Enclosure system incorporating a cartridge assembly housing an extendable and retractable enclosure panel

Abstract

An enclosure system having a cartridge assembly with a flexible panel is provided for use in forming an enclosed area. The cartridge assembly may be replaceable. The enclosure system may generally include a frame assembly having bottom and a top track assemblies and a lead post movably mounted on the bottom and top track assemblies. A cartridge assembly may be removably mounted to the frame and include an outer shell having a spring-biased drum rotatably mounted within the outer shell for retaining the flexible panel. A support post may be initially attached to the lead post and jointly displaceable with the flexible panel. The support post may be stopped at a corner area of the frame and limit sagging of the flexible panel at the corner area.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An enclosure system for selectively enclosing a shower area or other space, the enclosure system comprising:
 a frame, comprising a top track assembly and a bottom track assembly arranged in a spaced-apart configuration with one another and extending horizontally along a space, each of the top and bottom track assemblies comprising respective first and second linear track segments and a respective corner area arranged between the respective first and second linear track segments, the frame further comprising at least one stopper at one or both of the corner areas;   a cartridge assembly carried by the frame, the cartridge assembly comprising a shell and a flexible panel extendable from and retractable into the shell to selectively enclose the space;   a lead post, attached to and extending along a leading edge of the flexible panel located outside the shell, the lead post configured to travel along the top and bottom track assemblies;   a support post, disconnectably attachable to the lead post and arranged on an inner side of the flexible panel facing the space; wherein   the lead post, the flexible panel, and the support post attached to the lead post are jointly displaceable along the first linear track segments of the top and bottom track assemblies, and the at least one stopper is configured to stop displacement of the support post at the corner areas; and wherein   with the support post stopped by the at least one stopper at the corner areas, the lead post is disconnectable from the support post by pulling on the lead post, enabling advancement of the lead post and flexible panel past the corner areas and along the second linear track segments of the top and bottom track assemblies, wherein the support post at the corner areas is arranged at or proximate to the inner side of the flexible panel limiting inward sagging of a portion of the flexible panel located between the corner areas.   
     
     
         2 . The enclosure system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the top and bottom track assemblies comprises a respective corner assembly disconnectably attachable to the respective first linear track segment and the respective second linear track segment of said each of the top and bottom track assemblies, the respective corner assembly providing the respective corner area. 
     
     
         3 . The enclosure system of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one stopper comprises a first stopper at the corner assembly of the top track assembly and a second stopper at the corner assembly of the bottom track assembly. 
     
     
         4 . The enclosure system of  claim 1 , wherein the support post comprises an elongated main body and at least one upper roller and at least one lower roller arranged at opposite top and bottom ends of the elongated main body, the at least one upper roller and at least one lower roller protruding outward relative to an outer side of the flexible panel opposite the inner side and configured to roll along the top and bottom track assemblies, the upper and lower rollers rotatable about respective horizontal rotation axes, the support post further comprising at least one pair of panel rollers, each pair of panel rollers consisting of a first panel roller and a second panel roller rotatable about respective vertical axes and arranged on opposite sides of the support post at the inner side of the flexible panel, with the flexible panel extending between the at least one pair of panel rollers and the upper and lower rollers, with the at least one pair of panel rollers rollingly contacting the inner side of the flexible panel. 
     
     
         5 . The enclosure system of  claim 4 , wherein, with the support post and flexible panel advanced past the corner areas and the support post stopped by the at least one stopper, first and second portions of the flexible panel extending from the corner areas are maintained generally parallel to the first and second linear track segments, respectively, by the at least one pair of panel rollers. 
     
     
         6 . The enclosure system of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one pair of panel rollers comprises a top pair of panel rollers arranged at the top end of the support post and a bottom pair of panel rollers arranged at the bottom end of the support post. 
     
     
         7 . The enclosure system of  claim 6 , wherein the top and bottom pairs of panel rollers are arranged in vertical registration with one another. 
     
     
         8 . The enclosure system of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one upper roller comprises a pair of upper rollers, and the at least one lower roller comprises a pair of lower rollers. 
     
     
         9 . The enclosure system of  claim 8 , the pair of upper rollers are arranged more separated from one another than the first and second panel rollers of each pair of panel rollers, and the pair of lower rollers are arranged more separated from one another than the first and second panel rollers of each pair of panel rollers. 
     
     
         10 . The enclosure system of  claim 9 , wherein the elongated main body is arranged between the first and second panel rollers of each pair of panel rollers. 
     
     
         11 . The enclosure system of  claim 4 , wherein the support post comprises a top carriage member and a bottom carriage member, wherein the elongated main body extends between the top and bottom carriage member, wherein the at least one upper roller is rotatably carried by the top carriage member and the at least one lower roller is rotatably carried by the bottom carriage member, and further wherein the at least one pair of panel rollers is rotatably carried by the carriage members. 
     
