Patent Application
20170273492
Currently, there are numerous commercial solutions for hanging curtains, drapes, or other materials (referred to as “hanging material”) for use as a room divider, to create an enclosed space, or otherwise provide privacy in various applications. The hanging material may comprise any type of textiles, fabrics, cloths, or other flexible materials. Depending on the particular application, the hanging material may be referred to as a cubicle curtain, a hospital curtain, a privacy curtain, a shower curtain, or more generally as a curtain or drape (collectively referred to as “privacy curtains”). For example, hanging movable curtain systems are commonly used in nursing homes, extended care facilities, doctor offices, and other medical treatment facilities to provide patient privacy. The privacy curtains are typically hung using a track system. A track comprising an extruded aluminum or other channel may be attached to a conventional or dropped ceiling, which forms a path around the desired privacy area.
A typical ceiling-mounted track and curtain system employs a series of rollers or gliders that move within the track. A hook may be attached to each roller with, for example, a chain. To drape the privacy curtain around the area defined by the track, each hook is attached to a series of grommets disposed on an upper portion of the privacy curtain. After the hooks have been attached to the grommets, the privacy curtain hangs from the ceiling-mounted track. An individual may pull the privacy curtain to slide it along the track and thereby open and close the privacy area.
Despite their widespread use and commercial success, ceiling-mounted track and curtain systems have many disadvantages. The ceiling-mounted track must generally follow a path that does not block ceiling obstacles (e.g., lights, vents, fire sprinklers, etc.), which may limit the location for optimal use of the rooms and increase custom installation costs. Furthermore, these types of systems may be difficult to install, use, and maintain. Due to the height of the ceiling-mounted track, it may be difficult to repair and clean the track system. Furthermore, a ladder may be required to take down the privacy curtain for maintenance, replacement, and/or cleaning. Because privacy curtains tend to be large in height and length and, therefore, relatively heavy, they can be very cumbersome to hang and take down.
Existing track designs typically use entry and exit points at one or both ends of the track for insertion and removal of the rollers and the curtain. For example, if one roller breaks in the sequence of rollers, all the rollers and the entire curtain up to that point need to be removed from the track in order to replace the broken roller. As known in the art, the rollers may have a relatively short life span due to buildup of materials within the track system. When one or more rollers begin to malfunction, the privacy curtain may no longer smoothly traverse the track, which may cause the privacy curtain to catch or bind and lead to tearing of the hanging material.
Another problem with existing curtain hanging systems is that the hook-to-grommet method tends to fail when hooks are not correctly installed through the grommets. Improperly installed hooks may cause sagging of the hanging material, which can lead to an installer inadvertently failing to connect a hook to the corresponding grommet. In such cases, the privacy curtain may get caught in the track and lock.
Yet another disadvantage of ceiling-mounted track and curtain systems is that they may be required to comply with fire safety standards or regulations. For example, in certain types of health care facilities, there may be material and/or clearance regulations that require the hanging material to be installed some distance below fire sprinklers. To achieve compliance with these and other standards or regulations, many hospital privacy curtains used with ceiling-mounted tracks include a predefined length (e.g., 18 inches) of mesh header as a first upper portion before any solid cloth hanging material. This allows fire sprinklers to work properly in the event of a fire. However, because the mesh is not solid, it tends to get caught in the hooks, which often causes tearing of the mesh. In addition, when the mesh is caught on the hooks, the rollers or gliders may stick in the track, preventing the privacy curtain from working properly.
Accordingly, despite the widespread availability and commercial success of privacy curtains, there remains a need in the art for improved systems, methods, and devices for attaching and/or supporting privacy curtains.
Various embodiments of curtain support and swivel assembly designs are provided. One embodiment is a curtain support assembly comprising a support attachment member and a curtain attachment member. A rod extends from the support attachment member. A stop member is disposed on an end of the rod. The curtain attachment member has a longitudinal opening with a lip. The stop member is configured to be received within the longitudinal opening and positioned such that the stop member engages with the lip and rotates within the longitudinal opening.
