GB2358123A

GB2358123A - Release lock for sliding curtain runners

Info

Publication number: GB2358123A
Application number: GB0101234A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Werner Flueckiger; Hans Gruetzner
Original assignee: Silent Gliss International AG
Current assignee: Silent Gliss International AG
Priority date: 2000-01-17
Filing date: 2001-01-17
Publication date: 2001-07-18
Also published as: DE10059396A1; GB0101234D0

Abstract

Curtain runners 1 are released from an open-bottomed curtain rail 14 when fed into a release lock 19 mounted in the rail. The head 3 of each runner has resilient sliding parts 5 on each side which are displaced inwardly by an inwardly tapering channel 17 of the lock, and simultaneously pushed down and out of the open bottom by the inclined upper surface 12 of the channel (see also Figs 3a-c).

Description

2358123 A- Curtain rail with a plurality of runners The invention relates

to a curtain rail with a plurality of runners. In one non-limiting embodiment the runners are slidably guided in an open- bottomed track and have a head at a top end disposed in the track and a f ixing means at a bottom end for securing a curtain, the head having at least one sliding part of a displaceable design so that the runner can be inserted in the track and by which the runner is slidably retained in the rail.

Curtain rails with runners of the type described above are generally known. The runners are usually made from a plastics material and the curtain rails are rail sections made from aluminium. operation is simple and both the curtain rails and the runners are relatively inexpensive to make. For cleaning, the curtains are individually taken down after removing a locking piece from the curtain rail. After cleaning, the runners are inserted back in the curtain rail in the reverse direction. In large buildings which have at lot of curtains, such as hospitals for example, cleaning the curtains is a very awkward job and one which is susceptible to accidents in premises with high ceilings where it is necessary to use ladders. In order to simplify this job, a device was proposed in document DE 199 01 477 A, filed by the applicant, by means of which the runners can be inserted in the track of the curtain rail more rapidly and easily than was possible before. This device has a mouthpiece secured to a top end of a long rod, by means of which the runners can be inserted at any point along the curtain rail. However, this device does not make it any easier to take the curtains down.

It is an object of at least the preferred embodiment of the present invention to provide a curtain rail with a plurality of runners, from which it is easier to take the curtains down and which is nevertheless not significantly more expensive to manufacture.

In one aspect the invention provides a curtain rail having a plurality of runners and a release lock inserted in the track of the curtain rail, into which, in order to take the curtain down, the runners are fed one after the other and in which the runners are released from the curtain rail. Using a release lock of this type makes it considerably easier to slide the runners out of the curtain rail than before.

The invention also provides the release lock per se. In an embodiment of the invention, at least one guide wall is provided in the release lock, against which a respective sliding part is displaced in order to release a runner. The friction resistance to displacement of the sliding part can be adjusted so that the runners have to be inserted in the release lock with a predetermined force. This being the case, the force is calibrated so that the runners do not inadvertently slide into the release lock, which would cause them to become detached from the curtain rail. This force is preferably calibrated so that when the curtain is pulled, the runners slip into the release lock, where they can be released.

The runners can be guided out from the curtain rail in a particularly secure manner if the release lock is of another embodiment proposed by the invention, having an inclined surface against which the runners are guided downwards out of the track. By preference, this inclined surface is formed by a top wall of the release lock. The runners are guided downwards along this inclined surface and out from the track.

The runners can be guided out from the curtain rail in a particularly secure manner if the release lock is of another embodiment proposed by the invention, having two lateral guide parts spaced at a distance apart from one another and these guide parts form a channel. The runners are released by the guide parts in this channel. The sliding parts are preferably compressed, thereby narrowing each respective head of a runner.

The runners are preferably designed so that they can be fed into a curtain rail using the device described in the above-mentioned publication DE 199 01 477 A. This being the case, it will be possible both to feed in the runners and take down the curtains very simply and quickly.

Other advantageous features are illustrated in the dependent claims, the description given below and the appended drawings.

Preferred features of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:Figure 1 is a three-dimensional view of a runner, Figure 2 is a three-dimensional view of a release lock, Figures 3a to 3c provide a schematic illustration in section, demonstrating how a runner is released into a release lock and Figure 4 shows another view to illustrate how a runner in the release lock is released.

