Partition mount

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6321823
  • Patent Number
    6,321,823
  • Date Filed
    Tuesday, July 11, 2000
    24 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, November 27, 2001
    23 years ago
Abstract
In a spring-loaded curtain mount, includes a pole interface at a proximal end, a compressive mechanism, and a head at a distal end. The pole interface is adapted to recieve the end of a standard length adjustable pole or a painter's pole. The compression mechanism is disposed between the proximal end of the mount and the head. The mount includes a clamp adapted to recieve a portion of a curtain. During installation, the curtain mount is coupled to the end of an extension pole and the length of the pole is adjusted such that the combined length of the pole and mount is slighty longer than the distance between the floor and ceiling. At ground level, a portion of the curtain is attached to the head of the curtain mount. the curtain and mount are raised to the ceiling and the mount and pole are compressed between the floor and the ceiling. This compressive force operates to urge the head toward the ceiling, securing the mount in place.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




Partition systems are often employed to separate portions of a building or room. Partitions serve as a barrier to dust, noise, light, odors, and the like. In construction zones, partitions are usefull for protecting a clean area from a work area, for example, protecting an area where furniture and rugs are temporarily stored from an area where wood floors are being refinished.




Workers at construction sites often use rudimentary techniques for installing partitions. Some simply nail, screw, or staple the curtain or partition material to the floor, ceiling, and abutting walls, resulting in damage to their surfaces. Others tape or otherwise adhere a curtain or plastic sheet to the walls and ceilings. The tape usually fails to stick, but if it does stick, as the tape is removed, paint usually pulls off with the tape or adhesive is left behind.




Others employ more clever techniques for constructing partitions. U.S. Pat. No. 4,794,974 discloses a curtain wall having spring-loaded extendable support legs which support header elements aligned along the ceiling. A curtain is mounted to the header elements with fasteners along the length of each header element. This design suffers from several limitations. The support poles, header elements, fasteners, and curtain all comprise dedicated hardware, increasing manufacturing costs. Particularly, the curtain must be designed to accommodate the fasteners. In addition, installation appears to be awkward and time consuming due to the multitude of fasteners and the system appears to be top-heavy during installation.




U.S. Pat. No. 4,708,189 discloses a spring-loaded curtain support having a plurality of support units extending from the floor to the ceiling. Each support unit includes a stackable extension member, a telescoping section, a lower batten, and an upper batten. The lower and upper battens extend along the floor and ceiling respectively and interlock so as to provide a continuous batten along the floor and ceiling. A curtain is designed to loop around the upper batten and accommodate the extension poles. This design again requires dedicated hardware, including a curtain which is designed specifically to accept a particular upper batten size and shape and a particular extension pole. The structure is bulky and appears tedious to install.




U.S. Pat. No. 5,308,280 discloses a coal mine ventilation curtain support. An adjustable extension pole is erected between the floor and ceiling of a mine. A curtain support member compresses between the extension pole resting on the floor, and the ceiling such that the compressive force urges the support member against the ceiling, thereby securing a curtain in place against the ceiling. Although this design accommodates any type of curtain material, it again suffers from the limitation of requiring dedicated hardware as the support member is designed for a particular extension pole. In addition, installation appears challenging in rooms with tall ceilings as the curtain is installed after the mount is raised and installed. Following installation of the support member, an installer must climb up to the ceiling and pull back a leg of the support member, insert a curtain and snap the support member back into the ceiling. In a home construction project, the snapping action may damage the ceiling. In addition, for ceilings higher than the reach of the installer, this design may prove to be challenging to install. This design presents the further unfortunate possibility that the installer could jam his fingers between the support member and ceiling.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The present invention is directed to a partition mount apparatus and method which overcome the limitations of the prior art. The inventive method and apparatus are applicable to use in construction zones in preventing contaminants such as dust and paint from entering clean areas in a home or office. The invention may also be used as a temporary visual, odor, or sound barrier, depending on the curtain material employed. The present invention offers the advantages of accommodating standard extension poles, for example, painters poles, with standard threads, and is compatible with a variety of commercially-available curtain or drape materials, for example plastic, cloth, or the like. The invention is a “clean” system designed to be installed and removed without damaging or otherwise marking the ceiling, floor or walls in the construction zone, Assembly is easy and fast and can be accomplished by a single individual. In a preferred method for assembling the partition of the present invention, the curtain mounts and curtain are first assembled on the floor and then raised to the ceiling permitting safe installation in rooms with high ceilings, for example cathedral ceilings.




