GB2334432A

GB2334432A - Device for hanging curtains fitted with sliders

Info

Publication number: GB2334432A
Application number: GB9903916A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Hans Gruetzner; Werner Flueckiger
Original assignee: Silent Gliss International AG
Current assignee: Silent Gliss International AG
Priority date: 1998-02-20
Filing date: 1999-02-19
Publication date: 1999-08-25
Anticipated expiration: 2019-02-19
Also published as: GB2334432B; GB9903916D0; ATA218298A; CH692541A5; DE19901477A1; AT408714B

Abstract

Curtain sliders 9 have a fixed lower guide part 11 and a sliding part 12 comprising two hinged wings 25 which can be pushed downwards to allow them to pass upwards through the slot 3 into the channel 2 of a curtain rail 1. The wings then open out and are supported by the head 15 to retain the slider in the rail. The sliders, fitted to a curtain 8, are introduced into the rail by a guide 20 which attaches to the rail. The guide has a member (17, Fig 3) which supports and guides the fixed slider guides 11 such as to relieve the sliding part 12 of the weight of the curtain whereby the sliders can be pushed into the rail as shown in Figures 6-8 without requiring modification of the rail.

Description

DEVICE FOR HANGING CURTAINS PROVIDED WITH SLIDERS The invention relates to a device for hanging on curtain tracks curtains provided with sliders Some such devices have an introduction member to be applied releasably to a curtain rail, and an ancillary rail which is connected at one end to the introduction member and an inner race for receiving and guiding the sliders, which each have an eyelet, a sliding part and a guide part, wherein the sliding part is to be introduced into the curtain rail, the slider being anchored slidably displaceably in the curtain rail and the guide part being disposed below the curtain rail when the slider is introduced.

A device of the kind specified is known, for example, from DE-A-27 16 251. The device, referred to as a lifting rod, facilitates the introduction of sliders into a curtain rail.

In buildings having a very large number of curtains such as, for example, large hospitals, such lifting rods are a great assistance and also prevent accidents, since no ladder is required for hanging the curtains. One disadvantage of the device is that the curtain rails require a special introductory lock. The curtain rails must therefore be equipped with such locks. When the sliders are introduced the introduction member of the device must be placed on said lock.

Ordinary curtain rails cannot therefore be used without such locks.

DE-A-42 38 455 also discloses such a device, but it does not require such a lock. The device can therefore basically be used for ordinary curtain rails. For the introduction of the sliders the device can be basically used at any position on the curtain rail. The sliders to be used with the device have a sliding part which is elongate in construction and can be pivoted. Prior to the introduction of such a slider, the sliding part is pivoted in the introduction member into a position in which the sliding part can be introduced into the longitudinal slot of the curtain rail. After its introduction the sliding part is then again so pivoted that the slider is displaceably anchored in the curtain rail. However, the device is extremely elaborate of consists of a large number of parts.

It is an object of at least the tepwferwd tat of t 1nvantI to provide a device it of te kind specified which can be produced from substantially fewer individual parts and is substantially cheaper, although the device also enables sliders to be introduced into any curtain rail.

In a device of the kind specified this problem is overcome by the feature that the introduction member has guide means by means of which the sliders are so guided and borne on said guide part that the sliding part is relieved of the weight of the curtain, the sliding part being so constructed that the sliders in the introduction member can be introduced from below into the curtain rail. An important feature of the device according to the invention is therefore that the sliding part is relieved of the weight of the curtain in the introduction member. The sliding part is therefore unobstructed and can take the form, for example, of a latchable part. The slider is then introduced into the curtain rail from below and latched in. Such latchable sliders are known per se. Since the sliding part does not have to be rotated when introduced into the curtain rail, the introduction member can be correspondingly constructed in a substantially simpler manner. The introduction member can be basically disposed at any place on the curtain rail. No special introductory lock is required in the curtain rail.

Preferred features are as set out in the dependent claims.

