BACKGROUND
The present invention relates to finials used with curtain rods, and more particularly to finials used on shower curtain rods.
It is known to use finials on the end of curtain rods to cover less aesthetic features present on the ends of the rod and to add decorative character to the curtain rod.
SUMMARY
The invention provides an improved finial designed for easy, snap-on assembly and securement without requiring tools. The finial can be assembled to the curtain rod without removing the curtain rod from its mounted position. The construction is well-suited for use with finials of different geometries and aesthetic appearances.
In one embodiment, the invention provides a finial for a curtain rod. The finial includes a first finial base portion configured to surround a portion of a curtain rod and a second finial base portion configured to surround another portion of the curtain rod and to mate with the first finial base portion. An interface between the mating first and second finial base portions defines a parting line. A retaining member is engaged with the first finial base portion and movable between a first position, wherein the retaining member does not span the parting line and does not engage the second finial base portion, and a second position, wherein the retaining member spans the parting line and engages the second finial base portion.
In another embodiment the invention provides a finial for a curtain rod. The finial includes a first finial base portion configured to surround a portion of a curtain rod and a second finial base portion configured to surround another portion of the curtain rod and to mate with the first finial base portion. The mated first and second finial base portions define a longitudinal axis. A retaining member is coupled with the first finial base portion and is rotatable about the longitudinal axis into engagement with the second finial base portion to secure the first and second finial base portions together.
Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a curtain rod assembly mounted in a shower enclosure and having a finial embodying the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the finial of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the finial of FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a section view of the finial of FIG. 2 shown in a first, unlocked position.
FIG. 5 is a section view of the finial of FIG. 2 shown in a second, locked position.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a finial of a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the finial of FIG. 6.
FIG. 8 is a section view of the finial of FIG. 6 shown in a first, unlocked position.
FIG. 9 is a section view of the finial of FIG. 6 shown in a second, locked position.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a finial of a third embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 11 is an exploded view of a finial of a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 12 is an exploded view of a finial of a fifth embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways.
FIG. 1 illustrates a curtain rod assembly 10 (hereinafter referred to simply as a curtain rod 10) and a finial 14 coupled to the curtain rod 10. The illustrated finial 14 is a first embodiment of the present invention. The illustrated curtain rod 10 is shown installed on a shower or bath enclosure 18 such that a curtain (not shown) supported by the curtain rod 10 encloses the shower or bath to substantially contain water, to provide privacy to the occupant, and to provide a decorative feature to the bathroom. However, it is to be understood that the curtain rod 10 need not be used exclusively for bath and shower applications, but can be used for other applications utilizing a curtain or support rod (e.g., window treatments, dividers, etc.). The illustrated curtain rod 10 is a straight rod assembly, however, the invention is also contemplated for use with curved rod assemblies. One example of the curtain rod 10 is described in co-pending application Ser. No. 12/536,110, filed on Aug. 5, 2009, entitled “Adjustable Curtain Rod.” The entire content of that application is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Of course, the finial 14 of the present invention can be used with other curtain rods as well.
While only one finial 14 is illustrated in FIG. 1, it is understood that a second, identical finial 14 can be positioned on the opposite end of the curtain rod 10. Referring to FIGS. 2-5, the finial 14 includes first and second finial base portions 22 and 26, respectively. Each finial base portion 22, 26 is sized and configured to surround a portion of the curtain rod 10. In the illustrated embodiment, each finial base portion 22, 26 surrounds one half of the curtain rod 10, however, one finial base portion could be configured to surround more than half of the curtain rod 10 while the other finial base portion could be configured to surround less than half of the curtain rod 10.
The illustrated finial base portions 22, 26 mate with one another at two interfaces to define first and second parting lines 30, 34, respectively. As illustrated, the interfaces and parting lines 30, 34 are one hundred eighty degrees apart, but this can vary depending on the configuration of the finial base portions. As shown in FIG. 3, the first finial base portion 22 includes projections 38 extending from distal edges 42. The second finial base portion 26 includes recesses 46 formed in distal edges 50 and sized and configured to receive the corresponding projections 38 of the first finial base portion 22 to couple the first and second finial base portions 22, 26 together in surrounding relation to the curtain rod 10. The projections 38 and recesses 46 together define a complimentary recess and projection arrangement, which can be varied by one of skill in the art. For example, the geometry of the recesses and projections can be varied, the locations on each finial base portion of the projections and recesses can be changed, the number of corresponding recesses and projections can be varied, and the use of projections and recesses on each finial base portion can be varied (e.g., all projections could be on the second finial base portion 26, all recesses could be on the first finial base portion 22, or each finial base portion 22, 26 could have a combination of projections 38 and recesses 46 (see FIGS. 11 and 12)).
