GB2218618A - Folding pelmet - Google Patents

Abstract

A folding pelmet consists of a number of wire-like three-sided rectangular or curved frames hinged on common pivots P at each end and covered with a decorative material. The pelmet can be folded upwards and retained by a clip against the window-wall to reveal the top of the curtain and the rail and hooks etc. The long sides of the frames can be telescopic to allow the length of the pelmet to be adjusted to the exact length required for the window, door, bed etc. The frame can have a coaxial connector attached thereto so that it can act as a VHF FM aerial. The frame can have hooks from which to suspend a decorative fluorescent light. The cross-sectional shapes of the pelmet, using from two frames upwards can be triangular, rectangular, square, concave, convex, curved or quadrant. The edge can be any desired shape, for example scalloped; and it may be decorated with any binding, for example tassles. <IMAGE>

Description

FOLDING PELMET This invention concerns folding pelmets of the kind(hereinafter termed of the kind referred to)comprising a number of frames hinged at the ends,supporting and covered with a decorative material.

Pelmets are well known devices for hiding curtain rails poles runners hooks tops and associated drawing gear .They are mainly used above windowsbut can be used above doors or beds.

Early pelmets were of a valance or short pendant curtain type.Later types ere of a box section.often using hardboard as the facia board suitably decorated o painted.The difficulty with these more rigid and enclosed structures was their lack of choice of decorative finish,especially in shape,surface texture, pattern and colour, plus the difficulty of access to the hooks and rail enclosed by the box.The pelmet had generally to be tailor-made by the householder or the craftsman employed bg him,and could be heavy and awkward to hang or fits.

It is the intention of this invention to overcome all of the above difficulties and shortcomings of earlier pelmets,by providing a lightweight folding pelmet frame,of a variety of shapes and sections,which can be covered with any choice of decorative material,providing it will fold upwards with the frame.

According to the present invention two.

three,four,five or more lightweight frames of the shape and size required are hinged on a pivot at each end.Material previously cut and finished to the shape of the open frame is placed over and attached to the frame.

Printed cottons, velvets and most wove o knitted textiles are suitable materials.

Ss-nthetics,plastics,non-wovens etc are also suitable decorative coverings for the pelmet frame providing theg will allow the frame to fold upwards when required to,and generally providing they are opaque so that the frame and curtain rail etc.cannot be seen through them.

The frames may have spacing bars at the two sides and in the centre which can be swung into place to give the correct spatial arrangement and rigidity to the pelmet frame.

These can be swung away to allow the frame to be folded upwards and retained close to the wall with a clip,for servicing the curtains rail etc.

Where the covering materials are such that extremely high tension is required at the end frames,then a toggle-joint bar snivelling on the to end frames will be used.

The frames will be made from a variety of materials such as steel,stainless steel, aluminium, plastic etc and in a variety of cross-sections from solid circular and hollow circular to I ,U,L section and flat taking into consideration the various factors such as strength,weight,cost, corrosion resistance length and cross-section of pelmet and covering material etc.

Near quadrant section pelmets with quadrant shaped ends will be readily available with this folding frame system.Triangular.square.

rectangular and unusual shapes will be possible as required.

The covering material can be attached to the frame by sewing or by pockets or clips or any other of the conventionally available methods.

Tassles may be easily attached to the horizontal frame material edge for decoration.

Slim,lightweight fluorescent lights with suitably designed clips for attaching them to the frames will be available where required.

The hinge pivots to which each frame is attached at each end can be either permanent as when riveted or removeable as lith a nut and bolt,thus allowing the frames to be changed to change the shape of the pelmet when required.

It is probable that the metal versions of these pelmet frames,particularly the aluminium ones,will make very suitable and very convenient VHF FM aerials.To this end a VHF FM frame aerial with a suitable coaxial connector will be made available to be included with any pelmet.

A wide variety of shapes to the final edge of the pelmet will be available by simply shaping the last horizontal frame.For example scalloping either in a vertical plane or in a horizontal plane.

