Abstract:
There is provided a bracket and rod assembly system having improved strength and configured to allow complete access of a drapery supported by the rod assembly to an entire length of the rod assembly without interference from the bracket.

Description:
FIELD 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to a support bracket for a rod assembly and, more particularly, to a support bracket for a rod assembly that exhibits improved strength and is configured to allow complete access of a drapery supported by the rod assembly to an entire length of the rod assembly without interference from the bracket. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Brackets have long been used for mounting drapery rods, shower curtain rods, and other rods to surfaces such as walls, windows, window frames, window casings, and ceilings. These brackets are offered in many different shapes and sizes and range from highly ornamental designs to simpler utilitarian designs. Often, these brackets have an “L-shaped” configuration, where an arm portion extends horizontally over the top of a vertically-extending mounting portion, and comprise a hook-like feature in which the rod rests, or a ring through which the rod passes. In some commercial embodiments, the rod is allowed to freely rotate and slide back and forth on the bracket. In other commercial embodiments, the rod is secured by the user screwing a set screw through the bracket until it contacts the outer surface of the rod. Often, in such configurations the set screws loosen over time due to repeated movement of the drapery horizontally during regular use and vertically when the drapery is pulled on from below. 
         [0003]    In any event, the rod-attachment portion of such brackets are typically visible from the front and contribute to an interrupted appearance of the rod&#39;s profile. Such brackets also restrict movement of the drapery along the entire length of the rod, thereby preventing complete drapery coverage along the entire length of the rod. In some instances, rings are used to suspend the drapery from the rod. Complete coverage may be obtained by placing some of the rings outside of the bracket. However, in this configuration the bracket would still be visible from the front and movement of the curtain from side to side is still restricted by the position of the bracket. 
         [0004]    Another drawback of conventional brackets is their lack of strength due their “L-shaped” configuration. Conventional “L-shaped” brackets utilize horizontal interfaces or bends where the horizontally-extending arm of the bracket meets the vertically-extending mounting portion. These horizontal interfaces are prone to bending when suspending a heavy rod and/or drapery from the rod attachment portion or when the drapery is pulled downward during use, such as, for example, when opening and closing, cleaning, or children playing behind the drapery. 
         [0005]    Therefore, there is a need for a bracket and a rod assembly system that permits complete coverage of the drapery along the entire length of the rod and maximizes drawback without any restriction of movement of the drapery due to the bracket position. There is also a need to provide a bracket that locks the rod in place such that the rod is not permitted to move laterally. Further, there is a need to address load support problems inherent to brackets when heavy drapery is used or when repeated downward force is applied to the rod. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a double rod assembly. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a double rod assembly showing a slightly exploded view of the rod, first rod-attachment portion, and finial. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a single rod assembly showing a slightly exploded view of the rod, first rod-attachment portion, and finial. 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a bracket. 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a top plan view of the bracket in  FIG. 4 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is a rear view of the bracket in  FIG. 4 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  is a side view of the bracket in  FIG. 4   
           [0013]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a bracket. 
           [0014]      FIG. 9  is a top plan view of the bracket in  FIG. 8 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 10  is an exploded view of a rod assembly in which a recessed rod end is used. 
           [0016]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view of the assembled rod and bracket in  FIG. 10   
           [0017]      FIG. 12  is an exploded view of rod assembly in which a recessed finial is used. 
           [0018]      FIG. 13  is an exploded view of an alternate rod assembly where the first rod-attachment portion is visible when assembled. 
           [0019]      FIG. 14  is a perspective view of the alternate rod assembly in  FIG. 13 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 15  illustrates various embodiments of the bracket and rod assembly where the outer profile of the rounded terminal end of the rod attachment portion may be larger, smaller, or equal to the outer profile of the rod. 
           [0021]      FIG. 16  is a perspective view of a double rod assembly using a curved bracket. 
           [0022]      FIG. 17  is a perspective view of the curved bracket in  FIG. 16 . 
           [0023]      FIG. 18  is a top plan view of the curved bracket in  FIG. 16  in a left-handed configuration. 
           [0024]      FIG. 19  is a top plan view of the curved bracket in  FIG. 16  in a right-handed configuration. 
