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.

 

1. A mounting system for installing a curtain comprising:

a pole having first and second ends;

a foot at a first end of the pole;

a head at a second end of the pole;

a compression mechanism between the foot and head; and

a clamp including an engagement arm that engages an exterior side surface of the head to secure a curtain to the side surface of the head at an engagement location that is lower than a top portion of the head, the clamp being pivotably coupled to the head such that the engagement arm pivots between a secure position and an open position.

2. The mounting system of claim 1 wherein the engagement arm is adapted to secure a curtain against a side portion of the head.

3. The mounting system of claim 1 wherein the engagement arm is further adapted to secure a curtain against the top portion of the head.

4. The mounting system of claim 1 wherein the engagement arm operates under force to urge the curtain against the head.

5. The mounting system of claim 1 wherein the clamp is removably coupled to the head.

6. The mounting system of claim 1 further comprising an interface between the pole and the head.

7. The mounting system of claim 1 further comprising a universal joint between the pole and the head.

8. The mounting system of claim 1 wherein the head comprises a high-friction material.

9. The mounting system of claim 8 wherein the high-fiction material comprises rubber.

10. The mounting system of claim 1 wherein the pole comprises an adjustable-length pole.

11. The mounting system of claim 1 wherein the clamp is biased by a spring to urge the engagement arm against the head.

12. The mounting system of claim 11 wherein the engagement arm includes an engagement surface that is biased against the head by the spring.

13. The mounting system of claim 12 wherein the engagement arm includes a handle to which an applied force operates against the bias of the spring to separate the engagement surface from the head.

14. The mounting system of claim 1 wherein the engagement arm is urged against the head in the secure position and wherein the engagement arm is separated from the head in the open position.

15. The mounting system of claim 1 wherein when the engagement arm is in the secure position, the engagement arm secures the curtain to the head with a force that is adapted to prevent slippage of a curtain mounted thereto with respect to the head, and such that when the engagement arm is in the open position, the separation between the engagement arm and head is of a sufficient distance such that a curtain can be positioned between the engagement arm and the head.

16. The mounting system of claim 1 wherein the compression mechanism is configured to urge the head away from the foot.

17. A mount attachable to an extension pole for installing a curtain comprising:

an interface at a proximal end of the mount adapted for coupling the mount to an extension pole;

a compression mechanism along a longitudinal axis of the mount;

a head at a distal end of the mount, the compression mechanism operable to urge the head away from the interface; and

a clamp including an engagement arm that engages an exterior side surface of the head to secure a curtain to the side surface of the head at an engagement location that is lower than a top portion of the head, the clamp being pivotably coupled to the mount such that the engagement arm pivots between a secure position and an open position.

18. The mount of claim 17 wherein the engagement arm is adapted to secure a curtain against a side portion of the head.

19. The mount of claim 17 wherein the engagement arm is further adapted to secure a curtain against the top portion of the head.

20. The mount of claim 17 wherein the engagement arm operates under force to urge the curtain against the head.

21. The mount of claim 17 wherein the clamp is removably coupled to the head.

22. The mount of claim 17 wherein the clamp is pivotably coupled to the mount proximal to the head.

23. The mount of claim 17 wherein the interface comprises a hole having an internal thread.

24. The mount of claim 17 wherein the interface comprises a hole adapted to mate with a pin on the extension pole in a slip-fit relationship.

25. The mount of claim 17 wherein the interface comprises a pin adapted to mate with a hole on the extension pole in a slip-fit relationship.

26. The mount of claim 17 further comprising a universal joint between the interface and the head.

27. The mount of claim 17 wherein the head comprises a high-friction material.

28. The mount of claim 27 wherein the high-friction material comprises rubber.

29. The mount of claim 17 adapted to be secured to an adjustable-length extension pole at the interface.

30. The mount of claim 17 wherein the clamp is biased by a spring to urge the engagement arm against the head.

31. The mount of claim 30 wherein the engagement arm includes an engagement surface that is biased against the head by the spring.

32. The mount of claim 31 wherein the engagement arm includes a handle to which an applied force operates against the bias of the spring to separate the engagement surface from the head.

33. The mount of claim 17 wherein the engagement arm is urged against the head in the secure position, and wherein the engagement arm is separated from the head in the open position.

34. The mount of claim 17 wherein when the engagement arm is in the secure position, the engagement arm secures the curtain to the head with a force that is adapted to prevent slippage of a curtain mounted thereto with respect to the head, and such that when the engagement arm is in the open position, the separation between the engagement arm and head is of a sufficient distance such that a curtain can be positioned between the engagement arm and the head.

35. A mounting system for installing a sheet of material comprising:

a pole having first and second ends;

foot at a first end of the pole;

a head at a second end of the pole, the head having an upper first engaging surface;

an adjustment mechanism between the foot and head for adjusting the length of the pole therebetween; and

a clip having a lower second engaging surface that removably engages the upper first engaging surface of the head for mounting a sheet of material therebetween, and a plurality of legs extending transverse to the second engaging surface of the clip to removably secure the clip to the head, the plurality of legs extending about at least one side surface and a portion of a lower surface of the head when the clip is engaged with the head.

36. The mounting system of clam 35 wherein the legs include tabs which extend about the portion of the lower surface of the head.

37. The mounting system of claim 35 wherein the head extends transverse to a longitudinal axis of the pole.

38. The mounting system of claim 35 wherein the first and second engaging surfaces are substantially planar.

39. The mounting system of claim 35 further comprising a compression mechanism between the foot and the head.

40. The mounting system of claim 39 wherein the compression mechanism comprises a spring.

41. The mounting system of claim 35 wherein the legs are elastically deformable and snap about at least one side surface of the head.

