Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02638171 2008-07-24
Agent Ref: 68849/00048
1 PLEAT-FORMING DRAPERY CLIP RING
2 FIELD OF THE INVENTION
3 [0001] The invention broadly relates to drapery hardware. More particularly,
the
4 invention relates to drapery clip rings and, even more particularly, to
pleat-forming drapery clip
rings.
6 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
7 [0002] Clip rings are well known drapery hardware used for hanging drapery
and
8 curtains. A clip ring generally comprises a simple ring with a clip
extending therefrom. The ring
9 is arranged to fit around a drapery rod such that it is easily slidable
along the length thereof. The
clip is arranged to hang below the rod and securely grip a portion of the
fabric of the drapery.
11 [0003] Generally, a plurality of clip rings, arranged in succession along
the length of the
12 rod, is used to hang the drapery. As the clip rings are easily slidable
along the rod, a user may
13 easily position the drapery hanging therefrom at desired locations along
the rod. When the
14 drapery is gathered together, its fabric tends to bunch and fold,
especially near the upper
portion of its fabric where the clip rings are gripping it. Consequently,
drapery is often provided
16 with pleats in order to provide an aesthetically pleasing means for
gathering the bunched and
17 folded fabric.
18 [0004] A pleat is type of fold in fabric formed by doubling the fabric over
on itself. There
19 are many different types of pleats, for example, knife pleats and the box
pleats. The knife pleat
is the basic pleat and is formed by folding the fabric generally along two
roughly parallel lines,
21 usually in a 3:1 ratio, wherein three inches of fabric will create one inch
of finished pleat. A box
22 pleat comprises two knife pleats arranged back-to-back. Box pleats tend to
spring out from the
23 surface to which they are secured.
24 [0005] The folds of a pleat are usually maintained in the fabric by
pressing, ironing, or
heat-setting the fabric into a sharp crease. Unfortunately, these methods are
time-consuming,
26 arduous, and not particularly effective as repeated movement and use of the
drapery tends to
27 deform the pleats. Consequently, pleats are often maintained in the fabric
by sewing the folded
28 fabric together. Sewing is problematic in that it is both arduous and
requires specialized skill and
29 knowledge. Additionally, while it may be desirable to fashion pleats in
one's drapery, it may not
be desirable to permanently alter the drapery by sewing the pleats into the
fabric, especially if
31 one wishes to later eliminate the pleats.
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Agent Ref: 68849/00048
1 [0006] Thus, there is a longfelt need for a means for forming and
maintaining pleats in
2 the fabric of drapery that is not time-consuming, arduous, nor requires
specialized skill and
3 knowledge. There is also a Iongfelt need for such a means that does not
require sewing or
4 otherwise permanently altering the fabric of the drapery.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
6 [0007] The present invention broadly comprises a drapery clip ring
comprising: a ring
7 having a an outer surface; a gripping means connected to the outer surface;
and, a pleat
8 endoskeleton connected to the outer surface and arranged substantially in
front of the gripping
9 means, wherein the pleat endoskeleton is operatively arranged to provide an
internal framework
of a pleat, and the gripping means is operatively arranged to secure the pleat
when formed
11 around the pleat endoskeleton.
12 [0008] The invention may further comprise a drapery assembly comprising: a
drapery
13 rod; drapery; and, a plurality of the drapery clip rings as described
supra, wherein the rings of
14 the plurality of drapery clip rings are slidably disposed around the
drapery rod, the drapery
includes a plurality of box pleats formed around the pleat endoskeletons and
secured by the
16 gripping means of the plurality of drapery clip rings, and the plurality of
clip rings is operatively
17 arranged to support the weight of drapery via the gripping means.
18 [0009] It is a general object of the present invention to provide a means
for forming and
19 maintaining pleats in the fabric of drapery that is not time-consuming,
arduous, nor requires
specialized skill and knowledge.
21 [0010] It is another object of the present invention to provide for such a
means that does
22 not require sewing or otherwise permanently altering the fabric of the
drapery.
23 [0011] These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will
be readily
24 appreciable from the following description of preferred embodiments of the
invention and from
the accompanying drawings and claims.
