Curtain fixtures and curtain rails

Abstract

This allows existing, general-purpose curtain rails to be used as a special curtain system with fastener elements acting as curtain runners, without having to remove them. [Solution] A curtain device (20) comprising a first curtain rail (30) having a first opening slit formed therein, and a second curtain rail (60) having a second opening slit wider than the first opening slit, wherein the curtain device (20) is used with the insertion portion (41) of the first curtain rail (30) inserted into the second space (69) of the second curtain rail (60). A first curtain runner (31) is arranged inside the first curtain rail (30). Furthermore, the left and right outer surfaces of the insertion portion (41) have a shape in which the width gradually decreases from the locking portion to the insertion tip.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a curtain device that uses a fastener element of a slide fastener as a curtain runner, which is a member that slides inside a curtain rail, and a curtain rail suitable for use in the curtain device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a curtain device has been used in which a fastener tape of one fastener stringer of a slide fastener is attached to a curtain fabric or a screen, and then the fastener element is used as a curtain runner, which is a member that slides inside a curtain rail. For example, Patent Document 1 describes that a fastener tape 21 of a slide fastener is sewn or the like to a curtain fabric (screen 20), and a fastener element 22 of the fastener tape is slidably disposed inside a curtain rail (guide rail 10) and used as a curtain device. Further, Patent Document 2 describes that a fastener tape of a slide fastener is cut short to form a fastener tape piece 21 and disposed in a plurality of curtain rails and used as a curtain device. With the curtain device of this Patent Document 2, the curtain can be used so as to exhibit a wavy appearance.

[0003] As described in these prior art documents, when a fastener element of a slide fastener is used as a curtain runner, it is generally manufactured from resin, metal, etc., and compared with a curtain runner having a single structure that is widely used as a general-purpose member, there are merits such as reduction in the noise generated due to the collision and friction between the curtain rail and the curtain runner during the opening and closing operation of the curtain. The curtain runner having a single structure that is widely used as a general-purpose member means, for example, a runner C as described in FIGS. 1 and 8 of Patent Document 3. Hereinafter, for the sake of convenience, such a curtain runner will be referred to as a "general-purpose single-structure curtain runner". [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2016-067801 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent No. 6824536 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 5-084277 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 8-001654 [Disclosure of the Invention] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] When using the fastener elements of a slide fastener as curtain runners, the size (maximum width) of the fastener elements is smaller than the size (maximum width) of a general-purpose, single-structure curtain runner. Therefore, a special curtain rail with an opening slit large enough to prevent the fastener elements from slipping out is required. For this reason, in cases where the entire curtain system is newly installed, such as in a newly built house, a special curtain rail sized to fit the fastener elements can be installed on the wall or window frame from the beginning. However, if a general-purpose curtain rail (a curtain rail using a general-purpose, single-structure curtain runner) is already installed on the wall or window frame, and the user wants to change that existing general-purpose curtain rail to a silent curtain type using fastener elements, the existing general-purpose curtain rail must be removed and a special curtain rail sized to fit the fastener elements must be installed. Therefore, even if there is a need to replace an existing general-purpose curtain system with a curtain system using fastener elements that are superior in terms of soundproofing, the extra effort and cost of removing and installing the curtain rail sometimes causes hesitation in making the change.

[0006] It should be noted that, although slightly different from the curtains using fabric described in the prior art documents mentioned above, there is also known prior art of a screen device that uses the fastener elements of a slide fastener as guides for a retractable screen. For example, Patent Document 4 describes a curtain device (screen device) in which inner rails 13 and 14 that guide the fastener elements 23 of a slide fastener are fitted inside guide rails 8 and 9, which are outer frame bodies. However, the inner rails 13 and 14 and guide rails 8 and 9 of the retractable screen device in Patent Document 4, like those in Documents 1 and 2, are based on the premise that a special curtain rail sized to match the size of the fastener elements will be installed to fit the window frame when the entire screen device is newly installed together with the window frame, and therefore the above-mentioned problems cannot be solved.

[0007] Furthermore, separate from the issues mentioned above, when a curtain system using the general-purpose, single-structure curtain runner described above is used as a partition between beds in a hospital's shared ward, the curtain rail is often curved according to the layout of the beds in the ward. If one wishes to use a curtain runner utilizing a fastener element, as disclosed in the aforementioned prior art documents 1, 2, and 4, for such a curved curtain rail, the curve shape of the curtain rail is not necessarily the same and differs depending on the layout of the ward in each hospital. As a result, it is often necessary to manufacture various types of curtain rails anew, making the switching process even more difficult. Solving such other issues is also recognized as an issue to be addressed in some of the embodiments understood as sub-concepts of the present invention.

