Curtain Plate

Abstract

A sacrificial plate extends above a window or door opening and is mounted onto an interior wall to accept mounting screws for window treatment holders. The sacrificial plate is a cost effective alternative to costly repairs ordinarily caused by the installation and removal of multiple window treatments over time. The sacrificial plate may be easily removed and replaced when remodeling.

Claims

1. A curtain plate assembly fastened above an opening having a header extending above said opening in a wall that comprises vertical support members, said opening in the wall having a width, said curtain plate comprising: a curtain plate having a height of at least three inches, a thickness of at least one-quarter of an inch, and a length that is greater than the width of the opening above which the curtain plate is mounted; and, fasteners extending through said curtain plate into the vertical support members of the wall.

2. The curtain plate assembly of claim 1 wherein said fasteners are wood screws which pass through the curtain plate and into the vertical support members.

3. The curtain plate assembly of claim 1 wherein said curtain plate includes predrilled openings provided in a plurality of groups, which are provided at a predetermined distance along the length of the curtain plate.

4. The curtain plate assembly of claim 3 wherein the curtain plate comprises groups of openings separated by substantially ten inches with each group having openings that are staggered in lines at two different heights.

5. The curtain plate assembly of claim 4 wherein each opening in a line is separated by substantially two inches.

6. The curtain plate assembly of claim 5 wherein each group of openings spans a distance of substantially six inches.

7. The curtain plate assembly of claim 1 wherein said curtain plate is formed from one or more of a lightweight rigid material consisting of wood, aluminum, polypropylene and a homopolymer.

8. The curtain plate of claim 7 wherein said curtain plate is formed from material that is extruded and reinforced with fiber.

9. A curtain plate assembly fastened above an opening having a header extending above said opening in a wall that comprises vertical support members, said opening in the wall having a width, said curtain plate comprising: a curtain plate having a height of at least three inches, a thickness of at least one-quarter of an inch, and a length that is greater than the width of the opening above which the curtain plate is mounted; wood screws which pass through the curtain plate and into the vertical support members.

10. The curtain plate assembly of claim 1 wherein said curtain plate includes predrilled openings provided in a plurality of groups, which are provided at a predetermined distance along the length of the curtain plate.

11. The curtain plate assembly of claim 10 wherein the curtain plate comprises groups of openings separated by substantially ten inches with each group having openings that are staggered in lines at two different heights.

12. The curtain plate assembly of claim 11 wherein each opening in a line is separated by substantially two inches.

13. The curtain plate assembly of claim 12 wherein each group of openings spans a distance of substantially six inches.

14. The curtain plate assembly of claim 9 wherein said curtain plate is formed from one or more of a lightweight rigid material consisting of wood, aluminum, polypropylene and a homopolymer.

15. The curtain plate of claim 14 wherein said curtain plate is formed from material that is extruded and reinforced with fiber.

16. A curtain plate assembly fastened above an opening having a header extending above said opening in a wall that comprises vertical support members, said opening in the wall having a width, said curtain plate comprising: a curtain plate having a height of at least three inches, a thickness of at least one-quarter of an inch, and a length that is greater than the width of the opening above which the curtain plate is mounted; and, said fasteners are wood screws which pass through the curtain plate and into the vertical support members; wherein said curtain plate includes predrilled openings provided in a plurality of groups, which are provided at a predetermined distance along the length of the curtain plate.

17. The curtain plate assembly of claim 16 wherein the curtain plate comprises groups of openings separated by substantially ten inches with each group having openings that are staggered in lines at two different heights.

18. The curtain plate assembly of claim 17 wherein each opening in a line is separated by substantially two inches.

19. The curtain plate assembly of claim 18 wherein each group of openings spans a distance of approximately six inches.

20. The curtain plate assembly of claim 16 wherein said curtain plate is formed from one or more of a lightweight rigid material consisting of wood, aluminum, polypropylene and a homopolymer.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a curtain plate arranged above an exterior door opening and having a window treatment affixed thereto.

[0012] FIG. 2 shows a preferred method of attaching the curtain plate to the vertical members which are arranged above a header.

[0013] FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the curtain plate having predrilled holes.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] The embodiments of the invention and the various features and advantageous details thereof are more fully explained with reference to the non-limiting embodiments and examples that are described and/or illustrated in the accompanying drawings and set forth in the following description. It should be noted that the features illustrated in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and the features of one embodiment may be employed with the other embodiments as the skilled artisan recognizes, even if not explicitly stated herein. For instance, the conduit openings in the boxes on the left and right sides may be alternated without deviating from the scope of the invention. Descriptions of well-known components and techniques may be omitted to avoid obscuring the invention. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the invention may be practiced and to further enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. Accordingly, the examples and embodiments set forth herein should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, which is defined by the appended claims. Moreover, it is noted that like reference numerals represent similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

[0015] FIG. 1 depicts a curtain plate 1 arranged above an exterior door opening 100 and having a window treatment 105 affixed thereto. The curtain plate 1 is preferably mounted to vertical support members arranged above the header as more clearly shown in FIG. 2. Wood screws or other fasteners pass through the curtain plate and into the vertical studs which transmit weight from above onto the header. A curtain may thereafter be fastened to the curtain plate without further damage occurring to the interior wall. The curtain plate may be removed and a minimum of only four holes may be repaired. Moreover, the diameter of the hole is smaller than those of the curtain or window treatment holder.

[0016] FIG. 2 shows a preferred method of attaching the curtain plate 1 to the vertical members 103 which are arranged above a header. Vertical members 103 are shown in broken lines as they are typically 2″×4″ studs which are arranged behind drywall or other similar wall material. As can be understood, the curtain plate spans 1 beyond the entire length of the header to provide support for the screws which fasten the curtain holder to the interior wall. Four screws 3 may be mounted through openings in the curtain plate which is a preferable thickness of substantially 1/4″. The openings are formed to correspond with the vertical members such that fasteners pass through the openings and into the vertical members to affix the curtain plate to the interior wall as can be understood by viewing FIG. 3.

[0017] FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment which includes predrilled openings 5 provided in at least 2 plurality of groups 2, which are advantageously provided at a predetermined distance along the length of the curtain plate 1. In a preferred embodiment, the curtain plate 1 includes a height of at least three inches (3″), a thickness of one-quarter inches (1%), and is provided in varying lengths which span the entire distance across the header of the opening which is to be covered by the window treatment. In this instance, the groups of openings 2 are separated by substantially ten inches (10″) with each group 2 having openings 5 that are staggered in lines at two different heights as shown. Each opening in a line is separated by substantially two inches (2″). A group of openings spans a distance of approximately six inches (6″). Staggering the openings provides a more rigid curtain plate. The curtain plate may be reinforced with fiber if extruded to further solidify the curtain plate. The curtain plate may be provided in longer lengths that may be cut to a specific size by the user.

[0018] It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact construction illustrated and described above, but that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims. While the invention has been described with respect to preferred embodiments, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in limiting sense. From the above disclosure of the general principles of the present invention and the preceding detailed description, those skilled in the art will readily comprehend the various modifications to which the present invention is susceptible. Therefore, the scope of the invention should be limited only by the following claims and equivalents thereof.