The present invention relates to curtain rods which may be mounted to a wall or window by compression or by a securing means.
The present invention is directed to the mounting of rods between facing walls. Such rods are commonly used in living rooms for hanging decorative curtains and draperies, in bath rooms for hanging shower curtains, and in closets for hanging clothing. Such rods of sufficient strength may also be mounted in hallways and alcoves for use in exercise, e.g., chinning rods.
More specifically the present invention provides a universal rod in which the adjustable rod mounting can be either by tension or compression, or by secure mounting of the opposite ends of an adjustable rod between opposing walls while maintaining an aesthetically pleasing appearance.
It is known in the art to mount rods between walls for hanging various articles. Tension rods employ two telescoping sections of a rod which are urged axially apart by one or more springs. A device for securing the rod to the walls may be mounted on the ends of the rod, e.g., a rubber pad or a suction cup. Because such rods must rely wholly on friction between their ends and the adjacent walls, they are generally secure enough to support light to medium loads.
For greater strength, it is known to support each end of a rod within a seat within a central opening of a flange which is mounted on a wall by multiple screws disposed on the circumference of the flange. It is also known to mount on a wall, beams or blocks which are apertured or notched to receive the end of a rod. The appearance of such mounts with screw or nailed heads visible in an unattractive flange, beam or block can be an eyesore. Moreover, such mounting schemes generally require that the rod be of fixed length carefully cut to the right size as the ends of a telescoping adjustable rod are subject to being withdrawn from their seats, thereby causing the rod to fall to the floor. A user must decide whether to employ a tension rod or an exposed hardware mounted rod and must make this decision prior to purchase and setting up the rod at home. Further, known tension rods are limited in length and ability to traverse an opening or a wall or window area, which length is also limiting for hardware mounted rods.
A need exists for a universal telescoping rod in which the rod length can be adjusted and which the rod can either be mounted via compression and tension, or mounted with hardware. A further need exists for a rod which can be used over an extended length of a wall area, window area or shower area. A further need exists for a support connected to a telescoping rod so as to join and support multiple rods over an extended length of a wall area, window are or shower area.
The present invention is directed to a device and methods of using the device that meet the needs discussed above in the Background Section. As described in greater detail below, the present invention, when used for its intended purposes, has many advantages over other devices known in the art, as well as novel features that result in a new device and methods for its use that are not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any prior art devices or methods, either alone or in any combination thereof.
The present invention overcomes the aforementioned shortcomings of prior art inside rod mounting arrangements by providing for choice in installation, simple installation, security, and a pleasing appearance. More particularly the present invention provides a universal support rod having two telescoping sections slidably connected with respect to one another and sharing a common longitudinal axis, each of the sections having within an end comprising a rod threaded connector with an axis, a pair of receivers having one end capable of being mounted by tension or compress receivers, each of the receivers having an axial open bore extending between a wall mountable end of the receiver and an opposite rod receiving end of the receiver and having a receiver threaded connector with an axis, the receiver threaded connector being complementary to one of the rod threaded connectors, a fastener for mounting each receiver on a respective one of two facing walls with the receiver axes in horizontal alignment, one of the rod threaded connector and the receiver threaded connector being a male connector with its threads facing away from its axis, the other of the rod threaded connector and the receiver threaded connector being a female connector having a hollow bore in which its threads face toward its axis, each fastener for mounting each receiver being at least partially disposed within the bore of its respective receiver for being hidden from view when one of the rod threaded connectors is mated with the receiver threaded connector of the receiver.
The present invention also includes a support member including a first flange having two aperatures for mounting, a mounting means for mounting said support to a ceiling wherein said mounting means is either a screw or a nail, a second flange protruding downward from the first flange, and two male threads on opposite sides of said second flange.
The present invention also includes a second support including a first flange having two aperatures for mounting, a mounting means for mounting said support to a ceiling wherein said mounting means is either a screw or a nail, and a second flange protruding downward from the first flange wherein the second flange is a J-shape.
Referring now to
The receiver 1 may also be mounted with hardware to the wall or window casement of other area. An optional anchor 9 adapted to be driven through a hole drilled in a wall is provided for receiving the shank of a fastener which, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, is a screw 11, but which can also be a nail or other fastener having a shank and a head as will be known to those skilled in the art. The shank of the screw 11 is passed through the bore 5 and aperture with the end of the screw 11 distal from its shank penetrating the wall. Where the axis of the receiver 1 is in alignment with a stud in the wall, the anchor 9 need not be used and the screw 11 may be driven through the wall into the wall stud.
