Patent ID: 8851435

Claim:
A rod assembly, for supporting a curtain or other treatment at a window or door opening in a structure, which comprises: two brackets, each shaped for contacting a spaced apart portion of the structure which defines at least a portion of said window or door opening, each bracket having a portions shaped for receiving a second end of a tube; a tube assembly comprising (i) a first tube having a first end, a second end, and a bore; (ii) a second tube, smaller in diameter than the first tube, having a first end thereof partially positioned within the bore of the first end of the first tube; wherein the first and second tubes are rotatable relative to each other and telescopable relative to each other to enable change in overall length of the tube assembly; and, wherein the second end of the first tube is engaged with a first bracket and the second end of the second tube is engaged with the second bracket; and, a locking assembly, captured within the tube assembly proximate the first end of the second tube, comprising (i) a screw body having a first end having a first portion shaped to fit within the bore of the first tube and a second portion shaped to fit closely within the bore of the second tube; a second end rotatably secured within the bore of the second tube; and an externally threaded portion intermediate the first and second ends, the portion having an external diameter which decreases with distance from either the first end or the second end; and, (ii) a sleeve, circumscribing said threaded portion of the screw body, having a threaded bore and an exterior surface portion frictionally engaged with the bore of the first tube; wherein rotation of one tube relative to the other tube causes the sleeve to move to or from said first end of the screw body, to thereby radially expand or contract the sleeve, wherein radially outward expansion of the sleeve locks the telescoped tubes lengthwise with respect to each other.