One embodiment of the invention comprises a spring-loaded mount including a hole at a proximal end, a compression mechanism, and a head at a distal end. The hole is adapted to receive the end of a standard length-adjustable pole or painters pole. In a preferred embodiment, the compressive mechanism comprises a spring under compression between an inner wall of the mount and the head. The head is urged toward the ceiling by the compressive mechanism, providing longitudinal rigidity to the installed mount. The head preferably interfaces with the mount at a swivel joint so that the mount can be installed at a range of orientations relative to the ceiling.




The head preferably includes a coupling device, for example, a Velcro™ hook and loop fastener strip, a hook, or a clip, adapted to receive a portion of a curtain. In a first preferred embodiment of the invention, the face of the head includes a sheet of Velcro™ hooks which mates with a sheet of Velcro™ loops attached to the curtain. On the side of the curtain opposite the Velcro™ loops, a high-friction material provides friction between the mount and the ceiling, so that the curtain is less likely to slide relative to the ceiling thereby providing lateral rigidity. In a second preferred embodiment of the invention, a removable clip couples the curtain to the head. The clip is adapted to receive a section of curtain material and snap on or otherwise secure to the head. High friction material attached to the back of the clip provides lateral rigidity as described above.




In alternative embodiments, the curtain mount may be adapted to receive poles without threads, or may include a pin for interfacing with a corresponding hole in a pole. Furthermore, the elements of the curtain mount may be distributed along the pole. The extension poles do not necessarily need to be adjustable in situations where the ceiling size is standard or predetermined.




In the inventive method of the present invention, a spring-loaded curtain mount is coupled to the end of a standard adjustable pole, and the length of the pole is adjusted such that the combined length of the pole and mount is slightly longer than the distance between the floor and ceiling. A portion of the curtain is attached to the curtain mount. The curtain and mount are raised to the ceiling and the mount and pole are compressed between and the floor and ceiling. This compressive force operates to urge the head toward the ceiling. The same compressive force operating through the high friction material on the head or curtain provides lateral rigidity for the system.




The mount is free-standing and therefore does not require additional “destructive” mounting means, for example nailing or taping. Instead, the mount is installed and removed without permanent damage to the ceiling or floor.




By placing several mounts between the ceiling and floor, across a room or portions thereof, the room can be partitioned to protect furniture and the like during construction of other portions of the room. The curtain can also be installed along the ceiling and/or floor for constructing a tunnel or booth. The shape of the partition is variable depending on the respective spatial positions of the mounts.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of preferred embodiments and the drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principals of the invention.





FIGS. 1A

,


1


B, and


1


C illustrate installed partition configurations in accordance with the present invention.





FIG. 2

illustrates the primary components of two preferred embodiments of the present invention.





FIG. 3A

is a cutaway side view of a curtain mount having a Velcro™-mount configuration in accordance with the present invention.





FIG. 3B

is a perspective view of the head of the curtain mount of

FIG. 3A

interfacing with an appropriately configured curtain in accordance with the present invention.





FIG. 3C

is a side view of a curtain mounted to the ceiling by the curtain mount of

FIG. 3A

in accordance with the present invention.





FIG. 4A

is a cutaway side view of a curtain mount having a clip-mount configuration in accordance with the present invention.





FIG. 4B

is a perspective view of the interaction of the clip and head of the curtain mount of

FIG. 4A

in accordance with the present invention.





FIG. 4C

is a side view of a curtain mounted to the ceiling by the curtain mount of

FIG. 4A

in accordance with the present invention.





FIG. 5A

is a perspective view of the head of a curtain mount including an extension loop in accordance with the present invention.





FIG. 5B

is a side view of a clamped interface between the curtain mount body and an extension pole in accordance with the present invention.





FIG. 6

illustrates a curtain installation using various preferred and alternative embodiments of the present invention.




