Patent Publication Number: US-2016235238-A1

Title: Curtain glider

Description:
The invention concerns in a first aspect a curtain glider for detachably fastening and for moving a curtain or net curtain in a curtain rail, the curtain glider having a head portion, which is guidable on a track of the curtain rail. 
     From DE 43 30 533 the above-mentioned curtain glider is known. In particular, a shaft-like central portion that can be withdrawn from a longitudinal slot of the track of the curtain, and a lower hook portion for connecting to the curtain or the net curtain, is known there, wherein the head portion tapers upwards and at least approximately has a wing shape, and wherein the head portion is elastically compressible in such a way that it can be inserted from below into the longitudinal slot of a curtain rail. 
     By means of a curtain glider of this type handling is facilitated, particularly the arduous process of inserting the gliders into the track of a curtain rail is facilitated or can optionally be dispensed with completely. 
     This can be achieved for example by an elastic head portion in conical shape or wedge shape, which, while being elastically compressed, can be inserted from below into the longitudinal slot of a curtain rail. In this way, the curtain glider can be inserted or pushed in at any point from below into the longitudinal slot of the curtain rail and thus into the track. This eliminates a time-consuming and arduous lateral insertion through the curtain rail bore existing for that purpose. This allows for much faster hanging a curtain or net curtain, e.g. after washing or cleaning. This process is facilitated especially even then if all the curtain gliders are previously arranged on a transport rail. Via the transport rail all the required curtain gliders are then inserted simultaneously from below into the slot of the curtain rail, after which the transport rail is pulled out laterally. 
     The present invention is based on a further improvement of the aforementioned curtain glider, in particular the reduction of the risk of accidental entanglement of laundry, in particular of the curtain fabric itself with the curtain gliders during a washing process or during hanging the curtain. 
     This object can be inventively solved in a first aspect of the invention with a curtain glider for detachably fastening and for moving a curtain or net curtain in a curtain rail, the curtain glider having a head portion, which can be guided on a track of the curtain rail, wherein the head portion has two upwardly tapered wing portions that are elastically compressible in such a way that the head portion can be inserted from below into the longitudinal slot of a curtain rail, wherein the wing portions extend from each head portion on both sides to the longitudinal axis of the glider, wherein said wing portions are connected exclusively laterally and each with a side web of the head portion. 
     Due to the inventive design of each wing portion&#39;s attachment, which exists only laterally on a respective side web of the head portion, by means of the invention any projection can be dispensed with, and thus the risk of entanglement. 
     By only laterally attaching the wing portions of the head portion to the head portion&#39;s lateral webs an even higher elasticity of the head portion and with it an even easier insertion of the curtain gliders into the slot of a curtain rail is achieved. At the same time with this glider shape its production is still simple. Thus, the curtain gliders according the invention can for example be produced easily by injection molding, wherein for example only two mold plates have to move together and apart laterally. 
     A very advantageous embodiment of the invention is that the wing portions on their mutually remote backs each have a slope such that they taper downwardly, wherein the slope at the top merges into the central web of the head portion. 
     The slopes at the wing portions are used to facilitate a displacement of or running the curtain gliders in or on the track of the curtain rail. Because, when pulling the curtain, the curtain gliders incline correspondingly, and according to the invention such that at least a portion of the slope can serve as a running surface for the curtain gliders, or a corresponding free space is created by the slope, so that it can not jam during displacement of the curtain gliders. 
     In an embodiment of the invention can be provided that the wing portions have roundings at their lower ends. 
     Due to the roundings according to the invention, which are preferably formed as a lip-shape, a better fit as well as better guide of the curtain glider is achieved via the two wing portions in the track of a curtain rail. 
     In an embodiment of the invention may be provided that the wing portions are movable past each other when compressing the head portion. 
     In an embodiment of the invention may be provided that each wing portion is arranged with its inside facing the other wing portion. 
     In an embodiment of the invention may further be provided that each wing portion forms with its rear side a plane, which is parallel to the plane of the rear side of the other wing portion. 
