FR3049448A1 - MODULAR LENGTH ROD FOR CURTAINS. - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a curtain rod consisting of a plurality of elongated elements (1, 2) connected to each other removably and comprising in particular two first elongate end elements (21) and at least one intermediate elongated element (10). According to the invention, said elongate elements (1, 2, 10, 21) have at least two different lengths and are capable of being placed end to end in order to form rods of final length varying from 5 to 15 cm.

Description

MODULAR LENGTH ROD FOR CURTAINS TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to the field of curtain rods to hang curtains, and more specifically to rods consisting of several elongate elements or sections juxtaposed.

STATE OF THE PRIOR ART

[0002] Many technical products are known for constituting curtain rods; most have a given and definitive length which corresponds for example substantially to the width of a window or bay window since it is thus to allow a curtain or sheer curtain to be placed and extended in front of this opening. Depending on the type of curtain to be placed, and according to the width of the opening, one chooses a rod made of a given material, for example wood or steel or aluminum.

Most known rods being of fixed length, the manufacturers realize rods corresponding more or less standardized widths of the openings. Of course for windows of non-standardized dimensions, the user will have to choose a longer rod and then cut it to the desired size, if that is possible. But when such a cut is not possible, then the user will have to call a specialist to make a product 'surmesure'. Naturally this operation has a cost that can discourage users. This is a first problem posed by the known rods.

A solution has been disclosed in US 1 663 356 which shows curtain rods consisting of several sections screwed to each other. More precisely, three types of sections are provided here: an intermediate section able to receive another section (intermediate or end) and to be screwed into another section (intermediate or end); an end portion adapted to be screwed into another section by means of a male thread; an end section provided with a tapping for receiving an intermediate or end section. This solution allows to create rods of a chosen length, multiple of the initial length of each section. For other lengths, again the problem of cutting, in the best case, that is to say when possible.

There is therefore a real need to achieve simple and inexpensive, rods of varying lengths. Manufacturers are not inclined to move towards manufacturing lengths of multiple lengths because of the large number of industrial cuts. This solution does not interest businesses that are seeking to standardize their sales areas.

A manufacture with cutting 'custom' factory, which would be sent directly and personally to a customer, is not optimal either because of the constraints related to transport (weight, dimensions, etc.). In addition, such a solution proves to be expensive because it is completely individualized.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention aims to overcome the disadvantages of the state of the art and in particular to provide a rod of length adapted to the need, accurately, to about ten centimeters. A reduced cost rod is further targeted by the present invention.

According to the invention, there is provided a curtain rod consisting of a plurality of elongated elements connected together removably and comprising in particular two first elongate end members and at least one intermediate elongate member.

To do this is proposed according to a first aspect of the invention the feature that said elongated elements have at least two different lengths capable of being put end to end to form rods of final length ranging from 5 to 15 cm . Rods of final length between about 90 centimeters and 400 centimeters (4 meters), can be achieved easily. The user chooses the sections adapted to form the desired length.

Preferably, said at least two lengths are chosen close to or equal to 10 cm, 20 cm, 25 cm, 30 cm, 40 cm, 50 cm and / or 60 cm. This option is a kind of standardization that reduces the cost of manufacturing. However, this choice makes it possible to obtain final lengths of rods that vary from 5 cm in 5 cm, even 10 cm in 10 cm, or even 15 cm in 15 cm. This aspect is very interesting because it allows to get 'custom' rods in a very simple way.

In addition, judiciously, the maximum length of at least one of the elongated elements is less than a normalized length of a package or package, so that the elongated elements constituting a rod can all be contained in at least one package or package. It is indeed very interesting for both the manufacturer and the user, after having chosen the elongated elements adapted to his need, to be able to ship these items by package. Of course a monobloc rod of great length could not be sent simply, cheaply.

In addition, said elongated elements constituting a rod are assembled by an inner screw member which cooperates with an internal thread. By 'inside' is meant 'placed inside the elongated element', whether it is empty or full, as will be illustrated below. This characteristic advantageously makes it possible to mask the connections or assemblies between the constituent portions of the bead wire.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the inner screw member is part of a ring whose outer diameter is substantially equal to the outer diameter of the elongated elements that connects. Here a bead of constant outer diameter is produced, externally consisting of an alternation of elongated sections and rings. A wide choice is possible for the materials and colors of these constituent elements, so that a rod according to the invention is customizable, adaptable to a given environment. In addition, the elongated elements being removable between them, the user can change them without any difficulty, according to his desires and / or his needs.

