Patent Publication Number: US-2016227953-A1

Title: A curtain system

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is in the field of curtain systems for use on drapery panels. 
     BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION 
     Pleating devices in the form of pleating hooks for use with pleating tape, are generally well-known. 
     Various hooks are shaped to fit into pleating tape comprising flexible sheet material which is stitched onto an upper end region of a curtain and which defines elongate pockets having open lower ends along its length. 
     These hooks are received by the tape, and then mounted to a curtain rail. These hooks are not suitable for all applications and accordingly there have therefore been products made which could be used in forming oversized pleats whilst remaining secured to the tape. 
     The inventor believes that there is a need for a curtain system allowing for the efficient removal and installation of a curtain, whilst uniformly and stably bracing the pleats of a curtain, ensuring the curtain is adequately attached to the curtain rail and alleviating the abovementioned problems, at least partially. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the invention, there is provided a pleating device for use with a pleating tape attachable along an upper end region of a drapery panel, the pleating tape having elongate vertically-extending pockets defined at predetermined spaced apart locations, the pockets being open at upper and lower ends thereof, the pleating device comprising:
         at least one pair of fingers being adapted to be inserted into said pockets so as to form at least one vertically-extending pleat; and   a spacer body attachable to a drapery rail and to the pair of fingers, wherein the spacer body is locatable in the pleat and extends transversely from a longitudinal axis of the fingers to brace the pleat.       

     In this way, the structural integrity of the pleat is maintained, as the spacer braces or holds the form of the pleat along its length. 
     The fingers may have upper and lower ends having connecting formations disposed adjacent the ends for removable attachment to the spacer body. 
     The spacer body may be of a unitary construction and may comprise an elongate vertical section ending in a loop-like top portion and a transversely extending bottom portion, wherein the top and bottom portions comprise attachment means for attachment to the connecting formations of the fingers such that, in use the fingers shoulder each other in a substantially parallel fashion and are opposite, spaced apart from and substantially parallel to the elongate vertical section, wherein that the spacer body is disposed within a pleat such that the elongate vertical section braces a distal end of the pleat from within the same. 
     The spacer body may be roughly C-shaped. 
     The top portion may be substantially U-shaped. The drapery rail may be a pole-like drapery rail received axially through the top portion of the device, in use. The top portion and a portion of a vertical section may be of exposed, in use, and may therefore be constructed of an aesthetically pleasing material or may have an aesthetically pleasing finish. 
     The bottom portion may curve transversely from the vertical section to the attachment means. 
     In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the spacer body may comprise a U-shaped top portion, extending from the connecting formation attached to the upper end of the fingers. The U-shaped top portion may have an extension which is disposed within a pleat such that the extension braces the pleat. The extension may be removably attachable to the U-shaped portion, and the extension may include an engagement formation on an end thereof, to engage the U-shaped portion, and a hook on the free end, to hook relative to the pleating tape. The extension may be engaged relative to the U-shaped portion before or after the U-shaped portion has been inserted into the pleating tape. The connecting formation on the bottom end of the fingers is not connected to the spacer body in this embodiment, and merely connects to the fingers and hold them in place. 
     The engagement formation on the extension may be in the form of a tongue in groove formation, thereby attaching the extension to the U-shaped portion. 
     In an embodiment of the invention, the spacer body is constructed of a different material to/from the fingers. 
     The fingers may be configured to be inserted upwardly into the pockets of the tape. The attachment means of the top and bottom portions of the spacer body may be configured to attach to the fingers in a manner to maintain a predetermined spaced apart parallel relationship between the fingers. 
     In this embodiment of the invention, the lower ends of the fingers are fixedly attached to attachment means of the bottom portion of the spacer body, the fingers being held in a fixed spacial relationship. 
     The spacer body, particularly, the vertical section may comprise one or more barbs projecting outwardly therefrom to engage with the drapery panel in the pleat so as to further secure the pleat thereto. 
     According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a pleating system including the pleating device as hereinbefore described, and a strip of pleating tape securable to a drapery panel as hereinbefore described. 
     The pleating tape may be constructed of non-woven fabrics. 
     The pleating tape may be manufactured by welding a first panel-like blank ultrasonically to a second panel-like blank. 
     According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a pleating tape for attachment along an upper end region of a drapery panel, the method comprising:
         feeding a first panel-like blank and a second panel-like blank to an ultrasonic welding means; an   welding the first blank to the second blank at regular intervals thereby to form elongate vertically-extending pockets defined at predetermined spaced locations along an upper end region thereof, the pockets being open at upper and lower ends thereof.       

