Abstract:
A vertically adjustable bracket for mounting a valance to a headrail includes a clip having a tongue and an arm for attachment to a headrail. A slide has a groove which receives the tongue and a twist and lock cam connector which releasably and lockingly engages an elongated groove on the rear of a valance. A rib on the slide and a ridged surface on the tongue make the bracket adjustable in small increments. Another embodiment includes a second tongue and groove connection which makes the horizontal distance between the valance and the headrail similarly adjustable.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    This invention relates to valances which are mounted on the headrails of venetian blinds and other window coverings. More particularly, this invention relates to systems and methods for mounting valances to headrails in an attractive, efficient and economic manner.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Window coverings such as venetian blinds typically include a headrail. Such headrails typically are U-shaped, with a generally horizontal bottom surface and generally vertical front and rear surfaces, each of which have an upper lip. Headrails are typically made from metal or another sturdy material in order to provide the structural integrity that is needed to suspend a venetian blind or other window covering. Headrails typically contain mechanisms for lifting and tilting the slats of the blind.  
           [0003]    Venetian blinds are offered today in a broad spectrum of colors which allow the blinds to form an integral part of the design of a given room. The same, however, is not necessarily true of the headrails. Headrails often are available in only one or a small number of colors, and they generally do little to add to the aesthetic appeal of a blind; indeed, unadorned headrails may detract from the otherwise attractive appearance of a blind.  
           [0004]    One popular solution to this problem has been the use of decorative valances which are mounted in front of the headrails in order to hide the headrails and provide an attractive look at the upper end of the window covering. Valances are typically provided in lengths which correspond to or which can be cut down to the width of a blind. Valances can be made of wood and may be milled into a variety of attractive cross-sectional shapes. They can also be made of extruded plastic. In either case, the valances can be given any desired color to match or coordinate with the color of the slats of the blind or other window covering material, or another color desired by the customer.  
           [0005]    It is necessary, of course, to mount the valances on the headrail of the blind. To that end, a number of approaches have evolved, leading to a variety of existing mounting brackets and systems. A typical simple valance mounting bracket is made from a single piece of plastic. It will have a downwardly extending arm which slips over the upper lip of the front wall of the headrail. It will also have upper and lower extensions, one which extends over the top of the valance and then slightly down in front of the valance, while the other extends below the bottom of the valance and then slightly up in front of the valance.  
           [0006]    This type of arrangement suffers from a number of drawbacks. For one, the upper and lower extensions typically must have shapes which correspond closely to the upper and lower surfaces of the valance in order to provide a solid grip. This means that different valance designs may require different mounting brackets.  
           [0007]    Another problem with such existing mounting brackets is that portions of the upper and lower extensions are visible from the front of the valance when the valance is mounted. This tends to detract from the aesthetic appearance of the valance.  
           [0008]    There is another variable among venetian blinds and other window coverings which make some existing valance clips inappropriate in certain environments. In particular, with certain blinds, it is desirable for the valance to be as close to being flush with the headrail as possible. However, with certain blinds that have a wand-like tilt rod extending from the front of the headrail, it is necessary and desirable to position the valance at some distance away from and in front of the headrail. A conventional valance clip which is designed to mount the valance flush to the headrail cannot be used in that circumstance, requiring a different mounting bracket.  
           [0009]    One solution to this particular problem is illustrated in Anderson U.S. Pat. No. 4,399,856, which discloses an adjustable valance suspension bracket used in connection with a vertical blind headrail which has a downward facing opening. It employs a “base” which is custom designed to be mounted to the top of the headrail at horizontally oriented recesses. A “clip” is mounted on the “base” which has a T-shaped connecting means, and which can be adjustably connected to the base in order to vary the distance between the valance and the headrail.  
           [0010]    The aforesaid Anderson &#39;856 patent, however, illustrates another problem that has existed with some mounting brackets: they cannot be used to adjust the vertical positioning of the valance. In particular, there are sometimes installation circumstances which may require that a valance be raised to a slightly higher elevation. At least three solutions to that problem have evolved, none of which has proven completely satisfactory.  
