SELF CLOSING ENVIRONMENTAL BARRIER

Abstract: A chill curtain including a resilient sheet (11) affixed across an opening by the perimeter (14) of the sheet, wherein the sheet is provided with horizontal and vertical slits (13) to allow easy ingress and egress across the barrier and through the opening. It is particularly applicable to refrigerated cabinets, cool rooms, and the like.

Description: SELF-CLOSING ENVIRONMENTAL BARRIER The present invention relates to environmental barriers and more particularly but not exclusively to barriers which separat zones of different temperature while allowing the easy transit¬ ion of objects or people through the barrier. 5. in the use of use of cold rooms and freezers to store articles at lower temperatures, it is a problem to separate the lower temperature area from the higher temperature area effect¬ ively without hindering the passage of people and or objects through the barrier. Although known barriers, have employed 10. curtains and/or doors, these devices have generally not been efficient in either isolating the two areas or alternatively excessively hinder transfer of objects or people through the barrier. It is the object of the present invention to overcome or 15. substantially ameliorate the above disadvantages. There is disclosed herein an environmental barrier compris¬ ing a sheet cover an opening separating two spaces, said sheet having a peripheral edge portion from which extends a plurality of strips which are deflectable to allow passage of people and/ 20. or objects through the barrier, and wherein said sheet is formed of resilient material so that said strips are resilently biased to return to a predetermined rest position closing said passage. A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying 25. drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of a barrier to cover a generally vertically oriented opening, and; Figure 2 is a schematic plan view of a barrier to cover a generally horizontally oriented opening. - 2 - iiΛ S 9 OM Sty. WIP In figure 1 there is schematically depicted a barrier 10 which is dimensioned to cover, for example, a cold room door so that people and/or objects may pass through the door. In this particular instance the barrier 10 accordingly is adapted to be 5. oriented generally vertically. The barrier 10 is formed of resilient material and generally comprises a sheet 11 formed so as to have a plurality of strips 12 which are separated by clearances 13 so that the strips 12 are deflectable from the position depicted in figure 1. However as the strips 12 are 10. formed of resilient material, upon the strips ' 12 being deflected from their rest position and subsequently released, they will then return to close the opening. In this particular instance the strips 12 are generally horizontally extending and lie within a generally vertical plain. 15. The sheet 11 would be provided with a peripheral area 14 which would be fixed to a door jam to thereby secure the sheet 11 in its operative position. Now with reference to figure 2, wherein there is depicted a barrier 20 which may, for example, be employed to cover the 20. opening of a generally horizontally disposed freezer cabinet. Accordingly the barrier 20 is oriented in a generally horizontal plain so as to have its periphery 21 supported on the freezer body. However the barrier 20 is formed of resilient material and is provided with a plurality of strips 22 which are separ- 25. ated by clearances 23 so that the strips 22 are deflectable from the position depicted. By deflecting the strips 22 from the position depicted, an object may be removed from within the freezer cabinet. However it should be appreciated that as the strips 22 are also formed of resilient material, they return to 30. the position depicted in figure 2 upon release thus again closing the top of the freezer cabinet. r 0] " 3 ' V^ P

Claims: THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS: 1. An environmental barrier comprising a sheet to cover an opening separating two spaces, said sheet having a peripherial edge portion from which extends a plurality of strips which are deflectable to allow passage of people and/or objects through the barrier, and wherein said sheet is formed of resilient material so that said strips are resiliently biased return to a predetermined rest position closing said opening. - 4 -

Inventors: SMITH ROBERT VINCE, SMITH, ROBERT, VINCE
Applicants: CHEMICAL & POWER ASS, CHEMICAL & POWER ASS PTY LTD
Application year: 1984
Main classification: E06B5
IPC codes: A47F3, E06B3, E06B7