ADJUSTABLE VERTICAL BARRIER FOR A RETRACTABLE SCREEN

Abstract

An adjustable vertical barrier placed at the bottom of a retractable screen to adjust for an uneven floor surface comprised of a housing for attached on one end of the screen enclosure and weighted lift bar within the housing for attachment of a felt gasket, whereby the lift bar is freely vertically movable within the housing so that the felt gasket conforms to the contour of a floor surface and the lift bar is retained within housing a foot on the lift bar cooperates with a first notch within the housing.

Claims

1. An adjustable vertical barrier apparatus placed at the bottom of a screen enclosure to adjust for an uneven floor surface, said adjustable vertical barrier apparatus comprising: a housing having two opposing sidewalls, an upper open surface, and a lower open surface, said housing enclosing a lift bar enclosure and screen mesh enclosure, said screen mesh enclosure being vertically positioned above said lift bar enclosure, and said screen mesh enclosure having a cross-section larger than said upper open surface cross-section, said screen mesh enclosure sized to attached and receive a screen edge within, said lift bar enclosure having a first notch disposed within an interior sidewall of lift bar enclosure and said first notch positioned above said lower open surface; and a lift bar having opposing side panels, a top edge, and a bottom edge, said top edge including a foot extending beyond one said side panel, said bottom edge sized to receive and attached a felt gasket wherein said lift bar is freely vertically movable within said lift bar enclosure so that said felt gasket conforms to the contour of a floor surface and said lift bar is retained within said lift bar enclosure when said foot on said lift bar cooperates with said first notch on said lift bar enclosure.

2. The adjustable vertical barrier apparatus of claim 1, wherein said lift bar is weighted.

3. The adjustable vertical barrier apparatus of claim 1, wherein said screen mesh enclosure and lift bar enclosure being separable by a transverse wall.

4. The adjustable vertical barrier apparatus of claim 1, wherein said lift bar enclosure further including a second notch disposed within one side of said interior side panel of said lift bar enclosure above said first notch and below said traverse wall.

5. The adjustable vertical barrier apparatus of claim 4, wherein said second notch is sized to cooperate with said foot on said lift bar.

6. The adjustable vertical barrier apparatus of claim 5, wherein said lift bar is segmentably movable between said traverse wall and said second notch and between said traverse wall and said first notch.

7. The adjustable vertical barrier apparatus of claim 1, wherein said bottom edge of said lift bar further including a pair of slots to receive and attach said felt gasket.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0016] FIG. 1 is a pictorial representation of the adjustable vertical barrier apparatus with a screen enclosure and felt gasket attached on an uneven floor surface;

[0017] FIG. 2 is a front view of the adjustable vertical barrier apparatus on an even floor surface;

[0018] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of the adjustable vertical barrier apparatus in a first segmented area; and

[0019] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of the adjustable vertical barrier apparatus in a second segmented area.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] While the present invention is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, there is shown in the drawings and will hereinafter be described a presently preferred, albeit not limiting, embodiment with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated.

[0021] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an adjustable vertical barrier apparatus 1 placed at the bottom of a screen enclosure 3 to adjust for an uneven floor surface 2. The lift bar 70 free moves about the housing 10 of the adjustable vertical barrier apparatus 1 to adjust for an uneven floor surface 2. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the adjustable vertical barrier apparatus 1 is comprised of a housing 10 and a lift bar 70. The housing 10 has at least two opposing sidewalls, 12 and 14, an upper open surface 16, and a lower open surface 18. The housing 10 encloses a lift bar enclosure 30 and screen mesh enclosure 50, wherein the screen mesh enclosure 50 and lift bar enclosure 30 are separable by a transverse wall 20. The screen mesh enclosure 50 is vertically positioned above the lift bar enclosure 30. The screen mesh enclosure 50 has an opening defined by the upper open surface 16. The screen mesh enclosure 50 is sized to attached and receive a screen edge 4 within. More specifically, the screen mesh enclosure 50 has a cross-section 52 larger than the upper open surface cross-section 22 to allow the screen edge 4 to be hemmed within. A screen edge 4 is generally comprised a rope, chain, zipper, or formed extrusion, therefore the screen edge 4 is restricted within the screen mesh enclosure 50 because of the cross-section disparity within the screen mesh enclosure 50.