           [0025]      FIG. 20  is a side view of the curved bracket in  FIG. 16   
           [0026]      FIG. 21  is a rear view of the curved bracket in  FIG. 16   
           [0027]      FIG. 22  is a front view of the curved bracket in  FIG. 16   
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0028]    With reference to  FIGS. 1-3 , there is illustrated a system for supporting a rod  40  from which a swatch material such as, for example, a drapery or curtain  60  may be suspended. The system includes a bracket  10 , a rod  40 , and a finial  50 , which may be formed of any suitable material such as, for example, steel, zinc, aluminum, wood, various forms of plastic, and mixtures thereof. The bracket  10  may be mounted on a surface such as, for example, a wall surface or a window frame. The finial  50  may attach to the end portion of rod  40  such that the bracket  10  is between the end of the rod  40  and the finial  50 . The finial  50  may be attached to the rod  40  by any conventional means such as, for example, a threaded screw. The rod assembly system may be configured to support a single rod  40 , as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , or a second rod  70  may be attached to the bracket  10 , as illustrated in  FIG. 2 , which may be used to support a second swatch material such as, for example a sheer  90 , as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0029]    With reference to  FIGS. 4-7 , the bracket  10  may include a mounting portion  12 , an arm portion  14 , and a first rod-attachment portion  20 . The mounting portion  12 , arm portion  14 , and first rod-attachment portion  20  of bracket  10  may comprise a single material or may comprise different materials, and may be integrally formed or may comprise separately-formed components. The mounting portion  12  may comprise any shape and may include a back surface  26  that is substantially flat, and is configured to allow the bracket  10  to be mounted on a surface such as, for example, a wall. The mounting portion  12  may be mounted to the wall using any conventional means such as, for example, threaded screws and drywall anchors. 
         [0030]    The arm portion  14  may extend outwardly from the mounting portion  12  and may include a proximal segment  16  and a distal segment  18 . The arm portion  14  may be shaped such that the distal segment  18  may be substantially parallel to the back surface  26  of the mounting portion  12 , and the proximal segment  16  may be substantially parallel to a first rod-attachment portion  20  disposed at the distal segment  18  of the arm portion  14 . Alternatively, the arm portion  14  may have a linear configuration, as shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 . The arm portion  14  may also have a curved shape, as illustrated in  FIGS. 16-22 . 
         [0031]    The first rod-attachment portion  20  may include a rounded terminal end in which an opening  22  is formed. The opening  22  may be, for example, an aperture, or the opening  22  may be, for example, a partial opening that has been cut out or voided from the first rod-attachment portion  20 . The opening  22  may be configured to accept a fastener  100  that attaches the rod  40  to the finial  50 , as illustrated in  FIGS. 10, 12, and 13 . The first rod-attachment portion  20  may have a uniform width, or the outer profile of the terminal end of the rod-attachment portion  20  may have a width that is larger than the width of the end of the first rod attachment portion that attaches to the distal segment  18  of the arm portion  14 . As shown in  FIG. 15 , the outer profile of the terminal end of the rod-attachment portion  20  may be larger, smaller, or equal in size to the diameter of the rod  40 , depending on the configuration of the rod  40  and the finial  50  to be used. 
         [0032]    In some embodiments, as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the bracket  10  may also include a second rod-attachment portion  24 , which may be disposed in the proximal segment  16  of the arm  14 . The second rod-attachment portion  24  includes an opening such as, for example, an aperture to accept a fastener that attaches a second rod  70  to a second finial  80 . The opening may also be a partial opening configured such that second rod  70  may be lowered into the opening, as illustrated in  FIG. 16 . 
         [0033]    In a preferred embodiment of the bracket  10 , the mounting portion  12  may have a vertically-extending longitudinal axis and may be configured to be mounted to a wall using screws that may be aligned vertically. The proximal segment  16  of arm portion  14  may extend horizontally in a vertical plane from the mounting portion  12  in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis the mounting portion  12 . The interface  13  between the mounting portion  12  and the proximal segment  16  may extend vertically along an axis that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the mounting portion  12 . The length of the proximal segment  16  may be, for example, between two and three inches. 
