DE20003621U1 - Curtain glider - Google Patents

Description

Curtain gliders

The invention relates to a curtain glider for rails with a longitudinal slot open at the bottom, with a sliding head which can be inserted into the rail through the longitudinal slot and is supported in a sliding manner on the walls of the longitudinal slot by means of sliding parts elastically formed on the sliding head, with a fastening element attached to the underside of the sliding head.

Curtain gliders of the type mentioned are known in numerous designs. They can be inserted into the rail at any point. A so-called insertion opening is not required. One such glider is shown in CH-A-675960, for example. On the gliding head, this glider has two securing lips that protrude to the side, which are formed with elastic springs and form sliding parts that support the glider at the edges of the longitudinal slot. The disadvantage of this glider is that the protruding and angular securing lips can get caught in the curtain material when washing. A similar glider is known from CH-A-676193. Here too, there is the problem that the gliders can get caught in the curtain material when washing.

DE-C-19508378 shows a slider in which the sliding head has a roof-shaped, in particular gable-roof-shaped upper side. The sliding parts are referred to as jaws and these are mounted on two brackets. Here, too, there is a risk of

Hooking the glider into the curtain fabric. In addition, the production of this glider using the injection molding process would be extremely complex.

DE-A-3933907 shows a glider in which the sliding parts are formed by elastic arms that protrude downwards and outwards at the sides. The risk of snagging is particularly high here. This also applies to the gliders according to DE-A-4330533 and DE-A-3707133.

The invention is based on the object of creating a curtain glider of the type mentioned which is simple and inexpensive to produce and in which the risk of snagging in the curtain fabric is significantly reduced.

The problem is solved in a curtain glider of this type in that the upper end of the sliding head can be compressed at the edges of the longitudinal slot for its insertion into the longitudinal slot of the rail. In the curtain glider according to the invention, the upper end of the sliding head is thus compressed in a spring-elastic manner when it is inserted. After insertion, the upper end of the sliding head returns to its original position. Since the sliding head itself is compressed and not, as was previously the case, parts that protrude far to the side, the sliding head can be made much more compact.

According to a further development of the invention, it is provided that the support parts protrude essentially vertically upwards and are each formed elastically at a lower end and that a gap is left between the upper ends of the sliding parts, such that the upper ends of the sliding parts can be pivoted against each other like wings when the sliding head is inserted into the longitudinal slot. A particularly compact design

arises when, according to his development of the invention, the two sliding parts mentioned are designed in an arc shape when viewed from the side. Such a slider is particularly suitable for insertion using an entry lock, as disclosed, for example, in the applicant's Swiss patent application no. 419/98. The compact, rounded head shape not only prevents snagging in the curtain fabric, but also catching in an entry and exit lock. In addition, one-piece production using the injection molding process is easily possible.

Further advantageous features emerge from the dependent patent claims, the following description and the drawing.

An embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing.

Figure 1 is a three-dimensional view of a curtain glider according to the invention,

Figure 2 is a vertical section through the curtain glider according to Figure 1,

Figure 3 a view of the curtain glider,

Figure 4 is a view of a slider inserted into a curtain rail,

Figure 5 another view of the curtain glider and

Figure 6 shows schematically the insertion of the curtain glider into the longitudinal slot of a rail.

The curtain glider 1 shown in Figures 1 to 4 is made in one piece from a suitable plastic using an injection molding process. To attach it to a curtain cloth (not shown here), the glider 1 has a fastening element, a

ken .7 or another usual eyelet. As a rule, the glider 1 is firmly attached to the curtain fabric and is not removed during washing.

The slider 1 has a sliding head 4 which has a plate 11 with laterally projecting guide lips 11a. The hook 7 is formed on the underside of this plate 11. Two side walls 9 are formed on the top of the plate 11 and are arranged at a distance from one another and are aligned essentially parallel to one another. The side walls 9 protrude upwards from the plate 11 and, as can be seen, are narrower than the plate 11. Two sliding parts 5 are formed on these two plates 9, which extend in the sliding direction and are also arranged at a distance from one another.

