PARTITION MOUNT
In a spring-loaded curtain mount, the 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 receive 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 coupling device adapted to receive 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 slightly 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.
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This application is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/778,907, filed Jul. 17, 2007, which is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/458,804, filed Jul. 20, 2006, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,261,140 which is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/223,081, filed Sep. 9, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,108,040, which is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/301,233, filed Nov. 21, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,942,004, which is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/884,337, filed Jun. 19, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,508,295 which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/613,645, filed Jul. 11, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,321,823, which is a continuation 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 the applications being incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONPartition 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 useful 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 INVENTIONThe 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.
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.
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.
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.
The curtain mount includes a head 28A. 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 28A includes a strip of Velcro™ loops or hooks attached thereto. The Velcro™ strip 40 on the head 28A 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 24A respectively and then raise the extension pole 22A and mount 24A such that the high friction material 44 interfaces with the ceiling. As the spring in the curtain mount 24A compresses, that compressive force operates outwardly through the head 28A, 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 56A at the head 28A 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 24B hereinafter referred to as a clip-mount, a curtain clip 64 is adapted to accept a portion 30A of a curtain 30. In a first embodiment, the clip 64 includes legs 65 adapted to snap over the body of the head 28B, thereby securing the clip 64 and curtain 30 to the head 28B. In a second embodiment, the clip 64 includes pins 112 (see
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
In
The center mount 80 of
Left mount 78 of
In
In
After positioning the second mount 94 as shown in
The resulting installation is shown in
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
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
Claims
1. A method of installing a curtain to a partition mount to form a room partition between a first surface of a room and a second surface of the room, the partition mount comprising: an adjustable-length pole, the pole having a first end and a second end; and at least one coupling feature at the second end to secure the curtain, the method comprising:
- securing the curtain to the at least one coupling feature at the second end, the at least one coupling feature at the second end extending outward from a surface of the partition mount; and
- mounting the partition mount by adjusting a length of the pole so that the pole is fixed between the first surface of the room and the second surface of the room.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the partition mount further includes a compression mechanism between the first end and the second end, and wherein mounting the partition mount further comprises compressing the first end and the second end of the partition mount between the first surface of the room and the second surface of the room.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein securing the curtain includes extending the coupling feature through the curtain when securing the curtain to the at least one coupling feature.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the partition mount further comprises a head at the second end and wherein securing the curtain includes securing the curtain to a portion of the at least one coupling feature extending outward from a surface of the head and fixedly attached to the head.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein the head extends in a transverse direction relative to a longitudinal axis of the pole.
6. The method of claim 4 wherein the head is coupled to the second end of the pole at a pole interface, and further comprising mating one of a pin and hole of the pole with a corresponding respective one of a hole and a pin of the head.
7. The method of claim 4 wherein the head is coupled to the second end of the pole at a pole interface, and further comprising mating one of a pin having external threads and a hole having internal threads of the pole with a corresponding respective one of a hole having internal threads and a pin having external threads of the head.
8. The method of claim 1 further comprising a pad of material on a top surface of the head.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the partition mount comprises a first partition mount and further comprising:
- securing a portion of the curtain spaced apart from a portion of the curtain that is secured to the first partition mount to a second partition mount, the second partition mount comprising an adjustable-length pole, the pole having a first end and a second end; and
- mounting the second partition mount by adjusting a length of the pole of the second partition mount so that the pole of the second partition mount is fixed between the first surface of the room and the second surface of the room.
10. The method of claim 9 further comprising increasing a distance between the first partition mount and the second partition mount to increase tension in the curtain.
11. The method of claim 9 wherein a distance between the first partition mount and the second partition mount is variable.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein the partition mount further comprises a head at the second end and wherein securing the curtain includes securing the curtain to a portion of the at least one coupling feature cantilevered outward from a surface of the head.
13. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one coupling feature is a cantilevered coupling feature extending outward from a surface of the partition mount.
14. The method of claim 1 further comprising a foot at the first end of the pole.
15. A curtain mounting system comprising:
- a curtain;
- an adjustable-length pole having a first end and a second end and having a longitudinal axis, the pole being of a sufficient length to be fixed between a first surface of a room and a second surface of the room; and
- a head at the second end of the pole, the head extending in a transverse direction relative to the longitudinal axis of the pole, the head including at least one coupling feature fixedly attached to the head, the coupling feature extending outward from a surface of the head, the coupling feature constructed and arranged to secure a portion of the curtain to the head.
