AU684131B2 - Curtain track slider - Google Patents

Description

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AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION For a Standard Patent

ORIGINAL

Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: KRESTA BLINDS LIMITED ANDREW CAIRNS STEWART STRETCH o s s os os o o os oo so os o os o os sos oos o o so o ou so oo Address for Service: WRAY ASSOCIATES, Primary Industry House, Terrace, Perth, Western Australia, 6000.

239 Adelaide Attorney code: WR Invention Title: "CURTAIN TRACK SLIDER" Details of Associated Provisional Application: No: PM4274 PM8946 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- 1 1 -5 91~ 2 THIS INVENTION relates to curtain tracks and in particular relates to the sliders of curtain tracks.

Curtain tracks which are currently in use generally comprise a channel section which has an open face which is directed substantially laterally and which is defined between a pair of opposed inwardly directed flanges. The channel section provides support for a slider which is received through the open face whereby the iriwardly directed flanges prevent outward movement of the slider.

In some cases this slider is slidably received over the flanges where the engagement between flanges is generally loose. The sliders support a curtain hook from a downwardly depending hook support element provided on the slider whereby the hook hangs from the slider and is adapted to be engagable with the heading of the curtain.

It is usual practice for these hooks to be freely suspended from the support element. Due to the configuration of the curtain hooks, when they hang freely from the support, they are disposed such that the portion that receives and supports the heading of the curtain is not located vertically but is generally disposed at an angle. When the hooks are used to support full length curtains, this misalignment is overcome by the more significant weight of the curtain such that they adopt a generally vertical configuration. However, when such hooks are used with lightweight curtains or valences they cause the lightweight curtains or valences to hang at a non-vertical manner which can be unattractive.

It is an object of this invention to provide a slide. for curtain tracks which is able to positively engage with the curtain track and which is able to support the curtain hook such that the heading support portion lies substantially vertical.

I P ~IL~b alg-l~p Accordingly the invention resides in a slider for a curtain track where the curtain track includes a channel section having an open face defined between a pair of opposed inwardly directed flanges, said slider comprising a track engaging portion and a hook support portion which depends from the track engaging portion to lie below the channel section when the slider is in position on the track, said hook support portion comprising a retention means adapted to engage with a curtain hook to retain said curtain hook in a substantially fixed position relative to the slider and wherein the hook support portion is disposed at an angle such that when the slider is supported from the track the hook is retained by the hook support portion with a heading engagement portion of the hook substantially vertical.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the retention means is adapted to engage a portion of the hook and hold it to the hook support portion to substantially prevent relative movement therebetween.

*oo* According to a preferred feature of the invention the hook support portion further comprises an extended portion having an aperture formed therein which is adapted to receive the hook.

V.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the retention means comprises a flange overlying a section of the extended portion to define a internally laterally directed recess therebetween, the hook being receivable in the recess to be held in a substantially fixed position relative to the extended portion.

According to an alternative preferred feature of the invention the retention means comprises a pair of spaced apart flanges, the flanges defining a recess therebetween, 4 the hook being receivable in the recess to be held in a substantially fixed position relative to the extended portion.

According to a further alternative preferred feature the invention the aperture is spaced inwardly from a lower edge of the extended portion, the retention means being dispensed between the aperture and the lower edge of the extended portion.

According to a further feature of the invention the extended portion is formed as a tubular element, the aperture extending through the tubular element to define a bore.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the track engaging portion comprising a pair of opposed elements and a resilient bridging means between the elements, each element being formed with an outwardly directed recess, said recess being configured to be slidingly received by the flanges in use.

The invention will be more fully understood in the light of the following description of two specific embodiments. The 0 description is made with reference to the accompanying drawings of which; Figure 1 is cross sectional view of a curtain track having a slider according to the first embodiment mounted thereto; Figure 2 is a front elevation of a curtain track having a slider of the form shown at Figure 1 mounted thereto; ~s -1 I= YB~11 5 Figure 3 is a rear elevation of a curtain track having a slider of the form shown at Figure 1 mounted thereto; Figure 4 is a cross sectional view of a curtain track having a slider according to the second embodiment mounted thereto; Figure 5 is a front elevation of a curtain track having a slider of the form shown at Figure 4 mounted thereto; Figure 6 is a rear elevation of a curtain track having a slider of the form shown at Figure 4 mounted thereto; and Figure 7 is an upper perspective view of a slider of the form shown at Figure 4.

The first embodiment is directed to a slider 20 for use in a curtain track 11. The curtain track II takes a substantially conventional form which comprises a first goo channel section 12 and a second channel section 15. The first channel section 12 is located uppermost and has an open face 13 directed upwardly. The open face 13 is defined between a pair of opposed inwardly directed flanges 14 and is intended to be engaged with a suitable support mounted to the upper frame of a window or from a wall adjacent the upper edge of the window.

The second channel section 15 is formed with a laterally directed open face 16 which is defined between a pair of opposed inwardly directed flanges 17. When the track 11 is mounted in position over a window the open face 16 of the second channel section 15 is directed toward the window and is intended to support a plurality of sliders 20 which in I~ IB~LSs31--a LB -6turn are each required to support a curtain hook 40 which is used to support a curtain.

The curtain hook 40 (only the upper portion of which is shown in Figure 1) is formed with a hooked portion 41 which is engagable with the slider 20 and a heading support portion 42 which is intended to lie in a substantially vertical position and is engagable with the curtain heading.

The hooked portion 41 is connected at its lower end (not shown in Figure 1) to the heading support portion 42 by a downwardly depending leg 43. The hooked portion 41 comprises an outer portion 41a which is receivable through an aperture 21 formed in the slider 20 and an inner portion 41b which is substantially linear and is disposed at an angle to the heading support portion 42.

The slider 20 comprises a track engaging portion 22 and a hook support portion 23.

The track engaging portion 22 comprises a pair of opposed elements 24 and 25 which are each formed with an outwardly directed recess 26. Each recess 26 is configured to receive and be positively engaged with the adjacent flange 17 of the open face 16 of the second channel 15 when in use. The S" elements 24 and 25 are interconnected by a resilient bridging portion 27 and are held in spaced relation such that they slidingly engage with the flanges 17 of the open face 16 of the second channel section 15. On resilient :compression of the bridging portion 27 the elements 24 and can be brought into close engagement with each other such that they can be disengaged from positive engagement with the inwardly directed flanges 17 of the second channel section 15 to facilitate mounting and dismounting of the slider 20 from the track 11.

The hook support portion 23 is formed with a downwardly depending leg 28 which is intended to extend substantially A vertically from the track engaging portion 22. The lower 7 end of the leg 28 includes an obliquely directed extended portion 29.

The extended portion 29 has a lower edge 30 and bearing surface on its forward face. The aperture 21 is formed in the extended portion 29 at a position spaced upwardly from the lower edge 30. The extended portion 29 is disposed at an angle such that when the slider 20 is in position on the curtain track 11, the extended section 29 is substantially in alignment with the inner portion 41b of the hook 40 to place the heading support portion 42 of the hook 40 in a substantially vertical position.

The extended portion 29 is also formed with a retention means in the form of a flange 31 disposed between the lower edge 30 and the aperture 21. The flange 31 overlies the extended portion 29 to define a laterally directed recess 32. The hook 40 is receivable in the recess 32. The flange 31 is intended to engage the inner portion 41b of the hook 40 and hold it in close abutting relationship with the extended portion 29 when the hook 40 is received in the recess 32 and substantially prevents relative movement between the hook 40 and the hooked support portion 23.

The second embodiment is illustrated at Figures 4, 5 and 6 and is of a similar form to the first embodiment. The same reference numerals have been used in the drawings in relation to corresponding components.

