FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to an open hook for hanging curtains and screens, particularly curtain hooks adapted to slide along a curtain pole and support curtains or screens hanging from the pole. BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

In a conventional method of hanging window curtains, rufflette hooks are engaged with pockets in a rufflette or heading tape which is sewn onto the top of a curtain and extends along the top of the curtain. The pockets may be formed of fabric or threads or yarns and may be closed at an upper end or, more usually, are open at both the upper end lower ends of the pocket. The rufflette tape usually has adjusting means, such as draw cords, by which a user can adjust the size and number of pleats in the curtain. Once the rufflette hooks are engaged with the curtain, the curtain is lifted to engage with ring hooks provided on curtain rings. The ring hooks are small diameter closed hooks with which the rufflette hooks can engage. The curtain rings are larger diameter rings which are slideably mounted on a fixed curtain pole. The conventional method suffers from the disadvantage that it requires three separate components for each attachment point, namely a rufflette hook, a ring hook and a curtain ring. Even though the ring hook and curtain ring may be provided as a single curtain ring unit, the method still requires two separate components. A further disadvantage arises from the fact that, although the rufflette hooks may be attached to the curtain before the curtain is mounted, in order to attach the rufflette hooks to the curtain rings, a user has to lift the curtain so that the rufflette hooks are at the level of the curtain pole. The user has to support the weight of the curtain while the rufflette hooks are attached to the curtain rings. This often requires the use of a step ladder or other climbing aid. It can be particularly difficult for the elderly or infirm. The same difficulties arise when taking curtains down, since the user must climb to access the curtain pole and support the weight of the curtain while disconnecting the rufflette hooks from the curtain rings. This makes it difficult and potentially hazardous to take down and put up curtains, for example when taking down curtains for cleaning.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to overcome at least one of the

aforementioned disadvantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a curtain hook comprising a hook portion adapted to engage with a curtain pole or other curtain carrier, a leg portion connected to the hook portion and adapted to extend downwards from the hook portion, and a resilient curtain engaging member cantilevered from the leg portion and having an engaging point at its free end and an abutment portion at its fixed end,

wherein the engaging point is adapted to engage with a pocket of a rufflette tape or curtain to attach a curtain to the curtain hook,

wherein the leg portion is adapted to engage with a lifting pole for lifting the curtain hook and attached curtain, and

wherein the hook portion includes an arcuate portion having a substantially uniform curvature and a linking portion having a curvature opposite to that of the arcuate portion,

wherein the linking portion extends between the arcuate portion and the leg portion, and

wherein the arcuate portion has a free end distal from the linking portion.

The curtain hook of the invention replaces all of the rufflette hook, the ring hook and the curtain ring of the prior art, by combining a curtain engaging member with an engaging point into a curtain hook. The use of a curtain hook with a leg portion to engage a curtain pole enables a user to mount the curtain hook by means of a lifting pole which engages the leg portion and which can be operated safely from the floor, without the need for climbing a ladder or the like.

In one embodiment the engaging point is adjacent the free end of the arcuate portion. This offers an aesthetically pleasing curtain hook which is simple to use, since the engaging point is at an obvious place, adjacent to the part of the curtain hook which itself engages with the curtain pole. The rufflette pocket can be slid all the way from the engaging point to the root of the resilient curtain engaging member at the leg portion to securely attach the curtain hook to the curtain before lifting, and prevent the curtain hook falling off the curtain during lifting.

Preferably a gap is provided between the resilient curtain engaging member and the recess in the hook portion. The gap allows the fabric of the pocket to pass between the curtain hook and the resilient curtain engaging member.

Preferably the gap extends into the leg portion. This allows the fabric of the pocket to pass all the way along the resilient curtain engaging member to the leg portion, so that in the hanging state the rufflette portion of the curtain extends along the leg. The leg thus serves to stiffen the rufflette portion and hold it straight in a vertical direction. The gap may be wider in the leg portion than in the arcuate portion.

This allows the fabric of the pocket to sit in the wider gap when the curtain is engaged with the resilient curtain engaging member, while allowing the remainder of the resilient curtain engaging member to resiliently return towards the curtain hook so that elsewhere there is a minimal gap, and the resilient curtain engaging member appears to be part of the curtain hook.

The engaging point may extend beyond the free end of the arcuate portion. This facilitates the engagement of the engaging point with the pocket on the curtain. In another embodiment the resilient curtain engaging member extends from the leg portion towards the linking portion. In this embodiment the resilient curtain engaging member is located distal from the engaging portion of the curtain hook.

