Room darkening curtain rods

Abstract

Window curtain tension rod assemblies that include a telescoping rod and two bracket assemblies each including a support arm and a mounting bracket are disclosed. Each support arm may include a first end receiving an end of the curtain rod, a second end, and a U-shaped section between the first and second ends. The mounting bracket may be attached to the second end, and include a contact pad for engaging an interior sidewall of a window frame. The U-shaped section provides a curtain overlap region when a curtain is drawn onto the U-shaped section of the support arm from the curtain rod. At least one of the bracket assemblies may include a tension adjusting mechanism to move an end of the curtain rod away from the bracket assembly to thereby force the mounting bracket against the sidewalls of the window frame.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A window curtain tension rod assembly comprising:
 a telescoping curtain rod comprising a first rod section and a second rod section axially moveable and lockable with respect to each other along an axis of the telescoping curtain rod;   a first bracket assembly comprising:
 a first support arm including a first end receiving an end of the first rod section, a second end, and a U-shaped section between the first and second ends; and 
 a first mounting bracket attached to the second end of the first support arm including a contact pad structured and arranged to engage an interior sidewall of a window frame, wherein a portion of the U-shaped section extends laterally away from the first mounting bracket in a direction parallel with the axis of the telescoping curtain rod to a first overlap length, and another portion of the U-shaped section extends laterally away from the first mounting bracket in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the telescoping curtain rod to a first depth to thereby provide a first curtain overlap region when a curtain is drawn onto the U-shaped section of the first support arm from the first rod section; and 
   a second bracket assembly comprising:
 a second support arm including a first end receiving an end of the first rod section, a second end, and a U-shaped section between the first and second ends; and 
 a second mounting bracket attached to the second end of the second support arm including a contact pad structured and arranged to engage another interior sidewall of the window frame, wherein a portion of the U-shaped section extends laterally away from the second mounting bracket in a direction parallel with the axis of the telescoping curtain rod to a second overlap length, and another portion of the U-shaped section extends laterally away from the second mounting bracket in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the telescoping curtain rod to a second depth to thereby provide a second curtain overlap region when the curtain is drawn onto the U-shaped section of the second support arm from the second rod section. 
   
     
     
         2 . The window curtain tension rod assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first support arm further comprises a substantially straight tube section between the first end and the U-shaped section that is axially aligned with the telescoping curtain rod, and the second support arm further comprises a substantially straight tube section between the first end and the U-shaped section that is axially aligned with the telescoping curtain rod. 
     
     
         3 . The window curtain tension rod assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second overlap lengths are from 1 to 3 inches and the first and second depths are from 2 to 4 inches. 
     
     
         4 . The window curtain tension rod assembly of  claim 1 , wherein a ratio of the first overlap length to the first depth is from 1:1 to 3:1, and a ratio of the second overlap length to the second depth is from 1:1 to 3:1. 
     
     
         5 . The window curtain tension rod assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first mounting bracket comprises a sidewall leg, the contact pad of the first mounting bracket is attached to the sidewall leg of the first mounting bracket, the second mounting bracket comprises a sidewall leg, and the contact pad of the second mounting bracket is attached to the sidewall leg of the second mounting bracket. 
     
     
         6 . The window curtain tension rod assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the sidewall leg of the first mounting bracket comprises a planar surface that is non-parallel with the axis of the telescoping curtain rod, and the sidewall leg of the second mounting bracket comprises a planar surface that is non-parallel with the axis of the telescoping curtain rod. 
     
     
         7 . The window curtain tension rod assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the sidewall leg of the first mounting bracket comprises a planar surface defining a normal direction that is non-parallel with the axis of the telescoping curtain rod, and the sidewall leg of the second mounting bracket comprises a planar surface defining a normal direction that is non-parallel with the axis of the telescoping curtain rod. 
     
     
         8 . The window curtain tension rod assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the normal direction of the planar surface of the sidewall leg of the first mounting bracket is disposed at a first bracket angle measured in a horizontal plane, and the normal direction of the planar surface of the sidewall leg of the second mounting bracket is disposed at a second bracket angle measured in a horizontal plane. 
     
     
         9 . The window curtain tension rod assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the first and second bracket angles are from 5 to 20°. 
     
     
         10 . The window curtain tension rod assembly of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second bracket assemblies comprises a tension adjusting mechanism structured and arranged to extend the end of the first or second rod sections from the first end of the first or second support arm. 
     
