GB2196842A - Vertical pleated curtains - Google Patents

Abstract

Vertical pleated curtains, knitted by warp knitting process, with rigid and soft threads in alternate distances to form uniform and permanent pleats 12 on the curtain fabric, are suspended by slidable hangers 2 provided with slots 21 from rod 3, enabling the pleats to fold up neatly and control the uniform angle when spreading. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Vertical pleated curtain This invention relates to curtain, particularly, a vertical pleated curtain.

The general and conventional curtain has no feature of permanent pleats, and the pleats must be made by sewing method or heat press method. By the sewing method, the sewer has to sew the pleats one by one, therefore, not only waste time and troubles, but also it is difficult to obtain uniform pleats and angles. It is a barrier to neat appearance. By the heat press method, the pleat lines cannot be stabilized. It will disappear gradually as the time goes. Both methods have disadvantage.

There is a type of window shade named "Vertical Pleated Window Fashion" that is sold by Sears Company in the United States, and it has the feature of permanent pleats, knitted by the same kind of laid-in threads but more threads in the pleat strip portions and less threads in the pleat lines. Fig. 1 illustrates a fragmental front view of that window fashion, in which the pleat strips "a" are knitted with more courses of laid-in threads, while the pleat lines "b" are knitted with less courses of laid-in threads, i.e., about 1/5 of the pleat strips' course of laid-in threads.

Each pleat strip is cut a hole "c" for hanging purpose. Since the pleat lines are knitted with only 1/5 of threads of the pleat strips, the tensile strength is considerably weak, and will break easily when pulling back and forth daily. Furthermore, because the threads at the hole "c" have been cut off, the hole will be damaged easily by movements. Besides the hole "c" can be used only for hanging purpose, there is no function like controlling the uniform spreading angle; in other words, the spreading angles have to be adjusted manually after being pulled to the spreading condition. The said window fashion is suitable to be used as a still type of window fashion for docoration only. It is not good for pulling back and forth daily.

It is a vertical pleated curtain, comprises a piece of curtain fabric and a number of slidable hangers. The former has a permanent pleated feature and the latter has a feature of controlling the uniform pleat angle when spreading. The feature of the permanent pleats of the curtain fabric are provided during the warp knitting process. The curtain fabric comprises a number of pleat strips and a number of pleat lines. The pleat strips are knitted with rigid monofilaments as laid-in threads. The pleat lines are knitted with soft and flexible multifilaments or yarns as laid-in threads. Both the rigid and soft threads are the same or similar in thickness(Denier). The hangers of the curtain are mounted on top of the pleat strips. Each hanger has a rectangular or oval slot.

The length of the slot in horizontal is bigger than the length in vertical. A rod is put through all the slots. The length of slot in horizontal can limit the uniform spreading angle of the pleat strips, so as to provide a better and neat appearance.

The prime object of the present invention is to provide a curtain fabric having a permanent pleats. The pleat strips are knitted with rigid threads to prevent it from being folded, while the pleat lines are knitted with soft threads, which can be folded easily, as to create the curtain fabric a neat folding appearance.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a curtain fabric, in which the pleat strips and the pleat lines have the same course of laid-in threads so as to create the pleat lines strong and durable.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a vertical pleated curtain, of which the hangers can withstand the everyday pulling movements, and also can serve as a purpose of controlling the spreading angles of the pleat strips uniformly for beautiful appearance.

An embodiment of this invention is described by way of example, with reference to the drawings in which: Figure 1 is a photostatic copy of the "Vertical Pleated Window Fashion" sample, sold by Sear Company.

Figure 2 is a front view of the present invention "Vertical Pleated Curtain" in a condition of being spread.

Figure 3 is a front view of the present invention "Vertical Pleated Curtain" in a condition of being folded up.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the permanent pleated curtain fabric, according to the present invention.

Figure 5 illustrates the pattern of the permanent pleated curtain fabric, according to the present invention.

Figure 6 is a plan view of the hanger with a slot according to the present invention.

Figure 7 illustrates the relation between the length of the slot in horizontal position and the spread angle of the pleat unit.

Figure 8 is a sectional view of the present invention.

Figure 9 is a front view of the curtain being mounted at the bottom portion with the hanger and a rod.

Figure 10 is a plan view of the curtain with clasps mounted at the bottom.

Figure ii is a plan view of the bottom clasp according to the present invention.

Figure 12 is a sectional view of the bottom clasp of the present invention.

