Screen apparatus

A screen apparatus, in which

• a screen that can be freely expanded and stored is provided, and
• an expansion and storage direction of the screen is defined as an X-axis direction among three orthogonal axes comprising the X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis, the X-axis direction and a Z-axis direction each have first and second opposite sides, the screen has first and second ends in the X-axis direction and first and second end portions in the Z-axis direction, the first side in the X-axis direction is defined as corresponding to the first end of the screen in the X-axis direction, the second side in the X-axis direction is defined as corresponding to the second end of the screen in the X-axis direction, the first side in the Z-axis direction is defined as corresponding to the first end portion of the screen in the Z-axis direction, and the second side in the Z-axis direction is defined as corresponding to the second end portion of the screen in the Z-axis direction,
• the screen apparatus comprising:
• a pair of frames, consisting of a first frame and a second frame, at least one of which is a slidable frame configured to slide in the X-axis direction, the first and second frames being longitudinal in the Z-axis direction and hollow, and being disposed opposite to each other in the X-axis direction, each of the first and second frames having first and second end portions in the Z-axis direction, each first end portion of the first and second frames being on the first side in the Z-axis direction, and each second end portion of the first and second frame being on the second side in the Z-axis direction;
• a first guide and a second guide each having first and second ends, one of the first and second ends of each of the first and second guides being a free end, the first guide and the second guide being drawn from an inside of the at least one slidable frame when the at least one slidable frame is slid to the first side in the X-axis direction and being stored in the inside of the at least one slidable frame when the at least one slidable frame is slid to the second side in the X-axis direction;
• and
• a tension member stored in the inside of the at least one slidable frame and connecting the free end of the first guide and the free end of the second guide,
• wherein the first end of the screen in the X-axis direction is fixed to the first frame and the second end of the screen in the X-axis direction is fixed to the second frame, a portion of the first guide, which is drawn from the inside of the at least one slidable frame, is configured to extend linearly in the X-axis direction between the second end portion of the first frame in the Z-axis direction and the second end portion of the second frame in the Z-axis direction, and a portion of the second guide, which is drawn from the inside of the at least one slidable frame, is configured to extend linearly in the X-axis direction between the first end portion of the first frame in the Z-axis direction and the first end portion of the second frame in the Z-axis direction,
• wherein the first guide is formed by connecting a plurality of first guide units, each of the first guide units including a pair of side walls disposed opposite to each other in the Y-axis direction when the first guide is drawn from the inside of the at least one slidable frame, and a bottom wall connecting both of the side walls, each side wall having first and second end parts in the X-axis direction, wherein one of two adjacent first guide units of the plurality of first guide units is pivotally supported by another of two adjacent first guide units of the plurality of first guide units, whereby the first guide not only bends to the first side in the Z-axis direction but also maintains linearity in the X-axis direction, and the second end portion in the Z-axis direction of the expanded screen is inserted between both of the side walls of each of the first guide units in the portion of the first guide, which is drawn from the inside of the at least one slidable frame,
• wherein a pin extending outward from each of the side walls is provided at the first end part on the first side in the X-axis direction of each of the side walls of each of the first guide units, and an opening is defined in the second end part on the second side in the X-axis direction of both each of the side walls of each of the first guide units, the two adjacent first guide units being connected by fitting, with clearance, each of the pins of the other of the two adjacent first guide units in each of the openings, respectively, of the one of the two adjacent first guide units, each of the pins forming a pivot, and each of the first guide units being pivotally movable,
• wherein each side wall of each of the first guide units includes
• a rail part provided at an inner side part of the side wall, the rail part extending along an imaginary line that connects a pivot center of each of the first guide units in a connecting direction, and
• a supporting piece protruding inwardly from the side wall and provided at one end edge part of the side wall, the supporting piece being disposed further from the bottom wall than the rail part in the Z-axis direction,
• wherein screen retaining members are respectively detachably attached to inner sides of the side walls of each of the first guide units, each screen retaining member having a plurality of needle parts aligned at intervals and attached to a longitudinal base that is bendable in a pivotal moving direction of each of the first guide units, wherein in an attached state of each of the screen retaining members, the longitudinal base is supported between one of the rail parts and one of the supporting pieces of each of the first guide units, and all of the needle parts protrude inwardly from both of the side walls of each of the first guide units, and
• wherein when the first guide is drawn to the second side in the X-axis direction accompanying sliding of the at least one slidable frame to the first side in the X-axis direction, the needle parts of each of the screen retaining members stab through the first end portion of the screen in the Z-axis direction, which is inserted between both of the side walls of each of the first guide units in the drawn portion of the first guide, whereby slipping out of the screen from the drawn portion of the first guide is suppressed, and when the first guide is stored in the inside of the at least one slidable frame accompanying sliding of the at least one slidable frame to the second side in the X-axis direction, the needle parts of each of the screen retaining members slip out of the first end portion of the screen in the Z-axis direction,
• wherein:
• the tension member is formed into a loop and is disposed in the Z-axis direction;
• the inside of the at least one slidable frame is divided into a first storage portion for storing the first guide and a second storage portion for storing the second guide, the first storage portion being disposed farther toward the first side in the X-axis direction than the second storage portion, and both the first storage portion and the second storage portion allow the tension member to pass through;
• first and second direction changing members on which the tension member is suspended and which cause a direction of the tension member to change in the Z-axis direction are provided in the inside of the at least one slidable frame, the first direction changing member being arranged in the first end portion of the at least one slidable frame in the Z-axis direction and the second direction changing member being arranged in the second end portion of the at least one slidable frame in the Z axis-direction, a supporting member for supporting the second direction changing member is provided in the inside of the at least one slidable frame at the second end portion of the at least one slidable frame in the Z-axis direction, and the second direction changing member is disposed with a gap between tip ends in a protrusion direction of the needle parts of each of the screen retaining members attached to each of the first guide units of the first guide;
• and
• a pair of relieving pieces extending in the Z-axis direction and opposing each other in the Y-axis direction are provided with the supporting member, and the relieving pieces are configured to come into contact with the needle parts of the screen retaining members attached to the inner sides of the side walls of each of the first guide units, respectively, and to bend the needle parts so as to move away from the supporting member in the Y-axis direction when the first guide is drawn from and stored in the first storage portion.