16. The curtain mounting system of claim 15 further comprising a compression mechanism between the first end and the second end.
17. The curtain mounting system of claim 16 wherein the compression mechanism comprises a spring.
18. The curtain mounting system of claim 15 further comprising a hinged joint between the pole and the head to provide a pivoting relationship between the pole and head such that the head can be positioned at an acute angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the pole.
19. The curtain mounting system of claim 15 wherein the at least one coupling feature is constructed and arranged to extend through the curtain.
20. The curtain mounting system of claim 15 wherein the head is coupled to the second end of the pole at a pole interface, the pole interface comprising one of a pin and hole of the pole that mates with a corresponding respective one of a hole and pin of the head.
21. The curtain mounting system of claim 15 wherein the head is coupled to the second end of the pole at a pole interface, the pole interface comprising one of a pin having external threads and a hole having internal threads of the pole that mates with a corresponding respective one of a hole having internal threads and a pin having external threads of the head.
22. The curtain mounting system of claim 15 further comprising a friction material on a top surface of the head.
23. The curtain mounting system of claim 15 wherein a top portion of the head is constructed and arranged to engage the second surface of the room when the curtain mounting system is installed and wherein the surface of the head from which the at least one coupling feature extends outward is located at other than the top portion of the head.
24. The curtain mounting system of claim 15 wherein the adjustable-length pole comprises a first adjustable-length pole, the head comprises a first head, and the at least one coupling feature comprises an at least one first coupling feature, and wherein the first adjustable-length pole, the first head, and the at least one first coupling feature comprises a first curtain mount of the curtain mounting system, and further comprising:
- a second curtain mount including a second adjustable-length pole and at least one second coupling feature, the second coupling feature constructed and arranged to secure a second portion of the curtain at the second end of the second pole.
25. The curtain mounting system of claim 24 wherein the at least one second coupling feature of the second pole is fixedly attached to the second end of the second pole.
26. The curtain mounting system of claim 24 wherein the at least one second coupling feature is constructed and arranged to extend through the curtain.
27. The curtain mounting system of claim 15 further comprising a foot at the first end of the pole.
28. The curtain mounting system of claim 15 further comprising a pad of material on a top surface of the head.
29. The curtain mounting system of claim 15 wherein the at least one coupling feature is a cantilevered coupling feature extending outward from a surface of the partition mount.
30. A curtain mounting system comprising:
- a curtain;
- an adjustable-length pole having a first end and a second end and having a longitudinal axis, the pole being of a sufficient length to be fixed between a first surface of a room and a second surface of the room;
- a foot at the first end of the pole;
- a head at the second end of the pole, the head extending in a transverse direction relative to the longitudinal axis of the pole, the head including at least one coupling feature fixedly attached to the head and extending outward from a surface of the head, the at least one coupling feature constructed and arranged to secure a portion of the curtain to the head; and
- a pad of material on a top surface of the head.
31. The curtain mounting system of claim 30 further comprising a hinged joint between the pole and the head to provide a pivoting relationship between the pole and head such that the head can be positioned at an acute angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the pole.
32. The curtain mounting system of claim 30 wherein the at least one coupling feature is constructed and arranged to extend through the curtain.
33. The curtain mounting system of claim 30 wherein a top portion of the head is constructed and arranged to engage the second surface of the room when the curtain mounting system is installed and wherein the surface of the head from which the at least one coupling feature extends outward is located at other than the top portion of the head.
34. The curtain mounting system of claim 30 wherein the at least one coupling feature is a cantilevered coupling feature extending outward from a surface of the partition mount.
35. The curtain mounting system of claim 30 wherein the head is coupled to the second end of the pole at a pole interface, the pole interface comprising one of a pin and hole of the pole that mates with a corresponding respective one of a hole and pin of the head.
36. The curtain mounting system of claim 30 wherein the head is coupled to the second end of the pole at a pole interface, the pole interface comprising one of a pin having external threads and a hole having internal threads of the pole that mates with a corresponding respective one of a hole having internal threads and a pin having external threads of the head.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 21, 2008
Publication Date: Mar 19, 2009
Applicant: ZIPWALL LLC (Arlington, MA)
Inventor: Jeffrey P. Whittemore (Arlington, MA)
Application Number: 12/275,496
International Classification: A47H 13/00 (20060101); A47H 7/00 (20060101);