The head 13 of the screw can have a diameter smaller than the diameter of the bore 5 in which case the underside of the screw head 13 engages a circular seat in the form of a circular apertured shoulder 15 (see
The nut 14, which has a female thread facing toward its axis, is fixedly mounted, e.g., by an interference fit, within an outer end of a section 19 of a telescoping rod or pipe having two or more sections slidably connected with respect to one another and sharing a common longitudinal axis, for enabling each section to be fastened to a receiver 1 by rotation about a mutual axis of the section 19 and receiver 1. Instead of providing a nut 14, the inner bore of the rod section may be provided with female threads facing inwardly toward the axis of the rod section, complementary to the outward facing male threads on the outer surface of the stud 3.
In use, two receivers 1 are on each of the telescoping rod sections. The receivers may be left as is and the rod mounted by tension or pressure as the end of the receiver 1 is comprised of a material capable of being tension mounted to a wall. In this use of the present invention, the rod generally has a spring tension rod (see
Further, the user has the choice of removing the receiver 1 from the rod section 19 by rotating the stud 5 counter to the nut 14 and thus the receiver may be removed from the rod section 19. As described above, each of the receivers 1 may then be mounted with hardware such as screw 11 onto a respective one of two facing walls with the axes of the receivers 1 horizontal alignment, and with their threaded studs projecting toward one another. A telescoping rod prepared as described above has each of its end sections threaded onto a respective one of the studs for secure attachment to the receivers as seen in FIG, 4.
In order to enhance the appearance at the interface of the rod with the receiver, the receiver may have a stepped surface or another decorative surface such as shown in
Referring to
The head of a screw 29 has a diameter smaller than the diameter of the bore 23 in which case the underside of the head of the screw 29 engages a circular seat at the end of the bore 23 proximate the flange 31 when the screw 29 is fully tightened.
Each outer end of an outer section of a telescoping rod or pipe 33 having two or more sections is threaded on its outer cylindrical wall for enabling the end of the section to be threaded into the bore of the receiver 25 whereby the section 33 can be fastened to the receiver 25 by rotation about a mutual axis of the section 33 and receiver 25. The outer circumference of the nipple 22 may be given a stepped configuration or other decorative or aesthetically pleasing form.
Referring now to
Each outer section 45 of a telescoping rod or pipe having two or more sections can be provided with a fixed threaded stud 47 extending beyond its outer end for being received within the bore in the nipple of the receiver 41. When the threaded stud 47 is fully threaded into the bore in the nipple 43, the end of the rod section 45 engages with the end of the nipple distal from the flange as shown in
Instead of mounting the receiver on the wall with a stud or nipple extending into the room in which the rod is to be mounted, the receiver may be mounted with the stud or nipple extending through the wall into the room.
As shown in
The present invention also includes a support member 81 to combine two separate telescoping rods in use. This support member may therefore expand the length of the area or wall expanse which can be traversed by two or more telescoping rods in use. The support member 81 includes a securing means such as one ore more screws 82 for securing the support member 81 to a ceiling. The support member includes a connecting means having one or two threaded connectors in the form of a stud 83 with male threads which in use is in communication with a nut 84, which has a female thread facing toward its axis, is fixedly mounted, e.g., by an interference fit, within an outer end of a section 85 of a telescoping rod or pipe having two or more sections slidably connected with respect to one another and sharing a common longitudinal axis, for enabling each section to be fastened to a stud 83 by rotation about a mutual axis of the section 85 and stud 83. Instead of providing a nut 84, the inner bore of the rod section may be provided with female threads facing inwardly toward the axis of the rod section, complementary to the outward facing male threads on the outer surface of the stud 83.
A curtain rod assembly as shown in
When in use the support rod may have heavy garments, curtains, drapes and the like hanging on it. To compensate for this stress on the support rod, a J-support may be mounted to the ceiling to provide additional tensile support to the support rod of the present invention. As seen in
The present invention thus provides a universal support rod which can be mounted to a surface either via a tension spring and compression or can be mounted with hardware to the surface. The user therefore has a multitude of choices in how to mount the support rod. Further, the present invention provides for a decorative receiver, either alone or with a collar, which can thus hide the hardware if used. The support member allows for a seamless continuance of support rods across an expanse while also provide tensile support at the same time for the combination of two or more support rods. The J-shaped support provides tensile support for the rod when in use.
It is to be appreciated that other and further modifications and variations may be made to the embodiments herein disclosed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/734,408 filed Apr. 12, 2007.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 11734408 | Apr 2007 | US |
Child | 13211276 | US |