Flexible or portable closure – partition – or panel – With hood – canopy – shield storage chamber – or outrigged... – Structure
Reexamination Certificate
2002-06-03
2004-01-06
Lev, Bruce A. (Department: 3634)
Flexible or portable closure, partition, or panel
With hood, canopy, shield storage chamber, or outrigged...
Structure
C160S019000, C160S039000, C160S902000, C248S206500, C248S316500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06672359
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to valances which are mounted on the headrails of venetian blinds and other window coverings. More particularly, this invention relates to systems and methods for mounting valances to headrails in an attractive, efficient and economic manner.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Window coverings such as venetian blinds typically include a headrail. Such headrails typically are U-shaped, with a generally horizontal bottom surface and generally vertical front and rear surfaces, each of which have an upper lip. Headrails are typically made from metal or another sturdy material in order to provide the structural integrity that is needed to suspend a venetian blind or other window covering. Headrails typically contain mechanisms for lifting and tilting the slats of the blind.
Venetian blinds are offered today in a broad spectrum of colors which allow the blinds to form an integral part of the design of a given room. The same, however, is not necessarily true of the headrails. Headrails often are available in only one or a small number of colors, and they generally do little to add to the aesthetic appeal of a blind; indeed, unadorned headrails may detract from the otherwise attractive appearance of a blind.
One popular solution to this problem has been the use of decorative valances which are mounted in front of the headrails in order to hide the headrails and provide an attractive look at the upper end of the window covering. Valances are typically provided in lengths which correspond to or which can be cut down to the width of a blind. Valances can be made of wood and may be milled into a variety of attractive cross-sectional shapes. They can also be made of extruded plastic. In either case, the valances can be given any desired color to match or coordinate with the color of the slats of the blind or other window covering material, or another color desired by the customer.
It is necessary, of course, to mount the valances on the headrail of the blind. To that end, a number of approaches have evolved, leading to a variety of existing mounting brackets and systems. A typical simple valance mounting bracket is made from a single piece of plastic. It will have a downwardly extending arm which slips over the upper lip of the front wall of the headrail. It will also have upper and lower extensions, one which extends over the top of the valance and then slightly down in front of the valance, while the other extends below the bottom of the valance and then slightly up in front of the valance.
This type of arrangement suffers from a number of drawbacks. For one, the upper and lower extensions typically must have shapes which correspond closely to the upper and lower surfaces of the valance in order to provide a solid grip. This means that different valance designs may require different mounting brackets.
Another problem with such existing mounting brackets is that portions of the upper and lower extensions are visible from the front of the valance when the valance is mounted. This tends to detract from the aesthetic appearance of the valance.
There is another variable among venetian blinds and other window coverings which make some existing valance clips inappropriate in certain environments. In particular, with certain blinds, it is desirable for the valance to be as close to being flush with the headrail as possible. However, with certain blinds that have a wand-like tilt rod extending from the front of the headrail, it is necessary and desirable to position the valance at some distance away from and in front of the headrail. A conventional valance clip which is designed to mount the valance flush to the headrail cannot be used in that circumstance, requiring a different mounting bracket.
One solution to this particular problem is illustrated in Anderson U.S. Pat. No. 4,399,856, which discloses an adjustable valance suspension bracket used in connection with a vertical blind headrail which has a downward facing opening. It employs a “base” which is custom designed to be mounted to the top of the headrail at horizontally oriented recesses. A “clip” is mounted on the “base” which has a T-shaped connecting means, and which can be adjustably connected to the base in order to vary the distance between the valance and the headrail.
The aforesaid Anderson '856 patent, however, illustrates another problem that has existed with some mounting brackets: they cannot be used to adjust the vertical positioning of the valance. In particular, there are sometimes installation circumstances which may require that a valance be raised to a slightly higher elevation. At least three solutions to that problem have evolved, none of which has proven completely satisfactory.
One solution is to provide the hook which is draped over the upper lip of the front wall of the headrail with two stops, one for installing the valance in a relatively low position and the other for installing the valance in a relatively high position. These two positions will typically differ by about a half-inch, which means that, in some circumstances, the installer may still be faced with the choice of having the valance either slightly too high or slightly too low, but not at the desired height.
Another approach, which provides greater flexibility and precision in selecting the height of the valance, involves the use of VELCRO® (or similar) hook-and-loop fastening material. In such schemes, a mounting bracket will be provided having an arm to hook over the upper lip of the front wall of the headrail, and a flat front surface upon which is mounted, e.g., a patch of the “loop” portion of the VELCRO® fastener. A patch of the “hook” portion of the VELCRO® is then mounted on the rear flat surface of the valance.
While this type of arrangement allows for small adjustments in the vertical positioning of the valance, it is not without drawbacks. For one, it can be expensive to provide both mounting brackets and valance material with patches the VELCRO® or similar material mounted thereon. If the VELCRO® is to be placed on the valance at the time of installation, this will add to the time required for installation and will create opportunities for errors, such as placing the VELCRO® at an inappropriate location on the rear of the valance. On the other hand, if VELCRO® is to be mounted on stock lengths of valance material, a judgment must be made as to the spacing of the VELCRO® patches and, in some instances, certain patches of VELCRO® will not be used, causing unnecessary cost and waste.
A third attempted solution to this problem involves the use of two components, a piece of extruded PVC channel and a plastic mounting clip. The PVC channel has a flat front surface adapted to be mounted flush with the flat rear surface of a valance, and a pair of prongs extending rearwardly. The mounting clip component has an arm adapted to be hooked onto the top of a headrail, and another pair of arms on the opposite side adapted to snap onto the prongs of the PVC channel. This scheme has the advantage of using common parts to attach a number of different valance profiles. However, the need to attach the PVC channel to the valance creates problems of labor, cost and waste. The PVC channel is typically attached to the rear of the valance with double-sided tape or some other adhesive vehicle, which could become unglued with the passage of time, elevated temperatures and other conditions. While it is sometimes possible to attach the PVC channel with staples, where the valance is a relatively thin piece of wood, staples may crack the valance, causing waste. Another problem associated with this scheme is that it requires accurate placement of the PVC channel at the time the PVC channel is mounted to the valance, since once the mounting is done, there is no further adjustability of the valance with respect to the headrail.
Accordingly, a need has arisen for a system and a method for mounting valances on headrails which is simple and inexpensive, and which provides for an installation scheme in which the aesthetic appearance
Lerner, David, Littenberg, Krumholz & Mentilk, LLP
Lev Bruce A.
Springs Window Fashions LP
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