Preferred features of the present invention will now be described, purely by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which is shown in: Fig. 1 - a partial view of the device according to the invention with a curtain to be hung, Fig. 2 - the device shown in Fig. 1 applied to a curtain rail and ready for the introduction of the curtain, Fig. 3 - a longitudinal section through a portion of a curtain rail and a device according to the invention placed thereon, Fig. 4 - a spatial view of a slider, Fig. 5 - another view of the slider shown in Fig. 4, and Figs. 6 to 8 - diagrams of the introduction of a slider into a curtain rail.

A device 4 as shown in Fig. 1 mainly comprises an introduction member 20 to which an ancillary rail 5 is attached. The ancillary rail 5 is, for example, a light metal section and has a channel 6 which extends in the longitudinal direction over the whole rail and into which a thrust member 26 is displaceably inserted. The length of the ancillary rail 5 is such that the sliders 9 of a curtain 8 can be inserted into the channel 6. The sliders 9, as shown in Figs. 6 to 8, are introduced into the channel 6 and are displaceable therein in the longitudinal direction of the ancillary rail 5. Arrow 23 in Fig. 3 indicates the direction in which the sliders 9 disposed in a row can be displaced by the thrust member 26.

To simplify the drawing, the curtain material is omitted from Fig. 3.

At its top end 7 the ancillary rail 5 is rigidly connected to the introduction member 20. The introduction member 20 has an arcuate passage 21 for receiving the sliders 9. At a similarly arcuate slot 24 the passage 21 is open to the outside. Disposed laterally in the slot are two also arcuate channels 17 which each have a funnel-shaped introduction opening 18 and an outlet 19 (Fig. 3).

The aforementioned two channels 17 are so disposed that when the sliders 9 are transferred to the introduction member 20, they are guided and borne in the channels 17. To this end the sliders 9 have guide parts 11 which are moulded on and take the form of laterally projecting webs. The funnel-shaped construction of the openings 18 facilitates the introduction of the sliding parts 11 into the channels 17. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the guide parts immediately adjoin an eyelet 10 to which the curtain 8 is attached. The eyelets 10 can be of any required construction.

Each slider 9 has a sliding part 12 consisting of two flaps which each project laterally and are attached to the slider 9 by a film hinge 13. The sliding part 12 enables the sliders 9 to latch on to the curtain rail 1. This will be explained in greater detail hereinafter with reference to Figs. 6 to 8.

Fig. 1 shows the slider 9 so applied to the rail 1 that its head 15 extends into the longitudinal slot 3 of the channel 2.

If the slider line is then thrust upwards, the two flaps 25 are pivoted in the longitudinal slot 3 into the position shown in Fig. 7. If the slider 9 is pushed further upwards, the two flaps 25 are completely introduced into the channel 2 and again pivoted into their originally outwardly extending position by the springing effect of the two film hinges 13, as shown in Fig. 8. The slider 9 is then slidably displaceably anchored in the channel 2 of the curtain rail 1. The slider 9 cannot be pulled out of the channel 2 downwards, since the two flaps 25 upwardly abut the head 15.

The sliders 9 are introduced by the device 4 in accordance with the procedure illustrated in Figs. 6 to 8. The slider, having the reference 9' in Fig. 3 is guided in the two channels 17. It is so retained by the two guide parts 11 that the sliding part 12 and therefore the two flaps 25 are relieved of the weight of the curtain 8. The slider having the reference 9" in Fig. 3 is substantially illustrated in Fig. 7. The two flaps are resiliently pivoted inwards and enable the head 15 to be completely introduced into the channel 2. The slider 9" can be transferred from the position shown to the curtain rail 1 by the first member 26 being suitably advanced. The slider 9" leaves the two channels 17 and moves into the position having the reference 9"', which is also shown in Fig. 8. In this manner the top slider 9" is in each case transferred to the curtain rail 1. This is repeated until all the sliders 9 have been inserted into the curtain rail 1. As a result the curtain 8 is hung from the curtain rail 1.

The empty device 4 can then be removed again, supplied with a fresh curtain 8 to be hung, and used for the hanging of a further curtain.