FIG.


7


A-

FIG. 7F

illustrate an installation procedure in accordance with the present invention.




FIG.


8


A-

FIG. 8C

are perspective views of alternative embodiments for coupling the curtain to the head.




FIG.


9


A-

FIG. 9C

are perspective views of an alternative embodiment of a curtain mount in accordance with the present invention illustrating an alternative curtain coupler, an alternative pole interface, and an alternative compression mechanism.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS





FIG. 1A

illustrates an installed partition extending from the floor


34


to the ceiling


32


of a room between opposed walls


36


A,


36


B. Three curtain mounts


24


in accordance with the present invention are mounted on extension poles


22


. A foot


26


at the bottom of each extension pole interfaces with the floor and a head


28


at the top of each curtain mount interfaces with the ceiling


32


. The contact or interface points of the foot and head preferably are covered with a soft friction material such as rubber to provide lateral rigidity of the system and to prevent marking of the ceiling and floor.




Each curtain mount includes a compression mechanism, for example a spring, which operates to urge the head


28


against the ceiling


32


, thereby securing the curtain


30


. The extension poles


22


are preferably adjustable such that before installation of the curtain


30


, the pole length in combination with the fully extended curtain mount


24


can be made slightly larger than the distance from the floor


34


to the ceiling


32


at the point at which the curtain mount is to be installed. For example, if the compression range of the spring is 2-3 inches, then the total length of the pole


22


and mount


24


can be made 2-3 inches longer than the floor-to-ceiling


32


height, causing the spring to be compressed when the system is installed. Alternatively, non-adjustable standard poles such as painters poles sized for particular predetermined ceiling heights may be employed.





FIG. 1B

illustrates the present invention installed to partition a portion of a room extending between adjacent walls


36


B,


36


C. In this illustration, the curtain


30


is installed to protect furniture


38


from dust and debris during painting or other construction in the open portion of the room.





FIG. 1C

illustrates the present invention configured as a tunnel or booth. In this installation, the curtain


30


extends along the ceiling


32


between mounts


24


A,


24


B,


24


C, and


24


D, protecting the ceiling


32


from activity in the tunnel. The curtain


30


can be tucked under feet


26


A-


26


D to secure the curtain to the floor


34


. The curtain


30


may also be installed between the feet


26


A-


26


D on the floor to provide an enclosed tunnel. The sides of the tunnel may be formed by a single continuous curtain


30


or multiple curtains


30


, the edges of each held in place and raised by the mounts


24


A-


24


D. This configuration is particularly well suited to serve as an asbestos removal tunnel or paint booth.




Note that for purposes of the present invention, the term “curtain” is defined to include any flexible material suited for partitioning, for example cloth sheets and drapes, or plastic tarps.





FIG. 2

illustrates two preferred curtain mount embodiments. In a first Velcro™ mount embodiment


21


A, an extension pole


22


A having a foot


26


A, for example a rubber foot


26


is coupled to a first curtain mount


24


A. The curtain mount


24


A is spring-loaded as described above and as will be described in further detail below.




The curtain mount includes a head


28


A. The head is preferably of sufficient surface area to accommodate curtain materials of a variety of strengths and weights. For example, if the head area is too small, the head may punch through a weaker curtain material when weighted by the curtain. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a head size of approximately 5″ by 2.5″ was found to be sufficient to handle most curtain materials. The head


28


A includes a strip of Velcro™ loops or hooks attached thereto. The Velcro™ strip


40


on the head


28


A mates with a corresponding Velcro™ strip


42


attached to a portion of the curtain


30


. A strip of friction material


44


is attached to the face of the curtain


30


opposite that of the Velcro™ strip


42


. In this manner, an installer can first mate the Velcro™ strips


42


,


40


of the curtain


30


and curtain mount


24


A respectively and then raise the extension pole


22


A and mount


24


A such that the high friction material


44


interfaces with the ceiling. As the spring in the curtain mount


24


A compresses, that compressive force operates outwardly through the head


28


A, Velcro™ strips


40


,


42


, curtain


30


, and high friction material


44


against the ceiling, thereby securing the curtain


30


in place against the ceiling. A universal joint


56


A at the head


28


A allows for installation of a variety of angles. This allows for installation of the curtain mount of the present invention in rooms having pitched ceilings, for example cathedral ceilings.




