Abstract:
A support rod for curtains and the like has telescoping sections the ends of which are threaded for being screwed onto respective receivers mountable on facing walls in axial alignment. The receivers are fixed to the walls by fasteners which are concealed within the bore of at least one of the rod section or its mating receiver. A decorative flange may be mounted between each receiver and its respective rod section.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to the mounting of rods between facing walls. Such rods are commonly used in living rooms for hanging decorative curtains and draperies, in bath rooms for hanging shower curtains, and in closets for hanging clothing. Such rods of sufficient strength may also be mounted in hallways and alcoves for use in exercise, e.g., chinning rods. 
     More specifically the present invention provides a secure mounting of the opposite ends of an adjustable rod between opposing walls while maintaining an aesthetically pleasing appearance. 
     It is know in the art to mount rods between walls for hanging various articles. Tension rods employ two telescoping sections of a rod which are urged axially apart by one or more springs. A device for securing the rod to the walls may be mounted on the ends of the rod, e.g., a rubber pad or a suction cup. Because such rods must rely wholly on friction between their ends and the adjacent walls, they are generally secure enough to support only very light loads. 
     For greater strength, it is known to support each end of a rod within a seat within a central opening of a flange which is mounted on a wall by multiple screws disposed on the circumference of the flange. It is also known to mount on a wall, beams or blocks which are apertured or notched to receive the end of a rod. The appearance of such mounts with screw or nailed heads visible in an unattractive flange, beam or block can be an eyesore. Moreover, such mounting schemes generally require that the rod be of fixed length carefully cut to the right size as the ends of a telescoping adjustable rod are subject to being withdrawn from their seats, thereby causing the rod to fall to the floor. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention overcomes the aforementioned shortcomings of prior art inside rod mounting arrangements by providing for simple installation, security, and a pleasing appearance. More particularly the present invention provides a support rod having two telescoping sections slidably connected with respect to one another and sharing a common longitudinal axis, each of the sections having an end comprising a rod threaded connector with an axis, a pair of receivers, each of the receivers having an axial open bore extending between a wall mountable end of the receiver and an opposite rod receiving end of the receiver and having a receiver threaded connector with an axis, the receiver threaded connector being complementary to one of the rod threaded connectors, a fastener for mounting each receiver on a respective one of two facing walls with the receiver axes in horizontal alignment, one of the rod threaded connector and the receiver threaded connector being a male connector with its threads facing away from its axis, the other of the rod threaded connector and the receiver threaded connector being a female connector having a hollow bore in which its threads face toward its axis, each fastener for mounting each receiver being at least partially disposed within the bore of its respective receiver for being hidden from view when one of the rod threaded connectors is mated with the receiver threaded connector of the receiver. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of a portion of a first embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an end view of a component of the first embodiment of invention shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is an environmental perspective view of the component of the first embodiment of the invention shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is an environmental perspective view of the first embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded side elevation view of a portion of a second embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 6  is an assembled side elevation view of the portion of the second embodiment of the invention shown in  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 7  is an exploded side elevation view of a portion of a third embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 8  is an assembled side elevation view of the portion of the third embodiment of the invention shown in  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a side sectional elevation view in partial section illustrating a fourth embodiment of the invention; and 
         FIG. 10  is a side sectional elevation view in partial section illustrating a fifth embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1  of the drawings, there is shown a receiver  1  having a threaded connector in the form of a stud  3  with male threads and a central axial open bore  5  extending between a wall mountable end of the receiver  1  and an opposite rod receiving end of the receiver  1  in communication with a central aperture  6  in a circular flange  7  from which the stud  3  extends. An optional anchor  9  adapted to be driven through a hole drilled in a wall is provided for receiving the shank of a fastener which, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, is a screw  11 , but which can also be a nail or other fastener having a shank and a head as will be known to those skilled in the art. The shank of the screw  11  is passed through the bore  5  and aperture with the end of the screw  11  distal from its shank penetrating the wall. Where the axis of the receiver  1  is in alignment with a stud in the wall, the anchor  9  need not be used and the screw  11  may be driven through the wall into the wall stud. 
     The head  13  of the screw can have a diameter smaller than the diameter of the bore  5  in which case the underside of the screw head  13  engages a circular seat in the form of a circular apertured shoulder  15  (se  FIG. 2 ) within the bore  5  proximate the flange  7  at the wall mountable end of the receiver when the screw is fully tightened. Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the head  13  of the screw  11  can have a diameter approximately equal to the outer diameter of the stud  3  and less than the diameter of the bore  5  for allowing a threaded connector in the form of a nut  14  to be passed over the head  13  and threaded onto the stud  3  when the screw  11  is fully tightened to secure the receiver  1  to the wall. 
