GB2276075A - Valance rail - Google Patents

Abstract

A valance rail 10 of springy plastics is telescopically engaged with plastics standoff arms 12 at each end. The arms engage brackets 14 via push-fit spigot-and-socket connections 36, 22 so that the rail is easily mounted in a restricted opening. The brackets comprise an apertured back wall 20, an apertured top wall 26, and an apertured side wall formed by the connector portion 22 whereby the brackets may be mounted on any one of three sides. <IMAGE>

Description

VALANCE RAIL MOUNTING ARRANGEMENT TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a rail for supporting a valance, in front of the rolledup portion of a roller blind or in front of a curtain rail for example.

BACKGROUND Roller binds are often mounted on brackets in a window recess. In many instances these brackets are affixed in close proximity to, or even directly to, the reveal (side faces) and top face of the recess.

In an existing arrangement a metal rail is provided for hanging a decorative valance in front of the rolled-up portion of the blind. The rail has inturned arms with holes in the end which are engaged over hooks formed on metal mounting brackets for the blind. In order to engage the arms with the hooks however, it is necessary to present the arms to the hooks at an upward inclination, and the arms are then angularly rotated downwardly into their final positions. Consequently, it is not possible to fit the brackets close to the top face of the window recess, resulting in an ugly gap at the top of the window. If the brackets are mounted close to the top face of the recess the valance cannot be used.

One aim of the present invention may be viewed as being to provide a form of valance rail which can easily be fitted in a restricted space such as a window recess.

In developing an alternative to the metal rail discussed above, the possibility of using separate mounting brackets for the valance rail has been investigated.

It has been found however that if the brackets are secured to the rail prior to mounting the entire rail assembly in position, the brackets are extremely vulnerable to damage should the assembly be dropped. In some cases, the brackets can snap off completely. Any such damage, even if caused by mishandling by the customer, is liable to give the product a bad reputation.

Another aim of the present invention may be viewed as being to provide a form of valance rail which is inexpensive to manufacture yet is not liable to damage during instailation.

Yet another aim is to provide a form of mounting bracket which is extremely versatile in that it provides the user with a wide choice of fixing positions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention proposes a valance rail assembly comprising a rail provided with standoff arms at each end, and a pair of mounting brackets, in which the standoff arms are engageable with the mounting brackets via spigot and socket connections.

Thus, since the rail can be engaged with the brackets with a simple linear motion, the rail can be mounted in severely restricted locations.

The spigot and socket connections may engage with a simple interference action or they may be provided with a more positive snap-in action, e.g. by engagement of a rib on either the spigot or the socket, with a complementary groove in the other.

For ease of fitting the rail to the brackets when the brackets are mounted in position, the axes of the spigot and socket connections are preferably substantially parallel.

The invention also proposes a valance rail assembly comprising a rail provided with standoff arms at each end, and a pair of moulded plastics mounting brackets secured to the standoff arms by pivotal connections.

Thus, if the rail is dropped prior to assembly the pivotal connections will allow the brackets to move and greatly reduce the risk of damage.

The pivotal connections preferably have a frictional component so that the brackets are normally held in position relative to the arms until knocked.

The orientation of the pivot axes is not of great significance, but where the brackets are coupled to the standoff arms by spigot and socket connections as described above, the pivotal connection may conveniently be provided by the said spigot and socket connections by making the spigots and sockets of substantially circular transverse section.

At least one of the standoff arms is preferably joined to a mutually perpendicular limb which telescopically engages the rail with a friction fit.

This permits slight adjustment of the length of the rail to allow for slight inaccuracies in cutting the rail to length.

The invention further provides a plastics mounting bracket for a valance rail comprising an apertured back plate having a forwardly projecting connector portion for engagement with a standoff arm at one end of the valance rail, an apertured top plate projecting forwardly from an upper edge of the backing plate, and an apertured side wall projecting forwardly from one side edge of the back plate.

The bracket thus provides a choice of fixing to three mutually perpendicular surfaces without changing the orientation of the bracket.

The side wall may conveniently form part of the connector. In this case, for ease of fixing, the top plate is preferably offset from the side edge of the back plate from which the connector projects.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The following description and the accompanying drawings referred to therein are included by way of non-limiting example in order to illustrate how the invention may be put into practice. In the drawings: Figure 1 is an exploded plan view of one end of a valance rail assembly of the invention, Figure 2 is an end elevation of the rail assembly, looking from the right in Fig. 1, Figure 3 is a front view of the bracket shown in Fig.s 1 and 2, Figure 4 is section IV-IV through the standoff arm shown in Fig.

1, and Figure 5 is a front view of the standoff arm.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring to Fig. 1, the valance rail assembly comprises a rail member 10, having a pair of standoff arms 12 projecting from opposite ends of the rail for engagement with mounting brackets 14. Although only one of the arms and mounting brackets is shown in the drawings, the other arm and mounting bracket are substantially identical except for being a mirror image of the illustrated pair.

