Patent Abstract:
A mounting bracket and headrail assembly for supporting an elongated member from which a plurality of valences may be suspended, and a method of using the mounting bracket and headrail assembly. The mounting bracket has a catch and resilient spring clip to securely receive a first leg of the headrail, leaving the second leg of the headrail exposed. The exposed second leg of the headrail obscures the first leg and mounting bracket from view, thereby avoiding the need to provide additional material to obscure unsightly hardware from view.

Full Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application is entitled to the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/436,279, filed Dec. 24, 2002, for all subject matter commonly disclosed therein. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     This invention relates generally to hardware for mounting window coverings and, more particularly, to a mounting bracket and headrail that cooperate with one another to support a window covering, such as window blinds, above a window.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     There have been many approaches to mounting window coverings, specifically Venetian-style window blinds, to the wall and/or ceiling above a window. Popular mounting assemblies for these window blinds include a generally U-shaped headrail secured in some manner to a mounting bracket that mounts to the wall and/or ceiling. While the manner in which the mounting bracket connected to the generally U-shaped headrail differs among different approaches, there is a common thread.  
         [0004]     In order to secure the headrail to the mounting bracket, there are always at least two points of contact between the headrail and mounting bracket, with one of the points of contact located either at the end of one of the legs of the generally U-shaped headrail, along that leg of the headrail, or at the base of that leg, and with the other point of contact located either at the end of the opposite leg of the generally U-shaped headrail, along that opposite leg, or at the base of that opposite leg.  
         [0005]     Because the mounting bracket engaged at least a portion of both legs of the generally U-shaped headrail, the mounting bracket of such conventional assemblies has to be at least as deep as the distance separating the two legs of the generally U-shaped headrail. In those mounting assemblies in which the mounting bracket engages either the end of, or along, the leg of the headrail located furthest way from the window itself (i.e. the leg of the headrail that would be most visible to any occupants of a room in which the assembly is located), that portion of the mounting bracket is likely to be visible unless obscured by some suitably aesthetic extension of the headrail or by additional material, such as an extra valence strip. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0006]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a mounting bracket made in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0007]      FIG. 2  is an end view of a head rail made in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0008]      FIG. 3  is an end view taken from the opposite end of that shown in  FIG. 2 , showing the engagement of the head rail shown in  FIG. 2  and the mounting bracket shown in  FIG. 1 ; and  
         [0009]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of another embodiment of a mounting bracket made in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0010]     The mounting bracket and headrail assembly  10  of the present invention advantageously provides a mounting bracket  12  that engages only one leg of a headrail  14  having a configuration specifically structured to cooperate with the mounting bracket  12 . The headrail  14  has an integral shelf  16  provided along the region  18  of the headrail  14  between the two legs  20 ,  22  of the headrail  14 . In addition to engaging an end  24  of one leg  20  of the headrail  14 , the mounting bracket  12  engages an undercut  26  provided by an overhanging lip  28  of the shelf  16 .  
         [0011]     The shelf  16  preferably extends along the entire length of the headrail  14 , which facilitates manufacture of the headrail  14  and also facilitates installation. The headrail  14  is preferably made of aluminum. The two legs  20 ,  22  of the headrail  14  may each advantageously have a curved profile. The legs  20 ,  22  also include return portions  30 ,  32 , respectively, projecting horizontally toward the opposite leg  22  or  20 , preferably extending the entire length of the headrail  14 . The return portions  30 ,  32  are co-planar, and provide ledges  34 ,  36  to receive an elongated member (not shown) from which a set of valences making up the window blinds depends.  
         [0012]     The leg  20  closest to the mounting bracket  12  has an extension  38  extending below the return portion  30 . By extending the leg  20  below the return portion  30 , a clearance is provided under the return portion  30  such that the end  24  of the leg  20  can be engaged by a spring clip member  42  of the mounting bracket  12 , with a hook-like portion  43  at the end of the spring clip member  42  extending over the end  24  of the leg  20 .  
         [0013]     The width of the headrail  14 , i.e. the depth or maximum distance between the legs  20 ,  22 , is preferably significantly greater than the height of the headrail  14 . In this manner, the headrail  14  has a short profile while still being of sufficient depth to accommodate the elongated member (not shown) from which the set of valences forming the window blind depends.  
         [0014]     The return portion  32  of the leg  22  on the side of the headrail  14  farthest from the mounting bracket  12  may be provided with a vertical wall member  44  to provide a stop that prevents unwanted movement of the elongated member (not shown) received on the ledges  34 ,  36 .  
         [0015]     The legs  20 ,  22  are preferably of approximately equal height to one another, but the shelf  16  in the preferred embodiment is lower than the top end  46  of the leg  22 , and thus lower than a top flat panel portion  48  extending between the shelf  16  and the top end  46  of the leg  22 . This off-set between the top flat panel portion  48  and the shelf  16  gives the headrail  14  a stepped appearance.  
