Abstract:
A sacrificial plate extends above a window or door opening and is mounted onto an interior wall to accept mounting screws for window treatment holders. The sacrificial plate is a cost effective alternative to costly repairs ordinarily caused by the installation and removal of multiple window treatments over time. The sacrificial plate may be easily removed and replaced when remodeling.

Description:
[0001]    The present application relates to and claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/391,156 filed on Apr. 22, 2016. 
         [0002]    The present application was not subject to federal research and/or development funding. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0003]    Generally, the invention relates to a sacrificial plate mounted above a window and which accepts mounting screws from window treatments such as those used in mounting curtain rods. Preferably, the sacrificial plate is substantially flat and rectangular in shape and having an overall length that extends that is longer than the window or door above which it is mounted. The sacrificial plate may comprise a lightweight, rigid material such as wood, aluminum, polypropylene, homopolymer and the like. The sacrificial plate is a corrosion resistant material having excellent tensile strength. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    A header is framed in an exterior wall to span the spaces above doors and windows and bear the weight of floors, ceilings and roofs above the doors and windows. The headers are typically held up by vertical structural members such as 2″×4″ studs which are covered with drywall. To maximize profits, builders usually only provide a header having a minimum length which is only necessary to span the door or window opening. Thus, the header may extend only a couple of inches on either side of the opening. 
         [0005]    There are a variety of window treatments including retractable blinds, curtains, and shades. These window treatments typically include a pair of holders which are mounted on opposite sides of the header and to the interior wall. If the window treatments extend more than a couple inches on either side of the header, there may be no structural support for them. Thus, wall anchors and the like must be employed to mount the window treatments. Such actions require the drilling of large openings in the drywall in order to insert the anchors prior to mounting the window treatments. 
         [0006]    If multiple window treatments are mounted, large chunks of drywall may crumble and require substantial repair. Such repairs may necessitate the removal and replacement of square foot-sized pieces of drywall which may be a costly endeavor. 
         [0007]    To that end, it is an aim of the present invention to provide a sacrificial plate which prevents the need for repairing multiple sets of holes created when a variety of different window treatments are installed. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    The instant invention is a curtain plate attached to an interior wall above a door or window opening to provide a solid surface to which window treatment holders are affixed. The curtain plate is attached to the vertical structure members which tie the header to the roof or floor above. The curtain plate accepts mounting screws from window treatments such as those used in mounting curtain rods. The curtain plate is sacrificial and preferably comprises a lightweight, rigid material such as wood, aluminum, polypropylene, homopolymer and the like. The sacrificial plate is a corrosion resistant material having excellent tensile strength. 
         [0009]    It is an object of the invention to teach a novel curtain plate which is mounted to an interior wall. The curtain plate is lightweight and sacrificial. It accepts the mounting screws for window treatments. 
         [0010]    Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned from practicing the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention will be obtained by means of instrumentalities in combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a curtain plate arranged above an exterior door opening and having a window treatment affixed thereto. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  shows a preferred method of attaching the curtain plate to the vertical members which are arranged above a header. 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  shows a second embodiment of the curtain plate having predrilled holes. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]    The embodiments of the invention and the various features and advantageous details thereof are more fully explained with reference to the non-limiting embodiments and examples that are described and/or illustrated in the accompanying drawings and set forth in the following description. It should be noted that the features illustrated in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and the features of one embodiment may be employed with the other embodiments as the skilled artisan recognizes, even if not explicitly stated herein. For instance, the conduit openings in the boxes on the left and right sides may be alternated without deviating from the scope of the invention. Descriptions of well-known components and techniques may be omitted to avoid obscuring the invention. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the invention may be practiced and to further enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. Accordingly, the examples and embodiments set forth herein should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, which is defined by the appended claims. Moreover, it is noted that like reference numerals represent similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings. 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  depicts a curtain plate  1  arranged above an exterior door opening  100  and having a window treatment  105  affixed thereto. The curtain plate  1  is preferably mounted to vertical support members arranged above the header as more clearly shown in  FIG. 2 . Wood screws or other fasteners pass through the curtain plate and into the vertical studs which transmit weight from above onto the header. A curtain may thereafter be fastened to the curtain plate without further damage occurring to the interior wall. The curtain plate may be removed and a minimum of only four holes may be repaired. Moreover, the diameter of the hole is smaller than those of the curtain or window treatment holder. 
         [0016]      FIG. 2  shows a preferred method of attaching the curtain plate  1  to the vertical members  103  which are arranged above a header. Vertical members  103  are shown in broken lines as they are typically 2″×4″ studs which are arranged behind drywall or other similar wall material. As can be understood, the curtain plate spans  1  beyond the entire length of the header to provide support for the screws which fasten the curtain holder to the interior wall. Four screws  3  may be mounted through openings in the curtain plate which is a preferable thickness of substantially 1/4″. The openings are formed to correspond with the vertical members such that fasteners pass through the openings and into the vertical members to affix the curtain plate to the interior wall as can be understood by viewing  FIG. 3 . 
         [0017]      FIG. 3  shows a second embodiment which includes predrilled openings  5  provided in at least 2 plurality of groups  2 , which are advantageously provided at a predetermined distance along the length of the curtain plate  1 . In a preferred embodiment, the curtain plate  1  includes a height of at least three inches (3″), a thickness of one-quarter inches (1%), and is provided in varying lengths which span the entire distance across the header of the opening which is to be covered by the window treatment. In this instance, the groups of openings  2  are separated by substantially ten inches (10″) with each group  2  having openings  5  that are staggered in lines at two different heights as shown. Each opening in a line is separated by substantially two inches (2″). A group of openings spans a distance of approximately six inches (6″). Staggering the openings provides a more rigid curtain plate. The curtain plate may be reinforced with fiber if extruded to further solidify the curtain plate. The curtain plate may be provided in longer lengths that may be cut to a specific size by the user. 
         [0018]    It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact construction illustrated and described above, but that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims. While the invention has been described with respect to preferred embodiments, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in limiting sense. From the above disclosure of the general principles of the present invention and the preceding detailed description, those skilled in the art will readily comprehend the various modifications to which the present invention is susceptible. Therefore, the scope of the invention should be limited only by the following claims and equivalents thereof.