Retractable curved shower door
A retractable curved door assembly includes a spring-loaded roller assembly having a reel structure configured to rotate about an axis of rotation thereof, a rail extending away from the spring-loaded roller assembly in a direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the reel structure with at least a portion of the rail curving about an axis arranged parallel to the axis of rotation of the reel structure, a door end structure slidably engaging the rail, a flexible screen coupled to the reel structure and to the door end structure, and a tension element coupled to the reel structure and the door end structure. A greater tensile force is applied to the tension element than to the flexible screen when the door end structure is slid along the rail in a direction away from the spring-loaded roller assembly to prevent buckling of the flexible screen.
1 . A retractable curved door assembly comprising:
a spring-loaded roller assembly having a reel structure configured to rotate about an axis of rotation thereof;
a first rail extending away from the roller assembly in a direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the reel structure, a curved portion of the first rail curving about an axis arranged parallel to the axis of rotation of the reel structure as the first rail extends longitudinally in a direction away from the roller assembly;
a door end structure slidably or rollably engaging the first rail;
a flexible screen coupled to the reel structure and to the door end structure, the flexible screen rollable about the reel structure; and
a first tension element provided independently of the flexible screen as an elongate cord or cable windable about the reel structure, the first tension element coupled to each of the reel structure and the door end structure independently of the flexible screen, wherein the first tension element bears against the curved portion of the first rail when the door end structure is slid or rolled therealong in the direction away from the roller assembly to cause the first tension element to take on a curvature of the curved portion of the first rail therealong, wherein a greater tensile force is applied to the first tension element than the flexible screen when the door end structure is slid or rolled along the curved portion of the first rail in the direction away from the reel structure to cause the flexible screen to also take on the curvature of the curved portion of the first rail in the absence of inward buckling of the flexible screen therealong.
2 . The retractable curved door assembly of claim 1 , wherein the flexible screen is formed of polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
3 . The retractable curved door assembly of claim 1 , wherein the flexible screen is self-supporting when the door end structure is slid or rolled along the curved portion of the first rail in the direction away from the reel structure.
4 . The retractable curved door assembly of claim 1 , wherein the flexible screen does not engage the first rail when the door end structure is slid or rolled along the curved portion of the first rail in the direction away from the reel structure.
5 . The retractable curved door assembly of claim 1 , wherein the flexible screen does not have an aperture to receive a protrusion extending from the first rail.
6 . The retractable curved door assembly of claim 1 , wherein the flexible screen is not retained in a position by friction between the flexible screen and the first rail.
7 . The retractable curved door assembly of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the flexible screen unwound from the reel structure is configured to include a shape matching a shape of the first rail when the door end structure is slid or rolled along the first rail in the direction away from the reel structure.
8 . The retractable curved door assembly of claim 1 , wherein a greater tensile force being applied to the first tension element than the flexible screen prevents the inward buckling of the flexible screen along the curved portion of the first rail due to the tension applied to a segment of the flexible screen extending along the curved portion of the first rail in the longitudinal direction of the flexible screen being insufficient to deviate the segment of the flexible screen from taking on the curvature of the curved portion of the first rail.
9 . The retractable curved door assembly of claim 1 , wherein the door end structure includes at least one handle.
10 . The retractable curved door assembly of claim 1 , wherein the door end structure includes a first coupling mechanism.
11 . The retractable curved door assembly of claim 10 , wherein the first rail forms a portion of a frame having a vertically extending member, wherein the vertically extending member includes a second coupling mechanism configured to be releasably coupled to the first coupling mechanism.
12 . The retractable curved door assembly of claim 11 , wherein the first coupling mechanism is a first magnetic element and the second coupling mechanism is a second magnetic element.
13 . The retractable curved door assembly of claim 12 , wherein the first coupling mechanism is configured to have a releasable snap-fit connection with the second coupling mechanism.
14 . The retractable curved door assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a second rail extending away from the spring-loaded roller assembly in the direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the reel structure, the second rail having the same shape as the first rail.
15 . The retractable curved door assembly of claim 14 , wherein the flexible screen extends vertically between the first rail and the second rail.
16 . The retractable curved door assembly of claim 14 , wherein the door end structure is slidably or rollably engaging the second rail.
17 . The retractable curved door assembly of claim 14 , further comprising a second tension element provided independently of the flexible screen as an elongate cord or cable windable about the reel structure, the second tension element coupled to each of the reel structure and the door end structure independently of the flexible screen, wherein a greater tensile force is applied to the second tension element than the flexible screen when the door end structure is slid or rolled along the curved portion of the first rail in the direction away from the reel structure.
18 . The retractable curved door assembly of claim 14 , wherein the first tension element is configured to engage the first rail and the second tension element is configured to engage the second rail when the door end structure is slid or rolled along the first rail in the direction away from the reel structure.
19 . A retractable curved door assembly comprising:
a spring-loaded roller assembly having a reel structure configured to rotate about an axis of rotation thereof;
a first rail and a second rail each extending away from the reel structure in a direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the reel structure, a curved portion of each of the first rail and the second rail curving about an axis arranged parallel to the axis of rotation of the reel structure as each of the first rail and the second rail extend longitudinally in a direction away from the roller assembly;
a door end structure slidably or rollably engaging each of the first rail and the second rail;
a flexible screen coupled to the reel structure and to the door end structure, the flexible screen rollable about the reel structure, the flexible screen extending vertically between the first rail and the second rail;
a first tension element provided independently of the flexible screen as an elongate cord or cable windable about the reel structure, the first tension element coupled to each of the reel structure and the door end structure independently of the flexible screen, wherein the first tension element bears against the curved portion of the first rail when the door end structure is slid or rolled therealong in the direction away from the roller assembly to cause the first tension element to take on a curvature of the curved portion of the first rail therealong; and
a second tension element provided independently of the flexible screen as an elongate cord or cable windable about the reel structure, the second tension element coupled to each of the reel structure and the door end structure independently of the flexible screen, wherein the second tension element bears against the curved portion of the second rail when the door end structure is slid or rolled therealong in the direction away from the roller assembly to cause the second tension element to take on a curvature of the curved portion of the second rail therealong, wherein a greater tensile force is applied collectively to the first tension element and the second tension element than is applied to the flexible screen when the door end structure is slid or rolled along the first rail and the second rail in the direction away from the reel structure to cause the flexible screen to also take on the curvature of the curved portion of each of the first rail and the second rail in the absence of inward buckling of the flexible screen therealong.