Field of the Invention

This invention relates to the field of decorative window treatments, and, more particularly, to such a window treatment which includes a cornice body formed of a resilient foam material which is mountable on a standard continental curtain rod and which may be covered with a decorative fabric to create various decorative effects.

Background of the Relevant Prior Art Various types of cornices, corniceboards and top window treatments have enjoyed increasing popularity in recent years. Such top window treatments are frequently used with vertical or horizontal blinds, or with more conventional draperies, to create a variety of decorative effects.

More traditional cornices and corniceboards are formed of wood, covered with padding, and then encased in decorative fabric. Obviously such products are both time consuming and expensive to make, and difficult to mount due to their weight. Hence, some cornices have been designed which employ lighter materials. For example, U.S. patent no. 5,042,549 discloses a foam cornice body which is formed of slabs of foam material which are glued or otherwise fastened together, the foam then being covered with a

decorative fabric. The cornice disclosed in this patent is then fastened to the wall with brackets.

It is also known to form a cornice body from a single piece of foam. This type of foam cornice typically has a flat back face and an arched front face and includes a cutout portion on the back face which engages with a standard "continental" curtain rod of the type which is flat and relatively wide. This type of foam body is first covered with a decorative fabric so that the fabric covered the front face and wraps partially around the back face so that the fabric is fixed in place when the rod is inserted into cutout portion. The advantage of this type of foam cornice is that the fabric covering may be changed as desired to coordinate with redecoration schemes. However, the foam cornices of the prior art are not entirely satisfactory, in particular, it is difficult to position a piece of fabric around the foam body for maximum decorative effect and keep the fabric in position while the cornice is being installed onto the brackets. Furthermore, even though the fabric covering can be changed, the overall decorative effect cannot be varied.

There is a need for a foam cornice which may be easily mounted on existing curtain rod assemblies which is both easier to install, and which holds the fabric covering more firmly in place. There is also a need for such a window treatment which includes provisions for changing the overall decorative effect as the user desires. There is a particular need for such a window treatment which is easy and inexpensive to manufacture and install .

Summary of the Invention

The present invention has been designed to overcome the deficiencies in the prior art noted above. It is a top window treatment consisting of a foam cornice which engages with a curtain rod assembly including a flat, relatively wide curtain rod. The foam cornice comprises a resilient foam body configured to cover the curtain rod and extend for a distance from each edge thereof along the length of said rod. The resilient foam body includes a planar rear face and non-planar front face which extends to meet said rear face at top and bottom edges thereof. A channel integral with said foam body extends along said rear face for engagement with the curtain rod so as to mount said cornice body on said curtain rod assembly.

A pair of rear slots are formed on the rear face of said body proximate the side edges. The rear slots each extend for the length of the foam body and terminate in a blind cavity. Each of the slots defines a pair of opposed sides. A piece of decorative fabric may removably enclose the front face of the foam body by tucking one of its edges into each of the pair of rear slots.

The resilient foam body has sufficient resiliency such that the pair of rear slots deform from a first position, wherein the opposed sides are proximate each other, to a second position wherein a gap is formed between the opposed sides that the edges of the fabric covering may be received in the cavities. Because of the resiliency of the foam body, the slots tend to resiliently spring back to

the first position after the fabric edges have been inserted therein so that the opposed sides grip the fabric edges between them and hold the f bric in place.

In one preferred embodiment, the cornice body may further include a first front slot which is formed in its front face and extends along the length thereof. Like the rear slots, the first front slot terminates in a blind cavity. An intermediate section of the fabric may be tucked into the front slot to create a different look. By tucking in the intermediate section of decorative fabric, the fabric will blouse out on each side of the front channel, thus creating a puffy, decorative effect.

Typically, the fabric covering will be formed of a piece of fabric which is two or three times longer than the length of the foam cornice, and, preferably, gathered or pleated. As the fabric is installed by tucking its edges into the various slots, the fabric gathers and pleats, again creating a puffy and decorative effect. Because the fabric covering is first installed upon the cornice body before the cornice is mounted to the brackets, decorative positioning of the fabric is much easier.

In another preferred embodiment, a plurality of front slots are provided on the front surface of the cornice body. These will be spaced apart from each other so that the fabric covering may be tucked in some or all of the slots, as desired, to create a plurality of decorative effects.

In another preferred embodiment of the foam cornice of the present invention, the front face is arched.

However, the front face may be configured in a variety of decorative ways: for example, it may include a double arch, with an arch extending from each side of the front slot; it may be double arched with one arch larger than the other; it may have a planar section disposed either next to a single arch, or between two arches, it may include three arches, etc. Thus, by combining various configurations of the front surface and a plurality of front slots, the decorative possibilities are endless. Preferably, the foam body is formed of polyethylene foam since this has been found to have sufficient resiliency to deform when the fabric edges are inserted into the slots, and spring back to retain them as described above. However, other types of synthetic polymeric, or natural latex foams such as ether foams or ester foams may be employed provided they exhibit the characteristics of lightweight and resiliency as defined above.