     The first and second blanks may be strips of non-woven fabric. The first and second blanks may be constructed from a thermoplastics material. The first blank may be fed to the ultrasonic welding means on top of the second blank. 
     According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus for forming a pleating tape attachable along an upper end region of a drapery panel, the apparatus comprising:
         an ultrasonic welding means;   a roller disposed operatively adjacent the ultrasonic welding means, the roller defining a plurality of protrusions thereon at predetermined spaced locations such that in use, first and second blanks fed to the apparatus are welded together at the protrusions thereby to form the pleating tape having elongate vertically-extending pockets defined at predetermined spaced locations, the pockets being open at upper and lower ends thereof.       

     The perforations correspond to the locations on the pleating tape which require welding. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will now be described with reference to the following non-limiting drawings: 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of a pleating device with the fingers in an unattached configuration; 
         FIG. 2  shows another perspective view of the first embodiment of the pleating device with the fingers in an unattached configuration; 
         FIG. 3  shows perspective view of the first embodiment of the pleating device with the fingers in an attached configuration; 
         FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of the first embodiment of the pleating device, in use and connected to pleating tape and forming a pleat in a drapery panel; 
         FIG. 5  shows a perspective view of a portion of a first blank and a second blank forming the pleating tape, as fed to an apparatus for forming a pleating tape; 
         FIG. 6  shows a portion of a formed pleating tape; 
         FIG. 7  shows a schematic illustration of an apparatus for forming a pleating tape; 
         FIG. 8  shows a perspective view of an apparatus for forming a pleating tape; 
         FIG. 9  shows a perspective side view of a second embodiment of the pleating device, and 
         FIG. 10  shows a further perspective side view of the second embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     Reference numeral  10  refers to a pleating device in accordance with the invention. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 4  of the drawings, the pleating device  10  is configured for use with a drapery panel such as a curtain  12  illustrated in  FIG. 4 , having a strip of flexible pleating tape  14  secured to an upper end region of the curtain  12 . The pleating tape  14  defines elongate vertically-extending pockets  16  having open upper and lower ends, the pockets  14  being defined at predetermined laterally spaced locations along the length of the pleating tape  14 . 
     The pleating device  10  comprises a pair of fingers  18  of moulded plastics material adapted to be inserted into the pockets  14  so as to form a vertically-extending pleat  20 . The fingers  18  are substantially similar elongate fingers  18  comprising non-matching connecting formations  18 . 1  and  18 . 2  provided at upper and lower ends thereof, respectively. The fingers  18  are approximately 170 mm in length. 
     The pleating device  10  also comprises a spacer body  22  attachable to the pair of fingers  18 . The spacer body  22  extends, in use when the fingers  18  are in the pockets  14 , transversely from a longitudinal axis of the fingers  18  to brace the pleat  20  from within, as illustrated in  FIG. 4 . The spacer body  22  is conveniently shaped and/or dimensioned to give the pleat  20  its desired shape, keeping it firmly in place and also ensuring even spacing or height of the pleat  20  from top to bottom. 
     In the first embodiment of the invention as shown in  FIGS. 1 to 4 , the spacer body  22  is of a unitary construction rid roughly C-shaped such that the fingers  18  are attachable to free ends thereof in assembly to form a closed loop. In particular, the body  22  comprises an elongate vertical section  24  extending to a U-shaped hook-like top portion  26 , at an upper end thereof, an a transversely extending-curved bottom portion  28 , at a bottom end thereof. The top and bottom portions  26 ,  28  comprise attachment means  22 . 1 ,  22 . 2 , respectively at ends thereof, referred to as connecting devices, for attachment to the connecting formations  18 . 1 ,  18 . 2  of the pair of fingers  18 . The fingers  18  are removably attachable to the spacer body  22 . 
     In the first embodiment of the invention, the spacer body  22  and the fingers  18  flank each other in a substantially parallel fashion. In addition, the fingers  18  are located opposite, spaced from and substantially parallel to the elongate vertical section  24  which braces the pleat  20  from within the pleat  20 . The bracing of the pleat  20  will allow for the desired width of the pleat  20 . 
     In an embodiment of the invention, the section  24  comprises one or more outwardly projecting barbs  30  which assist in securing the pleating device  10  to the pleat  20 . 