Together, the distal edges 42, 50, the projections 38, and the recesses 46 define the interface between the first and second finial base portions 22, 26. The interface is designed to allow easy assembly and disassembly of the finial 14 from the curtain rod 10. As such, the finial base portions 22, 26 can be easily pressed together in surrounding relationship about the curtain rod 10. Likewise, the interface enables the user to easily separate the finial base portions 22, 26 for removal, subject to the position of a retaining and securing feature that will be described in detail below. No adhesives or threaded fasteners are used, and no tools are required to assemble or disassemble the finial 14 from the curtain rod 10.
As best shown in FIGS. 3-5, the finial 14 can include an optional spacer 54 sized and configured to fill space between the curtain rod 10 and the inner surfaces 58 of the assembled finial base portions 22, 26. Some conventional telescoping tension curtain rods are made from two rod halves of differing outer diameters. In that case, the spacer 54 might be used in one finial 14 on one end of the curtain rod, and not with the finial 14 positioned at the other end of the curtain rod. The spacer 54 can be made of any suitable material (e.g., a plastic or resilient material). In some embodiments, the spacer 54 can include internal ribs to facilitate engagement with the curtain rod 10 (see FIGS. 11 and 12). As shown in FIG. 3 the spacer 54 is a two-piece spacer having portions 54a and 54b, each associated with a respective finial base portion 22, 26. Each spacer portion 54a, 54b includes a projection 62 sized and configured to be received in a corresponding recess 66 formed on the inner surface 58 of the respective finial base portion 22, 26. Together, the projection 62 and recess 66 define a complimentary recess and projection arrangement, which could be altered as desired. For example, the projections and recesses could be reversed, the locations can be altered (see FIGS. 11 and 12), or they can take various other forms to provide an engagement between the spacer portions and the finial base portions. In other embodiments, the recess and projection arrangement could be eliminated completely, such that the spacer portions 54a, 54b are manually positioned and located on the inner surfaces 58.
The illustrated inner surfaces 58 also include ribs 68 sized, configured, and spaced to provide strength and rigidity to the finial base portions 22, 26, to assist in positioning the spacer portions 54a, 54b, and possibly also to assist positioning the base portions 22, 26 with respect to the ends of the curtain rod 10. For example, the curtain rod 10 could include features configured to abut, engage, or receive one or more of the ribs 68 to assist the user in positioning the finial 14 on the curtain rod 10.
The finial 14 further includes first and second retaining members 70, 74, respectively, operable to selectively secure and retain the finial base portions 22, 26 together in surrounding relation about the curtain rod 10. When in surrounding relation with the curtain rod 10, the assembled first and second base portions 22, 26 define a longitudinal axis 78 that is substantially co-axial with a longitudinal axis of the curtain rod 10. The retaining members 70, 74 are sized and configured to mate with the outer surface 80 of each finial base portion 22, 26, as will be described in more detail below, to selectively secure and retain the finial base portions 22, 26 together.
More specifically, and as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the first retaining member 70 is engaged with the first finial base portion 22 in a first position relative to the first finial base portion 22, in which distal edges 82 of the first retaining member 70 are generally aligned with the distal edges 42 of the first finial base portion 22. In FIG. 3, the components are shown oriented as exploded from the first position. The first retaining member 70 engages only the first finial base portion 22. Likewise, the second retaining member 74 is engaged with the second finial base portion 26 in a first position relative to the second finial base portion 26, in which distal edges 86 of the second retaining member 74 are generally aligned with the distal edges 50 of the second finial base portion 26. The second retaining member 74 engages only the second finial base portion 26. The distal edges 82 and 86 of the retaining members 70, 74 are aligned with the parting lines 30, 34 such that the retaining members 70, 74 do not span or extend across the parting lines 30, 34. In this first position, the retaining members 70 and 74 do not secure or retain the finial base portions 22, 26 together in surrounding relation about the curtain rod 10. Only the features of the interface described above (e.g., the projections 38 and the recesses 46) hold the finial base portions 22, 26 together.
As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the retaining members 70, 74 are movable relative to the finial base portions 22, 26 to a second position, in which the retaining members 70, 74 span or extend across the parting lines 30, 34. In this second position, and by spanning the parting lines 30, 34, the retaining members substantially prevent separation of the first and second finial base portions 22, 26 at the interfaces along the parting lines 30, 34 due to the overlap of the parting lines 30, 34 by the retaining members 70, 74. When in the second position, the first retaining member 70 additionally engages the second finial base portion 26 (i.e., engages both finial base portions 22, 26) and the second retaining member 74 additionally engages the first finial base portion 22 (i.e., engages both finial base portions 22, 26) to secure the first and second finial base portions 22, 26 together in surrounding relation about the curtain rod 10.
