Patent ID: 8579008

Claim:
A folding closure having: a plurality of elongate panels, each panel having two parallel surfaces joined by two parallel sides, each panel curved at each side to form a first hinge element on one side curving away from one surface of the panel and back toward the other side and a second hinge element on the other side curving away from the other surface of the panel and back toward the one side, each panel, including its hinge elements, made from a single sheet of uniform thickness; the panels joined by vertical hinge members, each hinge member joining the adjacent sides of two adjacent panels, every second hinge member being on the opposite side of the closure; each hinge member elongated with a first surface and a second surface extending outwardly from one side of the first surface to the other side; an entry slot in the center of first surface extending into the hinge member toward the second surface and away from the first surface, the entry slot diverging into two branch slots curving away from each other toward the sides of the first surface; the first surface slightly bent toward the second surface between its two sides to space the entry slot from an imaginary plane joining the two sides; the hinge elements of adjacent panels mounted in the hinge members, the hinge elements passing together into the central slot and then diverging from each other into the branch slots of the hinge members whereby the panels can be moved relative to the hinge members to have the panels on each hinge member nearly adjacent in a folded position or to have the panels unfolded and abutting the first surface of the hinge members, nearly aligned, and extending away from each other, the bent first surface preventing the unfolded panels from becoming aligned.