Supports: racks – Specially mounted – Wall or window
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-24
2003-04-08
Purol, David M. (Department: 3634)
Supports: racks
Specially mounted
Wall or window
Reexamination Certificate
active
06543629
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not Applicable
STATEMENT REQUIRING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not Applicable
REFERENCE TO A “MICROFICHE APPENDIX”
Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to rods for mounting window curtains or shower curtains and more particularly, to a decorative cover for encircling the end of such a rod.
2. Description of the Related Art
Tension rods are commonly used for mounting bathroom window curtains between opposing surfaces of a window recess. The tension rod has two sections, one of which is telescopically received within the other. The sections are rotated relative to each other to permit the effective length of the rod to be adjusted.
Each section is provided with a rubber tip at the end so as not to mar the surface which it abuts. Rods of this type are commonly sold in ⅞ inch and 1 inch diameters and can be adjusted for use with a wide range of window recess sizes.
To install the rod between the opposing surfaces of the window recess, the rod sections are rotated to permit the length of the rod to be varied until the rubber tips of the ends of the rod bear tightly against the surfaces. As long as the friction between the rubber tips and the surfaces is greater than the force of gravity on the rod and curtain, the tension will hold the rod firmly in place.
A tension rod is a quick and easy curtain mounting device because it requires no mounting hardware that must be affixed to the wall, no installation tools and one size rod can be adjusted to accommodate a large range of different size window recesses. It takes only seconds to mount or remove and can be mounted and removed as many times as necessary. Due to the rubber tips, the rod does not mar the wall surfaces so that no patching or reconstruction of the wall surfaces is necessary after removal of the rod.
However, the rubber tips at the ends of the rod, usually the only visible part of the rod, tend to be unsightly. Accordingly, there is a need for an aesthetically pleasing cover to hide the ends of the rods. To be commercially successful, the cover should be easy to mount on the rod, before or after it is installed. Further, it should be usable with rods of both commonly encountered diameters.
Since one rod section is configured to be received within the other in telescoping fashion, the diameter of one rod section will be smaller than the other by the thickness of the section, for example, ⅛ in. It is desirable for the covers to fit snuggly on both sections, with no gap between the cover and the surface of the rod. Accordingly, the invention includes an adapter collar which mounts over the rod and fits between the cover and the rod surface to eliminate the gap. Preferably, the adapter collars are flexible enough to permit the covers to accommodate variations in rod diameter such that the covers can be used to fit all commonly available rods.
Further, the covers of the present invention can be used on pre-existing non-tension type shower curtain rods as well. Those rods are generally affixed directly to the shower enclosure wall by means of brackets. In that case, the covers enclose the brackets. The covers function in the exact same manner, regardless of the type of rod involved.
It is, therefore, a prime object of the present invention to provide a decorative cover for the end of a curtain rod.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a decorative curtain rod end cover that is easy to mount, either before or after the curtain rod is installed.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a “one-size-fits-all” decorative curtain rod end cover.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a decorative curtain rod end cover that can be fabricated in a wide variety of different styles and colors.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, a decorative cover for the end of a curtain rod is provided. The cover includes first and second mating cover parts. Means are provided for joining the cover parts such that they encircle the rod end.
The cover part joining means includes at least one protrusion extending form the edge of one of the cover parts adapted to align with a recess in the edge of the other of the cover parts. The protrusion frictionally engages the recess. Preferably, the cover part joining means includes more than one protrusion/recess pair.
In order to provide more positive engagement between the cover parts, one or more of the protrusions is bifurcated such that the parts are inclined away from each other and squeezed together when received in the recess. A tapered circumferential flange may also be provided to facilitate insertion of the protrusion and further enhance the frictional engagement.
An adapter collar is situated between the exterior surface of the rod and the interior of the cover. The collar is received within the neck section of the cover part.
The adapter collar is made of flexible plastic. It has a split ring configuration which permits it to fit over the rod and adjust to a variety of rod diameters.
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patent: 5670221 (1997-09-01), Bried et al.
patent: 5678703 (1997-10-01), Sawyer
patent: 6112801 (2000-09-01), Daniels et al.
patent: 6302180 (2001-10-01), Yu
Epstein Robert L.
Ex-Cell Home Fashions, Inc.
James Harold
James & Franklin LLP
Purol David M.
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