GB2372199A

GB2372199A - Flexible curtain rail and support therefor

Info

Publication number: GB2372199A
Application number: GB0200851A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Desmond Joseph O'shea
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-01-15
Filing date: 2002-01-15
Publication date: 2002-08-21
Anticipated expiration: 2022-01-15
Also published as: GB0200851D0; GB2372199B

Abstract

A flexible curtain rail comprises a hollow core formed by a plastics-covered spirally wound wire 116 within which is a flat resilient strip 115 of eg spring steel. The ends of the rail are received in units 114 having a pair of limbs 21,22 which extend into the core, either side of the strip, and a sleeve 119 slidable on body 125 to expose the limbs. The units 114 provide length adjustability. The rail assembly is mounted to a surface by means 130 having a snap closing jaw which engages the ends of the assembly and which may have a resiliently loaded over-centre actuator (35 Fig 3). The strip is held in place in the core by welding or by using a core with an oval cross section.

Description

- 1 CURTAIN RAIL ASSEMBLIES AND MOUNTING MEANS THEREFOR

DESCRIPI ION

Technical Field

This invention relates to curtain rail assemblies and mounting means therefor. In particular (but not limited thereto) the invention is concerned with such rail assemblies having a low-weight capacity and suitable for so-called net curtains that remain 10 stationary in use and are not drawn to and fro in use.

Background Art

A well known inexpensive form of net curtain rail is provided by a flexible tightly coiled wire providing a 'rail' of circular cross-section that is stretched between two 15 points. The wire coil of circular crosssection is usually covered by a sleeve of plastics material. The inherent flexibility of this construction leads to disadvantages firstly of undue sagging in the middle of a long run between the two points (i.e. where these are distanced a long way apart), and secondly that the rail cannot readily follow a curved path, e.g. around a bay window.

Summarv of the Invention With a view to permitting these and/or other disadvantages to be minimised and potentially overcome, a first aspect of the present invention provides a curtain rail having a hollow core formed from spirally wound wire and, within the core, an 25 elongate flat strip of resilient material (e.g. spring-steel).

The resilient strip in use permits greater flexibility in a direction normal to the plane of the strip than in a direction containing or within the plane of the strip. Accordingly, with the curtain rail mounted with the strip disposed in a vertical plane, the curtain rail 30 can flex around a curve (e.g That associated with a bay window) and can extend a considerable distance in a horizontal plane without noticeable sagging.

- - In one preferred embodiment each turn of the spirally wound wire follows a generally oval path, the several turns being of identical size and form and overlying one another to provide the curtain rail with a generally oval cross-section.

5 In another embodiment each turn of the spirally wound wire follows a generally circular path, the several turns being of identical size and form and overlying one another to provide the curtain rail with a generally circular cross-section.

Preferably, in this latter embodiment, the strip and spirally wound wire core are held 10 against mutual relative rotation-e.g. by welding the strip ends to the core.

To form a curtain rail assembly, said curtain rail may be provided at one or each end with a length adjusting end unit. The end unit may be connectable to the rail at any selected distance-between a predetermined minimum and a predetermined maximum 15 -from its actual end to provide for adjustment of the effective overall length of the rail assembly. Alternatively, and preferably, the or each end unit may be mounted to the associated curtain rail end for relatively sliding motion with respect thereto-

between minimum and maximum length constraints-such as to function as a lost motion device.

Preferably, for functioning as a lost motion device, the or each end unit comprises an elongate bifurcated element to extend in use into the core of the curtain rail with the two limbs of the bifurcated element passing one each side of the flat resilient strip, the free ends of the two limbs having projections directed laterally towards the interior face 25 of the core, retainer means being provided at a location between the projections and the free end of the unit (i.e. rearwardly of the projections) such as to restrain the end piece against subsequent withdrawal from the rail. With such a construction, the rail and end units co-operate telescopically to provide for adjustment of the effective overall length of the rail assembly, and there is no need for the rail to be under 30 longitudinal tension.

- 3 Advantageously, in one embodiment, the retainer means is provided by inwardly directed deformations of the core.