           [0011]    One solution is to provide the hook which is draped over the upper lip of the front wall of the headrail with two stops, one for installing the valance in a relatively low position and the other for installing the valance in a relatively high position. These two positions will typically differ by about a half-inch, which means that, in some circumstances, the installer may still be faced with the choice of having the valance either slightly too high or slightly too low, but not at the desired height.  
           [0012]    Another approach, which provides greater flexibility and precision in selecting the height of the valance, involves the use of VELCRO® (or similar) hook-and-loop fastening material. In such schemes, a mounting bracket will be provided having an arm to hook over the upper lip of the front wall of the headrail, and a flat front surface upon which is mounted, e.g., a patch of the “loop” portion of the VELCRO® fastener. A patch of the “hook” portion of the VELCRO® is then mounted on the rear flat surface of the valance.  
           [0013]    While this type of arrangement allows for small adjustments in the vertical positioning of the valance, it is not without drawbacks. For one, it can be expensive to provide both mounting brackets and valance material with patches the VELCRO® or similar material mounted thereon. If the VELCRO® is to be placed on the valance at the time of installation, this will add to the time required for installation and will create opportunities for errors, such as placing the VELCRO® at an inappropriate location on the rear of the valance. On the other hand, if VELCRO® is to be mounted on stock lengths of valance material, a judgment must be made as to the spacing of the VELCRO® patches and, in some instances, certain patches of VELCRO® will not be used, causing unnecessary cost and waste.  
           [0014]    A third attempted solution to this problem involves the use of two components, a piece of extruded PVC channel and a plastic mounting clip. The PVC channel has a flat front surface adapted to be mounted flush with the flat rear surface of a valance, and a pair of prongs extending rearwardly. The mounting clip component has an arm adapted to be hooked onto the top of a headrail, and another pair of arms on the opposite side adapted to snap onto the prongs of the PVC channel. This scheme has the advantage of using common parts to attach a number of different valance profiles. However, the need to attach the PVC channel to the valance creates problems of labor, cost and waste. The PVC channel is typically attached to the rear of the valance with double-sided tape or some other adhesive vehicle, which could become unglued with the passage of time, elevated temperatures and other conditions. While it is sometimes possible to attach the PVC channel with staples, where the valance is a relatively thin piece of wood, staples may crack the valance, causing waste. Another problem associated with this scheme is that it requires accurate placement of the PVC channel at the time the PVC channel is mounted to the valance, since once the mounting is done, there is no further adjustability of the valance with respect to the headrail.  
           [0015]    Accordingly, a need has arisen for a system and a method for mounting valances on headrails which is simple and inexpensive, and which provides for an installation scheme in which the aesthetic appearance of the valance is not marred by visible portions of mounting brackets. In addition, such a system and method should provide maximum flexibility so as to allow the valance to be as close to infinitely adjustable in the vertical direction as possible. In addition, such a system should also accommodate different types of installations in which the valance should either be flush with the headrail, or spaced away from the headrail to accommodate a wand-type tilt rod.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0016]    The present invention addresses the foregoing needs.  
           [0017]    One aspect of the present invention provides a mounting bracket for mounting a valance to a window covering headrail of the type which has at least a vertically oriented front wall with an upper end. The mounting bracket comprises a clip having an arm adapted to hook onto the upper end of the front wall of a headrail. A slide is adjustably mounted to the clip to allow for relative vertical movement between the clip and the slide. An extension projecting from the slide is adapted to be attached to the valance.  
           [0018]    In one preferred embodiment, the extension is a cam which is adapted to lockingly engage in a groove formed in a valance. In another preferred embodiment, the slide includes a groove, and the clip includes a tongue constructed and arranged to enter and slidably and adjustably move within the groove. As a further feature of the invention, either the groove or the tongue has a plurality of spaced parallel ridges, while the other member has a raised rib parallel to and facing the ridges, with the rib being adapted to snap into position between two ridges to releasably fix the relative vertical movement of the clip and the slide.  
