DK1327742T3 - Draperies not rectangular surfaces - Google Patents

Description

Description:

The invention relates to a curtain for non-rectangular surfaces, in particular with four or five corners, with an upper rail, an intermediate rail and a fixed lower rail, between each of which is arranged a blind, and with a stop device, by which the intermediate rail, in its upper position, is held parallel to the lower rail. A curtain of this type is disclosed in EP 0 639 688 B1. This document shows in practical terms a so-called pleated curtain that is also the main focus of the invention. These types of curtain serve to cover non-rectangular, mostly pentagonal window surfaces, as occur in roof gable areas. For this, a first blind with an angled edge that corresponds to the slope of the roof is stretched between a first upper rail and an intermediate rail. A second, mostly right-angled blind is arranged between the intermediate rail and a lower fixed rail, and is either directly fixed on the lower fixed rail or on a separate lower moveable rail.

In the latter case the second blind can also be opened upwards.

When the intermediate rail is in its upper position, it pushes with one of its ends into a corner formed by the angled edge and a thereto connected vertical edge of the window surface. Another fixed rail, in which for example, a clamping device for the cords of the blind is located, is often arranged in the angled edge. The intermediate rail then pushes with one of its ends against the lower side of this rail. The other end of the intermediate rail is disengaged, such that this end of the rail could be moved further up and the rail can be tilted. This is visually undesirable and leads to malfunctions. In the curtain according to EP 0 639 688 B1 a stopper is provided for this purpose which is clamped onto one of the tensioning cords of the curtain. This variant is indeed very favourable from the point of view of installation costs. However, the functionality of the pleated curtain is restricted, in that the upper first blind cannot be fully telescoped together and also the upper first blind, together with the second lower blind, cannot be completely moved down onto the lower fixed rail. Moreover, the stopper can be seen and may likewise be considered unsightly.

From this starting point the invention is based on the problem of further developing a curtain of the type cited in the preamble, such that the intermediate rail is easily prevented from tilti ng without restricting the functionality of the curtain.

To solve this problem, the curtain according to the invention is characterised in that the stop device is a stop cord of a fixed length is threaded at least from the intermediate rail to the lower rail, wherein a length compensation means is attached to the stop cord and, depending on the position of the intermediate rail, compensates for each of the different distances between the intermediate rail and the lower fixed rail, and the stop cord is threaded from one end of the intermediate rail which faces away from an angled edge of the non-rectangular surface, over a corresponding end of the lower fixed rail and the other end of the lower fixed rail to the lower corner of the angled edge, and from there to the end of the intermediate rail which faces towards the lower corner of the angled edge. A stop cord of this type can be easily mounted and is not considered unsightly. There is no functional impairment of the curtain on opening the upper first blind as the stop cord does not jam and the upper first blind, together with the lower second blind, can be moved completely down.

In the simplest case, one end of the stop cord can be attached to the intermediate rail and the other end fastened to the lower fixed rail. However, when the intermediate rail is partially or completely pushed down the stop cord would then hang loosely down. For this reason, in accordance with a development of the invention, a length compensation means is provided that compensates for the different distances between the intermediate rail and the lower fixed rail.

Further features of the invention refer to constructional details of the length compensation means.

The invention is described below in more detail for an embodiment that is illustrated in the drawing. The drawings show:

Fig. 1 a curtain with the inventive features where the intermediate rail is in an upper position,

Fig. 2 the curtain according to Fig. 1 where the intermediate rail has been moved partially down.

The pleated curtain 10 shown in Figs 1 and 2 is intended for window surfaces in a gable roof, for example for studio windows. The curtain 10 has an upper fixed rail 11 and a lower fixed rail 12. Another fixed rail 13 may be arranged in an angled edge of the window surface. The fixed rails 11, 12, 13 are primarily intended to hold tensioning cords and to accommodate clamping means for the tensioning cord. In the context of the present invention they are not significant and are therefore left out for reasons of improved clarity.

In addition, the curtain 10 has an upper moveable rail 14, a moveable intermediate rail 15 and a lower moveable rail 16. A first, upper blind 17 is clamped between the upper moveable rail 14 and the intermediate rail 15, and a second, lower blind 18 is clamped between the intermediate rail 15 and the lower moveable rail 16. In this regard, the lower moveable rail 16 is optional.

The lower blind 18 can also be directly attached to the lower fixed rail 12. The lateral edges of the blinds 17 and 18 are tensioned by a tensioning cord, in the present case by a circumferential rubber cord 19.

