EP4692499A1

EP4692499A1 - Screen apparatus

Info

Publication number: EP4692499A1
Application number: EP23930384.5A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Yasubumi Okachi; Yuichiro Nishioka; Hiroaki Ishii
Original assignee: Metaco Inc
Current assignee: Metaco Inc
Priority date: 2023-03-28
Filing date: 2023-03-28
Publication date: 2026-02-11
Also published as: CN120882947A; WO2024201744A1; JPWO2024201744A1; AU2023440410A1

Abstract

In a screen apparatus, a screen retaining member is attached to an inner side in a depth direction of one of side walls of each guide unit, a cover member is attached to an inner side in the depth direction of the other of the side walls of each guide unit, and a position in a height direction of a tip end on the inner side in the depth direction of a cover part of a cover member is higher than that in the height direction of each of tip ends on an inner side in the depth direction of needle-shaped parts of the screen retaining member.

Description

Technical Field

The invention relates to a screen apparatus adaptable to net doors, partitions, and similar applications, as well as shading and dimming means such as curtains and blinds.

Background Art

Conventionally, the screen apparatus of this kind typically includes a door stop frame and a storage frame disposed opposite each other, each of which are hollow, and a slide bar, which is hollow, is disposed within a plane within which the door stop frame and the storage frame are disposed, and is slidable in a width direction of the screen apparatus between the door stop frame and the storage frame. Additionally, the screen apparatus includes a screen that is expandable within the plane where the door stop frame and the storage frame are disposed and has one-end portion fixed to the slide bar, which is configured to be drawn from inside the storage frame as the slide bar slides towards the door stop frame, and a slide guide for guiding the sliding of the slide bar.
The applicant has proposed a following screen apparatus (see Patent Document No. 1, for example). Here, in the screen apparatus, a direction orthogonal to the width direction, on the plane where the door stop frame, the storage frame, and the slide bar are disposed, is defined as a height direction, and a direction orthogonal to both the width direction and the height direction is defined as a depth direction. The door stop frame, the storage frame, and the slide bar extend in the height direction. The slide guide is formed by connecting multiple guide units. Each of the guide units has a pair of side walls disposed opposite each other in the depth direction, and a bottom wall connecting the side walls. Each of the side walls has a pin protruding outward in the depth direction at one-end portion in the width direction, and an opening defined at the other-end portion in the width direction. In two adjacent guide units, the pin of one of the guide units is fitted into the opening of the other of the guide units, allowing for pivotal movement of the one guide unit on the other guide unit. Therefore, the slide guide is bendable upward in the height direction.
Additionally, in the slide guide, a rail part, extending along a line which is defined by centers of the pins of the guide units in a connection direction of the guide units, is provided at an inner-side portion in the width direction of each of the side walls of each of the guide units, and a supporting part protruding inward in the width direction is provided at one end edge portion of each of the side walls of each of the guide units, which is located upward from the bottom wall than the rail part.
Furthermore, a screen retaining member is detachably attached to an inner side in the depth direction of the slide guide. The screen retaining member includes multiple needle-shaped parts in intervals that are configured to protrude inward in the depth direction of the slide guide, and a bendable base to which the needle-shaped parts are attached. The base is configured to extend in the width direction and is insertable between the rail part and the supporting part of each of the guide units of the slide guide.
As the slide bar slides towards the door stop frame, the needle-shaped parts of the screen retaining member stick into a lower-end portion in the height direction of the screen, which is drawn from inside the storage frame and expands in the width direction, thereby preventing the lower-end portion of the screen from coming out of the slide guide. On the other hand, as the slide bar slides towards the storage frame, the needle-shaped parts of the screen retaining member come out of the lower-end portion of the screen, thereby allowing the screen to be stored inside the storage frame.
In the screen apparatus disclosed in Patent Document No.1, various screen retaining members, in which the needle-shaped parts corresponding to materials of the screen are attached to the base, can be prepared in advance and attached to the inner side in the depth direction of each of the side walls of each of the guide units of the slide guide. Therefore, as the screen expands in the width direction or is stored in the storage frame during the sliding of the slide bar in the width direction, even though the needle-shaped parts repeatedly stick into and come out of the lower-end portion in the height direction of the screen, the screen apparatus disclosed in Patent Document No. 1 has advantage of suppressing wear and tear of the lower-end portion in the height direction of the screen.
However, since the needle-shaped parts of the screen retaining member are disposed in intervals, a gap exists between adjacent needle-shaped parts. As a result, foreign substances such as dust, sand, and mud may enter between the side walls of each of the guide units of the slide guide through the gap, posing a concern that the foreign substances may accumulate on an upper surface in the height direction of the bottom wall of each of the guide units of the slide guide. Additionally, when the screen receives external pressure, such as wind pressure pushing from an outer-side to an inner side in the depth direction, the screen bends in a direction of the external pressure which the screen receives, and it may sometimes happen that either needle-shaped part of the screen retaining members, which have sticked into the lower-end portion of the screen, comes out of the lower-end portion of the screen. If either needle-shaped part comes out of the lower-end portion in the height direction of the screen, the retention of the lower-end portion in the height direction of the screen within the slide guide may not be maintained.

Reference

Patent Document No.1: JP 2021-139184A

Summary of Invention

Technical Problem

In light of the aforementioned problems, an object of the invention is to provide a screen apparatus which can adequately suppress the wear and tear of the lower-end portion of the screen, caused by the repeated sticking-into and coming-out of the needle-shaped parts of the screen retaining member, suppress the accumulation of the foreign substances on the upper surface in the height direction of the bottom wall of each of the guide units of the slide guide, and maintain the retention of the lower-end portion of the screen within the slide guide even when the screen bends due to the external pressure.

