Abstract
A system for suspension of a curtain device has at least one curtain guide track and at least one curtain that is suspended on a plurality of suspension units with a guide element for guiding a suspension unit along the curtain guide track. The curtain guide track and the guide element provide a bearing surface. The system further has a silencing material provided on the bearing surface.
Claims
1. A system for suspension of a curtain device, the system comprising: at least one curtain guide track ; and at least one curtain that is suspended on a plurality of suspension units with a guide element for guiding each suspension unit along the at least one curtain guide track, wherein the at least one curtain guide track and each guide element provide at least one bearing surface, and wherein a silencing material formed as an insert made of a soft material and having a sliding surface made of a rigid material that is more rigid than the soft material is provided on the at least one bearing surface.
2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the silencing material is made of at least one of fiber composites, synthetic materials, wood, and textile.
3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the silencing material is felt.
4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the silencing material is attached to the at least one bearing surface by at least one of adhesion, welding, injection-molding, crimping, and roll-in.
5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the guide element provides a recess in which the silencing material formed as an insert is attached.
6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the recess for accommodating silencing material formed as an insert is provided on the at least one bearing surface.
7. The system according to claim 6, wherein an element is bonded to the insert providing sliding surfaces, wherein the element is formed as a layer of a different material than the insert.
8. The system according to claim 6, wherein each guide element comprises a body providing the recess for receiving the insert and an end cap which is connectable to the body to secure the insert in the recess.
9. The system according to claim 1, wherein each guide element is formed as a glider for sliding along the at least one curtain guide track.
10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the glider is provided for inwardly or outwardly sliding along the at least one curtain guide track.
11. The system according to claim 1, wherein each guide element is a roller for rolling along the at least one curtain guide track.
12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the roller is suitable for inwardly or outwardly rolling along the at least one curtain guide track.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which
(2) FIG. 1A is a schematic view of one embodiment of a guide element according to the invention;
(3) FIG. 1B is a schematic view of an insert for engagement with the guide element of FIG. 1A;
(4) FIG. 2 is a schematic cross section view of guide element of FIG. 1 and a guide track;
(5) FIG. 3A, 3B are schematic views of one embodiment of a guide track according to the invention, wherein the guide track is combined with an insert;
(6) FIG. 4 is a schematic cross section view of another embodiment of a guide element in engagement with a guide track according to the invention;
(7) FIG. 5 is a schematic cross section view of a third embodiment of a guide element according to the invention;
(8) FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a fourth embodiment of a guide element according to the invention;
(9) FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a fifth embodiment of a guide element according to the invention;
(10) FIG. 8 is a schematic view of another embodiment of a guide element according to the invention;
(11) FIG. 9 is a schematic view of another embodiment of a guide element according to the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
(12) With reference to the above figures, the general reference numeral 10 indicates a guide element. FIG. 1A shows the guide element 10 having a body 12 with outwardly extending wings defining recesses 14 for cooperation with edges of a slot provided in a guide track (not shown). The body 12 of each guide element 10 has a depending eye 16 for receiving a curtain hook (not shown).
(13) The guide elements 10 may be molded in one piece so as to have upper and lower horizontal walls 18, 20 respectively of which the wings constitute extensions, joined by forward and rear vertical walls 22. Herein the expressions of upper and lower refer to orientations with the guide elements supported by the track arranged in horizontally orientation. The opposing faces of the wing extensions of the upper and the lower walls 18, 20 which define recesses 14 are preferably slightly convex. Therefore, the spacing between the front and the rear vertical walls 22 of the guide element 10 increase to simplify the insertion of such a guide element 10 into the track and travel along. The portion of the body 12 of the guide element which defines the eye 16 extends downwardly from the lower horizontal wall 20, the underside of which is channeled so that the eye 16 has a partly circular profile. Other profiles for the eye 16 are possible, like rectangular etc.
(14) In FIG. 1B an insert 30 made of a silencing material is seen. The insert 30 can be received into one of the recesses 14 formed between the opposing faces of the wing extensions of the upper and lower walls 18, 20. This insert 30 is provided with a linear sliding surface 32 projecting laterally from a vertical wall 34 and extending throughout the length of the insert 30. The sliding surface 32 can be seen as a bearing surface. The sliding surface 32 is convex in shape as the shape of the recesses 14 of the guide element 10.
(15) With the slightly convex shape of the opposing faces of the wing extensions of the upper and lower walls 18, 20 of the guide element 10 the insert can be secured in position. Furthermore, at the forward and/or rear vertical walls 22 of the body 12 an end part of the upper and lower walls 18, 20 i.e. the wing extensions can be formed such that the spacing between them is slightly reduced to provide a certain barrier to hold the insert in position.
(16) Referring to FIG. 2 a system for suspension of a curtain device is shown, comprising a tubular guide track 40 made of metal, for example aluminum alloy, or plastic material having a longitudinal extending slot 42 in its underside, defined by two opposed flanges 44 projecting from the side walls 46, wherein the parts 48 of the flanges 44 providing a bearing surface 50 for the guide element 10. The parts 48 can be formed as to slope towards the slot 42, for example the parts 44 can form segments of a circle. The slot 42 is at least as wide as the width of the clearance of the guide element 10, therefore the parts 48 of the flanges 44 are received into the recesses 14 of the guide element 10. The sliding surface 32, providing a bearing surface of the guide element 10 is adapted to engage with the bearing surface 50 of the guide track 40.
