Screen

- Seiko Epson Corporation

A screen includes: a screen body having flexibility, and onto which an image light is projected; a first support member including a screen wind-up section that supports either one of end portions orthogonal to the vertical direction of the screen body and winds up the screen body, and a base body that supports the screen wind-up section; a second support member that supports the other end portion; a column provided upright to the base body; and a retention hook that is attached to the column, and holds the second support member. The retention hook includes: a hook body that holds the second support member, and moves along the column; a latch member that is supported by the hook body, and moves between a latch position where the latch member abuts the column to latch the hook body with respect to the column and an unlatch position; a biasing member that biases the latch member toward the latch position; and a latch release member that moves the latch member to the unlatch position against a biasing force of the biasing member.

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Description
BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to a screen. 2. Related Art Various types of screen have been so far proposed with a sheet-like flexible screen body. Onto the screen surface, i.e., projection surface, of such a screen body, image lights are magnified and projected from a projector or others. An example includes Patent Document 1 (WO2005/043235).

The screen of Patent Document 1 is of a transportable type whose screen body is taken up when stored, and for using the screen, the screen body is pulled out for forming a screen surface. More specifically, the transportable-type screen of Patent Document 1 is configured to include a casing, a spring roll, a top bar, and a column. The spring roll is attached to the casing for taking up the screen body. The top bar is fixedly attached to one end of the screen body. The column is supported, at its one end, by the casing, and is extendable and holds the pulled-out screen body in an extended state. Such a pulled-out state of the screen body can be retained by latching a handle section provided to the top bar to the hook section provided at the tip end of the column.

In such a transportable screen of Patent Document 1, the column is configured to be extendable, and the column is extended and contracted in the state that the handle section is latched by the hook section, thereby adjusting the amount of pulling out the screen body in the vertical direction. With such a configuration, however, because the column is disposed on the rear surface side of the screen, i.e., screen body, a user of the screen has to take the trouble to go behind the screen for placing the screen, i.e., for adjusting the amount of pulling out the screen body in the vertical direction. As such, the usability is not good at all.

SUMMARY

An advantage of some aspects of the invention is to provide a screen that offers a high level of usability.

A first aspect of the invention is directed to a screen that includes: a screen body having flexibility, and onto which an image light is projected; a first support member including a screen wind-up section that supports either one of end portions orthogonal to the vertical direction of the screen body and winds up the screen body, and a base body that supports the screen wind-up section; a second support member that supports the other end portion; a column provided upright to the base body; and a retention hook that is attached to the column, and holds the second support member. In the screen, the retention hook includes: a hook body that holds the second support member, and moves along the column; a latch member that is supported by the hook body, and moves between a latch position where the latch member abuts the column and the hook body is latched with respect to the column and an unlatch position; a biasing member that biases the latch member toward the latch position; and a latch release member that moves the latch member to the unlatch position against a biasing force of the biasing member.

Herein, the first and second support members may serve satisfactorily as long as they respectively support the end portions of the screen body in the vertical direction. That is, the first support member may support the lower end portion of the screen body, and the second support member may support the upper end portion thereof. Or the first support member may support the upper end portion of the screen body, and the second support member may support the lower end portion thereof.

In the below, for simplification of the description, the first support member supports the lower end of the screen body, and the second support member supports the upper end of the screen body.

In the first aspect above, the screen is provided with the first support member including the screen wind-up section and the base body, the second support member, the column, and the retention hook. The retention hook is attached to the column, and holds the second retention member and moves along the column. That is, by moving the retention hook along the column in the state that the second support member is retained by the retention hook, the screen body can be adjusted by the amount of pulling out in the vertical direction. In this configuration, the retention hook serves to hold the second support member that supports the upper end portion of the screen body. That is, this configuration enables to operate the retention hook from the front surface side of the screen without obstruction by the screen body. Accordingly, for placing the screen, i.e., for adjusting the amount of pulling out the screen body in the vertical direction, a user of the screen is no more required to take the trouble to go behind the screen, but he or she only grips the retention hook from the front surface side of the screen to move the hook along the column. As such, the usability is accordingly improved.