           [0019]    In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the clip has a clip body from which the arm extends, and the spacing between the arm and the clip body allows a valance to be mounted substantially flush with the headrail. In another preferred embodiment, the spacing between the arm and the clip body allows the valance to be mounted a distance from the headrail which is sufficient to accommodate a tilt wand projecting from the headrail. In yet another preferred embodiment, one portion of the tongue is adapted to be broken off from the remainder of the tongue to shorten the tongue.  
           [0020]    Another aspect of the present invention comprises a valance and mounting bracket assembly. The valance has a front surface and a rear surface, and a longitudinally extending groove on the rear surface. The groove has a first height at the rear surface and a second height at a position inward of the rear surface which is greater than the first height. The mounting bracket of the assembly has an arm adapted to be mounted on a window covering headrail, and a cam mounted on the mounting bracket. The cam has at least a maximum diameter and a smaller minimum diameter, with the minimum diameter being smaller than the first groove height, and the maximum diameter being greater than the first groove height and less than or substantially equal to the second groove height. The cam can be inserted transversely into the groove and then rotated with respect to the valance to form a tight fit between the mounting bracket and the valance.  
           [0021]    Yet another aspect of the present invention provides a method of mounting a valance on a headrail. The method includes providing a headrail having a vertically oriented front wall with an upper end, a valance and a mounting bracket having a clip which includes an arm and having a separate slide adjustably mountable to the clip for relative movement therewith. The slide has an extension projecting therefrom. The method further includes the steps of attaching the extension to the valance, suspending the arm of the clip downwardly over the upper end of the front wall of a headrail, and slidably connecting the clip to the slide. In a preferred embodiment, the method also comprises the step of adjusting the relative positions of the clip and the slide to adjust the height of the valance.  
           [0022]    In another preferred embodiment of the method aspect of the present invention, the valance has a front surface, a rear surface and a longitudinally extending groove on the rear surface. The groove has a first height at the rear surface and a second height at a position inward of the surface, with the second height being greater than the first height. The extension comprises a cam having at least a maximum diameter and a smaller minimum diameter, with the cam minimum diameter being smaller than the first groove height and the cam maximum diameter being greater than the first groove height and less than or substantially equal to the second groove height. The attaching step comprises inserting the cam transversely into the groove and then rotating the cam with respect to the valance to form a tight fit between the mounting bracket and the valance.  
           [0023]    In yet another preferred embodiment, one of the clip and slide includes a tongue, the other includes a groove, with the tongue and groove providing the aforesaid relative movement, with the method further comprises the step of breaking off one end of the tongue to shorten its length.  
           [0024]    Still another aspect of the present invention provides a mounting bracket for mounting a valance to a window covering headrail which comprises a first slide having an extension projecting therefrom and adapted to be attached to a valance. A second slide has at least one hook adapted to be connected to a headrail. An intermediate member has a first portion adjustably mounted to the first slide to allow for relative vertical movement between the first portion and the first slide. The intermediate member also comprises a second portion adjustably mounted to the second slide for relative horizontal movement between the second portion and the second slide.  
           [0025]    Yet a further aspect of the present invention provides a method of mounting a valance on a headrail which includes a step of providing a headrail, a valance and a mounting bracket of the type previously described. The method further includes the step of attaching the extension of the first slide to the valance, attaching the hook of the second slide to the headrail, slidably connecting the first portion of the intermediate member to the first slide, and slidably connecting the second portion of the intermediate member to the second slide.  
           [0026]    The present invention also resides in the various features set forth herein and combinations thereof. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0027]    A more complete appreciation of the subject matter of the present invention and the various advantages thereof can be realized by reference to the following detailed description in which reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a headrail, a valance and one embodiment of the mounting bracket of the present invention in which no assembly has yet taken place;  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the embodiment of the mounting bracket illustrated in FIG. 1 in which the components of the mounting bracket have been assembled and connected to a headrail and a valance to show the valance mounted in front of the headrail;  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 3 is an end view of the assembly shown in FIG. 2;  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the assembly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 to illustrate the spacing of the valance from the headrail to accommodate a tilt wand;  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the slide portion of the mounting bracket of the present invention viewed from a frontal direction and showing the cam in greater detail;  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 6 is a perspective view, similar to FIG. 1, showing an alternative embodiment of the mounting bracket of the present invention which permits a valance to be mounted substantially flush to the front wall of the headrail; and  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a further alternative embodiment of the present invention which allows the headrail to be adjusted both vertically and horizontally. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0035]    A first preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS.  1 - 5 . As shown in FIG. 1, a headrail  10  is shown schematically to represent a typical headrail of a venetian blind or other window covering. As is known to those skilled in the art, headrails will typically contain therein mechanisms associated with the lifting and/or tilting of the components of the window covering, which components are not shown in FIG. 1. The headrail  10 , which can be made of metal, plastic or other suitable material, has a generally flat, horizontally oriented bottom wall  12 , a generally flat, vertically oriented rear wall  14 , and a generally flat, vertically oriented front wall  16 . Both rear wall  14  and front wall  16  have downwardly extending lips  18 ,  20 . As will be explained more fully below, the lip  20  on front wall  16  is employed in the present invention to mount a valance.  
         [0036]    The valance  30 , which can be made of wood, plastic, or other suitable material, has a front wall  32  and a rear wall  34 . The front wall  32  can and normally will be decorative. It can be molded or trimmed to a decorative shape and can be colored and/or otherwise decorated to provide any desired appearance, in ways which are known to those skilled in the art.  
         [0037]    The rear wall  34  of the valance  30  has a longitudinally extending groove  36 . The groove  36  can extend over a limited portion of the valance  30 , but the greatest flexibility in mounting is achieved by having the groove  36  extend the entire length of the valance  30 .  
         [0038]    As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 4, the groove  36  is generally dovetailed in shape. More particularly, the opening of the groove  36  at the rear wall  34  has a first height, and at the innermost surface  38 , the height of the groove is greater than the height at the rear wall  34 . Between the opening of the groove  36  at the rear wall  34  and the innermost surface  38  are angled walls  40 ,  42 . The importance of this height differential will become apparent momentarily.  
         [0039]    It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the exact shape of the groove  36  can be varied. For example, the cross-sectional profile of the groove  36  could have a T-shape, in which there is a relatively narrow entrance to the groove  36  from the rear wall  34 , which abruptly changes to a greater height at the interior of the groove  36 .  
         [0040]    The clip  44 , which is preferably made of plastic material, has a vertically oriented tongue  46 . As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 4, the tongue  46  has a series of spaced parallel ridges  48 . For reasons that will be explained below, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the ridges are spaced apart at a pitch of approximately {fraction (1/16)}″. The ridges  48  thus provide the tongue  46  of the clip  44  with a “washboard” type of surface.  
         [0041]    The tongue  46  also includes, at its lower end, a weakened line  50 . The weakened line  50  is an area of reduced thickness in the plastic material which renders the tongue  46  sufficiently thin at weakened line  50  that the bottom portion  52  can be snapped off if desired. As will become apparent below, this feature permits the user to avoid having a portion of the tongue  46  appear visible below the valance  30 .  
         [0042]    As best seen in FIG. 4, the clip  44  has a top surface  54  which extends rearwardly from the upper end of tongue  46 . At the rearmost end, the top surface  54  becomes downwardly extending arm  56 , which includes rearwardly extending ledge  58 . It will be appreciated from FIG. 4 that the size and positioning of the ledge  58  is designed to snap into retaining engagement with the lip  20  of the headrail  10 .  
         [0043]    The clip  44  also includes a downwardly extending wall  60  which has a rear surface  62  which is adapted to rest flush against the front wall  16  of the headrail  10 . Finally, the clip  44  also includes a web  64 , which is best seen in FIGS. 1 and 4. The web  64  extends between the tongue  46 , the top surface  54  and the downwardly extending wall  60  to provide the clip  44  with structural integrity.  
         [0044]    As is best appreciated in FIG. 4, the embodiment of the clip  44  which has thus far been described provides substantial spacing between the arm  56  and the tongue  46 . This spacing allows for the present invention to be employed in headrails which have a tilt wand mechanism  66  extending forward of the headrail. As will be discussed in connection with FIG. 6, the present invention also can be employed with a clip that does not provide such additional spacing and thus permits the valance to be mounted flush with the headrail.  
