BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other details of my invention will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are furnished only by way of illustration and not in limitation of the invention, and in which drawings:
FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the front of the curtain panels of the present invention aligned for assembly;
FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the front of the curtain panels of the present invention interconnected for use;
FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the front of the curtain panels of the present invention interconnected for use and shown as they would appear hanging up;
FIG. 4 is an enlarge partial elevational view of a bottom portion of a back of a curtain panel showing a section of the zipper with the removable zipper pull;
FIG. 5 is an enlarge partial side elevational view of a bottom portion of a back of a curtain panel showing a section of an alternate zipper with a permanently attached zipper pull which locks in an up position so that the zipper pull does not hang below the curtain;
FIG. 6 is an elevational view of the front of a series of curtain panels of the present invention aligned for assembly the panels having only side zippers to adjust horizontal width of the curtains;
FIG. 7 is an elevational view of the front of the curtain panels of FIG. 6 interconnected for use;
FIG. 8 is an elevational view of the front of the curtain panels of FIG. 6 interconnected for use and shown as they would appear hanging up;
FIG. 9 is an elevational view of the front of the curtain panels of the present invention having only one side zipper for end panels and only two zippers for a middle panel;
FIG. 10 is an elevational view of the front of the curtain panels of the present invention each having a side zipper and a bottom zipper for end panels and two side zippers and a bottom zipper for middle panels and attachable bottom fringe panels;
FIG. 11 is an elevational view of the front of the curtain panels of the present invention each having only one side zipper and a top and bottom zipper for end panels and four zippers including two side and a top and a bottom zipper for a middle panel and attachable top valence panels and bottom fringe panels.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In FIGS. 1-11, a modular window dressing system of interconnectable fabric panels 20A-20H and 20J-20N and 20P-20X enables a user to construct a window dressing to cover a desired size window or sliding doors or other window type applications.
In FIGS. 1 and 2, a system of individual curtain panels 20A-20F each comprise a sheet of curtain fabric having a front side shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, which faces into a room and a back side which faces a window, partially shown in FIG. 4. One side of a zipper connector 21A-21D is attached along an edge of the curtain panel on a back side of at least two edges, preferably 3 or 4 edges, of the curtain panel and a covering flap 19A-19F of material on the front side over the zipper along the length of each of the zippers covering the zipper from view on the front side with the covering flaps of material on adjacent interconnected panels contacting each other along an inter-contacting line 25 between panels to appear like a normal seam in a curtain, as shown in FIG. 3.
The zipper 21A-21D comprises a flexible lightweight zipper with a removable zipper pull 29, formed with a removable clip 28 which attaches to the loop 27 of the zipper closing and opening guide 26, as shown in FIG. 4, or a permanently attached zipper pull 29A which locks in an up position, as shown in FIG. 5, so that the zippers do not affect the appearance of the curtain formed by the assembled panels hang and the curtain hangs in a normal way without any visibility of the zipper, as shown in FIG. 3. The zipper may comprise a standard zipper with removable interlocking teeth fabricated of a lightweight flexible synthetic material or a zipper fabricated of a lightweight flexible synthetic material with one elongated tab on one panel removably locked into a mating elongated groove in an adjacent panel, as used on some plastic storage bags.
The panels 20A-20F detachably connect to each other to form a modular curtain system for a user to form a custom window cover for a window having a desired size custom width or length so that the finished assembled window covering appears to be a seamed window covering custom fit to the window. The panels are fabricated in a variety of sizes in rectangular (including square) shapes.
The system of curtain panels comprise at least one (and more as needed) valence panel 20A and 20B comprising a finished valence top edge 18A and 18B, one side of a zipper connector 21C attached to a bottom edge, and one side of a zipper connector 21B and 21D attached to each of two side edges of the at least one valence panel, and at least one curtain panel 20C-20F, and more as needed for adjustable sizing, comprising a rectangular sheet of curtain fabric having one side of a zipper connector 21B-21F attached to each of the four edges of each valence panel.
In FIGS. 6-8, a system of curtain panels 20G, 20H, and 20J each comprise only side zippers 21B and 21D so that the horizontal width of the curtains is adjusted as needed by adding panels together and the length is the same in all panels, which might be used for sliding glass doors or very tall windows or other application with a standard height window. The interconnecting lines 25 are all vertical and look like regular seems in stitched curtains, as shown in FIG. 8.
In FIG. 9, a system of curtain panels 20K-20L curtain panels have only one side zipper 21B and 21D, alternately a right and a left, for end panels 20K and 20L and only two side zippers 21B and 21D for a middle panel 20H, each panel having a built-in valence top 18K, 18H and 18L.
In FIG. 10, a system of curtain panels 20M, 20N, 20P, and 20Q each having a side zipper 21B and 21D alternately and a bottom zipper 21C for end panels 20M and 20N and two side zippers 21B Band 21D and a bottom zipper 21C for a middle panel 20Q and attachable bottom fringe panels 20Q each having a top zipper 21A and a bottom fringe 17Q.
In FIG. 11, a system of curtain panels 20B, 20D, and 20R-20X each have only one side zipper 21B and 21D alternately and a top and bottom zipper 21C for end panels 20T and 20U and four zippers including two side 21B and 21C and a top 21A and a bottom 21C zipper for a middle panel 20D and attachable top valence panels 20B, 20R and 20S each with a top valence edge 18B, 18R and 18S, and attachable bottom fringe panels 20V-20X each with a bottom fringe 17V-17X.
As many panels may be interconnected by a user as are necessary to meet the needs of covering large or small windows, sliding glass doors, or any other situations. Special side panels and bottom panels may be fabricated without zippers on the outside and bottom edges respectively.
Curtain panels made with zippers only where needed for attaching to adjacent curtain panels save on costs of labor and materials as well as saving costs that might occur from wasted material if a mistake were made in installing an unnecessary zipper.
Differently colored and differently patterned and differently textured curtain panels including those with different valence and fringe styles provide for a large number of different curtain styles which are custom combined by users as well as different sizes to fit variously sized windows and provide whatever custom look a user desires.
In use, a series of fabric panels 20C-20F, each panel comprising a rectangular sheet of material for a window covering with attached zipper edges 21 A-21D recessed within overlapping material 19C-18F, are interconnected by a user horizontally and vertically to form a single modular interconnected panel curtain and further connected to one or more valence panels 20A and 20B as needed for size to form a modular window covering system customizable in different configurations with covered interconnections so that the finished assembled paneled curtain or drape appears to be a seamed curtain or drape custom fit to the window, as shown in FIG. 3.
It is understood that the preceding description is given merely by way of illustration and not in limitation of the invention and that various modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.
Patent Application
20080017332