Moreover, the retention hook is provided with the hook body, the retention member, the biasing member, and the latch release member. With such a configuration, when the user is not operating the retention hook, i.e., when the latch release member is not being operated, the latch member is positioned at the latch position by the biasing force of the biasing member, and the hook body is latched with respect to the column, i.e., in the locked state in which the retention hook is restricted in movement in the vertical direction. When the latch release member is operated by the user, the latch member is positioned at the unlatch position against the biasing force of the biasing member, and the retention hook is allowed to move with respect to the column in the vertical direction, i.e., in the lock-released state. As such, by moving the retention hook along the column while operating the latch release member, the user can adjust the amount of pulling out the screen body in the vertical direction, and by stopping operation of the latch release member, the user can set the retention hook in the locked state, and keep the pulled-out state of the screen body. Accordingly, such a simple operation of the retention hook, i.e., the latch release member, can adjust the amount of pulling out the screen body in the vertical direction, and keep good the pulled-out state of the screen body.

According to a second aspect of the invention, in the screen of the first aspect, preferably, the hook body includes: an insertion section formed with a hole for insertion of the column; and a member storage section that has a space linked to the hole, and stores and holds the latch member, the biasing member, and the latch release member. In the member storage section, a sloped surface is formed on a side surface opposing the column inserted into the hole to be close to the column along the biasing direction of the biasing member, and is abutted by the latch member at the latch position.

In the screen of the second aspect, the hook body is provided with the insertion section and the member storage section. The member storage section is formed with a sloped surface on the side surface opposing the column inserted into the hole of the insertion section. That is, the space in the member storage section is so formed that the distance between the sloped surface and the column inserted in the hole is reduced gradually along the biasing direction of the biasing member. Accordingly, when the latch member is positioned at the latch position by the biasing force of the biasing member, the latch member finds its way into the narrow space between the column and the sloped surface in the member storage section. The latch member thus comes in close contact with both the column and the sloped surface, and by the friction force between the column and the sloped surface, the retention hook is set in the locked state described above. When the latch member is moved to the unlatch position by the user's operation of the latch release member, the space available for the latch member in the member storage section becomes wider between the column and the sloped surface. The latch member is thus freed from close contact with the column and the sloped surface, and no friction is produced with the column and the sloped surface, thereby setting the retention hook in the lock-released state described above. As such, such a simple configuration can implement both the locked state and the lock-released states.

According to a third aspect of the invention, in the screen of the second aspect, preferably, the latch member is shaped like a cylinder, and is stored in the member storage section with an outer peripheral surface thereof opposing the column and the sloped surface.

In the screen of the third aspect, the latch member is shaped like a cylinder, and is stored in the member storage section as described above. Therefore, in the lock-released state, when the retention hook is moved along the column, the latch member is rotated and moved so that the retention hook can be moved smoothly, i.e., the amount of pulling out the screen body in the vertical direction can be adjusted smoothly.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention, in the first aspect, preferably, the second support member supports an upper end portion of the screen body, and the latch release member is provided on an upper side of the hook body.

In the fourth aspect above, the screen is of a pull-up type in which the first support member supports the lower end portion of the screen body, and the second support member supports the upper end portion thereof and pulls up the screen body. The latch release member is provided on the upper side of the hook body. With such a configuration, a user finds it easy to operate the latch release member when he or she grips the retention hook from the front surface side of the screen, and moves the hook along the column. As such, the usability is improved to a further extent.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numbers reference like elements.

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the overall configuration of a screen in an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a retention hook in the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is another diagram showing the configuration of the retention hook in the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for illustrating the operation of pulling out a screen body from a spring roll in the embodiment.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are both another diagrams for illustrating the operation of pulling out the screen body from the spring roll in the embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT

In the below, an embodiment of the invention is described by referring to the accompanying drawings.

Schematic Configuration of Screen

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the overall configuration of a screen 1. Specifically, FIG. 1 is a perspective view, viewed from the rear surface side of the screen body 2, of the screen body 2 being pulled out from a base section 3.

