EP1413234A2

EP1413234A2 - Closing element for curtain sliders

Info

Publication number: EP1413234A2
Application number: EP03008558A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Giancarlo Campiello; Davide Campiello
Original assignee: Fracaro Arte Srl
Current assignee: Fracaro Arte Srl
Priority date: 2002-10-21
Filing date: 2003-04-14
Publication date: 2004-04-28
Anticipated expiration: 2023-04-14
Also published as: ATE336933T1; EP1413234A3; DE60307759D1; EP1413234B1; ITVI20020030U1

Abstract

A closing element (1; 100; 200; 300) for sliders (5; 104; 303) is disclosed, that is applied to the ends (6; 105; 304) of the slider (5; 104; 303), comprising a decorative element (2; 306) and a shaped body (3; 101; 201; 301) linked through connecting means (4; 102) to the end (6; 105; 304) of the slider (5; 104; 303), which places the decorative element (2; 306) for covering the curtain (7) supported by the slider (5; 104; 303) for a stretch (L; L"') of the length of the slider (5; 104; 303).

Description

The present invention is about an closing element for curtain sliders, applied on each one of the ends of the slider mostly for decorative use.
As it is known, the curtains placed in front of windows or doors especially for decorative use inside rooms or in some outdoor environments, are supported by a rod, usually known as a curtain slider, with a longitudinal development, horizontally fixed to the wall or the ceiling above the window or the door.
The curtain is applied to the slider in various manners, for example it is either hooked to a number of rings put around the slider in such a way to make the curtain slide along the longitudinal axis of the same slider, or the curtain is directly wrapped on the slider around which it is appropriately made to rotate during the wrapping and unwrapping phases.
Usually, the slider has a circular section, a hollow structure and a slightly greater length than that of the window or of the underlying door, so as to, when it is used, the curtain hanged on it covers either the window or the door.
In addition, the slider is provided with an closing element at its ends, made of different materials, such as iron, glass or wood, which takes up various shapes and very pleasant colors in order to give a particular aesthetic effect to the slider.
According to the prior state of the art, in the applied condition the closing element protrudes from the slider along the longitudinal direction defined by it.
The closing element therefore has decorative functions according to its embodiments and because it is butt joined on the ends in order to hide the hollow structure of the latter.
The making of sliders has adopted with time ever more attractive and harmonious elements, until reaching a wide range of arrangements now available on the market and corresponding to the most diverse need and taste of the clientele.
This is mostly allowed by the vast range through which the closing elements are achieved, particularly demanded and refined both for the material utilized, in some application even crystal or glass can be used, and for the achieved shape and size.
Nevertheless, the sliders with decorative closing elements currently available on the market have some inconveniences.
More specifically, the main problem is represented by the fact that, in certain situations, the length of the wall's stretch, available for fixing the curtain bearing slider, is not enough to allow the application of both decorative side closing elements that, as previously said, according to the prior state of the art protrudes along the slider's longitudinal direction.
The installer is sometimes forced to reduce the original length of the slider in order to apply both closing elements to the same slider, which implies clear difficulties as well as drawbacks.
This becomes particularly obvious in those rooms wherein the windows are placed too close to the wall which the slider should be applied to.
The state of the art sliders have another inconvenience which consists of the fact that, near their end portion, a gap between the slider, the curtain, the wall, and the possible rings to which the same curtain is hooked on is formed.
It is clear that this situation jeopardizes for the most part the aesthetic result offered by the curtain because, in that area, parts of the wall are visible thus interrupting the arrangement's continuity.
The present invention intends to remedy to the abovementioned inconveniences.
More specifically, the main object is that of making an closing element for sliders which can be applied to the supporting slider's ends under any condition and whatever the available space is for fixing the slider to the wall or to the ceiling.
A second object is that of allowing the application of the closing element to the slider without having to resort to possible trimming operations in order to reduce the length of the same slider.
It is a further object that of improving the aesthetic result offered by the curtain's setting with the slider near the slider's ends, making a more homogeneous and constant arrangement.
Said objects are accomplished by an closing element for sliders suitable for being applied to said slider's end and comprising a decorative element which, in line with the content of the first claim, is characterized in comprising a shaped body, linked through connecting means to said end of said slider, fit to place said decorative element for covering the curtain supported by said slider for at least a stretch of its length.
Advantageously, the invention allows to applying an closing element to both ends of the slider even where the space aside the slider turns out to be either very narrow or not easily accessible, nonetheless such to prevent the application of the state of the art closing elements.
Still advantageously, the closing element of the invention guarantees greater structural continuity to the slider-curtain arrangement near the slider's ends, thus providing it with a better aesthetic effect.
Yet advantageously, even the same closing element contributes to the aesthetic result and to the embellishment of the setting offered by the curtain, because it is provided with unique ornaments made according to particularly appealing colors, materials and shapes.
Said objects and advantages will be better highlighted during the description of some preferred embodiments of the invention given in an explanatory but not limiting way, and which are illustrated in the annexed drawing sheets, wherein:

Figure 1 is an isometric view of the closing element of the invention in one of its possible embodiments;
Figure 2 is an isometric view of the closing element of figure 1 applied to a slider;
Figure 3 is an isometric view of the closing element of Figure 1 in an applied condition;
Figures 4 and 5 is an isometric view of some operative embodiments of the closing element of Figure 1.