[0008] This invention is proposed in consideration of these problems, and aims to enable the use of fastener elements as curtain runners in a curtain device, even when a general-purpose curtain rail is already installed, without having to remove the existing general-purpose curtain rail. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To achieve the above objective, the present invention has the following features.

[0010] The curtain device in the present invention is A curtain device (20) comprising: a first curtain rail (30) having a first sliding portion (32) formed with a first opening slit (34); a second curtain rail (60) having a second opening slit (64) wider than the first opening slit (34) and a second space (69) communicating with the second opening slit (64), The first curtain rail (30) has an insertion part (41) on the opposite side of the first opening slit (34), and the first curtain runner (31) is located inside the first sliding part (32). The second curtain rail (60) is also designed to allow a second curtain runner (61), which is of a different size from the first curtain runner (31), to slide along it. However, in use, the insertion part (41) is inserted into the second space (69) of the second curtain rail (60) in this curtain device.

[0011] Preferably, the Shore D hardness of the insertion portion (41) of the first curtain rail is 40 to 95, or the Shore A hardness is 45 to 100. Preferably, the first curtain rail (30) has the flexibility to be inserted into the second space (69) of the second curtain rail (60) along the curved portion, even if the second curtain rail (60) has a curved portion with a radius of curvature of 1000 millimeters, and to change direction by 45 degrees along the curved portion.

[0012] Preferably, the material of the first curtain rail is an olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer, soft acrylic, PET resin, or a combination thereof, or a combination of them with another material. Preferably, a lubricating resin layer is provided on the surface portion of the first sliding part of the first curtain rail on which the first curtain runner slides.

[0013] Preferably, the insertion portion (41) is inserted from below the second opening slit of the second curtain rail (60), through the second opening slit, into the second space (62) of the second curtain rail (60), and positioned inside the second space (62). Preferably, the insertion portion (41) is inserted into the second space (62) from one end of the second curtain rail (60) in the longitudinal direction and positioned inside the second space (62).

[0014] Furthermore, the curtain rail in this invention is A sliding part (32) is provided with an opening slit (34) and a space (39) communicating with the opening slit (34), An insertion part (41) having locking parts (43a, 43b) having width in the left-right direction and an insertion tip part (48) positioned above the locking parts (43a, 43b), A curtain rail (30) having a connecting portion (49) that connects the insertion portion (41) and the sliding portion (32), The curtain rail (30) is characterized in that the left and right outer surfaces of the insertion portion (41) gradually decrease in width from the locking portion (43a, 43b) towards the insertion tip portion (48).

[0015] Preferably, the width of the connecting portion (49) in the curtain rail in the left-right direction is smaller than the width of the locking portion (43a, 43b) in the left-right direction, and is also smaller than the minimum width of the sliding portion (32) in the left-right direction. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] This is a diagram (photograph) showing the state before the curtain rail is installed in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2]It is a diagram (photo) showing the state after attaching the curtain rail in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is a schematic structural diagram for explaining the curtain device before attaching the curtain rail in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] It is a schematic structural diagram for explaining the curtain device after attaching the curtain rail in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] It is a diagram for explaining the curtain device in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] It is a perspective view of the first curtain rail 130 in the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] It is a cross-sectional view in a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the first curtain rail 130 in the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] It is a diagram for explaining the first curtain rail 230 in the third embodiment of the present invention.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described while referring to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below. Also, descriptions of configurations and functions that are duplicated among the embodiments are omitted in principle.

[0018] Also, in the embodiments of the present invention, the following directions are defined as follows. · Vertical direction: The vertical direction in which gravity acts is defined as the vertical direction, with the side towards which gravity acts being the bottom and the opposite being the top. This vertical direction is the same as the vertical direction of the paper surface in FIGS. 3 to 8 described below. · Left - right direction: The horizontal direction orthogonal to the vertical direction in which gravity acts is defined as the left - right direction, and in some cases, it is also expressed as the width direction. This left - right direction or width direction is the same as the left - right direction of the paper surface in FIGS. 3 to 8 described below. For the sake of convenience, the left side towards the paper surface is defined as the left direction, and the right side towards the paper surface is defined as the right direction in the following description. • Longitudinal direction: The direction in which the curtain rail has its longest dimension is defined as the longitudinal direction. • Width direction: The width direction is defined as the direction in which the shorter dimension of the curtain rail is located. The width direction is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and also perpendicular to the vertical direction when the curtain rail is installed.