Preferably a web member extends from the linking portion towards the engaging point of the resilient curtain engaging member, to form a gap between the web member and the engaging point.

This assists in the engagement of the engaging point with the loop of the curtain.

The arcuate portion has an internal diameter D, and the free end of the arcuate portion is spaced from the linking portion by a gap having width W. W may be at least 0.6D, preferably at least 0.7D.

This assists in ensuring that the gap between the free end of the arcuate portion and the linking portion is hidden by the curtain when it is installed. The curtain hook will therefore appear as a continuous curtain ring.

The leg portion may include a key portion adapted to engage with a corresponding shaped socket on a lifting pole. The key portion and socket prevent the curtain hook twisting on the lifting pole when the curtain hook is lifted for engagement with a curtain pole.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a curtain hook set comprising a plurality of hooks according to the first aspect and a lifting pole cap member adapted to fit on the end of a lifting pole.

The lifting pole cap member can be fitted by a user to a pole, for example a broom handle, to form a lifting pole which can be used to engage and lift each of the curtain hooks. The lifting pole cap member may be provided with a standard internal thread for fitting to a standard external thread provided on a broom handle. Preferably the leg portion of each curtain hook includes a key portion adapted to engage with a corresponding shaped socket provided at a first end of the lifting pole cap member.

The key portion and socket prevent the curtain hook twisting on a lifting pole to which the cap member is fitted when the curtain hook is lifted for engagement with a curtain pole. The lifting pole cap member may include an internally threaded socket adapted to engage with a standard thread provided on the end of a broom handle, the threaded socket being provided at a second end of the lifting pole cap member opposite the first end. According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of installing a curtain on a curtain carrier, comprising the steps of:

providing a curtain having a plurality of pockets on the curtain or on an attachment means attached to the curtain;

providing a plurality of curtain hooks according to the first aspect of the invention;

engaging the engaging point of each curtain hook with one of the pockets and threading the resilient curtain engaging member through the pocket until the pocket engages with the abutment member of the resilient curtain engaging member; and

engaging a lifting pole with the leg portion of each curtain hook and raising the curtain hook to engage it with the curtain carrier.

The curtain carrier may be a curtain pole or a wire. The attachment means may be a rufflette tape.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

One embodiment of the invention is described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a curtain ring according to the present invention in two different orientations; Fig. 2 is a side elevation view of the curtain ring of Fig. 1 with a curtain attached; Fig. 3 is an end elevation view of the curtain ring of Fig. 1 ; Fig. 4 is a sectional view through the curtain hook of Fig. 3 on line IV-IV;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view through the curtain hook of Fig. 4 on line V-V;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view through a socket member adapted for use with the curtain ring of Fig. 1 ; and

Fig. 7 is a perspective of the socket member of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a side elevation view of another curtain ring according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figs. 1 to 5 show a curtain hook 10 according to the present invention. The curtain hook comprises a hook portion 12 adapted to engage with a curtain pole 20, shown in dotted outline in Fig. 2, a leg portion 14 connected to the hook portion 12 and a resilient curtain engaging member 16 cantilevered from the leg portion 14 and having an engaging point 18 at its free end and an abutment portion 20 at its fixed end 22. The leg portion 14 extends vertically downwards when the curtain hook 10 is suspended from a curtain pole 80, as shown in Fig. 2.

The resilient curtain engaging member 16 is formed integrally with the hook portion 12 and extends along the length of the hook portion 12 within a recess 24, seen most clearly in Fig. 5. A gap 25 is provided between the resilient curtain engaging member 16 and the recess 24 in the hook portion 12. The gap 25 is larger near the fixed end 22, typically 2 or 3 mm, while at the engaging point 18 the gap is narrower, typically 0.5 or 1 mm, and may even be zero in this region.

The resilient nature of the curtain engaging member 16 allows the member 16 to return towards the hook portion 12 after it is pulled away so that there is a minimal gap between the curtain engaging member 16 and the hook portion 12 in the equilibrium position. The gap 25 is thus barely visible to the naked eye when viewed from afar, and the resilient curtain engaging member 16 appears to be an integral part of the hook portion 12.

The engaging point 18 is adapted to engage with a pocket 30 provided on a curtain 32, as best seen in Fig. 2. The pocket 30 may be provided on a rufflette tape or other mounting tape sewn to the curtain 32 in a conventional manner. Rufflette tapes are a known means for attaching hooks to a curtain and for forming pleats in the curtain, and are not described further here. In order to attach the curtain hook 10 to the curtain 32, the curtain hook 10 is held upside down, compared to the position illustrated in Fig. 2, and the engaging point 18 is threaded into the pocket 30 at the lower end 34 of the pocket 32. The pocket is then guided along the length of the resilient curtain engaging member 16, while rotating the curtain hook 10, until the pocket 30 engages with the abutment portion 20 at the fixed end 22 of the resilient curtain engaging member 16 and adopts the position shown in Fig. 2.

The leg portion 14 is adapted to engage with a lifting pole 40 for lifting the curtain hook 10 and attached curtain 32.

The hook portion 12 includes an arcuate portion 26 having a substantially uniform curvature and a linking portion 28 having a curvature opposite to that of the arcuate portion 26. The linking portion connects the arcuate portion 26 and the straight leg portion 14.

The arcuate portion 26 has a free end 27 distal from the linking portion 28. The engaging point 18 of the resilient curtain engaging member 16 is adjacent the free end 27 of the arcuate portion 26. The gap 25 allows the fabric of the pocket 30 to pass between the hook portion 12 and the resilient curtain engaging member 16 when the curtain hook 10 is threaded onto the pocket 30. The gap 25 may extend all the way along the hook portion 12 and into the leg portion 14 of the curtain hook 10.

When the curtain is hanging from the curtain hook 10, as shown in Fig. 2, the rufflette portion of the curtain 32, that is the portion of the curtain at which the pockets 30 are provided at the upper edge 36 of the curtain 32, extends along the leg portion 14. The leg portion 14 thus serves to stiffen the rufflette portion and hold it straight in a vertical direction, as can be seen in Fig. 2. As seen in Fig. 1 the engaging point 18 extends slightly beyond the free end 27 of the arcuate portion 26, in order to facilitate the engagement of the engaging point 18 with the pocket 30 on the curtain 32. The shape and length of the extending portion of the engaging point 18 may be varied to suit the requirements of the curtain. Referring to Fig. 2, the arcuate portion 26 has an internal diameter D, and the free end 27 of the arcuate portion 26 is spaced from the linking portion 28 by a gap having width W. Gap width W must be greater than the external diameter d of the curtain pole 80, to allow the curtain hook 10 to be located onto the curtain pole 80. However the gap width W must not be so large that the curtain hook 10 can become accidentally disengaged from the curtain pole 80 when the curtain 32 is drawn.

Furthermore the gap width W must not be so large that the gap is readily visible over the top edge 36 of the curtain 32 when viewed from the ground. Typically the gap width W is at least 0.6D, preferably at least 0.7D. This assists in ensuring that the gap between the free end 27 of the arcuate portion 26 and the linking portion 28 is hidden by the curtain 32 when viewed from the ground, depending of course on the length by which the upper edge 36 of the curtain extends above the attachment pocket 30.

Figs. 6 and 7 show in cross section and in a perspective view a lifting pole cap member 50 attached to the end of the lifting pole 40 shown in Fig. 1. The cap member 50 includes a socket portion 52 with a shaped socket 54 adapted to engage with a corresponding key portion 70 provided on the leg portion 14 of the curtain hook 10. In the illustrated example the key portion 70 comprises two rectangular flats 72 formed on opposite sides of the leg portion 14. The corresponding shaped socket 54 has a rectangular recess 56 having a width slightly greater than the spacing of the flats 72, so that the socket forms an easy push fit with the key portion 70 when the key portion 70 is introduced into the socket portion 52. The socket 54 has a bell shaped mouth 58 to aid engagement of the socket portion 52 with the key portion 70.

The cap member 50 can be fitted by a user to any pole, for example a broom handle, to form a lifting pole 40 which can be used to engage and lift each of the curtain hooks 10. In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 6, the cap member 50 includes a connecting portion 60 provided with a standard internal thread 62 for fitting to a standard external thread (not shown) provided on a broom handle.

Although the cap member 50 is shown as a separate component attached to the lifting pole 40, the cap member may be formed integrally with the lifting pole 40, so that the socket portion 52 is formed directly at one end of the lifting pole 40.

The key portion 70 and socket 54 prevent the curtain hook 10 twisting on the lifting pole 40 when the curtain hook 10 is lifted for engagement with the curtain pole 80.