Solution to Problem

In order to accomplish the aforementioned object, the invention presupposes a screen apparatus, including: a door stop frame and a storage frame disposed within a same plane and opposite each other in a width direction of the screen apparatus, each of the door stop frame and the storage frame being hollow and extending in a height direction of the screen apparatus; a slide bar disposed within the plane where the door stop frame and the storage frame are disposed, the slide bar being hollow, extending in the height direction of the screen apparatus, and being slidable in the width direction of the screen apparatus between the door stop frame and the storage frame; a screen having one-end portion fixed to the slide bar, the screen being drawn from inside the storage frame as the slide bar slides towards the door stop frame, and the screen being expandable within the plane where the door stop frame, the storage frame, and the slide bar are disposed; a slide guide for guiding the sliding of the slide bar, the slide guide being formed by connecting multiple guide units, each of the guide units having: (i) a pair of side walls disposed opposite each other in a depth direction of the screen apparatus, and (ii) a bottom wall connecting the side walls; and a screen retaining member detachably attached to an inner side in the depth direction of the slide guide, the screen retaining member including: (i) needle-shaped parts, in intervals, which are configured to protrude inward in the depth direction of the slide guide, and (ii) a bendable base to which the needle-shaped parts are attached, the base being configured to extend in the width direction and being insertable between a rail part and a supporting part of each of the guide units of the slide guide. In the screen apparatus, the width direction, the depth direction, and the height direction of the screen apparatus are configured to be orthogonal to one another; a pin protrudes outward from one-end portion in the width direction of each of the side walls of the slide guide, and an opening is defined at the other-end portion in the width direction of each of the side walls of the slide guide, whereby the pin of one of the guide units is fitted into the opening of the other of the guide units which is adjacent to the one of the guide units, allowing for pivotal movement of the one of the guide units on the other of the guide units, and the slide guide is configured to be bend upward in the height direction; the rail part is provided at an inner-side portion in the width direction of each of the side walls of each of the guide units and extends along a line which is defined by centers of the pins of the guide units in a connection direction of the guide units; the supporting part protrudes inward in the width direction at one end edge portion of each of the side walls and is located upward from the bottom wall in the height direction than the rail part; the needle-shaped parts are configured to: (i) stick into a lower-end portion in the height direction of the screen, which is drawn from inside the storage frame and expands in the width direction, according to the sliding of the slide bar towards the door stop frame, thereby preventing the lower-end portion of the screen from coming out of the slide guide, and (ii) come out of the lower-end portion of the screen according to the sliding of the slide bar towards the storage frame, thereby allowing the screen to be stored inside the storage frame; a coil spring in which elastic force is accumulated when the slide bar slides towards the door stop frame is built in a rotatable roller pipe, and the roller pipe extends in the height direction, is stored inside the storage frame, and is configured to wind the screen; the other end of the screen is fixed to a portion in the height direction of an outer peripheral surface of the roller pipe; the slide guide has one end that is a free end, and a fixing end portion having the other end fixed to a lower-end portion in the height direction of the storage frame, and the slide guide is configured to: (i) be drawn from a lower-end portion in the height direction of the slide bar according to the sliding of the slide bar towards the door stop frame, whereby a drawn portion of the slide guide from the slide bar maintains linearity in the width direction, and (ii) be stored inside the slide bar from the lower-end portion thereof and move upward in the height direction inside the slide bar according to the sliding of the slide bar towards the storage frame when the screen is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the roller pipe by release of the elastic force accumulated in the coil spring; the screen retaining member is attached to an inner side in the depth direction of one of the side walls of each of the guide units of the slide guide; a bendable cover member is attached to an inner side in the depth direction of the other of the side walls of each of the guide units of the slide guide, the cover member including: (i) a supported part that is insertable between the rail part and the supporting part of each of the guide units of the slide guide and extends in the width direction, and (ii) a belt-shaped cover part that is provided with the supported part and configured to protrude inward in the depth direction of the slide guide; a position in the height direction of a tip end on an inner side in the depth direction of the cover part of the cover member is configured to be located higher than that in the height direction of a tip end on an inner side in the depth direction of each of the needle-shaped parts of the screen retaining member; and when the screen is drawn from inside the storage frame and expands according to the sliding of the slide bar towards the door stop frame, the lower-end portion in the height direction of the screen is configured to: (i) be prevent from coming out of the slide guide due to sticking of the needle-shaped parts of the screen retaining member into the lower-end portion in the height direction of the screen between the side walls of each of the guide units in the drawn portion of the slide guide from the lower-end portion in the height direction of the slide bar towards the storage frame, and (ii) be disposed contactable to the tip end on the inner side in the depth direction of the cover part of the cover member.
According to the invention, since the screen retaining member is attached to the inner side in the depth direction of the one of the side walls of each of the guide units of the slide guide, the needle-shaped parts of the screen retaining member stick into and come out of the lower-end portion in the height direction of the screen which expands in the width direction and is stored in the storage frame, and even though sticking-into and coming-out of the needle-shaped parts of the screen retaining member are repeated, the wear and tear of the lower-end portion in the height direction of the screen can be adequately suppressed. Additionally, since the cover member is attached to the inner side in the depth direction of the other of the side walls of each of the guide units of the slide guide, the bottom wall of each of the guide units of the slide guide is covered from above by the cover part of the cover member. Therefore, accumulation of foreign substances such as dust, sand, and mud on an upper surface in the height direction of the bottom wall of each of the guide units of the slide guide can be suppressed. Furthermore, as the slide bar slides in the width direction, it may sometimes happen that the screen expanding in the width direction receives external pressure, such as wind pressure pushing from an outer-side to an inner side in the depth direction, and bends so that the needle-shaped parts of the screen retaining member come out of the lower-end portion in the height direction of the screen. In this case, when the tip end in the depth direction of the cover part of the cover member comes into contact with the lower-end portion in the height direction of the screen, the cover part of the cover member can cause the lower-end portion in the height direction of the screen to move towards the needle-shaped parts of the screen member. As a result, the needle-shaped parts of the screen retaining member can maintain sticking into the lower-end portion in the height direction of the screen, or stick into the lower-end portion in the height direction of the screen again even if the needle-shaped parts come out thereof. Therefore, retention of the lower-end portion in the height direction of the screen within the slide guide is maintained. Moreover, since the position of the tip end on the inner side in the depth direction of the cover part of the cover member is configured to be higher than that of the tip end on the inner side in the depth direction of each of the needle-shaped parts of the screen retaining member, the cover part of the cover member can reliably cause the lower-end portion in the height direction of the screen to move towards the needle-shaped parts of the screen retaining member.
In the invention, it is preferable for the cover member to be made of materials with hardness, which minimize wear and tear of the screen and cause to move the lower-end portion in the height direction of the screen toward the needle-shaped parts of the screen retaining member when the tip end on the inner side in the depth direction of the cover part of the cover member comes into contact with the screen. According to this, the wear and tear of the lower-end portion in the height direction of the screen during expansion in the width direction and storage inside the storage frame of the screen according to the sliding in the width direction of the slide bar can be suppressed reliably. Additionally, the cover part of the cover member can cause the lower-end portion in the height direction of the screen to move towards the needle-shaped parts of the screen retaining member more effectively.
Furthermore, in the invention, it is preferable that the cover part of the cover member is configured to extend diagonally upward in the height direction from a boundary portion between the cover part and the supported part to the tip end on the inner side in the depth direction. According to this, when the expanded screen receives the external pressure, such as the wind pressure pushing from the outer side to the inner side in the depth direction, and bends so that the needle-shaped parts of the screen retaining member come out of the lower-end portion of the screen, movement of the lower-end portion in the depth direction of the screen towards the needle-shaped parts of the screen retaining member can be achieved more reliably.
Moreover, in the invention, it is preferable that a tension member having one end fixed to a free-end side of the slide guide and the other end fixed to an inner-surface portion of the door stop frame is provided, and the tension member passes inside the slide bar, is drawn from an upper-end portion in the height direction of the slide bar towards the door stop frame, and is drawn inside the door stop frame from an upper-end portion in the height direction of the door stop frame. According to this, in the screen apparatus in a manner of winding the screen around an outer peripheral surface of a roller pipe which is stored inside the storage frame and in which a coil spring is built, when the slide bar slides towards the door stop frame and a force towards the storage frame acts on the slide bar through the screen due to accumulation of an elastic force within the coil spring, the tension member is cooperated with the slide guide, and can cause the slide bar to slide parallelly to both the door stop frame and the storage frame. The parallel sliding of the slide bar to both the door stop frame and the storage frame is similarly achieved when the slide bar slides towards the storage frame. Additionally, wiring of the tension member is facilitated, making production of the screen apparatus easy.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[FIG. 1] FIG. 1 is a partially notched cross section of an embodiment of a screen apparatus of the invention.
[FIG. 2] FIG. 2 is a cross section in a width direction of a door stop frame and a slide bar of the screen apparatus shown in FIG. 1.
[FIG. 3] FIG. 3 is a cross section in the width direction of a storage frame of the screen apparatus shown in FIG. 1.
[FIG. 4] FIG 4A is a perspective view of a portion located at a storage-frame side of a slide guide of the screen apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4B is a cross section in a height direction of the slide guide shown in FIG. 4A.
[FIG. 5] FIG 5A is a perspective view of a cover member shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, and FIG. 5B is a front view of the cover member shown in FIG. 5A.
[FIG. 6] FIG. 6A is a disassembled perspective view of the door stop frame, and FIG. 6B is a main cross section showing a manner of wiring and fixing the tension member inside and to the door stop frame.