The structure and functions of the present invention are further described by means of an embodiment with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 2 illustrates a front view of the vertical pleated curtain according to the present invention being spread, which comprises a permanent pleated curtain fabric 1, a number of hangers 2, and a rod 3. The curtain fabric 1 includes a number of pleat strips 11 and pleat lines 12. A hanger 2 mounted on top of each pleat strip 11. Between each two adjacent hangers 2, there is a gap of about imam, which forms in a straight line with pleat line. Each hanger 2 is furnished with a horizontal slot 21. A rod 3 passes through the slots 21, and both ends thereof are fixed to the door or window. All the hangers 2 are slidably mounted on the rod 3, so as to facilitate the window fabric 1 to spread or fold up together as shown in Fig. 3.

In the aforesaid curtain fabric 1, each pleat strip 11 is a rigid piece, while the portion of the pleat line 12 is a flexible and foldable part, so as to have the pleat strips folded up or spread out at any time, as shown in Fig. 4. The pleated curtain fabric 1 is knitted by a knitting machine by means of threads having the same or similar thickness but being different in hardness as the laid-in threads, so as to create the curtain fabric have soft and hard portions. The monofilament is a hard thread to be used for knitting the pleat strip 11. The multifilament or yarn is a soft thread to be used for knitting the pleat line 12 portion. Fig. 5 illustrates and embodiment of the knitted pattern. The first guide bar is used for knitting the wale-loops; "L" stands for the series of threads, such as LO, L1, L2, .. Ln indicate the single thread in the series.The second guide bar is used for knitting the laid-in threads, which is a rigid thread indicated with "H" Soft thread indicate with "S" A number of rigid threads "H" and three soft threads "S" are arranged alternately, such as HO, H1, H2, H3, H4, H5, H6, H7, S1, S2, S3, and being repeated again. The first guide bar is specially used for knitting loops, of which the knitting operation are 0-2/2-0, and being repeated again. The second guide bar is used for knitting the laid-in threads, of which the knitting operation are 8-8/0-0, and repeated again. After each course of knitting process, four laid-in threads are to be inserted in one loop, i.e., there are three horizontal threads across between the two adjacent loops.

For example, there are three rigid threads "H" across between L1 and L2, L2 and L3, and also between L7 and L8.

So as, there are H6, H7, S1 across between L8 and L9 H7, S1, S2 L9 and L10 S1, S2, S3 " L10 and L11 S2, S3. H11 " L11 and L12 S3, H11, H12 L12 and L13 H7, S1, S2 " " L9 and L10 S1, S2, S3 L10 and L11 S2, S3. H11 L11 and L12 S3, H11, H12 L12 and L13 Since the three threads S1, S2 and S3 inserted between the loops L10 and L1 1 are all soft threads, the pleat line has to locate between L10 and L11. On both sides of the said each pleat line are pleat strips 11, of which the width may be determined in accordance with the consumer's demand. A width of 2cm to 5cm is referred to as narrow strip, and a width over 5cm is referred to as wide strip.Generally, the width of a strip is under 15cm. The regularly cyclic number of the rigid threads H is determined in accordance with the width of the pleat strip 11.

The aforesaid hanger 2 is furnished with a horizontal slot 21 as shown in Fig. 6; the slot 21 is not only used to hang the pleat strip, but also used for limiting the spreading angle of the pleat strip, so as to provide a uniform and beautiful confirguration for the whole curtain as shown in Fig. 7, which illustrates the theory of the slot 21 in limiting the spreading angle of the pleat strips, and in which: t: the thickness of the hanger 2 I: the horizontal length of the slot 21 d: the diameter of the rod 3 < SI=Sin ' t/l; < 02=Sin ' d/l < 0= < 0 t < 02 < A: the maximum spreading angle of the pleat strip.

< A=2(90"-0) If t=5mm, 1=40mm, d=lOmm and then: < 61=Sin-1 5/40=Since 0.125--711' < 62=Sin-1 10/40=Sin 0.25=14"29' < 0= < 0a+ < 02 -7"1 1'+ 14029=210 < A=2(900-21040')= 136"40' The aforesaid hanger 2 in the embodiment of the present invention is made of plastics as shown in Fig. 8, which includes two flat pieces 22 and 23 being equal in shape and dimensions.

The width of the flat piece may be slightly smaller than that of the pleat strip 11. The inner surface of the flat piece 22 is furnished with two male snap parts 24 and 25, of which the lower portion is substantially a round stud, while the top portion is substantially a conic head having a barb-hook portion. The flat piece 23 is furnished with two female snap parts 26 and 27, which are substantially two round through holes respectively. The male snap parts 24 and 25 are to put through the pleat strip 11 before passing through the female snap parts 26 and 27 respectively; then, the barb-hook portions of the conic heads are locked on the back surface of the flat piece 23. The two male snap parts 24 and 25 may not be on the same flat piece only, i.e., may be one on each flat piece, as long as the male snap parts can be mated with the female snap parts 26 and 27 respectively.The male and female snap parts may be locked on the flat pieces with two couples or more than two couples. The hanger 2 may be made of plastics or metal pieces to be fastened together.

