FREE STANDING SCREEN PROTECTIVE BARRIER

Abstract

A free-standing screen or barrier is provided to separate persons on opposed sides and includes a panel portion and two parallel leg portions having vertical slots for attachment of the leg portions transversely across the panel portion so that the bottom edges of the leg portion and of the panel portion engage a support surface and cooperate to maintain the panel portion in the upstanding orientation. The panel portion includes a light weight flexible transparent shield and two sheets of stiffening corrugate plastics sheet material coplanar with and sandwiching the transparent shield so as to cover a lower part of the transparent shield leaving an upper part of the transparent shield for viewing. A bottom slot allows material to be transferred. The corrugated plastic includes a bottom strip and two upstanding leg strips which cooperate with the leg portions to hold the screen upright.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to a free-standing screen or barrier which can be mounted on a surface such as a desk, table or counter to provide an upstanding shield to separate a person on one side from a person on the other such as a customer from a clerk so as to reduce transfer of contaminants between the two.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] It is currently required due to disease transmission to provide a shield between two persons meeting at a counter such as in a retail outlet. Often these shields are forged of acrylic so that they are heavy and structural so as to require metal brackets to hold them in place. This is of course intended to be a permanent structure. In other cases it is desired to separate such persons but at a location where a permanent structure may not be desirable or may need to be moved as the location is set up differently.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] It is an object of the present invention to provide a free-standing screen which is simple and inexpensive so as to avoid the permanent metal structures so that it can be quickly and easily deployed when required to provide the necessary separation.

[0004] According to the invention there is provided a free-standing screen/barrier for mounting on a horizontal support surface and for separation of persons on opposed sides of the screen comprising:

[0005] panel portion defining a first component which can be located in an upstanding orientation with a lower edge supported on the surface;

[0006] at least one leg portion comprising a second component arranged for attachment to the panel portion so as to extend transversely to the panel portion;

[0007] said at least one leg portion having a lower edge for engaging the surface so that the lower edge of the leg portion and the lower edge of the panel portion cooperate to maintain the panel portion in the upstanding orientation;

[0008] the panel portion comprising:

[0009] a transparent shield;

[0010] a base sheet portion coplanar with and bonded to the transparent shield so as to cover a lower part of the transparent shield leaving an upper part of the transparent shield for viewing therethrough.

[0011] Preferably in one embodiment the base sheet portion comprises two overlying sheets of a corrugated material with the transparent shield sandwiched there between. However, a single sheet on one side can provide sufficient stiffness to support the flexibility of the shield and attach to the leg portions.

[0012] Preferably in one embodiment the sheets are formed of a corrugated plastics material. However other sheet material can be used such as corrugated cardboard.

[0013] Preferably in one embodiment the panel portion has a cut out at the bottom edge to allow passage of materials such as money through the cut out from one side to the other side. However, the cut out can be eliminated or can be a slot at a position spaced from the bottom edge.

[0014] Preferably in one embodiment the transparent shield has a bottom edge spaced upwardly from the bottom edge of the panel portion and preferably above the cut out. This reduces the amount of the material for the shield which is require and avoids forming the cut out in the shield itself.

[0015] Preferably in one embodiment the base sheet portion has a bottom strip across the panel portion at the bottom edge and at least one leg strip standing upwardly into the upper part of the transparent shield. Preferably the leg strip attaches to the leg portion. Preferably there are two parallel transversely spaced leg strips each attached to a respective one of two leg portion where the two parallel leg strips are spaced inwardly from side edge of the transparent shield. This provides a support at each side of the shield for good stability. However, a single center leg arrangement can be used or multiple legs can be used in shield of increased width.

[0016] Preferably in one embodiment the two parallel leg strips are spaced downwardly from a top edge of the transparent shield since this provides a full uninterrupted part of the shield at the top for viewing of the persons across the shield without non-transparent barriers at the face area. The legs have a length from the base sufficient to provide stiffness to the shield which otherwise can be sufficiently flexible and thin so that it is not self supporting. This provides a structure which is thin, light weight, inexpensive as it uses minimum materials but has enough stiffness and stability to be self supporting on a horizontal support surface such as a desk or counter without other attachment to the surface

[0017] Preferably in one embodiment the bottom strip of the stiffening sheet portion extends to a height above a top edge of a cut out at the bottom edge. In this way the whole of the cut out is contained within the base strip and the shield can extend to a bottom edge at or adjacent the cut out while the bottom edge portion of the shield of for example 0.5 to 2.0 inch is sandwiched in the base sheet portion and thus held stable.

