AU2006100487A4 - Curtain - Google Patents

Description

Our Ref: 3 5 8 3Inno P/00/009 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 INNOVATION SPECIFICATION FOR AN INVENTION

ENTITLED

Invention title: Curtain Name of Applicant: Address for Service Shih-Ming Lin A.P.T. Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys PO Box 222 Mitcham, S.A. 5062 The invention is described in the following statement: O 2

SCURTAIN

O

00 0 FIELD OF THE INNOVATION rThe present innovation relates to curtains, more particularly to a curtain having a 00 curtain panel consisting a set of parallel sections, an upper rail extended over the curtain panel and a cord reel hidden within the upper rail having cords connected to Ssaid parallel sections of the curtain panel for controlling the upper and down stretching O (Ni of the curtain panel. Because of the cord reel, the up/down configuration of the curtain panel can be activated by directly pushing and pulling the curtain panel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INNOVATION A curtain of suspension type of the prior art has a plurality of hanging devices that are connected by a curtain rod. The curtain panel under suspension mechanism can be flexibly replaced in accordance with various purposes.

The configuration of the curtain panel is controlled by a pull cord usually installed on one lateral side of the panel based on visually appealing and user's convenience considerations, as shown in Fig. 9. Therefore, the pulling force transmitted to the curtain panel through the cords is tilted, often resulting in uneven leveling on two sides of the panel. Further, cords exposed outside the curtain panel bring potential danger to kids whose necks could be strangled by the cords.

Therefore, the curtains of suspension type need further improvement.

For the purposes of this specification the word "comprising" means "including but not limited to", and the word "comprises" has a corresponding meaning. Also a reference within this specification to a document is not to be taken as an admission that the

\O

3 (-i Sdisclosure therein constitutes common general knowledge in Australia.

;Z

00 SUMMARY OF THE INNOVATION Accordingly, the primary objective of the present innovation is to provide a curtain 00 comprising a curtain panel consisting a set of parallel sections, an upper rail extended _over the curtain panel and a cord reel hidden within the upper rail having cords Sconnected to said parallel sections of the curtain panel to control an upper and down stretching of the curtain panel. The curtain has the advantages as follows.

1. Because of the cord reel hidden in the upper rail, the cords are controlled by the cord reel. Therefore, the light-shading configuration of the curtain panel is controlled by directly pushing and pulling the curtain panel, which is more natural to a user.

2. Since, the up and down of the curtain panel is activated by direct manipulating the curtain panel, without pulling a side cord, the problem of uneven leveling on two sides of the curtain panel is prevented, and the problem of lateral sliding of the curtain panel along the upper rail due to applying force one side is avoided.

3. The absence of cords exposed outside the curtain panel will remove the possibility of strangling kids, largely increasing the safety of the curtain.

4. Because of the absence of cords exposed outside the curtain panel, the present innovation can be embedded within a window frame, which takes little space.

The various objects and advantages of the present innovation will be more readily understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the appended drawings.

O 4 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS: 0 Fig. 1 is a perspective view a curtain of the present innovation.

O

Fig. 2 is a rear perspective view the curtain in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view another preferred embodiment of the present 00 S5 innovation.

O

Fig. 4 is a perspective view a further preferred embodiment of the present Sinnovation.

O

Fig. 5 is a perspective view a preferred embodiment of the present innovation wherein the curtain panel is a Roman blind consisting of continuous folds.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view a preferred embodiment of the present innovation wherein the curtain panel is a Venetian blind.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view a preferred embodiment of the present innovation wherein the curtain panel consists of multiple sections that are operated independently.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view a preferred embodiment of the present innovation wherein the cord reel is electrically powered.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view a curtain of the prior art.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS: Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a curtain 10 of the present innovation comprises a curtain panel 3 consisting a set of parallel sections, an upper rail 1 extended over the curtain panel 3 and a cord reel 2 hidden within the upper rail 1 having cords 21 connected to the parallel sections of the curtain panel 3 to control an upper and down stretching of the curtain panel 3.

According to the above structure, the movement of the curtain panel 3 is controlled by the cord reel 2, whose flexibility allows a direct pushing and pulling on the curtain O panel 3 to attain desired sunlight shading configuration. Therefore, the operation of 0 the present innovation is more natural and convenient to a user. Further, the present 0 innovation can be embedded within a window frame, which takes little space.

00 Since, the up and down of the curtain panel 3 is activated by direct manipulating the curtain panel 3, without pulling a side cord, the problem of uneven leveling on two Ssides of the curtain panel 3 is prevented. Further, the problem of lateral sliding of the curtain panel 3 along the upper rail 1 due to applying force one side is avoided. It is a further advantage that the absence of cords exposed outside the curtain panel 3 will remove the possibility of strangling kids, largely increasing the safety of the curtain.

The curtain panel 3 of the present innovation is not limited to a Roman blind consisting of continuous folds, it can also be a Roman blind consisting of a plurality of wider sections (Fig. Further, the hanging mechanism can be an arrangement of rings 22 (Fig. a set of multiple folds (Fig. 5) or a Venetian blind (Fig. The common point is the hidden cord reels within those hanging mechanisms.

Referring to Fig. 7, the set of cords 21 can be so arranged that there are several sections on the curtain panel 3 that can be controlled independently by the cord reel 2 in the upper rail 1. Thereby, the effect of a multiple section curtain is achieved.

Because of the absence of exterior cords, it is a further preferred embodiment wherein the cord reel 4 is electrically powered, as shown in Fig. 8. Since, the up and down of the curtain panel 3 is activated by the electric cord reel 4, without pulling a side cord, the problem of uneven leveling on two sides of the curtain panel 3 is prevented.

Further, the problem of lateral sliding of the curtain panel 3 along the upper rail 1 due to applying force one side is avoided. It is a further advantage that the absence of Scords exposed outside the curtain panel 3 will remove the possibility of strangling kids, 00 largely increasing the safety of the curtain.

rThe present innovation is thus described, and it will be obvious that the same may be 00 varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the present innovation, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.

Claims (4)

1. A curtain, comprising: 00oO Sa curtain panel consisting a set of parallel sections; an upper rail extended over said curtain panel; and 00o 5 a cord reel hidden within said upper rail having cords connected to said parallel sections of said curtain panel to control an upper and down stretching of said curtain O panel.

2. The curtain of Claim 1 wherein said curtain panel is either a Roman or Venetian blind consisting of continuous folds operated simultaneously.

3. The curtain of Claim 1 wherein said curtain panel is either a Roman or Venetian blind consisting of a plurality of sections connected by said cords.

4. The curtain of Claim 1 wherein said curtain panel comprises a plurality of sections operated independently. The curtain of any one of Claims 1 to 4 wherein said hanging mechanism is an arrangement of rings and/or wherein said cords between said curtain panel and said upper rail are connected to an electric cord reel. Dated this 8th day of June 2006 SHIH-MING LIN By their Patent Attorneys A.PT. Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys