FORMING CURTAINS

A curtain system is assembled from a plurality of flexible curtain segments each having a length, and a width substantially shorter than the length. The segments are connected to a bar shaped light transmissive curtain segment carrier having an elongate body through which is formed a plurality of apertures, a plurality of the apertures spaced relative to each other and sized to frictionally retain, without a fastener, a gathered width of a curtain segment with sufficient force to prevent passage of the curtain segment through the aperture due to gravity.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

The terms “a” or “an”, as used herein, are defined as one or more than one. The term plurality, as used herein, is defined as two or more than two. The term another, as used herein, is defined as at least a second or more. The terms “including” and “having,” as used herein, are defined as comprising (i.e., open language). The term “coupled,” as used herein, is defined as “connected,” although not necessarily directly, and not necessarily mechanically.

A curtain hanging system of the disclosure includes a plurality of curtain segments, a carrier having a plurality of apertures through the carrier, at least one curtain segment receivable through each aperture, each aperture configured to hold the received curtain from a frictional force between the wall of the aperture and the outward pressure of a gathered or bunched curtain segment, and a hanger attachable to the carrier for securing the carrier to a surface. A method of hanging curtains is further described herein.

Referring now toFIGS. 1-3, an embodiment of a curtain system100includes a series of elongate curtain segments110, a carrier120, and a hanger130. Included in carrier120is a series of apertures122pre-drilled, molded, cast, or otherwise formed within carrier120. In the embodiment ofFIG. 1, carrier120is a sturdy and elongate support having a plurality of apertures122disposed in a spaced apart configuration, for example in a substantially spaced apart linear arrangement. Apertures122are sized to receive an end of curtain segment110therethrough. Intervals between apertures122are illustrated as substantially constant throughout carrier120, however it should be appreciated the distance between apertures122may also have variable spacing, or may be formed in patterns or groups.

Aperture122is sized relative to a curtain segment110, or vice versa, so that when curtain segment110is bunched or gathered along its width, to form a bundle having a predetermined thickness, segment110may be passed through aperture122and then be permitted to expand and frictionally engage carrier120within aperture122, to be thereby retained within aperture122. Curtain segment120is further secured by expanding to a width greater in size than aperture122both above and below carrier120, whereby a force is required to displace segment110relative to carrier120. Some curtain segment110material may exhibit resiliency when bunched, thereby exerting additional force against interior walls176of aperture122when gathered and compressed within aperture122. Similarly, aperture122can include a resilient material178, as illustrated for aperture122A ofFIG. 6. Alternatively or additionally, carrier120can be composed of a resilient material.

Thus, in accordance with the disclosure, curtain segments110, and therefore an entire curtain section160, can be supported by the carrier without a fastener. Accordingly, no pins, hooks, links, clips, snaps or other such discrete fastener is required in order to attach and suspend segments110to carrier120. While clips can be used within system100, as described herein, they are not required in order to carry out a curtain system of the disclosure.

Carrier120may be constructed or molded from a variety of materials including, but not limited to, metal, plastic, glass, cement, wood, acrylic, and composite materials. The materials of carrier120, in some embodiments, may be opaque, semi-opaque, semi-transparent, or at least substantially transparent in order to facilitate a particular desired illumination effect by transmitting light therethrough, and/or along its length. Exemplary lighting is shown inFIG. 1, including any or all of a lighting element124disposed above one or more of curtain segments110, or disposed within (124A), partially within, or disposed upon (124B) a surface of carrier120. Lighting element124may be fastened to support120, or may be supported on another structure. Each lighting element124/124A/124B may be individually filtered to provide variable colored lighting in order to create an aesthetic or functional illumination effect.

Curtain segments110, depending on the selected fabric, may conduct or further transmit illumination provided by lighting element124. It should be understood that curtain segment110may be made, constructed, or woven from any known or to be developed fabric or material suitable for creating curtains, partitions, or other hanging dividers. In many locales, the fabric or material must be fire retardant. Lights of same or varied color can be positioned to shine through or along carrier120and curtain segments110, to produce decorative or entertaining lighting effects.

Hanger130is provided for affixing carrier120to a surface132, for example a surface of a building or temporary edifice. In the illustrated embodiment, carrier130is a clip or fastener attachable to an end aperture122at a first end of hanger130and securable to surface132at a second end of hanger130. Hanger130may be made from the same or different material as carrier120. Hanger130may also be attached to carrier120at areas separate from, or cooperative with aperture122. For example, hanger130may include two opposing surfaces for interposing carrier120therebetween. Hanger130also may include an adhesive material for securing hanger130to carrier120, surface132, or both.