Onto the screen 1, an image light as a result of magnification projection from a projector or others is directed, for example. As shown in FIG. 1, this screen 1 is configured to include the screen body 2, the base section 3 as a first support member, a pull-up member 4 as a second support member, a column 5, a retention hook 6, and others.

The screen body 2 is formed like a sheet with flexibility, and onto which an incoming image light is projected. In this embodiment, the screen body 2 is of a reflection type with which an incoming image light is reflected for display.

The base section 3 is placed on the floor or others, and is a portion for supporting the screen 1 in its entirety. The base section 3 extends along the lower end portion of the screen body 2, which is shaped like a rectangle. As shown in FIG. 1, this base section 3 is configured to include a base body 31, a spring roll 32 as a screen wind-up section, and others.

The base body 31 is shaped like a box, and stores therein the spring roll 32 to be able to rotate.

As shown in FIG. 1, this base body 31 is formed with, on the upper end surface, an insertion hole 311 for insertion of the screen body 2 to go therethrough.

The spring roll 32 is a member that is configured to be able to rotate about a rotation axis, i.e., the lateral direction of the screen body 2, and winds up the screen body 2. Although not shown specifically, this spring roll 32 is biased by a spring in the direction of taking up the screen body 2, and works to automatically wind up the screen body 2 when the force of pulling out the screen body 2 is reduced.

The pull-up member 4 is a portion extending along the upper end portion of the screen body 2, and supporting the upper end portion of the screen body 2.

As shown in FIG. 1, this pull-up member 4 is formed with, at substantially the center of the upper end portion in the lateral direction, a piece of hanging hardware 41 for hanging on the retention hook 6.

The column 5 is shaped substantially like a cylinder, and is configured to be attachable/detachable to/from the upper end surface of the base body 31 in such a manner that the pillar-like shaft thereof goes along the substantially vertical direction. The column 5 supports the screen body 2 pulled out from the spring roll 32 via the pull-up member 4 and the retention hook 6.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are each a diagram showing the configuration of the retention hook 6. Specifically, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the retention hook 6, showing the external appearance thereof, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the internal configuration of the retention hook 6 from which a lid body 614 is removed.

The retention hook 6 is attached to the column 5 to be able to move in the vertical direction, and is moved in the vertical direction with the hanging hardware 41 hanging thereon so that the pull-up member 4 is moved close to or away from the base section 3. As shown in FIG. 2 or 3, this retention hook 6 is configured to include a hook body 61, a latch member 62 (FIG. 3), a biasing member 63 (FIG. 3), and a latch release member 64.

As shown in FIG. 2 or 3, the hook body 61 is a molded piece including an insertion section 611 and a member storage section 612.

As shown in FIG. 2 or 3, the insertion section 611 is shaped in a substantially cylinderical tube having a hole 6111. When the column 5 is inserted into the hole 6111, the retention hook 6 is attached to the column 5 to be able to move in the vertical direction.

As shown in FIG. 2 or 3, the member storage section 612 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the insertion section 611, and extends along the outer peripheral surface thereof. The member storage section 612 looks substantially like a letter L in planar view, i.e., the upper side is protruding toward the front surface side of the screen 1. The member storage section 612 is shaped like a box, and therein, stores and holds the components, i.e., the latch member 62, the biasing member 63, and the latch release member 64. This member storage section 612 is formed of two bodies divided along a plane passing a tubular axis of the insertion section 611 and an axis orthogonal to the tubular axis to form a storage section body 613 integrated to the insertion section 611 and the lid body 614.

In the storage section body 613 and the lid body 614, as shown in FIG. 2 or 3, concave sections 612A (FIG. 3) and 612B are respectively formed on the upper outer surfaces protruding toward the front surface side of the screen 1. The concave sections 612A and 612B are each shaped substantially like an arc in cross section, and extend in the lateral direction of the screen body 2. These concave sections 612A and 612B are each a portion on which the hanging hardware 41 of the pull-up member 4 is hung.