In order to prevent the curtain from being blown upwards by wind, the bottom of each pleat strip 11 may be mounted with a hanger 2 being fastened on a rod 3, of which the both ends are to be fixed to the door or window as shown on Fig. 9.

If the said curtain is fixed to the door, and it is inconvenient to people who goes in and out, the hanger and rod should not be used at the bottom. Then the heavy bottom clasp as shown on Fig. 10 should be used in order to prevent flapping. Fig. 11 and 12 shown the bottom clasp 4, in which 41 and 42 are two flat pieces, and 43 and 44 are two male snap parts, while 45 and 46 are two female snap parts.

Since the rigid pleat strips 11 and the soft pleat lines 12 have been disposed at a regular space each other, the curtain 1 can be easily folded up along pleat lines 12 portion; further, since the hanger 1 is mounted on top of the pleat strips, the rigid pleat strips will further be strengthened to prevent from being improperly bent. During installation, put the fastening rod 3 into the slots 21 and then fasten both ends of the rod 3 to the window frame, and the installing work is done. After installation, all the pleat strips are in a folded manner; the curtain can be spread by pulling laterally so as to have the hanger 2 slide along the rod 3 until all the pleat strips being set a given angle to one another. The curtain may be pulled to spread by hand or cord and pulley.

According to the aforesaid structure, the present invention can maintain its pleat permanently, and can be folded regularly and spread at a regular angle.

The aforesaid embodiment is merely used for describing the present invention. Any person skilled in the art may make various modifications to the embodiment of the present invention; however, such modifications should also be included in the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims (9)

1. A vertical pleated curtain comprising a curtain fabric having permanent pleats, a number of hangers with slots to be mounted on top of the said curtain, and a rod to put through all slots of hangers.

2. A curtain fabric having permanent pleats as claimed in Claim 1, is a type of warp knitted fabric that includes a number of pleat strips having a rigid surface and a number of pleat lines which are soft and flexible.

3. A rigid pleat strip as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the laid-in threads are rigid monofilaments.

4. A flexible pleat line as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the laid-in threads are soft multifilaments or yarns.

5. A hanger as claimed in Claim 1, which includes a slot and flat pieces for fastening the pleat strips.

6. A slot as claimed in Claim 5 has a rectangular or oval shape that lies horizontally through the front and back sides of the hanger.

7. The flat pieces as claimed in Claim 5, include two flat pieces, and at least two or more than two couples of male snap parts and female snap parts. The said male snap part is a barbhook and the said female snap part is a round hole on the said flat piece.

8. A vertical pleated curtain comprising a curtain fabric having permanent pleats, a number of hangers with slots to be mounted on top of the said curtain, a rod to put through all slots of hangers, and a number of clasp to be mounted at the bottom of the pleated curtain.

9. A curtain system substantially as described hereinabove with reference to Figs. 2 to 12 of the accompanying drawings.

9. A clasp as claimed in claim 8 includes two flat pieces, at least two or more than two couples of male snap parts and female snap parts. The said male snap part is a barb-hook and the said female snap part is a round hole on the said flat piece.

CLAIMS Amendments to the claims have been filed, and have the following effect: New or textually amended claims have been filed as follows:

1. A curtain system comprising a curtain rod, and curtain fabric hanging from a plurality of hangers, said hangers having apertures through which said curtain rod extends, said fabric being substantially uniform in thickness and density but having alternate vertical bands of relatively rigid and relatively flexible material which define permanent pleats.

2. A curtain system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said curtain fabric is a warp knitted fabric which includes relatively hard threads in said relatively rigid bands and relatively soft threads in said relatively flexible bands, said bands being integrally woven into the fabric.

3. A curtain system as claimed in claim 2 wherein said hard threads are monofilaments and said soft threads are multifilaments or yarns.

4. A curtain system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said hangers are located at respective relatively rigid vertical bands of the fabric and hold said relatively rigid bands flat.

5. A curtain system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said apertures are elongate in the horizontal direction.

6. A curtain system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said hangers are each formed from at least one male part and at least one female part which are snap-fitted together to grip said fabric.

7. A curtain system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein a plurality of clasps hang from the bottom of said fabric.

8. A curtain system as claimed in claim 7 wherein each clasp is formed from a male and a female member which are snap-fitted together.