     The connecting formation  18 . 2  is in the form of a U-Shaped foot configured to engage with a substantially square planar holding means  22 . 2  having a notch to receive the U-shaped foot snugly therein. The connecting formation  18 . 1  on the other hand is in the form of an arrow-head like formation configured to be deformably receivable within the attachment means  22 . 1 , in use. To this end, the attachment means  22 . 1  may be in the form of a collar having an internal structure to deform the connecting formation and retain the same removably therein, for example, in a snap-fit manner. In this way, the fingers  18  are attachable to the spacer body  22  in a relatively secure manner thereby maintaining the integrity of the pleat  20 , when in use. In addition, it will be noted that the U-shaped for is seen to step radially outwardly from the longitudinal axis of the finger  18  thereby to further limit rotation of the finger  18  when in use. It will be noted that in other example embodiments, the connecting formation  18 . 1  may be a key-hole like attachment means so as not to be bulking in a pleat, in use. 
     The drapery rail as shown in  FIG. 4  to which a curtain  12  is to be hung on may be a rod which is received axially through the top portion  26  thereby to hang the curtain  12  in a contemporary fashion. It follows that the top portion  26  of the device  10  is usually exposed in use as illustrated in  FIG. 4 . In some embodiments, the body  22  may be constructed of a wood, plastic or metallic material with an attractive or aesthetically pleasing finish. However, in some low cost example embodiments, not illustrated, the top portion  26  may be constructed of a more expensive attractive material and attached to the rest of the body  22  which is constructed of an inexpensive material such as plastic. Instead, or in addition, the top portion  26  may have an aesthetically pleasing treatment applied thereto. 
     When in use, as shown in  FIGS. 1 to 4 , the curtain is gathered so as to bring two selected pockets  16  together or adjacent each other such that the spacing of the pockets  16  corresponds with the spacing between the pair of fingers  18  in assembly or attachment to the spacer body  22  so as to form the pleat  20 . The upper ends of the fingers  18  are then inserted into lower open ends of the pockets  16  so as to form one pleat  20  within the gathered portion of the curtain  12 . Once the fingers  18  are fully inserted into the pockets, the upper ends of the fingers  19  project form the open upper ends of the pockets  16 . 
     The spacer body  22  is then located in the formed pleat  20  and the attachment means  22 . 2  is engaged with the connecting formations  18 . 2 . The fingers  18 , which are substantially flexible to allow manipulation of the same are urged into register with the attachment means  22 . 1  and in particular the connecting formations  18 . 1  are urged into the attachment means  22 . 1  which receive and resiliently deform the formations  18 . 1  and retain the same therein essentially attaching, in a secure manner, the fingers  18  in the pockets  16  to the spacer body  22 . In this way, the spacer body  22  gives the pleat  20  its form and keeps the same in place by projecting toward the distal end of the pleat  20  form within the same. To this end the barbs  30  aid in preventing the pleat from falling down the section  24 . 
     It will be noted that the fingers  18  in the pockets  16  attached to the ends of the spacer body  18  essentially serves as a base or holding means for the body  22  to project into the pleat. 
     In a second embodiment of the invention as shown in  FIG. 9 , the spacer body  22  comprises a U-shaped top portion  40 , extending from the connecting formation  52  attached to the upper end of the fingers  18 . The U-shaped top portion  40  has an extension  42  which is disposed within a pleat such that the extension  42  braces the pleat. The extension  42  is removably attachable to the U-shaped portion  40 , by a tongue in groove arrangement, and the extension  42  includes an engagement formation  44  on an end  46  thereof, to engage the U-shaped portion  40 , and a hook  48  on the further end  50 , to hook relative to the pleating tape. The extension  42  is engaged relative to the U-shaped portion  40  before or after the U-shaped portion  40  has been inserted into the pleating tape. The connecting formation on the bottom end of the fingers are not connected to the spacer body in this embodiment, and merely connect to the fingers and hold them in place. 
     A plurality of devices  10  may be attached in a similar manner and gathered together such that the top portions  26  or  40  thereof, are aligned for passage of the drapery rail  32  axially therethrough. The rail  32  with the curtain attached thereto via the devices  10  are then mounted in a desired location to mounting means to which the rail  32  is mountable, in a conventional fashion. 
       FIG. 5  shows that the pleating tape  14  comprises a first planar strip-like blank  14 . 1  and a second planar strip-like blank  14 . 2 . The blanks  14 . 1  and  14 . 2  are selected from a non-woven material such as thermoplastics material having at least 60% synthetic plastics material. The first blank  14 . 1  or in other words the front blank lies on top of the second blank  14 . 2  or in other words the backing blank in forming the pleating tape  14 . The first blank  14 . 1  has a width of approximately 150 mm whereas the second blank  14 . 2  has a width of approximately 200 mm. 
