Abstract:
A curtain rod mounting bracket is affixed adhesively via a front mounting plate and a side mounting flange to be abutted against the upper inside corner of a window or other framed opening. The front mounting plate extends outwardly from the opening and the side mounting flange extends partway along the height of the front plate and extends rearwardly generally perpendicular to the front plate. One or more curtain rod support hooks are placed at the upper outside edge of the front plate. Relatively thick double sided adhesive strips are attached to the window frame side of the side flange and front mounting plate, securing the bracket to the window frame without damage, and allowing for alignment correction due to an imperfectly squared window frame and/or non-rectilinear moldings.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to mounting apparatus for attachment to wall moldings that frame an opening, to support and correctly position rod elements for carrying curtains, valences and similar window treatments. A bracket having a positioning flange extending into the opening is attachable to the front and inner surfaces of a framed opening, via resilient adhesive pads, thereby preventing damage. The pads have a thickness permitting the bracket to be adjusted in mutually perpendicular directions such that the bracket can accommodate the slope and contour of the molding or support frame, positioning the bracket and therefore the curtain rod correctly relative to the inside corner of the frame. 
     2. Prior Art 
     It is often desirable to cover windows, doors and similar framed openings with is curtains or blinds of various types. The window or door is defined by a frame which may include a bordering molding mounted to the frame around the opening. The typical molding is tapered in thickness and protrudes from the wall surface to a greater extend proceeding away from the edge of the opening. 
     It is customary to attach fixtures on the lateral sides of the opening, for example at the top, for holding the ends of a curtain rod to support curtains that depend across the opening. Venetian blinds are similarly mounted, typically by box-like brackets. Brackets for mounting rods for depending curtains, valences and the like commonly have a flat base plate with openings to receive one or more nails, screws or the like, which are driven or threaded into the molding to fix the bracket in position on opposite sides of the door or window frame. One or more hooked arms extends forward and typically upward from the base plate, and engages in the hollow curtain rod via a hole spaced from the end of the rod near an L-shaped bend at each end of the rod. 
     According to one type of bracket, the base plate is integral with a side mounting plate that extends rearwardly from the flat base plate to wrap around the outer corner of the molding surrounding the frame. The side mounting plate can also have one or more openings for receiving fasteners such as nails or screws. Brackets with side mounting plates are useful in that the side mounting plates inherently position the curtain rod hooks at a given position relative to the outer edge of the molding. However, this feature is not available for framed openings that do not have a protruding molding defining such outer edge. 
     A problem with certain curtain rod brackets having a side mounting plate is that the bracket can be conspicuously visible and can interfere with the aesthetic appeal of the window treatment. An additional problem with this type of bracket is that the relatively permanent nails or screws used as fasteners produce holes in the molding and the brackets are often painted over. When the brackets or their positions are changed, nail or screw holes in the molding or frame, and any unevenness in the painted surface, require repairs. 
     An attempt to provide an improved support bracket is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,283,034—Sheehan, which discloses a bracket having a rearwardly extending flange which extends over the upper and outer edge of the molding. The flange has tangs which are driven into the top of the molding. Sheehan avoids damage to the front of the molding but requires that the bracket be hung by penetrating the molding from above. The tangs have a wider surface area than a screw or nail and create a larger hole. The bracket is fastened to the molding in a manner which bears vertical force but can only prevent downward and horizontal displacement of the bracket. Upward vertical force can unseat the bracket from the molding. 
     Further examples of brackets for mounting curtain rods are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,577,700—Williams and 5,230,494—Adams. Williams discloses a bracket which has a sideways extending flange with apertures for receiving nails and screws. The bracket is fixed in place by nailing or screwing the flange to the wall adjacent the molding. Williams avoids damage to the molding at the expense of the wall which is often comprised of more fragile materials such as plaster or dry wall. Attaching screws or nails into dry wall often requires attention to cracking, or expandable screw fittings such as mollies or toggle screws. Adams discloses a bracket which is mounted on an array of suction cups. The suction cups are attached directly to the window. In addition to creating an aesthetically unappealing situation, this type of product cannot be used with windows that open outwardly on a hinge axis. 