Description of Embodiments

Referring to FIG. 1, a screen apparatus SA of an embodiment of the invention includes a door stop frame 1 and a storage frame 2 disposed opposite each other, each of which is hollow, and a slide bar 3, which is hollow, is disposed within a plane where the door stop frame 1 and the storage frame 2 are disposed, and is slidable between the door stop frame 1 and the storage frame 2. Here, a sliding direction of the slide bar 3 is defined as a width direction W of the screen apparatus SA. Additionally, a direction which is orthogonal to the width direction W, within the plane where the door stop frame 1, the storage frame 2, and the slide bar 3 are disposed, is defined as a height direction L of the screen apparatus SA. Furthermore, a direction which is orthogonal to both the width direction W and the height direction L is defined as a depth direction D of the screen apparatus SA. In the screen apparatus SA shown in FIG. 1, the width direction W corresponds to a horizontal direction H, and the height direction L corresponds to a vertical direction V. Accordingly, each of the door stop frame 1, the storage frame 2, and the slide bar 3 extends in the vertical direction V. The door stop frame 1 and the storage frame 2 are disposed within the same vertical plane. The slide bar 3 slides in the horizontal direction H within the same vertical plane where the door stop frame 1 and the storage frame 2 are disposed.
Additionally, the screen apparatus SA includes a screen 4 having one-end portion fixed to the slide bar 3, and a slide guide 5 for guiding the sliding of the slide bar 3. The screen 4 is drawn from inside the storage frame 2 as the slide bar 3 slides towards the door stop frame and expands within the same vertical plane as the door stop frame 1 and the storage frame 2.
Referring to FIG. 2, one end surface in the horizontal direction H of the door stop frame 1 is opened, and the one end surface is located on the slide-bar side. One-end portion in the horizontal direction H of the slide bar 3 sliding towards the door stop frame 1 is receptable inside the door stop frame 1. At the other-end portion of the door stop frame 1, which is located opposite the opened end, a pair of supporting pieces 11, 11 are provided at a central portion in the depth direction D. Each of the supporting pieces 11, 11 protrudes inward in the horizontal direction H of the door stop frame 1, extends in the vertical direction V, and is spaced in the depth direction D. A tip end of each of the supporting pieces 11, 11 bends inward in the depth direction D. A first retaining member 12 is attached inside the other-end portion in the horizontal direction H of the door stop frame 1. One-end portion of the first retaining member 12 is inserted into a hollow portion surrounded by the pair of the supporting pieces 11, 11 and an inner surface of the door stop frame 1, which is located between the pair of the supporting pieces 11,11, from above or below the door stop frame 1. A first projecting piece 13 that bends outward in the depth direction D and extends in the vertical direction V, is provided at each of portions of the pair of the supporting pieces 11, 11, which bend inward in the depth direction D and are adjacent on an inner side in the horizontal direction H of the door stop frame 1. Additionally, a second projecting piece 14 is provided at the other-end portion of the door stop frame 1. The second projecting piece 14 projects inward in the depth direction D from each of the inner-surfaces, opposing in the depth direction D, of the other-end portion of the door stop frame 1, and extends in the vertical direction V. An inside of the other-end portion in the horizontal direction H of the door stop frame 1 is divided into a first insertion portion 15 and a second insertion portion 16 by the first projecting pieces 13, 13 and the second projecting pieces 14, 14.
The slide bar 3 includes a hollow main body 31, and a hollow first screen attaching portion 32 that protrudes in the horizontal direction H from the main body 31 to an opposite side of the door stop frame 1. One-end portion in the horizontal direction H of the main body 31, which is located at a door-stop-frame side of the main body 31, is made into an open surface 311. A cover 312 that covers the opened surface 311 from an outer-side in the horizontal direction H is detachably attached to the one-end portion in the horizontal direction H of the main body 31. A recessed portion recessed inward in the horizontal direction H is provided at a central portion in the depth direction D of the cover 312. A second retaining member 313 that protrudes outward in the horizontal direction H of the main body 31 is attached in a manner that one-end portion of the second remaining member 313 is inserted into the recessed portion from above or below the main body 31. A member, such as a magnet or something in which the magnet is built, is applicable to each of the first retaining member 12 of the door stop frame 1 and the second retaining member 313 of the main body 31 of the slide bar 3. In this case, the second retaining member 313 is attracted to the first retaining member 12 by magnetic force, whereby a sliding limit of the slide bar 3 towards the door stop frame is defined. The slide bar 3 stops at the sliding limit of the door-stop-frame side, and a stopping state of the slide bar 3 at the door stop frame 1 is stably maintained.
A pair of third projecting pieces 321, 321 that project inward in the depth direction D, and a first partition wall 322 that is located further inward in the horizontal direction H than the pair of the third projecting pieces 321, 321 and extends in the vertical direction V are provided at an end portion in the horizontal direction H of the first screen attaching portion 32, which is located opposite the main body 31. A storage portion 323 that opens outward in the horizontal direction H is divided within the first screen attaching portion 32 by the pair of the third projecting pieces 321, 321 and by inner-surfaces opposing in the depth direction D of the first screen attaching portion 32, as well as the first partition wall 322. A first fixing member 41 is attached to one-end portion, which is fixed to the slide bar 3, of the screen 4. The first fixing member 41 is inserted into the storage portion 323 of the first screen attaching portion 32 of the slide bar 3 between the pair of the third projecting pieces 321, 321 and engages with the pair of the third projecting pieces 321, 321, whereby the one-end portion of the screen 4 is fixed to the slide bar 3.
Returning to FIG. 1, a part of the one end surface in the horizontal direction H of the storage frame 2, which opposes the door stop frame 1, is opened. Additionally, a roller pipe 21 extending in the vertical direction V is stored inside the storage frame 2. The roller pipe 21 includes a cylindrical main body 211, a bearing 212 inlaid into a lower-end portion of the main body 211, and a rotary shaft 213 fixed to an upper-end portion of the bearing 212 and extending halfway up in the vertical direction V of the roller pipe 21. A first cap 214 having screw threads cut at an upper-end portion is inlaid into an upper-end portion of the roller pipe 21. A lid 215 having an opening into which an upper-end portion of the first cap 214 is inserted is disposed at an upper end of the storage frame 2 and fixed to an upper-end portion of the storage frame 2 by a screw 216. Accordingly, since a lower-end portion of the roller pipe 21 is supported by the bearing 212, and the upper-end portion of the roller pipe 21 is supported by the storage frame 2 through the first cap 214, the roller pipe 21 is rotatable around the rotary shaft 213 as a rotational center. A coil spring 217 is built in the roller pipe 21 and disposed outside in a diameter direction of the rotary shaft 213.
Referring to FIG. 3, a groove 211a extending in the vertical direction V is formed on an outer peripheral surface of the main body 211 of the roller pipe 21. A second partition wall 211b extending in the vertical direction V along the groove 211a is provided inside the main body 211 of the roller pipe 21 at a groove-side. A second screen attaching portion 211c is partitioned inside the main body 211 of the roller pipe 21 by the second partition wall 211b. A second fixing member 42 is attached to the other-end portion of the screen 4, which is located opposite the one-end portion fixed to the slide bar 3 in the horizontal direction H. The second fixing member 42 is inserted into the second screen attaching portion 211c through the groove 211a and engaged by the second screen attaching portion 211c, whereby the other-end portion of the screen 4 is fixed to the main body 211 of the roller pipe 21. The screen 4 can be wound around the outer peripheral surface of the main body 211 of the roller pipe 21.
