AU2002301839B2

AU2002301839B2 - A curtain

Info

Publication number: AU2002301839B2
Application number: AU2002301839A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Tass Zorbas
Original assignee: Finmar Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Finmar Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2001-11-09
Filing date: 2002-11-06
Publication date: 2006-09-07
Anticipated expiration: 2022-11-06

Description

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT (Original) APPLICATION NO:

LODGED:

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION LODGED:

ACCEPTED:

PUBLISHED:

RELATED ART: NAME OF APPLICANT: ACTUAL INVENTOR: ADDRESS FOR SERVICE: INVENTION TITLE: FINMAR PTY LTD TASS ZORBAS LORD COMPANY, Patent Trade Mark Attorneys, of 4 Douro Place, West Perth, Western Australia, 6005, AUSTRALIA.

A CURTAIN DETAILS OF ASSOCIATED PROVISIONAL APPLICATION NO'S: AUSTRALIAN PROVISIONAL APPLICATION NUMBER PR8766 FILED NOVEMBER 09, 2001 The following Statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to me/us:

TITLE

"A CURTAIN" The present invention relates to a curtain.

The most common construction of a curtain uses a sheet of material which is provided with a series of pleats along an upper edge at regular intervals. Means for supporting the curtain are then arranged at each of these pleats and the supporting means are secured to a curtain track such that they are slidable along the track.

The use of such pleats is generally to provide an attractive appearance where the curtain surface has a series of regular longitudinal folds in the hanging position.

However, these longitudinal folds rarely hang is a completely uniform manner. This problem is also apparent when the curtain is drawn to one side in the usual manner.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided a curtain comprising a sheet of fabric and a plurality of blind slats wherein the blind slats are arranged to be supported generally parallel to each other and have first and second opposed surfaces and the sheet of fabric is arranged to be secured relative to the blind slats such that the sheet of fabric is held adjacent and generally parallel to the first and second surfaces of each blind slat.

The present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a curtain in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is a top view of the curtain of Figure 1; and Figure 3 is an exploded view of a portion of the curtain of Figure 1.

Referring to the Figures, there is shown a curtain 10 comprising a sheet of fabric 12 and a plurality of blind slats 14.

The blind slats 14 are arranged to be generally parallel to each other and each include a means to be secured to a conventional blind track system. In the present example, each of the blind slats 14 includes an aperture 16, arranged adjacent an end of the blind slat 14 which is uppermost in use. The aperture 16 is engageable with a hook member which forms part of a conventional vertical blind track system (not shown).

The vertical blind track system includes a means to draw the blind slats together or to rotate the blind slats about a longitudinal axis in a known manner.

Each of the blind slats 14 includes a first surface 18 and an opposed second surface The blind slats also include a first longitudinal edge 22 and a second opposed longitudinal edge 24.

The sheet of fabric 12 is provided with a plurality of securing means 26. The securing means 26 are provided at spaced intervals along a first upper edge of the sheet of fabric 12. Each securing means 26 comprises first and second securing portions and 32. The securing means 26 are arranged so that the first securing portion 30 is securable to the first surface 18 of the blind slat 14 and the second portion 32 is securable to the second surface 20 of the blind slat 14. When the securing means 26 are secured to the blind slat 14, a portion of the sheet of fabric 12 is wrapped around the blind slat 14 such that the sheet of fabric 12 is held generally parallel to the first and the second surfaces 18 and 20 and extends around the first longitudinal edge 22.