         [0045]    The slide  70  of the present invention, which is also preferably made of plastic material, is best illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 5. The slide  70  has a generally vertically oriented front wall  72  having a front surface  74  and a rear surface  76 . The slide  70  also includes side walls  78  and  80  at opposite ends of the front wall  72 , and inwardly extending tabs  82  extending inwardly from both side walls  78  and  80 . The front wall  72 , side walls  78  and  80 , and tabs  82  together form a groove. The size of the groove must be such as to accommodate the tongue  46  of the clip  44  in a fit which is tight but which has a small degree of flexibility, as more particularly described below.  
         [0046]    The slide  70  also has a funnel-shaped opening  88  which consists of the upper portions of the side walls  78  and  80  angling outward. The funnel-shaped opening  88  facilitates the insertion of the tongue  46  of the clip  44  into the groove in the slide  70  defined by the front wall  72 , the side walls  78  and  80  and the tabs  82 .  
         [0047]    On the rear surface  76  of slide  70  is positioned a horizontally oriented rib  84 . The rib has a thin rearwardly pointing surface which is designed to nestle between two adjacent ridges  48  on the clip  44 . On opposite ends of the rib  84  are openings  86 , one of which is visible in FIG. 1, which extend above and below the rib  84 . The two openings  86  allow the portion of the front wall  72  which includes the rib  84  to flex to a small degree when the tongue  46  moves past the ridges  48 . It has been found that where the portion of the slide  70  between the openings  86  has a nominal thickness of about 0.040 inch (not including the rib  84 ), there is adequate flexure. This construction allows the clip  44  to be mounted to the slide  70  and to be adjustable for relative vertical movement of the clip  44  with respect to the slide  70 .  
         [0048]    It will be appreciated that the clip  44  and slide  70  are adjustable to a degree which is a function of the pitch between the ridges  48  on the clip  44 . The pitch between the ridges  48  can be chosen at any desired distance. If the ridges  48  are spaced close together, the degree of adjustability of the clip  44  with respect to the slide  70  will be that much greater. On the other hand, positioning the ridges  48  too close together will prevent the clip  44  and slide  70  from remaining in engagement once the desirable setting is located. It has been found that a spacing between ridges  48  of approximately {fraction (1/16)}″ provides good results.  
         [0049]    As best seen in FIG. 5, projecting from the front wall  72  of the slide  70  is an extension or connector in the form of cam  90 . The cam  90  extends forwardly from the front wall  72  and has a generally flat front surface  92  as seen in FIG. 4. The front face  92  has a generally oval shape which has a maximum diameter at its vertically oriented axis and a minimum diameter at its horizontally oriented axis. The height of the cam  90  decreases from a maximum at the front surface  92  to a minimum at the point at which the cam  90  abuts the front wall  72  of the slide  70 . Also projecting from the front wall  72  are raised ribs  94  on both sides of the cam  90 .  
         [0050]    It will be recalled that the groove  36  in valance  30  was described as having a first height at the rear wall  34  and a greater height at the innermost surface  38 . The cam  90  has a minimum diameter (i.e., the diameter at the horizontal axis) which is smaller than the height of the groove  36  at the rear wall  34 . The maximum diameter of the cam (i.e., the diameter at the vertically oriented axis) is greater than the height of the groove  36  at the rear wall  34 , and is preferably less than or substantially equal to the height of the groove  36  at the innermost surface  38 .  
         [0051]    It will thus be appreciated that, with the cam  90  and the groove  36  thusly dimensioned, the slide  70  can be releasably mounted to the valance. More particularly, referring again to FIG. 1, the slide  70  can be rotated 90° from the position shown in FIG. 1 in either direction, such that the maximum height of the cam  90  is now oriented in a horizontal direction. With that orientation, the slide  70  can be placed flush against the rear wall  34  of the valance  30  with the cam  90  entering the groove  36 . The slide  70  is then rotated 90° so that the funnel-shaped opening  88  is now at the top, and the groove formed by the front wall  72 , the side walls  78  and the tabs  82  is oriented vertically. The raised ribs  94  help create a snug fit. The slide  70  will now be lockingly but releasably engaged with the valance  30 . If one wishes to move the slide  70  to a different location along valance  30 , one need only twist the slide  70 , remove it, reposition it, and then lockingly reengage it.  