Furthermore, the rod according to the invention may comprise a threaded inner part adapted to cooperate with a threaded screw element.

According to an alternative, the inner part (or screw element) is threaded part of the ring.

According to another possibility, the inner part (or screw element) threaded is fixed, for example by welding, inside each of at least one of the two elongate elements juxtaposed.

According to the invention, at least one elongate element is made of wood or steel. Naturally the user chooses, at his convenience, to form his rod with elongated elements of the same material or not.

Furthermore the connecting ring, placed between two elongated elements, may be made of a material identical or not to that of the elongated elements juxtaposed. This remains at the free choice of the user.

According to the invention, at least one of the elongated elements is hollow and encloses a lighting medium type means of illumination.

According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the rod comprises a sleeve fixed inside an elongated member by radial clamping, said sleeve being provided with at least one radial expansion slot and cooperating with an expansion insert or cone arranged coaxially, said insert or said cone cooperating with the inner screw element.

More specifically, and in accordance with a specific embodiment of the invention, the insert is screwed into the sleeve and the inner screwing element is part of the connecting ring.

In accordance with another particular embodiment of the invention, said expansion cone has a thread in which is screwed the inner screw element which is part of the connecting ring.

Furthermore, said at least one elongated element is a tubular element of geometric cross-section; the cross section may be square, rectangular, hexagonal or polygonal without departing from the scope of the invention.

In addition, said at least one elongated element may be a filled element of material, and have a geometric cross section; the cross section may be square, rectangular, hexagonal or polygonal without departing from the scope of the invention.

Of course the rod according to the invention may be mixed, that is to say formed of tubular elongate elements and full of material; for example a combination of wooden elements and metal elements can be favorably chosen to form the rod.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Other features, details and advantages of the invention will become apparent on reading the description which follows, with reference to the appended figures, which illustrate: FIG. 1, an exploded partial longitudinal sectional view of FIG. a bead wire according to a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of a rod according to the first embodiment of the invention; Figure 3, an exploded partial longitudinal sectional view of a rod according to a second embodiment of the invention; Figure 4 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of a rod according to the second embodiment of the invention; Figure 5, an exploded partial longitudinal sectional view of a rod according to a third embodiment of the invention; Figure 6, a partial longitudinal sectional view of a rod according to the third embodiment of the invention; Figure 7, an exploded partial longitudinal sectional view of a rod according to a fourth embodiment of the invention; Figure 8 is a side view of a rod according to the invention; Figure 9 is a longitudinal sectional view of an assembly of a ring on a hollow elongated member, according to a particular embodiment of the invention; Figure 10 is a front view of a sleeve used in the assembly of Figure 9; Figures 11, 12, 13 show the main steps of mounting a sleeve within a hollow elongate member; Figure 14 is a longitudinal sectional view of an assembly of a ring on a hollow elongated member, according to another particular embodiment of the invention; Figure 15 is a front view of a sleeve used in the assembly of Figure 14; FIG. 16 is a diagram of the variation of the so-called metal-metal rod lengths obtainable according to the invention; Figure 17 is another diagram of the variation of the lengths of rods called metal-wood, formed of 5 elongated elements; and Figure 18 is yet another diagram of the variation of the lengths of metal-wood rods, formed of 7 elongated elements.

For clarity, identical or similar elements are identified by identical reference signs throughout the figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Figure 1 shows in longitudinal section the assembly area between two elongated elements 1, 2, here not connected to each other. As an illustration, each elongated element 1, 2 is made of the same material, made of wood. Inside each elongated element 1, 2 is provided a removable connection means, more precisely a threaded core 3. The threaded core 3 cooperates with a specific thread provided on a male portion 4 of a connecting ring 5. The Figure 2 shows this connection in assembled position. In this same figure we see that the outer diameter of the connecting ring 5 is identical to the outer diameter of each of the elongate elements 1, 2. This arrangement is advantageously chosen for aesthetic purposes.

Figures 3 and 4 relate to an embodiment of the invention according to which the connection between two elongated elements 1, 2 is achieved thanks to a connecting ring 5 close to that already described, that is to say provided with two male parts 4. Each elongated element 1, 2 being hollow, a tapped inner part is here provided; the part 6 is for example welded to the inner wall of each elongated element 1, 2, at a determined distance. By way of illustrative example, for elongated elements 1, 2 made of steel, with an outside diameter equal to 28 mm, and with a thickness of 0.9 mm, the part 6 is welded at 55 mm from the end of the element elongate. Each intermediate piece 6 has a cup shape with a threaded portion closer to the longitudinal axis of the assembly.