In addition to hanger130, carrier120may be further held at a height or distance from support120through strings, rods, wires, or brackets, and can be used in combination with a pulley system (not shown) attached to carrier120. The pulley system can be attached to an aperture122, or another location upon support120, to facilitate hanging carrier120from a ceiling or other surface132which is difficult to access. A thin wire support system can provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance, while enabling movement of carrier120, such as rotation of the embodiment ofFIG. 5, depending on the positioning of the wire system.

As illustrated inFIG. 3, curtain segment110is held within aperture122by frictional forces alone from at least a portion of the walls of aperture122. The opening to aperture122is sufficiently wide to receive an end of curtain segment110through the aperture, while sufficiently narrow to assert frictional contact against curtain122, thereby pinching or pressing the curtain within aperture122in order to maintain its position. Aperture122may be substantially cylindrical, or may have an oval, polygonal, triangular, star shaped, rectangular, or any other shape. As a result of the frictional force applied from a sufficiently narrow diameter of aperture122, curtain segment110has a bunching effect immediately proximate the ends of aperture122exterior of carrier120. This bunching effect permits a splaying of the curtain, resulting in both an effective partition as well as an ornamental effect. The splaying effect may be further adjusted by providing apertures122in any of the aforementioned variety of shapes, in addition to or in the alternative to the circular shape illustrated. Additional shapes of apertures122further adjust the aperture wall surface area contacting curtain segment110, thereby varying the frictional forces applied to curtain segment110. It should be understood that carrier120may have apertures of122of a single shape or a variety of shapes.

While a relatively short amount of curtain segment110has been pulled through aperture122relative to a total length of curtain segment110, in the drawings, a relatively shorter or substantially longer segment may be pulled through in a desired application. Moreover, a length may be passed through an aperture122of one carrier120, and then passed through another aperture122of another carrier120, creating a wider variety of decorative effects or providing additional screening, protection, privacy, or other utility.

In another embodiment illustrated inFIG. 4, one or more apertures122may further include at least one constricting device, such as a reducing washer126, or clip126A (collectively clip126), positioned proximate an aperture122for clipping or pinching a received curtain segment110. Clip126permits curtain segments110formed from material less susceptible to retention by the frictional forces of aperture122, such as slippery material or curtains formed from less dense material than would otherwise be tightly gathered by aperture122, to be adequately secured or maintained within aperture122by support120. Although shown above support120, clip126can be provided at a bottom surface of carrier120, clip126supported within aperture126or otherwise fastened to support120. In this manner, clip126may also be used for further adjusting the direction, shape, or profile of the hanging portion of curtain segment110. The leftmost curtain is illustrated with a wavy broken line to emphasize that curtain segments110can be of any length.

With reference toFIGS. 5-7, it may be seen that carrier120may be fabricated using a flexible or non-rigid material, and can be bent to assume various non-linear forms using flexible material, or may be fabricated in such non-linear shapes using rigid material. As can be seen inFIG. 5, carrier120forms a flat ring shape. Only a single curtain segment110is illustrated, for clarity; it should be understood that any number of apertures122can be provided with a curtain segment110.

InFIG. 6, carrier120is an elongated element turned sideways relative to the earth and bent into an enclosed ring shape form, although semi-circular or non-closed configurations can be similarly formed. As inFIG. 5, only a single curtain segment110is shown, with the protruding portion110A extending through aperture122at a like sideways angle, at least initially. The carrier120of this embodiment may be hung from a wire or other suspension or affixing system. In an embodiment, the embodiment ofFIG. 6can be suspended from a pivoting, rotatable, or twistable member, thereby permitting rotation and other movements of carrier120and received curtain segments110, thus providing other functional and aesthetic effects, as described further herein. Examples of usage include, for example, a ring shape, such as shown, encircling a pillar or other such non-moveable object, or a semi-circle, suspended behind a chair, desk, or displayed object.

FIG. 7illustrates a flexible carrier bent to form portions which can be affixed to rest at varying elevations, thus permitting hanging of received curtain segments110at a variety of elevations. This can be effective over or adjacent to ramps, stairs, stages, and other uneven surfaces.

InFIG. 8, carrier120bent, stamped, cut, or otherwise formed to define an angle which is adapted to be placed within a corner, or to form a corner of a partition, using suspended curtain segments110. It should be understood that a variety of angles, formations, arrangements, and designs are contemplated by forming carrier120with flexible and or rigid material in any combination of the embodiments described herein. For example, an angular carrier120segment, similar to that ofFIG. 8or9, may be formed by bending a section of carrier120sideways, as shown and described with respect toFIG. 5.

In an embodiment, once carrier120is formed into a desired design, shape, or pattern, flexible carrier120may be then hardened, through known or to be developed hardening methods, for example UV curing, in order to transform a flexible carrier120into a rigid carrier120, having a non-linear arrangement. Alternatively, carrier120may be flexible or bendable in order to permit a user to manipulate or bend carrier120as desired when installing curtain system100, and the shape maintain by fastening carrier to a supporting structure in the desired configuration.