The closing element which is the object of the invention is illustrated in the following isometric figures and more specifically in figures 2 to 5, according to different applied and operative embodiments.
In figure 1 is shown that the closing element for sliders, generally indicated with the number 1, comprises a decorative element 2, illustrated in one of its possible embodiments and consisting of an ornament 9, in the form of a leaf made of brass. According to the invention, as shown in figure 2, the closing element 1 comprises a shaped body 3, linked through connecting means 4, to the end 6 of the slider 5, consisting in this case of a circular section slider, which, when the closing element 1 is applied to the latter, places the decorative element 2 for covering the curtain 7 supported by the slider 5 for the stretch L of its length.
The shaped body 3 consists of a curved plate 8 which has the end 10 connected to the decorative element 2 and the opposite end 11 connected to the end 6 of the slider 5 through the connecting means 4.
Furthermore, the shaped body 3 is preferably but not necessarily provided with stopping means 15 that are made of two protrusions 16, 17 which define a stretch T of a length equal to that of the slider 5 on the shaped body 3.
The function of the stopping means 15 is that of halting the sliding of the curtain 7 on the shaped body 3 outside of the slider 5, where this is possible, as it will be better explained during this description.
According to the here described preferred embodiment, the curved plate 8 is made of brass and protrudes along the longitudinal direction X defined by the slider 5 following a U shaped contour.
Moreover, as it is well shown in figure 2, according to the embodiment here described, the curtain 7 is wrapped around the slider 5 which supports it.
It is obvious that according to another popular embodiment, the curtain could be replaced by the slider through appropriate sliding hooks which wrap the slider.
Regarding the connecting means 4, it is shown in figures 1 and 2 that they comprise a ring 12, made out of the shaped body 3 and integral therewith, which is coupled by interference outside of the end 6 of the slider 5.
More specifically, according to the present applied embodiment, the ring 12 is fixed to the slider 5 through screws 13 in figure 1 and made of a dowel, not shown, inserted into a through hole made on the ring 12 and into a hole made out on the slider 5.
It is clear that according to other embodiments of the present invention, the ring could be a distinct body, separated from the shaped body of the closing element, fixed to the slider's end and able to lodge the same shaped body through appropriate shaping and the use of further fixing means.
It is also obvious that in further embodiments different screws from those indicated in the embodiment of figures 1 and 2 could be utilized.
In practice, the installer operates by fixing either to the wall or to the ceiling, in the horizontal position, the slider 5 and thus hanging the curtain 7 on the latter.
Later on, the installer applies the closing element 1 to the slider 5 connecting the ring 12 to the end 6 of the slider 5 and thus securing the connection through the use of screws 13.
The installer operates in a similar manner for the opposite end, not shown, of the slider 5.
Therefore it seems clear that only the making of an closing element of the previously described type allows its application to a slider fixed horizontally to either a wall or the ceiling too close to another cross wall, as a matter of fact the closing element protrudes only for a brief stretch along the longitudinal direction defined by the slider.
In figure 2 is also illustrated that the closing element 1 of the invention, placing itself for a stretch as cover of the curtain 7 near the side edge 14, hides the gap created by the slider 5 with the wall around it and the curtain 7 next to the end 6 of the same slider 5.
This advantage is particularly obvious in those applications that provide for the use of sliding hooks, which are placed between the slider and the curtain, in order to bear the latter.
It must also be noticed that the presence of protrusions 15, 16 on the shaped body 3 allows placing the curtain 7 even outside of the slider 5 along the longitudinal direction X.
The curtain 7 remains supported by the shaped body 3 of the closing element 1 at the same level set by the slider 5, thanks to the shape of the stretch T made out on the shaped body 3 which, in that manner, not only does it place the decorative element 2 for covering the curtain 7 but it also fully wraps the same curtain 7.
This allows to achieve such greater structural continuity that gives a new and pleasant aesthetic effect to the slider-curtain arrangement and which is one of the main objects of the present invention, not accomplishable otherwise with state of the art closing elements.
This structural variation of the closing element 1 is mostly functional and effective in those applications which provide supporting hooks of the curtain sliding along the slider.
A second embodiment of the closing element of the invention is illustrated in figure 3, now indicated with the number 100, which differs from that previously described because the connecting means 102, comprise a male element 103, made out on the shaped body 101 and integral therewith, which is slidibly coupled into the hole, neither shown nor indicated in figure 3, created inside the end 105 of the slider 104.
Further embodiments of the closing element of the invention are shown in figures 4 and 5, indicated with 200 and 300 respectively, which differ from those previously described for their different form of the shaped body, indicated with 201 and 301 respectively, that consists of a curved plate 202 and 302 which has in both cases an L shaped contour, anyhow generated by a different development of the curved plate 202 and 302.
More specifically, the shaped body 301 follows an L contour starting from the ring 305, and integral with the shaped body 301 and applied to the end 304 of the slider 303, without protruding according to the longitudinal direction X"' defined by the slider 303, in order to place the closing element 300 for covering the curtain, not shown, of the stretch L"' of the length of the slider 303.
It is understood that this latter embodiment allows the application of the closing element 300 to the slider 303 also when the available side space is not enough or hardly accessible.
The closing element has been described, with reference to the abovementioned figures, as comprising a shaped body and a decorative element that has a unique shaping.
It must be noticed however that the shaped body could have a different contour from that illustrated by the present invention, same as for the decorative element which could take up different shapes from that shown and described so far, for example it could be an animal, a flower or any object such as a rosette, a spear or a figure which reproduces an old architectonic style.
In addition, the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments which provide for the making of a brass closing element.
It is clear that such closing element can be also made of other materials commonly used during the field's handicraft and industrial production, such as for example iron, steel, aluminum, wood, glass or any appropriate combinations, as well as according to numerous colors, in order to give particular aesthetic effects as a function of the kind of room wherein the curtain is placed, in addition to its aesthetic features.
It is thus understood that based on what has been previously said the invention's closing element for sliders achieves all the objects and accomplishes all the abovementioned advantages.
During the manufacturing phase modifications to the invention's closing element can be made.
The connecting means between the slider and the closing element, as well as the stopping means present on the shaped body, could be in fact different from those described and mentioned in this invention.
Furthermore, the shaped body of the closing element could have different shapes, more specifically an extension outside the slider according to any desired direction, so long as it places the decorative element for covering the curtain inside the length of the slider to which is hanged on, meaning that it does not invalidate the advantage generated by the present invention.
Every previously described and mentioned embodiments, but which are not illustrated in the annexed drawings, whenever they fall within the scope of the appended claims, they should be considered protected by the present patent.