Each sliding part 5 is connected to the two plates 9 at two points designated S in Figure 1. The points S form hinge points at which the sliding parts 5 are pivotally attached to the plates 9. The two sliding parts 5 each have two lateral projections 12 which are separated from one another by a vertically running groove 10. However, the two projections 12 are each connected to one another by a wall 13, as can be clearly seen in Figure 2. On the underside of these projections 2 there is an approximately horizontally extending sliding surface 12a on which the slider 1 is supported in a sliding manner on edges 6 of the rail 2.

The two sliding parts 5 each have an arcuate upper edge 5a, which extends between two articulation points S. The two edges 5a are in particular circular-arc-shaped and run parallel to each other.

There is a gap between the two walls 13

8, which extends to the plate 11 and which is connected to a transverse passage 14. The passage 14 extends laterally from one wall 9 to the other in such a way that the projections 12 are each free below the sliding surfaces 12a, as shown in particular in Figure 2.

The insertion of a slider 1 into the longitudinal slot 3 of a curtain rail 2 is explained in more detail below with reference to Figures 4 to 6.

The slider 1 is inserted into the longitudinal slot 3 from below at any point on the rail 2. The width of the slot 3 essentially corresponds to the width A of the sliding head 4 at its upper end shown in Figure 3. The projections 12 form widenings of the sliding head 11 and, as shown in Figure 3, have wedge-shaped side surfaces 12a that protrude outwards. When the sliding head 4 is inserted into the slot 3, these projections 12 slide along the side surfaces 12a of the edges 6. The sliding head 4 is pressed together and can be pushed further into the slot 3. The two sliding parts 5 are pivoted inwards about the articulation points S. At the same time, the two projections 12 are moved against each other while reducing the corresponding slot 10, as shown in Figure 6. The two sliding parts 5 are thus each folded inwards about a vertical axis. The aforementioned pivoting movement about the articulation points S as well as the folding movement enable the sliding head 4 to be completely inserted into the rail 2 with comparatively little effort.

Figure 4 shows a slider 1 which is inserted into a rail 2 and is loaded by a curtain cloth (not shown here). When the slider 1 is not loaded, the two sliding parts 5 are in the rest position shown in Figure 3. When the

However, these sliding parts 5 can be pivoted slightly inwards according to Figure 4 when the load is reduced. The support and securing of the slider 1 in the curtain rail 2 is still guaranteed, as shown in Figure 4. One reason for the high load capacity of the slider 1 is that the sliding surfaces 12a are comparatively short and thus the point of application of the force on the two sliding parts 5 is a comparatively short distance from the joint points S. The lever arm is therefore comparatively short.

Claims (9)

1. Curtain glider for rails (2) with a longitudinal slot (3) open at the bottom, with a sliding head (4) which can be inserted into the rail (2) through the longitudinal slot (3) and is supported in a sliding manner on the edges (6) of the longitudinal slot (3) by means of sliding parts (5) elastically formed on the sliding head (4), with a fastening element (7) attached to the underside of the sliding head (4), characterized in that the upper end of the sliding head (4) can be compressed at the edges (6) of the longitudinal slot (3) for its introduction into the longitudinal slot (3) of the rail (2). 2. Curtain glider according to claim 1, characterized in that the sliding parts (5) project essentially vertically upwards and are each formed elastically at a lower end (S) and that a gap (8) is left between the upper ends of the sliding parts (5) such that the upper ends of the sliding parts (5) can be pivoted against each other like wings when the sliding head (4) is inserted into the longitudinal slot (3). 3. Curtain glider according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the two sliding parts (5) in the side view are each curved, in particular circular, at least at one upper edge (5a). 4. Curtain glider according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the two sliding parts (5) are each hinged to walls (9) which run transversely to the sliding direction and which are formed at a distance from one another on a plate (11). 5. Curtain glider according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the two sliding parts (5) each have a vertically extending notch (10) approximately in the middle, which enables folding of the two sliding parts (5). 6. Curtain glider according to claim 5, characterized in that the two notches (10) are each arranged between two articulation points (S). 7. Curtain glider according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the two sliding parts (5) each have two projections (12) arranged in pairs on the outside. 8. Curtain glider according to claim 7, characterized in that the sliding head (4) has a passage (14) below each projection (12). 9. Curtain glider according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the sliding head (5) is approximately V-shaped when viewed in the sliding direction.