Retractable screen with horizontal tensioning track and vertical biasing member
View Patent ↗A retractable screen device for a framed opening employing a frame track fastened to each side support of the framed opening; the frame track forming a compartment for receipt of a guide rail with a decompression gasket positioned between the frame track and the guide rail. A screen mounted on a horizontally disposed rotatable shaft secured to a header of the opening has laterally opposed side edges with an elongated flexible protrusion secured along the length of each side edge. The guide rail receives and guides the screen protrusion along a longitudinal direction, and the decompression gasket allows the guide rail to traverse the frame track side walls to permit the screen to flex while maintaining a consistent tension on the screen. Vertical tension adjustment is provided by use of a biasing member coupled to the center axle that activates when the screen is deployed.
1. A retractable screen device for a framed opening, said framed opening defined by a header, opposing side supports, and a bottom, said retractable screen device comprising:
a frame track fastened to each side support, said frame track forming a compartment defined by a rear wall having a front receptacle, opposing side walls having a depth, and a front wall having a centrally disposed access channel extending the longitudinal length of said frame track;
a guide rail positioned within said compartment of each frame track extending said longitudinal length of each said frame track, said guide rail having a front chamber axially aligned with said centrally disposed channel and a rear receptacle extending the longitudinal length of said guide rail with opposing side walls having a depth;
a decompression gasket formed from a first wall having an inner surface and outer surface bounded by a first side edge and a second side edge extending the length of said guide rail, said outer surface having a tab member securable to said first receptacle of said frame track, and a second wall forming a mirror image of said first wall sharing said first side edge and said second side edge with said second wall tab member securable to said second receptacle of said guide rail, said decompression gasket providing resistance with said tab of said first wall member spaced apart from said tab member of said second wall member;
a screen having a length configured to be wound onto and deployed from a horizontally disposed rotatable shaft secured to said header, said screen having laterally opposed side edges with an elongated flexible protrusion secured along the length of each said side edge;
wherein said guide rail front chamber is constructed and arranged to receive and guide said screen flexible protrusion along a longitudinal direction and said decompression gasket allows said guide rail to traverse said frame track side walls to permit said screen to flex while maintaining a consistent tension on said screen by resisting the spacing of said tab members.
2. The retractable screen device according to claim 1 wherein said support is constructed of aluminum having a compartment first depth that is greater than said guide rail depth.
3. The retractable screen device according to claim 1 wherein said decompression gasket is formed of rubber, silicon, PVC flexible material.
4. The retractable screen device according to claim 1 wherein said decompression gasket first inner wall is juxtaposed to said second inner wall in a normally unbiased position and provides a biasing member upon spacing apart of said first and second inner wall.
5. The retractable screen device according to claim 1 wherein said protrusion is constructed from PVC.
6. The retractable screen device according to claim 1 wherein each said frame track forms a mirror image of an opposing frame track.
7. The retractable screen device according to claim 1 wherein each said guide rail forms a mirror image of an opposing guide rail.
8. The retractable screen device according to claim 1 wherein said guide rail is constructed from a molded synthetic resin.
9. The retractable screen device according to claim 1 wherein the pulling of the decompression gasket increases the distance between the first and second walls, providing a tension to said screen to eliminate screen wrinkles.