Curtain rod assembly with angled mounting members for blackout effect

Abstract

The present invention is a curtain rod assembly, to help create a blackout effect by the curtain blocking unwanted light entering between the wall and the top and sides of the curtain. When the curtain rod assembly is mounted to the wall, a flat front surface of a curtain rod is vertically inclined to guide a curtain header into contact with the wall to prevent light leakage from the top of the curtain. A mounting member may be contoured to define between the mounting member and the wall a space into which a side edge of the curtain may be tucked to prevent light leakage from the sides of the curtain. The mounting member may define a socket that extends along a vertically inclined axis, and into which an end of the curtain rod can be inserted so as to be removably retained by gravity.

1 . A curtain rod assembly for mounting a curtain to a wall, wherein the curtain comprises a curtain aperture and a curtain header, wherein the wall defines a forward horizontal direction extending perpendicularly away from the wall, wherein the curtain rod assembly comprises:
 a curtain rod for insertion into the curtain aperture, wherein the curtain rod comprises a substantially flat front surface;   wherein, in use, when the curtain rod assembly is mounted to the wall, the flat front surface is inclined vertically upward from the forward horizontal direction by an angle, α, of between 120 degrees and 150 degrees to guide the curtain header toward the wall.   
     
     
         2 . The curtain rod assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the angle, α, is between 130 degrees and 140 degrees. 
     
     
         3 . The curtain rod assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the flat front surface of the curtain rod has a dimension, d, of at least 20 millimeters measured along the flat front surface in a direction that is perpendicular to an elongate direction defined between ends of the curtain rod. 
     
     
         4 . The curtain rod assembly of  claim 1 , in combination with the curtain, wherein, in use, when the curtain rod assembly is mounted to the wall, and the curtain rod is disposed in the curtain aperture, a curtain header of the curtain is of sufficient length above the curtain rod to be guided by the flat front surface of the curtain rod into contact with the wall. 
     
     
         5 . The curtain rod assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a pair of mounting members for mounting the curtain rod to the wall, wherein, in use, the pair of mounting members are mounted to the wall at positions spaced apart horizontally, and wherein each of the mounting members comprises:
 at least one rod-contacting surface for retaining the curtain rod; and   a wall-contacting surface for abutting against the wall.   
     
     
         6 . The curtain rod assembly of  claim 5 , wherein each of the mounting members comprises:
 a tuck surface;   wherein, in use, when the wall-contacting surface abuts the wall, the tuck surface and the wall define between them a space for receiving a portion of the curtain.   
     
     
         7 . The curtain rod assembly of  claim 6 , wherein, in use, when the wall-contacting surface abuts the wall, the space is accessible from an outer side of the mounting member facing in a horizontal direction parallel to the wall and away from a center of the curtain rod. 
     
     
         8 . The curtain rod assembly of  claim 6 , wherein, in use, when the wall-contacting surface abuts the wall, and the space receives the portion of the curtain, the wall and the tuck surface retain the portion of the curtain in the space. 
     
     
         9 . The curtain rod assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one rod-contacting surface defines a socket for receiving one of the ends of the curtain rod, wherein the socket extends into the mounting member along an axis inclined vertically upward from the forward horizontal direction by an angle, β, of between 30 degrees and 60 degrees. 
     
     
         10 . The curtain rod assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the curtain rod comprises a pair of rod end portions, wherein, in use, when the curtain rod assembly is mounted to the wall, the rod end portions extend towards the wall. 
     
     
         11 . The curtain rod assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the rod end portions are slidably attached, directly or indirectly, to each other to allow for adjustment of a length of the curtain rod. 
     
     
         12 . The curtain rod assembly of  claim 11 , wherein either: at least one of the curtain rod end portions is telescopically received in a tubular portion of the curtain rod; or at least one of the curtain end portions is tubular and telescopically receives another portion of the curtain rod. 
     
     
         13 . A mounting member for mounting a curtain rod to a wall and retaining a curtain in contact with the wall, wherein the mounting member comprises:
 at least one rod-contacting surface for retaining the curtain rod;   a wall-contacting surface for abutting against the wall; and   a tuck surface;   wherein, in use, when the wall-contacting surface abuts the wall, the tuck surface and the wall define between them a space for receiving a portion of the curtain.   
     
     
         14 . The mounting member of  claim 13 , wherein, in use, when the wall-contacting surface abuts the wall, the space is accessible from an outer side of the mounting member facing in a horizontal direction parallel to the wall and away from a center of the curtain rod. 
     
     
         15 . The mounting member of  claim 13 , wherein, in use, when the wall-contacting surface abuts the wall, and the space receives the portion of the curtain, the wall and the tuck surface retain the portion of the curtain in the space. 
     
     
         16 . The mounting member of  claim 13 , wherein the wall defines a forward horizontal direction extending perpendicularly away from the wall, and wherein the at least one rod-contacting surface defines a socket for receiving an end of the curtain rod, wherein the socket extends into the mounting member along an axis inclined vertically upward from the forward horizontal direction by an angle, β, of between 30 degrees and 60 degrees. 
     
     
         17 . The mounting member of  claim 16 , wherein the socket has a rectangular cross-sectional shape. 
     
     
         18 . A mounting member for mounting a curtain rod to a wall, wherein the wall defines a forward horizontal direction extending perpendicularly away from the wall, wherein:
 the mounting member comprises a wall-contacting surface for abutting against the wall; and   the mounting member defines a socket for receiving an end of the curtain rod, wherein the socket extends into the mounting member along an axis inclined vertically upward from the forward horizontal direction by an angle, β, of between 30 degrees and 60 degrees.   
     
     
         19 . The mounting member of  claim 18 , wherein the angle, β, is between 40 degrees and 50 degrees. 
     
     
         20 . The mounting member of  claim 18 , wherein the socket has a rectangular cross-sectional shape.