     In an embodiment of the invention may be provided that each wing portion has on its front side an upwardly tapered sliding member, which is formed with its underside to glide on the curtain rail. 
     In an embodiment of the invention can be provided that the sliding member has a wedge shape, in particular a rounded wedge shape. 
     Generally the two wing portions will be formed as one piece with the central web. As a material plastic is generally used, wherein in a known manner preferably the entire curtain glider is one piece and made of the same material. 
     The invention concerns in a second aspect a curtain glider for releasably fastening and for moving a curtain or net curtain in a curtain rail, the curtain glider having a head portion, which can be guided on a track of the curtain rail, a shaft-like central portion that can be withdrawn from a longitudinal slot of the track of the curtain, and a lower hook portion for connecting to the curtain or the net curtain, wherein said lower hook portion is configured such that the individual curtain gliders can be plugged together. 
     By means of a curtain glider of this type handling is simplified, in particular the arduous process of inserting the gliders into the track of a curtain rail is facilitated or can optionally be dispensed with completely. 
     This can be achieved for example by an elastic head portion in conical shape or wedge shape, which, while being elastically compressed, can be inserted from below into the longitudinal slot of a curtain rail. In this way, the curtain glider can be inserted or pushed at any point from below into the longitudinal slot of the curtain rail and thus into the track. This eliminates a time-consuming and arduous lateral insertion through the curtain rail bore existing for that purpose. This allows for much faster hanging a curtain or net curtain, e.g. after a washing or cleaning. This process is facilitated especially even then if all the curtain gliders are previously arranged on a transport rail. Via the transport rail all the required curtain gliders are then inserted simultaneously from below into the slot of the curtain rail, after which the transport rail is pulled out laterally. 
     The present invention is based on a further improvement of the aforementioned curtain glider, in particular a simplified simultaneous insertion of all required curtain gliders into the longitudinal slot of a curtain rail by eliminating the use of the transport rail or a simplified positioning of all required curtain gliders on the transport rail. 
     According to the second aspect of the invention, this object can be solved with a curtain glider for detachably fastening and for moving a curtain or net curtain in a curtain rail, the curtain glider having a head portion, which can be guided on a track of the curtain rail, a shaft-like central portion that can be withdrawn from a longitudinal slot of the track of the curtain, and a lower hook portion for holding the curtain or net curtain, wherein the hook portion is in the shape of an eyelet or loop, which extends—with respect to its opening—in the running direction L of the curtain glider, characterized in that the hook portion has a female unit and a male unit, wherein the female unit of a first curtain glider is formed such that it is able to accommodate a male unit of a second curtain glider in a way plugged into each other axially in the direction L of the curtain glider. 
     The configuration according to the invention of the lower hook portion as plug connector allows to connect two or more curtain gliders by plugging together. 
     By integrating the plug connection in the shape of the female unit and the male unit in the lower hook portion, a simple plugging together of two or more curtain gliders is made possible. At the same time its production is still easy with this glider shape. Thus, the curtain glider according to the invention can for example be produced easily by injection molding, where for example only two molding plates have to move together or apart laterally. 
     A very advantageous embodiment of the invention is that the internal cross-section of the female unit essentially matches the external cross-section of the male unit and thus the male unit of the first curtain glider is firmly seated in the female unit of the second curtain glider preferably by a press-fit. 
     The plugging together according to the invention of multiple curtain gliders facilitates sliding the curtain gliders onto the transport rail. 
     In one embodiment of the invention may be provided that the plug connection by means of press-fit is configured such that a transport rail is not necessary any more to allow for inserting the curtain gliders together into the longitudinal slot of the curtain rail. 
     In one embodiment of the invention may be provided that the female unit and the male unit have an essentially identical contour. 
     In one embodiment of the invention may be provided that the female unit is adapted to hold a male unit along the entire length thereof. 
     In one embodiment of the invention may further be provided that the female unit extends along the entire width B of the curtain glider. 
     In one embodiment of the invention may be provided that the female unit and the male unit have a contour that allows the insertion of a transport rail through an opening of the lower hook portion. 
     In a further embodiment of the invention may be provided that the internal cross-section of the female unit essentially matches the external cross-section of the male unit. 
