Patent Publication Number: US-2011067819-A1

Title: Curtain

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     The present invention relates to a curtain, and more particularly to a curtain with a hidden rope to prevent children from pulling the rope and avoid accidents with children. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     A curtain is mounted near a window for sun shielding purposes. Various curtains are provided on the market, including horizontal curtains and vertical curtains (such as Roman shade, blind or the like). 
     With reference to  FIG. 8 , a conventional curtain ( 30 ) connects with a roller device ( 40 ) and has a substrate ( 31 ), multiple rods ( 32 ) and a rope ( 33 ). The substrate ( 31 ) has a top and a bottom. The top of the substrate ( 31 ) is fastened to the roller device ( 40 ). The rods ( 32 ) are horizontally mounted on a rear surface of the substrate ( 31 ) at intervals and in parallel. Each rod ( 32 ) has two ends and two rings ( 321 ). The rings ( 321 ) are respectively mounted on the rod ( 32 ) near two ends. The rope ( 33 ) is extended sequentially through the rings ( 321 ), is partially mounted in the roller device ( 40 ) and has two ends and a middle part. The ends are fastened to the rings ( 321 ) at the rod ( 32 ) near the bottom of the substrate ( 31 ). The middle part protrudes out of the roller device ( 40 ) allowing a user to hold the middle part of the rope ( 33 ) and to draw up or back the substrate ( 31 ). When the curtain ( 31 ) is drawn up, the rope ( 33 ) will be pulled toward the roller device ( 40 ). The rope ( 33 ) near the bottom of the substrate ( 31 ) is pulled in the first place. 
     However, the rope ( 33 ) and the substrate ( 31 ) are only fastened to each other by the rings ( 321 ) at the rod ( 32 ) near the bottom of the substrate ( 31 ), so an interval are occurred between the rope ( 33 ) and the substrate ( 31 ). Children easily pull the rope ( 33 ) when they are at play and the rope ( 33 ) may wind around their necks. Therefore, the conventional curtain ( 30 ) is not safe and is dangerous for children. 
     To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a curtain to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a curtain with a hidden rope to prevent children from pulling the rope and avoid accidents with children. 
     To achieve the objective, the curtain in accordance with the present invention comprises a substrate, multiple horizontal row assemblies, a rope and at least one flexible tube. The horizontal row assemblies are mounted horizontally on a surface of the substrate at intervals and each horizontal row assembly has at least one rope-extended element. The rope is extended vertically through the rope-extended elements to form multiple rope segments and has two ends fastened to the rope-extended elements near the bottom of the substrate. The at least one flexible tube is fastened to the rear surface of the substrate and at least sheathes the at least one rope segment between the two horizontal row assemblies near a bottom of the substrate. 
     Children cannot touch or pull the rope, which is sheathed by the flexible tubes fastened to the substrate, so the curtain is safe. 
     Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a curtain in one embodiment in accordance with the present invention having flexible tubes sheathing part of rope segments; 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged cross sectional side view of a part of a curtain in accordance with the present invention showing a flexible tube thoroughly fastened to a substrate; 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged cross sectional side view of a part of the curtain in  FIG. 1  when the curtain is drawn up; 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged cross sectional side view of a part of a curtain in accordance with the present invention showing a flexible tube fastened to a substrate at two ends; 
         FIG. 5  is a rear surface view of a curtain in accordance with the present invention with multiple flexible tubes made of cloth; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a curtain in accordance with the present invention with flexible tubes sheathing all rope segments; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a curtain in another embodiment in accordance with the present invention; and 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a conventional curtain in accordance with the prior art. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a curtain ( 10 ) in accordance with the present invention connects with a roller device ( 40 ) and has a substrate ( 11 ), multiple horizontal row assemblies; a rope ( 13 ) and at least one flexible tube ( 14 ). 
     The substrate ( 11 ) has a top, a bottom, a front surface and a rear surface. The top is fastened to the roller device ( 40 ). 
     The horizontal row assemblies are mounted horizontally on the rear surface of the substrate ( 11 ) at intervals. Each horizontal row assembly comprises at least one rope-extended element. The rope-extended elements of the horizontal row assemblies are aligned on the same vertical. When each horizontal row assembly comprises more than two rope-extended elements, the rope-extended elements are mounted on the rear surface of the substrate ( 11 ) at intervals in the same horizontal. 
     With reference to  FIG. 1 , in one embodiment of the present invention, each horizontal row assembly comprises or essentially consists of a rod ( 12 ) and multiple rings ( 121 ). The rods ( 12 ) are mounted on the rear surface of the substrate ( 11 ) at intervals in parallel. The rods ( 12 ) may be covered by the substrate ( 11 ) to prevent the rods ( 12 ) from exposing to beautify the curtain ( 10 ). The rings ( 121 ) are served as the rope-extended elements and are mounted on the rod ( 12 ) at intervals. 
     With reference to  FIG. 7 , in another embodiment of the present invention, each horizontal row assembly essentially consists of multiple rings ( 121 ′). The rings ( 121 ′) are served as the rope-extended elements and are horizontally mounted on the rear surface of the substrate ( 11 ) at intervals. The rings ( 121 ′) are fastened to the substrate ( 11 ) by sewing or other fastening ways. 