         [0016]     The mounting bracket  12  is preferably made of a suitably strong and resilient material, such as zinc plated 0.032 spring steel, and includes a top plate  50  having fastener-receiving apertures  52 ,  54  therein for securing the mounting bracket  12  to a horizontal surface, such as a ceiling (not shown), a wall plate  56 , also provided with fastener-receiving apertures  58 ,  60 , for securing the mounting bracket  12  to a vertical surface, i.e. a wall (not shown). It is recognized that in lieu of the two fastener-receiving apertures  52 ,  54  in the top plate  50 , which are shown in the drawings to be oblong, a single elongated aperture (not shown) capable of accommodating more than one fastener may be provided.  
         [0017]     The wall plate  56  extends downwardly from a rear edge  62  of the top plate  50 . An opposite or front edge  64  of the top plate  50  has a centrally-located catch  66 , extending therefrom. The catch  66  includes a vertical wall  68  and lip  70  at a lowermost end of the vertical wall  68 . In order to mount the headrail  14  on the mounting bracket  12 , the lip  70  of the catch  66  is securely received in a channel  72  defined in part by the overhanging lip  28  of the shelf  16 .  
         [0018]     In order to provide clearance between the shelf  16  of the headrail  14  and the head(s) of the fastener(s) (not shown) used to secure the mounting bracket  12  to a ceiling, as well as to provide clearance between the top flat panel portion  48  of the headrail  14 , the top plate  50  is preferably provided with sidewalls  74 ,  76  having a height greater than, or at least equal to, the distance between the top flat panel portion  48  and the shelf  16  of the headrail  14 .  
         [0019]     The spring clip member  42  of the mounting bracket  12  preferably has an inverted T-shaped body  78 , bounded by slits  80 ,  82  between the inverted T-shaped body  78  and the wall plate  56 . The slits  80 ,  82  preferably extend past the corner  82  at which the wall plate  56  joins the top plate  50 , and extend partially along the top plate  50 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . Thus, the spring clip member  42  separates the wall plate  56  into two sections,  56   a ,  56   b . Alternatively, the slits  80 ,  82  may terminate at the corner  84 . As a further alternate, the slits  80 , 82  may extend substantially the height of the wall plate  56 , but terminate short of the corner  84 .  
         [0020]     The inverted T-shaped body  78  has at its distal end  86  the hook-like portion  43 , which preferably includes an integral extension of the distal end of the inverted T-shaped body  78  which extends at a right angle to the distal end  84 , and is folded over itself to form two closely-spaced flanges  88 ,  90  having a curved spine  92  along one end thereof. Material may be removed from the extension portion of the inverted T-shaped body  78  to form an aperture  94  in the flanges  88 ,  90 . The curved spine  92  provides a smooth surface, which advantageously facilitates hanging the end  40  of the leg  20  of the headrail  14  over the hook-like portion  43  of the mounting bracket  12 .  
         [0021]     In use, two or more of the mounting brackets  12  are mounted to a wall or ceiling above a window. Next, the headrail  14  (preferably with the elongated member (not shown) from which the valences depend received on the ledges  34 ,  36 ) is tilted, with the leg  20  facing the mounting bracket  12 , so that the extension  38  is raised. The end  40  of the leg  20  of the headrail  14  is then hanged over the hook-like portion  43  of the mounting bracket  12 . Next, the leg  22  of the headrail  14  is raised toward the mounting bracket  12 . The resilient spring clip member  42  allows the hook-like portion  43  of the mounting bracket  12  to bend away from the catch  66  extending from the top plate  50  of the mounting bracket  12 , until the lip  70  of the catch  66  is securely received in the channel  72  defined in part by the overhanging lip  28  of the shelf  16 . When this occurs, an audible snap may be heard.  
         [0022]     Turning to  FIG. 4 , a second embodiment of the mounting bracket  112  is shown. In addition to those elements and features that the mounting bracket  112  of the *second embodiment has in common with the mounting bracket  12  of the first embodiment, which are indicated in  FIG. 4  by the same reference numbers, the mounting bracket  112  has raised sections,  114 ,  116  in the top plate  50 . Each of the raised sections  114 ,  116  surrounds one of the fastener-receiving apertures  52 ,  54 . Each of the raised sections  114 ,  116  defines a cavity  118 ,  120 , which cavities advantageously provide greater clearance over the shelf  16  of the head rail  14  in order to accommodate fasteners, such as mounting screws, having a head height greater than the distance between the shelf  16  and the bottom of top plate  50 .  
         [0023]     While the present invention has been described with respect to a certain preferred embodiment thereof, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the invention is not limited thereto, and that variations may be made thereto without departing from, and still within the scope of, the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 8