The sheet of fabric 12 then extends from adjacent the second longitudinal edge 24 to the adjacent blind slats 14, as shown in Figure 1, with the exception of the endmost blind slats 14. The sheet of fabric 12 adjacent the outermost surface of the end blind slats 14 is wrapped around the second longitudinal edge 24 of that blind slat 14 and secured, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

As shown in Figure 2, the first and second securing portions 30 and 32 comprise tabs of book and loop fastener material. Tabs of the hook material are attached adjacent an upper edge of the blind slat 14 and corresponding tabs of loop material are attached to the sheet of fabric 12. The tabs of loop material forming the second securing portions 32 are arranged to attach to the tabs of hook material on the first surface 18 of the blind slat 14 and also to extend over the upper edge of the blind slat 14 and attach to the tabs of hook material on the second surface 20. Having the tabs of ioop material extending over the upper edge of the blind slat 14 reduces the possibility of the sheet of fabric 12 slipping downwardly relative to the blind slat 14. The tab of loop material which extends over the upper edge includes a portion of hook material to which the tabs of loop material forming the first securing portions 30 may be secured.

The curtain 10 may also be provided with a plurality of joining members 34. The joining members 34 are used to secure points of the sheet of fabric 12 together about the second longitudinal edges 24 of the blind slats 14. The joining members 34 assist in keeping the sheet of fabric 12 wrapped about the blind slats 14 along the whole length of the blind slats 14.

In use, sheet of material 12 is secured around the blind slats 14 as described above.

The securing of the sheet of material 12 to the blind slats 14 provides for an even appearance of the folds in the curtain 10 in both extended and drawn positions.

Further, the sheet of fabric 10 may be of a material that will allow some light to pass through it. The curtain 10 then may either be arranged such that it is drawn to one side allowing full light entry, or in a position as shown in Figure 1 where some light passes through the curtain fabric. The blind slats 14 may also be rotated through 180 degrees to control further the amount of light entering the room. If the blind slats 14 are rotated to a position in which they resting flat against each other, then most of the light is blocked from entering the room.

Modifications and variations as would be apparent to a skilled addressee are deemed to be within the scope of the present invention

Claims

1. A curtain comprising a sheet of fabric and a plurality of blind slats wherein the blind slats are arranged to be supported generally parallel to each other and have first and second opposed surfaces and the sheet of fabric is arranged to be secured relative to the blind slats such that the sheet of fabric is held adjacent and generally parallel to the first and second surfaces of each blind slat.

2. A curtain in accordance with claim 1, wherein each blind slat includes first and second longitudinal edges and the sheet of fabric is held adjacent the each blind slat such that the sheet of fabric extends around the first longitudinal edge from adjacent the first surface to adjacent the second surface and extends from adjacent the second longitudinal edge to adjacent the second longitudinal edge of an adjacent blind slat.

3. A curtain in accordance with claim 2, wherein the sheet of fabric is arranged to wrap around the second longitudinal edge of the endmost blind slat.

4. A curtain in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein the blind slats are secured to a blind track, the blind track allowing the blinds to be drawn and rotated.

A curtain in accordance with claim 4, wherein each of the blind slats includes an aperture adjacent the upper end, the aperture being engageable with a corresponding hook on the blind track.

6. A curtain in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sheet of fabric has securing means at regular intervals along the upper edge thereof, the securing means being arranged to be secured to either the first or second surfaces of the blind slats adjacent upper edges thereof.

7. A curtain in accordance with claim 6, wherein the securing means comprise first and second securing portions arranged alternately along the upper edge of the sheet of fabric, the first securing portions being arranged to secure to the first surfaces of the blind slats and the second securing portions being arranged to secure to second surfaces of the blind slats.

8. A curtain in accordance with claim 7, wherein the second securing portions including a tab arranged to extend over the upper edge of the blind slat, in use, and be secured adjacent the first surface of the blind slat.

9. A curtain in accordance with any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the securing means comprise tabs of hook and loop fastener.

A curtain in accordance with any one of claims 2 to 9, wherein joining means are provided, the joining means being arranged to secure points of fabric together around the second longitudinal edges of the blind slats.

11. A curtain substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED THIS 6 m DAY OF NOVEMBER 2002. FINMAR PTY LTD By their Patent Attorneys LORD COMPANY PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA.