US20130075050A1

US20130075050A1 - Privacy Curtain

Info

Publication number: US20130075050A1
Application number: US13/247,237
Authority: US
Inventors: Tony Colledge
Original assignee: Marlux Medical Ltd
Current assignee: Marlux Medical Ltd
Priority date: 2011-09-28
Filing date: 2011-09-28
Publication date: 2013-03-28

Abstract

A privacy curtain comprises an attachment portion, a main panel formed of a non-transparent material and a mesh panel attached to the main panel and formed of strands of a mesh material defining a plurality of openings. The openings have an openness sufficient to allow the passage of water through the openings. The mesh material is preferably composed of a bi-directional polypropylene material which provides for 90% openness.

Description

BACKGROUND

The present invention is concerned with curtains, particularly, but not exclusively, for cubicle or surgical curtains used to curtain off a particular area such as an area where a patient is being examined or treated.
Many types of curtains, curtain rail and curtain fastening systems are known for a wide variety of uses.
Most curtains are attached to, or arranged to be attached to some form of curtain rail arrangement such that the curtain material can be opened out to form a ‘closed’ screen or folded or bunched together when ‘open’ to allow access. Curtains can, however, be mounted in a permanently opened out ‘closed’ configuration.
In hospital environments or the like, curtains can be moveable from place to place. Curtains may be mounted on a moveable frame that can be moved to different locations as needed. The curtain may be mounted in a permanently stretched, opened out (i.e. ‘closed’) state providing a portable screen or can be moveable, e.g. slidable, relative to the frame to open and close. In other arrangements, curtain rails may be affixed to e.g. walls, floors or ceilings and curtains may be removably mounted to the rails as desired, e.g., by means of hooks or clips attached, or attachable, to the top of the curtain.
Although curtains can, of course, be made of a very wide range of materials, it is often desirable, particularly in hospital or similar environments, or in other public or non-domestic environments, for it to be possible to wipe the curtains clean, in which case, plastic materials or coated paper materials are practical choices. Traditional fabric curtains require laundering.
It may also be desirable, or even necessary, in certain applications, to use disposable curtains that are only used once or a small number of times and are then thrown away and replaced. For reasons of cost and for environmental reasons, it is desirable that such curtains are relatively low cost, light and, preferably, recyclable or biodegradable.
Some curtains are provided with holes or openings in the curtain material. This may be desirable to reduce the cost and weight of the material and to reduce the amount of material in the curtains and, hence, the amount of waste when the curtain is disposed. In some situations, it is actually a requirement, or an important safety feature, for holes to be provided in the curtain so that, in the event of a fire, even when the curtains are closed, water from fire hoses or sprinkler systems or the like can pass through the curtains.
Fire and safety regulations often stipulate criteria for curtain materials. Safety standards often require curtain material in hospitals or other public places to be fire retardant and, for example in the US, there may be requirements as to the degree of ‘openness’ of a curtain material. It may be stipulated, for example, that at least a panel of a curtain material has 70% openness to allow fire extinguishing water to pass through.
Attempts have been made to supply curtains, for use, for example, in hospitals that satisfy such requirements. One type of curtain includes a polyester mesh curtain drape of a panel of polyester mesh incorporated within the curtain, preferably, but not necessarily, towards or at the top of the curtain. This mesh is a woven material but, as it is different from the rest of the curtain material, means that the entire curtain cannot be efficiently recycled. Also, being a woven material, such meshes usually only provide up to about 50% openness.
An alternative solution has been provided by a complete, one-piece curtain (made e.g. of polypropylene or similar material for hospitals or the like) with holes punched in the fabric. Again, however, such curtains do not have anything near 70% openness. Further, punching holes in existing fabric can be problematic and the remaining curtain material will be dramatically weakened.
A further alternative solution is a simple fabric curtain that is open at the top. Such curtains, however, require laundering and are not disposable or recyclable.

SUMMARY

The present invention provides a curtain comprising a mesh of bi-oriented polypropylene.
Whilst the entire curtain could be made of bi-oriented polypropylene, in a preferred embodiment, the curtain comprises a drape and a panel comprising a mesh of bi-oriented polypropylene—the mesh panel is preferably provided at or towards the top of the curtain and is preferably attached to or formed in the drape.
Preferably the drape is made of a polypropylene material to enable full recycling of the curtain without the need to separate the materials. Some of the advantages of the invention, however, are still provided if the drape material is not polypropylene, e.g., another plastics material, fabric, paper, etc.
The use of bi-oriented polypropylene, and especially attaching a pre-manufactured polypropylene sheet or panel to a curtain drape, allows the mesh panel to comprise a very thin strand of material whilst retaining the desired rigidity and strength. In the preferred material, each strand is only 0.3 mm wide, thus allowing for around 90% openness using mesh with holes of approximately 6.8 mm×7.3 mm. Other size holes are also possible.
To meet fire retardancy requirements, the mesh can be provided with the fire retardant additives, coating or material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only, and with reference to the drawings.

FIGS. 1A to 1D show prior art ‘mesh-top’ curtains.

FIG. 2 shows a section of a curtain.

FIG. 3 shows a partial view of the top of the curtain of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 shows a partial view of a curtain such as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring first to FIGS. 1A to 1D, various forms of existing mesh-top curtains are shown. These all include a fairly wide panel of woven material forming a mesh to allow water from sprinklers and the like to pass through, in the case of, for example, a fire or other emergency.
As mentioned above, problems have been identified with such curtain arrangements, including difficulties in manufacture and difficulties in disposing of and recycling the curtains, as well as the fact that the mesh materials do not meet the high degree of openness required under some safety regulations, for example at least in some states of the U.S.A.
A curtain that is safe, yet provides privacy, is relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture and recycle is described below.
Turning now to FIG. 2, here, a section of curtain is shown.
The curtain 1 is arranged to be mounted on a curtain rail 2 by means of hooks or clips 3.
In the embodiment shown, the curtain hooks are attached, at one end, to the curtain through eyelets 4 in the curtain material and the other end of the curtain hook is adapted to be fitted onto or into a curtain rail. Various types of hooks are known but, for the purposes of the present invention, any type of attachment for the curtain can be used. Hooks can also, for example, be welded onto the curtain material, rather than attached through eyelets.
The main drape or panel 5 of the curtain is made, in this example, of a polypropylene material but can, in less preferred embodiments, be made of other known materials. For privacy/discretion, the main panel of the curtain is not transparent.
The material of the main drape of the curtain is preferably washable or wipeable and, more preferably, disposable and recyclable.
In the most preferred embodiment, the material of the curtain drape is, or is treated to be, fire retardant.
The curtain is also provided with a top part 6, preferably made of the same material as the main panel, although a different, perhaps stronger, material can be used, for this part of the curtain which is attached to the curtain rail by means of curtain hooks. In less preferred embodiments, such a top part is not required.
Again, as mentioned above, in the embodiment shown, eyelets are provided in the top of the curtain material through which curtain hooks can be attached for attachment to a curtain rail. Other ways of attaching the curtain to the rail are possible, e.g. by welding or otherwise permanently attaching the hooks to the rail.
Between the top, attachment portion, and the main panel of the curtain is provided a mesh panel 7 formed of a bi-oriented polypropylene material made of fine strands formed into a mesh having a high degree of openness.
It is most preferred that this panel is towards the top of the curtain but advantages could also be provided if the panel were provided in other parts of the curtain, e.g. along the bottom or a middle portion or as a vertical panel somewhere along the width of the curtain.
The mesh can be attached to the main panel in any known manner, for example by means of adhesion, welding, stitching or the like.
The overall curtain is sufficiently soft, flexible and pliable that the whole curtain can be easily opened or closed by sliding the curtain hooks along the rail. The same features can, of course, be provided in a fixed curtain mounted onto a frame, whereby the frame is moved to the appropriate position.
Curtains according to the present invention can be easily and compactly packaged and transported and then mounted onto curtain rails, as appropriate. The curtains can then be easily removed and disposed of and easily recycled.
In use, the curtains provide sufficient privacy, whilst meeting fire regulations in providing a high degree of openness due to the bi-oriented polypropylene material.

Claims

1. A privacy curtain assembly comprising:

a curtain rail defining an inner privacy area;

an attachment portion;

a plurality of connectors removably attaching said attachment portion to said curtain rail;

a main panel located below said curtain rail and formed of a non-transparent material;

a mesh panel attached to said main panel, said mesh panel comprising bi-directional strands of polypropylene forming a mesh material defining a plurality of openings having an openness sufficient to allow the passage of water through said openings into said inner privacy area;

wherein at least one of said main panel or said mesh panel is attached to said attachment portion.

2. The privacy curtain assembly of claim 1 wherein said material of said main panel, said mesh panel and said attachment portion is a polypropylene material.

3. The privacy curtain assembly of claim 1 wherein said material of said main panel, said mesh panel and said attachment portion is fire retardant.

4. The privacy curtain assembly of claim 1 wherein said material of said main panel, said mesh panel and said attachment portion is washable.

5. The privacy curtain assembly of claim 1 wherein said material of said main panel, said mesh panel and said attachment portion is recyclable.

6. The privacy curtain assembly of claim 1 wherein said strands of said mesh material have a diameter of 0.3 mm.

7. The privacy curtain assembly of claim 1 wherein said plurality of openings measure 6.8 mm×7.3 mm.

8. The privacy curtain assembly of claim 1 wherein said plurality of openings allow for 90% openness.

9. The privacy curtain assembly of claim 1 wherein said connectors are curtain hooks.

10. The privacy curtain assembly of claim 1 wherein said connectors are clips.

11. A privacy curtain for removable attachment to a curtain rail comprising:

a mesh panel having first and second sides and comprising bi-directional strands of polypropylene forming a mesh material, wherein said strands define a plurality of openings of a sufficient degree of openness to allow passage of water through said first side and past said second side;

a main panel formed of a non-transparent material and attached to said mesh panel, wherein said main panel and said mesh panel define a unitary length of material having a topmost edge, wherein at least one of said main panel or said mesh panel defines said topmost edge;

a plurality of connector points located adjacent substantially the entire length of said topmost edge.

12. The privacy curtain of claim 11 wherein said mesh panel and said main panel are formed of a polypropylene material.

13. The privacy curtain of claim 11 wherein said main panel and said mesh panel are formed of a fire retardant material.

14. The privacy curtain of claim 11 wherein said main panel, and said mesh panel are formed of a washable material.

15. The privacy curtain of claim 11 wherein said main panel, and said fine mesh panel are formed of a recyclable material.

16. The privacy curtain of claim 11 wherein said strands have a diameter of 0.3 mm.

17. The privacy curtain of claim 11 wherein said plurality of openings measure 6.8 mm×7.3 mm.

18. The privacy curtain of claim 11 wherein said plurality of openings allow for 90% openness.

19. The privacy curtain of claim 11 wherein said connector points are eyelets.

20. The privacy curtain of claim 11 wherein said connector points are curtain hooks welded proximate said topmost edge.