In a second curtain mount embodiment


24


B hereinafter referred to as a clipmount, a curtain clip


64


is adapted to accept a portion


30


A of a curtain


30


. In a first embodiment, the clip


64


includes legs


65


adapted to snap over the body of the head


28


B, thereby securing the clip


64


and curtain


30


to the head


28


B. In a second embodiment, the clip


64


includes pins


112


(see

FIG. 9A

) which slide and lock in corresponding holes


110


in the head


28


B. The top portion of the clip


64


preferably includes high friction material


44


as described above. In the clip-mount embodiment, an installer at floor level clips a portion of the curtain onto the head


28


B of the curtain mount


24


B and raises the curtain


30


to the ceiling using extension pole


22


B. The high friction material


44


at the head


28


B in combination with the rubber foot


26


provide lateral rigidity to the system, and the compressed spring in the curtain mount


24


B provides longitudinal rigidity to the installed system. The clip embodiment of the curtain mount


24


B offers the advantage of accepting any portion of any flexible curtain


30


material, offering an advantage over the Velcro™-mount embodiment


24


A which can be coupled only to those portions of a curtain


30


having Velcro™ strips


42


previously installed thereon.





FIG. 3A

is a cutaway side view of a Velro™-mount embodiment of a curtain mount


24


in accordance with the present invention. The curtain mount


24


includes a body


48


, a spring


50


, a plunger


46


, a head


28


, and a hole


60


for receiving the end of an extension pole


22


. The hole


60


includes internal threads


52


for mating with corresponding external threads


54


formed on the extension pole


22


. The thread may comprise ¾ Acme thread, standard in the industry for painter's poles and other standard extension poles. This permits the curtain mount


24


to be compatible with commercially-available poles. When the extension pole


22


is inserted to a predetermined distance into the hole


60


, a thread stopper


58


prevents the pole


22


from being inserted further.




A spring


50


rests in the body


48


of the curtain mount


24


between the rigid thread stopper


58


and the plunger


46


. The spring is preferably extendable over a range of lengths, for example four inches, to accommodate extension poles of a range of lengths. The tension of the spring


50


must be high enough to support the weight of the installed curtain and low enough such that the head


28


of the curtain mount


24


does not push through the ceiling during installation. The plunger


46


and head


28


preferably interface at a universal joint


56


such that the curtain mount can be installed at a variety of angles relative to the ceiling. Velcro™ loops


40


are coupled to the outer face of the head


28


. Preferred methods for coupling Velcro™ loops to the head


28


include self-adhesive Velcro™ strips and/or stapling.




The perspective view of

FIG. 3B

illustrates the head


28


and Velcro™ loops


40


coupled thereto. The Velcro™ loops


40


interface with Velcro™ hooks


42


stapled or otherwise adhered to a portion of the curtain


30


. Friction material, approximately slightly larger in area than the surface area of the head


28


is disposed on the opposite face of the curtain. When the Velcro™ hooks


42


are mated to the Velcro™ loops


40


, the curtain


30


is secured to the end of the curtain mount


24


and can be raised to the ceiling as shown in FIG.


3


C.




In

FIG. 3C

, a force F generated by the compression of the spring operating on the plunger


46


urges the head


28


against the ceiling


32


. The force transfers through the loops


40


, the hooks


42


, the curtain


30


, and the high friction material


44


, and operates on the ceiling


32


. In this manner, the longitudinal compression of the spring acts outwardly to secure the curtain


30


against the ceiling


32


.