Alternatively, in another embodiment, the retainer means is provided by a plate 5 member inserted between two adjacent turns of the spirally wound wire at said location. According to a second aspect of this invention there is provided mounting means for a curtain rail-preferably, but not necessarily, a curtain rail according to the first 10 aspect of the invention-said mounting means comprising a body to be mounted on a support surface (e.g. ceiling, window frame, pelmet or the like), and a jaw mounted in said body to engage or entrap a curtail rail presented thereto, said jaw being resiliently urged towards a rail retaining position.

15 Preferably said jaw is provided with a resiliently loaded overcentring actuator adjacent the pivot point for the jaw such that pressure on said actuator by a curtain rail causes the jaw to close about or upon the curtain rail in a snap-closing manner.

Advantageously two mutually pivoted jaws are provided, the two jaws being of 20 different length. In use the body is positioned such that the longer jaw is uppermost and can extend more to the front of the rail than the lower jaw. This is to minimise disturbance by the lower jaw to the drape and appearance of the net curtain.

According to a third aspect of this invention, there is provided a curtain mounting 25 system comprising a curtail rail assembly composed of a curtail rail according to said first aspect of this invention with a length adjusting end unit at least one end thereof, and mounting means according to said second aspect of the invention to mount the curtain rail assembly to a support surface.

30 Brief Description of the Drawings

By way of example embodiments of this invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Figure 1 is a partly broken away side elevation of a curtain rail assembly in a first embodiment of this invention, 5 Figure 2 is a diagrammatic crosssectional view taken along the line II-II of Fig 1, Figure 3 is a side view of mounting means for a curtail rail, preferably a rail as that of Figs 1 and 2, Figure 4 is a front elevation of the mounting means of Fig 3, Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line V-V of Fig 4.

10 Figure 6 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a modified end unit to that provided in the assembly of Fig. 1, Figure 7 is a diagrammatic crosssectional view taken along the line VII-VII of Figure 6, through a curtail rail assembly in a second embodiment of this invention, 15 Figure 8 is an end view of a retainer plate shown in Fig 7, Figure 9 is a diagrammatic perspective view of modified mounting means for a curtail rail, Figure 10 is a similar view to that of Fig 9 but showing the mounted assembly supporting a net curtain, and 20 Figure 11 is a schematic plan view of a curtain mounting system embodying this invention. Detailed Description of Example(s) of the Invention

The curtain rail assembly 10 of Figs 1 and 2 is for supporting net curtains that remain 25 stationary in use and are not drawn to and fro in use. The assembly comprises a curtain rail 12 attached to and extending between a pair of length adjusting end units 14.

The rail 12 has a hollow core 16 formed from spirally wound wire and, within the core, an elongate flat strip 15 of resilient material (e.g. spring-steel). In this 30 embodiment, each turn of the wire coiled core 16 follows a generally oval path, the several turns being of identical size and form and in overlying contact with one another

- 5 to provide the curtain rail with a generally oval cross-section. The wire coiled core 16 is covered by a sleeve 18 of plastics material.

The resilient strip 15 in use permits greater flexibility in a direction normal to the plane 5 of the strip than in a direction containing or within the plane of the strip. Accordingly, with the curtain rail mounted with the strip disposed in a vertical plane, the curtain rail can flex around a curve (e.g. that associated with a bay window of curved or rectangular form, or with a simple corner window) and can extend a considerable distance in a horizontal plane without noticeable saggingsee Fig. 11.

Each end unit 14 provides for adjustment of the effective overall length of the rail assembly 10. To achieve this, in the present embodiment, each end unit 14 is mounted to the associated curtain rail end for relatively sliding motion with respect thereto-

between minimum and maximum length constraints-such as to function as a lost 15 motion device. For this, each end unit 14 comprises an outer sleeve 19 and, internally spaced therefrom, an elongate bifurcated element 20 to extend in use into the core 16 of the curtain rail with the two limbs 21,22 of the bifurcated element 20 passing one each side of the flat resilient strip 15. The free ends of the two limbs 21,22 have hemi spherical (or otherwise shaped) projections 24 directed laterally outwards towards the 20 interior face of the corers, and the latter is deformed at a location between those projections 24 and the free end of the end unit 14 (i.e. rearwardly of the projections 24)-preferably closely adjacent the end of the core 16, e.g. as at the diametrically opposite clench-formed depressions 25-such as to restrain the end piece 14 against subsequent withdrawal from off the rail 12.