The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in relation to the hook support portion 23, in particular the extended portion 29 which is provided at the lower end of the downwardly depending leg 28. In the case of the second embodiment the extended portion 29 is in the form of a tubular element 50 fixed to the lower end of the downwardly depending leg 28. The tubular element 50 has an internal bore defined by the aperture 21 and dimensioned to snugly

II

8 receive the outer portion 41a of the hooked portion 41 of the curtain hook The tubular element 50 is disposed at an angle whereby it will hold the curtain hook 40 such that the heading support portion 42 is maintained substantially vertical when the slider 20 is in position on the track 11. In addition, the upper edge of the tubular portion 50 is formed with a recess 51 defined between a pair of spaced apart flanges 52. The recess 51 is adapted to receive an upper portion of the hook 40 forming the junction between the inner and outer portions 41a and 41b, whereby the hook 40 is held between the flanges 52 thereby preventing the curtain hook from pivoting within the tubular element Each of the embodiments provide a slider for a curtain track where the slider is positively retained in position in the curtain track and where the curtain hook is "'""positively received by the slider and supported substantially rigidly from the slider whereby the heading support portion of the curtain hook is disposed S4 substantially vertically. As a result lightweight curtains e and valences can be supported from the curtain hook without loss of attractiveness due to the alignment of the curtain hook It should be appreciated that the scope of the present invention need not be limited to the particular scope of the embodiments described above.

For example, the flange 31 of the first embodiment could be replaced by a pair of spaced apart flanges defining an outwardly directed recess therebetween. The hook 40 is then receivable in the recess defined between the flanges to prevent relative rotational movement between the hook and the extended portion 29 and to hold the hook 40 in a substantially fixed position relative to the extended portion 29.

Claims (7)

1. 2. A slider for a curtain track as claimed at claim 1 wherein the retention means is adapted to engage a portion :of the hook and hold it to the hook support portion to substantially prevent relative movement therebetween.
2. 3. A slider for a curtain track as claimed in any one of :..the preceding claims, wherein the hook support portion further comprises an extended portion having an aperture formed therein which is adapted to receive the hook.
3. 4. A slider for a curtain track as claimed in claim 3, 0 wherein the retention means comprises a flange overlying a section of the extended portion to define a laterally directed recess therebetween, the hook being receivable in the recess to be held in a substantially fixed position relative to the extended portion. A slider for a curtain track as claimed in claim 3, wherein the retention means comprises a pair of spaced apart flanges, the flanges defining a recess therebetween, the ~I hook being receivable in the recess to be held in a substantially fixed position relative to the extended portion.
4. 6. A slider for a curtain track as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the aperture is spaced inwardly from a lower edge of the extended portion, the retention means being dispensed between the aperture and the lower edge of the extended portion.
5. 7. A slider for a curtain track as claimed in any one of the claims 3 to 5, wherein the extended portion is formed as a tubular element, the aperture extending through the tubular element to define a bore.
6. 8. A slider for a curtain track as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said track engaging portion comprising a pair of opposed elements and a resilient bridging means between the elements, each element being formed with an outwardly directed recess, said recess being configured to be slidingly received by the flanges in use.
7. 9. A slider for a curtain track substantially as described herein, with reference to Figures 1-3 or 4-6 of the accompanying drawings. DATED this TWELFTH day of AUGUST 1997. KRESTA BLINDS LIMITED Applicant Wray Associates Perth, Western Australia Patent Attorney for the Applicant 11 ABSTRACT A slider for a curtain track where the curtain track includes a channel section having an open face defined between a pair of opposed inwardly directed flanges, said slider comprising a track engaging portion and a hook support portion which depends from the track engaging portion to lie below the channel section when the slider is in position on the track, said hook support portion comprising a retention means adapted to engage with a curtain hook to retain said curtain hook in a substantially fixed position relative to the slider. ei C CS