Returning to FIG.1, the coil spring 217 is set to accumulate elastic force when the slide bar 3 slides towards the door stop frame 1. Accordingly, when the elastic force accumulated in the coil spring 217 is released, the screen 4 is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the main body 211 of the roller pipe 21, causing the slide bar 3, to which the one-end portion of the screen 4 is fixed, to slide towards the storage frame 2. When the first screen attaching portion 32 comes into contact with the storage frame 2, the slide bar 3 stops sliding towards the storage frame 2.
The screen apparatus SA is installed in an opening such as a window frame or a door frame of a building. In this case, the door stop frame 1 is fixed to a picture frame located at one end in the horizontal direction H of the opening, and the storage frame 2 is fixed to a picture frame located at the other end in the horizontal direction H of the opening. When the slide bar 3 slides towards the door stop frame 1, the screen 4 is drawn from inside the storage frame 2 and expands to close the opening. On the other hand, when the slide bar 3 slides towards the storage frame 2, the screen 4 is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the main body 211 of the roller pipe 21 and stored in the storage frame 2, and then the opening is provided. In the screen apparatus SA, in order to allow the slide bar 3 to slide smoothly in the horizontal direction H, an upper rail 6 extending in the horizontal direction H is provided at an upper-end portion of the opening, and a lower rail 7 extending in the horizontal direction H is provided at a lower end of the opening. The upper rail 6 is a hollow member of which a cross-section in the vertical direction V is U-shaped. An upper-end portion of the slide bar 3 is inserted into the upper rail 6. Additionally, when the slide bar 3 slides toward the door stop frame 1, an upper-end portion of the screen 4 that is drawn from the storage frame 2 and expands is also inserted into the upper rail 6. The lower rail 7 is a linear member extending in the horizontal direction H. A wheel(s) 33 supported by a shaft in the depth direction D is rotatably provided at the lower-end portion of the main body 31 of the slide bar 3. As the slide bar slides in the horizontal direction H, the wheel(s) 33 rolls on the lower rail 7.
The slide guide 5, as aforementioned, guides the sliding in the horizontal direction H of the slide bar 3. Additionally, the slide guide 5 assists the sliding in the horizontal direction H of the slide bar 3 to be parallel to both the door stop frame 1 and the storage frame 2. Referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B, a slide guide 5 is formed by connecting multiple guide units 51. Each of the guide units 5 includes a pair of side walls 511, 511 disposed opposite each other in the depth direction D and a bottom wall 512 connecting both side walls 512. In each of the side walls 511, 511, a pin 511a protruding outward in the depth direction D is provided at one-end portion in the width direction D, and an opening 511b is provided at the other-end portion in the width direction D. The pin 511a and the opening 511b are located at an upper-end portion of each of the guide units 51 and at the same height from a lower end of each side wall 511. In two adjacent guide units 51, 51, the pin 511a of one of the guide units 51 is loosely fitted into the opening 511b of the other of the guide units 51, allowing for pivotal movement of the one guide unit 51 on the other guide unit 51, and therefore the slide guide 5 has bendability.
Specifically, in each side wall 511 of each guide unit 51, a first recessed part 511c recessed inward in the depth direction D is formed at a peripheral portion of the pin 511a. A length of the pin 511a is equal to a depth of the first recessed part 511c, and an outer diameter of the pin 511a and an inner diameter of the opening 511b are sized so that the pin 511a can be loosely fitted into the opening 511b. Additionally, a peripheral portion of the opening 511b is notched, leaving an upper end edge portion of each side wall 511 intact to form a first notched part 511d in the side wall 511. An upper end edge portion of the side wall 511 is shaped into a protruding piece part 511e that extends away from the opening 511b. Furthermore, a hill part 511f, rising upward, is provided at a lower-end portion of the first recessed part 511c. Moreover, a second recessed part 511g recessed by the same depth as the first recessed part 511c is formed at a portion located below the first recessed part 511c at a lower-end portion of the side wall 511. Then, the bottom wall 512 is disposed at a position corresponding to an upper-end portion of the second recessed part 511g of each side wall 511.
When connecting the two adjacent guide units 51, 51, the end portions located at the pins 511a, 511a of both side walls 511 of the other guide unit 51 are inserted between the end portions located at the openings 511b, 511b of both side walls 511, 511 of the one guide unit 51. Each pin 511a of the one guide unit 51 can be loosely fitted into each opening 511b of the other guide unit 51. The slide guide 5 is formed by repeatedly making such connections. A range of pivotal movement of the two adjacent guide units 51, 51 in the slide guide 5 is from a position at which the lower-end portion of each side wall 511 of the one guide unit 51 comes into contact with the lower-end portion of each side wall 511 of the other guide unit 51 to a position at which each protruding piece part 511e of each side wall 511 of the one guide unit 51 comes into contact with the hill part 511f of each first recessed part 511c formed at each side wall 511 of the other guide unit 51. The slide guide 5 has bendability rising upward from the horizontal direction H due to the pivotal movement of the two adjacent guide units 51, 51 within such the range.
Additionally, when connecting the two adjacent guide units 51, 51, each second recessed part 511g formed at each side wall 511 of the other guide unit 51 is inserted inward in the depth direction D of each side wall 511 of the one guide unit 51. Therefore, an outer side surface in the depth direction D of the lower-end portion of each side wall 511 of each guide unit 51 is disposed flush at the portion of the slide guide 5, which extends in the horizontal direction H. Additionally, as aforementioned, since the length of the pin 511a is equal to the depth of the first recessed part 511c, an outer end face in the depth direction D of each pin 511a is disposed flush with an outer side surface in the depth direction D of the upper-end portion of each side wall 511.
Furthermore, a boundary portion between the upper-end portion and the lower-end portion of the side wall 511 of each guide unit 51 is recessed inward in the depth direction D to form a concave part 511h.
Returning to FIG. 1, one end of the slide guide 5 is a free end 513 that is stored inside the slide bar 3, and the other-end portion is a fixing end portion 514 that is fixed to a lower-end portion of the storage frame 2. As the slide bar 3 slides in the horizontal direction H towards the door stop frame in the horizontal direction H, the slide guide 5 is drawn from the lower-end portion of the slide bar 3 towards the storage frame 2. The portion of the slide guide 5, which is drawn from the slide bar 3, maintains linearity in the horizontal direction H. Additionally, as the slide bar 3 slides in the horizontal direction H towards the storage frame 2 when the screen 4 is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the main body 211 of the roller pipe 21 due to the release of the elastic force accumulated in the coil spring 217, the slide guide 5 is stored inside the slide bar 3 from the lower-end portion of the slide bar 3, bends upward, and moves upward within the slide bar 3. In order to smoothly cause the slide guide 5 to store inside the slide bar 3 and withdraw from inside the slide bar 3, due to the bending, an arched protruding part 34 is provided on each of inner surfaces in the depth direction D of the lower-end portion of the slide bar 3. The protruding part 34 protrudes inward in the dept direction D within the slide bar 3. The protruding part 34 can be inserted into the concave part 511h formed at each guide unit 51 of the slide guide 5, guiding the pivotal movement of each guide unit 51.
Incidentally, an adjuster 8 moving in the top-down direction within the slide bar 3 is connected to the free end 513 of the slide guide 5. A rod-shaped weight 81 extending in the top-down direction is built in the adjuster 8. A gravitational force acting on the weight 81 affects a portion of the slide guide 5, which is stored inside the slide bar 3, and when the slide bar 3 slides towards the door stop frame 1, the gravitational force counteracts the accumulated elastic force in the coil spring 217, assisting in smooth drawing of the slide guide 5 from inside the slide bar 3 towards the storage frame 2. This ensures smooth and stable operations of the sliding of the slide bar 3 towards the door stop frame 1. Additionally, when the screen 4 is stored inside the storage frame 2, the gravitational force acting on the weight 81 provides appropriate resistance for storing the slide guide 5 inside the slide bar 3. The resistance helps to suppress rapid winding of the screen 4 around the outer peripheral surface of the main body 211 of the roller pipe 21.