         [0052]    With the slide  70  thusly mounted to the valance  30 , the clip  44  can be inserted into the slide  70 . This is done by placing the bottom portion  52  of the clip  44  above the funnel-shaped opening  88  and moving the clip  44  downwardly with respect to the slide  70 . The rib  84  will begin engaging the ridges  48  such that the clip  44  moves relative to the slide  70  in increments of approximately {fraction (1/16)}″. It will also be appreciated that the clip  44  can be mounted to the slide  70  before the slide  70  is mounted to the valance  30 .  
         [0053]    With the slide  70  mounted to the valance  30 , and the clip releasably positioned in the slide  70 , the assembly consisting of the clip  44 , the slide  70  and the valance  30  can then be mounted to the headrail  10 . This is done by moving the clip  44  so that the arm  56  extends over and catches the downwardly extending lip  20  on front wall  16  of the headrail, until the lip  20  rests securely in the rearwardly extending ledge  58  of the clip  44 . It will also be appreciated that the sequence of steps can be varied. For example, the clip  44  can be mounted to the headrail  10  before the clip  44  is engaged with the slide  70 .  
         [0054]    In the typical installation, two clips  44  and slides  70  will be employed, one on each end of the valance  30 . The procedure just described is simply repeated a second time.  
         [0055]    At this juncture, the valance  30  has been mounted to the headrail  10 . However, vertical positioning of the valance may require adjustment. To accomplish such an adjustment, it is necessary to only nudge the valance upwardly or downwardly at each end of the valance as needed until the valance appears to be covering the headrail and positioned as to give a level appearance. There will be an audible click each time the rib  84  moves between ridges  48 .  
         [0056]    The foregoing adjustment step may result in some or all of the bottom portion  52  of the tongue  46  extending so low as to be visible from in front of the valance. Where that occurs, it is simply necessary to snap off the bottom portion  52  at the weakened line  50  and discard it.  
         [0057]    [0057]FIG. 6 illustrates another preferred embodiment of the present invention. The headrail  10  and the valance  30  are the same as are shown in FIG. 1. Moreover, the slide  70  shown in FIG. 6 is identical to the slide  70  shown in FIGS.  1 - 5 . The present embodiment differs only with respect to modified clip  144 . The principal difference is that the aria  156  in the FIG. 6 embodiment is positioned much more closely to tongue  146  than is the case in the FIG. 1 embodiment. The clip  144  includes a rib  158  projecting rearwardly from the tongue  146  to rest against the front wall  16  of the headrail  10 . The clip  144  will normally be used in environments in which it is desired and feasible to have the valance  30  mounted as close to flush as possible with respect to the headrail  10 , e.g., situations which do not involve a tilt wand mechanism of the type shown in FIG. 4.  
         [0058]    It will be appreciated that one advantage of the present invention is that the same slide  70  can be used with clip  44  as shown in FIGS.  1 - 4 , and modified clip  144  as shown in FIG. 6. Thus, it is not necessary to inventory two different slides, but rather, one can maintain a relatively large inventory of slides  70  as well as separate inventories of clips  44  and  144 . Depending upon the nature of the installation, the installer will choose either clip  44  or clip  144 .  
         [0059]    A further preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 7. In this embodiment, the headrail  10  is the same as embodiments previously discussed as is the valance  30  and the slide  70 . This embodiment includes a second slide  200  which has a generally flat, horizontally oriented base  202 . Suspended downwardly from the rearward portion of the base as seen in FIG. 7 is a first hook  204 , and there is a similar second hook at the forward end of the base  202  which is not visible in FIG. 7. The width of the second slide  200  is approximately equal to the width of the headrail  10 , and the first hook  204  is adapted to engage the lip  18  on rear wall  14 . The other hook suspending downwardly from the base  202  is designed to similarly engage the lip  20  at the top of the front wall  16 .  