The runner 1 illustrated in Figure 1 is made from an appropriate plastics material in a single piece using an injection moulding process. The runner 1 has a hook 2 to enable a curtain panel to be attached to it. However, instead of the hook 2 there may also be provided an eye or any other means to which the curtain panel can be attached, for example by stitching. So that it can be secured in the curtain rail 14 illustrated in Figure 3, the runner 1 has a head 3 which, as may be seen from Figure 1, has an outer face 16 of a semi-circular shape and two oppositely lying lateral sliding parts 5. Each of these sliding parts 5 is provided with a slit 6 on an external face and has a projecting bottom face 8 which, as may be seen from Figure 3a, slidably rests on an inwardly directed rim 15 of the curtain rail 14. These two sliding parts 5 retain the runner 1 in the curtain rail 14. Moulded onto the runner 1 at a distance from each of the sliding parts 5 is a laterally projecting collar 4. An intermediate space 7 is provided between each sliding part 5 and collar 4. This is designed so that the sliding parts 5 can each be inwardly displaced in a resilient action.

A release lock 9 is inserted in the curtain rail 14, preferably at one end, and secured by means of a fixing screw 10 as illustrated in Figure 4. The release lock 9 is also preferably made in a single piece from a plastics material by an injection moulding process. The release lock 9 has a channel 17, formed by two opposite side faces 13 and an inclined sliding surface 12. As illustrated in Figure 2, the channel 17 has an insertion orifice 11 formed by two widening side face regions 13a in a funnel-shaped arrangement. After this insertion orifice 11, the width of the channel 17 becomes smaller than the width of the head 3. Accordingly, a runner 1 can only be inserted in the channel 17 by elastically deforming the head 3. As a result, insertion requires a certain amount of force to be applied due to the sliding friction between the head 3 and the side faces 13.

A more detailed description will now be given of how an embodiment of the invention works, with reference to Figures 3a to 3c and 4.

The runners 1 on the curtain attached to the curtain rail 14 are respectively inserted by the head 3 in a track 19 of the curtain rail 14 as illustrated in Figure 3a. Each of the two sliding parts 5 lies on a rim 15 of the curtain rail 14 and thereby retains the runners 1 so that they are slidable in the curtain rail 14. The curtain rail 14, which is Cshaped in cross section, has a passage 20 between the rims 15, through which the runner 1 is taken down and out of the curtain rail 14. As may be seen from Figure 3a, the head 3 is located above the passage 20 and the hook 2 underneath the passage 20. When the curtain is pulled sideways, a runner 1 is moved against the release lock 9, initially encountering a resistance against the insertion orifice 11 because, as explained above, the channel 17 after the orifice 11 is narrower than the head 3. By pulling more firmly, the runner 1 is pushed into the channel 17 by the head 3, as indicated by arrow 18 in Figure 4. As the runner 1 is pushed in, the two sliding parts 5 are forcibly displaced inwards, transversely to the longitudinal direction of the channel 17, against the two oppositely lying side faces 13. The head 3 is therefore made narrower and is able to slide farther along the channel 17. Figure 3b illustrates a runner 1 in the channel 17, the two sliding parts 5 having been inwardly displaced. The distance of the two side faces 13 is now such that the two sliding parts 5 are inwardly displaced to the degree that they are no longer supported by the two rims 15, as illustrated in Figure 3b. The head 3 is therefore no longer wider than the passage 20.

When inserting the runner 1 in the channel 17, the face 16 comes into contact with the face 12 at a predetermined distance from the orifice 11. More or less simultaneously, the two sliding parts 5 are displaced inwards as illustrated in Figure 3b. Since the face 12 is inclined as illustrated in Figure 4, as the runner 1 is pushed farther along the channel 17, the runner moves downwards, as illustrated in Figure 4. Because the runner 1 is simultaneously no longer supported in the guide rail 14 on the sliding parts 5 as explained above, the runner 1 can be slid along to the end of the channel 17. Since the runner 1 is no longer supported in the curtain rail 14 and is moved downwards by the inclined surface 12, it is forcibly released from the curtain rail 14. As the curtain is pulled farther along, the next runners 1 are each slid out of the curtain rail 14 in the same way. The removed runners can be inserted back in the curtain rail 14 by hand or using the device described in the abovementioned publication DE 199 01 477 A. The runners 1 can be secured in the curtain rail 14 and removed by means of the release lock 9 as many times as required.