As aforementioned, the fixing end portion 514 of the slide guide 5 is fixed to the lower-end portion of the storage frame 2. On the other hand, a pair of pins protruding outward in the depth direction D, similar to the pair of the pins 511a, 511a, are provided on the side wall 511 of each guide unit 51 of the slide guide 5. Each pin is loosely fitted into each opening 511b that is provided at both side walls 511 of each guide unit 51 and located at an end of the fixing end portion 514 of the slide guide 5.
Returning to FIGS. 4A and 4B, in the slide guide 5, a rail part 511i is provided on an inner-side portion in the depth direction D of the side wall 511 of each guide unit 51. The rail part 511i extends along a line connecting centers of the pins 511a of each guide unit 51 in the connecting direction of the guide unit 51. Additionally, a supporting part 511j protruding inward in the depth direction D is provided on an end edge portion of each side wall 511, which is located further upward from the bottom wall 512 than the rail part 511i. The supporting part 511j is disposed opposite the rail part 511i in the top-bottom direction. Specifically, the supporting part 511j is provided on a portion except a portion at a side of the pins 511a of each guide unit 51. Additionally, the supporting part 511j has an L-shaped front shape and consists of a locking piece 511j₁ descending parallel to the side wall 511 and an inclined piece 511j₂ extending downward from the inner surface in the depth direction D of each side wall 511 towards the rail part 511i.
Additionally, the screen apparatus SA includes a screen retaining member 9 and a cover member 10. In the screen retaining member 9, multiple needle-shaped parts 92 that are configured to protrude inward in the depth direction D of the slide guide 5 are attached in intervals to a base 91. The base 91 is insertable between the rail part 511i and the supporting part 511j of each guide unit 51 of the slide guide 5, is configured to extend in the horizontal direction H, and has bendability.
The screen retaining member 9 is configured to be attached to the inner side in the depth direction D of the one side wall 511 of each guide unit 51 of the slide guide 5 by inserting the base 91 between the rail part 511i and the supporting part 511j of each guide unit 51, from either the free ends 513 or the fixing end portion 514 of the slide guide 5 shown in FIG. 1. The rail part 511i of each guide unit 51 guides the insertion of the base 91 during the attachment of the screen retaining member 9. In the attachment state of the screen retaining member 9, the base 91 is supported between the rail part 511i and the supporting part 511j of each guide unit 51, and all of the needle-shaped parts 92 extend inward in the depth direction D from the one side wall 511 of each guide unit 51. The base 91 of the screen retaining member 9, which is locked with the locking piece 511j₁ of the supporting part 511j, is inclined downward along the inclined piece 511j₂. Therefore, all of the needle-shaped parts 92 incline towards the bottom wall 512 of each guide unit 51.
Since the base 91 of the screen retaining member 9 has, as aforementioned, bendability, the base 91 bends following the pivotal movement of each guide unit 51 of the slide guide 5. Namely, as shown in FIG. 1, when each guide unit 51 pivots upward while the concave part 511h is guided by the protruding part 34 of the slide bar 3, the screen retaining member 9 bends upward inside the slide bar 3. Incidentally, as aforementioned, since the rail part 511i extends along the line connection in the connecting direction of the centers of the pins 511a of each guide unit 51 of the slide guide 5, the base 91 of the screen retaining member 9 also extends along the line connecting the centers of the pins 511a of each guide unit 51. Therefore, the bending of the slide guide 5 is not disturbed by the attachment of the screen retaining member 9 and is smoothly achieved. Similarly, the drawing of the slide guide 5 out of the lower-end portion of the slide bar 3 towards the storage frame 2, which accompanies the sliding of the slide bar 3 towards the door atop frame 1, is also achieved smoothly. Additionally, since the pins 511a of each guide unit 51 of the slide guide 5 are provided on the upper-end portion of each guide unit 51, the pins 511a are disposed upward, away from the lower end of the opening in which the screen apparatus SA is installed. Accordingly, the pins 511a are less susceptible to foreign substances, such as dust, sand, and mud, which easily accumulate at the lower end of the opening. Combined with the smooth bending of the slide guide 5, the sliding of the slide bar 3 is performed lightly and stably.
Meanwhile, when the screen retaining member 9 is detached from the slide guide 5, the base 91 is drawn from between the rail part 511i and the supporting part 511j of each guide unit 51, either from the free end 513 or the fixing end portion 514 of the slide guide 5, which are shown in FIG. 1.
Additionally, an integrally mold part made of any of hard resins is applicable to each guide unit 51 of the slide guide 5. A cloth, net and the like, which are knitted with resin fibers, is applicable to the screen 4. A member made of any of soft resins, light metals such as aluminum, and the like is applicable to the base 91 of the screen retaining member 9. The needle-shaped parts 92 can be made from a suitable material corresponding to a kind of the screen 4. Additionally, a size of each needle-shaped part 92 and a distance between the adjacent two needle-shaped parts 92 can be appropriately set corresponding to a kind of the screen 4. For example, in a case where the screen 4 is a knit or net, the size of each needle-shaped part 92 can be set to the one so that each needle-shaped part 92 enters each of the stitches, and the distance between the two adjacent needle-shaped parts 92 can be set to the one which is equal to the stitch. Furthermore, the protruding part 34, which protrudes inward in the depth direction D of the slide bar 3, can be made from a material which makes each guide units 51 resistant to wear even though the protruding part 34 is repeatedly inserted into the concave part 511h of each guide unit 51 of the slide guide 5.
The cover member 10 includes a supported part 101 that is configured to extend in the horizontal direction H and to be inserted between the rail part 511i and the supporting part 511j of each guide unit 51 of the slide guide 5, and a belt-shaped cover part 102 that is configured to extend inward in the depth direction D of the slide guide 5. The cover member 10 also has bendability similar to the screen retaining member 9. The cover member 10 is attachable to and detachable from an inner side in the depth direction D of the other side wall 511 of each guide unit 51 of the slide guide 5, to which the screen retaining member 9 is not attached.
Referring to FIGS. 5A and 5B, in the cover member 10, the supported part 101 consists of a supported piece 1011 that is configured to extend in the horizontal direction H, and a hanging piece 1012 that is configured to be bent downward from an inner-side end in the depth direction D of the supported piece 1011. The cover part 102 is configured to extends inward in the horizontal direction H and diagonally upward from a lower end of the hanging piece 1012. In other words, the cover part 102 is configured to extend diagonally upward from a boundary portion between the cover part 102 and the supported part 101 to a tip end 1021 in the depth direction D. Additionally, the supported part 101 and the cover part 102 are integrally formed in the cover member 10.
The cover member 10, similar to the screen retaining member 9 shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, is attachable to and detachable from the inner side in the depth direction D of the other side wall 511 of each guide unit 51 of the slide guide 5. When attaching the cover member 10, the base 91 of the cover member 10 is inserted between the rail part 511i and the supporting part 511j of each guide unit 51, from either the free ends 513 or the fixing end portion 514 of the slide guide 5 shown in FIG. 1. The rail part 511i guides the insertion of the supported part 101. In the attached state of the cover member 10, the supported piece 1011 of the supported part 101 is inserted between the rail part 511i and supporting part 511j of each guide unit 51, the hanging piece 1012 comes into contact with the inner-side surface in the depth direction D of the side wall 511 of each guide unit 51, and the cover member 10 is supported by the side wall 511 of each guide unit 51. Additionally, the cover part 102 is disposed above the bottom wall 512 of each guide unit 51. As a result, a portion of the bottom wall 512 of each guide unit 51, which opposes the cover part 102 in the top-bottom direction, is covered from above by the cover part 102 of the cover member 10.
