JP2009533120A - Drape curtain fittings - Google Patents

Abstract

Curled curtain comprising support means (11, 12) and curtain coupling means (21, 15) extending from the support means so as to be alternately coupled to the tops (P) and valleys (T) of the scissors in the curtain (13) Drape curtain fitting for attaching. The present invention can be accomplished with either a single rail, track or pole using a special coupler (33) or a dual track system.

Description

  The present invention relates to a drape curtain fitting, and more particularly to a rail for hanging a curtain or drape.

  The two most common curtain configurations on windows in the home situation utilize either rails with multiple sliders each attached to the edge of the curtain, or poles hung through a series of grommets. The curtain is then typically arranged to have a plurality of folds when suspended from a rail or pole.

  Maintaining a consistent habit as the curtain is pulled across the window is sometimes a problem. It is desirable to have an aesthetically pleasing appearance, i.e. regular spacing of the folds.

  Proposed solutions to the irregular wrinkle problem are the use of tape that is sewn across the back of the curtain in a barbed condition, or plastic tabs that extend from one eyelet to another. Providing an interval / limit function.

  Both of these solutions involve additional operations to be performed during curtain manufacture and are a permanent part of the curtain. Moreover, these solutions are not particularly suitable for use with existing curtains in the home.

  In a first broad aspect of the present invention, a drape curtain for mounting a curtain comprising support means and curtain coupling means extending from the support means to be alternately coupled to the tops and valleys of pleats in the curtain. Hardware is provided.

  In order to achieve consistent habit results, the broad intent of the present invention can be realized in several different ways. The first method involves placing two supports (eg, parallel rails, tracks, poles, or combinations thereof) each with a sliding curtain coupler, and curtains from each support at the top and trough of the fence. Are alternately connected to the coupler.

  In other words, in a second broad aspect of the invention, the first and second configured to receive the curtain coupling means such that the curtain is alternately coupled to both the first and second curtain supports. Drape curtain fittings comprising a curtain support (eg rail, track or pole) are provided.

  Preferably, the first and second curtain supports are secured together in a spaced relationship. However, in one form, the first and second curtain supports may be separated by adjustable means that increase or decrease the gap between them.

  Preferably, the first and second curtain supports can be two parallel curtain rails or curtain rails and curtain poles.

The second broad feature is
Installing a first curtain support and a second curtain support parallel to the first curtain support;
Alternately placing curtains on the support between the first support and the second support via the coupling means,
This also changes the way the curtains are installed.

  It will be apparent that this method can be modified to retrofit an existing curtain support by incorporating a second support in parallel and then hanging the curtain alternately between them.

  A second way to achieve a consistent coffin broad intention involves providing a single support rail with special couplers that extend in alternating directions with respect to the curtain at the top and trough of the coffin.

  Accordingly, in a third broad aspect of the present invention, there is provided a drape curtain fitting comprising a main support (e.g., rail, track or pole) configured to receive a plurality of curtain coupling means. Extend from the support in alternating directions from adjacent curtain coupling means.

  The main support is sufficient if it is a conventional design, but the curtain coupling means is an extension that projects outwardly from its suspension axis (and generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the main support in use). And includes connector means at its distal end for coupling to the curtain.

  Thus, adjacent curtain coupling means are alternately arranged to extend in opposite outward (preferably vertical) directions from one another relative to the support.

  Preferably, each curtain coupling means is slidably mounted on / in the main support. The connector means for attaching to the curtain can be a clip, a small ring, or other suitable mechanism.

  In one form, the curtain coupling means may be connected together by a spacing element. The spacing element can be flexible or rigid.

  The resulting curtain appearance according to the present invention is a barbed structure that zigzags between curtain coupling means in plan view. In that case, the curtain has a more consistent fold in the pulled position and is more compact and orderly bundled in the non-drawn position, allowing more light to enter the room.

  Curtains installed in accordance with the present invention move more freely (easier to pull) than conventionally installed curtains of the same weight. This is because it effectively has twice the connection point to the curtain support. This extra support corresponds to less force required to move the curtain.

