Drape having stabilizer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11089899-B2
Application number	US-201916271035-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 8, 2019
Priority date	Aug 19, 2014
Publication date	Aug 17, 2021
Grant date	Aug 17, 2021

Abstract

A drape has a longitudinal pocket on two or both sides of the drape, A stabilizer is placed within the pocket and extends the length of the pocket. The stabilizer is supported by a drapery support such as a rod or track in a manner which enables the panel to move along the drapery support from a closed, drawn position to an open, slacked position. The stabilizer is supported by the drapery support and is free to move within the pocket. The stabilizer prevents the drape from flaring at the bottom. A wand may be attached to the stabilizer or to a carrier or other assembly to which the stabilizer is attached.

First claim

I claim:

1. A drape system comprising:
a drapery support;
a panel of drape material suspended relative to said drapery support, said panel including a top end, a bottom end, a first side edge, and a second side edge opposite said first side edge, said drape material being pleated such that said panel includes a pleated portion extending between a first location defined at said first side edge of said panel and a second location defined at said second side edge of said panel, said pleated portion including a plurality of pleats spaced apart from one another, said panel further including a pocket formed in said drape material only in at least one of said first location or said second location; and
a stabilizer positioned within said pocket and coupled to said drapery support.

2. The drape system of claim 1 , wherein:
said pocket comprises a first pocket formed in said drape material at said first location defined at said first side edge of said panel, and said stabilizer comprises a first stabilizer positioned within said first pocket; and
said panel further comprises a second pocket formed in said drape material at said second location defined at said second side edge of said panel, and a second stabilizer positioned within said second pocket.

3. The drape system of claim 2 , wherein said first and second stabilizers extend substantially along a full height of said drape material.

4. The drape system of claim 1 , wherein:
said panel is movable between an open non-deployed position and a closed deployed position; and
said stabilizer reduces at least one of toe-in or toe-out of said drape material when said panel is moved to at least one of said open non-deployed position or said closed deployed position.

5. The drape system of claim 1 , wherein:
said panel is movable between an open non-deployed position and a closed deployed position; and
said pleated portion of said panel is accordion pleated such that said panel is configured to take on a stacked configuration when said panel is at said open non-deployed position.

6. The drape system of claim 1 , wherein each of said plurality of pleats comprises a permanent crease formed in said drape material.

7. The drape system of claim 1 , further comprising a wand coupled to said stabilizer.

8. The drape system of claim 7 , wherein said wand is coupled to said stabilizer such that said wand is movable relative to said stabilizer with two degrees of freedom.

9. The drape system of claim 7 , wherein said wand is coupled directly to said stabilizer to allow said wand to be used to tilt said stabilizer.

10. The drape system of claim 1 , further comprising a weight coupled to a portion of said stabilizer to reduce at least one of toe-in or toe-out of said drape material.

11. The drape system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more magnets coupled to said panel at said first side edge or said second side edge.

12. The drape system of claim 11 , wherein said one or more magnets are configured to be magnetically coupled to one of a component separate from said panel positioned adjacent to said first side edge or said second side edge.

13. The drape system of claim 1 , wherein:
said drapery support comprises a track and a plurality of carriers movably coupled to said track;
said stabilizer is coupled to one of said plurality of carriers.

14. A drape system comprising:
a drapery support;
a panel of drape material suspended relative to said drapery support, said panel including a top end, a bottom end, a first side edge, and a second side edge opposite said first side edge, said drape material being pleated between said first and second side edges, said panel further including pockets formed in said drape material only at said first and second side edges such that said panel only includes a first pocket adjacent said first side edge of said panel and a second pocket adjacent said second side edge of said panel;
a first stabilizer positioned within said first pocket; and
a second stabilizer positioned within said second pocket;
wherein said drape material extending between said first and second pockets is free of stabilizers.

15. The drape system of claim 14 , wherein said first and second stabilizers frame said drape material between said first and second pockets.

16. The drape system of claim 14 , wherein:
said panel is movable between an open non-deployed position and a closed deployed position; and
said first and second stabilizers reduce at least one of toe-in or toe-out of said drape material when said panel is moved to at least one of said open non-deployed position or said closed deployed position.

17. The drape system of claim 14 , wherein:
said panel is movable between an open non-deployed position and a closed deployed position; and
said panel is accordion pleated such that said panel is configured to take on a stacked configuration when said panel is at said open non-deployed position.

18. The drape system of claim 14 , wherein:
said drape material is pleated such that said panel includes a plurality of pleats spaced apart from one another between said first and second side edges; and
each of said plurality of pleats comprises a permanent crease formed in said drape material.

19. The drape system of claim 14 , further comprising a wand coupled to one of said first stabilizer or said second stabilizer such that said wand is movable relative to said one of said first stabilizer or said second stabilizer with two degrees of freedom.

20. The drape system of claim 14 , wherein said first and second stabilizers are supported relative to said panel by said drapery support.

Assignees

• Hunter Douglas

Inventors

• Judkins Ren

Classifications

• A47H1/022

  extensible · CPC title

• A47H13/02

  by rings, e.g. with additional runners · CPC title

• A47H1/02

  Curtain rods {(stair rods A47G27/06)} · CPC title

• A47H13/16 Primary

  Pleat belts; Hooks specially adapted to pleat belts · CPC title

• A47H2001/0215

  being tubular · CPC title