In the light of the foregoing it will be understood that the invention can be applied to any suitable curtain rail and is not limited to a curtain rail which is open towards the underside and in which runners are slidably received. Of course, the release lock has to be shaped in accordance with the configuration of the curtain rail and the runners. Common to all embodiments is the feature of providing a means for "derailing" runners carried by the track. It will further be understood that the release lock does not have to be installed in or on the track, but can also be installed adjacent one end of the track.

While the present invention has been described in its preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the words which have been used are words of description rather than limitation and that changes may be made to the invention without departing from its scope as defined by the appended claims.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (which term 'includes the claims) and/or shown in the drawings may be incorporated in the invention independently of other disclosed and/or illustrated features.

Any reference numerals appearing in the claims are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the claims.

The text of the abstract filed herewith is repeated here as part of the specification.

The runners are slidably guided in an open-bottomed track (19) of the curtain rail (14). They have a head (3) at a top end disposed in the track (19) and a hook (2) at a bottom end for securing a curtain. The head (3) has at least one sliding part, by which the runner (1) is supported in the curtain rail (14). A release lock (9) is disposed in the track (19), in which the runners (1) are released from the curtain rail (14). In the release lock (9), the sliding parts (5) are inwardly displaced causing the head (3) to be made narrower to such a degree that the runners (1) can be fed downwards and out of the curtain rail (14).

Claims

1. A curtain rail having a plurality of runners (1) and a release lock (9) installed at the track (19) of the curtain rail, by which, in order to take the curtain down, the runners (1) are received one after the other and at which the runners (1) are released from the curtain rail.

2. A curtain rail as claimed in claim 1, wherein the release lock (9) is installed in the curtain rail (14).

3. A release lock (9) for installation at a curtain rail (14) with a plurality of runners (1)guided along a track (19), each runner (1) having a body portion (3) carried by the track (19)and a fixing means (2) for securing a curtain, the body portion (3)having at least one displaceable support part (5) by which the runner (1) is retained by the rail (14), the release lock (9) being shaped such that the runners (1) can be sequentially received by the release lock (9)and are released thereat from the curtain rail (14) by displacement of the support part (5).

4. A release lock (9) as claimed in claim 3, adapted to be inserted in the curtain rail (14).

5. A release lock (9) as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4, adapted to be used with a curtain rail (14) along which the runners (1) are slidably guided.

6. A release lock (9) as claimed in any of claims 3 to 5, having at least one guide surface (13) against which the at least one support part (5) of a runner (1) is resiliently deflected to release same.

7. A release lock (9) as claimed in any of claims 3 to 6, having an inclined surface (12), along which the runners (1) are deflected away from the track (19).

8. A release lock (9) as claimed in claim 7,wherein the inclined surface (12) is formed by a top wall of the release lock (9).

9. A release lock (9) as claimed in any of claims 3 to 8, having two lateral guide faces (13) spaced at a distance apart from one another and these guide faces (13) form a channel (17) open at one end.

10. A release lock (9) as claimed in claim 9,wherein the channel (17) tapers or widens in a funnel arrangement at the inlet end.

11. A curtain rail with a plurality of runners guided along a track (19), each runner having a body portion carried by the track (19) and a fixing means (2) for securing a curtain, the body portion (3) having at least one displaceable support part (5) by which the runner (1) is retained by the rail (14), wherein a release lock (9) as claimed in any of Claims 3 to 10 is installed at the track (19), wherein, in order, to take the curtain down, the runners (1) are received oneafter the other by the release lock (9) and are released thereat from the curtain rail (14) by displacement of the support part (5).

12. A curtain rail as claimed in claim 11, wherein the release lock (9) is installed in the curtain rail (14)

13. A curtain rail as claimed in claim 11 or claim 12, wherein the runners (1) have two respective lateral support parts (5) on the body portion (3) which are inwardly deflected in the release lock (9) in order to make the body portion (3) narrower.

14. A curtain rail as claimed in claim 13, wherein the support parts (5) of the body portion (3) are resiliently displaceable and laterally projecting moulded regions of the body portion (3).

15. A curtain rail as claimed in claim 14, wherein the outward face of each support part (5) has an outwardly open slot.

16. A curtain rail substantially as herein described with. reference to, or as illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.

17. A release lock, substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 2, 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.