FIG. 4A

illustrates the clip-mount embodiment of the present invention. A curtain mount


24


includes a body


48


having a hole


60


for receiving an end of an extension pole


22


, a plunger


62


, a spring


50


, and a fixed head


28


. Note that the extension pole


22


of this embodiment is a standard thread-less pole and the hole


60


is adapted to receive the pole. In this embodiment, the pole


22


is slidable relative to the body


48


of the curtain mount


24


, and communicates with the plunger


62


to compress the spring


50


against the spring stopper


51


. The head


28


is longitudinally fixed, relative to the body


48


. A universal joint


56


as shown in

FIG. 3A

may optionally be employed to couple the head


28


to the body


48


for reasons described above. A curtain clip


64


having legs


65


is adapted to snap onto the head


28


, thereby clamping an inserted curtain therebetween. The clip legs


65


include tabs


67


which snap around the bottom face of the head


28


providing a secure fit. High friction material


44


is disposed on the top face of the clip


64


for interfacing with the ceiling, thereby providing lateral rigidity to the system as described above. Note that the clip design given above is merely illustrative of various clip designs which may be employed in accordance with the present invention.





FIG. 4B

illustrates the relative positions of the head


28


, curtain


30


, and clip


64


during installation. An advantage of the clip-mount embodiment over the Velcro™ mount embodiment is that the clip-mount can be secured to any portion of a curtain or sheet available to the installer. This may include a center portion of the curtain


30


or a corner portion of the curtain


30


as shown in FIG.


4


B. In contrast, the Velcro™-mount embodiment requires the curtain to have portions of Velcro™ attached to the curtain at predetermined locations.





FIG. 4C

illustrates a curtain


30


installed against the ceiling


32


using the clipmount. Before the curtain is raised, the clip


64


and curtain


30


are snapped and secured to the head


28


. After raising the curtain against the ceiling


32


, compression in the spring of the curtain mount generates a force F which operates through the head


28


, curtain


30


, clip


64


, and high friction material


44


against the ceiling


32


. The compressive force F of the spring and high friction material provide longitudinal and lateral rigidity to the system as described above.





FIG. 5A

is a perspective view of the head


28


of a curtain mount having an extension loop


66


. The extension loop


66


is attached to the head


28


, universal joint


56


, plunger


46


(shown in FIG.


5


A), body


48


, or other portion of the curtain mount. Following installation of the curtain, the extension loop


66


allows one to reposition the head


28


relative to the ceiling without moving the extension pole. This is especially helpful for fine-tuning the adjustment of the curtain mount position, for example where the curtain exhibits sag between two installed curtain mounts, without having to move the entire pole. Operation of the extension loop is explained below with reference to

FIGS. 7D-7F

. The extension loop


66


may comprise string, a chain, or rod for tugging on the head.





FIG. 5B

illustrates an alternative interface between an extension pole


22


and body


48


of a curtain mount. In this example, the body


48


of the curtain mount includes a hole


60


for receiving the end of an extension pole


22


. The rim of the hole


60


includes fingers


74


which are tapered outward slightly. The fingers


74


include an external thread


72


adapted for interfacing with an internal thread on a corresponding clamp nut


70


. After a pole


22


is inserted in the hole


60


, the clamp


70


is slid into position and tightened around the fingers


74


. The taper in the fingers


74


produces a snug fit as the clamp


70


is tightened. In this manner, the curtain mount can accommodate extension poles


22


of a variety of widths.





FIG. 6

illustrates an installed curtain


30


using preferred and alternative embodiments of the present invention. The right mount


82


employs a curtain mount


24


as described above. The curtain mount


24


A is coupled to a standard extension pole


22


having a foot


26


at its lower end for interfacing with the floor


34


. The curtain mount includes a spring


50


in compression between the head


28


and the extension pole


22


. The head


28


is coupled to the plunger of the curtain mount


24


at a swivel joint


56


accommodating installation at an angle other than perpendicular to the ceiling as shown in FIG.


6


.




The center mount


80


of

FIG. 6

includes the various components of a preferred embodiment of the invention described above. However, in this example the components are distributed along the length of the mount. This embodiment includes a head


28


as described above, a swivel joint


56


, an extension loop


66


and an adjustable pole


90


A,


90


B. The pole is adjustable at a clamp


84


and is spring-loaded at spring


50


. Operation of this mount is similar to those mounts described above.




Left mount


78


of

FIG. 6

illustrates an alternative embodiment of the present invention. The left mount again includes the preferred components of the present invention including a head


28


, extension loop


66


, adjustable pole


76


, curtain mount


24


, spring


50


, universal joint


56


, and foot


26


. However in this example, the curtain mount


24


is coupled to the lower end of the pole in position near the floor. The head


28


of the mount is attached directly to the opposite end of the pole and interfaces with the curtain


30


at the ceiling


32


as shown in FIG.