     The front and backing blanks  14 . 1  and  14 . 2  may be ultrasonically welded to form the pleating tape  14  as illustrated more clearly in  FIG. 5 . 
     The tape  14  is ultrasonically welded pleating tape  14  has welds  50  so as to define the elongate vertically extending pockets  52  having open ends  56 . The pockets  52  have a length of 170 mm. In addition, support welds  54  provide additional support and structural integrity of the tape  14 . It will be appreciated that the combined use of the pleating tape  12  and the device  10  is what prevents the curtain pleats from flopping untidily when the curtain if attached to the hanging rail. The pleats formed using this tape with its pockets evenly spaced are uniform and evenly spaced therefore the pleating tape becomes as integral part of the invention. 
     It will be noted that all the conventional pleating tapes are constructed by means of a weaving machine and then put through a starching process. This conventional process is not suitable for constructing straights, evenly spaced pockets especially when manufacturing pleating tapers 200 mm in width. 
     In this regard, reference is now made to  FIG. 7  of the drawings where an apparatus for forming the pleating tape  14  in accordance with an example embodiment of the invention is generally indicated with reference numeral  70 . 
     The apparatus  70  may comprise an essentially conventional ultrasonic welder to weld the first blank  14 . 1  to the second blank  14 . 2  to form the pleating tape  14  as described. The welder  72  is typically controlled by a suitable control system, for example, a computer controlled system  76 . 
     The apparatus  70  also comprises a cylindrical anvil or roller  74 , as also shown in  FIG. 8 , operatively disposed adjacent the welder  72 , below a sonotrode or horn thereof. In a preferred example embodiment (not shown) the horn is of the same length as the longitudinal length of the roller  74 . The roller  74  is configured to rotate as the blanks  14 . 1  and  14 . 2  are fed (optionally by rolling action of the roller  74 ) to the sonotrode or horn of the welder  72  in rolling fashion such that the horn and the roller  74  sandwich the blanks  14 . 1  and  14 . 2 . The sonotrode or horn operatively welds the blanks  14 . 1 ,  14 . 2  together onto the roller  74  acting as an anvil. 
     To this end the roller  74  comprises a plurality of protrusions  76  arranged in a regular fashion on the body of the roller  74 . These protrusions  76  serve as points of contact during welding such that the blanks  14 . 1  and  14 . 2  are welded at the protrusions  76 . The protrusions  76  may project radially outwardly from the roller by about 2 mm. It will be appreciated that it is at the points of contact that the material of the blanks  14 . 2  and  14 . 2  melts, bonds and solidifies during ultrasonic welding to form the tape  14 . It follows that zones with no protrusions  76 , for example, zones  78  result in no welds in the tape  14 . In this regard, it will be noted that the zones  78  form the pockets  52  as the blanks  14 . 1  and  14 . 2  are welded together. The roller  74  may be constructed of steel. 
     Though not illustrated, it will be appreciated that the blanks  14 . 1  and  14 . 2  to be welded are secured in a fixture which holds the say in place and square to the horn when welding takes place. 
     The tape  14  is advantageously made of a thermoplastics material which is stable before processing and after therefore the tape  14  does not distort, etc. There is also no need for heat setting, straightening and stiffening as is the case with conventional knitted or weaved tapes. 
     Also, not illustrated, the apparatus  70  comprises take up rollers, feeding systems, etc. 
     In use, the first blank  14 . 1  and the second blank  14 . 2  are provided in rolls. The first blank  14 . 1  on top of the second blank  14 . 2  is simultaneously fed into the apparatus  70  entering between the roller  74  and a fixture or foot plate (not illustrated). As the blanks  14 . 1  and  14 . 2  move through the apparatus  70 , controlled pressure is constantly applied and the horn of the apparatus  70  vibrates vertically approximately 20 000 to 40 000 times per second for a predetermined period of time called weld time. 
     The vibratory action of the horn is directed to limited points of contact between the two parts of the thermoplastics material, creating heat which bonds the blanks  14 . 1  and  14 . 2  at the protrusions  76 . The clamping force between the horn and the roller  74  allows the melting parts to fuse, cool and solidify. This is known as hold time. In this way, approximately four meters of tape may be manufactures per minute. 
     The take up rollers (not illustrated) then roll the welded tape  14  into rolls. 
     In another example embodiment not shown, other heat welding e.g. laser welding may be used to form the tape  14 . 
     These figures show a novel pleating device in accordance with the invention.