Patent ID: 8376020

Claim:
A movable partition, comprising: a sheet of interconnected panels configured to extend to an extended state and to fold in an accordion fashion to a retracted state, at least two panels of the sheet of interconnected panels being directly coupled to one another, each panel of the at least two panels comprising: a top edge; a bottom edge; a first major surface; an opposite, second major surface; a first lateral end extending between the top edge and the bottom edge, the first lateral end comprising a first generally cylindrical structure, the first generally cylindrical structure comprising a first opening extending linearly between the top edge and the bottom edge, the first opening comprising a gap between an enlarged first lateral edge of the respective panel and the first major surface of the respective panel; and an opposite, second lateral end extending between the top edge and the bottom edge, the second lateral end comprising a second generally cylindrical structure, the second generally cylindrical structure comprising a second opening extending linearly between the top edge and the bottom edge, the second opening comprising a gap between an enlarged second lateral edge of the respective panel and the first major surface of the respective panel; wherein the first lateral end of one panel of the at least two panels is engaged with the second lateral end of another panel of the at least two panels; and wherein a volume of space occupied by the sheet of interconnected panels in a fully collapsed state of the sheet of interconnected panels has a first length, the sheet of interconnected panels extend a second length in a fully extended state of the sheet of interconnected panels, and a ratio of the first length to the second length is about 0.16 or less.