Privacy curtains for penal institutions

Abstract

A shower and toilet stall privacy screen system for users in penal system environments. The system comprises hook and loop fastener pads affixed to adjacent walls of the stalls and co-operating hook and loop fastener pads affixed to flexible, non-clear sheet materials sized and adapted to extend across the opening of the stall. Feet and head areas of users are unobstructed so that security personnel can view same to ensure single use occupancy of each stall.

I claim as my invention: 
     
         1 . A system for affording privacy to inmates of security institutions while using common sanitary facilities therein, including at least one of showers and toilets each provided within a stall having a vertical surface at either side of an entrance to said stall, the system comprising:
 a pair of vertically spaced hook and loop pads affixed to each of the vertical surfaces at either side of said entrance; and   a flexible sheet material of generally rectangular shape that can extend across the entrance to the stall and which has affixed to upper and lower corners thereof hook and loop pads adapted and spaced to cooperate with and attach to the pads on the vertical surfaces adjacent said stall,
 the sheet material being opaque or translucent both when wet and dry, and 
 the vertical extent of the sheet being sufficient to afford privacy to a person's body within the stall generally from his or her knees to his or her shoulders while leaving the head and feet areas of and adjacent the user visible to a security person outside the stall. 
   
     
     
         2 . The privacy system defined in  claim 1 , wherein the hook and loop pads are adhered to the vertical surfaces adjacent the stall entrance with glue or other adhesive, not with any metal fastener. 
     
     
         3 . The privacy system defined in  claim 1 , wherein the sheet is of one of plastic, cloth, waterproof paper, and like flexible material. 
     
     
         4 . The privacy system defined in  claim 1 , wherein the stall is for giving showers to users. 
     
     
         5 . The privacy system defined in  claim 1 , wherein the stall is a toilet stall. 
     
     
         6 . The privacy system defined in  claim 1 , wherein each user has and keeps his or her own sheet material and affixes it onto the vertical surfaces for each use and removes it from all four corner attachments when not in use. 
     
     
         7 . A privacy curtain system for secure institutions wherein shower or toilet stalls are monitored for use by only a single user at a time but said users are afforded reasonable privacy to their bodies between knees and shoulders, the system adapted for use in stalls having entrances with adjacent vertical walls, and wherein: said adjacent walls are fitted with non-metallic fasteners for engaging cooperating non-metallic fasteners on said curtain, which comprises an opaque or translucent flexible sheet material adapted to extend across the entrance and is held in place by said cooperating fasteners.