Since the cover member 10, as aforementioned, has bendability, the cover member 10 bends similarly to the screen retaining member 9 following the pivoting movement of each guide unit 51 of the slide guide 5. Therefore, the bending of the slide guide 5 is not disturbed by the attachment of the cover member 10 and is smoothly achieved. Similarly, the drawing of the slide guide 5 out of the lower-end portion of the slide bar 3 towards the storage frame 2 is also achieved smoothly.
Meanwhile, when the cover member 10 is detached from the slide guide 5, the supported part 101 is drawn from between the rail part 511i and the supporting part 511j of each guide unit 51, either from the free end 513 or the fixing end portion 514 of the slide guide 5, which are shown in FIG. 1.
Additionally, in the attached state of both the screen retaining member 9 and the cover member 10, the cover part 102 extends diagonally upward from the hanging piece 1012 of the supported part 101, while all of the needle-shaped parts 92, as aforementioned, protrude diagonally downward towards the bottom wall 512 of each guide unit 51. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4B, a position in the top-bottom direction of the tip end 1021 of the cover part 102 of the cover member 10 becomes higher than that of each of the tip ends 921 of the needle-shaped parts 92 of the screen retaining member 9.
As the slide bar 3 slides towards the door stop frame 1, the screen 4 is drawn from the main body 211 of the roller pipe 21 stored inside the storage frame 2 and expands. At this time, as shown in FIG.4B, the lower-end portion in the top-bottom direction of the screen 4 is inserted between both side walls 511, 511 of each guide unit 51 in the drawn portion of the slide guide 5, which extends from the lower-end portion of the slide bar 3 towards the storage frame 2. As a result, the needle-shaped parts 92 of the screen retaining member 9 stick into the lower-end portion of the screen 4, which is inserted between both supporting parts 511j, 511j of each guide unit 51, making it impossible for the lower-end portion of the screen 4 to come out of the slide guide 5. Additionally, the tip end 1021 on the inner side in the depth direction D of the cover part 102 of the cover member 10 is disposed to be contactable with the lower-end portion of the screen 4. On the other hand, as the slide bar 3 slides towards the storage frame 2, the needle-shaped parts 92 of the screen retaining member 9 come out of the lower-end portion of the screen 4, allowing the screen 4 to be stored inside the storage frame 2 by being wound around of the outer peripheral surface of the main body 211 of the roller pipe 2.
Even though the needle-shaped parts 92 of the screen retaining member 9 repeatedly stick into and come out of the lower-end portion of the screen 4 accompanying the sliding in the horizontal direction H of the slide bar 3, wear and tear of the lower-end portion of the screen 4 can well suppressed. Additionally, since the bottom wall 512 of each guide unit 51 of the slide guide 5 is covered from above by the cover part 102 of the cover member 10, accumulation of the foreign substances such as dust, sand, and mud on the bottom wall 52 of each guide unit 51 of the slide guide 5 can be suppressed. Furthermore, as the slide bar 3 slides in the horizontal direction 3, the screen 4 that expands in the horizontal direction H may receive external pressure, such as wind pressure pushing from the outer side to the inner side in the depth direction D. This cases the screen 4 to bend, potentially coming the needle-shaped parts 92 out of the screen retaining member 9. However, in this case, the tip end 1021 on the inner side in the depth direction D of the cover part 102 of the cover member 10 comes into contact with the lower-end portion of the screen 4. Therefore, the cover part 102 of the cover member 10 can cause the lower-end portion of the screen 4 to move towards the needle-shaped parts 92 of the screen retaining member 9. As a result, the needle-shaped parts 92 of the screen retaining member 9 either remain the stick-into or re-stick into the lower-end portion of the screen 4, suppressing the lower-end portion of the screen 4 to come out of the slide guide 5. Moreover, the position in top-bottom direction of the tip end 1021 on the inner side in the depth direction D of the cover part 102 of the cover member 10 is higher than that in the top-bottom direction of each of the tip ends 921 on the inner side in the depth direction D of the needle-shaped parts 92 of the screen retaining member 9. This can cause the lower-end portion of the screen 4 to move towards the needle-shaped parts 92 of the screen retaining member 9 reliably.
Incidentally, the cover member 10 is made of materials with hardness that minimize wear and tear of the screen 4 and that cause the lower-end portion of the screen 4 to move towards the needle-shaped parts 92 of the screen retaining member 9 when the tip end 1021 on the inner side in the depth direction D of the cover part 102 comes into contact with the screen 4. Accordingly, as the slide bar 3 slides in the horizontal direction H, the wear and tear of the lower end of the screen 4, which is expanded in the horizontal direction H or wound around the outer peripheral surface of the body 211 of the roller pipe 21 stored in the storage frame 2, can be minimized more effectively. Additionally, the cover part 102 of the cover member 10 can cause the lower-end portion of the screen 4 to move towards the needle-shaped parts 92 of the screen retaining member 9 more effectively.
Furthermore, in the screen retaining member 9, the base 91 is inserted between the rail part 511i and the supporting part 511j of the one side wall 511 of each guide unit 51, extending along an entire length of each guide unit 51 in the connecting direction of the slide guide 5. However, the needle-shaped parts 92 may not be attached to a portion of the base 91 located on the fixing-end-portion side of the slide guide 5. This can suppress the wear and tear of the lower-end portion of the screen 4, which has just drawn from the outer peripheral surface of the main body 211 of the roller pipe 21 stored in the storage frame 2. On the other hand, the cover part 102 of the cover member 10 can cover from above the bottom wall 512 of each guide unit 51 throughout the entire length of each guide unit 51 in the connecting direction of the slide guide 5. This can effectively suppress the accumulation of the foreign substances such as dust, sand, and mud.
Moreover, the cover part 102 extends diagonally upward from the boundary portion between the cover part 102 and the supported part 101 to the tip end 1021 on the inner side in the depth direction D. Therefore, when the expanded screen 4 receives the external pressure, such as wind pressure pushing from the outer side to the inner side in the depth direction D, and bends so that the needle-shaped parts 92 of the screen retaining member 9 to come out of the lower-end portion of the screen 4, the movement of the lower-end portion of the screen 4 towards the needle-shaped parts 92 of the screen retaining member 9 can be achieved more reliably.
Returning to FIG. 1, a tension member 20 having one end and the other end is provided with the screen apparatus SA. The one end of the tension member 20 is fixed to an adjustor 8 connected to the free-end side of the slide guide 5. The tension member 20 passes through the inside of the slide bar 3, is drawn from the upper-end portion of the slide bar 3 towards the door stop frame, and is pulled inside the door stop frame 1 from an upper-end portion of the door stop frame 1. The other end of the tension member 20 is fixed to an inner-surface portion of the door stop frame 1.
The upper-end portion of the slide bar 3 is formed by a hollow cap block 36, which is detachably attached to the slide bar 3 by a screw. A pulley 37 is supported by a shaft at the upper-end portion of the door stop frame side in the cap block 36. The tension member 20 extends from the adjuster 8 to an upper-end portion of the cap block 36 inside the slide bar 3, and is hung on an outer peripheral portion of the pulley 37 and drawn from the cap block 36 towards the door stop frame 1. The tension member 20 drawn from the cap block 36 passes inside the upper rail 6.
Referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, a second cap 17 is provided at the upper end of the door stop frame 1. A first leg part 171 and a second leg part 172 extend downward from a lower end of the second cap 17 except a central portion in the horizontal direction H. A through hole 173, which is located between the first leg part 171 and the second leg part 172, is provided to passe through the second cap 17 in the top-bottom direction. The second cap 17 is fixed to the upper end of the door stop frame 1 by inserting and engaging the first leg part 171 into and with the first insertion portion 15 and the second leg part 172 into and with the second insertion portion 16. When the second cap 17 is fixed to the upper end of the door stop frame 1, the tension member 20, which was previously drawn from the cap block 36, has passed through the through hole 173 and been drawn downward from the second cap 17. A hook member 18, which can be inserted into the first insertion portion 15, is used to fix the other end of the tension member 20 to the inner-surface portion in the horizontal direction H of the door stop frame 1. The hook member 18 extends in the top-bottom direction, and a cut 181 is formed at an upper end part of the hook member 18, which is directed from an inside to an outside in the horizontal direction H. A portion of the hook member 18, which is located just below the cut 181, is hollow and opened towards the inner-side in horizontal direction H. A screw 182 for fixing the hook member 18 to the inner-surface portion in the horizontal direction H of the door stop frame 1 is provided at a lower-end portion of the hook member 18. At a portion of the other-end side of the tension member 20, which is drawn downward from the second cap 17 through the through hole 173, a ball knot 201 is formed. The other end of the tension member 20 is fixed to the hook member 18 by inserting the other-end portion of the tension member 20 except the ball knot 201 into the cut 181 and by contacting the ball knot 201 with a lower-end surface of the upper-end portion of the hook member 18. In a state where the hook member 18, to which the other end of the tension member 20 is fixed, is inserted into the first insertion portion 15 of the door stop frame 1, the first leg part 171 is inserted into and engaged with the first insertion portion 15, and the second leg part 172 is inserted into and engage with the second insertion portion 16, thereby fixing the second cap 17 to the upper end of the door stop frame 1.
The tension member 20, drawn inside the door stop frame 1, is given to an appropriate tension by adjusting a position of the hook member 18 along the first insertion portion 15 in the top-down direction. Additionally, the other end of the tension member 20 is fixed to the door stop frame 1 with the screw 182. Therefore, when the slide bar 3 slides towards the door stop frame 1, a force towards the storage frame 2 acts on the slide bar 3 through the screen 4 due to accumulation of the elastic force within the coil spring 217 shown in FIG. 1, the tension member 20 is cooperated with the slide guide 5, and can cause the slide bar 3 to slide parallelly to both the door stop frame 1 and the storage frame 2. The parallel sliding of the slide bar 3 to both the door stop frame 1 and the storage frame 2 is similarly achieved when the slide bar 3 slides towards the storage frame 2. Additionally, wiring of the tension member 20 is facilitated, making production of the screen apparatus SA easy. Incidentally, a through hole, not shown, passing in the horizontal direction H is formed in the hook member 18, and a nut, with which a male screw portion is cut on the screw 182 engages, is provided on a part of the through hole. When the screw 182 is tightened on the nut, a tip end located opposite a head portion of the screw 182 comes into contact with the inner surface in the horizontal direction H of the first insertion portion 15 of the door stop frame 1. The hook member 18 is pressed against both one of the second projecting pieces 14, 14 and a tip end portion of one of the supporting pieces 11, 11 which opposes the one of the second projecting piece 14, 14, whereby the hook member 18 is fixed to the door stop frame 1.
Meanwhile, in the screen apparatus SA, length reduction, i.e., reduction of a length of the screen apparatus SA, is possible. Manufacturers set standards regarding a size in the vertical direction V for each of the door stop frame 1, the storage frame 2, the slide bar 3, and the screen 4. The standards are set in view of standards of the openings of the window frames, the door frames, and similar structures in various buildings, to which the screen apparatus SA is installed, and for achieving mass production. Accordingly, due to mass-produced products, it is sometimes necessary to reduce the length to correspond to the installed opening size, and then to ship. Additionally, regardless of either the mass-produced products or the products after the length reduction, further length reduction may be necessary to fit the actual opening size at an installation place. The screen apparatus SA can adequately accommodate both the former and the latter length reductions. This is because the second cap 17 at the upper end of the door stop frame 1, as well as the first cap 214 and the lid 215 of the storage frame 2, are detachable. Additionally, this is because the cap block 36 forming the upper-end portion of the slide bar 3 is also detachable.
When reducing the length of the screen apparatus SA, the second cap 17 shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B is detach upward from the door stop frame 1, and while keeping the one-end portion of the tension member 20 fixed, the hook member 18 is caused to move upward along the first insertion portion 15 and detach upward from the upper end of the door stop frame 1. Additionally, the fixing of the lid 215 shown in FIG. 1 by the screw 216 is released, and the lid 215 is detached from the upper end of the storage frame 2. Subsequently, the first cap 214 is withdrawn upward from the main body 211 of the roller pipe 21. Furthermore, the fixing of the cap block 36 by the screw 35 is released, and the cap block 36 is caused to detach from the slide bar 3. Additionally, the slide bar 3 is caused to open outward in the horizontal direction H by detaching the cover 312 shown in FIG. 2 from the slide bar 3. Then, the tension member 20, with the one-end portion fixed to the hook member 18, is drawn from the opened portion to the outside in the horizontal direction H of the slide bar 3. During this process, the tension member 20 is left to be wired in the cap block 36. Although the tension member 20 sometimes comes off from the pulley 37 by detaching the cap block 36 from the slide bar 3, in the case where the tension member 20 is left to be wired in the cap block 36, at reassembling time after the length reduction, the tension member 20 is just hung on the pulley 37 again, facilitating the wiring operation of the tension member 20. Accordingly, it is not necessary for the tension member 20 to cut, and the upper-end portion of the screen apparatus SA, i.e., all of the upper-end portions of the door stop frame 1, the slide bar 3, the screen 4, the storage frame 2, and the main body 211 of the roller pipe 21, can be cut off at once. The screen apparatus SA that has been reduced in length can be reassembled following reverse procedures to those aforementioned. Since the wiring of the tension member 20 is simplified as aforementioned, the wiring operation of the tension member 20 at the reassembling time is also facilitated.
The invention is descried with reference to the embodiment aforementioned. However, the invention is not restricted to the embodiment. For example, the cover member 10 provided with the screen apparatus SA is applicable to all of the slide guide(s) 5 provided at the lower-end portion in the height direction L. Namely, the cover member 10 can be applied to the slide guide provided at the lower-end portion in the height direction L of the screen apparatus with which the slide guide is also provided at the upper-end portion in the height direction L. Additionally, it is not necessary for the cover part 102 of the cover member 10 to extend diagonally upward in the depth direction D. The position in the top-bottom direction of the tip end 1021 on the inner side in the depth direction D should be only higher than that of each of the tip ends 921 in the depth direction D of the needle-shaped parts 92 of the screen retaining member 9. For example, the cover part 102 of the cover member 10 may extend parallel to the bottom wall 512 of each guide unit 51 of the slide guide 5. Furthermore, the screen retaining member 9 may be attached to the inner side in the depth direction D of the other side wall 511 of each guide unit 51 of the slide guide 5. In this case, the cover member 10 is attached to the inner side in the depth direction D of the one side wall 511 of each guide unit 51 of the slide guide 5. Moreover, the height direction L of the screen apparatus is not limited to the vertical direction V. The height direction L is defined as a direction orthogonal to the width direction W. For example, the screen apparatus can be installed in an opening inclined to the vertical plane.