Also in the storage section body 613 and the lid body 614, as shown in FIG. 2 or 3, between the concave sections 612A and 612B and the insertion section 611, arc-shaped notches (FIG. 3) and 612C2 (FIG. 2) are respectively formed. These arc-shaped notches 612C1 and 612C2 form a circular hole 612C when connected together, and the circular hole 612C is a portion from which the latch release member 64 is partially exposed to the outside.

Described now is the configuration of the inside surface of the storage section body 613. Herein, the configuration of the inside surface of the lid body 614 is substantially the same as that of the storage section body 613, and thus is not described twice.

As shown in FIG. 3, with the lid body 614 attached, the inside surface of the storage section body 613 is formed with, at the position proximal to the insertion section 611, first to third storage sections 615 to 617 in this order from top to bottom. The first to third storage sections 615 to 617 respectively store therein the latch release member 64, the latch member 62, and the biasing member 63.

As shown in FIG. 3, the first storage section 615 has a space A shaped substantially like a cylinder. The space A is linked to the outside via the circular hole 612C, and extends in the vertical direction. In this space A, the latch release member 64 is stored and retained.

More specifically, the space A is substantially shaped like a cylinder whose diameter is slightly larger than a large-diameter section of the latch release member 64 that will be described later.

In the first storage section 615, on the upper and lower sides, as shown in FIG. 3, movement restriction sections 6151 and 6152 are respectively formed for restricting the movement of the latch release member 64 in the vertical direction by protruding toward the pillar-like shaft of the space A.

Also in such a first storage section 615, on the lower side, as shown in FIG. 3, a spring connection section 6153 is formed. The spring connection section 6153 protrudes substantially like an arc around the pillar-like shaft of the space A, and is connected with one end of a second coil spring of the latch release member 64 that will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 3, the second storage section 616 is linked to the hole 6111 of the insertion section 611 via a link hole 6161, which is shaped substantially like a rectangle extending in the vertical direction. The second storage section 616 has a space B that is substantially trapezoidal in cross section, and is linked to the space A. In the space B, the latch member 62 is stored and retained.

To be more specific, in the space B, the length corresponding to the substantially-trapezoidal upper bottom is set to be shorter than the diameter of the latch member 62, and the length corresponding to the lower bottom is set to be longer than the diameter of the latch member 62.

In the second storage section 616, as shown in FIG. 3, a side surface 6162 opposing the link hole 6161 is so shaped as to gradually come closer to the link hole 6161 toward the upper side. That is, the side surface 6162 corresponds to a sloped surface of the aspects of the invention.

As shown in FIG. 3, the third storage section 617 has a space C that is shaped substantially like a cylinder extending in the vertical direction, and is linked to the space B. In the space C, the biasing member 63 is stored and retained.

In the third storage section 617, on the upper side, as shown in FIG. 3, a movement guide section 6171 is formed to guide a press section of the biasing member 63 (will be described later) to move in the vertical direction by protruding toward the pillar-like shaft of the space B, and abutting the press section.

In the space B, the latch member 62 is moved between a latch position P1 (refer to FIG. 5A) and a unlatch position P2 (refer to FIG. 5B). At the latch position P1, the latch member 62 abuts the column 5 via the link hole 6161 and latches the hook body 61 with respect to the column 5. As shown in FIG. 3, this latch member 62 is shaped like a cylinder, and is housed in the second storage section 616 in such a manner that the outer peripheral surface thereof opposes the column 5 and the sloped surface 6162.

The biasing member 63 abuts the latch member 62, thereby biasing the latch member 62 toward the latch position P1. As shown in FIG. 3, this biasing member 63 is configured to include a first coil spring 631 and a press section 632.

As shown in FIG. 3, the first coil spring 631 is configured by a general coil spring, and one end thereof is connected to the lower inner side surface of the third storage section 617, and the other end thereof is connected to the lower end portion of the press section 632. The first coil spring 631 biases upward the press section 632, i.e., the latch member 62.