As shown in Fig.s 1 to 3, each bracket 14 comprises a back plate 20 having a socket element 22 projecting perpendicularly forwards flush with one side edge of the back plate, and the back plate also contains a pair of screw holes 24. A top plate 26 projects perpendicularly forwards from the top edge of the back plate 20, and this too contains a pair of screw holes 28 opening through the front edge of the top plate. It will be noted in Fig. 3 that the top portion of the back plate 20 is inclined so that the top plate 26 is offset to one side of the socket element 22 (note Fig. 1 also). This allows full access to be gained to the screw holes 28 during fixing through the top plate. It will also be noted in Fig. 2 that the socket element 22 is enlarged at the root 32 to accommodate a further pair of screw holes 34.

Referring back to Fig. 1, the rail member 10 is a straight length of springy hollow plastics of oval or other suitable section. Each standoff arm 12 is a plastics moulding which curves round through 90" and has a first spigot 36 at one end and a second spigot 38 at the other. As shown in the sectional view of Fig. 4, the curved part of the arm 12 is of inverted-U section for increased strength and ease of moulding. Transverse walls 40 are provided at intervals for strengthening purposes. The first spigot 36 is of circular external section and forms an interference push-fit into a circular section socket 42 (Fig. 3) formed axially in the socket element 22. Externally, the socket element of oval cross-sectional shape to provide a smooth continuation of the arm 12.

The second spigot 38 is of slightly smaller cross sectional shape than the curved portion of the arm 12, but is again of inverted-U section with transverse strengthening walls 40 at each end. The spigot 38 is again a frictional push-fit in the end of the rail 10.

In mounting the valance rail in a window recess, the brackets 14 are secured in the recess by means of suitable screws. The brackets provide a choice of fixing (i) to a window frame through the back plate 20, (ii) to the reveal through the root of the socket member 32, or (iii) to the top face of the recess through the top plate 26. The rail 10 is then cut to length by measuring the distance between the brackets 14 and deducting a fixed amount to allow for the mounting arms 32. After sliding the valance (not shown) onto the rail 10 the spigots 38 are pushed into the ends of the rail 10 so that the first spigots 36 project substantially parallel to each other. The brackets 14 are also secured to the arms 12 by pushing the spigots 36 into the sockets 22. The rail is then offered up into the recess to mark the screw positions before being fixed in position. Should the assembly be dropped or the brackets knocked during this process, the brackets are free to rotate about the spigots 36, which greatly reduces the risk of damage to the brackets and/or spigots 36.

If it should be necessary to remove the valance, e.g. for washing, the rail can easily be removed from the mounting brackets by pulling the spigots 36 from the sockets 22. The rail is then refitted with a simple linear push-in movement.

Clearly, the rail need not necessarily be mounted in a recess. It could also be mounted flush against a wall using the back plates 20. Also, the valance could be used with a curtain or venetian blind for example.

It will be appreciated that the brackets 14 could alternatively be provided with spigots which are rotatably received in sockets in the ends of the standoff arms 12.

Claims (14)

1. A valance rail assembly comprising a rail provided with standoff arms at each end, and a pair of mounting brackets, in which the standoff arms are engageable with the mounting brackets via spigot and socket connections.

2. A valance rail assembly according to Claim 1, in which the axes of the spigot and socket connections at opposite ends of the rail are substantially parallel.

3. A valance rail assembly according to Claim 1 or 2, in which the spigot and socket connections engage with an interference fit.

4. A valance rail assembly according to any preceding claim, in which the spigots can rotate within the sockets.

5. A valance rail assembly according to Claim 4, in which such rotation of the spigots is resisted by frictional engagement between the spigots and sockets.

6. A valance rail assembly according to any preceding claim, in which the spigots and sockets are both of substantially circular transverse section.

7. A valance rail assembly according to any preceding claim, in which the sockets are fixed with the brackets and the spigots are fixed with the standoff arms.

8. A valance rail assembly according to any preceding claim, in which at least one of the standoff arms is joined to a mutually perpendicular limb which telescopically engages the rail with a friction fit.

9. A valance rail assembly according to any preceding claim, in which the standoff arms are of inverted-U transverse section.

10. A valance rail assembly according to any preceding claim, in which each mounting bracket comprises an apertured back plate having a forwardly projecting connector portion for engagement with the respective standoff arm, an apertured top plate projecting forwardly from an upper edge of the backing plate, and an apertured side wall projecting forwardly from one side edge of the back plate.

11. A valance rail assembly according to Claim 10, in which the side wall is provided by the connector portion.

12. A valance rail assembly according to Claim 10 or 11, in which the top plate is offset from the side edge of the back plate from which the connector portion projects.

13. A valance rail assembly according to any preceding claim, in which the brackets are moulded of plastics.

14. A valance rail assembly substantially as described with reference to the drawings.