FIG. 9illustrates a carrier120similar to the carrier ofFIG. 8, and further including fastener clips or tabs134connected to or extending from carrier120. Tab134A includes a mounting aperture136within tab134A, through which a screw, bolt, wire, clip, tie-wrap, or other fastener may be passed to secure carrier to an available support structure, or to another carrier120. Tab134B is provided with an aperture122which can be used for mounting, or alternatively for receiving a curtain segment100as described herein. As may be seen inFIG. 9, apertures122do not need to be the same size, enabling artistic or decorative effects using a mix of curtain fabrics. In an embodiment, carrier120may be provided without apertures122, there being provided apertures122only upon tabs134. Alternatively, as shown, apertures can be provided on carrier120so that a combination of apertures122on carrier120and fasteners134can be used to hang curtains segments110. A carrier120can include apertures122of different size as well as mounting apertures136.

Curtain system100as described herein may be used in a variety of industries and applications including, for example, party events; entertainment events and venues; window coverings and room separations in buildings and homes; architectural applications; manufacturing barriers; welding protection; and privacy and health barriers in medical applications. System100may also be utilized in decoration of both interior and exterior settings. Non-limiting examples are shown inFIGS. 8-28.

With reference toFIG. 10, an exemplary installation of a curtain system100of the disclosure is shown within a building158, for example within a warehouse, office, living room, bedroom, or other dwelling or structure. Curtain segments110form an extended curtain section160. In this manner, an area can be quickly decorated, or an unfinished or undecorated space can be rendered attractive or suitable for a variety of uses. Access to a door162or other object can be facilitated by retracting one or more curtain segments110, and retaining the retracted segments with a binder164, for example a loop of fabric similar to that of curtain segments110.

A wire, rod, or other elongated support170can be attached at one end to building158, for example to a ceiling or other structure of building158, and the other end can be connected to carrier120, for example through one or more of aperture120or mounting aperture136, or passed about an exterior of carrier120. Alternatively or additionally, one or more mounting brackets, for example an L-bracket172, can be attached to a surface of building158, and can be directly connected to carrier120, for example with a nut and bolt, or can be attached to carrier120using a wire, rod, or other elongated fastener.

Referring now toFIG. 11, an alternative embodiment of a carrier120includes a notch or slot180extends from an interior of an aperture122to an exterior of carrier120. In this manner, a curtain segment110can be inserted into an interior of aperture122through slot180sideways, as opposed to endwise as with a closed aperture, and may thus be inserted along any portion of its length. Once inserted, curtain segment110is frictionally secured as described elsewhere herein.

Slot180is illustrated to be sufficiently wide to readily and rapidly admit passage of curtain segment110material or fabric, in at least a partially bunched, wadded, or gathered state, and is wedge shaped to gather and compress the material so that it may enter aperture122and then re-expand to be retained within aperture122with a predetermined force. Slot180can be wedge shaped, as shown, or can be rectilinear, or have any other shape. Further, a wider slot can facilitate entry of curtain segment110, but where the slot intersects aperture122, some gripping force is lost. Thus, a compromise between ease of insertion and holding force can be determined based upon the materials used and the relative thickness and frictional characteristics of the material of curtain segment110, and the thickness and frictional characteristics of carrier120. In an embodiment, slot180can approximate the width of a flattened panel of the material of curtain segment110, and thus material of curtain segment110must be inserted serially in a flattened state, without bunching.

The system according to the present disclosure provides a curtain for privacy, decoration, or protection, that is relatively quick and easy to install relative to the prior art, and which can be simply configured and reconfigured at the installation location. Further, as the system according to the present disclosure can rely on friction to secure a curtain segment, a safety release feature is provided. Specifically, if a curtain becomes caught or tangled with a person or an object, the friction curtain segment mounting force can be overcome (before failure of the curtain material and/or failure of the carrier) so that the curtain falls harmlessly. With prior art systems, in which the curtain is more fixedly attached to its mounting hardware, there is a greater possibility for injury, for example entanglement, tripping, or other hazard which could otherwise be avoided by removing one or more segments110in accordance with the disclosure.

All references cited herein are expressly incorporated by reference in their entirety. In addition, unless mention was made above to the contrary, it should be noted that all of the accompanying drawings are not to scale. There are many different features to the present disclosure and it is contemplated that these features may be used together or separately. Thus, the disclosure should not be limited to any particular combination of features or to a particular application of the disclosure. Further, it should be understood that variations and modifications within the spirit and scope of the disclosure might occur to those skilled in the art to which the disclosure pertains. Accordingly, all expedient modifications readily attainable by one versed in the art from the disclosure set forth herein that are within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure are to be included as further embodiments of the present disclosure.