AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Innovation Patent Applicant(s): Trans-Continental Enterprises Ltd and Starmix Holdings Pty Ltd Invention Title: Pelmet The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method for performing it known to me/us: -2 PELMET Field of the Invention 5 The present invention relates to a pelmet and, in particular, but not exclusively, to a pelmet for accommodating a roller blind. Background of the Invention 10 A pelmet for a curtain or blind is normally provided with three sides to surround a rail or roller which supports a curtain or blind. The pelmet may typically be installed within a window recess adjacent a window frame, or outside of but immediately above the window frame recess. 15 Summary of the Invention One aspect of the invention provides a pelmet for mounting inside a room adjacent to a window and ceiling space of the room, the pelmet comprising: a cover configured to receive a support for a window covering, the cover 20 having a continuous slot through which a window covering supported on the support can extend from the cover, the cover comprising a first portion and a plate demountably coupled along one edge to a first edge of the first portion, wherein a distal edge of the plate is spaced from a second edge of the first portion to form said continuous 25 slot, and wherein said plate when coupled to the first portion is positioned substantially beneath the support for the window covering, the cover comprising a wall lying parallel to and above the plate, the at least one ventilation opening being disposed in the wall, wherein heated air is able to flow through the at least one ventilation opening into an adjacent ceiling 30 space. The one or more ventilation openings may be located directly above the continuous slot. 35 The one or more ventilation openings comprise a plurality of spaced apart slots extending in alignment with the continuous slot. The pelmet may comprise a brush, the brush extending along one side of said continuous slot and projecting into the continuous slot to a position to contact a 40 window covering extending from the cover. 3842979_1 (GHMatters) P81860.AU -3 The first portion may comprise a continuous extrusion forming an upper wall and two opposite side walls of the pelmet. 5 The second portion may comprise a continuously extruded strip. One of the first edge of the first portion and the one edge of the second portion may be provided with a recess and the other of the first edge and one edge may be provided with a tongue configured to seat in the recess to demountably 10 support the second portion on the first portion. The pelmet may comprise one or more releasable mechanical fasteners for releasably fastening the first portion to the second portion wherein the mechanical fasteners comprise one or a combination of a screw, a clip and a 15 bolt. Brief Description of the Drawings An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of 20 example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pelmet in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a section view of the pelmet stored in a building; 25 Figure 3 is an enlarged section view of the pelmet; Figure 4 is a schematic representation of a clip that may be incorporated in the pelmet; Figure 5 is a view of a corner of a second embodiment of the pelmet; and, Figure 6 is view of the corner of the pelmet shown in Figure 5 with an engaged 30 clip of the type shown in Figure 4. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment Referring to the accompanying drawings, a pelmet 10 in accordance with an 35 embodiment of the present invention comprises a cover 12 configured to receive a support 14 for a window covering 16. In the present embodiment, the support 14 is in the form of a roller while the covering 16 is in the form of a roller 1737917_1 (GHMatters) -4 blind. However, the support 14 may be in the form of a rail and the covering 16 in the form of a curtain. That is, embodiments of the pelmet 10 are independent of the type of window covering. 5 The cover 12 comprises a continuous slot 18 through which the window covering 16 can extend from the cover 12. The cover 12 is also provided with at least one ventilation opening 20 which is disposed upwards of the continuous slot 18. In the illustrated embodiment, the pelmet 10 comprises a plurality of ventilation openings 20 located directly above the continuous slot 18. The 10 ventilation openings 20 themselves are in the form of spaced apart slots that extend in alignment with the continuous slot 18. As shown most clearly in Figure 3, the cover 12 comprises a first portion 22 in which the ventilation openings 20 are formed, and a second portion 24 which is 15 demountably coupled to the first portion 22. The first portion 22 has the profile of a squared inverted "U" having an upper wall 26 that overlies the support 14, and two depending walls 28 and 30, one on each side of the support 14. The ventilation openings 20 are formed in the upper wall 26. One edge 31 of the first portion 22 is formed with a recess 32. The recess 32 extends for the length 20 of the edge 31 and is formed as a void between upper and lower flanges 34 and 36 respectively. The lower flange 36 extends for a greater distance laterally of the wall 28 and the flange 34. The second portion 24 is in the general form of a plate having a coextensive 25 and laterally extending tongue 38 which is configured to be received within the recess 32. A lip 41 extends upright and inboard of the tongue 38 on a side of the second portion 24 inside of the pelmet 10. The tongue 38 is offset from a surface 40 of the second portion 24 which lies outside of the cover 12 so that when the tongue 38 is received within the recess 32, the outside surface of the 30 flange 36 lies flush with the surface 40. An opposite edge 42 of the second portion 24 is spaced from second edge 44 of the first portion 22. The spacing between the edges 42 and 44 forms the continuous slot 18. In order to minimise the risk of the second portion 24 accidentally dislodging from the first portion 22, one or more mechanical fasteners such as screws can be provided 35 that pass through the flange 36 and tongue 38. 