GB2208589A - A clamp for a curtain rail - Google Patents

Abstract

A clamp 27 for a curtain cord 5 comprises a body portion 31, 32, 33 and a look member 36 which is pivotally attached at one end 35 to the body portion 33. The other end of the lock member 36 engages with a stepped portion 34 of the body portion 32. A claw-like structure 37 clamps the cord 5 between the lock member 36 and the body portion. A runner assembly 25, to which a curtain can be attached, has an opening for permitting engagement with the clamp 27 so that the runner can be run along the length of the curtain rail 1 in response to movement of the cord 5. The opening permits easy access to the lock member thereby enabling opening and closing thereof when engaged with the runner assembly 25. <IMAGE>

Description

A CLAMP FOR A CURTAIN RAIL The invention refers to a clamp for a curtain rail and, more specifically but not exclusively, to the assembly for the control of the cords operating the different curtain support pieces in their movement for the translation or aperture and closure thereof.

Said system or assembly comprises a rigid and elon gated profile of varying configuration, which constitutes the rail itself and inside which the curtain transport cords run, said curtain being suspended from a plurality of run ners which slide in a channel provided in the very profile of the rail. This profile is complemented with two end casings or grooves being suitably coupled at said profile ends and wherein the support and guiding pulleys of the ope ration cords are located, being provided with this aim with two vertically arranged pulleys and a third one horizontal ly arranged, for the support of the operation cords and for resending them, respectively.

Naturally, the cords usually emerge by one of the profile ends, called the operation end, and they vertically fall down to such a height that it can be operated from the floor, whether by hand or by a motor.

The end casings or grooves are provided with holes allowing the assembly to be seized, either from lateral suz ports fixed to the wall, or directly from the ceiling, also including holes for suspending the curtain ends, as well as a location at the rear part to receive a short separator profile for the connection with an opposed groove belonging to a parallel rail with respect to the first one, for use in double installations of two crossed curtains.

The pulleys provided in each one of the end grooves or casings are mounted on a especially configurated support capable of vertically moving when operating on a pin that emerges out of the corresponding casing or groove, so that the lower position of said support corresponds to that of normal operation or of wording of the assembly, .this being a position in which said support interferes witch the rail lower channel in order to block the way and to prevent the curtain suspension runners from going out. At the upper position of said support,the channel along which said runners move, communicates, free of obstacles, with the lower zone of the groove or casing, thereby establishing a sufficient aperture for the extraction or insertion of the runners, after which the support recovers its lower position and the chsnnel is closed again.

The horizontal puly for the return of the cord faces a hole performed in the rear face of the groove or casing, which allows the cord to emerge laterally and hori zontally, thereby enabling the assembly of double installations (two crossed curtains) with the same operation cord.

The cord goes out of a groove in a horizontal position per pendicularly to the front of the profile, and it enters in the same position the groove of the second parallel profile, resting on the horizontal pulleys thereof, so that in the opposite control side the cord loop leans against both ver tical pulleys of the opposed grooves.

The runners cited up to now whereon the curtain is suspended are elements freely arranged in the corresponding channel defined to this effect in the rail profile.

Now then, so as to drag the curtain it is necessary for it to be attached to some runners, hereinnfter called main run ners, which are hauled by the very cord operation, so that one of such main runners will be attached to a clamp that fixes the cord ends, meanwhile the other main runner is attached to other clamp called graduation clamp, by means of which the distance between both main runners can be graduated so that both are arranged in the assembly in a con- pletely opposing way allowing thus the total aperture of the curtain and, of course, the closure thereof.

As it is obvious, said both clamps are mounted in respective channels foreseen or performed inside the pro file constituting the rail, which channels obviously are those for the location of the two branches of the operation cord.

The main object of the present invention lies just in the aforementioned graduation clamp, which, in conventio nal systems, is attached to the respective branch of the cord by means of nails or fasteners, carrying with it the needs to remove the bolts that fix the suspension runner to the main runner, all that in the given case that the latter must be unblocked with respect to the graduation clamp itself.

So as to avoid these disadvantages, the new structure of said graduation clamp has been provided, so that its position can be perfectly graduated with respect to the cord to which it is attached with no needs to remove any bolt when one intends or wishes to break the blockade of the main runner of the cord itself.

In this regard, the aforementioned graduation clamp is formed by a preferably plastic piece wherein a tubular portion open in the longitudinal direction is formed so as to allow the insertion of the cord, in such a way that the clamp blockade on the cord is carried out by means of some kind of claw that forms part of a metal piece mounted between some projections radially deriving from the end zones of the above mentioned tubular portion, said metal piece being capable of tilting by the operation of a suitable tool, for instance a screwdriver, in order to allow the separation of the claw with respect to the cord and be able thus to graduate the clamp assembly, to press then said metal piece and make the claw penetrate the cord, all that without the necessity to take apart the main runner attached to said graduation clamp and, of course, without the necessity to remove the bolts that fix the suspension runner to said main runner.

