Patent Application
20070193705
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a screen partition, and more particularly to a screen partition that can be rolled up on a reel for storage or transport.
2. Description of the Related Art
At exhibitions, whether indoors or outdoors, portable partitions are erected to divide the exhibition area into separate spaces or placed to direct people in a certain direction. The partitions can be made of rigid or soft panels. Many portable partitions use soft flexible panels or screens for convenient storage.
A conventional screen partition comprises a panel and two posts. The panel is securely mounted at two ends on the two posts, respectively. The posts are positioned in a desired location and the panel is extended to form a wall to divide an area.
However, with a conventional screen partition, the panel must be manually rolled up around one of the posts for storage and unrolled for use, which is both time consuming and inconvenient. Furthermore, the panel can be easily soiled or damaged because it is exposed and unprotected.
Therefore, the invention provides a roll-up screen partition to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.
The main objective of the present invention is to provide a roll-up screen partition, which can be easily rolled up and protected when not in use.
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
With reference to
A hole (17) is axially defined in the upper cap (12) and a cup (15), with an open end defined upward, is axially formed on a top surface of the lower cap (11). An inner space (14) is defined inside the outer tube (13). A slot (16) is longitudinally defined in a sidewall of the outer tube (13) and communicates with the inner space (14). A rod (19) is rotatably mounted inside the outer tube (13) in the inner space (14). An upper end of the rod (19) extends out through the hole (17) and a lower end of the rod (19) is rotatably mounted in the cup (15). A handle (18) is mounted on the upper end of the rod (19). The first end of the panel (70) is mounted on the rod (19) through the slot (16). Two spikes (80) are mounted respectively at a lower end of the post (21) and the lower end of the reel (10). Each spike (80) has a pedal (81) pivotally mounted on a side thereof to assist in driving the spike (80) into the ground at a desired location. With the rotation of the handle (18), the panel (70) can be rolled up into the inner space (14) through the slot (16) and around the rod (19) for safe storage.
With reference to
The reel (20) in the second embodiment is composed of an outer tube (50) with a pawl assembly (90). An inner space (51) is defined inside the outer tube (50). A slot (52) is longitudinally defined in a sidewall of the outer tube (50) and communicates with the inner space (51). The outer tube (50) has an upper cap (40) mounted on an upper end thereof and a lower cap (30) mounted on a lower end thereof. The upper cap (40) has an open top and a through hole in the bottom. The lower cap (30) has an open bottom and a through hole in the top. A spring housing (62) is mounted rotatably inside the upper cap (40). The spring housing (62) has an open top and a protrusion (61) axially formed on a bottom that is mounted through the through hole of the upper cap (40). Multiple unidirectional teeth (65) are formed around the periphery of the protrusion (61). Two end plates are mounted over the open top of the upper cap (40) and the open bottom of the lower cap (30), respectively. A lower lug (33) is rotatably and axially mounted on an inner surface of the end plate of the lower cap (30). An upper lug (43) is axially formed on the inner surface of the end cap of the upper cap (40).
A rod (60) is rotatably mounted inside the outer tube (50) in the inner space (51). A lower end of the rod (60) is rotatably mounted on the lower lug (33) and an upper end of the rod (60) is securely connected to the protrusion (61) of the spring housing (62). The spring housing (62) is rotatably connected to the upper lug (43) of the end plate of the upper cap (40), thereby defining a chamber (63) in the spring housing (62). A first end of the panel (70) is connected to the rod (60) through the slot (52).
The pawl assembly (90) has an actuator (91), a torsion spring (92), a biasing spring and a pawl (93). A first end of the actuator (91) transversely extends out of a periphery of the upper cap (40). A second end of the actuator (91) extends substantially into the upper cap (40). The actuator (91) is biased by the biasing spring such that the first end of the actuator (91) remains extended out of the upper cap (40). The torsion spring (92) and the pawl (93) are pivotally mounted in the upper cap (40) and adjacent to the actuator (91). One end of the torsion spring (92) abuts against a second end of the pawl (93) to make a first end of the pawl (93) push against the actuator (91). The second end of the pawl (93) is engaged with one of the teeth (65) form around the outer surface of the protrusion (61).
With reference to
With reference to
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The present invention allows a user to quickly and easily erect a partition. Furthermore, the panel (70) can be conveniently rolled up and stored inside the reel (10,20) to protect the panel (70) from damage or contamination.
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. Changes may be made in the details, 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.