[0019] First, the differences in the overall structure of the curtain device before and after the installation of the curtain rail (first curtain rail 30) in the embodiment of the present invention will be explained using Figures 1 to 4.

[0020] Figure 1 shows the state before the curtain rail (first curtain rail 30) in an embodiment of the present invention is installed, and shows a general-purpose curtain rail 60 (second curtain rail 60) in which a second curtain runner 61, which is a general-purpose single-structure curtain runner, is slidably housed along a slit (second opening slit 64). On the other hand, Figure 2 shows the state in which the curtain rail (first curtain rail 30) in an embodiment of the present invention is installed on the general-purpose curtain rail (second curtain rail 60) shown in Figure 1. The upper end of the first curtain rail 30 is inserted into the interior of the second curtain rail 60 by passing through the second opening slit 64 of the second curtain rail 60, but because the first curtain rail 30 is molded from a transparent resin material, the second opening slit 64 is shown as black and translucent in Figure 2. Inside the first curtain rail 30, a first curtain runner 31, which is different from the general-purpose single-structure second curtain runner 61, is slidably housed. The first curtain runner 31 is a curtain runner that uses the fastener elements of a slide fastener as components that slide within the curtain rail. Since the width (maximum width) of the first curtain runner 31 is smaller than the width (maximum width) of the second curtain runner 61, if the first curtain runner 31 is to be directly attached to the second curtain runner 61, which is a general-purpose product, it will come off the slit and cause other problems. Therefore, the first curtain rail 30 is used as an intermediate component to indirectly attach the first curtain runner 61. Curtain fabric can be attached to the first curtain runner 31 using known methods such as hooks, sewing, or adhesive. In the case of Figure 2, a grommet is attached to the fabric of the fastener tape, one side of the hook is hooked onto the grommet, and the curtain fabric is clamped with a clip on the other side of the hook, thereby connecting the curtain runner and the curtain fabric. In this specification, the term "curtain" does not refer only to those made of cloth or lace, but is used broadly to mean wide, thin privacy screens, such as resin screens used in retractable screen devices, or membrane materials that can be used as substitutes for them.

[0021] Next, the structure of the curtain device shown in the photographs of Figures 1 and 2 will be explained using Figures 3 and 4. Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a general-purpose curtain device before the installation of the first curtain rail 30 in the present invention. In the state shown in Figure 3, the second curtain runner 61, which is a general-purpose single-piece curtain runner 61, is housed inside the second curtain rail 60, which is a general-purpose curtain rail. As is well known, the second curtain rail 60 is a long member, and the second curtain rail 60 shown in Figure 3 is shown as a cross-section in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the second curtain rail 60. The second curtain rail 60 may have a structure that extends linearly in the longitudinal direction, or it may have a curved section in the middle, and may have a structure that extends in the longitudinal direction with the curved section and the straight section combined. By removing the second curtain runner 61 from the curtain device in the state shown in Figure 3, or by moving the second curtain runner 61 to the end of the second curtain rail 60 and placing the first curtain rail 30 in the resulting empty space, the curtain device 20 according to the present invention can be transformed into the state shown in Figure 4. In the state shown in Figure 4, the first curtain rail 30 is inserted inside the second curtain rail 60, which is a general-purpose curtain rail, and multiple first curtain runners 31 are slidably arranged inside the first curtain rail 30. The first curtain runners 31 are equipped with a retaining portion 51 and a fabric portion 52. A fastener element 51 and a fastener tape 52 can be used for the retaining portion 51 and the fabric portion 52, respectively, but are not necessarily limited to these. Furthermore, if the retaining portion 51 is a fastener element 51, the fastener element 51 may be a linear fastener element manufactured by winding a resin monofilament into a coil or folding it in a zigzag shape, or it may be a fastener element made by injection molding resin onto a fastener tape, or other known types of slide fastener elements can be used. Thus, the second curtain rail 60 is designed to allow a second curtain runner 61 of a different size from the first curtain runner 31 to slide along it. However, in use, the insertion portion 41 of the first curtain rail 30 is inserted into the second space 69 of the second curtain rail 60. Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the first curtain rail 30 is configured to have appropriate flexibility in the longitudinal direction, so that even if the second curtain rail 60 has a curved portion, it can be installed as shown in Figure 4. The details of this will be explained in more detail later.

[0022] Furthermore, the curtain device 20 in the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 5. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the first curtain rail 30 and the second curtain rail 60 in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. Note that Figure 5 shows the device in a state in which the first curtain runner 31 is omitted.

