AU2248199A - Curtain track - Google Patents

Description

Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

r 8 Name of Applicant: Actual Inventors: Address for Service: Invention title: COLOURTRAK LIMITED David John Lloyd John Laurence Griffiths MADDERNS, 1st Floor, 64 Hindmarsh Square, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia "CURTAIN TRACK" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us.

This invention relates to a track system and has been devised particularly though not necessarily solely for use as a curtain track system.

There remains a need for a curtain track system which is readily able to be installed and if necessary demounted whilst yet being simple in operation and visually attractive.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a track system which will go at least some way towards meeting the foregoing desiderata in a simple yet effective manner or which will at least provide the public with a useful choice.

Accordingly the invention consists in a track system comprising a plurality of support brackets and an elongated track member, the track member having a front face and a bottom 10 part, the bottom part having members defining a slot therein to receive support members in sliding engagement with the members defining the slot, and a clip means able in use to engage one or more support brackets.

Preferably the bottom part comprises a bottom face.

Preferably the track member is engaged by the clip to one or more said support brackets without the use of separate fasteners.

Preferably the clip comprises a channel and a pair of spaced apart substantially mutually inwardly facing ribs.

Preferably each support bracket has spaced apart arms and a pair of outwardly extending ribs one on each arm.

Alternatively the clip comprises a channel the channel having a rip therein, and each support bracket has a pair of arms, one of which carries a rib so that the support bracket rib and channel rib co-operate to hold the track member on the support bracket during normal use.

Preferably the track member includes a further rib positioned to abut the under side of the support bracket when the track member is mounted on the support bracket.

25 Preferably the front face of the track member is curved in transverse cross section.

To those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, many changes and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The disclosures and the description herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a support bracket for use in a track system according to one preferred form of the invention, Figure 2 is a perspective view of a track member for use in a track system according to one preferred form of the invention, Figure 3 shows the track member of Figure 2 in engagement with a support bracket as in Figure 1, 4 Figure 4 is a cross-section through a modified track member, Figure 5 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the invention, Figure 6 is a side elevation of an alternative support bracket.,54 Figure 7 is a side elevation of an alternative track member, support bracket, 40 Figure 8 is a side elevation of a still further alternative, and Figure 9 is a side elevation of a still further alternative track member.

Referring to the drawings in Figures 1 to 3 a track system is provided which comprises a plurality of support brackets 1 and one or more elongated track members 2.

SThe or each track member has a front face 3 and a bottom part, preferably a bottom face 4.

The bottom face 4 includes a slot 5 defined by edge members 6 and 7. The interior width of the slot 5 is greater than the mouth formed by the members 6 and 7 so that a slide or support member (not shown) can be retained therein.

The front face 3 may be decoratively shaped for example by being curved substantially as shown in the drawings.

A clip 10 is provided to enable the track member 2 to be mounted on the support bracket and the clip preferably comprises a channel 11 which provides a pair of inwardly facing ribs 12 and 13.

The outer end of the rib 12 in the preferred form may be somewhat rounded but face 14 of the rib 13 may be sloped to enable the track to be a "snap fit" onto the support bracket as will be described further hereinafter.

To stabilise the construction the edge of the bottom face 4 opposite the track 5, when the construction is as shown in Figs 1 to 3, is provided with an upwardly extending rib 18 which in use abuts the underside of the support brackets. The rib 18 may be positioned when the support bracket 1 and track member 2 are engaged in a rebate 19.

Each support bracket I has a base 20 which may be fixed to a supporting surface for example in any known manner such as by providing screw holes 21 and 22.

The base 20 carries an outwardly extending arm 23 which in the preferred form is bifurcated to provide an upper arm 24 and a lower arm 25. The arms 24 and 25 are spaced apart sufficient distance to allow the track member 2 to be engaged therewith and to this end outwardly protruding ribs 27 and 28 are provided.

T'he rib 27 is preferably of a rounded shape but the rib 28 preferably provides a sloped surface on its leading edge 29.

The track member 30 of Figure 4 shows a multiple slot system which provides slots 31 and 32. If desired the track could be modified to provide further slots.

In Figure 5 support brackets 1 and elongated track member 2 are provided. The track member 2 provides a front face 3 and a bottom face 4. Again in the prefered form the front face 3 is curved. In this embodiment the front face 3 extends outwardly from a mid point (near central point) of the part of the track member 2 providing the bottom face 4.

A slot 5 is defined by edge members 6 and 7 as before so that slot 6 has a narrow mouth and can receive and hold support members (not shown).

A plurality of brackets I are provided to carry the track member 2 and a clip is provided between the brackets I and track 2. Thus a clip 10 is provided on the track member 2 and may comprise a channel between the parts of the track member providing the bottom face 4 and front face 3. The front face 3 carries a downwardly turned rib 32 on the rear side thereof :80 and the inner surf-ace 33 has a rib 34 thereacross. The rib 34 preferably has a sloped face which is outwardly facing and a "steeper" sloped face 36 which is inwardly facing. A transverse rib 37 provides a stop.