According to the structure of the assembly herein .described, it is possible to change curtains with different support points without dismounting the assembly, by adding or removing single suspension runners.

It is also possible to change the curtain closing or opening direction without dismountings, by changing run ners from one side to the other.

Double installations can also be made with the same drive or unifiei drive.

Finally, as-the main, already mentioned, advantage it is possible tc graduate the main runner with respect to the graduation clamp to which it is attached with no needs to dismount any kind of bolt or piece whatsoever, by merely actuating on the metal piece that forms part of said gradua tion clamp assembly.

For a better comprehension of this specification and as an integral part thereof, a series of drawings is hereto attached, the figures of which, with an illustrative and not-limiting character, represent the following: Figure 1.- It is a partial perspective view of the control assembly for driving curtain rails according to the present invention.

Figure 2.- It is a longitudinal elevational sectional view showing the casing or groove lodging the support carrying the pulleys, welded to the end of the profile constituting the rail, partially represented.

Figure 3.- It is a perspective partial view showing a double installation for the assembly of two crossed curtains with the same operation cord.

Figure 4.- It shows a cross-section of the rail corresponding to the cut line A-B of the preceding figure.

Figure 5.- It is a longitudinal view of the rail with the end grooves or casings whereinto the pulleys for Guiding the cord are mounted, also showing the different main runners enabling the displacement of the curtain itself to both sides.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken along the line C-D of Figure 5.

Figure 7.- It shows a lateral elevational view of the graduation clamp attached to the corresponding branch of the geration cord, showing the metal piece upwardly tilted and being therefore unblocked with respect to such a branch of the cord.

Figure 8.- It shows a perspective view of the graduation clamp itself as represented in the preceding figure, mounted on the operation cord branch, all that in the position of lodging in the corresponding channel constituting the Figure 9.- It shows a front perspective view of the way how the main runner is attached with respect to the very graduation clamp as represented in the preceding two figures, all that mounted on the rail, such a figure showing a tool, marked with a dotted line, that drives the metal piece of the graduation clamp in order to allow unblocking with respect to the cord.

In view of the above figures, it can be seen how the assembly according to the invention comprises a curtain sus- pension profile 1 constituting the rail itself, provided at its ends with both casings or grooves 2, inside which two vertical pulleys 3 and other horizontal one 4 are situated, in which pulleys the cord 5 is guided, said cord 5 longitudinally running along the rail profile 1, duly guided in two independent channels 6, such as it can be seen in figures 4 and 6.

In the given case of a normal or single installation, the loop 7 formed by the cord 5 at one of the ends of the rail 1, determines the control element for the operation of the curtain, this operation being either by hand, when hauling one or the other of the cord branches, or by mechanical displacement when relating the loop 7 to a motive pulley connected to a motor . At the end corresponding to the control loop 7 both branches of the cord 5 are guided in the vertical pulleys 3, vertically emerging from the latter, meanwhile at the other end of the rail said cord 5 passes by the resent ing horizontal pulley 4.

The curtain is suspended from the rail 1 through respective single and sliding runners 8, which roll leaning on the arched ends of the lower channel 9 of the rail profile 1, such as it can be seen in figure 4.

Each one of the casings or grooves 2 is provided with some flanges vertically emerging from the upper and low er walls thereof, respectively referred to with 10 and 11, wherein the support 12 carrying the pulleys 3 and 4 is vertically guided,. as it has both "U" - slot sets respectively referred to with 13 and 14. With this disposition, the support 12 is capable of adopting a lower position, such as shown in figure 2, wherein its edge 15 nearest the profile 1 of the rail prevents the curtain suspension runners 8 from going out of the channel 9, since the opening determined for their going out is smaller than the size of the head 16 of said run ner 8.

When the support 12 is up, in the position correspond ing to the one shown with dotted-dashed lines also in figure 2, runners 8 can be removed or inserted, since the arched cut 17 provided at the lower zone of said edge 15 of the sur port 12 faces the channel 9 of the rail profile 1.This upper position of the support 12 is achieved by exerting a manual pressure on the lower foot 18 of the support 12 itself, said lower foot 18 emerging through a window 19 performed in the lower wall of the groove 2, through which window the cord 5 operation branches pass too, at the end corresponding to the control loop 7. IEen the manual pressure on the foot 18 of the support 12 stops, the latter recovers its lower and stable position, partially closing the channel 9 of the rail, this position corresponding to that of the normal operation of the drive assembly and being adopted by gravity.

At the up-position of the support 12, the single runners 8 can be removed or- others can be inserted, placing them in the position marked with dotted-dashed lines in said figure 2 and referred to with 8'.