[0023] As shown in Figure 5, the first curtain rail 30 comprises at least a first sliding portion 32 and an insertion portion 41. The first sliding portion 32 has a first opening slit 34 formed on its lower surface, and a pair of first retaining portions 36a and 36b are provided on the left and right sides of the first opening slit 34. A pair of first side wall portions 37a and 37b are provided extending upward from the pair of first retaining portions 36a and 36b of the first sliding portion 32. A first upper wall portion 38 is provided above the pair of first side wall portions 37a and 37b, and the left and right pair of first side wall portions 37a and 37b are connected by the first upper wall portion 38. A first space 39 is formed surrounded by the first retaining portions 36a and 36b of the first sliding portion 32, the first side wall portions 37a and 37b, and the first upper wall portion 38. The first space 39 is in communication with the first opening slit 34, and the retaining portion 51 of the first curtain runner 31 can be slidably positioned in the space formed by the first space 39 and the first opening slit 34.

[0024] Furthermore, an insertion portion 41 is provided above the first sliding portion 32 of the first curtain rail 30. The lower part of the insertion portion 41 is a pair of left and right locking portions 43a and 43b, and in this embodiment, the pair of left and right locking portions 43a and 43b are structures that protrude in the left and right directions in a triangular cross-section. The pair of left and right locking portions 43a and 43b each have a lower locking portion surface 44a and 44b, an upper locking portion surface 45a and 45b, and a locking portion side end 46a and 46b. The lower locking portion surfaces 44a and 44b and the upper locking portion surfaces 45a and 45b intersect at the locking portion side end 46a and 46b, so that the locking portions 43a and 43b have a shape that extends in the left and right directions, and the first curtain rail 30 is locked to the second curtain rail 60 by these locking portions 43a and 43b. The left and right upper surfaces 45a and 45b of the locking portion 43 extend upward from the locking portion side ends 46a and 46b, and the insertion tip portion 48 is formed when the left and right upper surfaces 45a and 45b of the locking portion intersect. In this way, the left and right outer surfaces of the insertion portion 41 have a shape in which the width gradually decreases from the locking portion 43 to the insertion tip portion 48. In the embodiments of the present invention, the lower surfaces 44a and 44b of the locking portion and the upper surfaces 45a and 45b of the locking portion are made to have a straight cross-section, but they may also be curved surfaces with an appropriate cross-sectional curve. Furthermore, in the embodiments of the present invention, the side ends 46a and 46b of the locking portion are the parts where the lower surfaces 44a and 44b of the locking portion and the upper surfaces 45a and 45b of the locking portion intersect at a point, but the side ends 46a and 46b of the locking portion may also be curved surfaces with an appropriate curvature.

[0025] Furthermore, the first sliding portion 32 and the insertion portion 41 of the first curtain rail 30 are connected by a connecting portion 49. In this first embodiment, the connecting portion 49 is continuously and integrally constructed with the same width as the first upper wall portion 38 of the first sliding portion 32, so the connecting portion 49 and the first upper wall portion 38 cannot be clearly distinguished. However, the structure may be such that the two can be clearly distinguished, as in the second embodiment shown below. The connecting portion 49 refers to the portion whose width in the left-right direction is smaller than the width in the left-right direction of the locking portions 43a and 43b, and whose portion exists at least below the lower surfaces 44a and 44b of the locking portions of the insertion portion 41, so that it can fit into the slit 64 of the second curtain rail 60, and so that the insertion portion 41 can be connected to the first sliding portion 32.

[0026] On the other hand, the second curtain rail 60 is a widely used general-purpose curtain rail, and its configuration is not particularly limited as long as it is a curtain rail that uses a general-purpose single-structure curtain runner 61. However, to explain the main structure, the second curtain rail 60 has a second opening slit 64 formed on its lower surface, and a pair of second retaining parts 66a and 66b are provided on the left and right sides of the second opening slit 64. A pair of second side wall parts 67a and 67b are provided extending upward from the pair of second retaining parts 66a and 66b. A second upper wall part 68 is provided above the pair of second side wall parts 67a and 67b, and the left and right pair of second side wall parts 67a and 67b are connected by the second upper wall part 68. A second space 69 is formed surrounded by these second retaining parts 66a and 66b, the second side wall parts 67a and 67b, and the second upper wall part 68. The second space 69 is in communication with the second opening slit 64, and it is envisioned that a plurality of second curtain runners 61 will be slidably arranged in the space formed by the second space 69 and the second opening slit 64. However, when used as the curtain rail device 20 of the present invention, the first curtain rail 30 is attached to the space formed by the second space 69 and the second opening slit 64.