Fig. 8 shows another embodiment of a curtain hook 110 according to the invention. As in the embodiment of Fig. 1 , the curtain hook 110 includes a hook portion 1 12 adapted to engage with a curtain pole 80, a leg portion 1 14 connected to the hook portion 112 extending downwards from the hook portion 1 12 when suspended from a curtain pole 80, and a resilient curtain engaging member 116 cantilevered from the leg portion 114 and having an engaging point 1 18 at its free end and an abutment portion 120 at its fixed end. The engaging point 1 18 is adapted to engage with a pocket 30 of a rufflette tape or curtain 32 to attach a curtain to the curtain hook 1 10, and the leg portion 114 is adapted to engage with a lifting pole 40 for lifting the curtain hook 1 10 and attached curtain 32. The hook portion 1 12 includes an arcuate portion 126 having a substantially uniform curvature and a linking portion 128 having a curvature opposite to that of the arcuate portion. The linking portion 128 extends between the arcuate portion 126 and the leg portion 1 14, and the arcuate portion 126 has a free end 127 distal from the linking portion 128.

The method of attaching to a curtain and installing the curtain 32 on a curtain pole 80 is similar to that described above with reference to the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 5. In this example the leg portion 1 14 engages with the lifting pole 40 by means of a simple tapered key portion 170, which engages with a corresponding tubular recess (not shown) on the lifting pole 40.

The resilient curtain engaging member 1 16 extends from the leg portion 1 14 towards the linking portion 128 and is located distal from the engaging portion or free end 127 of the curtain hook 110. A web member 190 extends from the linking portion 128 towards the engaging point 1 18 of the resilient curtain engaging member 116, to form a gap 192 between the web member 190 and the engaging point 118. This assists in the engagement of the engaging point 118 with the loop 30 of the curtain 32. The curtain hook of the embodiment can be engaged with the loop without turning the curtain hook upside down. Modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

The curtain hook 10, 110 may be of any suitable material, for example a moulded plastic such as PE, polyurethane, uPVC or any other suitable plastic material. The curtain hook 10, 1 10 may have any suitable finish, for example a plain colour or a wood effect finish. Alternatively the curtain hook 10, 1 10 may be of metal, or provided with a metallic finish.

The gap between the resilient curtain engaging member 16, 1 16 and the hook portion 12, 1 12 may be larger or smaller than that shown.

The leg member 14, 1 14 may have a key portion 70, 170 of any appropriate shape, or the key portion may be omitted, so that the leg portion is engaged instead by a simple tubular socket on the lifting pole 40.

A set of curtain hooks 10, 1 10 may be supplied with a lifting pole cap member 50 adapted to engage the leg portion 14, 1 14 of the curtain hooks and adapted to be fitted to a generally available broom handle to create a lifting pole 40. Alternatively a set of curtain hooks 10, 110 may be supplied with a complete lifting pole 40 which already includes an appropriate socket member adapted to engage the leg portion 14, 114 of the curtain hooks. The engaging point 18 is not limited to the shape illustrated in the drawings. It may be more pointed to allow ready engagement with smaller pockets. It may be more elongated to allow a greater length of the pocket to be engaged by the engaging point 18 before urging the resilient curtain engaging member 16 away from the hook portion 12. It may be less pointed in circumstances where it is used with a larger pocket, in order to avoid a risk of discomfort of the user during fitting of the curtain hook 10.

Although the invention has been described with reference to a curtain pole 80, the curtain hooks 10, 1 10 may be used with any suitable curtain carrier, such as a curtain pole, a curtain wire, a rail, a beam, or any other elongated horizontally extending carrier means from which a curtain can be suspended. If the curtain carrier has a smaller diameter, then the internal diameter D of the curtain hooks 10, 1 10 may be reduced. In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 the curtain hook 10 is manufactured from a single piece of material. However it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to such construction, and the curtain hook 10 may be made of two or more components assembled together to form a curtain hook assembly. For example the resilient curtain engaging member 16, which is cantilevered from the leg portion, may be made as a separate moulded component and attached in a cantilevered manner to the leg portion 14, for example by means of a clip provided at the end of the resilient curtain engaging member 16 to engage in a snap fit with a slot provided in the leg portion 14. The slot may be a lateral slot which extends through the leg portion 14 from one side to another. The clip may include non-return elements such as barbs, to ensure secure engagement in the slot, and the clip may extend perpendicularly to the general longitudinal extent of the curtain engaging member 16. Alternatively the connection may be by means of a fastener or adhesive, or an appropriate form of welding. Manufacturing the curtain hook 10 from a plurality of components may make manufacture by moulding more straightforward.