  The basic principle of the present invention is best illustrated by FIG. A pair of curtain supports, poles 11 and rails 12 are arranged parallel to the wall (usually above the windows in the building). Curtains 13 are arranged to be alternately coupled between poles 11 (via rings 21) and rails 12 (via gliders 15) to provide a zigzag plan view. The coupling to the supports 11 and 12 controls both the front side and the rear side of the cage in the curtain 13.

  Throughout the description, curtain configurations are described as either “zigzag” or “top and valley”. These are interchangeable and simply refer to the desired tack properties in the curtain.

  In FIG. 1, the curtain coupler is a slider 15 that includes a selection of holes 15a and 15b for coupling to the curtain (via a conventional hook element not shown). These holes correspond to the thickness of the pole 11. In a standard 16-19 mm pole, an upper hole 15a is used. In a standard 28 mm pole, the lower hole 15b is used. These ensure that the curtain rods are evenly connected at the same height between the first and second supports.

  The slider 15 also includes a bead control code lock 15c at its distal end. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, this accepts a bead code 26 that performs the spacing function for the heel. The spacing thus further improves the consistency of wrinkles desired by the present invention.

  Figures 4-6 illustrate an alternative embodiment of a dual rail system for use in hanging a curtain according to the present invention. In FIG. 4, the slider 15 includes a clip 15d at its end for connection to the curtain. Protruding from the rear side of the slider 15 is the cord lock 15c so that when the bead cord is installed (as in FIGS. 2 and 3) it is cleverly hidden from view behind the curtain.

  A similar arrangement of sliders can be seen in FIGS.

  With particular reference to FIG. 6, further improvements to this embodiment include attaching it directly to the ceiling (rather than attaching to wall W by bracket 19) and installing the lighting effect.

  The narrow profile of the embodiment of FIG. 6 makes the curtain appear almost “floating” when installed with the curtain, since only the thin edge 11a is visible from most locations in the room.

  FIG. 7 illustrates a “twist and lock” spacing element that can be installed with rails 12 (FIG. 8) in a side-facing position on the wall (compared to the downside of the previous drawing). The spacing element 30 can be introduced into the slot 14 in the rail 12 and then twisted to prevent it from being pulled out of the slot 14.

  Next, the bead cord 26 maintains the elements 30 at regular intervals as shown in FIG.

  FIGS. 9-11 illustrate an embodiment of the present invention that uses a single rail, as opposed to the double parallel rail previously described herein.

  The rail 31 includes a slot 32 that receives the curtain coupling element in the usual manner. The functionality of the present invention is found in the coupler element 33 itself. As best shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the coupler 33 includes a head 34 configured to be engaged and maintained in the slot 32, a downwardly extending body 35, and a vertically extending strut 36. And a slider design. At the distal end of the strut 36 is a connection means 37, which can be a clip or simply a hole that receives a hook or other connection known in the art.

  The strut 36 does not have to be strictly vertical as long as it extends generally outward from the suspension shaft.

  A bead lock 38 is found at the body end of the strut 36 to receive the bead cord 26 and thereby perform the spacing function.

  When installed for use, the top P and trough T of the curtain 13 are alternately connected to the rail 31 by couplers 33. This maintains the curtain 13 in a barbed state with a regular height (determined by the length of the strut 36) and a width (due to the bead cord 26).

  The rails 31 can be of conventional design or can have new functions or shapes.

  FIGS. 12-14 illustrate a rail / coupler embodiment similar to FIGS. 9-11 except that the spacing means is internal to the rail 31 (hidden from view).

  In this embodiment, a rigid spacing element 39 slides within the clip 40 over the head 34 of the coupler 33. To prevent further movement, a fastener 41 at the end of the element 39 captures the clip 40 of the adjacent coupler 33. In this way, when the curtain is “opened” (tightly bundled folds), the spacing elements 39 are staggered, but when the curtain 13 is pulled and closed, it is illustrated in FIG. Spread over a sufficiently stretched interval.