     In general, mounting brackets are not well suited to being mounted on the surfaces of contoured moldings. When a molding around a window or door is substantially rectilinear and has a flat facing surface, the bracket orients the rod hooks directly forwardly when resting flush against the molding. However, most moldings are angled such that they are thinner at the edge of the opening and thicker progressing outwardly. Moldings also are often rounded or otherwise contoured. A contoured or sloped molding at best causes the bracket to rest awkwardly on the molding (for example against a limited width of molding material) and may misalign the rod hooks such that it is difficult to place and remove the rod. Brackets can be shaped to complement the contour of moldings. However, the bracket must be customized to the molding and may be impractical for uncommon molding patterns. 
     It would be desirable to provide a curtain rod bracket which when mounted is substantially concealed, avoids damage to the wall or frame and particularly to the wall adjacent to an opening framed by a molding, and is adjustable as well as self-positioning to accommodate the contour of the molding. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the invention provide a bracket for supporting curtain rods which is substantially concealed when mounted and supporting a curtain. 
     It is also an object of the invention to provide a bracket for supporting curtain rods and hangers which is adjustable to conform to sloped or otherwise contoured moldings. 
     It is a further object of the invention to provide a bracket for supporting curtain rods and hangers which does not damage the frame or molding of a door or window. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide a bracket as described that additionally has self-positioning structures that abut inside edges and surfaces of a framed opening. 
     These and other objects are accomplished by a bracket comprised of a front mounting plate and a side mounting flange which extends rearwardly from the front mounting plate at substantially a right angle. At least one rod support arm is located in the upper outside corner of the front mounting plate and extends forwardly in a plane parallel to the side mounting flange. The support arm has a horizontal bearing surface for supporting the weight of a curtain rod that is hollow at an end facing the bracket. A knob protrudes upwardly from the bearing surface and mates with a corresponding aperture in the curtain rod such that the arm and knob constrain the curtain rod from moving in a horizontal direction or from rotating downwardly when mounted. The knob can alternatively be formed as the end of an upwardly curved hook shaped arm extending outwardly from the front mounting plate. 
     Adhesive bonding pads are attached to the surfaces of the side flange and front mounting plate facing the edges of the opening, the pads comprising relatively thick resilient material with adhesive on both sides for securing the curtain rod mounting device to the window frame. The adhesive strip can be provided in different or tapering thicknesses. The adhesive strip is compressible to compensate for ridges encountered in contoured molding and/or to accommodate variations in the surface configuration or orientation of the edges of the opening. Alternatively or in addition, the bracket can comprise a flexible or malleable material which allows the front mounting plate and the side mounting flange to be bent relative to each other to match the slope and contour of the molding. 
     The top edges of the side mounting flanges for a bracket on each lateral side of the opening is abutted into the respective upper corner of the framed opening as the bracket is mounted. The bracket is simultaneously leveled and affixed to the inside wall of the opening and to the outer surface (e.g., to the face of the molding surrounding the opening). This registers both brackets to the upper edge of the opening and positions the rod engaging hooks at an equal height and distance from the edge of the opening. 
     In order to hang curtains, two brackets are mounted to the molding in opposite upper corners of the door or window frame. The front mounting plate is juxtaposed to the molding of the door or window so that the side mounting flange extends along the inner part of the door frame perpendicular to the plane of the window. The slotted ends of a curtain rod are then mated with the support arms of the bracket. The registered placement of the support arms in the upper outer corner of the front mounting plates causes the curtain rod to extend across the top of the opening and parallel to its upper edge. The support arms are preferably placed at the extreme outer edge of the mounting plate, and accordingly when curtains are placed on the rod, the bracket is concealed from view. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     There are shown in the drawings certain exemplary embodiments of the invention as presently preferred. It should be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed as examples, and is capable of variation within the scope of the appended claims. 
