Patent Publication Number: US-2015083176-A1

Title: Portable Change Room

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates broadly to change rooms, and in particular to portable change rooms. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     During dance competitions it is common for children to require several costume changes. Often, due to space constraints, there is limited space available for changing. Options may include a general change area, or a public bathroom. There are a number of shortcomings with these options. These areas are not always clean, and the costumes are costly and need to be carefully handled so as not to soil or damage them. Trying to change in a small dirty bathroom can be stressful and unhygienic. Additionally, the bathrooms are often crowded making it difficult to dress and undress. In some cases, changing areas often host both male and female parents helping their children, and many children find it uncomfortable and embarrassing to change in front of strangers, and in particular, the opposite sex. 
     There are portable change rooms available, but these are often heavy and cumbersome. Additionally, the available portable change rooms tend to be directed more for commercial use to be rented out and are therefore more structural in nature and complex to assemble and disassemble. 
     OBJECT OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the present invention is to provide a portable changing room to overcome or ameliorate one or more of these disadvantages. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a portable change room including a frame and a curtain member attached to the frame. The curtain extends around the frame so that in use the curtain forms a continuous wall defining a change space. 
     Preferably, the curtain member includes a first edge and a second edge. The edges are attachable together to form the wall. 
     Preferably, the curtain member is slidably attached to the frame. 
     Preferably, the curtain member is removable from the frame. 
     Preferably, the curtain includes fastening means such as snaps or buttons for bustling the curtain to a shorter length. 
     Preferably, the frame is circular. 
     Preferably, the frame includes a first portion and a second portion, wherein the portions are selectively detachable. 
     Preferably, the first portion is slidable within the second portion to form the frame. 
     Preferably, the first portion includes at least one depressible button biased toward an extended position and the second portion includes a corresponding aperture for receiving the at least one depressible button. 
     Preferably, the frame includes a pair of hinged portions, the hinged portions adapted to fold together for storage and transport. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In order to achieve a better understanding of the nature of the present invention, non-limiting preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a mobile change room in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  shows the portable change room in use with edges of the curtain spaced apart to; 
         FIG. 3  shows the portable change room in use with edges of the curtain attached together so as to form a continuous wall; 
         FIG. 4  shows the portable change room not in use; 
         FIG. 5  shows the portable change room folded up for transport and storage; and 
         FIG. 6  shows an adjustable frame of the portable change room. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       FIGS. 1 to 5  illustrate a portable change room  10  suitable for use in areas where changing space is limited or changing rooms are unavailable. Referring to  FIG. 1  the portable change room  10  includes a frame  12  and a curtain  14 . The curtain  14  has a top edge  16  that attaches to the frame  12 . The curtain  14  extends around the frame  12 . In use the frame  12  is held generally parallel to the floor, and curtain  14  extends from the frame  14  to the floor to form a wall  15  defining a change space  18 . 
     The frame  12  is circular in shape with a diameter of about 230 cm. This creates a change space  18  large enough for a user  28  to change a tutu, as well as for another user (not shown) to be in the change space  18  to help with costume changes and the like. The frame  12  may be a tube formed from plastic, aluminium, or other lightweight suitable material. Referring to  FIG. 6 , the frame  12  may include a first portion  12   a  and a second portion  12   b  joined together. The portions  12   a,    12   b  may be joined together using a 25 mm joiner (not shown), a dowel in between two ends of the tube (not shown), or a depressible button  32  and corresponding aperture  34 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , the first portion  12   a  includes tapered ends  28  having at least one depressible button  32  biased toward an extended position. The second portion  12   b  includes two ends  30  having an aperture  34  for receiving the corresponding depressible button  32 . The frame  12  may include two or more depressible buttons  32  and corresponding apertures  34  to provide an adjustable frame  12 . The adjustable frame  12  may be useful in areas where space is very limited and a large diameter change space  18  is not required. It will be appreciated that the frame  12  may be other shapes such as oval, or rectangular. 
     The curtain  14  may be made of cotton, polyester or other suitable material so long as the material forms a wall  15  that people outside cannot see through. As best seen in  FIG. 1  to achieve the desired length it may be necessary to sew two panels  14   a,    14   b  of material together at a seam  13 . The seam  13  may be covered by decorative lace or the like. Alternatively, it may be possible to use just one panel of material depending on the length required. The curtain  14  may be adjustable with buttons or snaps (not shown) sewn on the curtain  14  to bustle the material up when maximum height is not needed. The curtain  14  may include decorative trim or labels identifying a particular dance school, dancer, or the like. The curtain  14  may be attached to the frame  12  by folding the top edge  16  around the frame  12  and attaching it to a lower portion  17  of the curtain  14  to create a sleave  19  around the frame  12 . This attachment method allows for the curtain  14  to slide along the frame  12 . The top edge  16  may be sewn to the lower portion  17 . Alternatively, snaps, buttons, or hook and loop fasteners may be used so that the curtain  14  may be removed from the frame  14  for cleaning. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the curtain  14  includes a first side edge  20  and a second side edge  22 . The side edges  20 ,  22  run generally perpendicular to the frame  12  when the portable change room  10  is in use, and the frame  12  is held generally parallel to the floor. The side edges  20 ,  22  of the curtain  14  include hook and loop attachments  24  to secure the side edges  20 ,  22  of the curtain  14  together to form continuous wall  15  around the frame  12  defining the change space  18 . It will be appreciated that other attachment means may also be used such as buttons, snaps or the like. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , when in use, the frame  14  is held by a first user  26  so that the frame  12  is generally parallel to the floor, and the curtain  14  hangs toward the floor to create the change space  18  for a second user  28 . The frame  14  may be held at any suitable height for the second user  28 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the frame  12  is held just above the second user&#39;s  28  head. The second user  28  may enter the change space  18  through an opening  28  defined between the side edges  20 ,  22  of the curtain  14 . Once the second user  26  is within the change space  18  the side edges  20 ,  22  may be secured together using the hook and loop attachment  24  to create a continuous wall  15  around the second user  28 . Once inside the change space  18  the second user  28  is able to safely and privately change clothing. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the portable change room  10  may be folded flat for easy transport and storage when not in use. The curtain  14  may be folded around the frame  12  to be either carried as is, or placed into a tutu bag (not shown). In another embodiment the frame  14  may be hinged on either side of the circular diameter so that the frame  14  may be halved prior to folding the curtain  14  around it. 
     Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention described herein is susceptible to variations and modifications other than those specifically described. All such variations and modifications are to be considered within the scope and spirit of the present invention the nature of which is to be determined from the foregoing description.