Another embodiment of a curtain support assembly comprises a rigid support rod and a curtain attachment member. The rigid support rod has a first end configured to removable attachment to a horizontal support structure and a second end comprising a stop member. The curtain attachment member has a longitudinal opening with a lip. The stop member is configured to be received within the longitudinal opening and positioned such that the stop member engages with the lip and enables the rigid support rod to rotate within the longitudinal opening.
In the Figures, like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various views unless otherwise indicated. For reference numerals with letter character designations such as “102A” or “102B”, the letter character designations may differentiate two like parts or elements present in the same Figure. Letter character designations for reference numerals may be omitted when it is intended that a reference numeral to encompass all parts having the same reference numeral in all Figures.
Various embodiments of curtain support and swivel systems, methods, and assemblies (and related support structures) are described below in connection with
The support rod has a support attachment member extending from one end. The support attachment member is configured for quick, easy, and safe attachment to a horizontal support structure. The horizontal support structure may comprise a conventional ceiling-mounted track system or any combination of ceiling and/or wall-mounted tubes or other support(s). In this regard, the support attachment member may comprise, for example, a C-type hook, roller(s), glider(s), or other means for attaching the support rod to the horizontal support structure. Another end of the support rod comprises a stop member configured to be easily attached to and cooperate with the curtain attachment member. The stop member and the curtain attachment member cooperate in use to enable the support rod (which is connected to the horizontal support structure via the support attachment member) to swivel or rotate relative to the curtain attachment member (which is connected to the hanging material or header). In an embodiment, the curtain attachment member comprises a longitudinal opening with a lip. The support rod may be easily inserted into the longitudinal opening such that the stop member engages with the lip and enables the support rod to rotate (e.g., against a bearing surface) within the longitudinal opening.
It should be appreciated that, because the curtain support assembly is allowed to swivel or rotate, the privacy curtain may be installed and removed more quickly, easily, and safely. During use, the swivel or rotation of the curtain support assembly may enable the privacy curtain to be more easily traversed across the horizontal support structure. Furthermore, the swivel or rotation of the curtain support assembly may reduce the forces applied to the support attachment member, the horizontal support structure, the curtain attachment member, and/or the hanging material, which may extend the lifecycle of the system and reduce maintenance costs.
An exemplary embodiment of a curtain support and swivel assembly 10 is illustrated in
The C-type hook comprises a straight portion 28 with respective curved portions 30 and 32 extending therefrom to define an opening 34. The dimensions of the curved portions 30 and 32, the straight portion 28, and the opening 34 are designed to cooperate with the structure of the horizontal tubing 14. For example, the opening 34 enables the C-type hooks to be easily hung from the installed horizontal tubing 14. The upper curved portion 30 may abut with a top surface of the horizontal tube 14. The length of the curved portions 30 and 32 and the straight portion 28 may be modified to accommodate the height and width of the horizontal tube 14 and provide a stable coupling. It should be further appreciated that the C-type hook may be formed from various desirable materials to provide appropriate friction contact between the support attachment member 18 and the horizontal tube 14. In an embodiment, the C-type hook is formed from a flexible material (e.g., polypropolene) for enabling the curved portions 30 and/or 32 to bend relative to the straight portion 28. The bending or flexing of the curved portions 30 and 32 may increase the opening 34, thereby enabling the C-type hook to be easily installed around the horizontal tube 14.
As best illustrated in
It should be appreciated that the stop member 22 disposed on the support rod 16 and the longitudinal opening 24 disposed on the curtain attachment member 20 may be implemented in various ways to provide the swivel or rotation feature.
With the pegs 42 inserted through the corresponding aligned openings 48 and openings 46, the front header plate 36 and the back header plate 38 may be joined and secured together as illustrated in
In one embodiment, the front and back header plates 36 and 38 with the hanging material may be permanently joined together using a process called heat staking. In this embodiment, the pegs 42 may comprise a rigid material at room temperature (e.g., plastic, polymer, or other thermally-deformable material). After the pegs 42 are inserted through the corresponding aligned openings 48 and 46 and the front and back header plates 36 and 38 are joined together, heat above the glass transition temperature may be applied to the pegs 42. As the pegs 42 melt and deform under the heat and an applied force, the melted material molds into the shape corresponding to the openings 46 such that upon cooling and reforming the rigid material, the assembly is fixed together. The reformed rigid material may be flush with the outer surface 44 on the front header plate 36 and in a tight, secure fit within the opening 46 (e.g., around a securing surface).
