GB2397490A

GB2397490A - Safety curtain rail hanger and system

Info

Publication number: GB2397490A
Application number: GB0301722A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Hans Gruetzner
Original assignee: Silent Gliss International AG
Current assignee: Silent Gliss International AG
Priority date: 2003-01-24
Filing date: 2003-01-24
Publication date: 2004-07-28
Anticipated expiration: 2023-01-24
Also published as: GB0301722D0; GB2397490B

Abstract

Room divider equipment has a curtain rail (1, 1') attached to a building ceiling (20) by at least one hanger (2, 2'). The hanger (2, 2') has a plug connector (S, S') that detaches at a predetermined loading of the curtain rail (1, 1') thus releasing the curtain rail (1, 1'). Below the plug connector (S, S'), the hanger (2, 2') has an articulated joint (G, G') that enables the curtain rail (1, 1') to swivel sideways, and it would appear that the joint prevents the plug connector from jamming and the curtain rail from damage, when the rail is misused, generally by patients/persons seeking to self-harm themselves. A second embodiment shows a "V" shaped hanger having a joint defined by a fastening component 16 that swivels around and along the band 13b at the base of the "V" shaped hanger, the hanger having in this case a pair of connectors S', one at the upper portion of each arm of the "V" shape.

Description

Curtain Rail SYstem The invention concerns a curtain rail system,

particularly for use as a screening or room-divider equipment, as used for example around beds in hospital wards. The system has a curtain rail that is attachable to a building ceiling by means of at least one hanger, and the hanger has a connector (usually a plug connector) that disconnects at a pre-determined loading on the curtain rail, thus releasing the curtain rail.

Equipment of the aforesaid kind is known from the Applicant's GB 2,359, 732.

lo Equipments of this kind are installed for safety reasons mainly in rooms in which there is a high risk of self-harm or misuse of the equipment, for example in hospital wards for disturbed patients. The plug connector has a resilient split sleeve (spring dowel) that connects two parts of the hanger together by frictional force. If a load is exerted on the curtain rail, for example greater than 20 Kp, the plug connector releases and the two Is parts of the hanger are completely separated from one another. The curtain rail can then no longer support a load and falls down. This involves detachment of the curtain rail from wall holders. This plug connector has the advantage that, after such a separation event, the two parts of the hanger can be joined together again simply and without tools, and the curtain rail can be installed again. 2()

The aforesaid equipment can reduce the aforesaid risk considerably but cannot exclude it completely. The task of at least the preferred embodiment of the invention is now to diminish the said risk even further. Thus the purpose of the equipment according to the preferred embodiment is to ensure with even greater certainty that the curtain rail detaches when a predetermined loading is exceeded. Nevertheless, it should be simple to install and economical to manufacture.

The invention provides a hanger for a curtain rail of the generic type in that, below the connector (which preferably is of the plug type), the hanger has an articulated joint that enables the curtain rail to swivel sideways. The said articulated joint prevents the connector jamming and thus being unable to release. The articulated joint accommodates the downwards movement of the curtain rail and prevents tilting and thus jamming of the lower part of the hanger. Moreover, surprisingly it has become apparent that in addition the articulated joint can prevent damage to the curtain rail, so that the equipment can be re-installed immediately following an incident. This can largely avoid repair work or the replacement of a curtain rail.

A particularly reliably functioning and nevertheless simple embodiment of the equipment according to the invention results when, according to a further configuration of the invention, the articulated joint is arranged at the lower end of the hanger.

According to a further configuration of the invention, the articulated joint is formed by two intermeshing rings.

A particularly robust attachment of the curtain rail results if the hanger has a V-shaped design. The two arms are then each equipped with connectors that release when the curtain rail is loaded beyond a predetermined value.

Further advantageous features arise from the dependent patent claims, the following

description and the drawings.

