Patent Publication Number: US-6991019-B2

Title: Screen

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a screen and, more particularly to a screen comprising a support supporting a screen case on a flat floor surface and a reel fastened pivotally to the inside of the screen case and rolling up a screen body. The screen is used as an advertising medium and further comprises a bracket located on the top end of the support and adapted to hold the slat at the end of the screen body outside the screen case, and a spring member adapted to reverse the reel after release of the screen body from the pulling force. The spring member is quickly installed when inserted into the reel. Further, the reel can be made subject to the desired length without changing the design of the spring member. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Taiwan Patent No. 89215501 discloses a screen design with numerous drawbacks outlined as follows: 
     1. The two ends of the spring member  16  must be respectively hooked in a small hook hole in the end cap  15  and a small hook hole in a fixed part of the reel  13 . The inconvenient installation procedure of the spring member  16  complicates the fabrication of the screen, and relatively increases the manufacturing cost of the screen. 
     2. When a different length of reel  14  is used, the internal axle  13  and spring member  16  must be changed accordingly. Because the axle  13  and the reel  14  must be the same in length, changing the length of the reel  14  must change the length of the axle  13 . When the length of the axle  13  changed, the hooking position of the spring member  16  is also changed. Therefore, it is complicated to change the size of the reel  14 . 
     3. The screen is unstable when placed on the floor. Because the bottom end of the telescopic tube  22  of the screen  18  is plugged into a holder base  21 , which is suspended above the floor on which the screen  18  stands (see  FIG. 3  of the prior art specification), the screen  18  may fall to the floor easily. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is the main object of the present invention to provide a screen that is easy to install. It is another object of the present invention to provide a screen that is inexpensive to manufacture. It is still another object of the present invention to provide a screen that enables the user to change the length of the reel without changing the arrangement of the spring member and the other parts of the screen. It is still another object of the present invention to provide a screen that stands firmly on the floor. 
     To achieve these and other objects of the present invention, the screen comprises a screen case with a support member fastened to one side of the screen case. A reel shaped like a split tube is pivotally mounted inside the screen case and rolls up the screen, the reel having a longitudinally extended flat inside stop face. A plug member is fixedly fastened to one end of the reel. An axle is suspended inside the reel, the axle having first end fixedly fastened to the screen case and a second end fastened pivotally to the plug member. A spring member is sleeved onto the axle inside the reel, the spring member having a first end terminating in a projecting portion stopped at the flat inside stop face of the reel and a second end fixedly connected to one end of the axle. When the screen body is pulled out, the reel is rotated on the axle in one direction to further twist the spring member. When the pulling force on the screen body is released, the spring member imparts a biasing force to rotate the reel on the axle in the reversed direction and roll up the screen body. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a screen according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective assembly view of the screen according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic side view in an enlarged scale of FIG.  2 ; 
         FIG. 3A  is an enlarged view of a part of  FIG. 3 ; and 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view in an enlarged scale of the present invention showing the internal arrangement of the screen case. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a screen in accordance with the present invention is shown comprised of a screen case  300 , and a screen support  900 . The screen case  300  comprises a bottom cover shell  4 , a top cover shell  3  covering the bottom cover shell  4  at the top, and two end caps, namely, the first end cap  7  and the second end cap  8  respectively fastened to the ends of the cover shells  3  and  4 . A reel  5  is mounted inside the screen case  300  and pivotally connected between the end caps  7  and  8 , rolling up a screen body  52 . The screen support  900  is fastened to the screen case  300  at one side, and adapted to support the screen body  52  in an extended position. 
     The first end cap  7  has a non-circular peg  701  in the inner side thereof. The second end cap  8  has a round peg. Further, a tubular axle  6  is provided inside the reel  5  between the end caps  7  and  8 . 
     The reel  5  is comprised of a hollow, elongated casing  51  shaped like a split tube, having a longitudinally extended flat inside stop face  511 . The tubular axle  6  has two longitudinal ribs  601  bilaterally disposed on the inside and extending to the two distal ends (see also FIG.  3 A). A spring member  61  is sleeved onto the tubular axle  6  inside the casing  51 , having one end terminating in a ring-like projecting portion  611 , which is tangent to one end of the spring member  61  and supported on the longitudinally extended flat inside stop face  511  inside the casing  51 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  3 A and  4  again, a connector  71  and a protective cover  72  are provided between the first end cap  7  and the tubular axle  6 . The protective cover  72  has a center pivot hole  721 . The connector  71  comprises a socket-like base  711  tightly capped on the non-circular peg  701  of the first end cap  7 , and a split rod member  712 . The split rod member  712  perpendicularly extends from the socket-like base  711 , inserts through the pivot hole  721  of the protective cover  72 , inserts into one end (the right end) of the tubular axle  6  and is forced into engagement with the longitudinal ribs  601  of the tubular axle  6 . The protective cover  72  is press-fitted into one end (the right end) of the casing  51  and supported on the split rod member  712 . 