The brackets 1 have a pair of arms 40 and 41, preferably arranged to form substantially an "12 shape.

The arm 40 has a channel 42 into which rib 30 can be hooked and the arm 41 has a channel 43 correspondingly shaped to rib 32. Rib 32 and channel 43 could be reversed if desired.

Once rib 30 is positioned into groove 42 the track member 2 can be rotated downwardly to *4 snap"~ rib 32 into channel 43.

Stop 35 prevents movement to far in that direction. If required the track member 2 can be removed -from the brackets I but steeper face 34 means that greater pressure is required than for mounting the track member 2 on the brackets 1.- Thus the embodiment of Figures I to 4 in use the track may be engaged to a plurality of support brackets mounted on a supporting wall for example by hooking the rib 12 over the rib 27 (as can be seen in Figure 3) and then swinging the rib 13 towards the rib 28. The mutually abutting sloped or tapered faces 13 and 29 will tend to ride over each other allowing the track to be snapped onto the support brackets. The track will remain in that position in normal use but if it is necessary to remove the track it can be removed by applying force to bottom of the arm 25 to allow the rib 13 to be released from its catching point behind the rib 28.

*100 In other respects the curtain track is used in the known manner.

In the construction of Figure 5 again the rib 32 is engaged in groove 46 and the track member 2 rotated until the rib 34 is snapped into channel 43.

*.***Figure 6 shows a support member I having bifurcated arms 50 and 5 1. In this case only one arm, e.g. arm 51 has a rib 52. Ann 50 may have a rebate 53. The track member 2 (shown in 105 larger scale than support I for clarity) has a track 54 in the lower part as for the other construction, and a channel 55. A rib $6 is provided to snap over rib 52. The track member 2 as shown in Figure 7, is engaged with the support member I by a relative translational movement 50 that channel defining ann 57 moves into rebate 53 and rib 56 snaps over rib 52.

110 The construction of' figure 8 has a support bracket I the, in use, horizontal arm 58 is 7 longer than the construction of Figure 6. The horizontal arm 58 terminates in bifurcated arms 59 and 60. The arm 59 carries outwardly extending rib 61 and arm 60 outwardly extending rib 62 substantially as for the Figure 1 construction. A rib 63 may also be provided. The track member 2 (again enlarged in scale of Figure 9) is based on a box 115 construction providing track 64 at a lower part thereof and a channel 65 providing ribs 66 and 67 substantially as for ribs 12 and 13 in Figure 3. A stop rib 68 may be provided in the base of channel 65. Again the rib 66 is placed over rib 61 and track member 2 rotated until the ribs 62 and 67 snap over each other. Stop rib 68 prevents movernent beyond a predetermined limit.

120 In this construction a downwardly depending bifurcated arrangement 70 may be provided which is configured as forarms 50 and 51 in Figure 6. This enables a track member as shown in Figure 7 to be engaged thereon to provide a double track if desired.

At least the track members 2 are desirably provided in coloured material such as anodised aluminium. The support brackets 1 are also desirably coloured.

125 Thus it can be seen that. a curtain track is provided which has the advantage that it may be readily assembled on site in a simple yet effective mariner. The track can be built from known extrusion techniques and has the advantage that the front face of the track is substantially uninterrupted by mounting members thus providing a pleasing visual appearance.

Claims (6)

1. A track system comprising a plurality of support brackets and an elongated track member, the track member having a front face and a bottom part, the bottom part having members defining a slot therein to receive support members in sliding engagement with the members defining the slot, and a clip means able in use to engage 135 one or more support brackets. .Got.: 0 9 a 00 0 A track system as claimed in claim I wherein the bottom part comprises a bottom face. A track system as claimed in either claim I or claim 2 wherein the track member is engaged by the clip to one or more said support brackets without the use of separate .00:0 fasteners. *140 4. A track system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the clip comprises a channel and a pair of spaced apart substantially mutually inwardly facing ribs. A track system as claimed in claim 4 wherein each support bracket has spaced apart arms and a pair of outwardly extending ribs one on each arm. 145 6. A track system as claimed in any one of claims I to 3 wherein the clip comprises a channel the channel having a rip therein, and each support bracket has a pair of arms, one of which carries a rib so that the support bracket rib and channel rib co-operate to hold the track member on the support bracket during normal use.

7. A track system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the track 150 member includes a further rib positioned to abut the under side of the support bracket when the track member is mounted on the support bracket.

8. A track system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the front face of the track member is curved in transverse cross section.

9. A track system substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying 155 drawings.

10. A track member for use in the track system of any of claims 1 to 9.

11. A support bracket for use in the track system of any one of claims 1 to 9. *S Dated this 30th Day of March 1999 COLOURTRAK LIMITED By its Patent Attorneys MADDERNS *t