26 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
27 [0012] The nature and mode of operation of the present invention will now
be more fully
28 described in the following detailed description of the invention taken with
the accompanying
29 drawing figures, in which:
Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a drapery assembly employing a
plurality of first
31 embodiment drapery clip rings of the present invention;
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1 Figure 2 is a perspective view of a section of the drapery formed into a box
pleat via the
2 drapery clip ring shown in Figure 1;
3 Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the section of the drapery and
drapery clip
4 ring shown in Figure 2;
Figure 4 is a rear perspective view of the section of the drapery and drapery
clip ring
6 shown in Figure 2;
7 Figure 5 is an exploded rear perspective view of the section of the drapery
and drapery
8 clip ring shown in Figure 3;
9 Figure 6 is a side plan view of the drapery pleat ring shown in Figures 1-5;
Figure 7 is a back plan view of the drapery pleat ring shown in Figure 6;
11 Figure 8 is a side plan view of a second embodiment drapery pleat ring;
12 Figure 9 is a back plan view of the drapery pleat ring shown in Figure 8;
13 Figure 10 is a perspective view of a section of the drapery formed into a
box pleat via the
14 drapery clip ring shown in Figure 9; and,
Figure 11 is a rear perspective view of the section of the drapery and drapery
clip ring
16 shown in Figure 10.
17 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
18 [0013] At the outset, it should be appreciated that like drawing numbers on
different
19 drawing views identify identical, or functionally similar, structural
elements of the invention.
While the present invention is described with respect to what is presently
considered to be the
21 preferred aspects, it is to be understood that the invention as claimed is
not limited to the
22 disclosed aspects.
23 [0014] Furthermore, it should be understood that this invention is not
limited to the
24 particular methodology, materials and modifications described and as such
may, of course,
vary. It should also be understood that the terminology used herein is for the
purpose of
26 describing particular aspects only, and is not intended to limit the scope
of the present invention,
27 which is limited only by the appended claims.
28 [0015] Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used
herein have the
29 same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to
which this invention
belongs. Although any methods, devices or materials similar or equivalent to
those described
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CA 02638171 2008-07-24
Agent Ref: 68849/00048
1 herein can be used in the practice or testing of the invention, the
preferred methods, devices,
2 and materials are now described.
3 [0016] The following description is best understood in view Figures 1-7.
Figure 1 shows
4 a front perspective view of drapery assembly 200 comprising drapery rod 210,
which is
preferably arranged substantially horizontally and secured proximate a
vertical surface, such as
6 a wall, a plurality of first embodiment drapery clip rings 100 slidably
disposed around drapery
7 rod 210, and drapery 215 hanging from the plurality of clip rings 100.
Drapery 210 rod may be
8 any suitable rod operatively arranged to hang drapery thereon. Drapery 215
may be made of
9 any suitable material, such as textile, fabrics, plastics, or the like, and
comprises a plurality of
box pleats 220 formed via the plurality of drapery clip rings 100. The
plurality of clip rings 100 is
11 operatively arranged to support the weight of drapery 215 as described
infra.
12 [0017] Drapery clip ring 100 comprises ring 110 having outer surface 112,
gripping
13 means 140 connected to and extending away from ring 110, and pleat
endoskeleton 120
14 connected to and extending away from ring 110 and arranged proximate
gripping means 140.
Preferably, pleat endoskeleton 120 is arranged substantially in front of
gripping means 140.
16 Ring 110 further includes inner surface 114, which preferably comprises
recess 116, and
17 through-bore 117, which extends from inner surface 114 to outer surface
112. Ring 110 is
18 arranged to slidably receive rod 210 therethrough. In a preferred
embodiment, pleat
19 endoskeleton 120 is connected to outer surface 112 via member 118, which
may be a
substantially straight extension tangentially connected to ring 110.
21 [0018] Pleat endoskeleton 120 comprises back surface 130 and front surface
122,
22 which is preferably substantially planar and bounded by left and right side
edges 124a and
23 124b, respectively, bottom edge 128, and top edge 126. Left and right side
edges, 124a and
24 124b, are preferably substantially vertical and parallel, in order to
provide the internal framework
for the substantially parallel folds of a box pleat. Top edge 126 is
preferably arranged such that
26 it does not extend past the top edge of drapery 215 when in use.
27 [0019] Gripping means 140 may be any gripping means known in the art, and
is
28 preferably in the form of clip 140 for first embodiment drapery clip ring
100. Clip 140 comprises
29 left and rights jaws 146a and 146b, respectively, which are pivotally
connected to each other,
and an urging means operatively arranged to urge left and right jaws, 146a and
146b, toward a
31 closed position. The urging means may be any suitable means known in the
art, and is
32 preferably in the form of coil spring 150 for first embodiment drapery clip
ring 100. Clip 140 may
33 be connected to ring 110 by any means known in the art, and is preferably
connected thereto
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1 via post 142, which is attached to or integral with coil spring 150 and
extends through through-
2 bore 117 to inner surface 114, preferably within recess 116. Post 142 may
include head 141,
3 which is arranged to prevent the rest of post 142 from sliding out of
through-bore 117.
