GB2310364A

GB2310364A - Curtain pole assemblies

Info

Publication number: GB2310364A
Application number: GB9702464A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter John Bolton
Original assignee: McKechnie UK Ltd
Current assignee: McKechnie UK Ltd
Priority date: 1996-02-20
Filing date: 1997-02-06
Publication date: 1997-08-27
Also published as: GB9603503D0; GB9702464D0

Abstract

An end fitting (10) for engagement at an end of a curtain pole (12) to bear against a wall surface (13) comprises a socket (24), into which the end of the curtain pole is received, a compression spring (25) within the socket and acting on the pole (12) to bias it outwardly, and, around part of the outer periphery of the socket, an annular portion (19a) which, with an eyelet (27) screwed into the annular portion, has the appearance of one of the curtain rings normally used with the pole for sliding the curtain therealong. The annular portion and eyelet thus provide attachment means for a conventional hook at an end of the curtain, so as to anchor said end to the end fitting, with the attachment means providing the appearance of a captive ring. The end fitting is of wood and the annular portion can be produced by machining.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO CURTAIN POLE ASSEMBLIES This invention relates to a curtain pole assembly which carries, in use, curtain support rings which are slidable along the curtain pole and support a curtain. The curtain pole assembly can be for use at a conventional window or can be for use in a bathroom or shower room, to support a shower curtain. As used herein the term 'pole' includes both metallic and wooden poies and rods, whether tubular or solid.

Generally the pole will be of circular or part-circular cross-section. The term 'curtain' includes both conventional curtains and also other dividing/screening members such as screens, hangings, tapestries and the like.

According to a first aspect of the invention, and end fitting for engagement at one end of a curtain pole comprises means for use in attaching to the end fitting an end of a curtain, carried, in use, by rings slidable on the curtain pole, thereby to fix said end of the curtain against sliding movement.

This first aspect also relates to a curtain pole assembly including such an end fitting.

Preferably the means of the end fitting has the appearance of one of said slidable rings.

Desirably the majority of the means of the end fitting is integral.

Conveniently the end fitting is made of wood, with said majority of said means being formed by machining the end fitting.

Advantageously the curtain pole is solid and also made of wood. More preferably the end fitting is formed with a socket in which an end of the curtain pole is received, with biasing means being in the socket and arranged between the end fitting and the curtain pole.

According to a second aspect of the invention, an end fitting for engagement at one end of a curtain pole comprises a socket in which is received an end of the curtain pole, in use, and biasing means in said socket to resist inwards movement of said curtain pole end received in said socket.

The second aspect also relates to a curtain pole assembly including such an end fitting with said biasing means.

Desirably the curtain pole and/or the end fitting is of wood. Conveniently the biasing means is a compression spring. Advantageously an outer end surface of the end fitting has a seal therein to engage against a wall surface, in use. Preferably the end fitting has means for use in attaching to the end fitting an end of a curtain carried, in use, by rings slidable on the curtain pole. More preferably the end of the curtain pole received in said socket is closed.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, the single figure of which shows an end fitting as part of a curtain pole assembly of the invention, with the pole shown with a break between its ends.

The curtain pole assembly illustrated in the drawing is formed with a first end fitting 10, and a second end fitting 11, into which the respective opposite ends of a solid wooden, circular-section curtain pole 12 are received. As illustrated, the end fittings 10, 11 are engaged against respective parallel facing spaced-apart wall surfaces 13, 14, but in one aspect of the present invention relating to the fixing of one end of a curtain carried by the assembly to one of the fittings, these end fittings could instead be more in the form of conventional brackets secured in a spaced apart relationship above a window opening to carry the pole 12.

Each end fitting, which is preferably made of wood, such as beech, appropriately painted/stained, is generally in the form of a wall surface engaging flange, from one side of which an integral socket portion extends. Each end fitting is of circular cross-section, both externally and also with regard to the internal socket. In the drawing, the flange of end fitting 10 is denoted by numeral 15, with the socket portion thereof shown at 16. Correspondingly for the end fitting 11, the flange and socket portions are denoted by the numerals 17, 18 respectively. The flanges of the two end fittings are of substantially identical shape and size, and the respective socket portions thereof are also of similar form, although, as will be described, the socket portion of end fitting 10 is somewhat longer than that of end fitting 11 and has curtain attachment means 19 on its outer surface.For each end fitting, the wooden part thereof is a one-piece construction.