The outer sleeve 19 of each end unit 14 is a thin skin of generally oval shape such as to be a snug sliding fit over the outer sleeve 18 of the rail 12. It extends past the free end of the associated bifurcated element 20 and effectively shrouds the inner element to ensure that nothing can catch on the hem or tunnel of a net curtain that is passed 30 over the rail assembly 10. Furthermore, the arrangement is such that strength and self supporting rigidity of the the rail assembly 10 is retained even though a length

- 6 adjustable characteristic is provided and the stiffening provided by the resilient strip 15 is no longer present.

With such a construction there is no need in use for the rail 12 to be under longitudinal 5 tension, and the rail 12 and end units 14 co-operate telescopically to provide for adjustment of the effective overall length of the rail assembly. Thus the assembly can be produced in a range of nominal sizes and each nominal size can be utilised to provide a rail assembly to extend over a range of lengths. For example, a range of nominal sizes can be provided in steps of 20cm by providing two end units 14 each 10 with its limbs 21,22 slightly in excess of lOcm length to permit, at each end of the assembly, a possible "lost motion" of lOcm and a possible change in overall effective length by that extent.

The curtain rail assembly 10 is in use mounted on a support surface (e.g. ceiling, 15 window frame, pelmet or the like) by a plurality of mounting means 30 holding or supporting the rail assembly at locations spaced apart longitudinally along the rail assembly. Each of said mounting means 30 comprises a body 32 having flat upper and rear surfaces 31 and 39 to facilitate attachment by an adhesive pad onto said support surface. Alternatively or additionally, the surfaces 31,39 may be apertured to facilitate 20 attachment of body 32 onto said support surface by screws or other fasteners. Each body 32 carries a pair of snap-closing jaws 33, 34 that extend forwardly out from a cavity 38 in body 32 to engage a curtain rail 12 presented thereto. At least one of the jaws 33,34 is integrally molded with a resiliently loaded over-centring actuator 35 adjacent the pivot point 36 of the two jaws 33,34 such that pressure on said actuator 25 35 by a curtain rail 12 causes the jaws 33,34 to close about or upon the curtain rail 12.

Resilient loading of actuator 35 is provided by a coiled compression spring 37.

Advantageously the two jaws 33,34 are of different length. In use the body 32 is presented to the support surface such that the longer jaw 33 is uppermost and can 30 extend more towards and/or overlap the front of the rail 12 than the lower jaw 34. This

- - is to minimise disturbance by the lower jaw 34 to the drape and appearance of a net curtain hanging from rail 12.

The length adjusting or length accommodating end units 14 are shaped such that they 5 can be supported from the support surface by identical mounting means 30 as are utilised for supporting (and snap-fitting to) the rail 12. This is illustrated in Figure 11 by the location of just three mounting means mutually spaced apart around a semi circular bay window.

10 It will be appreciated that the cross-sectional shape of the core 16 need not be oval and may have any suitable cross-sectional shape. It may, for example, be circular.

Additionally or alternatively, only one end unit 14 may be provided. Additionally or alternatively, the or each end unit may have a quite different manner of attachment to the rail 12 than as described above. Examples of these modifications are illustrated in 15 Figs 6 to 10.

Thus, as best seen from Figs 6 to 9, the oval cross-sectional rail described above may alternatively be as the illustrated rail 112 which is of circular (or annular) cross-section comprising a spirally-wound wire core 116 covered with a thin cylindrical sleeve 118 20 of plastics material. This rail 112 also has a flat resilient strip 115 of spring steel extending throughout its length and, to avoid relative rotation or angular movement between strip 115 and rail 112, the two are spot welded to one another at each end. To assist the user to maintain strip 115 in a vertical attitude throughout its run, the exterior of the sleeve may be provided with suitable identification means, e.g. the provision of 25 a differently coloured band to one side of the rail.