(17) FIG. 3A shows a tubular guide track 40 made of metal, for example aluminum alloy, or plastic material. Furthermore it is shown an insert 41 formed to fit into the recess limited by the two opposed flanges 44 projecting from the side walls 46 of the guide track 41. The insert 41 can be made of any suitable silencing material. The insert 41 can be bonded in any appropriate way to the side walls 46 and the flanges 44 providing the bearing surface 50. Referring to FIG. 3B the insert 41 is accommodated into the recess formed by the parts of the guide track 40 and bonded thereto.
(18) Referring to FIG. 4, another embodiment of a guide element 10 is shown, wherein the guide element 10 is formed to correspond to an inversed T-shape guide track 40. The cross-section of the guide track 40 comprises a generally upright vertical wall 52 and a perpendicular base flange 54. The body of the guide element 10 is formed to provide a rectangular recess 14 partly opened, wherein the flange 54 of T-shape guide track 40 can be accommodated. The guide element 10 comprises the sliding surface 32 adapted to engage with bearing surfaces 50 of the basis flange 54 of the guide track 40. The sliding surface 32 can be provided by a coating of the walls of the recess 14 of the guide element 10 which are in contact with the bearing surface 50 of the guide track 40. Furthermore, the bearing surfaces 50 can be coated wherein the coating can be achieved by dipping in or spraying or brushing with liquid thermoplastic on at least roller or glider tracks and on the surfaces against which faces of rollers or gliders will engage. In addition, bearing surfaces 50 for example of aluminum tracks can be impregnated with silicon fluid.
(19) In FIG. 5 the guide element 10 is formed as a cylindrical body 56 with a portion 58 of the body extending downwardly from a lower end of the cylindrical body 56 wherein in this downwardly extending portion 58 a ring 60 can be provided to receive a curtain hook (not shown). As can be seen from FIG. 5, parts 62 of the surface of the guide element 10 which are adapted to engage with parts of the guide track 40 (not shown) are coated by a silencing material 64.
(20) In another embodiment of the invention, showed in FIG. 6, the guide element 10 can comprise more than one piece wherein the pieces can be attached to each other to form the guide element 10 shown in FIG. 1A. According to this embodiment, the body 12 of the guide element 10 comprises the upper horizontal wall 18 with the wing extension and the lower horizontal wall 20 with wing extension and between the upper and the lower horizontal walls spaced apart a longitudinal extending element 66 of widely rectangular cross-section, joined together at one of the forward or rear vertical walls 22. The body 12 of the guide element 10 forms the recess 14 for receiving the insert 30. One front side of the body 12 is opened and is adapted to receive the insert 30 which is formed to fit into the formed recess 14. The opened front side of the body 12 of the guide element 10 can be closed with an end cap 68 shaped with a double T-shape comprising upper and lower horizontal walls 18, 20 with wing extensions. The end cap 68 can be fixedly attached to the body 12 of the guide element 10 through pins 70 provided on the end cap 68 which can be fitted into holes 72 provided at the opened front side of the body 12 of the guide element 10 or vice versa.
(21) FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of the invention. The guide element 10 comprises a body 12 according to the embodiment of FIG. 1A, made of a rigid material like polyoxymethylen or polyamide or the like. The body 12 has the outwardly extending wings 18, 20 defining the recesses 14. The recesses 14 are designed to accommodate an insert 30 which is made of damping material like a rubber material showing a shore hardness of a softer plastic. The shore A hardness scale measures the hardness of flexible mold rubbers that range in hardness from very soft to hard and from flexible to almost no flexibility. Preferably the shore A hardness is selected properly. The insert 30 is provided for absorbing vibrations and noise caused by gliding of the guide element 10 along the guide track 40 (not shown). The insert 30 is bonded in appropriate way into the recesses 14 of the body 12 of the guide element 10. The insert 30 is formed with outwardly extending wings related to the wings 18, 20 of the body 12. Furthermore the insert 30 shows slightly convex surfaces 82. Shown in FIG. 7 elements 90 are made of a more rigid material. The elements 90 are formed to be inserted in the recesses each formed by the upper and lower outwardly extending wings of the insert 30. The elements 90 arranged in the recesses formed in the insert 30 provide the slightly convex shaped linear surfaces 32. The elements 90 are formed with small wall thickness. Therefore when accommodated into the insert 30 the elements 90 forms a thin layer or a coating adapted to provide the sliding surface 32. The thin layer or coating shows excellent gliding properties wherein the insert 30 can absorb the vibration and the noise.
(22) FIG. 8 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention. The guide element 10 formed with a round body comprises recesses 14 formed as a notch wherein the inserts 30 are accommodated and secured respectively. The sliding surfaces 32 are provided by the guide element 10 and are made preferably of a more rigid material than the material of the insert 30.
(23) FIG. 9 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention. The guide element 10 is in a form similar to the embodiment of FIG. 1A. The guide element 10 comprises recesses 14 formed as notches accommodating the inserts 30. The inserts 30 are made of another material as the guide element 10 which is made of a rigid material. According to this embodiment the sliding surfaces 32 are formed by the guide element 10.