     In one embodiment of the invention may be provided that the female unit and the male unit are made of a plastic material. 
     In one embodiment of the invention may be provided that the male unit of the second curtain glider is firmly seated in the female unit of the first curtain glider by a press-fit. 
     In one embodiment of the invention may be provided that the female unit and the male unit are made from a flexible material and have partially deformable walls. 
     In one embodiment of the invention may be provided that the head portion has a front wing portion and a rear wing portion, wherein at least the front wing portion is equipped with a press opener, and wherein said wing portions are elastically compressible such that when pressure is applied on the press opener, the head portion can be removed downwards from a longitudinal slot of a curtain rail. This makes possible that a defective or wrongly placed curtain glider can be easily replaced or repositioned without any other curtain glider having to be removed. 
     In general, the female unit will be formed as one piece with the male unit. As a material plastic will generally be used, wherein in a known manner preferably the entire curtain glider is one piece and made from the same material. 
     An exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown in principle based on the drawing. 
    
    
     
       Shown are: 
         FIG. 1  a top view of a section of a curtain glider according to the invention; 
         FIGS. 2 a  to 2 c    sectional views of the curtain glider along the section lines shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  a side view of a section along the longitudinal axis according to  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  another curtain glider with a downwardly tapered slope for each wing portion; 
         FIG. 5  a front view of a claimed curtain glider according to the second aspect of the invention; 
         FIG. 6  a rear view of the curtain glider of  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 7  a front view of two plugged together curtain gliders of  FIG. 5 ; and 
         FIG. 8  a front view of two plugged together curtain gliders of  FIG. 5  with inserted transport rail. 
     
    
    
     The claimed curtain glider  3  according to the first aspect includes a head portion  1 , a shaft-like central portion not shown here and a lower hook portion  3 , also not shown. As is particularly apparent from  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the head portion  1  tapers upwardly and has a wing shape. The wing consists of two wing portions  4 A,  4 B. For reasons of simplicity, hereinafter only wings or wing portions will be mentioned. The two wing portions  4 A,  4 B are identically formed as wing halves. They are each connected at the top to a side web of the head portion  1 . The two wing halves  4 A,  4 B can be arranged in a mirror-inverted manner to a longitudinal axis  6  and are compressible independent of each other. In  FIG. 1  the wing portions each have on their mutually remote front faces sliding members  8  in a wedge shape, which in particular have roundings  9  at the bottom  11 . 
     In the bottom  11  and also at the top  12 , the two wing portions  4 A,  4 B are free or are freely projecting. As is particularly apparent from  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the lower ends of the two wing portions  4 A,  4 B of the above mentioned sliding members have roundings  9  in lip shape or wedge shape, whereby a better bearing surface and sliding guide is created on the track of a curtain rail not shown. The central web  13  of the head portion  1  can as seen in the front view have an arc shape at the top but is presently provided straight. The two wing portions  4 A,  4 B end with their top  12  at a clear distance from the central web  13 . 
     On their mutually remote front faces the wing portions  4 A,  4 B of  FIG. 4  each have a slope  10 , which runs downward in direction of a reduction in width of the sliding member of the respective wing portion  4 A  4 B. In the top  12 , the slope  10  ends ahead of the central web  13  of the head portion. 
     When pulling a curtain or net curtain, which is suspended on the gliders, the gliders incline according to the pulling direction, resting at least partly with the respective slope  10  or with respect to  FIG. 1 or 2  the rounding  9  on the track of the curtain rail and thus slide thereon without jamming. 
     The glider according to the invention now works as follows: After an appropriate number of gliders has been connected with a curtain or a net curtain, the curtain or net curtain being located in a known manner with its loops in the eyelets of the hook portions, the gliders are individually or via a rail, not shown, inserted at any point from below into the slot of the curtain rail. Due to the elasticity of the two wing portions  4 A and  4 B, or due to an optional groove on the side webs  2  of the head portion  1  are compressed at the bottom such that they can be easily inserted through the slot of the curtain rail. For this purpose, it is only necessary that the width of the upper central web  13  together with the tops of the wing portions  4 A,  4 B is correspondingly less than the slot width. After inserting the gliders, the wing portions  4 A and  4 B can spread apart again due to their elasticity, the lower wing portions then guiding the glider on the tack of the curtain rail. 