Looking at the end fitting 10 in detail, it can be seen that its flange 15 has a generally flat outer surface 20. However in this surface is provided an annular groove 21 in which is fitted an 0-ring seal 22 which engages wall surface 13, in use, as shown in the drawing. Extending centrally, axially through the flange is a stepped bore 23, this breaking into the bottom of a circular-section opening 24 defined in socket portion 16.

Received in this opening 24 is a coiled compression spring 25, of a length, when uncompressed, shorter than that of the opening.

The majority of the outer periphery of the socket portion 16 is of circular section, being of a diameter less than the outer diameter of the flange 15 at the end of the fitting which engages the wall surface. However adjacent the flange the socket portion is formed on its outer periphery with the curtain attachment means 19 previously referred to. This largely comprises an annular member 19a having its outer periphery of partcircular form, so as to have the appearance of a part of a curtain ring, such as that shown at 26, loosely, slidingly engaged on pole 12. Whilst the side of the annular member 19a remote from the flange 15 is relatively straight at its junction with the periphery of the socket portion 16, its other side is more curved, down to the socket portion periphery.

However the overall effect, in use, is of one of the curtain rings 26 being carried on the end fitting 10, and spaced from the flange 15 by the width of a ring 26. The attachment means 19 has a metal eyelet 27 screwed into it, so that it lies generally vertical, in use, and this reinforces the appearance of the attachment means 19 and eyelet as a captive curtain ring 26, since as can be seen from the drawing, the ring shown on the pole 12 also has a similar eyelet 28. The end fitting is thus in the form of a wholly wooden body part, to which the seal 22 and eyelet 27 are added.

The annular member 19a of attachment means 19 can conveniently be formed in the machining process which produces the end fitting 10 itself, namely merely by machining away between the part of the fitting which in the finished article forms the flange and the annular member 19a.

However this member 1 9a could be a separate part secured onto the periphery of the socket portion 16 by suitable means, such as adhesive or the like. In such a case the annular member 19a need not be of the same material as the remainder of the end fitting, it however being preferred that the material of this annular member 19a is the same as that of the curtain rings 26 so as to maintain the appearance of the attachment means being a curtain ring on the end fitting 10. It is however within the scope of the invention that the attachment means on the end fitting 10 is of some other form and does not resemble a ring 22, it merely providing some means by which an end of a curtain carried by the assembly can be secured to the end fitting by engagement of a curtain hook or the like.

The second end fitting 11 is, as already described, of similar form to the first end fitting 10, with the other significant difference being that it does not have any fixed curtain attachment means. As shown in the drawing, the flange 1 7 has a rear surface of identical form to the surface 20 of end fitting 10, having therein an annular groove 29 containing an O-ring seal 30, there being through the flange 17 a stepped bore 31 of the same form and position as the bore 23. The drawing shows the curtain pole 12 having its respective opposite ends received in the socket portions 16 and 18 of the end fittings 10 and 11, with the end of the pole in the socket portion 16 engaging against the compression spring.

A plurality of curtain rings 26 would be loosely, slidably engaged on the pole 12, the curtain being carried by the rings 26 in any suitable manner, for example by way of hooks on the curtains engaging through the eyelets 27 and 28 respectively. As mentioned, it is intended that a hook at or adjacent one end of the curtain is engaged with the fixed eyelet 27 so that, in use, for example where the curtain pole assembly is used in a bathroom or shower room, with the assembly engaged between facing, parallel wall surfaces 13 and 14 thereof, opening and closing of the curtain is easily accomplished with its one end fixed at the first end fitting 10.

On assembly, the curtain pole is cut to an appropriate length which will enable its one end to be fitted into the socket portion 18 upon pressure on the pole forcing it into the first end fitting 10 and compressing the spring 25, the fitting 11 having been secured to the wall surface 14 by appropriate fixing means at the stepped bore 31. Alternatively it may be possible to secure instead the end fitting 10 by the use of its stepped bore 23.It will be appreciated that with the length of pole 12 appropriately cut, pressure forcing the pole into the end fitting 10 can be released, whereupon one end of the pole is forced by the spring to engage against the bottom of the socket portion 18, with the other end of the pole being retained within the socket portion 16, the spring being in its uncompressed or only lightly compressed state, but nevertheless effecting retention of the pole 12 at the position shown in the drawing.

Instead of the pole being solid, it could be tubular, with it engaging the end of the compression spring across its annular thickness, so that there is no tendency for the spring to enter the tube. Other forms of providing the required force on the end of the pole instead of a compression spring could be used. In the second aspect of the invention, the curtain attachment means 19 on the end fitting 10 can be omitted, with the curtain being slidable solely by way of the loosely engaged curtain rings 26. It would of course be possible, in either aspect of the invention, to provide the spring in the end fitting 11 rather than the end fitting 10, or to have a spring in each end fitting.