         [0034]    The distal segment  18  of the of arm portion  14  may extend from the proximal segment  16  in a direction that is substantially parallel to the back surface  26  of the mounting portion  12  and substantially perpendicular to the proximal segment  16 , such that the distal segment  18  does not cross in front of the mounting portion  12 . The interface  17  between the proximal segment  16  and distal segment  18  may extend vertically along an axis that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of mounting portion  12 . The length of the distal segment  18  may be, for example, between one and two inches. 
         [0035]    The first rod-attachment portion  20  may extend from the distal segment  18  in a direction that is substantially parallel to the proximal segment  16 . The interface  19  between the distal segment  18  and the first rod-attachment portion  20  may extend vertically along an axis that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the mounting portion  12 . The length of the first rod-attachment portion from its opening  22  to the interface  19  where the first rod-attachment portion  20  meets distal segment  18  may be less than an inch. The vertical axis of each of interface  13 , interface  17 , and interface  19  may be substantially parallel to one another. The vertically-extending interfaces increase the strength of the bracket so to prevent failure through bending of the bracket at the interfaces when downward force is applied to the rod attachment portion. By contrast, conventional “L-shaped” brackets, where an arm portion extends horizontally over the top of a vertical mounting portion (where the interfaces are horizontal), are susceptible to bending at the horizontally-aligned wall bend interface when downward force is applied to the rod attachment portion. 
         [0036]      FIGS. 8 and 9  illustrate an embodiment of the bracket  10  where the arm portion  14  has a linear configuration, but may otherwise be similar to the preferred embodiment described above. In this linear configuration, the arm portion  14  may bridge the mounting portion  12  and the first rod-attachment portion  20  such that the proximal segment  16  may form an obtuse angle  30  with the mounting portion  12 , and the distal segment  18  may form an obtuse angle  32  with the first rod-attachment portion  20 . The obtuse angle  30  at which the arm portion  14  extends from the mounting portion  12  may be, for example, between about 110° to about 130°, and the obtuse angle  32  at which the first rod-attachment portion extends from the distal segment  18  may be, for example, between about 135° to about 155°. The length of the arm portion  14  may be, for example, between two and three inches. In this configuration, the proximal segment  16  and the distal segment  18  may be coplanar. The interface  13  between the mounting portion  12  and the proximal segment  16 , and the interface  19  between the distal segment  18  and the first rod-attachment portion  20 , may extend vertically along axes that are substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the mounting portion  12 . 
         [0037]      FIGS. 16-22  illustrate a bracket  10  that has a curved shape as an alternative to the angular shapes depicted in  FIGS. 1-14 . In this configuration, the mounting portion  12 , first rod-attachment portion  20 , and second rod-attachment  24  portion may have the same configuration, components, and attributes as described above for the angular brackets. As shown in  FIGS. 16 and 21 , the mounting portion  12  may have a vertically-extending longitudinal axis and may be configured to be mounted to a wall using one or more screws and/or anchors that may be aligned vertically. 
         [0038]    In the curved embodiment of bracket  10  illustrated in  FIGS. 16-22 , the proximal segment  16  may initially extend horizontally from the mounting portion  12  via an interface  13  in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the back surface  26  of the vertically-extending mounting portion  12 . The proximal segment  16  may then gradually curve away from the center axis of the mounting portion  12  such that the distal segment  18 , disposed at the end of the proximal segment  16  via interface  17 , does not cross in front of the mounting portion  12 . The distal segment  18  may curve in the same direction as the proximal segment  16 . The first rod-attachment portion  20 , disposed at the terminal end of the distal segment  18  via interface  19 , may extend horizontally in the same direction that the proximal segment  16  initially extends. In this configuration, the interface  13 , interface  17 , and interface  19  may each extend vertically along an axis that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the mounting portion  12 . 
         [0039]    In the curved embodiment, bracket  10  may include a second rod-attachment portion  24  disposed in the proximal segment  16  of the arm  14 . The second rod-attachment portion  24  may comprise a partial opening configured such that second rod  70  may be lowered into the opening. As shown in  FIG. 16 , the second rod  70  may be secured to the second rod-attachment portion  24  in its resting position by a fastener such as, for example, a set screw. 