[0027] When the first curtain rail 30 is attached to the second curtain rail 60, the locking portions 43a and 43b of the first curtain rail 30 lock onto the second retaining portions 66a and 66b of the second curtain rail 60, preventing the first curtain rail 30 from slipping out of the second opening slit 64 of the second curtain rail 60. In other words, the maximum width of the locking portions 43a and 43b of the first curtain rail 30 in the left-right direction is greater than the maximum width of the second opening slit 64 in the left-right direction. Also, the maximum width of the connecting portion 49 of the first curtain rail 30 in the left-right direction is smaller than the minimum width of the second opening slit 64 in the left-right direction. Note that the left-right width (maximum width) of the first sliding portion 32, which is located below the connecting portion 49 of the first curtain rail 30, is described as being smaller than the left-right width of the second opening slit 64 in the embodiment shown in Figure 5, but it does not necessarily have to be smaller, and it may have a shape that widens towards the bottom.

[0028] In the first embodiment of the present invention, the first curtain rail 30 is provided with sufficient rigidity to support the load of a suspended curtain or the like, while also having appropriate flexibility in the longitudinal direction. Specifically, the Shore D hardness of at least the insertion portion 41 of the first curtain rail 30 is molded to be between 40 and 95. More preferably, the Shore D hardness of at least the insertion portion 41 of the first curtain rail 30 is between 40 and 85, and even more preferably, it is between 40 and 60. Depending on the load conditions of the supported curtain or the like, the Shore A hardness of at least the insertion portion 41 of the first curtain rail 30 may be molded using a soft resin, elastomer, or rubber material so that it is between 45 and 100. More specifically, the material of the flexible portion of the first curtain rail 30 is preferably composed of an olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer, soft acrylic, PET resin (polyethylene terephthalate resin), a combination thereof, or a combination of them with another material. In this way, by making at least the insertion portion 41 of the first curtain rail 30 a flexible material, the locking portions 43a and 43b of the insertion portion 41 can be elastically deformed to a size that can pass through the width of the second opening slit 64 in the left-right direction. As a result, the insertion portion 41 can be inserted into the second space 62 of the second curtain rail 60 from below the second opening slit 64 of the second curtain rail 60, passing through the second opening slit 64, and positioned inside the second space 62. Furthermore, in some other embodiments, the first curtain rail 30 can be molded so that its overall Shore D hardness is 40 or more and 95 or less (wherein "the entire first curtain rail 30" means including at least the main parts of the insertion portion 41 and the first sliding portion 32, and does not mean including additional parts such as coating layers or decorative layers for surface condition modification). More preferably, the first curtain rail 30 is molded so that its overall Shore D hardness is 40 or more and 60 or less. Also, depending on the load conditions of the supported curtain, etc., the entire first curtain rail 30 may be molded using a soft resin, elastomer, rubber material, etc., so that its Shore A hardness is 45 or more and 100 or less. Thus, because the entire first curtain rail 30 has appropriate flexibility in the longitudinal direction, even if the second curtain rail 60 has a curved shape, the first curtain rail 30 can be freely bent to match the curved shape of the second curtain rail 60, making it easy to install the first curtain rail 30 inside the second curtain rail 60. More specifically, even if the second curtain rail 60 has a curved portion with a radius of curvature of 1000 mm in the horizontal plane in its longitudinal direction, it is preferable that the first curtain rail 30 has the flexibility to be inserted into the second space 69 of the second curtain rail 60 along that curved portion, and to change the direction of insertion by 45 degrees or more (preferably 90 degrees) along the arc of that curved portion. Furthermore, the ability to change the insertion direction by 45 degrees or more (preferably 90 degrees) means, in other words, that even if the inner circumference angle of the curved portion of the second curtain rail 60 is 45 degrees or more, the first curtain rail 30 can be inserted along the curved portion of the second curtain rail 60. Thus, having the flexibility to change the insertion direction by at least 45 degrees is advantageous because it allows for a 90-degree change in direction by passing through two curved sections, thus accommodating the layout of existing curtain rails installed to match the shape of right-angle corners in a room. More preferably, the first curtain rail 30 has the flexibility to be inserted into the second space 69 of the second curtain rail 60 along the curved portion of the second curtain rail 60, even when the second curtain rail 60 has a curved portion with a radius of curvature of 600 mm, and to change the insertion direction by 45 degrees or more (preferably 90 degrees). Even more preferably, the first curtain rail 30 has the flexibility to be inserted into the second space 69 of the second curtain rail 60 along the curved portion of the second curtain rail 60, even when the second curtain rail 60 has a curved portion with a radius of curvature of 200 mm, and to change the insertion direction by 45 degrees or more (preferably 90 degrees).