     In other embodiments of the present invention, each horizontal row assembly has a cloth sheet or folder and multiple through holes. The cloth sheet or folder is mounted horizontally on the rear surface of the substrate and may be formed integrally with the substrate. The through holes are served as the rope-extended elements and are defined through the cloth sheet or folder. 
     A wide variety of horizontal row assemblies can be used depending on user&#39;s demands, material of substrate or other factors easily modified by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and the appended claims and all of them should be considered to be within the present scope. 
     With reference to  FIG. 1 , the rope ( 13 ) is extended vertically through the rope-extended elements to form multiple rope segments between two adjacent rope-extended elements respectively at each two horizontal row assemblies in a same vertical. When a rope-extended element has more than two fasteners, the rope ( 13 ) forms multiple vertical lines in parallel. The rope ( 13 ) has two ends ( 131 ) and a middle part ( 132 ). The ends ( 131 ) are fastened to the rope-extended elements near the bottom of the substrate ( 11 ). The middle part ( 132 ) protrudes out of the roller device ( 20 ) allowing a user to hold the middle part ( 132 ) of the rope ( 13 ) and to draw up or back the substrate ( 11 ). 
     With further reference to  FIGS. 1 and 6 , the at least one flexible tube ( 14 ) is fastened to the rear surface of the substrate ( 11 ) and at least sheathes the at least one rope segment between the two horizontal row assemblies near the bottom of the substrate ( 11 ) by sewing, adhering or other fastening methods. In one aspect, the flexible tubes ( 14 ) may sheathe the two rope segments between the horizontal row assemblies near the bottom of the substrate ( 11 ), as shown in  FIG. 1  because children have limited heights and may not pull the rope segments at upper locations. In another aspect, the flexible tubes ( 14 ) respectively sheathe all the rope segments, as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , each flexible tube ( 14 ) is fastened thoroughly to the rear surface of the substrate ( 11 ). When the curtain ( 10 ) is drawn up, the flexible tube ( 14 ) is bent with the substrate ( 11 ) and they have the same curvature. 
     With reference to  FIG. 4 , each flexible tube ( 14 ) has two end portions and a middle portion and each flexible tube ( 14 ) is fastened to the surface of the substrate ( 11 ) only by the end portions and an interval is formed between the middle portion and the surface of the substrate ( 11 ). Therefore, the flexible tube ( 14 ) and the substrate ( 11 ) may have different curvatures when the curtain ( 10 ) is drawn up. 
     Each flexible tube ( 14 ) can be made of various flexible and foldable material, such as, but not limited to cloth, plastic or the like. In one specific aspect, with reference to  FIG. 5 , the flexible tube ( 14 ′) is made of cloth, is sewed onto the rear surface of the substrate ( 11 ) and has an upper end ( 141 ′), a lower end ( 142 ′) and a middle part ( 143 ′). A dimension of the upper end ( 141 ′), such as a diameter of 20 mm, is smaller than a dimension of the lower end ( 142 ′), such as a diameter of 80 mm. The lower end ( 142 ′) has an opening. When the flexible tube ( 14 ′) is folded, the upper end ( 141 ′) is located in a middle of the opening of the lower end ( 142 ′) and the middle part ( 143 ′) is located in the opening between the upper end ( 141 ′) and the lower end ( 142 ′). Therefore, the horizontal row assemblies are adjacent to each other when the curtain ( 10 ) is drawn up, which decrease a volume of the curtain ( 10 ) when it is folded. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 3 , in one aspect, a specific distance is generated between the horizontal row assembly, such as the rod ( 12 ) near the bottom of the substrate ( 11 ) and the bottom of the substrate ( 11 ). Therefore, the curtain ( 10 ) between the horizontal row assembly near the bottom of the substrate ( 11 ) and the bottom of the substrate ( 11 ) can be fluttered with wind. 
     In another aspect, an addition rod can be fastened to the bottom of the substrate ( 11 ) and is parallel to the horizontal row assembly. Therefore, the curtain ( 10 ) between the horizontal row assembly near the bottom of the substrate ( 11 ) and the bottom of the substrate ( 11 ) can be kept in stable position even though it is fluttered by wind. 
     In yet another aspect, the horizontal row assembly, such as the rod ( 12 ), near the bottom of the substrate ( 11 ) is directly fastened to the bottom of the substrate ( 11 ). Therefore, not only the bottom of the substrate ( 11 ) can be kept in stable position, but also when the curtain ( 10 ) is drawn up, the substrate ( 11 ) can be folded thoroughly to present another visual effect. 
     The flexible tubes ( 14 ) sheathe and hide the rope segments, so the children only touch flexible tubes ( 14 ) rather than the rope ( 13 ). Furthermore, the flexible tubes ( 14 ) are fastened to the substrate ( 11 ). Even though the children touch the flexible tubes ( 14 ), the flexible tubes ( 14 ) cannot be detached from the substrate ( 11 ). Therefore, the curtain ( 10 ) of the present invention is safe. 
     Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.