It will be understood that the invention is not restricted to arrangements in which slides are inserted into a curtain track.

For example, the curtain track may have a profile of an inverted "T", and the sliders receive part of the T - profile. In such an arrangement the sliding parts 12 are not outwardly but inwardly orientated.

For the purpose of the appended claims the expressions "attachment" and "to attach" encompass both insertion of sliders into a curtain track with inner race, and arranging sliders such that they receive part of the curtain track (having an outer race).

While the present invention has been described in its preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the words which have been used are words of description rather than limitation and that changes may be made to the invention without departing from its scope as defined by the appended claims.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (which term includes the claims) and/or shown in the drawings may be incorporated in the invention independently of other disclosed and/or illustrated features.

Statements in this specification of the "objects of the invention" relate to preferred embodiments of the invention, but not necessarily to all embodiments of the invention falling within the claims.

The text of the abstract filed herewith is repeated here as part of the specification.

The device has an introduction member which is to be releasably applied to a curtain rail. The device also has an ancillary rail which is connected by one end to the introduction member and has an inner race for receiving and guiding the sliders, which each have an eyelet, a sliding part and a guide part. The sliding part is to be introduced into the curtain rail. The introduction member has guide means by means of which the sliders are so guided and borne on said guide member that the sliding part is relieved of the weight of the curtain. The sliding part is moreover so constructed that the sliders in the introduction member can be introduced from below into the curtain rail. The device according to the invention enables sliders to be introduced into a curtain rail without the use of an introduction lock inserted in the rail.

Claims

C L A I M S:1. A device for hanging on curtain tracks curtains provided with sliders, each slider having a sliding portion for slidable support of the slider by the curtain track and a guide portion, the sliding portion of the sliders being so constructed that the sliders can be attached to the curtain track from positions other than a longitudinal end thereof, the device comprising an introduction member to be releasably applied to the curtain track and guide means for guiding and bearing the guide portion of the sliders so as to relieve the sliding portions of the weight of the curtain.
2. The device according to Claim 1, further comprising an auxiliary track for receiving the sliders and guiding them to the introduction member.
3. The device according to any Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the sliders are formed such that said guide portions are situated below the curtain track when the sliders are attached to the curtain track.
4. The device according to any preceding claim, wherein the sliders are adapted to be attached to the curtain track from below.
5. The device according to any preceding claim, wherein the sliding portion is formed such that it can be latched into or around the curtain track.
6. The device according to any preceding claim, wherein the sliding portion comprises two wing-like flaps which are each connected via a film hinge to the body of the slider and can be pivoted backwards when the slider is being attached to the curtain track.
7. The device according to any preceding claim, wherein the guide means comprises two opposite guide channels in which the guide portion is displacedly guided and borne to relieve the sliding part.
8. The device according to Claim 7, wherein the guide channels are disposed laterally and oppositely in a continuous slot.
9. The device according to Claim 7 or Claim 8, wherein the two guide channels are arcuate and each are of funnel shape at an introduction opening to receive the sliders.
10. The device according to Claim 9, wherein the guide channels terminate at an outlet end tangentially in relation to the curtain track, when the device is being used to attach sliders to the curtain track.
11. The device according to any preceding claim, further having latching means for positioning it on the curtain rail.
12. A method of hanging on curtain tracks curtains provided with sliders, using a hanging device, each slider having a sliding portion for slidable support of the slider by the curtain track and a guide portion, the sliding portion of the sliders being so constructed that the sliders can be attached to the curtain track from positions other than a longitudinal end thereof, the hanging device comprising an introduction member and means for slidably guiding and bearing the guide portion of the slider; the method comprising inserting sliders into the hanging device; relieving the sliding portions of the weight of the curtain while the sliders are in the hanging device; releasably applying the introduction member to the curtain track at positions other than a longitudinal end thereof, and such that they are substantially aligned; and transferring the sliders from the introduction member to the curtain track.
13. A device or method, substantially as herein described with reference to or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.