         [0040]    Specific embodiments of the bracket and system described herein are presented below in more detail. In each embodiment, the bracket and system are configured such that the rod may extend in a gap that is created between the longitudinal axis of the proximal segment and the longitudinal axis of the first rod-attachment portion such that the bracket does not interrupt movement of the drapery along the length of the rod and allows maximum drawback of the drapery. In embodiments described below, the bracket may have an angular shape, as illustrated in  FIGS. 1-14 , or a curved shape, as illustrated in  FIGS. 16-22 . 
         [0041]    In an embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 10 and 11 , the first rod-attachment portion  20  may have a rounded terminal end having an outer profile that may be smaller in size than the diameter  46  of the rod  40 . In this configuration, the rod  40  includes a recess  42  that has been formed in the end of the rod  40  for accepting the first rod-attachment portion  20  of the bracket  10 . The recess  42  may be shaped such that at least a portion of the terminal end of the first rod-attachment portion  20  is concealed when the finial  50 , first rod-attachment portion  20 , and end portion of the rod  40  are in an assembled configuration. The recess  42  may also have the same shape as the terminal end of first rod-attachment portion  20 . An arcuate notch  48  formed in the terminal end of the rod  40  allows the first rod-attachment portion  20  to extend from the recess  42 . The first rod-attachment portion  20  may be embedded in the recess  42  in the end portion of the rod  40  such that the edge  44  of the end portion of the rod  40  is able to contact the finial  50  and the edge  28  of the terminal end of the first rod-attachment portion  20  is not visible when the rod  40 , the first rod-attachment portion  20 , and finial  50  are assembled. 
         [0042]    An alternate embodiment is illustrated in  FIG. 12 . In this configuration, the first rod-attachment portion  20  may have a rounded terminal end having an outer profile that may be smaller in size than the diameter  46  of the rod  40 . In this configuration, the finial  50  includes a recess  52  that has been formed in the end of the finial  50  for accepting the first rod-attachment portion  20  of the bracket  10 . The recess  52  may be shaped such that at least a portion of the terminal end of the first rod-attachment portion  20  is concealed when the finial  50 , first rod-attachment portion  20 , and end portion of the rod  40  are in an assembled configuration. The recess  52  may also have the same shape as the first rod-attachment portion  20 . The finial  50  may include an arcuate notch  54 , which allows the first rod-attachment portion  20  to extend from the recess  52 . The first rod-attachment portion  20  may be embedded in the recess  52  in the end portion of the finial  50  such that the edge  44  of the end portion of the rod  40  is able to contact the finial  50  and the edge  28  of the terminal end of the first rod-attachment portion  20  is not visible when the rod  40 , the first rod-attachment portion  20 , and finial  50  are assembled. 
         [0043]    In another embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 13 and 14 , the first rod-attachment portion  20  is not embedded in the rod  40  or the finial  50 , and instead acts as an interface between the rod  40  and finial  50  such that the rod  40  and finial  50  do not contact each other. In this configuration, the ends of the rod  40  and finial  50  that contact the first rod-attachment portion  20  may have a substantially flat surface. The first rod-attachment portion  20  of bracket  10  may have a rounded terminal end having an outer profile that may be equal to or larger in size than the outer diameter  46  of the rod  40  such that edge  28  of the terminal end of the first rod-attachment portion  20  may be visible when the rod  40 , first rod-attachment portion  20 , and finial  50  are assembled. The rounded terminal end may also be smaller in size than the outer diameter  46  of the rod  40 .  FIG. 15  illustrates various embodiments of the bracket and rod assembly where the outer profile of the rounded terminal end of the rod attachment portion may be larger, smaller, or equal to the outer profile of the rod. 
         [0044]    It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials, and arrangements of parts and components which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the bracket and rod assembly system may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the bracket and rod assembly system as expressed in the appended claims. Furthermore, while various features have been described with regard to particular embodiments, it will be appreciated that features described for one embodiment also may be incorporated with the other described embodiments.