Urinal Privacy Partition Mounting System
A flexible attachment for mounting a privacy partition adjacent a urinal in a public restroom is provided. The flexible attachment allows the partition to be pushed out of position without pulling out the mounting screws. Further, the flexible mounting arrangement includes a biasing means to move the partition back to its center or rest position, once the side pressure against the front edge is released. In a preferred embodiment, the screws with which the attachment is affixed to a restroom wall and with which the partition is mounted to the attachment are hidden from view. In an alternative embodiment, in which a existing partition is retrofitted with the flexible attachment, screws with are visible on the exterior surfaces of the partition wall may be used.
The present invention relates generally to the field of partitioning and, more particularly, to a partition adapted for installation in a restroom between urinals.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONPartitions in public restrooms, such as those mounted on restroom walls between urinals, are easily ripped from the wall because these partitions are only about 3½ feet high and are attached solely to the wall, and not to the ceiling or the floor. Installing such partitions in this way makes cleaning the restroom floor easier than if such partitions extended all the way to the floor. Further, these types of partitions are less expensive than if they were to extend to the ceiling for support. These types of partitions are available from many sources, such as for example from Knickerbocker Partition Corporation in Freeport, N.Y.
A typical partition between two urinals in a pubic restroom is mounted on a mounting plate with screws arranged in pairs on either side of the mounting plate. This arrangement creates a lever with the fulcrum at one of the screws and a moment arm the distance from the mounting plate to the front edge of the partition. Therefore, a small force applied to the front edge of the partition is magnified by the mechanical advantage of a lever. This magnified force typically results in screws which mount the partition to the restroom wall being pulled from whatever the screw is mounted to beneath the mounting plate. This can damage the backboard behind the partition and can damage ceramic tiles of the restroom wall. These and similar kinds of damage are unsightly and are expensive to repair.
Thus, there remains a need for a system for mounting a partition to a restroom wall, particularly of the kind just described, which will reduce the likelihood of such damage occurring. The present invention is directed to fulfilling this need in the art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention provides a flexible attachment for mounting a privacy partition adjacent a urinal in a public restroom. The flexible attachment allows the partition to be pushed out of position without pulling out the mounting screws. Further, the flexible mounting arrangement includes a biasing means to move the partition back to its center or rest position, once the side pressure against the front edge is released.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art from a review of the following detailed description along with the accompanying drawing figures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
So that the objects and advantages of the present invention may be understood more fully, reference is first made to
The partition is illustrated in
The present invention, depicted in
Referring to
The hinge 30 further comprises a spring-loaded ball detent 32. The ball detent 32 urges the partition wall 46 to a quiescent position that is perpendicular to the wall 20. It should now be appreciated that the pivot pin 24 defines the axis of rotation of the partition, and that this axis of rotation is between the partition and the detent mechanism.
The pivot pin 24 is secured to the U-shaped bracket 16 by a pair of bearing washers 34 and 36. A pair of slightly angled holes 38 and 40 through the hinge-part 31 provide passageways for a set of screws 42 and 44 which screw into a partition wall 46. Further, the screws 42 and 44 hold the partition wall 46 against a bottom surface 48 of a cutout 50 of the hinge-part 31. The screws 42 and 44 screw into the short side of the partition wall 46 so that they are not visible to the outer surfaces of the partition wall. This feature of the invention enhances the appearance of the flexible partition, and is also more sanitary than if the screw heads were exposed to the outside surface of the partition wall.
A securing pin 52 extends through the pivot pin 24, thereby preventing the pivot pin from slipping out. The bracket 16 further comprises a flexible tongue 54 which is integrally formed with the bracket 16. A detent groove 56 defines the rest position for the ball detent 32, while complementary ramp surfaces 58 and 60 urge the ball detent back to the detent groove 56 and the rest position. Recall that the axis of rotation of the partition is the pivot pin 24. Thus, as the ball detent 32 rides up the ramp surface 58 or the ramp surface 60, the force required to rotate the partition diminishes as the angle between the partition and the bathroom wall diminishes.
The dovetail plate 18 further includes a recessed area 62 and a notch 64 to receive the flexible tongue 54. A countersunk hole 66 receives the anchor screw 22 to secure the assembly to the wall 20.
Now referring to
Because the force necessary to overcome the detent 32 is relatively small, brackets with side flanges 74 such as those illustrated in
However, where existing partition walls are to be retrofitted with this new attachment 15 to prevent further wall damage, existing screw holes in the wall must be covered up or even used, as illustrated in
Claims
1. A privacy partition adapted for mounting on a restroom wall adjacent to a urinal, the partition comprising:
- a. a partition wall having a resting position extending away from the restroom wall;
- b. mounting hardware for mounting the partition wall to the restroom wall; and
- c. an axially moveable hinge between the partition wall and the mounting hardware.
2. The partition of claim 1, wherein the mounting hardware includes a single screw for securing the mounting hardware to the restroom wall.
3. The partition of claim 1, further comprising a dovetail plate for securing the mounting hardware to the restroom wall; and a U-shaped bracket for retaining the partition wall and for sliding engagement with the dovetail plate.
4. The partition of claim 3, further comprising a recess in the dovetail plate; and a flexible tongue in the bracket that fits into the recess to hold the bracket in the dovetail plate.
5. The partition of claim 1, further comprising a vertically disposed pivot pin in the hinge providing an axis of rotation for the partition wall; and a securing pin adapted to retain the pivot pin in the hinge.
6. The partition of claim 3, wherein the U-shaped bracket defines a first arm on one side of the partition wall, a second arm on the other side of the partition wall, and a bracket bottom between the arms.
7. The partition of claim 6, further comprising a pair of mounting screws extending through the bracket bottom into the partition wall.
8. The partition of claim 1, further comprising means in the hinge to urge the partition wall to a rest position extending away from the restroom wall.
9. The partition of claim 8, wherein the urging means comprises a detent groove; a ramp extending from the detent groove; and a spring loaded detent ball defining the resting position of the partition wall with the ball in the detent groove.
10. A rotatable privacy partition adapted for mounting on a restroom wall adjacent to a urinal, the partition comprising:
- a. a partition wall having a resting position extending away from the restroom wall;
- b. mounting hardware for mounting the partition wall to the restroom wall; and
- c. an axially moveable hinge between the partition wall and the mounting hardware, wherein the resting position is defined by means in the hinge to urge the partition wall to the rest position, the urging means comprising a detent groove; i. a ramp extending from the detent groove; and ii. a spring loaded detent ball defining the resting position of the partition wall with the ball in the detent groove.
11. The partition of claim 10, further comprising a dovetail plate for securing the mounting hardware to the restroom wall; and a U-shaped bracket for retaining the partition wall and for sliding engagement with the dovetail plate, and wherein the mounting hardware includes a single screw for securing the mounting hardware to the restroom wall, the screw hidden from view by the bracket.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 30, 2005
Publication Date: Jun 28, 2007
Inventor: Rainer Kuenzel (Hunt, TX)
Application Number: 11/164,606
International Classification: E04H 1/00 (20060101);