     
         11 . The window curtain tension rod assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the tension adjusting mechanism comprises a threaded tension adjuster bolt axially aligned with and rotatable around the axis of the telescoping curtain rod, and the threaded tension adjuster bolt comprises external threads threadingly engaged with internal threads located at the end of the first or second rod sections. 
     
     
         12 . The window curtain tension rod assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the tension adjusting mechanism comprises a radially inwardly projecting collar engaged with the threaded tension adjuster bolt for substantially preventing axial movement of the threaded tension adjuster bolt in relation to the first or second support arm, when the threaded tension adjuster bolt is rotated. 
     
     
         13 . The window curtain tension rod assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first mounting bracket is pivotally mounted on the second end of the first support arm, and the second mounting bracket is pivotally mounted on the second end of the second support arm. 
     
     
         14 . The window curtain tension rod assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first mounting bracket further comprises a front wall leg structured and arranged to engage a front wall of the window frame, and the second mounting bracket further comprises a front wall leg structured and arranged to engage the front wall of the window frame. 
     
     
         15 . The window curtain tension rod assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the front wall leg of the first mounting bracket comprises a substantially planar surface that is substantially perpendicular to a planar surface of the sidewall leg of the first mounting bracket, and the front wall leg of the second mounting bracket comprises a substantially planar surface that is substantially perpendicular to a planar surface of the sidewall leg of the second mounting bracket. 
     
     
         16 . The window curtain tension rod assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the sidewall leg and the front wall leg of the first mounting bracket further comprise a resilient pad, and the sidewall leg and the front wall leg of the second mounting bracket further comprise a resilient pad. 
     
     
         17 . The window curtain tension rod assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the second end of the first support arm comprises a planar surface engaging a planar surface of the front wall leg of the first mounting bracket, and the second end of the second support arm comprises a planar surface engaging a planar surface of the front wall leg of the second mounting bracket. 
     
     
         18 . The window curtain tension rod assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the U-shaped section of the first support arm includes an upwardly open recess, and the U-shaped section of the second support arm includes an upwardly open recess. 
     
     
         19 . A bracket assembly for a window curtain tension rod comprising:
 a support arm comprising a first end structured and arranged to receive an end of a curtain rod, a second end, a substantially straight section extending from the first end defining an axial direction, and a U-shaped section extending from the second end to the substantially straight section; and   a mounting bracket attached to the second end of the support arm comprising a sidewall leg structured and arranged to engage an interior sidewall of a window frame and a front wall leg structured and arranged to engage a front wall of the window frame, wherein a portion of the U-shaped section of the support arm extends laterally away from the mounting bracket in a direction parallel with the axial direction of the substantially straight section of the support arm to an overlap length, and another portion of the U-shaped section extends laterally away from the mounting bracket in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the substantially straight section to a depth to thereby provide a curtain overlap region when a curtain is drawn onto the U-shaped section of the first bracket assembly from the substantially straight section.   
     
     
         20 . The bracket assembly of  claim 21 , further comprising a tension adjusting mechanism at least partially in the substantially straight section comprising a threaded tension adjuster bolt axially aligned with and rotatable around the axis of the substantially straight section, a radially inwardly projecting collar engaged with the threaded tension adjuster bolt for substantially preventing axial movement of the threaded tension adjuster bolt in relation to the substantially straight portion, and the threaded tension adjuster bolt comprises external threads threadingly engaged with internal threads located at an end of a curtain rod to extend the curtain rod in the axial direction in relation to the support arm. 
     
     
         21 . A method of mounting a window curtain tension rod assembly of  claim 1  onto a window frame, the method comprising:
 positioning the mounting bracket of the first bracket assembly against an interior sidewall of a window frame; 
 positioning the mounting bracket of the second bracket assembly against an opposite interior sidewall of the window frame; 
 axially locking the first and second rod sections together; and 
 tightening a tension adjusting mechanism to extend the end of the first or second rod section from the support arm to thereby force the mounting brackets of the first and second bracket assemblies against the interior sidewalls of the window frame, the tension adjusting mechanism comprising a threaded tension adjuster bolt axially aligned with and rotatable around the axis of the telescoping curtain rod, and the threaded tension adjuster bolt comprises external threads threadingly engaged with internal threads located at the end of the first or second rod sections.