[0018] Preferably in one embodiment the panel portion has a vertical slot extending upwardly from the bottom edge and the leg portion has a vertical slot extending from a top downwardly so that the leg portion can slide into the slot of the panel portion to connect the leg portion to the panel portion at a right angle thereto. This arrangement therefore uses a cooperating slot portion to form a three-dimensional structure from the two-dimensional parts so that they can be supplied in flat pack form. In this way the panel portion and the leg portion are planar and when connected lie at right angles. However other connecting arrangements other than the slot interconnection can also be used to attach the leg portions to the panel portion.

[0019] Preferably in one embodiment the transparent shield is formed of a thin flexible plastics material such as a clear 0.5 mm PETG material. Other materials such as polycarbonate can be used. Also other thicknesses can be used ranging from 0.2mm to 2mm. The construction herein allows the shield itself to be very thin and light weight thus also reducing the required strength of the components to hold it vertical. This allows a simplified structure relative to the conventional acrylic structures which generally may require metal supports to hold the acrylic shield vertical and stable. The light weight structure can thus be self supporting and easily portable.

[0020] The Physical Barrier proposed for this option was specifically designed for manufacturability and portability. The simple design of the barriers makes it possible to be produced very efficiently.

[0021] The barriers designed are made out of two parts. The barrier part is made out of the clear 0.5 mm PETG material that is sandwiched between two layers of 4 mm corrugated plastics, such as coroplast (trademark). The support legs are made of the same 4 mm corrugated material.

[0022] The arrangement herein can provide the following advantages:

[0023] Economical: The material cost as well as production cost is significantly lower than the traditional acrylic barriers;

[0024] Safer: The light weight, yet sturdy, material used makes these barriers safer as they will not cause any harm or injury if they happen to tip and fall over;

[0025] Material Availability: The 0.5 mm PETG material as well as the 4 mm coroplast are readily available as the are commonly used for other products;

[0026] Fully Automated Production which permits efficient production of large quantities in a short period of time

[0027] Easily Recyclable where the two types of plastic used to make these barriers are fully recyclable (PET-group 1 and PP-group 5).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] One embodiment of the invention will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

[0029] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the assembled shield according to the present invention.

[0030] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view along the lines 2-2 of FIG. 1

[0031] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view along the lines 3-3 of FIG. 1

[0032] FIG. 4 is a plan view of one base sheet portion of the panel portion of the assembled shield of FIG. 1.

[0033] FIG. 5 is a plan view of the thin transparent shield of the panel portion of the assembled shield of FIG. 1.

[0034] FIG. 6 is a plan view of one leg portion of the assembled shield of FIG. 1.

[0035] In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] The free-standing screen/barrier is shown in FIG. 1 and is arranged for mounting on a horizontal support surface to separate persons on opposed sides of the screen.

[0037] The assembled structure is formed of three parts which can be supplied in flat pack form as flat sheets. These include a panel portion 11 and two legs 12 and 13. The parts are connected together on site to provide a stable structure which can stand upright on the support surface (not shown).

[0038] The panel portion 11 defines a first component which can be located in an upstanding orientation with a lower edge 15 supported on the surface.

[0039] The leg portions 12, 13 define second components arranged for attachment to the panel portion 11 so as to extend at a right angle to the panel portion where the leg portions 12, 13 have a lower edge 15A for engaging the surface so that the lower edge of the leg portion and the lower edge of the panel portion cooperate to maintain the panel portion in the upstanding orientation.

[0040] The panel portion is formed prior to shipping to the site with a transparent shield 20, having side edges 21, a top edge 22 and a bottom edge 23 forming a generally rectangular shield to stand in front of the person on the counter.

[0041] The panel portion 11 further includes two parallel base sheets 25 and 26 laminated together to form a common base sheet portion 27 coplanar with and bonded to the transparent shield 20 so as to cover a lower part of the transparent shield leaving an upper part of the transparent shield for viewing therethrough. The3 shield 20 is this sandwiched between the portions 25 and 26 as a common integrated structure.

[0042] The base sheet portion 27 thus comprises two overlying sheets 25, 26 of a corrugated material with the transparent shield sandwiched therebetween.