In the illustrated embodiment, the retaining members 70, 74 are rotatable about the longitudinal axis 78 along the outer surfaces 80 of the finial base portions 22, 26. Due to the abutment of their respective distal edges 82, 86, the two retaining members 70, 74 will rotate together as a unit to secure or lock the finial base portions 22, 26 together. In other embodiments, the retaining members 70, 74 could translate, pivot, or move in other non-rotational manners to the second position, and could be moved independently of one another. In yet other embodiments, only a single retaining member could be used to secure the finial base portions together.
With reference to FIGS. 3-5, each retaining member 70, 74 can be sized and configured to resiliently engage the outer surface 80 of the respective finial base portion 22, 26. In one embodiment, the curvature of the retaining members 70, 74 can be such that a snap-fit engagement exists with the respective finial base portion 22, 26. In other words, the radius of curvature of the retaining members 70, 74 can be slightly smaller than the radius of curvature of the mating outer surface 80 of the respective finial base portions 22, 26 so that the retaining members resiliently deform and snap onto the respective finial base portion 22, 26. Alternatively, there need not be a snap-fit engagement by virtue of the curvature of the retaining members 70, 74.
The retaining members 70, 74 also resiliently engage the outer surface 80 of the respective finial base portion 22, 26 by virtue of a complimentary projection and groove arrangement. As shown in FIGS. 3-5, each retaining member 70, 74 includes a pair of spaced projections 90 sized and configured to resiliently and releasably engage a corresponding groove 94 in the respective finial base portions 22, 26. The illustrated groove 94 takes the form of an enclosed slot (i.e., bounded on all sides) formed through the finial base portions 22, 26. The pair of projections 90 are inserted into the groove 94, causing the projections 90 to resiliently deflect inwardly toward one another, thereby allowing the ramped distal ends 96 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) of the projections 90 to be further inserted into the groove 94. The stepped surface of the projections 90 passes through the groove 94 and allows the projections 90 to deflect outwardly away from one another, thereby securing the projections 90 in the groove 94, and ultimately securing the retaining member 70, 74 to the respective finial base portion 22, 26. The projection and groove arrangement can be varied as desired. For example, the projections 90 could be formed on the finial base portions and the grooves 94 could be formed on the retaining members. Also, the pair of projections 90 could be replaced with a single projection. The grooves 94 could be recesses instead of through slots, or could be open-ended slots instead of enclosed slots. Also, other geometries could be substituted for the projections and grooves.
The complimentary projection and groove arrangement between the retaining members 70, 74 and the finial base portions 22, 26 secures the retaining members 70, 74 to the finial base portions 22, 26 in a manner that substantially prevents the retaining members 70, 74 from being pulled off the respective finial base portions 22, 26 and that substantially prevents movement of the retaining members 70, 74 relative to the finial base portions 22, 26 in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis 78, but that allows a range of rotation of the retaining members 70, 74 about the longitudinal axis 78. The rotation of the retaining members 70, 74 about the longitudinal axis 78, and between the first and second positions, is limited by the size (e.g., the length) of the groove 94, and can be adjusted to achieve the desired amount of rotation.
Inner surfaces 98 of the respective retaining members 70, 74 can also include additional complimentary projection and groove arrangements that assist with alignment and guidance. For example, and as shown in FIGS. 3-5, the inner surfaces 98 include one or more raised ribs 102 (i.e., projections) sized, configured, and spaced to engage mating stepped surfaces 106 (i.e., defined by edges of grooves) on the outer surface 80 of the respective finial base portion 22, 26. Additionally, lateral edges 110 of the retaining members 70, 74 can abut stepped surfaces 106 to align and guide the retaining members 70, 74 relative to the finial base portions 22, 26. Of course, the locations and geometries of the ribs 102 and stepped surfaces 106 can be varied as desired.
In operation, the user first mounts the curtain rod 10 in the shower or bath enclosure 18. Once mounted, the finials 14 are installed on the curtain rod 10 by taking the preassembled first finial base portion 22 and first retaining member 70 (and a spacer portion 54a if needed) and positioning it in surrounding relation to the curtain rod 10 with the preassembled second finial base portions 26 and second retaining member 74 (and a spacer portion 54b if needed). The retaining members 70, 74 are in the first position (see FIGS. 3 and 4) so that the interfaces of the finial base portions 22, 26 are free to mate. Next, the user rotates the retaining members 70, 74 about the longitudinal axis 78 and relative to the finial base portions 22, 26 to the second position, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, so that they span the parting lines 30, 34. The amount of rotation possible is limited by the size of the projections 90 and the grooves 94. Once in the second position, the retaining members 70, 74 lock the finial base portions 22, 26 together so they cannot separate and fall off the curtain rod 10. To remove the finial 14, the user rotates the retaining members 70, 74 back to the first position, as shown in FIG. 4, such that the retaining members 70, 74 no longer span the parting lines 30, 34, thereby allowing the finial base portions 22, 26 to be separated at the interfaces and removed from the curtain rod 10.
