Rod with twist-end tension assembly

A tension assembly for a curtain rod, comprising:

• a tube having a cylindrical inner wall, a closed end and an open end, said inner wall comprising engagement means and a protruding lip about the diameter of the open end;
• a plunger slidably disposed within the tube, said plunger having a bottom end within the tube and a headed end outside the tube, said plunger having opposite L-shaped grooves having a common axial section and opposite tangential sections;
• a biasing means inside the tube and between the closed end of the tub and the bottom end of the plunger;
• and
• a locking pin secured in the engagement means in the inner wall of the tube, said locking pin traveling through the L-shaped grooves of the plunger, wherein the plunger is able to travel laterally in the tube when the locking pin is disposed in the axial section of the L-shaped grooves and unable to travel laterally in the tube when the plunger has been rotated to place the locking pin in the opposing tangential sections of the L-shaped grooves.

A load-supporting rod assembly configured to engage opposing surfaces, the rod assembly comprising:

• a rod having a first end and a second end;
• a cavity extending within the rod from the first end of the rod;
• and
• a tension assembly disposed within the cavity, said tension assembly comprising
• a tube having a cylindrical inner wall, a closed end and an open end, wherein the closed end is disposed toward the first end of the first rod portion and the open end is disposed toward the second end of the first rod portion, said tube comprising engagement means in the inner wall and a protruding lip about the diameter of the open end, said protruding lip having a diameter that is at least as great as the outer diameter defined by the first rod portion;
• a plunger slidably disposed within the inner wall of the tube, said plunger having a bottom end within the tube and a headed end outside the tube, said plunger having opposite L-shaped grooves having a common axial section and opposite tangential sections;
• a biasing means inside the tube and between the closed end of the tub and the bottom end of the plunger;
• and
• a locking pin secured in the engagement means in the inner wall of the tube, said locking pin traveling through the L-shaped grooves of the plunger, wherein the plunger is able to travel laterally in the tube when the locking pin is disposed in the axial section of the L-shaped grooves and unable to travel laterally in the tube when the plunger has been rotated to place the locking pin in the opposing tangential sections of the L-shaped grooves.