Flexible or portable closure – partition – or panel – Plural strip – slat – or panel type – Venetian blind type
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-20
2002-01-01
Purol, David M. (Department: 3634)
Flexible or portable closure, partition, or panel
Plural strip, slat, or panel type
Venetian blind type
C160S089000, C160S084010
Reexamination Certificate
active
06334477
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to coverings for windows and doors or the like, and in particular to a glide which permits curtains and blinds to be simultaneously hung from conventional vertical blind hardware.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use vertical blind tracks to hang blinds over windows is well known. Typically vertical strips or vanes are clipped at the top and hang from the glides. Each glide is attached to one of a number of carriers, which typically run along a downwardly-opening U-shaped track, placed atop a window. The carriers are slidable along the length of the track, secured within the length of the track and are linked together along the track by spacer link pieces of equal length. Spacer link pieces are slidably connected to one another, so that the spacer link pieces can move from a bunched up position to a spread out position. In the bunched up position, the spacer link pieces overlap. In the spread out position, they extend evenly over the entire track. Each carrier is positioned on one spacer link piece, and is free to slide along each spacer link piece. Because the spacer link pieces are of equal length, the carriers become evenly spaced along the track when the spacer link pieces are fully spread out along the track. Spacer link pieces and the attached carriers are movable from the bunched up position to the spread out position by means of a cord or by means of a wand which is attached to the end carrier, which is itself is attached to the end spacer link piece. In the cord system, the cord runs the entire length of the track and is operable by a pulley system at one end of the track. Because the carriers are evenly spaced along the track, the blinds hang adjacent to each other, uniformly spaced across the entire length of the track.
It is also known to hang curtains from vertical blind track hardware using glides adapted for hanging curtains. These adapted glides are attached to carriers, running along horizontal blind tracks, as described above, each glide including the female portion of a snap fastener, extending downwardly from the glide. A curtain having male portions of a snap fastener assembly evenly spaced along its top edge such that they align with the glides is attached to the hardware by snapping each male portion into the corresponding female portion extending from the bottom of each glide, such that the curtain is evenly spaced along the blind track. Another example, Canadian patent number 856,016 issued to Kirsch Company teaches a plurality of carriers slidably mounted to a horizontal blind track whereby drapery is attached to each carrier by means of a hook.
The adapting of curtains or drapery to be hung from a vertical blind track attempts to allow for even pleating of the curtain when it is drawn, creating a neat visual appearance. The use of the snap fastener or hook attachment allows for easy attachment and removal of the curtains.
It is also known to utilize conventional vertical blind units to hang curtains and blinds simultaneously. One known apparatus attempts to hang vertical blinds and curtains simultaneously using conventional vertical blind vanes clipped to glides attached to conventional horizontal blind track carriers. Velcro is attached to the upper portion of each vertical vane, rather than on the glide or the carrier. The velcro mate is attached along the upper edge of the curtain. The curtain may then be attached to the blind track unit by attaching the velcro along its upper edge to the velcro attached along the top of each vane.
Since the curtain is attached to the vertical vane, this apparatus does not allow curtains to be hung without simultaneous hanging of the vertical vane. Furthermore, when attaching the velcro portion of the curtain, it is difficult to align the curtain so that the proper portion of the curtain is attached to each vane. Considerable time and labour is required to measure and mark up the velcro upper edge of the curtain to ensure correct positioning.
Additionally, curtains attached to vanes by means of velcro tend to wear and eventually cause the curtain to hang unevenly, losing the even pleating and neat visual appearance when the curtains are drawn.
In light of the above there is a need for an improved apparatus which allows curtains and blinds to be hung both simultaneously and separately from conventional blind hardware.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide a glide which improves upon the prior art. In particular it is an object of the invention to provide a glide which allows curtains and vertical blinds to be hung from the carriers normally used for vertical blinds both simultaneously and separately.
In accordance with an aspect of the invention there is provided a curtain system, comprising a track, a number of carriers slidably mounted for movement along the track, a number of glides, namely one per carrier, detachably securable to each carrier, extending downwardly therefrom, each glide including an curtain accepter and a vertical vane accepter, whereby an upper edge of a curtain is detachably securable to said curtain accepter and an upper edge of a vertical vane is detachably securable to said vertical vane accepter.
In accordance with a further aspect of the invention the curtain accepter comprises a female portion shaped to receive the male portion of a male-female snap fastener assembly. The upper portion of the curtain includes a plurality of male portions of male-female snap fastener assemblies secured thereto, evenly spaced along the upper edge of said curtain. The vertical vane accepter comprises a clip extending downwardly from said glide, each said vertical vane having a upper edge adapted to be detatchably secured into each said clip. The upper edge of each vertical vane may be inserted into each said clip securing each in place. The upper edge of the curtain may be attached to the curtain system by aligning the upper edge of the curtain such that each male portion is snapped into the female portion of each glide along the entire track.
In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, each clip comprises a first and second resilient member, each extending downwardly from each glide, each member having an inner side, an outer side and a head portion positioned adjacent to each distal end, the head portion of said first member being in close contact with the head portion of the second member, the first and second members being separated from each other except at said head portions, so as to define a gap between said members, and where one said female portion is attached to the outer side of each said first and second members.
In accordance with yet a further aspect of the invention, glides are rotatable within said carriers such that when vanes are inserted into each glide, they are rotatable from an open position to a closed position.
The invention provides the advantage of allowing curtains and blinds to be hung simultaneously from conventional vertical blind tracks as well as allowing blinds or curtains to be hung separately. Additionally, because the invention uses precisely spaced attachment of the curtains to the blinds, the time and effort to align and attach the curtain for proper spacing is reduced from the methods and apparatus previously known such as with velcro. The invention thus provides the further advantage of easier alignment when attaching or reattaching the curtain. Further, the use of the snap fasteners as opposed to velcro to attach the curtains ensures that they do not wear or tear as quickly as with velcro.
Further features of the invention will be described or will become apparent in the course of the following detailed description.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2302341 (1942-11-01), Nash
patent: 2703429 (1955-03-01), Sarkisian
patent: 3137027 (1964-06-01), Birkle
patent: 3844330 (1974-10-01), Hyman
patent: 3851699 (1974-12-01), Shapiro
patent: 3951196 (1976-04-01), Salzmann
patent: 4115899 (1978-09-01), Ford
patent: 4291738 (1981-09-01), Grenga et al.
patent: 4675939 (1
Armstrong R. Craig
Purol David M.
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