     In the drawings: 
     FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the mounting bracket embodying the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a support arm of the mounting bracket of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of a conventional window frame without molding, having an opposite-hand embodiment of the mounting bracket of FIG. 1 mounted thereto; 
     FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of a corner of a conventional window frame with molding, having an opposite-hand embodiment of the mounting bracket of FIG. 1 mounted thereto; 
     FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line  5 — 5  of FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 5A is a sectional view similar to FIG. 5, showing the mounting bracket mounted to a slightly contoured molding; 
     FIG. 5B is a sectional view similar to FIG. 5, showing the mounting bracket mounted to a contoured molding; 
     FIG. 6 is a front perspective view showing an alternative embodiment of the mounting bracket; and, 
     FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of a support arm of the mounting bracket of FIG.  6 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The invention is described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which the same reference numerals are used throughout to identify corresponding elements. FIG. 1 shows the curtain rod mounting bracket  10  according to the invention. The mounting bracket  10  can be constructed from a flexible material such as polyvinyl chloride, high impact polystyrene or another type of durable plastic. Alternatively, the bracket can be made of a malleable metal such as aluminum or brass. Bracket  10  also may be constructed from other materials such as wood. As formed of plastic, bracket  10  can be a single piece injection molded part integrally formed with a front mounting plate  14  for attachment to the facing wall surface adjacent to a window or similar framed opening, a side mounting flange  12  perpendicular thereto for extending into the opening and attaching to an inner side wall, and at a pair of outwardly extending laterally spaced support arms  16  for receiving the end of a curtain rod or the like. The side mounting flange  12  extends rearwardly from the outer edge  22  of front mounting plate  14  over only a lower part of the height of plate  14 . Support arms  16  extend outwardly from the upper outer corner of front mounting plate  14  such that the curtain rod is placed at the extreme edge of the bracket. 
     As shown in FIG. 2, support arms  16  each have a horizontal bearing surface  17  which supports the weight of curtain rods. Protruding upwardly from bearing surfaces  17  are knobs  18  which mate with a corresponding aperture in the hollow curtain rod and prevents the curtain rod from moving in a horizontal direction or rotating downwardly due to cantilevered weight carried by the curtain rod, i.e., the weight of the curtain and any downward force applied to the curtain. 
     An alternative configuration is shown in FIG. 6, wherein a pair of curved hooks  116  extend outwardly from the front mounting plate  114  to form the arms. The curved hooks  116  are particularly adapted to receive a tubular curtain rod. Support arms  16  and hooks  116  preferably are integral with brackets  10  and  100  respectively. However, hooks  116  and arms  16  can be provided as a separately attached part affixed to front mounting plates  14 ,  114  by adhesive or by means of a mechanical fastener such as a screw, rivet or the like. 
     As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, front mounting plates  14 ,  114  and side mounting flanges  12 ,  112  have rear surfaces  34 ,  134  and  35 ,  135  respectively which have attachment strips  36 ,  136  mounted thereto. Attachment strip  36 ,  136  comprises a relatively thick compressible pad having an adhesive bonding agent on both sides. Strips  36 ,  136  adhere to the rear surfaces  34 ,  134  and  35 ,  135  of brackets  10 ,  100  and to the molding and inside wall of a door or window frame. The compressible pad allows the brackets  10 ,  100  to be better positioned on unevenly contoured molding surfaces and door frames, and accommodates edges that are not precisely plumb, up to the compressible thickness of the pads. For example, the pads can be approximately {fraction (3/16)} inch (5 mm) thick at rest, and readily compressible to {fraction (1/16)} inch (1.6 mm) when mounted. Whereas the adhesive pads are placed on mutually perpendicular surfaces, either of the pads will remain compressed when mounted because resilient forces normal to the surface, produced by compression of that pad, are resisted substantially along the plane of attachment of the other pad. 
