Patent Application
20080121354
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a roll-up barrier, and more particular to a roll-up barrier that has a flexible barrier can be pulled out and held at a desired length and can be conveniently retracted.
2. Description of Related Art
A safe zone in which an infant or a pet can play to limit access to hazardous areas is defined with a temporary barrier or gate mounted between two walls or in a doorway.
For make storage convenient, various kinds of roll-up barriers have been developed. Generally, a conventional roll-up barrier has a rolling tube, a flexible barrier and a resilient element. The rolling tube is positioned on a stationary, e.g. a wall, a doorjamb or the like. The flexible barrier is mounted around the rolling tube and has a proximal edge and a distal edge. The proximal edge of the flexible barrier is mounted securely on the rolling tube. The distal edge of the flexible barrier can be pulled out to rotate the rolling tube and to be connected to and positioned on a hook which is mounted on an adjacent stationary, e.g. a wall, a doorjamb or the like, such that the flexible barrier can define a safe zone in which an infant or pet can play. The resilient element is mounted in the rolling tube to provide a rotating reposition force to roll back the rolling tube after the rolling tube is rotated, such that the flexible barrier can be rapidly and conveniently rolled back around the rolling tube.
However, when the distal end of the flexible barrier is collided with something or someone, or is pulled or dragged by the infant or the pet to be inadvertently detached from the hook on the stationary, the flexible barrier will be entirely retracted back around the rolling tube. During retraction of the flexible barrier, retracting force of the moving flexible barrier may hurt the infant or the pet. Additionally, to pull out the flexible barrier to reconnect the distal end thereof to the hook on the adjacent stationary is inconvenient.
The main objective of the present invention is to provide a roll-up barrier to overcome the aforementioned problems of the conventional roll-up barrier.
A roll-up barrier has a base, an end cap, a drive shaft connected between the base and the end cap, a rolling assembly, a resilient element and a flexible barrier. The end cap has an arresting mechanism has a bottom, a control button, a spring and an arrestor. The control button has a bottom and multiple control serrations formed on the bottom of the control button. The spring is mounted under the control button to slightly press up the control button. The arrestor is mounted under the bottom of the end cap and is capable of moving along longitudinal direction.
The rolling assembly has a rolling tube and a rolling bushing. The rolling tube is mounted rotatably around the drive shaft and has a top end. The rolling bushing is mounted at the top end of the top end of the rolling tube and has a top, an actuator and multiple one-way arresting teeth. The actuator is mounted rotatably on the top of the rolling bushing to engage the control serrations to rotate simultaneously with the control button when the control button is pressed down, and to depart from the control serrations when the control button is released. When the actuator rotates in a specific direction, the arrestor is lifted up by the actuator. The one-way arresting teeth are formed on the top of the rolling bushing around the actuator to engage with the arrestor to prevent the rolling bushing from rotation when the arrestor moves down, and to depart from the arrestor to allow rotation of the rolling bushing when the arrestor is lifted up by the actuator.
The resilient element is mounted in the rolling tube to provide a rotating reposition force for rolling back the rolling tube. The flexible barrier is mounted retractably around the rolling tube. When the control button is pressed and rotated, the actuator detaches the arrestor from the arresting teeth and rotation of rolling assembly is allowed. Such that a user can pull out or retract the flexible barrier. When the control button is released, the arrestor engages the arresting teeth and prevents the rolling assembly from rotation. Such that a desired length of the flexible barrier can be pulled out and kept in outside of the rolling tube.
Accordingly, even if the flexible barrier is inadvertently detached from a stationary, e.g. a wall, doorjamb or the like, to which the flexible barrier is attached, the flexible barrier does not retracted by the resilient element and is still held at the original length to prevent an infant or the pet from being injured by the retracting flexible barrier. Additionally, the user can immediately and conveniently reconnect the flexible barrier to the stationary.
Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
With reference to
The base (30) has a top surface, an outer edge, a connecting tube (31), an optional guide tab (32), an optional connecting lip (34) and an optional base connector (33). The connecting tube (31) is formed on and protrudes up from the top surface of the base (30). The guide tab (32) is formed on and protrudes up from the top surface of the base (30) and is mounted around the connecting tube (31). With further reference to
The drive shaft (10) has a bottom end and a top end. The bottom end of the drive shaft (10) is mounted securely in the connecting tube (31) of the base (30).
The end cap (20) is mounted securely at the top end of the drive shaft (10) and has a bottom surface, an outer edge, a connecting tube (23), an arresting mechanism, an optional guide tab (200), an optional connecting lip (201) and an optional end cap connector (21). The connecting tube (23) is formed coaxially on and protrudes down from the bottom surface of the end cap (20) and securely holds the top end of the drive shaft (10).
With further reference to
With further reference to
The limit slot (215) is curved, is formed through the bottom of the button recess (216), aligns with the control serrations (220) and has two ends. The receiving recess (212) is formed in the bottom surface of the end cap (20) around the button recess (216) and has an inner wall.
With further reference to
The guide tab (200) is formed on and protrudes down from the bottom surface of the end cap (20) and is mounted around the connecting tube (23). The connecting lip (201) is curved, is mounted around the outer edge of the end cap (20), defines a curved gap (202) between the outer edge of the end cap (20) and the connecting lip (201) and has a proximal end. The proximal end of the connecting lip (201) is formed on and protrudes radially from the outer edge of the end cap (20). The end cap connector (21) is mounted detachably on the outer edge of the end cap (20), connects to the stationary to which the base connector (33) is connected to hold the end cap (20) on the stationary and has an inside surface, multiple optional through holes (211), multiple optional fasteners and an optional connecting groove (210). The through holes (211) are formed transversely through the end cap connector (21). The fasteners extend respectively through the through holes (211) and attach to the stationary to attach the end cap connector (21) to the stationary. The connecting groove (210) is formed in the inside surface of the end cap connector (21) to selectively hold the connecting lip (201) of the end cap (20) to mount the end cap (20) on the end cap connector (21).
With further reference to
The connecting bushing (43) is mounted rotatably on the base (30) around the connecting tube (31) and has a top edge and a keyway (431). The keyway (431) is formed longitudinally through the connecting bushing (41) and communicates with the top edge of the connecting bushing (41).
The rolling tube (42) is mounted rotatably around the drive shaft (10) and has an inner surface, an outer surface, a bottom end, a top end, an optional mounting groove (421) and an optional mounting rod (44). The bottom end of the rolling tube (42) is mounted rotatably on the base (30) around the connecting tube (31) and may be connected securely to the connecting bushing (41) to mount the rolling tube (42) rotatably on the base (30).
The mounting groove (421) is formed longitudinally in the outer surface of the rolling tube (42) and protrudes in from the inner surface of the rolling tube (42) to form a longitudinal rib. The longitudinal rib has a bottom end and a top end. The bottom end of the longitudinal rib is held in the keyway (431) in the connecting bushing (41) to securely connect the rolling tube (42) to the connecting bushing (41). The mounting rod (44) is mounted in the mounting groove (421).
With further reference to
The actuator (25, 25′) is mounted rotatably on the top of the rolling bushing (41), has a top surface, an outer edge, a central hole, a control tooth (250) and an actuating lug (251) and may be implemented in several ways. The central hole is formed coaxially through the actuator (25, 25′) and is mounted rotatably around the connecting tube (23) of the end cap (20). The control tooth (250) is formed on the top surface of the actuator (25, 25′), corresponds to the control serrations (220) and protrudes through the limit slot (215) to selective engage the control serrations (220).
With further reference to
The actuating lug (251) is formed on and protrudes radially from the outer edge of the actuator (25, 25′) and has a bevel top (252). The bevel top (252) corresponds to the bevel section (241) of the arrestor (24) and selectively engages the bevel section (241) to lift up the arrestor (24).
