherein said hinge element may be articulated to swing in said flex direction during flexure of said flex screen about said flex axis while also serving to resist the accordioning of said flex screen in said lateral direction. 
     
     
         18 . The flex screen according to  claim 14 , wherein said traversing member is a spacer element, wherein said spacer element is laterally sandwiched between said first stringer and said second stringer and/or between said first bridge and said second bridge, wherein said spacer element serves to resist the accordioning of said flex screen in the laterally inwardly direction. 
     
     
         19 . The flex screen according to  claim 14 , wherein said traversing member is a linear tensile element having a first end and a second end, wherein said first and is anchored to said flex screen and said second end is anchored to said flex screen at a location laterally offset from said first end, wherein said linear tensile element serves to resist the accordioning of said flex screen in the laterally outwardly direction. 
     
     
         20 . The flex screen according to  claim 1 , wherein said flex screen is oriented vertically, such that said flex axis is a generally vertically extending axis.