Separable hospital curtain
A curtain is suitable for use in a hospital or patient facilities or in surgical settings. The curtain includes a bottom panel removably attached and suspended from a top panel. The top panel may be suspended from a rail by suspension means such as hooks or rings. The top panel may be a mesh so as to allow air, light, and/or water to pass through. The bottom panel may be opaque to provide privacy. The bottom panel may be single-use or disposable, or may be reusable. The top and bottom panels are joined by a zipper to allow for removal of the bottom panel for washing or replacement. The zipper track has curved portions to allow for easier access to begin the zipping and unzipping process. The curved portions orient the zipper out of the plane of the curtain to allow for easier movement of zipper through the curved portions.
1 . A curtain system comprising:
a curtain having a top portion and a bottom portion with a juncture therebetween, the curtain extending in a generally vertical orientation defining a first plane, and the curtain extending from a left lateral side edge to a right lateral side edge;
a first tail attached to a portion of the left lateral side edge associated with the top portion;
a second tail attached to a portion of the right lateral side edge associated with the top portion;
a first pair of snaps comprising a first snap associated with a first distal portion of the first tail and a first complementary snap associated with the top portion, wherein the first tail is configured to fold about itself such that the first pair of snaps is configured to temporality secure the first distal portion of the first tail to the top portion when the bottom portion is removed from the top portion;
a second pair of snaps comprising a second snap associated with a second distal portion of the second tail and a second complementary snap associated with the top portion, wherein the second tail is configured to fold about itself such that the second pair of snaps is configured to temporarily secure the second distal portion of the second tail to the top portion when the bottom portion is removed from the top portion; and
a zipper selectively joining and separating the bottom portion to and from the top portion, the zipper extending in a path along the juncture between the top and bottom portions, and the bottom portion extending vertically from a bottom edge to the juncture; wherein
the path sequentially comprises:
a first vertical path portion located proximate the left lateral side edge of the curtain and defining a first terminus of the path;
a first non-linear path portion;
a generally linear path portion;
a second non-linear path portion; and
a second vertical path portion located proximate the right lateral side edge of the curtain and defining a second terminus of the path;
each of the first terminus of the path and the second terminus of the path is located vertically above the bottom edge of the bottom portion; and
the zipper is configured to be oriented in the first plane when being operated in the generally linear path portion and in a second plane when being operated in one of the first and second non-linear path portions, the second plane being non-planar with the first plane.
2 . The curtain system of claim 1 wherein each of the first and second non-linear path portions is arcuate.
3 . The curtain system of claim 1 wherein the second plane is generally perpendicular to the first plane.
4 . The curtain system of claim 1 wherein the generally linear path portion is generally horizontal.
5 . The curtain system of claim 1 wherein the generally linear path portion is vertically higher than each of the first terminus and the second terminus.
6 . The curtain system of claim 1 wherein the zipper is configured to transition from the first plane to a plurality of orientations, wherein an orientation of the plurality of orientations is planar with the second plane when moving from the generally linear path portion to one of the first and second non-linear path portions.
7 . The curtain system of claim 6 wherein each of the plurality of orientations is non-parallel to the first plane.
8 . The curtain system of claim 1 wherein
the first tail is associated with the first vertical path portion; and
the second tail is associated with the second vertical path portion.
9 . The curtain system of claim 6 wherein the zipper further comprises:
a first and a second set of teeth wherein the first and second sets of teeth engage each other when the zipper joins the top and bottom portions together; and
a first and a second tape to which the first and second sets of teeth are coupled, respectively;
wherein a first top face of the first tape and a second top face of the second tape are juxtaposed and attached to a top face of the top portion and a top face of the bottom portion, respectively, to facilitate the zipper moving to and between the first and second planes.
10 . The curtain system of claim 1 further comprising:
a track from which the top portion of the curtain is suspended to guide movement of the curtain.