     
         12 . The enclosure system of  claim 11 , wherein each of the top and bottom carriage members comprises a respective horizontal portion and a respective vertical portion forming an L-shaped arrangement, wherein the at least one upper roller and the at least one lower roller extend outwardly from the respective vertical portion of the top and bottom carriage members, and further wherein the at least one pair of panel rollers extends from and between the horizontal portions of the top and bottom carriage members. 
     
     
         13 . The enclosure system of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one pair of panel rollers comprises a top pair of panel rollers carried by the horizontal portion of the top carriage member and a bottom pair of panel rollers carried by the horizontal portion of the bottom carriage member. 
     
     
         14 . The enclosure system of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one stopper comprises a first stopper at the corner assembly of the top track assembly and a second stopper at the corner assembly of the bottom track assembly, and the top and bottom carriage members comprise a respective stop bar protruding from the respective vertical portion, wherein the first and second stoppers are configured to stop displacement of the support post at the corner areas by a contact between the support bars and the first and second stoppers. 
     
     
         15 . The enclosure system of  claim 1 , wherein the support post is disconnectably attachable to the lead post by an elastic clip connection. 
     
     
         16 . The enclosure system of  claim 15 , wherein the elastic clip connection connects a leading end of the support post to a trailing end of the lead post. 
     
     
         17 . The enclosure system of  claim 1 , wherein an outer surface of the support post is outwardly curved at least along a side of the support post facing the inner side of the flexible panel. 
     
     
         18 . The enclosure system of  claim 1 , wherein the cartridge assembly is disconnectably attached to the frame. 
     
     
         19 . An enclosure system for selectively enclosing a shower area or other space, the enclosure system comprising:
 a frame, comprising a top track assembly and a bottom track assembly arranged in a spaced-apart configuration with one another and extending horizontally along a space, each of the top and bottom track assemblies comprising respective first and second linear track segments and a respective corner area arranged between the respective first and second linear track segments, the frame further comprising a stopper at one or both of the corner areas;   a cartridge assembly disconnectably carried by the frame, the cartridge assembly comprising a shell and a spring-biased, flexible panel extendable from and retractable into the shell to selectively enclose the space;   a lead post, attached to and extending along a leading edge of the flexible panel located outside the shell, the lead post configured to travel along the top and bottom track assemblies;   a support post, disconnectably attachable to the lead post by an elastic clip connection, the support post arranged on an inner side of the flexible panel facing the space; wherein   the lead post, the flexible panel, and the support post attached to the lead post are jointly displaceable along the first linear track segments of the top and bottom track assemblies, and the at least one stopper is configured to stop displacement of the support post at the corner areas; and wherein   with the support post stopped by the at least one stopper at the corner areas, the lead post is disconnectable from the support post by pulling on the lead post, enabling advancement of the lead post and flexible panel past the corner areas and along the second linear track segments of the top and bottom track assemblies, wherein the support post at the corner areas is arranged at or proximate to the inner side of the flexible panel limiting inward sagging of a portion of the flexible panel located between the corner areas.   
     
     
         20 . An enclosure system for selectively enclosing a shower area or other space, the enclosure system comprising:
 a frame, comprising a top track assembly and a bottom track assembly arranged in a spaced-apart configuration with one another and extending horizontally along a space, each of the top and bottom track assemblies comprising respective first and second linear track segments and a respective corner area arranged between the respective first and second linear track segments, the frame further comprising a stopper at one or both of the corner areas;   a cartridge assembly disconnectably carried by the frame, the cartridge assembly comprising a shell and a spring-biased, flexible panel extendable from and retractable into the shell to selectively enclose the space;   a lead post, attached to and extending along a leading edge of the flexible panel located outside the shell, the lead post configured to travel along the top and bottom track assemblies;   a support post, disconnectably attachable to the lead post by an elastic clip connection between a leading end of the support post and a trailing end of the lead post, the support post arranged on an inner side of the flexible panel facing the space; wherein   the lead post, the flexible panel, and the support post attached to the lead post are jointly displaceable along the first linear track segments of the top and bottom track assemblies, and the at least one stopper is configured to stop displacement of the support post at the corner areas; and wherein   with the support post stopped by the at least one stopper at the corner areas, the lead post is disconnectable from the support post by pulling on the lead post, enabling advancement of the lead post and flexible panel past the corner areas and along the second linear track segments of the top and bottom track assemblies, wherein the support post at the corner areas is arranged at or proximate to the inner side of the flexible panel limiting inward sagging of a portion of the flexible panel located between the corner areas.