     The entire curtain glider will generally be made in one piece and for cost reasons from plastic material. 
     The claimed curtain glider  3  according to another, second aspect of the invention has, as is particularly apparent from  FIGS. 5 and 6 , a head portion  1 , which can be guided on a track of the curtain rail, a shaft-like central portion  15 , which can be withdrawn from a longitudinal slot of the track of the curtain, and a lower hook portion  16  which serves in known manner to hold a curtain or net curtain, which is hooked with corresponding tabs in the lower hook member  16 . 
     As is particularly apparent from  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the head portion  1  has two wing portions  4 A and  4 B, wherein the wing portion  4 A is located on the front and the wing portion  4 B on the rear of the curtain glider  3 . The two wing portions  4 A and  4 B are identically formed as wing halves. They are each connected at the top with a side web of the head portion  2 . The wing portions  4 A and  4 B are further independently compressible. 
     The two wing portions  4 A and  4 B are provided each at the top with an upwardly tapering sliding member  8 . The sliding members  8  preferably have a wedge shape which at the bottom in particular has roundings. The sliding members  8  allow for guiding the curtain glider  3  on the track of the curtain rail. 
     The two wing portions  4 A and  4 B are elastically compressible in such a way, that the head portion  1  can be inserted from below into the longitudinal slot of a curtain rail. Conversely, each individual curtain glider  3  can be withdrawn downwards from the longitudinal slot of the curtain rail by compressing of the wing portions  4 A and  4 B. 
     To facilitate the removal of individual curtain gliders  3  from the curtain rail, the curtain glider  3  may be formed such that the wing portion  4 A has a press opener  14  at the bottom. The press opener  14  can, for example, be formed as a rectangular bulge, as shown in  FIG. 5 . The press opener  14  is arranged on the wing portion  4 A in such a way that the track of the curtain rail runs between the sliding member  8  and the press opener  14 , if the curtain glider is inserted into the longitudinal slot of the curtain rail. 
     If pressure is applied on the press opener  14 , an individual curtain glider  3  can be withdrawn downwards at any point from the longitudinal slot of the curtain rail. 
     While, as is particularly apparent from  FIGS. 5 and 6 , only the wing portion  4 A is provided with a press opener  14 , an alternative embodiment of the curtain glider  3  is possible, in which the wing portion  4 B is also provided with a press opener. This shortens the compression path. The lower hook portion  16 , as is particularly apparent from  FIGS. 5 and 6 , has approximately the shape of an eyelet or loop, which extends—with respect to its opening  17 —in the running direction L of the curtain glider  3 . For attaching the glider  3  to the loop of a curtain or net curtain the hook portion  16  is provided with a bracket  18 , by which the eyelet or loop can be opened. For closing, the bracket  18  is clamped in a known manner behind a nose  19 , which is located in the shaft-like central portion  15 , due to its elasticity. 
     The lower hook portion  16  has, as is further apparent from  FIGS. 5 and 6 , a female unit  21  and a male unit  22 . The female unit  21  of a first curtain glider is formed such that it is capable of holding a male unit  22  of a second curtain glider in a manner interlocking in running direction L of the curtain glider. Preferably, the female unit  21  is adapted to hold a male unit  22  having essentially the same contour along the entire length thereof. 
     The female unit  21  preferably extends along the entire width B of the curtain glider  3 . The male unit  22  directly adjoins to the female unit  21  and extends beyond the width B of the curtain glider  3 . The female unit  21  and the male unit  22  have a contour which allows the insertion of a transport rail  20  through the opening  17  of the lower hook portion. For example, the female unit  21  and the male unit  22  are formed as a U-profile and the transport rail  20  as a bar or a rod. 
     The female unit  21  and the male unit  22  are made from a flexible material, preferably a plastic material, and accordingly have partially deformable walls. 