Figures 3 and 4 show a connecting ring 5 with two outer diameters: the smallest is defined to fit on the inner wall of each elongated element 1, 2 while the largest diameter of the ring 5 corresponds to the outside diameter of each elongate element 1,2. This is to achieve a continuity of the outer profile of the rod. It is understood that the connecting ring 5 constitutes not only a connection but also a mechanical reinforcement between two elongated elements 1, 2.

Figures 5 and 6 illustrate another type of connection between two elongated elements 1, 2 hollow for example steel. The ring 5 here consists of two parts 51,52 each fitted or welded to the end of an elongated element 1, 2. One of the parts 51 constitutes the female part of the assembly while the other part constitutes the male part 52. This assembly is particularly simple to implement and well suited to elongate hollow elements.

Figure 7 shows a mixed assembly that is to say where one of the elongated elements 1 is full while the other elongated element 2 is hollow. The elongate solid member 1 may be of wood while the elongated hollow member 2 may be of steel. The elongated solid element 1 comprises a threaded part 3 placed on the longitudinal axis of the solid elongated element 1. The hollow elongated element 2 is provided with an internal part or cup 6 which is fixed for example by welding on its inner wall. The cup 6 has an internal thread. The connection between the elongate elements 1 and 2 here comprises a threaded inner part (or core) 3 which cooperates with each of the internal threads. In this way the elongate elements can be removably assembled; in the case illustrated in FIG. 7, the elongated hollow element 2 also fits over a short length on the elongated solid element 1.

FIG. 8 shows an example of a bead wire comprising three elongated elements, namely two first elongated end elements 21 each connected to a third elongated intermediate element 10. The two end elements here have the same length, for example 25 cm while the intermediate element 1 has a length of 60 cm. It is according to the invention to put elongated elements end to end to form rods whose final length varies from 5 cm in 5 cm, or 10 cm in 10 cm, or 15 cm in 15 cm. This is the meaning of claim 1 in particular.

FIG. 9 shows an assembly (or assembly) of a connecting ring 5 on a hollow elongate element 1. This assembly comprises in particular a sleeve 7, preferably of plastic, provided with several radial slots 71, as well as An insert 8. The sleeve 7 is illustrated and detailed by a front view in FIG. 10. The assembly steps are illustrated in FIGS. 11 to 13. According to FIG. 11, the insert 8 is engaged by a few threads. on the end of the sleeve 7. This assembly 7, 8 is introduced at one end of the elongate element 1, and is then slid by means of a positioning wedge 9 which has an axial abutment 10 as illustrated in FIG. 12 The stop 10 thus determines the depth at which the sleeve 7 is inserted into the elongate element 1. Once thus placed, a tool 11 makes it possible to rotate the insert 8 relative to the sleeve 7; this rotation causes a radial expansion of the sleeve 7, as indicated by the two arrows of FIG. 13. The sleeve 7 is thus fixed, at a given position, inside the elongated element 1. A connecting ring 5 provided with its screw element 4 can then be screwed onto the insert 8, for securing purposes. As already mentioned, the connecting ring 5 is thus secured to the elongated element 1; of course this joining is easy and reversible, so that the user can secure, separate at its convenience, the various elongated elements 1.2 constituting the rod.

Figures 14 and 15 relate to another mounting of a ring 5 on an elongate element 1,2, which differs from that described and shown in Figures 9 and following, by the shape of the split sleeve; the sleeve (here referenced 7 ') is split along its length and here it has a conical inner shape in which is inserted the insert 8'. The cone is growing towards the inside of the elongated element 1 so that a rotation of the insert 8 'induces both a longitudinal translation and a radial expansion as represented by the arrows in FIG. Figure 15 clearly shows the sleeve 7 'provided with a longitudinal slot 71'.

The skilled person chooses a mode of connection or another depending on its own needs, its resources and elongated elements involved: full or tubular.

FIG. 16 gives examples of bars whose final length varies from 1.10 meters to 4 meters, in increments of 10 cm, 5 cm or even 15 cm. An interesting aspect of the invention is that a maximum unit length is preferred, such that it remains less than a normalized length of a package. This aspect is very interesting for sending packages of standardized dimensions. Thus the elongate elements have maximum lengths of 60 cm; in addition, the respective lengths of the elongated elements 1, 2 may be chosen to be equal to 25 cm, 40 cm and / or 60 cm. The elongated elements here are all metal. The combinations obtained with such lengths advantageously allow final lengths varying from 110 cm to 400 cm. In addition these combinations allow symmetry of the final rod relative to its environment. This is interesting not only from an aesthetic point of view but in terms of the distribution of forces and loads on the rod.