     A protective cover  81  is fastened pivotally to the round peg on the inner side of the second end cap  8  and partially press-fitted into the other end (the left end) of the casing  51  of the reel  5 . Thus, the first end cap  7 , the connector  71  and the tubular axle  6  are prohibited from rotary motion relative to one another, and the protective covers  72  and  81  can be turned with the reel  5  about the split rod member  712  of the connector and the round peg of the second end cap  8 . 
     A plug member  63  is fastened to the inside of the casing  51  of the reel  5 . A connector  62  is connected between the plug member  63  and the tubular axle  6 . The connector  62  is fastened pivotally with the plug member  63 , having a cylindrical base  622  inserted into and fixedly fastened to the other end of the spring member  61  remote from the ring-like projecting portion  611  and a split rod member  621  perpendicularly extended from the cylindrical base  622 , inserted into the other end (the left end) of the tubular axle  6  and forced into engagement with the longitudinal ribs  601  of the tubular axle  6 . Thus, the connector  62  is prohibited from rotary motion relative to the tubular axle  6 , and the left end of the spring member  61  is prohibited from rotary motion relative to the connector  62  and the tubular axle  6 . However, the plug member  63  can be rotated with the reel  5  relative to the tubular axle  6  and the connector  62 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 ,  3 A and  4  again, when pulling the screen body  52 , the reel  5  is rotated to let off the screen body  52 . Because the ring-like projecting portion  611  of the spring member  61  is supported on the longitudinally extended flat inside stop face  511  inside the casing  51  and the other end of the spring member  61  is fixedly fastened to the connector  62 , rotating the casing  51  of the reel  5  causes the spring member  61  to be twisted and store energy. When releasing the hand from the screen body  52 , the spring member  61  automatically returns to its former shape, and the biasing force of the spring member  61  causes the reel  5  to rotate in the reversed direction and to roll up the screen body  52 . 
     Further, a lock pin  82  may be inserted through a pin hole  801  in the second end cap  8  and a respective pin hole  811  in the protective cover  81  to lock the reel  5  from rotary motion. Alternatively, a flange means may be formed on one end of the reel and a lock pin may be inserted through a pin hole in the screen case and stopped at one side of the flange means to prohibit the reel from rotation. 
     A foot member  41  is located on the bottom side of the bottom cover shell  4 , and set in a crossed manner with the screen case  300  for supporting the screen case  300  stably on a flat floor surface. The foot member  41  has a recessed coupling hole  411  in the top wall for the positioning of the screen support  900 . The screen support  900  is comprised of a telescopic tube  9 , a bracket  91 , a slat  911 , and a barrel  92 . The barrel  92  has a coupling flange  921  coupled to a coupling groove  31  in the back side of the top cover shell  3  (see FIG.  3 ). The telescopic tube  9  is inserted through the barrel  92  and fastened to the recessed coupling hole  411  of the foot member  41 . The bracket  91  is fastened to the top end of the telescopic tube  9 . The slat  911  is horizontally hung on the bracket  91  and fastened to one end of the screen body  52  outside the screen case  300 . Because the telescopic tube  9  is fastened to the recessed coupling hole  411  of the foot member  41 , the bottom side of the foot member  41  is smooth for stable positioning on a flat floor surface (see FIG.  3 ). 
     As indicated above, the left end of the spring member  61  is fixedly fastened to the connector  62 , which is fastened pivotally with the plug member  63 . During installation, the spring member  61  is directly sleeved onto the tubular axle  6  for enabling the split rod member  621  to be forced into engagement with the longitudinal ribs  601  of the tubular axle  6 , and then the spring member  61  is inserted with the tubular axle  6  into the casing  51  of the reel  5  to force the plug member  63  into engagement with the left end of the casing  51  of the reel  5 . Further, because the tubular axle  6 , the spring member  61 , the connector  62 , and the plug member  63  are independent members fastened to one another before installation in the reel  5 , the installation procedure of the present invention is quite simple. Further, because the telescopic tube  9  of the screen support  900  is fastened to the recessed coupling hole  411  of the foot member  41 , the bottom wall of the foot member  41  is smooth for stable positioning on a flat floor surface. 
     A prototype of screen has been constructed with the features of  FIGS. 1-4 . The screen functions smoothly to provide all of the features discussed earlier. 
     Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.