6


and as described above. The pole in this example employs a rotational adjustment mechanism. Also note that in the illustration of

FIG. 6

, a corner of the curtain


30


is held under the foot


26


of center mount


80


to provide additional tension and rigidity to the curtain.





FIGS. 7A-7F

illustrate a method for installing a curtain in accordance with the present invention. In

FIG. 7A

, an installer


86


decides which portion of the room to partition. The installer


86


selects a curtain


30


of appropriate size and attaches a curtain mount


24


to an extension pole


22


as shown. The combined length of the curtain mount


24


and pole


22


is sized to be slightly larger than the floor


34


to ceiling


32


distance, as described above.




In

FIG. 7B

, the installer


86


mounts the curtain


30


to the head of the curtain mount


24


before raising the curtain


30


. The curtain is secured to the mount by either the Velcro™-mount or clip-mount style securing mechanisms as described above.




In

FIG. 7C

, the curtain


30


is raised to the ceiling


32


using the extension pole


22


and curtain mount


24


. The pole


22


is positioned appropriately and the installer


86


pushes the pole


22


against the ceiling


32


to compress the spring in the curtain mount


24


.




In

FIG. 7D

, the first mount


92


is shown in position with the head of the curtain mount urging the curtain


30


against the ceiling


32


. In this installation, the installer


86


also decided to tuck a lower portion of the curtain


30


under the foot


26


to add tension to the curtain and secure the curtain to the floor. Following this, in

FIG. 7D

, the installer


86


has coupled a second portion of the curtain


30


to a second mount


94


and is in the process of raising the second mount


94


into position a few feet from the first mount


92


.




After positioning the second mount


94


as shown in

FIG. 7E

, the installer


86


noticed that a sag


88


is present in the curtain


30


between the first


92


and second


94


mounts which is undesirable for the installer's project. An extension loop


66


is coupled to the head of the curtain mount


24


, thereby allowing the installer


86


to fine-tune the position of the second mount


94


relative to the first mount


92


to eliminate the sag


88


in the curtain


30


.




The resulting installation is shown in FIG.


7


F. It can be seen that the sag


88


exhibited in

FIG. 7E

has been eliminated in

FIG. 7F

by increasing the distance between the first mount


92


and the second mount


94


, thereby tensioning the curtain


30


between the two mounts. Additional mounts may be added as described above resulting in partition configurations as shown in

FIGS. 1A-1C

.





FIGS. 8A-8C

illustrate alternative coupler embodiments for coupling the curtain


30


to the head


28


. In

FIG. 8A

, a hook


95


is installed on a side of the head


28


. The hook


95


interfaces with a grommet


96


or other opening in the curtain


30


for supporting the curtain during and following installation. In

FIG. 8B

, a spring-biased clamp


97


secures the curtain


30


in its jaws. In

FIG. 8C

, the head


28


is formed in two sections which interface at a hinge


99


. The sections join at jaws


98


to clamp the curtain


30


, thereby securing it to the head


28


. In the embodiments shown in

FIGS. 8A-8C

, the curtain


30


, when installed, is not urged against the ceiling by the top face of the head


28


. Instead, the curtain hangs from the side of the head


28


.




A distinct advantage of the present invention over the prior art is its ability to interface with and utilize curtains, poles, and extension rods which are available off the shelf Preferred curtain materials depend on the application and include cloth or canvas sheets, plastic sheets, and reinforced plastic tarps. Standard poles include extension poles, painter's poles, telescoping poles, and window washing poles. High friction materials include silicone, rubber, and non-skid material for carpeting. Compression mechanisms include springs, pneumatic devices and hydraulic devices.




More curtain mounts may be used for installations requiring heavier curtain materials or for installations which require the partition to be substantially air-tight, for example, asbestos removal and lead paint removal applications.




The present invention is also applicable for creating temporary private areas using standard sheets and blankets for curtains. This would be particularly useful in emergency shelters or in crowded hospitals.