Preferred features of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the figures are as follows: Figure 1: a three-dimensional elevation of a hanger, Figure 2: an elevation of a hanger, wherein the plug connector is detached and part is removed for clarity, Figure 3: a three-dimensional elevation of a part of the hanger according to Figure 2, wherein again the plug connector is shown detached, Figure 4: a further elevation of the hanger, whereby parts are separated from one another for clarity, Figure 5: diagrammatically, an elevation of a room divider equipment according to the invention, Figure 6: diagrrammatically, a three- dimensional elevation of a room divider equipment, wherein the curtain rail is detached, lo Figure 7: a diagrammatic elevation of a hanger according to a variant, Figure 8: diagrammatically, a three-dimensional elevation of a room divider equipment according to the invention with a hanger according to Figure 7, and Figure 9: diagrammatically, a cross- section through a curtain rail and a partial elevation of a hanger.

The purpose of the hanger 2 shown in Figures 1 - 4 is to suspend a curtain rail 1' according to Figures 5 and 6. The hanger 2 is attached at an upper end to a building ceiling 20 and at a lower end to the curtain rail l or l' respectively. The curtain rail l or l' respectively is also detachably attached at its ends to a building wall 26 by one holder 19 in each case. According to Figure 6, the holders l9 can swivel around a fixing screw 25 and are constructed in such a way that the curtain rail I and 1 respectively can slide downwards out of the holders 19.

In a known manner, the hanger 2 has a plug connector S that can be constructed according to GB 2,359,732. This document is hereby included in the present specification by reference. The plug connector S consists of a plug component 7 and a socket component 10. The plug component 7 has at a lower end a resilient split sleeve that is retained by a cap screw and which connects the plug component 7 to the socket component 10 by frictional force. The frictional force is chosen such that the connector S separates at an axial force of, for example, 20 Kp. Thus, the socket component]0 detaches completely from the plug component 7 when subjected to an axial load in excess of 20 Kp. The connection can be re-made by plugging the two components 7 and 10 together again.

According to Figure 4, the plug component 7 has an external thread 9 and is screwed into a sleeve 6 that has a corresponding internal thread 8. At its upper end, the sleeve 6 is inserted into a sleeve-shaped carrier 4 and is fixed in position by two clamping screws 5. The length of the sleeve 6 can be variable. At)

The hanger 2 has at its lower end an articulated joint G that connects the socket component 10 to a groove block 12. The articulated joint G is formed by a ring 1 Oa of the socket 10 together with a ring-shaped hook 11 onto which the groove block 12 is screwed. The groove block 12 has a threaded hole 28 drilled completely through it, into which a threaded portion] la of the hook 11 is screwed. The groove block 12 is thus attached at the lower end of the socket component 10 so as to be moveable in any sideways direction. The sleeve 3 is rotatable on the plug component 7, and thus the socket component 10 is rotatable relative to the plug component 7 when assembled.

Consequently the groove block can rotate about the axis of the hanger as well as move sideways.

According to Figure 9, the groove block 12 is inserted into an upper channel 27, open towards the top, of the curtain rail I and 1' respectively and thus attaches the curtain rail I and I' respectively to the hanger 2. If the curtain rail I or I ' respectively is loaded in a downwards direction, this force is transmitted through the articulated joint G to the plug connector S. On the other hand, movements around the longitudinal direction of the curtain rail 1 and 1' respectively are not transmitted to the plug connector S or are transmitted only insignificantly. Likewise, no force is exerted on the plug connector S when the curtain rail I or 1' respectively is swivelled out of the horizontal alignment.

so Thus essentially the plug connector S is loaded solely in an axial direction. Thus the plug connector S cannot be loaded by movements of the curtain rail I and 1' in such a way that the plug component 7 and the socket component 10 jam together and thus cannot separate on reaching the pre-determined loading. Equally, these components cannot be damaged by large transverse forces. Thus the curtain rail I and 1 respectively can swivel sideways according to Figure 9 without the function of the plug connector being impaired thereby.