     The plugging together of several curtain gliders  3 , as is particularly apparent from  FIG. 7 , is done by a plug-in connection which is integrated in the lower hook portion  16 . In order to plug together two curtain gliders  3 , the male unit  22  of a first curtain glider is plugged into the female unit  21  of a second curtain glider axially in running direction L of the curtain glider  3 . Since the inner cross-section of the female unit  21  essentially matches the corresponding external cross-section of the male unit  22 , the male unit  22  of the first curtain glider is seated firmly in the female unit  21  of the second curtain glider preferably by a press-fit. This makes it possible to plug together any number of curtain gliders  3 , and thus connect to each other. 
     On the one hand, for example, the connection by press-fit can be adapted so that, as shown in  FIG. 7 , insertion of the transport rail  20  is no longer necessary to provide a common insertion of the curtain gliders  1  into the longitudinal slot of the curtain rail. 
     On the other hand, by plugging together several curtain gliders  3  according to the invention, sliding the curtain gliders onto the transport rail  8  is facilitated, as is apparent from  FIG. 8 . It is further possible to slide on several groups of connected curtain gliders  3  and/or individual unconnected curtain gliders  3  to the transport rail  20 . 
     The curtain glider  3  according to the invention now works in the following way: 
     After an appropriate number of gliders  3  store has been connected with a curtain or a net curtain, wherein the curtain or net curtain is located in a known manner with its loops in the eyelets of the hook portions  16 , the gliders are inserted individually, plugged together in groups, or via a transport rail  20  as shown in  FIG. 8 , into the slot of the curtain rail at any point from below. Due to the elasticity of the two wing portions  4 A and  4 B of the head portion  1  are compressed in the lower portion such that they can be easily inserted through the slot of the curtain rail. After an insertion of the gliders  3  the wing portions  4 A and  4 B can spread apart again due to their elasticity, the lower wing portions then guiding the gliders on the track of the curtain rail. 
     To avoid individual insertion of the curtain gliders into the slot of a curtain rod, by inserting a male unit  22  of a first curtain glider into the female unit  21  of a second curtain glider in the running direction L of the curtain glider  3 , two or more curtain gliders  3  can be plugged together as shown in  FIG. 7 . The plugged together curtain gliders can then be inserted simultaneously from below into the longitudinal slot of the curtain rail. 
     In addition, according to  FIG. 8 , a transport rail  20  may be used in the form of a simple bar or rail. After connecting the curtain gliders with the curtain or net curtain to be hung and after plugging together the individual curtain gliders, the transport rail  20  is inserted laterally into the openings  17  of the lower hook portions  16 . If the transport rail  20  is configured long enough, all gliders  3  can be slid onto the transport rail  20  and are then inserted simultaneously with a single movement from below into the longitudinal slot of the curtain rail. Thereafter, the transport rail  20  can be withdrawn again laterally in a simple manner from the openings  17  of the lower hook portions  16  in the running direction L of the curtain gliders.  3 . 
     The removal of a curtain or net curtain can still be done in a known manner through the lateral hole or bore provided for this in the curtain rail in the area of the longitudinal slot. Furthermore, it is possible to withdraw each individual curtain glider  3  downwards from the longitudinal slot of the curtain track by applying pressure on the press opener  14  and thus by compressing the wing portion  4 A, whereby a defective or wrongly placed curtain glider  3  can be easily replaced or repositioned without any other curtain glider  3  having to be removed. 
     The entire curtain glider will generally be made in one piece and for manufacturing cost reasons from plastic material. 
     LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS 
     
         
           1  head portion 
           2  side web 
           3  curtain glider 
           4 A,  4 B wing portion 
           5  inner side 
           6  longitudinal axis 
           7  plane 
           8  sliding member 
           9  underside, rounding 
           10  slope 
           11  bottom 
           12  top 
           13  central web 
           14  press opener 
           15  central portion 
           16  hook portion 
           17  opening 
           18  bracket 
           19  nose 
           20  transport rail 
           21  female unit 
           22  male unit 
         B width of the curtain glider 
         L running direction of the curtain glider