As shown in FIG. 3, the press section 632 looks substantially like a letter L, and is housed in the third storage section 617 in such a manner that the vertical portion of the letter-L shape is inserted into the movement guide section 6171, and the horizontal portion thereof is positioned in the space B. In the press section 632, the horizontal portion of the letter-L shape abuts the outer peripheral surface of the latch member 62, and by the biasing force of the first coil spring 631, the latch member 62 is pressed to the upper side.

Against the biasing force by the first coil spring 631, the latch release member 64 moves the latch member 62 to the unlatch position P2. As shown in FIG. 3, this latch release member 64 is configured to include a second coil spring 641 and an operation section 642.

Similarly to the first coil spring 631, the second coil spring 641 is configured by a general coil spring, and one end thereof is connected to the spring connection section 6153 of the first storage section 615, and the other end thereof is connected to the lower end portion of a large-diameter section of the operation section 642 (will be described later). The second coil spring 641 biases the operation section 642 upwardly.

The operation section 642 is a portion where a user of the screen 1 operates. As shown in FIG. 3, this operation section 642 is configured to include an operation section body 6421, a large-diameter section 6422, and a small-diameter section 6423.

As shown in FIG. 3, the operation section body 6421 is shaped substantially like a cylinder extending in the vertical direction. The operation section body 6421 is exposed to the outside of the hook body 61 via the circular hole 612C, and is depressed by the user's hand downward, i.e., toward the space A.

The large-diameter section 6422 is shaped substantially like a cylinder with a diameter longer than that of the operation section body 6421, and is formed integrally to the lower end of the operation section body 6421. Herein, the pillar-like shaft of the large-diameter section 6422 is substantially the same as that of the operation section body 6421.

The small-diameter section 6423 is shaped substantially like a cylinder with a diameter smaller than that of the operation section body 6421, and is formed integrally to the lower end of the larger-diameter section 6422. Herein, the pillar-like shaft of the small-diameter section 6423 is substantially the same as those of the operation section body 6421 and the large-diameter section 6422. When the user depresses downward the operation section body 6421, the lower end portion of the small-diameter section 6423 abuts the outer peripheral surface of the latch member 62, thereby moving the latch member 62 to the unlatch position P2.

Operation of Retention Hook

Described next is the operation of pulling out the screen body 2 from the spring roll 32. Herein, the operation of storing the screen 1, i.e., operation of making the spring roll 32 to wind up the screen body 2, is substantially the same as the operation of pulling out the screen body 2, and thus is not described twice.

FIGS. 4 to 5B are each a diagram for illustrating the operation of pulling out the screen body 2 from the spring roll 32. Specifically, FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the state in which the screen body 2 is being wound up by the spring roll 32. FIG. 5A is a diagram showing the locked state in which the latch member 62 is positioned at the latch position P1, and FIG. 5B is a diagram showing the lock-released state in which the latch member 62 is positioned at the unlatch position P2.

First of all, in the state of FIG. 4, when the operation section 642 is not operated by a user, as shown in FIG. 5A, the latch member 62 is biased upward by the biasing force of the biasing member 63, and is positioned at the latch position P1. That is, the latch member 62 finds its way into the upper side of the space B where the length is shorter than its own. As a result, the latch member 62 comes in close contact with the column 5 and the sloped surface 6162, and by the friction force among the latch member 62, the column 5, and the sloped surface 6162, the hook body 61 is latched with respect to the column 5, i.e., locked state in which the retention hook 6 is restricted in movement in the vertical direction.

For pulling out the screen body 2 in the state of FIG. 4, the user grips the retention hook 6, and depresses the operation section 642. When the operation section 642 is depressed as such, as shown in FIG. 5B, the lower end portion of the latch release member 64 abuts the outer peripheral surface of the latch member 62, and against the biasing force of the biasing member 63, the latch member 62 is positioned at the unlatch position P2. That is, the latch member 62 moves to the lower side of the space B where the length is longer than its own. As a result, the latch member 62 is freed from close contact with the column 5 and the sloped surface 6162, and no friction is produced any more among the latch member 62, the column 5 and the sloped surface 6162. Accordingly, the retention hook 6 is allowed to move with respect to the column 5 in the vertical direction, i.e., the lock-released state.