The curtain rail assembly 110 of Figs 6 to 9 comprises the rail 112 and, at each end, a length adjusting or length accommodating end unit 114. The main body of end unit 114 is somewhat longer than that of Fig 1 and it has a longer recess 125 in its exterior 30 (-e.g. of length 25mm) and diameter corresponding to the outer diameter of the rail 112. This body supports a longitudinally slidable sleeve 119 that can be withdrawn to

- 8 expose the elongate bifurcated element 20 having (as before) two limbs 21,22 with outwardly directed projections 24 at their free ends. To construct the curtail rail assembly 110 the thus exposed limbs 21,22 are inserted into the end of rail 112 with one limb to each side of the spring steel strip 115. Means to retain the end units 114 5 on the rail 112 are provided at each end of the assembly by a disc-like plate member 120 (Figs 7 and 8) inserted between two neighbouring turns of the wire of rail 112 adjacent to the end of the rail. The disc-like member 120 has an almost circular outer edge 121 of diameter commensurate with that of the wire coil of rail 112, and an inwardly directed U-shape cut-out or slot 122 wide enough to pass over the two limbs 10 21,22 of the end unit 114 but narrower than the distance across the two projections 24.

The retainer plate 120 can thus sit comfortably and unseen within the sleeve 119 (when that is slid over the rail 112) but can still allow movement of end unit 114 relative to the rail 112-by a distance commensurate with (slightly less than) the length of the limbs 21,22-and, to limit that movement and prevent removal of the end unit 114 15 from off the rail, can still be engaged by the limb projections 24.

The curtain rail assembly 110 can be mounted in position by mounting means 30 as described above or by mounting means 130 as illustrated in Figs 9 and 10. (It is considered that the latter may also be used to support any other curtail rail assembly :20 according to this invention, e.g. one as shown in Figs 1 and 2, or even a conventional curtain rail assembly).

The illustrated mounting means 130 comprises a body 132 having flat upper and rear surfaces 131 and 139 to facilitate attachment by an adhesive pad onto a support surface 25 (e.g. ceiling, window frame, pelmet or the like) . Optionally, the body 132 may have flange-like extensions to its upper surface 31, these extensions being provided with holes to permit attachment to the support surface by screws inserted therethrough. Each body 132 has a through-going slot or cavity 138 having a cross-section akin to the numeral "8" composed of a generally circular upper portion 138b and a generally 30 circular lower portion 138_ that, at intervals along its length, is provided with blind bores 137. The slot or cavity 138 contains a rail retention member 135 having a

generally rod-like element 134 retained in the bottom portion 138_ of cavity 138 and having, as an upwardly directed extension from the element 134, an arcuate jaw-like element 133 that conforms to the radius of the upper portion 138_ of the slot or cavity 138. The generally rod-like element 134 is provided on its lower surface with a 5 tapering (e.g. eccentrically arcuate) cut-out 136 engageable by a coiled compression spring 135 located in (each) blind bore 137.

With the mounting means 130 attached to the support surface at intervals along the intended course of the curtain, e.g. the arcuate course shown in Fig 11, the curtail rail 10 assembly 110 (or some other) can be presented to each mounting means-in the direction of arrows A of Figs 9 and 10-to enter into the upper portion 138b of the "8"-shaped slot or cavity 138 of each mounting means 138. The generally rod-like element 134 is then rotated in the direction of the arcuate arrow shown in Fig 9 to bring the arcuate jaw 133 around the top of the rail assembly and hold it firmly in 15 position and against withdrawal from the mounting means 130. This position is best shown in Fig 10 which illustrates a curtain 135 with touches or pleats above and below the sewn tunnel through which the rail assembly 110 extends. It will be apparent from Fig 10 that the touches or pleats are not unduly disturbed by the jaw 133 retaining rail assembly 110 and that the entry of spring 135 into cut-out 136 serves, in effect, to hold 20 the jaw 133 in its rail assembly retaining position in which it extends just past, and around, the top of the rail assembly.