When the actuator (25, 25′) is rotated to press the control tooth (250) against one end of the limit slot (215), the bevel top (252) engages the bevel section (241) and lifts up the arrestor (24). When the actuator (25, 25′) is rotated to press the control tooth (250) against the other end of the limit slot (215), the bevel top (252) departs from the bevel section (241) and lowers down the arrestor (24).
With further reference to
With further reference to
The one-way arresting teeth (415) are formed on the top of the rolling bushing (41) around the actuator (25, 25′) and corresponds to and selectively engage the one-way toothed section (242). When the arrestor (24) is lifted up by the actuating lug (251) of the actuator (25, 25′), the one-way toothed section (242) does not engage with the one-way arresting teeth (415) such that the rolling bushing (41) can rotate relative to the end cap (20). When the bevel top (252) of the actuating lug (251) departs from the bevel section (241), the arrestor (24) is lowered down and the one-way toothed section (242) engages with the one-way arresting teeth (415). Engagement between the one-way arresting teeth (415) and the one-way toothed section (242) does not allow the rolling bushing (41) to rotate relative to the end cap (20).
The keyway (411) is formed longitudinally in the outer wall (413) of the rolling bushing (41) and holds the top end of the longitudinal rib formed by the mounting groove (421) extending into the rolling tube (42).
The resilient element (11) is mounted in the rolling tube (42) to provide a rotating reposition force to roll the rolling tube (42) after the rolling tube (42) is rotated. The resilient element (11) may be mounted around the drive shaft (10) and have two ends. The ends of the resilient element (11) are connected respectively to the drive shaft (10) and the bottom of the rolling bushing (41).
With further reference to
When the control button (22) is pressed down and rotated to lift up the arrestor (24), the rolling assembly (40) is allowed to be rotated such that the flexible barrier (50) can be pulled out.
After a desired length of the flexible barrier (50) is pulled out, the control button (22) can be released to detach the control serrations (220) from the control tooth (250) and to free the actuator (25, 25′). Then, the rotating reposition force stored by the resilient element (11) rolls back the rolling tube (42) and friction between the actuator (25, 25′) and the top of the rolling bushing (41) slightly rotates the actuator (25, 25′) to detach the bevel top (252) of the actuating lug (251) from the bevel section (241), such that the arrestor (24) is immediately moved down to engage the one-way arresting teeth (415) with the one-way toothed section (242) to prevent the rolling tube (42) from rolling back. Thus, the flexible barrier (50) can be held at the desired length that is pulled out.
After use, the control button (22) can be pressed down and rotated to lift up the arrestor (24). Then, when the flexible barrier (50) is released, the rolling tube (42) is rotated by the rotating reposition force of the resilient element (11) to retracted the flexible barrier (50) back around the rolling tube (42), which is convenient to operate.
The handles (500) are mounted on the distal edge of the flexible barrier (50) respectively near the top and bottom edges of the flexible barrier (50).
The connectors (51) connect to an adjacent stationary, e.g. a wall, a doorjamb or the like and align respectively with and selectively engage the handles (500) to hold the flexible barrier (50) in an extended position.
When the handles (500) are released from the connectors (51) and the control button (22) is pressed to ensure the disengagement between the one-way arresting teeth (415) and the one-way toothed section (242), potential energy stored in the resilient element (11) rotates the rolling assembly (40) and retracts the flexible barrier (50) by rolling the flexible barrier (50) back around the rolling tube (42).
When the one-way arresting teeth (415) engage with the one-way toothed section (242), even though the flexible barrier (50) is collided with something or someone, or is pulled or dragged by the infant or the pet to inadvertently detached from the connectors (51) on the stationary, the flexible barrier (50) will keep at the original length to prevent the infant or the pet from injured by the retracting flexible barrier. Additionally, a user is convenient to immediately engage the handles (500) with the connectors (51) to reconnect the flexible barrier (50) to the stationary.
It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.