[0043] The panel portion has a cut out 16 which is typically a slot shape with side edge 17 and a horizontal top edge 18 located at the bottom edge 15 to allow passage of materials through the cut out across the counter from one side to the other side.

[0044] The transparent shield 20 has the bottom edge 23 spaced upwardly from the bottom edge 15 of the panel portion 11 so that the bottom edge 23 of the transparent shield is above the cut out 16.

[0045] The base sheet portion 27 defined by the laminated sheets 25 and 26 has a bottom strip 28 across the full width of the panel portion at the bottom edge 15 and two upstanding leg strips 29, 30 standing upwardly into the upper part of the transparent shield 20 allowing the leg two strips 29, 30 to attach to the leg portion 12, 13.

[0046] The two parallel leg strips 29 and 30 are spaced inwardly from side edges 21, 22 of the transparent shield 20 and are spaced downwardly from the top edge 22 of the transparent shield.

[0047] The bottom strip 28 extends to a height at a top edge 32 above the top edge 18 of the cut out 16.

[0048] The panel portion and the leg portions are connected by inter-engaging slot arrangements. Thus, the panel portion 11 as defined by the base sheets 25 and 26 and the shield 20 each have a vertical slot 40 shown in the flat form in FIGS. 4 and 5 extending upwardly from the bottom edge. Thus, the leg portions has a vertical slot 41 extending from a top edge downwardly so that the leg portions 12, 13 can slide into the slots 40 of the panel portion to connect the leg portions 13 to the panel portion at a right angle thereto.

[0049] Since various modifications can be made in my invention as herein above described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made within the spirit and scope of the claims without department from such spirit and scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

Claims

1. A free-standing screen for mounting on a horizontal support surface and for separation of persons on opposed sides of the screen comprising: panel portion defining a first component which can be located in an upstanding orientation with a lower edge supported on the surface; at least one leg portion comprising a second component arranged for attachment to the panel portion so as to extend transversely to the panel portion; said at least one leg portion having a lower edge for engaging the surface so that the lower edge of the leg portion and the lower edge of the panel portion cooperate to maintain the panel portion in the upstanding orientation; the panel portion comprising: a transparent shield; a base sheet portion coplanar with and bonded to the transparent shield so as to cover a lower part of the transparent shield leaving an upper part of the transparent shield for viewing therethrough.

2. The free-standing screen according to claim 1 wherein the base sheet portion comprises two overlying sheets of a corrugated material with the transparent shield sandwiched therebetween.

3. The free-standing screen according to claim 2 wherein the sheets are formed of a corrugated plastics material.

4. The free-standing screen according to claim 1 wherein the panel portion has a cut out at the bottom edge to allow passage of materials through the cut out from one side to the other side.

5. The free-standing screen according to claim 1 wherein the transparent shield has a bottom edge spaced upwardly from the bottom edge of the panel portion.

6. The free-standing screen according to claim 5 wherein the bottom edge of the transparent shield has the bottom edge above the cut out.

7. The free-standing screen according to claim 1 wherein the base sheet portion has a bottom strip across the panel portion at the bottom edge and at least one leg strip standing upwardly into the upper part of the transparent shield.

8. The free-standing screen according to claim 7 wherein the leg strip attaches to the leg portion.

9. The free-standing screen according to claim 8 wherein there are two parallel transversely spaced leg strips each attached to a respective leg portion.

10. The free-standing screen according to claim 9 wherein the two parallel leg strips are spaced inwardly from side edge of the transparent shield.

11. The free-standing screen according to claim 9 wherein the two parallel leg strips are spaced downwardly from a top edge of the transparent shield.

12. The free-standing screen according to claim 7 wherein the bottom strip extends to a height above a top edge of a cut out at the bottom edge to allow passage of materials through the cut out from one side to the other side

13. The free-standing screen according to claim 1 wherein the panel portion has a vertical slot extending upwardly from the bottom edge and the leg portion has a vertical slot extending from a top downwardly so that the leg portion can slide into the slot of the panel portion to connect the leg portion to the panel portion at a right angle thereto.

14. The free-standing screen according to claim 13 wherein the panel portion and the leg portion are planar and when connected lie at right angles.

15. The free-standing screen according to claim 1 wherein the transparent shield is formed of a thin flexible plastics material.

16. The free-standing screen according to claim 1 wherein the transparent shield is formed from clear 0.5 mm PETG material.