The rear wall 20 of the groove 2, partially occupied by a removable lid 21,tits provided, just in this lid 21, with a hole 22 performed facing the horizontal pulley 4, what allows the resending branch 5' of the operation cord to pass, instead of coming back by the same profile 1 of the rail, through this hole 22 in order to acceed likewise to another parallel rail-l', uçed in the assembly of double installations and for two crossed curtains, such as shown in figure 3. With this disposition, it becomes--possible for the operation of both curtains to be simultaneous and with the same cord, the looped branches 7 of which emerge by the respective vertical pulleys 3 of the grooves 2 of respective par ends of rails 1 and 1' and, specifically, at the end corresponding to the operation one.

Each one of the casings or grooves 2 includes at the end opposing that of coupling to the rail 1 a location 23 for the insertion of an additional profile 24 for fastening the assembly and for use mainly in case of double installations, such as shown in figure 3, wherein it works as a profile for separating the parallel rails 1 and 1'.

The horizontal pulley 4 of each one of the grooves 2 is situated on the support 12, so that it is very near the front lateral walls, what prevents the resending cord 5' from accidentally going out. When the lid 21 of the groove 2 is removed, the support 12 carrying the pulleys 3 and 4, guided in the flanges 10 and 11 themselves, by which it can move on a vertical plane, can also horizontally move in order to separate the horizontal pulley 4 away from the fix front wall.

This makes the change of drive of the curtain cords operation possible, allowing the falling loop to be recovered from the other end, by merely having the cord leave the horizontal pulley 4 and this loop branches arrange on the corresponding vertical pulleys 3, whilst at the previous operation end te Loop shortens and the respective branches for support on the vertical pulleys 3 arrange themselves surrounding the horizontal pulley 4. This change of drive becomes possible by manipulating through the wide window 19 through which the cord goes out and by driving.

On the other hand, as the single runners 8 and 8' as abovementioned are freely mounted only working as curtain suspension elements, so as to haul the curtain it is necessary for the latter to join elements which will be pul led by the operation cord 5. In this regard, this pulling elements are constituted by the so-called main runners 25 which are attached to both branches of said operation cord 5, so that each one of them is situated at an end of the profile 1.The attachment of the main runners 25 to the cord 5 branches is carried out with the insertion of the clamps 26 and 27, so that the clamp 26 is the one that fixes the ends of the very cord 5 and is arranged in one of the channels 6 defined with that purpose inside the rail profile 1, meanwhile the clamp 27 constitutes the graduation means for making the main runner 25 associated to the former be arranged opposing the main runner associated to the fixing clamp 26, with the peculiarity that said graduation clamp 27 is located in the other channel 6 of the rail profile 1.

Each one of the main runners 25 are constituted by flat bodies which, by their lower edge, extend themselves into both extensions 28 provided with holes for the fixation of the main runner 25 itself to two single runners 8'', such as it can be clearly seen in figures 1, 3 and 5, these extensions 28 also having other holes for the fixation to the corresponding curtain.

ly its upper edge, said main runner 25 is provided with two end wings 29 which are arranged, in the assembly the reof on the rail 1, in a horizontal position, being located in a channel provided in it, so that between both end wings 29 a space is determined wherein just the graduation clamp 2? is positioned, the same happening with the fixation clamp 26, which will be arranged in the space determined between the wings 29 of the other main runner 25.

In this way, såid main runner 25 is perfectly assembled and the opening determining said wings 29 allows the graduation clamp 27 to be driven, sucn as described hereinafter.

The graduation clamp 27 constituting the basic piece object of the invention, is formed by a tubular portion wherein the respective branch 5 of the hauling cord will be located, the latter being inserted into such a tubular portion through a longitudinal opening 30 provided on said tubular portion, this tubular portion extending itself,in correspondence with its lateral surface, into a radial and longitudinal extension 31 from which two end projections 32 and 33 derive, with a stepping on their inner edge, this stepping corresponding to the references 34 in the projection 32 and 35 in the projection 33 (see figure 7).

Between the abovementioned steppings 34 and 35 a metal piece 36 is retained, being provided at its lower face with a triangular claw-like structure 37 which passes through a window provided with this aim on the clamp body, in order to acceed into the inside of the tubular portion of the latter and be stuck into the cord 5, the fixation and corresponding immobilization of the clamp 27 with respect to said branch 5 of the hauling cord being thereby carried out.

Such as it can be referred from figures 7 and 8, the metal piece 36 can be driven by an adequate tool, such as a screwdriver 38 (see figure 9) and tilt upwards, thereby com- ing out of the stepping 34, so that the claw 37 will rise and come out of the cord 5, thereby allowing the clamp 27 to slide with respect to such a cord 5, along it.