4 [0020] Pleat endoskeleton 120 is adapted to provide an internal framework
for pleat 220
formed in drapery 215, and clip 140 is operatively arranged to secure pleat
220 formed in
6 drapery 215, as described in detail infra.
7 [0021] To form pleat 220 using drapery clip ring 100, a user places a
section of drapery
8 215 against front surface 122, and then wraps drapery 215 around left and
right side edges,
9 124a and 124b, such that the material of drapery 215 meets behind pleat
endoskeleton 120 to
form pleat joint 226. Clip 140 is operatively arranged to secure the formation
of pleat 220 by
11 gripping pleat joint 226 behind pleat endoskeleton 120.Left and right jaws,
146a and 146b, and
12 coil spring 150 are adapted to support the weight of drapery 215, at least
in the aggregate when
13 a plurality of drapery clip rings 100 are employed to hang drapery 215.
14 [0022] It is contemplated that front surface 122 and left and right side
edges, 124a and
124b, may be modified in order to provide the internal framework for various
types of pleats and
16 other forms. For example, front surface 122 may be arcuate in order to
provide the framework
17 for a bulging pleat, and side edges 124a and 124b may be nonparallel in
order to provide the
18 framework for folds in drapery 215 that are divergent or convergent, i.e.,
that flare out or taper.
19 [0023] Figures 8-11 show second embodiment drapery clip ring 300. Drapery
clip ring
300 comprises ring 310 having outer surface 312, gripping means 340 connected
to and
21 extending away from ring 310, and pleat endoskeleton 320 connected to and
extending away
22 from ring 310 and arranged proximate gripping means 340. Preferably, pleat
endoskeleton 320
23 is arranged substantially in front of gripping means 340. Ring 310 further
includes inner surface
24 314, which preferably comprises recess 316, and through-bore 317, which
extends from inner
surface 314 to outer surface 312. Ring 310 is arranged to slidably receive rod
210 therethrough.
26 In a preferred embodiment, pleat endoskeleton 320 is connected to outer
surface 312 via
27 member 318, which may be a substantially straight extension tangentially
connected to ring 310.
28 In this embodiment, ring 310 is substantially circular.
29 [0024] Pleat endoskeleton 320 comprises back surface 330 and front surface
322,
which is preferably substantially planar and bounded by left and right side
edges 324a and
31 324b, respectively, bottom edge 328, and top edge 326. Left and right side
edges, 324a and
32 324b, are preferably substantially vertical and parallel, in order to
provide the internal framework
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1 for the substantially parallel folds of a box pleat. Top edge 326 is
preferably arranged such that
2 it does not extend past the top edge of drapery 215 when in use.
3 [0025] In this embodiment, gripping means 340 is in the form of clip 340.
Clip 340
4 comprises left and rights jaws 346a and 346b, respectively, which are
pivotally connected to
each other, and an urging means operatively arranged to urge left and right
jaws, 346a and
6 346b, toward a closed position. The urging means is preferably in the form
of leaf spring 350 for
7 this embodiment. Clip 340 may be connected to ring 310 by any means known in
the art, and is
8 preferably connected thereto via post 342, which is preferably attached to
either left jaw 346a or
9 right jaw 346b and extends through through-bore 317 to inner surface 314,
preferably within
recess 316. Post 342 may include head 341, which is arranged to prevent the
rest of post 342
11 from sliding out of through-bore 317.
12 [0026] Pleat endoskeleton 320 is adapted to provide an internal framework
for pleat 220
13 formed in drapery 215, and clip 340 is operatively arranged to secure pleat
220 formed in
14 drapery 215, as shown in Figures 10 and 11. To form pleat 220 using drapery
clip ring 300, a
user places a section of drapery 215 against front surface 322, and then wraps
drapery 215
16 around left and right side edges, 324a and 324b, such that the material of
drapery 215 meets
17 behind pleat endoskeleton 320 to form pleat joint 226. Clip 340 is
operatively arranged to secure
18 the formation of pleat 220 by gripping pleat joint 226 behind pleat
endoskeleton 320.Left and
19 right jaws, 346a and 346b, and leaf spring 350 are adapted to support the
weight of drapery
215, at least in the aggregate when a plurality of drapery clip rings 300 are
employed to hang
21 drapery 215.
22 [0027] Thus, it is seen that the objects of the present invention are
efficiently obtained,
23 although modifications and changes to the invention should be readily
apparent to those having
24 ordinary skill in the art, which modifications are intended to be within
the spirit and scope of the
invention as claimed. It also is understood that the foregoing description is
illustrative of the
26 present invention and should not be considered as limiting. Therefore,
other embodiments of
27 the present invention are possible without departing from the spirit and
scope of the present
28 invention.
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