While this invention has been particularly shown and described with references to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.




An example of an alternative embodiment of the curtain mount is illustrated in

FIGS. 9A

,


9


B and


9


C. This curtain mount embodiment includes a hydraulic or pneumatic device


107


serving as a compression mechanism. A proximal end of the mount includes a pole interface comprising a pin


102


which mates with a corresponding hole


104


on the extension pole


22


. The head


106


is mounted to the plunger


46


as shown.




The head


106


includes at least one hole


110


adapted to interface with and receive at least one corresponding pin


112


located on a clip plate


108


. The pins


112


and a portion of a curtain


30


together insert into the holes


110


, and slide and lock in place in the keyhole slots


111


shown in

FIG. 9B. A

knob


113


at the end of each pin


112


prevents a mounted plate


108


from releasing from the head


106


.





FIG. 9C

illustrates the resulting installed configuration of the curtain mount of

FIGS. 9A and 9B

. A portion of the curtain


30


wraps around the pins


112


and is secured in holes


110


. The outward force of the hydraulic plunger urges the curtain


30


toward the ceiling


32


as described above.



Claims
  • 1. A mounting system for installing a curtain comprising:a pole having first and second ends; a foot coupled to the first end of the pole; a head coupled to the second end of the pole, the head having an outer side portion; a compression mechanism between the foot and the head, the compression mechanism configured to urge the head away from the foot; and a spring-biased clamp rotatably coupled to the head, the clamp including an engagement arm urged by a spring against the outer side portion of the head.
  • 2. The mounting system of claim 1 wherein the head comprises a high-friction material.
  • 3. The mounting system of claim 2 wherein the head comprises rubber.
  • 4. The mounting system of claim 1 wherein the foot comprises a high-friction material.
  • 5. The mounting system of claim 4 wherein the foot comprises rubber.
  • 6. The mounting system of claim 1 further comprising a universal joint between the foot and the head.
  • 7. The mounting system of claim 1 wherein the pole is adjustable in length.
  • 8. The mounting system of claim 1 wherein the engagement arm includes an engagement surface that is biased against a side surface of the head by the spring.
  • 9. The mounting system of claim 1 wherein the engagement arm includes a handle to which an applied force operates against the bias of the spring to separate the engagement surface from the head.
  • 10. A mounting system for installing a curtain comprising:a pole having first and second ends; a foot at the first end of the pole; a head at the second end of the pole; a compression mechanism between the foot and the head, the compression mechanism configured to urge the head away from the foot; and a clamp removably coupled to the head, the clamp including spring-based engagement arms urged against an outer side portion of the head when the clamp is coupled to the head.
  • 11. The mounting system of claim 10, wherein the clamp engagement arms include engagement surfaces that are biased against a side surface of the head.
  • 12. The mounting system of claim 10 wherein the engagement arms include handles to which an applied force operates against the bias of the spring to separate the engagement surfaces from the head.
  • 13. The mounting system of claim 10 wherein the head comprises a high-friction material.
  • 14. The mounting system of claim 13 wherein the head comprises rubber.
  • 15. The mounting system of claim 10 wherein the foot comprises a high-friction material.
  • 16. The mounting system of claim 15 wherein the foot comprises rubber.
  • 17. The mounting system of claim 10 further comprising a universal joint between the foot and the head.
  • 18. The mounting system of claim 10 wherein the pole is adjustable in length.
RELATED APPLICATIONS

The application is a continution of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/302,122, filed Apr. 29, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,209,615, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/740,372, filed Oct. 29, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,924,469, the contents of both applications being hereby incorporated herein by reference.

US Referenced Citations (8)
Number Name Date Kind
2942829 Stiffel Jun 1960
4078756 Cross Mar 1978
4715089 Schema Dec 1987
4717107 Servadio Jan 1988
4824302 Schultheis et al. Apr 1989
4907835 Salters Mar 1990
5536229 Albergo Jul 1996
5924469 Whittemore Jul 1999
Continuations (2)
Number Date Country
Parent 09/302122 Apr 1999 US
Child 09/613645 US
Parent 08/740372 Oct 1996 US
Child 09/302122 US