The finial 14 illustrated in FIGS. 1-5 is just one embodiment of a finial embodying the invention. One skilled in the art will understand that the finial of the invention can take numerous other forms, thereby varying the aesthetic appearance of the finial to achieve the desired look without deviating from the invention. The shapes, finishes, sizes, materials, colors, etc. of each of the base portions 22, 26 and the retaining members 70, 74 can be selected to achieve the desired appearance. With this design, standardized base portions 22, 26 and retaining members 70, 74, having the appropriate geometries, can be manufactured in different colors, finishes, materials, etc., and can be interchanged or selected as needed to achieve the desired appearance for the finial 14.
For example, FIGS. 6-9 illustrate a second embodiment of a finial 14′ embodying the present invention. Like parts of the finial 14′ have been given like reference numbers to those used to describe the finial 14, with the addition of the prime (′) symbol. The configuration of the finial 14′ provides a different aesthetic appearance from the finial 14, however, the mechanics and operation are substantially the same.
One notable difference is that in addition to the projections 90′ and grooves 94′, the finial 14′ includes another projection 112 on each retaining member 70′, 74′ that is sized and configured to engage grooves 114 in the form of open-ended through slots formed on each of the finial base portions 22′, 26′. As shown in FIG. 8, the projection 112 of the first retaining member 70′ when in the first position is received in a short open-ended through slot 114 of the first finial base portion 22′. Likewise, the projection 112 of the second retaining member 74′ is received in a short open-ended through slot 114 of the second finial base portion 26′. When the retaining members 70′, 74′ are rotated to the second position, the projections 112 pass through the parting lines 30′, 34′ and into the longer open-ended through slots 114 of the opposing finial base portions 22′, 26′, as shown in FIG. 9. This arrangement can provide added engagement between the retaining members 70′, 74′ and the base portions 22′, 26′ to strengthen the securement achieved in the locked, second position. While the illustrated projections 112 have a T-shaped cross-section, other projection geometries can be substituted.
FIG. 10 illustrates yet another embodiment of a finial 14″. The finial 14″ can include the same mechanics and operation of either the finial 14 or the finial 14′. Like parts have been given like numbers with a double prime (″) symbol. It is noted that the retaining members 70″, 74″ of the finial 14″ include a textured outer surface 118 that both facilitates the user rotating the retaining members 70″, 74″ between the first and second positions, and adds decorative character to the finial 14″.
FIG. 11 illustrates an additional embodiment of a finial 14′″. The finial 14′″ can include the same mechanics and operation of the other finials 14, 14′, or 14″. Like parts have been given like numbers with a triple prime (′″) symbol. The finial 14′″ includes ribs 122 on the inner surfaces of the spacer halves 54a′″ and 54b′″ that facilitate engagement with the curtain rod 10. Additionally, the projection 62′″ and recess 66′″ are positioned more toward a distal end of the final 14′″ than in previously-described embodiments.
Additionally, the finial base portions 22′″ and 26′″ are identical to one another so that only a single part is needed to provide both finial base portions 22′″ and 26′″. This reduces the number of parts and manufacturing costs, and is accomplished by modifying the placement of the projections 38′″ and recesses 46′″ as shown in FIG. 11. Each finial base portion 22′″ and 26′″ is formed (e.g., molded) with a combination of projections 38′″ and recesses 46′″ such that when the two finial base portions 22′″ and 26′″ are aligned, a projection 38′″ aligns with a recess 46′″ for mating. As the retaining members 70′″, 74′″ and the spacer halves 54a′″ and 54b′″ are also each only a single part, the finial 14′″ can be made with only three distinct parts.
Furthermore, the finial base portions 22′″ and 26′″ each include projections or bumps 126 positioned adjacent the distal edge 50′″ and in alignment with the groove 94′″. The projections 126 cooperate with projections or bumps 130 on the inner surfaces 98′″ of the respective retaining members 70′″, 74′″ (shown formed on the ribs 102′″ and in alignment with the projections 90′″—shown also more clearly in FIG. 12) to provide a positive lock indication and securement when the retaining members 70′″, 74′″ are moved to the second position.
FIG. 12 illustrates an additional embodiment of a finial 14″″. The finial 14″″ is similar in mechanics and operation to the finial 14′″ described above. Like parts to all of the previously-described finials have been given like numbers with a quadruple prime (″″) symbol, while parts specifically described with respect to the finial 14′″ have been given like reference numbers. The finial 14″″ illustrates yet another example of how the finials can have different aesthetic appearances while enjoying the advantageous construction and operational features described above.
Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.
Patent Application
20110030906