While continuously depressing the operation section 642, the user grips and moves the retention hook 6 to the upper side, i.e., move the pull-up member 4 to the upper side. In this manner, against the biasing force of the spring of the spring roll 32, the screen body 2 is pulled out from the spring roll 32. Thereafter, when the user stops depressing the operation section 642, the retention hook 6 is set in the locked state described above, and as shown in FIG. 1, the retention hook 6 is latched with respect to the column 5, and the screen body 2 remains pulled out.

In the embodiment described above, the following effects can be achieved.

In the embodiment, the screen 1 is configured to include the base section 3, the pull-up member 4, the column 5, and the retention hook 6. The retention hook 6 holds the pull-up member 4, and moves along the column 5. That is, by moving the retention hook 6 along the column 5 in the state that the pull-up member 4 is retained by the retention hook 6, the screen body 2 can be adjusted by the amount of pulling out in the vertical direction. In this configuration, the retention hook 6 serves to hold the pull-up member 4 that supports the upper end portion of the screen body 2. That is, this configuration enables to operate the retention hook 6 from the front surface side of the screen 1 without obstruction by the screen body 2. Accordingly, for placing the screen 1, i.e., for adjusting the amount of pulling out the screen body 2 in the vertical direction, a user is no more required to take the trouble to go behind the screen 1, but he or she only grips the retention hook 6 from the front surface side of the screen 1 to move the hook along the column 5. As such, the usability is accordingly improved.

Moreover, the retention hook 6 is provided with the hook body 61, the latch member 62, the biasing member 63, and the latch release member 64. With such a configuration, when the user is not operating the latch release member 64, the latch member 62 is positioned at the latch position P1 by the biasing force of the biasing member 63, and the retention hook 6 is set in the locked state. When the latch release member 64 is operated by the user, the latch member 62 is positioned at the unlatch position P2 against the biasing force of the biasing member 63, and the retention hook 6 is set in the lock-released state. As such, by moving the retention hook 6 along the column 5 while continuously operating the latch release member 64, the user can adjust the amount of pulling out the screen body 2 in the vertical direction, and by stopping operation of the latch release member 64, the user can set the retention hook 6 in the locked state, and keep the pulled-out state of the screen body 2. Accordingly, such a simple operation of the retention hook 6, i.e., the latch release member 64, can adjust the amount of pulling out the screen body 2 in the vertical direction, and keep good the pulled-out state of the screen body 2.

Moreover, the hook body 61 is provided with the insertion section 611 and the member storage section 612. The member storage section 612 is formed with the sloped surface 6162 on the side surface opposing the column 5 inserted into the hole 6111 of the insertion section 611. That is, the space B in the member storage section 612 is so formed that the distance between the sloped surface 6162 and the column 5 inserted in the hole 6111 is gradually reduced along the biasing direction, i.e., upward, of the biasing member 63. Accordingly, when being positioned at the latch position P1, in the space B, the latch member 62 is moved to the upper side where the length is shorter than its own diameter, and is closely contacted with the column 5 and the sloped surface 6162 so that the retention hook 6 is set in the locked state. When being positioned at the unlatch position P2, in the space B, the latch member 62 is moved to the lower side where the length is longer than its own diameter. Accordingly, the latch member 62 is freed from close contact with the column 5 and the sloped surface 6162 so that the retention hook 6 is set in the lock-released state. As such, such a simple configuration can implement both the locked state and the lock-released states.

The latch member 62 is shaped like a cylinder, and is stored in the member storage section 612 in such a manner that the outer peripheral surface opposes the column 5 and the sloped surface 6162. Therefore, in the lock-released state, when the retention hook 6 is moved along the column 5, the latch member 62 is rotated and moved so that the retention hook 6 can be moved smoothly, i.e., the amount of pulling out the screen body 2 in the vertical direction can be adjusted smoothly.

The latch release member 64 is provided on the upper side of the hook body 6. With such a configuration, a user finds it easy to operate the latch release member 64 when he or she grips the retention hook 6 from the front surface side of the screen 1, and moves the hook along the column 5. As such, the usability is improved to a further extent.