1737917_1 (GHMatters) -5 The edge 42 of the second portion 24 is also formed with a recess 46 for receiving an elongated brush or other sealing strip 48. The strip 48 forms a seal against the window covering 16 to prevent or at least minimise the passage of hot air out of the pelmet from between the window covering and 5 edge 42 of the slot 18. As shown in Figure 2, the pelmet 10 is particularly well suited for location within ceiling space 50 so as to be substantially concealed. In this embodiment, one possible method of supporting the pelmet is shown where the pelmet 10 is 10 suspended by a threaded bar 52 which is screwed at one end into an anchor 54 provided in a concrete soffit 56. An opposite end of the bar 52 is fastened to an angle bracket by nuts 60. The angle bracket 58 is attached by mechanical fasteners such as rivets or screws to the wall 28 of the cover 12. An angle bracket 62 is attached to a lower end of the wall 28 by one or more mechanical 15 fasteners, and has a portion which underlies a ceiling tile or sheet 64. An opposite side of the cover 12 abuts a window frame 66 and is coupled to the window frame by a bracket 68 which is attached by mechanical fasteners to both the frame 66 and the wall 30 of the cover 12. Thus it will be appreciated that the pelmet 10 is substantially concealed within the ceiling space 50 with, by 20 and large, only the surface 40 and the continuous slot 18 being exposed. When the window covering 16 extends from the pelmet 10 and covers glazing associated with the frame 66, heated air from between glazing and the covering 16 is able to rise into the pelmet 10 through the continuous slot 18 and is subsequently vented through the openings 20 into the ceiling space 50. In the 25 embodiment the venting is by way of convention. However as explained hereinafter in an alternate embodiment the venting may be by way of extraction using for example a fan. The pelmet 10 may be installed in one or more segments to make up a continuous length or discrete lengths to suit a glazed curtain wall or discrete window configuration. 30 Figures 4 - 6 depict a second embodiment of the pelmet 10 which differs from the first embodiment in substance only in the manner in which the first portion 22 of the cover 12 engages and is secured to the second portion 24. The edge 31 of the first portion 22 has a slightly modified profile in comparison to that of 35 the embodiment shown in Figures 1 - 3. An underside of the flange 34 rather than being planar as in the first embodiment, is formed with a concave curvature and terminates in a slight hook or ledge 70. The tongue 38 is also 1737917_1 (GHMatters) -6 formed at its end with a complimentary shaped hook 72 that fits inside the recess 32 and can engage with the hook 70. In addition a rebate 74 is formed on the outside surface of the flange 36 to create a further tongue 76 which is received in a recess 78 formed in the second portion 28 beneath the tongue 38. 5 In order to engage the second portion 24 with the first portion 22, the second portion 24 is inclined so that its edge 42 is elevated above the tongue 38, and the tongue 38 is placed adjacent the recess 32. The second portion 24 can then be pivoted along the edge of the tongue 38 so as to seat the tongue 38 in the recess 32, and the tongue 76 in the recess 78. While mechanical fasteners 10 such as screws or bolts can also be used to more securely hold the second portion 24 to the first portion 22, alternately, clips may be used. One possible type of clip 80 has a first leg 82 that can snap fit into an arcuate recess 84 adjacent the edge 31, and a second leg 86 which fits over the lip 41. A clip may be used at each end of the second portion 24. 15 Now that an embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail it will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant arts that numerous modifications and variations may be made without departing from the basic inventive concepts. For example, the first and second portions 22 and 24 of the cover 12 20 are described as demountably coupled together via a recess 32 on the first portion 22, and a tongue 38 on the second portion 24. However this configuration can be reversed so that the recess 32 is formed on the second portion 24 and the tongue 38 is provided on the first portion 22. Also, while the ventilation openings 20 are illustrated as lying in alignment with and above the 25 continuous slot 18, these openings, or indeed additional openings, can be formed at other locations in the cover 12 and in particular on the upper and side walls 26, 28 and 30. The illustrated embodiment of the pelmet 10 shows a single support 14 in the form of a roller. However the pelmet 10 may be configured so as to house two supports, for example two rollers each for 30 supporting a separate window covering. For example, an embodiment of the pelmet 10 may comprise two rollers one above the other and laterally offset from each other where one roller may support a 100% block out blind while the second roller may support a for example 50% block out blind. In yet a further variation, the pelmet 10 may be provided with an hot air extraction system 35 which may comprise a chamber which lies above the wall 26 and covers or is otherwise in fluid communication with the ventilation openings 20; and an extraction fan which operates to draw air from inside the pelmet 10 through the 1737917_1 (GHMattcrs) -7 ventilation openings 20 into the chamber and subsequently exhausted to another location such as into the ceiling space 50 or outdoors. Further, the pelmet 10 may accommodate motors for moving the window covering 16. For example, motors may be provided to rotate the roller 14 in opposite directions 5 to extend or retract the blind. All such modifications and variations together with others that would be obvious to persons of ordinary skill in the art are deemed to be within the scope of the present invention, the nature of which is to be determined from the above description and the appended claims. 1737917_1 (GHMatters)