When closing the blinds 17, 18, the upper moveable rail 14 is moved against the upper fixed rail 11, and the lower moveable rail 16 against the lower fixed rail 12, such that on the one hand the rails 11 and 14 and on the other hand the rails 12 and 16 are in contact with one another. As shown in Fig. 1, the intermediate rail 15 is moved upwards until one of its ends 20 (on the left in Figs 1 & 2) lies in a corner formed by the angled edge and a vertical edge of the window surface connected thereto. This end 20 of the intermediate rail 15 therefore abuts against the lower end 21 of the angled fixed rail 13. As can be recognised in Fig. 1, the opposite end 22 (on the right in Figs 1 & 2), is not upwardly braced, such that this end 22 could be moved further upwards and the intermediate rail 15 can be tilted. In order to prevent this, a stop cord 23 is provided (shown with a dashed line in Figs 1 & 2). The stop cord 23 is of fixed length and thus has negligible extensibility in relation to its length.

The stop cord 23 is attached by one of its ends to a fastening point 24 on the intermediate rail 15. The fastening point 24 is located in the region of the end 22. From here the stop cord 23 is then guided approximately vertically downward to the lower fixed rail 12 by threading it through the lower moveable rail 16. The stop cord is actually guided to the right hand end 25 of the lower fixed rail 12, as shown in Figs 1 & 2.

For the stop cord 23 to function, it would be sufficient were it fastened to the lower fixed rail 12 on a fixed fastening point in the area of the (right) end 25. Flowever, if the intermediate rail 15 were partially (Fig. 2) or completely pushed down, the stop cord 23 would then hang loosely down. Consequently, for visual reasons this variant is not preferred. Rather, a compensation for the length of the stop cord 23 is foreseen for when the intermediate rail 15 is partially or completely pushed down. This is realised in practise in that the stop cord 23 is guided inside the lower fixed rail 12 to the opposite (left) end 26 of the lower fixed rail 12. From there the stop cord 23 runs approximately vertically upward through the lower moveable rail 16 and the intermediate rail 15 to the lower end 21 of the angled fixed rail 13. The stop cord 23 is then fed back again to the intermediate rail 15, where it is attached to a fixed fastening point 27. The stop cord 23 is therefore looped around in the area of the angled fixed rail 13. Flere, the stop cord 23 initially runs some distance upward at an angle in the angled fixed rail 13 before being guided back to the intermediate rail 15. In this way the stop cord 23 can be threaded through the upper blind 17 such that the cord runs directly beside one of the tensioning cords (not shown) for the blind 17, and is thus not noticeable.

From the above description and the Figs 1 & 2 it is clear that the stop cord 23, as it is shortened on the left hand side (as shown in Figs 1 & 2), will be pulled to the right, such that the length of the stop cord 23 is compensated for and it is always kept tight.

As an alternative to the illustrated and above described length compensation, a spring, which can be stretched as far as a stop position, could also be provided in one of the rails 11 ..16, preferably in the lower fixed rail 12.

Furthermore, one could consider a length compensation by means of a gravitational counterweight.

Insofar as “left” and “right” is mentioned in the above description, this always refers to the illustration of Figs 1 & 2. The curtain 10 may also be constructed mirror symmetrically, whereupon the handedness is inverted.

List of reference numerals: 10 curtain 11 upper fixed rail 12 lower fixed rail 13 angled fixed rail 14 upper moveable rail 15 intermediate rail 16 lower moveable rail 17 upper blind 18 lower blind 19 rubber cord 20 end 21 end 22 end 23 stop cord 24 fastening point 25 end 26 end 27 fastening point

Claims (3)

1. The screen for the non-rectangular surfaces, in particular with four or five corners, an upper movable rail (14), a moveable between the rail (15) and a lower fixed rail (12), between which there is arranged each with its own shield (17, 18), and with a stopping device, by means of which the rail (15) is retained in its upper position parallel to the lower rail (12), characterized in that the stop device is a stop cord (23) having a fixed length and extends at least from the intermediate rail (15) to the lower rail (12), wherein to stop the cord (23) is attached a length compensating device, by means of which, depending on the rail (15) position are offset different distances between the intermediate rail (15) and the lower fixed rail (12), and stopping the cord (23) extending from an end (22) of the intermediate rail (15) which faces away from an inclined edge of the non-rectangular surface over a corresponding end (25) of the lower fixed rail (12) and the second end (26) of the lower fixed rail to the lower vertex of the bevel, and from there to the end (20) of the intermediate rail (15) which is facing towards the inclined edge lower corner point.

2. The curtain of claim 1, characterized in that the stop cord (23) with one end is fixed to the rail (15) at a fixed mounting point (24).

3. The curtain according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the stop cord (23) with its other end also attached to the rail (15) at a fixed mounting point (27).