Figures 5 and 6 illustrate the process of release. In Figure 5 the curtain rail I is attached to building walls, not shown here, by two holders 19, and to a building ceiling, again not shown, by one hanger 2. In principle very long curtain rails I can also be attached to the building ceiling using several hangers 2. If the curtain rail is loaded in the region lo of the hanger 2 in the direction of the arrow 22, for example with more than 20 Kp, then both the plug connector S and the connectors of the curtain rail I to the holders 19 will be detached. The curtain rail I together with the curtain drape, not shown here, then fall down. In the proximity of the holder 19, a small loading is sufficient to release the curtain rail 1. In the direction of the arrows 21, a loading of 20 Kp in each case is sufficient to detach the profiled rail I completely. Figure 6 shows the detached curtain rail 1'. So that the curtain rail 1' cannot jam in the holders 19, the holders 19 are swivellable around the fixing screw 25 in the direction of the arrow 24, as shown indicatively here. Thus the curtain rail 1' can be tilted as a result of the said loading without this causing the connectors to the holders 19 and the plug connector 7 to jam.

Thus the said loads of 20 Kp cannot be exceeded.

Figures 7 and 8 show a variant of a hanger 2' which, as is apparent, has a V-shaped construction with a V-shaped piece 13 with two arms 13a. These arms 13a are connected together via a bend 13b.

The two arms 13a are each pushed into a socket component 15 at a free upper end and are secured by clamping screws 29. The socket components 15 each together with a plug component 14 form a plug connection S' that can be constructed in the same way as the plug connector S. Thus the plug connectors S' also detach completely when a so predetermined load is exceeded. As mentioned above, they can be re-made again easily.

The plug components 14 are attached to a building ceiling 20 in the usual way.

G

The bend 1 3b together with a fastening component 13 forms an articulated joint G that performs the same function as the articulated joint G. The component 16 has a passageway 17 through which the bend 13b engages loosely. Thus the component 16 can be swivelled around the axis of the passageway 17. Furthermore, the component 16 can be displaced in the longitudinal direction of the bend lab. A groove block 18 is rotatably retained in the component 16. Thus the groove block 18 can be turned relative to the component 16. The groove block is also inserted into an upper channel of the curtain rail 1, not shown here. This results in a mobility of the curtain rail I in all directions relative to the hanger 2; the curtain rail I is supported in a stable manner by lo the V-shaped construction, but at the same time this also avoids it failing to detach when a predetermined loading is exceeded. In addition, damage to the plug connector S' is to a large extent avoided.

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. Reference numbers appearing in the claims are illustrative only and shall be disregarded in construing the 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.

Room divider equipment has a curtain rail attached to a building ceiling by at least one hanger. The hanger has a plug connector that detaches at a predetermined loading of the curtain rail thus releasing the curtain rail. Below the plug connector, the hanger has an articulated joint that enables the curtain rail to swivel sideways.

Claims

Claims 1. A hanger for attaching a curtain rail to a building ceiling

(20), the hanger (2, 2) having a connector (S. S) that detaches at a predetermined loading of the curtain rail (], 1') thus releasing the curtain rail (1, 1) characterized in that, below the connector (S. S'), the hanger (2, 2) has an articulated joint (G. G) that enables the curtain rail (I, I) to swivel sideways of the hanger.
2. A hanger according to Claim 1, characterized in that the articulated joint (G.

lain G) is arranged at the lower end of the hanger (2, 2').
3. A hanger according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the articulated joint (G. G') permits the curtain rail to be movable in all directions.
4. A hanger according to Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the articulated joint (G) at the lower end of a plug component (10) has a ring (lea) onto which the curtain rail connector (12) is attached in an articulated manner.
5. A hanger according to Claim 4, characterized in that the ring ( I Oa) accommodates a hook (11) in an articulated manner.
6. A hanger according to any one of Claims I to 5, characterized by a groove block (12,18) configured to engage a channel in the curtain rail.
7. A hanger according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the hanger (2') is of V-shaped construction.
8. A hanger according to Claim 7, characterized in that the hanger (2') has a V- shaped fixing component (13) and a connector (S') is provided in each of the two upper ends ofthis fixing component (13).
9. A curtain rail system or room divider equipment comprising a curtain rail and at least one hanger according to any preceding claim.
10. A curtain rail system according to Claim 9, characterized by means for s detachably fixing at least one end of the curtain rail to a building wall (26).
11. A curtain rail system according to Claim 10 characterized that the detachable fixing means is pivotable relative to the wall.

lo
12. A hanger, a curtain rail system or room divider equipment substantially as herein described with reference to or as shown in the accompanying drawings.