As further illustrated in
In one embodiment, the stop member 22 comprises a cylinder disposed on the end of the support rod 16. The stop member 22 may have a diameter or lateral dimension slightly greater than the end of the support rod 16 to define an abutment surface 56. As illustrated in
Regardless of the particular cooperating structures of the stop member 22 and the longitudinal opening 24 for providing the swivel or rotation feature, it should be appreciated that the stop member 22 may be “locked” within the longitudinal opening 24 such that it cannot separate or “pop out” from the curtain attachment member 20 in use. For example, as best illustrated in
It should be further appreciated that alternative cooperating structures between the stop member 22 and the curtain attachment member 20 may be used to secure the structures in a stable or locked position while also enabling the curtain attachment member 20 and the stop member 22 to swivel or rotate relative to each other in use and/or under the load of the privacy curtain 12. Furthermore, during installation, the support attachment member 18 may be initially attached to the horizontal tube 14 before inserting the support rod 16 into the slotted longitudinal bore. In either case, this process may be repeated for each curtain support and swivel assembly 10 to complete the installation of the privacy curtain 12, as well as reversed to remove the privacy curtain 12.
As mentioned above, the curtain support and swivel assembly design 10 may be integrated with various types of wall and/or ceiling-mounted support structures that provide a horizontal support structure for attaching the support attachment member 18.
The ceiling mount assembly 68 comprises a ceiling plate 72 that may be fixed to the ceiling via holes 73. The ceiling plate 72 has a tube section 74 extending downward. The tube section 74 may be fixed to an end 82 of a specially-configured drop-tubing 80 that may be fixed to the horizontal tubing 14. The drop-tubing 80 comprises a down tube section 84 and a generally C-shaped curved section 88. The curved section 88 is configured to provide a clearance angle for enabling the C-type hooks to freely move along the horizontal tube 14 (see
Referring again to
The drop-tubing 80 may provide various benefits including, for example, the ability to provide flexibility during custom installations that may reduce installation costs, maintenance costs, and/or improve operation. As mentioned above, conventional cubicle curtain tracks are typically mounted directly and flush to the ceiling. Therefore, the track must avoid areas that have lights, air conditioning vents, fire safety sprinklers, or any other obstacle. This may limit where the track may be located, leading to increased materials and installation costs. The drop-tubing 80 in combination with the curtain support and swivel assembly design 10 may provide various benefits and/or advantages over conventional track systems. For example, the ceiling mounted assembly 68 and the drop-tubing 80 may be advantageously located to accommodate any ceiling mounted obstacles. Furthermore, if the facility in which the system is being installed has different ceiling heights throughout, the lengths of the drop-tubing 80 may be adjusted to maintain the horizontal tubing 14 at a fixed distance from the floor. This would afford the additional benefit of enabling a standard length of privacy curtain 12 throughout the facility. Because the length of the privacy curtain 12 and the drop-tubing 80 may be customized, the horizontal tubing 14 may be advantageously disposed at a height from the floor that is more easily accessed without a ladder should maintenance be required, which may be safer, more efficient, and reduce maintenance costs.
It should be appreciated that the support attachment member 18 may be retrofitted as either a glider or roller so that many of the benefits received from the curtain support and swivel assembly 10 may be used on existing ceiling-mounted channel tracks. In this regard, if an existing facility does not want to replace the existing ceiling-mount channel track system, the curtain support and swivel assembly 10 will still afford an improved systems that offers easy and quick removal and replacement of curtains without the problems associated with typical curtain hooks.
Alternative embodiments will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains without departing from its spirit and scope. Therefore, although selected aspects have been illustrated and described in detail, it will be understood that various substitutions and alterations may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, as defined by the following claims.
This application claims the benefit of the priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/307,473 entitled “Quick Release Hook and Swivel System” and filed Mar. 12, 2016, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62307473 | Mar 2016 | US |
