Electrically operated expandable jamb for operable walls

Abstract

An electrically actuated, expandable wall jamb for an operable wall system. The expandable jamb includes a first wall section having an inward edge for connection to a stationary wall and an outward edge opposite the inward edge. The jamb also includes a second wall section slidably movable with respect to the first wall section. The second wall section includes a sealing edge for sealing engagement with a vertical structure and is movable between a retracted position in which the sealing edge is proximate the outward edge of the first wall section and a sealed position in which the sealing edge extends outward from the outward edge of the first section. The expandable jamb also includes an actuator movable between a first position and a second position connected to both the first and second wall sections and a motor connected to the actuator such that operation of the motor causes the actuator to move between its first and second positions, thereby resulting in movement of the second wall section between its retracted and expanded positions, respectively. Use of the jamb results in an operable wall system which serves as a sound and light barrier between the rooms which the system divides and assists in flattening the wall panels. The jamb may also include a mechanism for sensing the pressure the jamb exerts on the surface in its expandable position, sealingly engages to result in a good seal and to avoid potential damage to the expansion mechanism, the wall panels or the walls.