Shaping of all of the frames for particular design effects will present no problems.

A choice of methods of attaching the pelmet to the wall will be available with each pelmet.These will include 1)A fixed clamping of the wall-frame to the wall with two clamps plugged to the wall.2)A removeable clamping of the wall-frame to the wall with two top opening hanging wallplates plugged to the wall.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows in perspective a pelmet made from two simple three sided rectangular frames pivoted at P at each end and covered with a simple material The material limits the angle between the pelmet frames to 90 degrees.

On all of the figures the pivots about which the pelmets can fold upwards are indicated by a capital P.

In Figure 2 the horizontal pelmet frame has been made the same depth as the vertical pelmet-frame in order to give greater depth to the pelmet which will now have an isosceles triangular section.

In Figure 3 the horizontal frame is shown with a much greater depth than the wall frame.

Figure 4 shows a pelmet made from three frames of equal depth arranged at 45 degrees to each other.

Figure 5 shows how with the same three frames as in Figure 4 a box or square section pelmet can be made by making the depth of the centre frame 1.414 times that of the other two frames.

Figure 6 shows how with the same number of frames as with Figure 4 and Figure 5 making the depth of the centre frame less than the other two will produce a concave pelmet.

Figure 7 shows that using four frames of equal length each at 30 degrees will produce a convex curved effect.

Five frames equally spaced at 22. D deg as in Figure 8 gives a very good approximation to a curved quadrant section pelmet.

Figure 9 shows three similar curved frames without the decorative cover indicating the two pivots P at which all of the frames fold.

These frames indicate also how the frames need not be rectangular at the ends,but can be curved with any desired radius of curvature.

Figure 10 shows a pelmet made from five frames and covered with decorative material,but with no tension applied.This effect can be very interesting for some materials.

Figure 11 shows the effect of applying a simple toggle-joint at each end of the two outside frames.The greatly increased tension takes any concavities out of the inter-frame material and smoothes the curved effect.Such a toggle joint can be attached to any section pelmet.

Figure 12 shows the same pelmet with tassles sewn to the edge of the cover.

Figure 13 shows how the outer frame may be scallop shaped in order to produce a scalloped edged pelmet when covered. It goes without saying that any other outer frame shape and outer frame binding may be used.

Finally it is intended.for the ease and convenience of the user. to make available models with telescopic frames,so that the length may be easily adjusted to the precise size required.

It will be appreciated that it is not intended to limit the invention to the above examples onlymany variations,such as might readily occur to one skilled in the art.being possible.without departing from the scope thereof.

Claims (9)

1. A folding pelmet of the kind referred to is characterised in that the pelmet is made from a number of lightweight wire-like frames which are hinged on pivots at each end,covered with a decorative foldable material.The frames can swivel at the pivots to fold upwards and be retained against the window-wall (or bed, or door)exposing the curtain tops and fittings for eas access.

2. A folding pelmet according to claim 1.

wherein any foldable decorative material may he used to cover and decorate it.

3. A folding pelmet according to claims 1 or 2 where spacing bars or tapes mag be used at the sides and centre to obtain the correct spatial locations of the frames to give the desired effect.

4. A folding pelmet according to claims 1.2 & where the pivots at the ends of each frame may be either fixed or removeable.

5. A folding pelmet according to claims 1 to 4 where the frames may be telescopic lengthwise to enable the precise length of pelmet to be obtained.

6. A folding pelmet according to claims 1 to 5 where one of the frames within the pelmet may be designed to act as a VHF FM aerial and incorporate a suitable connector.

7. A folding pelmet according to claims 1 to 6 designed with the appropriate number and shapes of frames to give the desired cross section and front elevation.

8. A folding pelmet according to claims 1 to 7 where one of the frames may have suitably designed clips from which a fluorescent light may be hung.

9. A folding pelmet according to claims 1 to 8 where the two extreme frames may have at each end a toggle-joint bar joining them to enable the material covering the pelmet frames to be put under high tensions.