Explanation of symbols

SA: Screen apparatus
1: Door stop frame
2: Storage frame
21: Roller pipe
217: Coil spring
3: Slide bar
4: Screen
5: Slide guide
51: Guide unit
511: Side wall
511a: Pin
511b: Opening
511i: Rail part
511j: Supporting part
512: Bottom wall
513: Free end
514: Fixing end portion
9: Screen retaining member
91: Base
92: Needle-shaped parts
921: Tip end
10: Cover member
101: Supported part
102: Cover part
1021: Tip end
20: Tension member
W: Width direction
L: Height direction
D: Depth direction

Claims

A screen apparatus, comprising:
a door stop frame and a storage frame disposed within a same plane and opposite each other in a width direction of the screen apparatus, each of the door stop frame and the storage frame being hollow and extending in a height direction of the screen apparatus;

a slide bar disposed within the plane where the door stop frame and the storage frame are disposed, the slide bar being hollow, extending in the height direction of the screen apparatus, and being slidable in the width direction of the screen apparatus between the door stop frame and the storage frame;

a screen having one-end portion fixed to the slide bar, the screen being drawn from inside the storage frame as the slide bar slides towards the door stop frame, and the screen being expandable within the plane where the door stop frame, the storage frame, and the slide bar are disposed;

a slide guide for guiding the sliding of the slide bar, the slide guide being formed by connecting multiple guide units, each of the guide units having: (i) a pair of side walls disposed opposite each other in a depth direction of the screen apparatus, and (ii) a bottom wall connecting the side walls; and

a screen retaining member detachably attached to an inner side in the depth direction of the slide guide, the screen retaining member comprising: (i) needle-shaped parts, in intervals, which are configured to protrude inward in the depth direction of the slide guide, and (ii) a bendable base to which the needle-shaped parts are attached, the base being configured to extend in the width direction and being insertable between a rail part and a supporting part of each of the guide units of the slide guide,

wherein:
the width direction, the depth direction, and the height direction of the screen apparatus are configured to be orthogonal to one another;

a pin protrudes outward from one-end portion in the width direction of each of the side walls of the slide guide, and an opening is defined at the other-end portion in the width direction of each of the side walls of the slide guide, whereby the pin of one of the guide units is fitted into the opening of the other of the guide units which is adjacent to the one of the guide units, allowing for pivotal movement of the one of the guide units on the other of the guide units, and the slide guide is configured to be bend upward in the height direction;

the rail part is provided at an inner-side portion in the width direction of each of the side walls of each of the guide units and extends along a line which is defined by centers of the pins of the guide units in a connection direction of the guide units;

the supporting part protrudes inward in the width direction at one end edge portion of each of the side walls and is located upward from the bottom wall in the height direction than the rail part;

the needle-shaped parts are configured to: (i) stick into a lower-end portion in the height direction of the screen, which is drawn from inside the storage frame and expands in the width direction, according to the sliding of the slide bar towards the door stop frame, thereby preventing the lower-end portion of the screen from coming out of the slide guide, and (ii) come out of the lower-end portion of the screen according to the sliding of the slide bar towards the storage frame, thereby allowing the screen to be stored inside the storage frame;

a coil spring in which elastic force is accumulated when the slide bar slides towards the door stop frame is built in a rotatable roller pipe, and the roller pipe extends in the height direction, is stored inside the storage frame, and is configured to wind the screen;

the other end of the screen is fixed to a portion in the height direction of an outer peripheral surface of the roller pipe;

the slide guide has one end that is a free end, and a fixing end portion having the other end fixed to a lower-end portion in the height direction of the storage frame, and the slide guide is configured to: (i) be drawn from a lower-end portion in the height direction of the slide bar according to the sliding of the slide bar towards the door stop frame, whereby a drawn portion of the slide guide from the slide bar maintains linearity in the width direction, and (ii) be stored inside the slide bar from the lower-end portion thereof and move upward in the height direction inside the slide bar according to the sliding of the slide bar towards the storage frame when the screen is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the roller pipe by release of the elastic force accumulated in the coil spring;

the screen retaining member is attached to an inner side in the depth direction of one of the side walls of each of the guide units of the slide guide;

a bendable cover member is attached to an inner side in the depth direction of the other of the side walls of each of the guide units of the slide guide, the cover member comprising: (i) a supported part that is insertable between the rail part and the supporting part of each of the guide units of the slide guide and extends in the width direction, and (ii) a belt-shaped cover part that is provided with the supported part and configured to protrude inward in the depth direction of the slide guide;

a position in the height direction of a tip end on an inner side in the depth direction of the cover part of the cover member is configured to be located higher than that in the height direction of a tip end on an inner side in the depth direction of each of the needle-shaped parts of the screen retaining member; and

when the screen is drawn from inside the storage frame and expands according to the sliding of the slide bar towards the door stop frame, the lower-end portion in the height direction of the screen is configured to: (i) be prevent from coming out of the slide guide due to sticking of the needle-shaped parts of the screen retaining member into the lower-end portion in the height direction of the screen between the side walls of each of the guide units in the drawn portion of the slide guide from the lower-end portion in the height direction of the slide bar towards the storage frame, and (ii) be disposed contactable to the tip end on the inner side in the depth direction of the cover part of the cover member.
The screen apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cover member is made of materials with hardness, which minimize wear and tear of the screen and cause to move the lower-end portion in the height direction of the screen toward the needle-shaped parts of the screen retaining member when the tip end on the inner side in the depth direction of the cover part of the cover member comes into contact with the screen.
The screen apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the cover part of the cover member is configured to extend diagonally upward in the height direction from a boundary portion between the cover part and the supported part to the tip end on the inner side in the depth direction.
The screen apparatus as claimed in claim 1,wherein a tension member having one end fixed to a free-end side of the slide guide and the other end fixed to an inner-surface portion of the door stop frame is provided, and the tension member passes inside the slide bar, is drawn from an upper-end portion in the height direction of the slide bar towards the door stop frame, and is drawn inside the door stop frame from an upper-end portion in the height direction of the door stop frame.