In a modification, the mounting means 130 for the two ends of the assembly 110 may each provide for the jaw 133 to enter into the recess 125 in each end unit 114 and thus 25 provide a neater appearance and, in addition, restrain the assembly 110 against longitudinal movement relative to the mounting means 130.

In another modification, the or each end unit may omit the bifurcated limbs 21,22 and simply have a spigot that can be connected to the rail by the sleeve 119 of plastics 30 material. A length of nylon cord or twine connects between the spigot and a hole drilled diametrically through the spiral-wound core of the rail adjacent the end of the

- 10 rail, and this cord or twine is stored within the sleeve 119 after it has been slid back to extend between the end unit and the core of the rail. Length adjustment-by 'lost motion'-of the rail assembly is then possible within predetermined limits appropriate to the length of cord or twine employed.

Other modifications and embodiments of the invention, which will be readily apparent to those skilled in this art, are to be deemed within the ambit and scope of the invention, and the particular embodiment(s) hereinbefore described may be varied in construction and detail, e.g. interchanging (where appropriate or desired) different 10 features of each, without departing from the scope of the patent monopoly hereby sought and specified in the following Claims.

Claims

- 11 CLAIMS

1. A curtain rail having a hollow core formed from spirally wound wire and, within the core, an elongate flat strip of resilient material.

2. A curtain rail according to Claim 1 wherein the elongate flat strip of resilient material is of spring-steel.

3. A curtain rail according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein each turn of the wire 10 follows a generally oval path, the several turns being of identical size and form and overly one another to provide the curtain rail with a generally oval cross-section.

4. A curtain rail according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein each turn of the wire follows a generally circular path, the several turns being of identical size and form and 15 overly one another to provide the curtain rail with a generally circular cross-section.

5. A curtain rail substantially as herein described and/or as illustrated in Figs. l and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

20

6. A curtain rail assembly comprising a curtain rail according to any preceding Claim and provided at one or each end with a length adjusting end unit.

7. A curtain rail assembly according to Claim 6 wherein the or each end unit is connectable to the rail at any selected distance-between a predetermined minimum 25 and a predetermined maximum-from its actual end to provide for adjustment of the effective overall length of the rail assembly.

8. A curtain rail assembly according to Claim 6 wherein the or each end unit is mounted to the associated curtain rail end for relatively sliding motion with respect 30 thereto-between minimum and maximum length constraints-such as to function as a lost motion device.

- 12

9. A curtain rail assembly according to Claim 8 wherein the or each end unit comprises an elongate bifurcated element to extend in use into the core of the curtain rail with the two limbs of the bifurcated element passing one each side of the flat resilient strip, the free ends of the two limbs having projections directed laterally 5 towards the interior face of the core, retainer means being provided at a location between the projections and the free end of the end unit (i.e. rearwardly of the projections) such as to restrain the end piece against subsequent withdrawal from the rail.

10 10. A curtain rail assembly according to Claim 9 wherein the retainer means is provided by inwardly directed deformations of the core.

11. A curtain rail assembly according to Claim 9 wherein the retainer means is provided by a plate member inserted between two adjacent turns of the spirally wound 15 wire at said location.

12. A curtain rail substantially as herein described and/or as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

20

13. A curtain rail mounting means comprising a body to be mounted on a support surface (e.g. ceiling, window frame, pelmet or the like), and a jaw mounted in said body to engage or entrap a curtain rail presented thereto, said jaw being resiliently urged towards a rail retaining position.

25

14. A curtain rail mounting means according to Claim 13 wherein said jaw is provided with a resiliently loaded over-centring actuator adjacent the pivot point for the jaw such that pressure on said actuator by a curtain rail causes the jaw to close about or upon the curtain rail in a snap-closing manner.

30

15. A curtain rail mounting means according to Claim 14 wherein two mutually pivoted jaws are provided, the two jaws being of different length.

- 13

16. A curtain rail mounting means substantially as herein described and/or as illustrated in any one of Figs 3,4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.

17. A curtain mounting system comprising a curtain rail assembly according to any 5 one of Claims 6 to 11, and curtain rail mounting means according to any one of Claims 13 to 16 to mount said curtain rail assembly to a support surface.