         [0060]    The second slide  200  has upwardly extending side walls  206  and  208 , and extending inwardly from the upper portion of the side walls  206  and  208  are tabs  210 . The combination of the base  202 , the side walls  206  and  208 , and the tabs  210  together form a groove in much the same way as was described in connection with the slide  70 .  
         [0061]    Extending upwardly from the base  202  is a rib  212 , and on both sides of the rib  212  are openings  214 . The construction of the rib  212  and the openings  214  are similar to the rib  84  and openings  86  described in connection with the slide  70 , such that the portion of the base  20  between openings  214  can flex upwardly and downwardly.  
         [0062]    The embodiment of FIG. 7 also includes an intermediate member  220 . The intermediate member  220  is generally L-shaped. It includes a tongue  246  which is similar in construction to the tongue  46  in clip  44  discussed in connection with the embodiment of FIGS.  1 - 4 . Thus, the tongue  246  has a bottom portion  252 , and there is a weakened line  250  between the bottom portion  252  and the remainder of the tongue  246 . The forward facing surface of the tongue  246  has ridges  248  which are similar to the ridges  48  described in connection with clip  44 .  
         [0063]    The intermediate member  220  also has a horizontally oriented second tongue  260 . The lower surface of the second tongue  260  has ridges  262  which are similar to the ridges  248  which (again) are similar to the ridges  48  on the clip  44 . The rearward end of the second tongue  260  has cut-off corners  264  to ease the insertion of the second tongue  260  into the second slide  200 .  
         [0064]    In the FIG. 7 embodiment, the tongue  246  is adapted to be inserted into and adjustably slidable with respect to the slide  70 . The second tongue  260  is adapted to be inserted into and adjustably slidable with respect to the second slide  200 . More particularly, the second tongue  260  is inserted through the groove in second slide  200  formed by the base  202 , the side walls  206  and  208 , and the tabs  210 . The downwardly facing ridges  262  interact with the upwardly facing rib  212  to allow the relative position of the second tongue relative to the second slide to be adjustable. As discussed previously, the spacing of the ridges  262  may be approximately {fraction (1/16)}″.  
         [0065]    To assemble the embodiment in FIG. 7, the second slide  200  is mounted to the headrail by means of hooks  204 . The intermediate member  220  is then mounted to the second slide  200  by inserting the second tongue  260  into the groove formed by the base  202 , the side walls  206  and  208 , and the tabs  210 . The slide  70  is mounted to the valance  30  in the manner previously described. The valance  30  is then mounted to the headrail  10  by positioning the slide  70  under the tongue  246  and then moving the slide (with the valance  30 ) upward so that the tongue  246  enters the groove in slide  70 .  
         [0066]    It will now be appreciated that, in this embodiment, it is possible to adjust both the height of the valance  30  relative to the headrail  10 , as well as the horizontal distance between the valance  30  and the headrail  10 . The height is adjusted by moving the slide  70  upward or downward with respect to the intermediate member  220 , in the same fashion as discussed in connection with previous embodiments. The horizontal distance is adjusted by moving the intermediate member  220  relative to the second slide  200  in a similar fashion. As in previous embodiments, the bottom portion  252  of the tongue  46  may be snapped off if it remains visible below the valance  30 .  
         [0067]    It will also be appreciated that the assembly steps just described can be done in various sequences. By way of example, one can first mount the slide  70  to the valance  30 , then insert the intermediate member  220  into the slide  70 , and then insert the second tongue  260  into the second slide  200 . It is also possible in certain circumstances to first attach the slide  70  to the intermediate member  220 , then attach the intermediate member  220  to the second slide  200 , and then mount the valance  30  to the slide  70 ; however, it will be appreciated that doing so may require the valance  30  to be first rotated into a vertical position so that the cam  90  and slide  70  can enter the groove  36  on the valance  30 , which may not be possible in some circumstances, particularly if two or more mounting brackets are used for a given valance.  
         [0068]    The mounting bracket components can be made from any appropriate material which can be injection molded. Polycarbonate with a very fine EDM finish has proven to work satisfactorily.  
         [0069]    Although the invention herein has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it is to be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the present invention. It is therefore to be understood that numerous modifications may be made to the illustrative embodiments and that other arrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.