42. The mounting system of claim 35 wherein the legs are configured such that the clip is slidable relative to the head.

43. The mounting system of claim 35 wherein the clip and head are rectangular in shape.

44. The mounting system of claim 35 further comprising high-friction material applied to an upper surface of the clip.

45. A mounting system for installing a curtain comprising:

a pole having first and second ends;

a foot at a first end of the pole;

a head at a second end of the pole;

a compression mechanism between the foot and head; and

a clamp including an engagement arm that engages an exterior side surface of the head to secure a curtain to the side surface of the head at an engagement location that is lower than a top portion of the head, the clamp being pivotably coupled to the mounting system such that the engagement arm pivots between a secure position and an open position.

46. The mounting system of claim 45 wherein the clamp is pivotably coupled to the mounting system proximal to the head.

47. The mounting system of claim 45 wherein the engagement arm is adapted to secure a curtain against a side portion of the head.

48. The mounting system of claim 45 wherein the engagement arm is further adapted to secure a curtain against the top portion of the head.

49. The mounting system of claim 45 wherein the engagement arm operates under force to urge the curtain against the head.

50. The mounting system of claim 45 wherein the clamp is removably coupled to the pole.

51. The mounting system of claim 45 further comprising an interface between the pole and the head.

52. The mounting system of claim 45 further comprising a universal joint between the pole and the head.

53. The mounting system of claim 45 wherein the head comprises a high-friction material.

54. The mounting system of claim 53 wherein the high-friction material comprises rubber.

55. The mounting system of claim 45 wherein the pole comprises an adjustable-length pole.

56. The mounting system of claim 45 wherein the clamp is biased by a spring to urge the engagement arm against the head.

57. The mounting system of claim 56 wherein the engagement arm includes an engagement surface that is biased against the head by the spring.

58. The mounting system of claim 57 wherein the engagement arm includes a handle to which an applied force operates against the bias of the spring to separate the engagement surface from the head.

59. The mounting system of claim 45 wherein the engagement arm is urged against the head in the secure position and wherein the engagement arm is separated from the head in the open position.

60. The mounting system of claim 45 wherein when the engagement arm is in the secure position, the engagement arm secures the curtain to the head with a force that is adapted to prevent slippage of a curtain mounted thereto with respect to the head, and such that when the engagement arm is in the open position, the separation between the engagement arm and head is of a sufficient distance such that a curtain can be positioned between the engagement arm and the head.

61. The mounting system of claim 45 wherein the compression mechanism is configured to urge the head away from the foot.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Partition 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 INVENTION

The 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.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

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.

FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C illustrate installed partition configurations in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates the primary components of two preferred embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 3A is a cutaway side view of a curtain mount having a Velcro™-mount configuration in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the head of the curtain mount of FIG. 3A interfacing with an appropriately configured curtain in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3C is a side view of a curtain mounted to the ceiling by the curtain mount of FIG. 3A in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 4A is a cutaway side view of a curtain mount having a clip-mount configuration in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 4B is a perspective view of the interaction of the clip and head of the curtain mount of FIG. 4A in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 4C is a side view of a curtain mounted to the ceiling by the curtain mount of FIG. 4A in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 5A is a perspective view of the head of a curtain mount including an extension loop in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 5B is a side view of a clamped interface between the curtain mount body and an extension pole in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates a curtain installation using various preferred and alternative embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 7A-FIG. 7F illustrate an installation procedure in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 8A-FIG. 8C are perspective views of alternative embodiments for coupling the curtain to the head.

FIG. 9A-FIG. 9C are perspective views of an alternative embodiment of a curtain mount in accordance with the present invention illustrating an alternative curtain coupler, an alternative pole interface, and an alternative compression mechanism.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1A illustrates an installed partition extending from the floor 34 to the ceiling 32 of a room between opposed walls 36A, 36B. Three curtain mounts 24 in accordance with the present invention are mounted on extension poles 22. A foot 26 at the bottom of each extension pole interfaces with the floor and a head 28 at the top of each curtain mount interfaces with the ceiling 32. The contact or interface points of the foot and head preferably are covered with a soft friction material such as rubber to provide lateral rigidity of the system and to prevent marking of the ceiling and floor.

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.

FIG. 1B illustrates the present invention installed to partition a portion of a room extending between adjacent walls 36B,36C. In this illustration, the curtain 30 is installed to protect furniture 38 from dust and debris during painting or other construction in the open portion of the room.

FIG. 1C illustrates the present invention configured as a tunnel or booth. In this installation, the curtain 30 extends along the ceiling 32 between mounts 24A, 24B, 24C, and 24D, protecting the ceiling 32 from activity in the tunnel. The curtain 30 can be tucked under feet 26A-26D to secure the curtain to the floor 34. The curtain 30 may also be installed between the feet 26A-26D on the floor to provide an enclosed tunnel. The sides of the tunnel may be formed by a single continuous curtain 30 or multiple curtains 30, the edges of each held in place and raised by the mounts 24A-24D. This configuration is particularly well suited to serve as an asbestos removal tunnel or paint booth.

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.

FIG. 2 illustrates two preferred curtain mount embodiments. In a first Velcro™-mount embodiment 21A, an extension pole 22A having a foot 26A, for example a rubber foot 26 is coupled to a first curtain mount 24A. The curtain mount 24A is spring-loaded as described above and as will be described in further detail below.

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 a