Bracket for curtain rods and the like
OwnerPhillip Traninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In one embodiment, a bracket for mounting a rod to a surface has a surface-mounting portion and a rod-attachment portion. The surface-mounting portion provides an interface between the bracket and the surface, and attaches to the surface using suitable fasteners such as screws or nails. The rod-attachment portion has an aperture formed therein that accepts a threaded fastener used to attach a finial to the end of the rod. The aperture has a dimension that is smaller than a diameter of the rod, and at least as large as a diameter of the fastener. In one exemplary method of using the bracket, the fastener, attached to the finial, is fed through the aperture into a socket in the rod. The finial is then rotated thereby coupling the finial to the rod until the rod-attachment portion is secured between the rod and the finial.
Claims20
A bracket for mounting a rod onto a surface, the bracket comprising:
- a surface-mounting portion that provides an interface between the bracket and the surface;
- a rod-attachment portion connected to the surface-mounting portion and with an aperture formed therein, wherein:
- the aperture accepts a fastener that attaches a finial to the rod;
- a dimension of the aperture is smaller than a diameter of the rod, such that the rod does not pass through the aperture;
- and
- the dimension of the aperture is at least as large as a dimension of the fastener, such that a fastening portion of the fastener may pass through the aperture;
- and
- a rotation-restriction element that mates with a corresponding rotation-restriction element on the rod to prevent the rod from rotating when installed on the bracket, wherein the rotation-restriction element on the bracket mates with the rotation-restriction element on the rod without turning either the rotation-restriction element on the bracket or the rotation-restriction element on the rod.
A system for mounting a rod onto a surface, the system comprising:
- a rod;
- a finial;
- a fastener that attaches the finial to the rod;
- and
- a bracket that comprises:
- a surface-mounting portion that provides an interface between the bracket and the surface;
- a rod-attachment portion connected to the surface-mounting portion and with an aperture formed therein, wherein:
- a dimension of the aperture is smaller than a diameter of the rod, such that the rod does not pass through the aperture;
- the dimension of the aperture is at least as large as a dimension of the fastener, such that a fastening portion of the fastener may pass through the aperture;
- and
- the fastener connects the finial to the rod through the aperture in the bracket;
- and
- a rotation-restriction element that mates with a corresponding rotation-restriction element on the rod to prevent the rod from rotating when installed on the bracket, wherein the rotation-restriction element on the bracket mates with the rotation-restriction element on the rod without turning either the rotation-restriction element on the bracket or the rotation-restriction element on the rod.
A method for operating a bracket for mounting a rod onto a surface, the bracket comprising:
- a surface-mounting portion that provides an interface between the bracket and the surface;
- a rod-attachment portion connected to the surface-mounting portion and with an aperture formed therein, wherein:
- the aperture accepts a fastener that attaches a finial to the rod;
- a dimension of the aperture is smaller than a diameter of the rod, such that the rod does not pass through the aperture;
- and
- the dimension of the aperture is at least as large as a dimension of the fastener, such that a fastening portion of the fastener may pass through the aperture;
- and
- a rotation-restriction element that mates with a corresponding rotation-restriction element on the rod to prevent the rod from rotating when installed on the bracket, wherein the rotation-restriction element on the bracket mates with the rotation-restriction element on the rod without turning either the rotation-restriction element on the bracket or the rotation-restriction element on the rod, wherein the method comprises:
- (a) aligning an axis of the rod with an axis of the aperture;
- (b) aligning an axis of the finial with an axis of the aperture;
- and
- (c) securing the rod to the finial using a fastener passed through the aperture.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.