Therefore, by virtue of the disposition of the main runner 25 associated to said graduation clamp 27, when the cord 5 is pulled this graduation clamp will also be hauled and, with it, the main runner 25 itself, the curtain being thereby displaced, the same thing happening with the main runner 25 associated to the fixation clamp.26.

Now then, in case it is wished to unblock the graduation clamp 27, i.e., the main runner 25 with respect to the cord 5, because there is a need for that, so that both main runners stand completely opposing each other, it will suffice to drive by means of the tool 38 the metal piece 36 that forms part af the cord 5 itself, thereby allowing the displacement of such a graduation clamp 27 and therefore of the main runner 25; all that with no need to disassemble any element or bolt, as it happens with conventional graduation clamps.

Claims (16)

1. A clamp for a curtain rail comprising a body portion configured for mounting on to a cord of the curtain rail, and a lock member captive within the clamp in both open and closed positions. wherein the lock member engages with the body portion so as to clamp the cord between the body portion and the lock member when in the closed position, and is disengaged with the body portion thereby releasing the cord when the clamp is in the open position.

2. A clamp according to claim 1. wherein the lock member is pivotally coupled to the body portion at one end of the lock member. and the end of the lock member remote from said one end engages with a stepped portion of the body portion when the clamp is in the closed position.

3. A clamp according to claim 2. wherein the engagement of the remote end of the lock member with the stepped portion is a "snap-fit".

4. A clamp according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the lock member is formed integrally with the body portion at the pivatal end thereof.

5. A clamp according to any one of the preceding claims. wherein the body portion comprises a longitudinal channel for accommodating the cord, and a longitudinal slit along one side thereof for permitting insertion of the cord into the channel.

6. A clamp according to any one of the preceding claims. wherein the lock member penetrates the surface of the cord when the clamp is in the closed position.

7. A clamp according to any one of the preceding claims. wherein the clamp is formed from a moulded plastics material.

8. A clamp according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

wherein either or both of the lock member and body portion are formed of metal.

9. A clamp and runner assembly for a curtain rail.

wherein the clamp is as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8. and the runner comprises means for attachment of a curtain thereto. the runner being configured for engagement with the clamp so that the runner can run along the length of the curtain rail in response to movement of the 'cord.

10. A clamp and runner assembly according to claim 9. wherein the runner comprises an opening for enabling opening and closing of the lock member when engaged with the runner.

11. A curtain rail assembly comprising a clamp according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

12. A curtain rail assembly comprising a clamp and runner assembly according to claim 9 or claim 10.

13. A clamp substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 7 of the accompanying drawings.

14. A clamp and runner assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 6 and 9 of the accompanying drawings.

15. A curtain rail assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 9 of the accompanying drawings.

16. CONTROL SYSTEM FOR CURTAIN RAIL OPERATION forming part of the assembly comprising a profile determining the rail itself, provided with inner channels for the corresponding branches of the operation cord, as well with a lower channel for arranging the free and single runners from which the curtain is suspended, said profile being completed with both end casings or grooves inside which there is a sur port carrying two vertical pulleys guiding the operation cords and a further horizontal pulley for resending such a cord, said grooves or casings also being provided with a location for fitting a profile perpendicular to the previous one for the assembly of two crossed curtains, wherein the support carrying the three pulleys can be manually and vertically displaced between two positions in order to allow the assembly and disassembly of said sliding and single runners, wit the peculiarity, besides, that the curtains themselves can be hauled by means of two main runners opposingly mounted on the very rail profile, one of them being associated to the corresponding clamp for fixing the ends of the cord and the other one associated to a graduation clamp, both being mounted in the respective channels for the location of the hauling cord branches, essentially characterized in that the graduation clamp is constituted by a tubular portion lodging the respective branch of the hauling cord, this tubular portion being provided with a longitudinal opening for the passage and corresponding insertion of said cord branch in the tubular portion , the latter extending itself, radially and longitudinally, into an extension finishing by its free longitudinal end into a pair of projections provided with a stepping on their inner face, so that between both projections and under the above mentioned steppings a metal piece with a triangular claw is arranged, said triangular claw being stuck into the cord in order to block the graduation clamp with respect to said cord.

17 . CONTROL SYSTEM FOR CURTAILS RAIL OPERATION, accord ing to claim 1, characterized in that the corresponding main runner associated to such a graduation clamp has two upper wings horizontally leaning on the front track of the rail pro file itself , between which wings an opening is determined to retain the very graduation clamp, so that, when pulling the respective. branth of the cord, such a clamp and, consequently, the main runner, as well as the curtain attached to the latter are. also pulled; having been provided that the opening determined between the two upper wings of the main runner allows a tool to acceed therethrough, in order to be able to drive the metal piece of the graduation clamp, making said metal piece tilt upwards in order to achieve the release of its triangular claw with respect to the cord with no need to disassemble any element.