Brief Description of the Drawings The following detailed description may best be understood by reference to the following drawings in which: FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a foam cornice according to the present invention including a fabric covering and installed above a window; FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines 2-2 of the foam cornice of Figure 1;

FIGURE 3 is a detail view of a typical rear channel according to the present invention showing the

channel in its first position without fabric inserted therein;

FIGURE 4 is similar to Figure 3 which shows the channel in its second position with an edge of fabric inserted therein;

FIGURE 5 is similar to Figure 2 but shows the channel sprung back to its first position and with an edge of fabric held therein; and

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a foam cornice according to the present invention.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments

Throughout the following detailed description, like numerals are used to reference the same elements of the herein invention shown in multiple figures thereof. Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to Figures 1 and 2, there is shown a foam cornice window treatment 10 according to the present invention. The foam cornice 10 is formed of a resilient, foam body 12 which includes a planar rear face 11 and a non-planar front face 15. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, the front face 15 is configured as an arch, but many other configurations are possible, such as the configuration shown in the embodiment of Figure 6. The non-planar front face 15 extends to meet the rear face 13 and define top and bottom edges 17 thereof .

A pair of rear slots 16 are formed in the foam body 12 and extend the length thereof. As may best be seen

by referring to Figures 3-5, the slots 16 serve to grip the edges 22 of a piece of fabric F which is used to decoratively enclose and cover the front face 15 of the foam cornice 10. The fabric F could be pleated, gathered, or smooth. Each of the rear slots 16 includes a pair of opposed side edges 20 and terminate in a blind cavity 21. Because of the resiliency of the foam body 12, each of the rear slots 16 is capable of deforming from a first position (see in Figure 2) wherein the pair of opposed sides 20 are in close proximity to each other, to a second position

(shown in Figure 4) wherein a gap is formed between the pair of opposed sides 20 such that the edge 22 of a piece of fabric F may be inserted thereinto. Again, due to the resiliency of the foam body 12, the slots 16 will tend to spring back to their first position so that the opposed edges 20 will grip the edge 22 of Fabric F and firmly hold it in place, as is shown in Figure 4.

The foam body 12 also includes a channel 13 formed therewithin and extending along the length thereof. The channel 13 is for engagement with a "continental" type of curtain rod C which typically has a broad slat member which is insertable into the channel 13. Alternatively, a pair of separate, narrow slats may be mounted upon a wall so that they are parallel and spaced apart for an appropriate distance to be received in each cavity 21 of slots 16, as is shown in Figure 6. The foam cornice 10 may be easily mounted on the curtain rod assembly by simply inserting the slat(s) of the curtain rod into the channel

13 or slots 16, irrespective of whether the slat(s) are singular or plural.

The embodiment of the foam cornice 10 depicted in Figure 1 further includes a front channel 18 which is formed in the front face 15 thereof. In a manner analogous to the operation of the rear slot 16, the front slot 18 will retain a section of the fabric F which is tucked into it, thus creating the decorative effect seen in Figure 1 wherein the fabric tends to puff out of the front slot 18 to create a pleasing, custom appearance. All of the slots 16, 18 terminate in a blind cavity 21 so a to accommodate excess fabric and to facilitate tucking the fabric in.

The ends 14 of the cornice body 12 of the Figure 1 embodiment are beveled at a 45 ^° angle so that a smaller cornice body 12a (typically called a return, projection or depth), similarly beveled, may be fitted thereto. This arrangement allows the cornice 10 to extend along the entire length of the curtain rod C and around the corners thereof. Other configurations of the front surface 15 of the foam cornice 10 of the present invention are possible, such as the configuration depicted in Figure 6. In Figure 6, two front slots 18 are disposed on the front face 15 of the cornice 10 and are spaced apart. Furthermore, the shape of the front face 15 as seen in cross section is no longer a simple arch, but has the more complex configuration depicted. Obviously, the decorative impression created by the cornice of Figure 6 would be

considerably different from that of the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Moreover, the provision of one or more front channels 18 allows the user to vary the decorative appearance of the device. For example, the user may decide either to employ the front slot of the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2 or not. Thus, the user could decide on one occasion to simply ignore the front slot and simply tuck the edges of the fabric into the rear slots 16 to hold them in place prior to insertion into the slot or slots. By using a fabric strip which is gathered or pleated, the front slot 18 could come into play; the user could tuck a portion of the fabric into that slot to create the effect shown in Figure 1. In the case of the Figure 6 embodiment, even more possibilities may be realized since the user may employ as many or as few of the plurality of front slots 18 as desired to create different effects. Moreover, if the user desires a complete change of appearance, the existing fabric may simply be removed and a new one inserted. Another decorative effect may be achieved by using two (or more) pieces of fabric of different colors or textures and inserting them into the appropriate front slots.

Thus, it has been shown that the foam cornice of the present invention provides a simple, inexpensive way of creating a custom window treatment which is particularly easy to install since the fabric covering may be installed onto the cornice prior to the installation of the cornice onto the curtain rod assembly. Furthermore, the foam cornice may be easily manufactured in a number of different

configurations to please varying consumer tastes. Furthermore, by providing one or more front slots, more variation in the appearance of the window treatment may be achieved as explained above. While the above described invention has been disclosed with reference to certain embodiments and exemplifications thereof, doubtless one skilled in the art may, having had the benefit of the teachings of the present invention, achieve different design variations without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the rear face and channel of the cornice may be somewhat differently configured than those depicted to engage with window curtain assemblies having different types and shapes of rods. For example, a pair of channels could be provided on the back face to receive a pair of spaced apart curtain rods. Thus, while the present invention has been described with reference to certain exemplifications and embodiments, the scope of the present invention is not limited as to what is depicted. Rather, it is defined solely by the claims appended hereto, and all reasonable equivalents thereof.