     FIG. 3 illustrates a typical window frame structure without molding, in which a frame  26  is disposed in a wall and defines an opening  40 . The framed opening is typically occupied by a window or door, but could also be a different type such as an alcove, a framed painting, etc. FIG. 4 shows a corner of a conventional window frame with molding, wherein the decorative molding  28  is attached to the face of the frame  26  adjacent the inner face or periphery  38  of frame  26 . Decorative molding  28  can be flat and square, but typically is tapered for greater thickness proceeding outwardly, and can be decoratively contoured. For illustrating operation of the invention, FIGS. 4 and 5 show frame  26  having a flat molding  28  and FIG. 5A shows a slightly sloped contoured molding  28 A along the door frames  26 ,  26 A adjacent the inner periphery  38 ,  38 A. As described above, attachment strip  36  fastens bracket  10  to the molding  28 ,  28 A and comprises compressible padding which is coated with an adhesive on two sides. The compressible padding of strip  36  allows for compensation in the elevational differences in the ridges of the contoured molding  28 A. As shown in FIG. 5A, the attachment strip  36  is compressed along the outside of molding  28 A and remains fully expanded along the inside of molding  28 A. This keeps the rear surface  34  of front mounting plate  14  positioned against the contoured molding  28 A. 
     There are instances when the slope and contour of molding are such that attachment strips cannot compensate for the elevational differences in the contoured molding. Two options are available to remedy this situation. For common molding contours, the rear surface  34  can be contoured to complement the molding. Alternatively and as illustrated in FIG. 5B, the side mounting flange  12  can be bent relative to the front mounting plate  14  to better match the slope of the molding. The attachment strip  36  lessens the amount of bending which must occur in order to match the slope of the molding  28 B and also conforms to steps and irregularities in the surface. Once the side flange  12  is bent, the front mounting plate must be bent to ensure that the support arms  16  are properly oriented in a direction perpendicular to door frame  26 . The mounting bracket  10  includes creases  44 ,  48  and  46  which allow for bending of the side mounting flange  12  and the front mounting plate  14 , respectively. 
     In operation, a pair of brackets  10  are aligned in the upper corners of frame  26  so that the side mounting flange  12  is flush with the inner face  38  of frame  26  and the rear of front mounting plate  14  is flush with the molding, with the top edge of side mounting flange abutted against the top inside of the opening and the bracket set to plumb. As shown in FIG. 5, if bracket  10  is attached to flat molding  28 , it is generally only necessary to align the rear surface  34  and press upon the front of bracket  10  which will bond the attachment strips  36  to the molding  28  and the inner face  38 . As shown in FIG. 5B, if bracket  10  is to attach to sloped contoured molding  28 B, the bracket  10  may need to be adjusted depending upon the grade of the slope. In most instances, the compressibly padded attachment strips  36  will compensate for elevational differences in the ridges of the contoured molding. For steep grades the bracket  10  is adjusted to match the grade of the molding by bending side mounting flange  12  relative to front mounting plate  14  along crease  44 . Once the grade is matched, the front face of the bracket is pressed and attachment strip  36  will engage molding  30 . If necessary, the front mounting plate  14  is then bent along crease  46  to align support arms  16  in a direction perpendicular to door frame  26 . 
     A curtain rod is fitted with a curtain and placed on brackets  10 , namely on one of the support arms  16 , two being shown for mounting inner and outer curtain rods and curtains. The orientation of a curtain rod relative to bracket  10  is such that a rod extends parallel to the top edge of the opening across the tops of brackets  10  and to their extreme outer edges. Side mounting flange  12  is attached to the inner periphery  38  of the window frame,  26 . Thus, when curtains are placed on the rod, the brackets are concealed behind the curtains. 
     The invention having been disclosed in connection with the foregoing variations and examples, additional variations will now be apparent to persons skilled in the art. The invention is not intended to be limited to the variations specifically mentioned, and accordingly reference should be made to the appended claims rather than the foregoing discussion of preferred examples, to assess the scope of the invention in which exclusive rights are claimed.