     The nut  14 , which has a female thread facing toward its axis, is fixedly mounted, e.g., by an interference fit, within an outer end of a section  19  of a telescoping rod or pipe having two or more sections slidably connected with respect to one another and sharing a common longitudinal axis, for enabling each section to be fastened to a receiver  1  by rotation about a mutual axis of the section  19  and receiver  1 . Instead of providing a nut  14 , the inner bore of the rod section may be provided with female threads facing inwardly toward the axis of the rod section, complementary to the outward facing male threads on the outer surface of the stud  3 . 
     In use, two receivers  1  are mounted as described above, each on a respective one of two facing walls with the axes of the receivers  1  horizontal alignment, and with their threaded studs projecting toward one another. A telescoping rod prepared as described above has each of its end sections threaded onto a respective one of the studs for secure attachment to the receivers as seen in  FIG. 4 . 
     In order to enhance the appearance at the interface of the rod with the receiver, a decorative collar  17  with a central aperture can be placed over the stud  3  as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 . As the rod section  19  is rotated onto the stud  3 , the end of the section  19  engages the collar  17  thereby securing the rod section  19  and collar  17  on the receiver  1  when the rod threaded connector nut  14  and receiver threaded connector stud  3  are mated by threading the stud  3  into the nut  14 . The collar  17  may be formed from a semi-resilient shape-retaining metal, plastic, or similar material thereby increasing friction with the end of the rod section  19  in the manner of a lock washer for preventing loosening of the connection between the rod section  19  and receiver  1 . Referring to  FIGS. 1-4 , collar  17  may have two axially spaced apart tapering portions separated from each other by a stepped surface, one of the two tapering portions being wider than another of the two tapering portions. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , in an alternative embodiment of the invention, instead of a threaded stud, a receiver  25  can be provided with a nipple  22  having a central threaded axial bore  23  in communication with a central aperture in a circular flange from which the nipple  22  extends. Again, an optional anchor adapted to be driven through a hole drilled in a wall can be provided for receiving a screw passed through the bore and aperture. The screw may be driven through the wall into a wooden stud. 
     The head of a screw  29  has a diameter smaller than the diameter of the bore  23  in which case the underside of the head of the screw  29  engages a circular seat at the end of the bore  23  proximate the flange  31  when the screw  29  is fully tightened. 
     Each outer end of an outer section of a telescoping rod or pipe  33  having two or more sections is threaded on its outer cylindrical wall for enabling the end of the section to be threaded into the bore of the receiver  25  whereby the section  33  can be fastened to the receiver  25  by rotation about a mutual axis of the section  33  and receiver  25 . The outer circumference of the nipple  22  may be given a stepped configuration or other decorative or aesthetically pleasing form. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 7 and 8 , according to still a further embodiment of the invention, a receiver  41  can be provided with a nipple  43  having a central threaded axial bore in communication with a central aperture in a circular flange from which the nipple extends and attached to a wall as explained above. 
     Each outer section  45  of a telescoping rod or pipe having two or more sections can be provided with a fixed threaded stud  47  extending beyond its outer end for being received within the bore in the nipple of the receiver  41 . When the threaded stud  47  is fully threaded into the bore in the nipple  43 , the end of the rod section  45  engages with the end of the nipple distal from the flange as shown in  FIG. 8 . By making the outer diameters of the rod section  45  and nipple equal  43 , and squaring the end surfaces of the rod section  45  and nipple  43 , the rod and nipple  43  may appear to be a unitary continuous structure. 
     Instead of mounting the receiver on the wall with a stud or nipple extending into the room in which the rod is to be mounted, the receiver may be mounted with the stud or nipple extending through the wall into the room. 
     As shown in  FIG. 9 , a threaded stud  51  having an extending shank  53  is preferably threaded to form a screw with the stud  51  forming the head of the screw. The screw  53  is driven into the wall with the stud  51  extending into the room. A rod section  55  having a nut (not shown) fixedly mounted within its bore, or a bore which is threaded, as shown in  FIG. 9 , can be mounted on the stud by rotating the rod section  55  to mate the rod section  55  and receiver stud  51  until the end of the rod section  55  engages the surface of the wall, thereby rendering the receiver entirely invisible and providing a clean look with the rod extending fully between opposite walls. 
       FIG. 10  shows a variation of the arrangement shown in  FIG. 10  wherein the cylindrical nipple of a receiver  61  can be threaded on its outer wall  63  for being received in an anchor or a hole drilled through the wall into a wall stud, and threaded on its interior for receiving threads on the end of a rod section  65 , i.e., either on the outer wall of the rod section, or on a stud fixedly mounted on and extending from the end of the rod section. The nipple may extend from a flange which has a diameter less than or equal to the diameter of the rod where a stud is mounted on the rod, or only slightly greater than the diameter of the rod where the outer wall of the rod section is threaded to make the rod appear to be mounted directly on the wall. 
     It is to be appreciated that other and further modifications and variations may be made to the embodiments herein disclosed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.