  Such spacing system structures are well known in the vertical blind art. It has the advantage of being hidden in the rail 31 relative to the bead cord, but to achieve a similar result, the bead cord configuration can also be hidden in the rail 31 (by attaching a bead lock on the head 34). Is possible.

  FIGS. 15-17 illustrate an alternative embodiment in which the rail 31 has a triangular cross-sectional shape. In other respects, the sliding motion of the coupler 33 in the slot 32 is the same as described previously.

  As shown in FIG. 15, the bead cord 26 spans alternating couplers 33 having bead locks 38 at the ends of the struts 36. This ensures that the bead cord is maintained only towards the back of the curtain and is more hidden from view compared to FIG.

  The coupler 33 can be sized to fit within an existing rail or can be modified to cooperate with a pole. For example, the head 34 can be replaced with a ring to be hung on a curtain pole.

  FIGS. 18 to 20 show a further embodiment featuring a triangular rail 31 and a sliding spacing element 39 as in FIG. It is otherwise operated in the same way.

  21 to 24 show alternative forms of the slider 15. Generally, each (rear) slider has the bead cord 26 installed from the side as opposed to being hung through a keyhole 15c as illustrated in the previous embodiment (eg, FIG. 1). Including a “G-shaped” bead lock 15d. This allows for additional versatility in the installation process. The slider 15 still includes a hole 15a for receiving the curtain hook 42.

  Various rail types are illustrated in FIGS. 21-24, including the “C” and “J” type side mounting tracks in FIG. 24, which are also shown in detail in FIG. FIG. 26 is similar to FIG. 8 except that it includes a back slider (43) with a G-shaped bead lock 15d (which performs the function of the spacing element 30 in FIG. 8).

  Referring to FIG. 25 a, the slider 43 is arranged to slide freely on the track 12, and the slider in FIG. 25 b is arranged to be clipped into the rear of the track 12.

  FIG. 27 illustrates a slider for use with the “single rail” embodiment shown in FIGS. 9-20. It is unsatisfactory to use a single-structure slider because the connector means 37 (eg as shown in FIG. 10) is visible from the front side of the curtain 13 when installed on either side of the heel I understood. To address this, FIG. 27 shows a gooseneck glider that arcs (returns) back to the position behind the curtain when installed. As such, the connector means 37 and curtain hook 42 are all attached only to one side of the curtain. This mounting side is not visible from inside the room where the curtain is installed.

  In use, alternating sliders (eg, as in FIGS. 10 and 27, respectively) cooperate to improve the appearance of the installation curtain.

  In order to achieve the wrinkle effect of the present invention, it may be possible to use a conventional slider alternately with the special slider of the present invention (FIG. 10 or 27). In this way, only one of every two sliders extends laterally from the support means (rail 31). However, this configuration can lead to unbalanced stress on the coupling means.

  FIG. 28 illustrates an overall view of the heel spacing mechanism 44. This is a saddle type folding structure that controls the curtains to be the same size when the curtain is drawn. The saddle type mechanism is preferably coupled to the glider 33, which is then coupled to the curtain 13.

  FIG. 29 shows one embodiment of a configuration for adjusting the distance between the support rails 11 and 12. This requires a bridging piece 25 that is pivoted at each end. Such a configuration works best when the rails are of the same type (as opposed to poles and rails as in FIG. 2), but any combination is possible.

Industrial applications All components are manufactured from available materials and processes. Rails and poles usually consist of metal (or wood for poles) structures. The slider is injection molded from plastic for economy.

  The present invention provides an elegant solution to the problem of cluttered and inconsistent wrinkles in curtains mounted on rails, tracks, poles, or the like.

  It should be noted that a significant unforeseen advantage of the present invention is that the curtain is easier to pull when the curtain has twice the hanging connection points of the conventional design. As such, the disadvantages of heavy woven curtains ("heavy" and resists being pulled) are reduced.