[0022] The lift bar enclosure 30, which is separated from the screen mesh enclosure 50 by a traverse wall 20 and is positioned vertically below the screen mesh enclosure 50. The lift bar enclosure 30 includes an opening defined by the lower open surface 18. The lift bar enclosure 30 further includes a first notch 38 disposed within an interior sidewall 32 of lift bar enclosure. The first notch 38 is positioned above the lower open surface 18. Additionally, the lift bar enclosure 30 can include a second notch 40 disposed within at least one side of the interior side panel 34 of the lift bar enclosure 30 above the first notch 38 and below the traverse wall 20. The first and second notches, 38 and 40, are sized to cooperate with a foot 84 on the lift bar 70.

[0023] A lift bar 70 is encased within the lit bar enclosure 30. The lift bar 70 is weighted. The lift is freely vertically movable within the lift bar enclosure 30 so that the felt gasket 5 conforms to the contour of a floor surface 2. The lift bar 70 has opposing side panels, 72 and 74, a top edge 76, and a bottom edge 78. The top edge 76 includes a foot 84 extending beyond one side panel 74 of the lift bar 70. The bottom edge 78 sized to receive and attached a felt gasket 5. More specifically, the bottom edge 78 of the lift bar 70 includes a pair of slots 80 to receive and attach the felt gasket 5. The lift bar 70 is segmentably movable between the traverse wall 20 and the first notch 38, a first segmented area 90, and between the traverse wall 20 and the second notch 40, a second segmented area 92. The first segmented area 90 being longer in length that the second segmented area 92. The lift bar 70 is retained within the lift bar enclosure 30 when the foot 84 on the lift bar 70 cooperates with the first or second notch, 38 and 40, on the lift bar enclosure 30. The lift bar 70 is rotated from one interior side wall 32 to the other interior side wall 34 in order to move from the first segmented area 90 to the second segmented area 92 or from the first notch 38 to the second notch 40, shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Using the second segmented area 92 is preferred in instances where the gap between the second notch 40 and the traverse wall 20 is less than or equal the gap between the lower open surface 18 of the housing 10 and the uneven floor 2. Using the first segmented area 90 is preferred in instances where the gap between the first notch 38 and the traverse wall 20 is less than or equal the gap between the lower open surface 18 of the housing 10 and the uneven floor 2 or greater than the second segmented area 90. It is contemplated that the first segmented area 90 is between 0-1.5 in and the second segmented area 92 is between 0-.75 in.

[0024] The term “coupled” is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly, and not necessarily mechanically. The use of the word “a” or “an” when used in conjunction with the term “comprising” in the claims and/or the specification may mean “one,” but it is also consistent with the meaning of “one or more” or “at least one.” The use of the term “or” in the claims is used to mean “and/or” unless explicitly indicated to refer to alternatives only or the alternative are mutually exclusive, although the disclosure supports a definition that refers to only alternatives and “and/or.”

[0025] The terms “comprise” (and any form of comprise, such as “comprises” and “comprising”), “have” (and any form of have, such as “has” and “having”), “include” (and any form of include, such as “includes” and “including”) and “contain” (and any form of contain, such as “contains” and “containing”) are open-ended linking verbs. As a result, a method or device that “comprises,” “has,” “includes” or “contains” one or more steps or elements, possesses those one or more steps or elements, but is not limited to possessing only those one or more elements. Likewise, a step of a method or an element of a device that “comprises,” “has,” “includes” or “contains” one or more features, possesses those one or more features, but is not limited to possessing only those one or more features. Furthermore, a device or structure that is configured in a certain way is configured in at least that way, but may also be configured in ways that are not listed.

[0026] It is to be understood that while a certain form of the invention is illustrated, it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement herein described and shown. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is shown and described in the specification and any drawings/figures included herein.

[0027] All patents and publications mentioned in this specification are indicative of the levels of those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. One skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objectives and obtain the ends and advantages mentioned, as well as those inherent therein. The embodiments, methods, procedures and techniques described herein are presently representative of the preferred embodiments, are intended to be exemplary, and are not intended as limitations on the scope. Changes therein and other uses will occur to those skilled in the art which are encompassed within the spirit of the invention and are defined by the scope of the appended claims.