The fitting 11 could be omitted, the free end of the pole remote from the end fitting 10 merely engaging the surface 14 directly. An end fitting could be in the form of, or incorporate part of, a conventional support bracket for the pole, extending normal thereto, and positioned at or near an end of the pole if provided with curtain end attachment means. With end fittings 10, 11, the tubular socket portion could have its closed end received in a socket in the flange portion and, for example, glued thereto. The member 19a could be on the flange portion in such a case.

Claims

1. An end fitting for engagement at one end of a curtain pole, the end fitting having means for use in attaching to the end fitting an end of a curtain, carried, in use, by rings slidable on the curtain pole, thereby to fix said end of the curtain against sliding movement.

2. A fitting as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said means includes an eyelet for engagement by a curtain hook to secure the end of the curtain to the end fitting.

3. A fitting as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein part of said means of the end fitting is formed by an outer peripheral portion of the end fitting.

4. A fitting as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein said means of the end fitting has the appearance of a curtain ring.

5. A fitting as claimed in Claim 2, wherein said means includes an annular portion around the outer periphery of part of the end fitting, the annular portion having the appearance of part of a curtain ring, and having said eyelet attached thereto.

6. A fitting as claimed in Claim 5, wherein said annular portion is integral with said outer periphery.

7. A fitting as claimed in Claim 5 or Claim 6, wherein a flange is provided at one of its ends, its other end being formed by an open ended socket part, an end of the curtain pole being received in said socket part, in use.

8. A fitting as claimed in Claim 7, wherein biasing means is disposed in said socket part, and arranged to act, in use, between the end fitting and said curtain pole.

9. A fitting as claimed in any one of Claims 5 to 8, wherein the whole of a body part of said end fitting is of wood.

10. A fitting as claimed in Claim 9, having said annular portion formed by machining said wooden body part.

11. A fitting as claimed in Claim 5 or Claim 6, wherein the annular portion is adjacent to, but spaced from, a flange at one of the ends of the fitting.

12. A fitting as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, having at one of its ends a face for engagement at a wall or similar surface, in use.

13. A fitting as claimed in Claim 12, wherein said face is normal to a central longitudinal axis of the fitting.

14. A fitting as claimed in Claim 13, having a socket in which said end of the curtain pole is received, in use, the socket having a central longitudinal axis, and there being a through aperture extending from a closed inner end of the socket to said face, an axis of the aperture being parallel to said axis of the socket, which itself constitutes said central longitudinal axis of the fitting, fixing means being receivable through the aperture to secure the fitting to said wall or similar surface, in use.

15. A fitting as claimed in any one of Claims 12 to 14, wherein an annular groove in said face receives an annular seal which engages said wall or similar surface, in use.

16. A curtain pole assembly comprising a curtain pole, and an end fitting, as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 15, engaged at one end of the curtain pole.

1 7. An end fitting for engagement at one end of a curtain pole, the end fitting comprising a socket in which is received an end of the curtain pole, in use, and biasing means in said socket to resist inwards movement of said curtain pole end received in said socket.

18. An fitting as claimed in Claim 17, wherein the biasing means is a compression spring acting, in use, between a closed end of the socket, and said end of the curtain pole.

19. A fitting as claimed in Claim 18, wherein the compression spring, in an uncompressed state, is of shorter length than the socket.

20. A fitting as claimed in any one of claims 1 7 to 19, having means for use in attaching thereto an end of a curtain, carried, in use, by rings slidable on the curtain pole.

21. A fitting as claimed in Claim 20, wherein said means has the appearance of a curtain ring.

22. A fitting as claimed in Claim 21, wherein said means includes an annular portion around the outer periphery of the socket.

23. A fitting as claimed in Claim 22, wherein said means incudes an eyelet extending from said annular portion for engagement by a curtain hook.

24. A curtain pole assembly comprising a curtain pole, and an end fitting, as claimed in any one of Claims 1 7 to 23, engaged at one end of the curtain pole.

25. A curtain pole assembly as claimed in Claim 16 or Claim 24, wherein at the other end of the curtain pole is engaged a further end fitting.

26. A curtain pole assembly as claimed in Claim 25, wherein the end fitting and the further end fitting have respective outer faces each for engagement at a wall or similar surface in use, the faces lying in respective planes normal to the length of the curtain pole.

27. An end fitting for engagement at one end of a curtain pole substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to, and as shown in the accompanying drawing.

28. A curtain pole assembly substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to, and as shown in the accompanying drawing.