  Upon examining the above description, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art how to install or retrofit the curtain to achieve the results of the present invention. Existing curtains may need to be provided with additional fixing points for sliders (couplers), or they can be very easily retrofitted.

It is an end view which shows the drape curtain metal fitting according to the embodiment of this invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the curtain of FIG. 1 in a drawn state and a non-drawn state. It is the front view and back view which respectively show the front and back according to a 1st embodiment. FIG. 6 is an end view of a drape curtain fitting in accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is an end view of a drape curtain fitting in accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is an end view of a drape curtain fitting in accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a spacing system for use with the present invention. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the spacing system of FIG. 7 installed in a rail. FIG. 6 is an overall view showing an embodiment according to the third aspect of the present invention. It is an expanded view which shows the structural component of the curtain coupler according to the 3rd characteristic. It is an end view which shows the coupler of FIG. FIG. 6 is an overall view showing a further embodiment according to the third aspect of the invention. It is an expanded view which shows the structural component of the curtain coupler according to the 3rd characteristic. FIG. 4 is an end view showing the coupler of FIG. 3. FIG. 6 is an overall view showing a further embodiment according to the third aspect of the invention. It is an expanded view which shows the structural component of the curtain coupler according to the 3rd characteristic. FIG. 17 is an end view showing the coupler of FIG. 16. FIG. 6 is an overall view showing a further embodiment according to the third aspect of the invention. It is an expanded view which shows the component part of two curtain couplers according to the 3rd characteristic. FIG. 20 is an end view showing the coupler of FIG. 19. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating an alternative slider designed for use with the present invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating an alternative slider designed for use with the present invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating an alternative slider designed for use with the present invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating an alternative slider designed for use with the present invention. a is a schematic diagram illustrating an alternative back slider design, and b is a schematic diagram illustrating an alternative back slider design. It is a perspective view which shows the back part slider in the predetermined position similar to FIG. FIG. 21 is a schematic diagram illustrating an improved slider design for use in the embodiment of FIGS. 9-20. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a heel spacing means for use with the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing rail spacing means for use with the present invention.

Claims (15)

  A drape curtain fitting for mounting a draped curtain, comprising: support means; and curtain coupling means extending from the support means configured to couple to both the crest and trough of the crease in the curtain. Curtain fittings.   The drape curtain fitting according to claim 1, wherein the coupling means couples the curtain alternately between the top and the valley.   3. A drape curtain fitting according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the support means are first and second curtain supports respectively configured to receive the curtain coupling means.   The drape curtain fitting according to claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein the supporting means is a rail, a track, a pole, or a combination thereof.   The drape curtain fitting according to claim 3, wherein the first and second curtain supports are fixed in a spaced relationship.   4. A drape curtain fitting according to claim 3, wherein the first and second curtain supports are separated by adjustable means to increase or decrease the gap between them.   3. The support means according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the support means is a single rail, track or pole configured to receive a plurality of curtain coupling means each extending to couple to the top and valley of the ridge. Drape curtain hardware as described.   The drape curtain fitting according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising heel spacing means.   9. The drape curtain fitting according to claim 8, wherein the heel spacing means is a cocoon-shaped structure associated with the coupling means.   A curtain assembly comprising a drape curtain fitting according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a curtain coupled to the coupling means at both the top and the trough of the ridge in the curtain.   Curtain coupling means comprising a coupler coupled to the curtain support and a strut extending outwardly from its suspension shaft, comprising a connector at the end of said strut for coupling to the curtain.   The curtain coupling means according to claim 11, wherein the coupler is a slider or a grommet coupled to a rail, a track, or a pole.   13. Curtain coupling means according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the end of the strut has a return or curved back section to allow it to connect with the back of the curtain. A method for installing a curtain,
Installing a first curtain support and a second curtain support parallel to the first curtain support;
Alternately mounting curtains on the support between the first support and the second support via coupling means;
Method.   The method of retrofitting an existing curtain according to claim 14, wherein the first curtain support is already in place.

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