Claims

A closing element (1; 100; 200; 300) for sliders (5; 104; 303) fit to be applied to the ends (6; 105; 304) of said slider (5; 104; 303) and comprising a decorative element (2; 306) characterized by comprising a shaped body (3; 101; 201; 301) linked through connecting means (4; 102) to said end (6; 105; 304) of said slider (5; 104; 303), suitable for placing said decorative element (2; 306) for covering the curtain (7) supported by said slider (5; 104; 303) for at least a stretch (L; L"') of the length of said slider (5; 104; 303).
The closing element (1; 100; 200; 300) according to claim 1) characterized in that said shaped body (3; 101; 201; 301) consists of a curved plate (8; 202; 302) which has an end (10) connected to said decorative element (2) and the opposed end (11) connected to said end (6; 105; 304) of said slider (5; 104; 303).
The closing element (1; 100) according to claim 1) characterized in that said shaped body (3; 101) is equipped with stopping means (15) suitable for halting the sliding of said curtain (7) along said shaped body (3; 101) outside of said slider (5; 104).
The closing element (1; 100) according to claim 2) characterized in that said stopping means (15) consist of at least one protrusion (16, 17) fit to define a stretch (T) of a length basically equal to that of said slider (5; 104) on said shaped body (3; 101).
The closing element (100) according to claim 1 ) characterized in that said connecting means (102) comprise a male element (103), made out on said shaped body (101), suitable for slidibly coupling into a hole created inside of said end (105) of said slider (104).
The closing element (1; 200; 300) according to claim 1) characterized in that said connecting means (4) comprise a ring (12; 305) connected to said shaped body (3; 201; 301) and suitable for coupling by interference outside of said end (6; 105; 304) of said slider (5; 104; 303).
The closing element (1; 200; 300) according to claim 6) characterized in that said ring (12; 305) and said shaped body (3; 201; 301) are integral therewith.
The closing element (1; 200; 300) according to claims 6) or 7) characterized in that said ring (12; 305) is fixed to said slider (5; 303) through screws (13).
The closing element (1; 100) according to claim 2) characterized in that said curved plate (8) has a U shaped contour.
The closing element (200; 300) according to claim 2) characterized in that said curved plate (202; 302) has an L shaped contour.
The closing element (1; 100; 200; 300) according to claim 1 ) characterized in that said decorative element (2) consist of a differently shaped ornament (9).