While the invention has been described in detail, the foregoing description is in all aspects illustrative and not restrictive. It is understood that numerous other modifications and variations can be devised without departing from the scope of the invention.

In the embodiment described above, the screen is of a pull-up type in which the base section 3 supports the lower end portion of the screen body 2, and the pull-up member 4 supports the upper end portion thereof and pulls up the screen body 2. This is surely not restrictive, and reversely, the screen may be of a pull-down type in which the base section 3 supports the upper end portion of the screen body 2, and the pull-up member 4 supports the lower end section thereof and pulls down the screen body 2. [00753 In the embodiment, the configuration of the components, i.e., the hook body 61, the latch member 62, the biasing member 63, and the latch release member 64, is not the only option, and any other configuration will also do.

For example, in the hook body 61, the sloped surface 6162 is so shaped as to gradually come closer to the link hole 6161 toward the upper side. This is surely not restrictive, and the sloped surface 6162 may be so shaped as to gradually come closer to the link hole 6161 toward the lower side. If this is the case, the placement position of the latch release member 64 is changed that of the biasing member 63, i.e., the latch release member 64 is disposed below the hook body 61.

Further, the latch member 62 is shaped like a cylinder, but this is surely not restrictive, and any other shape will also do.

Still further, the latch member serves well as long as it moves between the latch position where the hook body is latched with respect to the column through abutment thereto, and the unlatch position. The biasing member serves well as long as it biases the latch member toward the latch position, and the latch release member serves well as long as it moves the latch member to the unlatch position against the biasing force of the biasing member. The hook body serves well as long as it supports the latch member, the biasing member, and the latch release member. Accordingly, the hook body is not restrictive to carry therein the latch member, the biasing member, and the latch release member, and the outer peripheral surface of the hook body may support such components.

In the embodiment, the base section 3 is configured to be disposed directly on the floor or others. Alternatively, the base section 3 may be disposed on the floor or others via a support leg such as tripod.

The screen of the embodiment of the invention has good usability, and thus can serve well for magnification projection of image lights coming from a projector or others.

The entire disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-218408, filed Aug. 24, 2007 is expressly incorporated by reference herein.

Claims

1. A screen comprising:

a screen body having flexibility, and onto which an image light is projected;
a first support member including a screen wind-up section that supports either one of end portions orthogonal to the vertical direction of the screen body and winds up the screen body, and a base body that supports the screen wind-up section;
a second support member that supports the other end portion;
a column provided upright to the base body; and
a retention hook that is attached to the column, and holds the second support member, wherein the retention hook includes:
a hook body that holds the second support member, and moves along the column;
a latch member that is supported by the hook body, and moves between a latch position where the latch member abuts the column to latch the hook body with respect to the column and an unlatch position;
a biasing member that biases the latch member toward the latch position; and
a latch release member that moves the latch member to the unlatch position against a biasing force of the biasing member.

2. The screen according to claim 1, wherein the hook body includes:

an insertion section formed with a hole for insertion of the column; and
a member storage section that has a space linked to the hole, and stores and holds the latch member, the biasing member, and the latch release member, wherein
in the member storage section, a sloped surface is formed on a side surface opposing the column inserted into the hole to be close to the column along the biasing direction of the biasing member, and is abutted by the latch member at the latch position.

3. The screen according to claim 2, wherein

the latch member is shaped like a cylinder, and is stored in the member storage section with an outer peripheral surface thereof opposing the column and the sloped surface.

4. The screen according to claim 1, wherein

the second support member supports an upper end portion of the screen body, and
the latch release member is provided on an upper side of the hook body.
Patent History
Publication number: 20090050279
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 21, 2008
Publication Date: Feb 26, 2009
Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation (Tokyo)
Inventors: Yasunori Yoshino (Matsumoto-shi), Shinobu Shiohara (Azumino-shi)
Application Number: 12/195,908
Classifications
Current U.S. Class: With Winding Or Tensioning Means (160/315)
International Classification: A47G 5/02 (20060101);