Furthermore a rod consisting of multiple elongate elements 1, 2 provides a better mechanical strength than a monobloc rod including the presence of connecting elements 5; furthermore, each elongated element being of limited length, its arrow is reduced.

FIG. 17 illustrates the possible combinations of elongated elements, in the context of steel tubular elements and elongated wooden elements. The tubular steel elements here have lengths of 10 cm, 20 cm, 25 cm, 30 cm, 40 cm and 50 cm. These tubular elements are here first elongated end elements 21. The intermediate elongated elements 10 are made of wood or steel. In these configurations, each rod comprises five elongated elements; the lengths of the rods vary from 130 cm to 270 cm, from 10 cm to 10 cm.

Figure 18 shows rods formed of seven elongated elements, respectively two tubular end elements 21 of steel, and five intermediate elongated elements 10: two steel elements and three wooden elements. The rods thus formed have final lengths ranging from 280 cm (2.80 meters) to 400 cm (4 meters), with a variation of 10 cm in 10 cm.

The materials used according to the invention are numerous: by way of illustration, the elongated elements may be made of a steel, of wood, with an outer surface covered or not. The elements of assemblies may be brass, chrome, with an apparent outer surface covered or not.

The outer coating layers may be for example leather, plastic, fabric or any other material with decorative function and / or protection. The user can advantageously decline to infinity the external appearance of the assembly elements as well as elongated elements; this is a new and attractive advantage for the user who combines the elongate elements and the assembly elements for functional and / or aesthetic purposes.

Interestingly at least one of the elongate elements may be externally covered with decorative patterns and / or a protective layer.

Furthermore, at least one of the elongated elements may comprise internally (enclose) a lighting medium type means of illumination. Apertures in said elongated member may allow diffusion of light outwardly from the elongate member. The elongated element or elements may be cylindrical tubes made of a material transparent to light, inside which a luminous means is arranged. The rod thus formed here has an additional functionality, it being understood that the energy source can be autonomous, battery type or powered by the sector.

Claims (14)

Curtain rod consisting of a plurality of elongated elements (1, 2) connected together removably and comprising two first elongated end elements (21) and at least one intermediate elongated element (10), characterized in that said elements elongated (1,2) have at least two different lengths and are capable of being put end to end to form rods of final length varying in increments of 5 to 15 cm. 2. Rod according to claim 1 characterized in that the maximum length of the elongated elements (1, 2) is less than a normalized length of a package or 60 cm, so that the elongated elements constituting a rod can all be contained in at least one package. 3. Rod according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that said at least two lengths are chosen close or equal to 10 cm, 20 cm, 25 cm, 30 cm, 40 cm, 50 cm and / or 60 cm. 4. Rod according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that said elongated elements (1, 2) are assembled by an inner screw element (4) which cooperates with an internal thread (3). 5. Rod according to the preceding claim characterized in that the inner screw element (4) is part of a connecting ring (5) whose outer diameter is substantially equal to the outer diameter of the elongate elements (1,2) that it connects. 6. Rod according to one of claims 1 to 4 characterized in that it comprises a threaded inner part (3; 51) adapted to cooperate with the threaded screw element. 77 characterized in that the threaded screw element is part of the ring (5). 8. Rod according to claim 6, characterized in that the threaded screw element (51; 61; 3) is fastened inside each of at least one of the two elongate juxtaposed elements (1,2,10, 21). 9. Rod according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that at least one of said elongate elements (1, 2, 10, 21) is wood or steel. 10. Rod according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one of the elongated elements (1, 2, 10, 20) is hollow and contains a lighting medium type means of illumination. 11. Rod according to any one of claims 1 to 5 characterized in that it comprises a sleeve fixed inside a member elongated by radial clamping, said sleeve being provided with at least one radial expansion slot and cooperating with an insert (8) or an expansion cone (8) disposed coaxially, said insert or said cone cooperating with the inner screw member (4). 12. Rod according to claim 11 characterized in that the insert is screwed into the sleeve and in that the inner screw element (4) is part of the connecting ring (5). 13. Rod according to claim 11 characterized in that said expansion cone has a thread in which is screwed the inner screw element which is part of the connecting ring. 14. Rod according to one of the preceding claims characterized in that said at least one elongated element is a tubular element of geometric cross section. 15. Rod according to one of claims 1 to 13 characterized in that said at least one elongate member is a filled element of material, and has a geometric cross section.