[0029] In some other embodiments, the overall Shore D hardness of the first curtain rail 30 may exceed 95. However, in this case, depending on the shape of the locking portions 43a and 43b of the insertion portion 41, it may become difficult to insert the insertion portion 41 from below the second opening slit of the second curtain rail 60 as described above. Therefore, the insertion portion 41 may be inserted into the second space 62 by pushing the first curtain rail 30 longitudinally from one end of the second curtain rail 60 in the longitudinal direction.

[0030] In some embodiments, it is preferable to provide a lubricating resin layer on the surface of the first sliding portion 32 of the first curtain rail 30 that the first curtain runner 31 actually slides on (for example, a part of the inner circumferential surface of the first space 39, or the entire inner circumferential surface of the first space 39, or the entire inner circumferential surface of the first space 39 and the surface of the first opening slit 34). The material of the lubricating resin layer is preferably high-density polyethylene, PET resin, or a combination thereof. Furthermore, the surface roughness (arithmetic mean height) of the lubricating resin layer is preferably 0.04 μm or less, but is not limited to this. This lubricating resin layer may be formed simultaneously with the main body of the first sliding portion 32 of the first curtain rail 30 by two-layer extrusion molding, or it may be applied or bonded later. By providing a lubricating resin layer in this way, the sliding movement of the first curtain runner 31 can be performed more smoothly with lower friction and improved quietness. Furthermore, by providing a lubricating resin layer, the rigidity of the first retaining portions 36a and 36b and the first side wall portions 37a and 37b of the first sliding portion 32 is improved. This makes the first retaining portions 36a and 36b and the first side wall portions 37a and 37b less susceptible to deformation under load acting on the first curtain runner 31, and consequently, makes it more difficult for the first curtain runner 31 to come out of the first opening slit 34. Furthermore, the lubricating resin layer may be provided not only on the surface of the first sliding portion 32 on which the first curtain runner 31 slides, but also on the surface of the first retaining portions 36a and 36b on which the first curtain runner 31 does not slide, or on the surface of the first side wall portions 37a and 37b on which the first curtain runner 31 does not slide. In this case, the overall rigidity of the first sliding portion 32 is further improved, which further enhances the effect of making the first sliding portion 32 of the first curtain rail 30 less prone to deformation and the effect of making the first curtain rail 30 less prone to coming out of the first opening slit 34.

[0031] Furthermore, a coating layer such as fluororesin or silicone may be provided on top of the lubricating resin layer on the surface of the first sliding part 32. In this case, the sliding movement of the first curtain runner 31 will be smoother, and the noise level during sliding movement will also be further improved.

[0032] Next, the curtain device in the second embodiment of the present invention will be described using Figures 6 and 7. Figure 6 is a perspective view of the first curtain rail 130 in the second embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the first curtain rail 130 in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

[0033] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the first curtain rail 130 in the second embodiment of the present invention also includes at least a first sliding portion 32 and an insertion portion 41, just like the embodiment described above. The shape of each part of the first sliding portion 32 is the same as that described in the first embodiment, so a further explanation will be omitted.

[0034] Furthermore, the basic structure is the same as in the first embodiment, with an insertion portion 41 provided above the first sliding portion 32 of the first curtain rail 130, and the lower part of the insertion portion 41 being a pair of left and right locking portions 43a and 43b. However, the shape of the insertion portion 41 and the shape of the connecting portion 49 are slightly different from those of the first embodiment. In other words, in the second embodiment of the present invention, the width in the left-right direction of the connecting portion 49 that connects the insertion portion 41 and the sliding portion 32 is smaller than in the first embodiment. Specifically, the width in the left-right direction of the connecting portion 49 is smaller than the width (minimum width) of the sliding portion 32 in the left-right direction. It can also be said that the width in the left-right direction of the connecting portion 49 is smaller than the length that one of the locking portions 43a (or locking portion 44b) extends in the left-right direction. More specifically, the connecting portion 49 extends upward from approximately the center of the upper surface of the first upper wall portion 38 of the first sliding portion 32. The connecting portion 49 extends further upward than the locking portion side ends 46a and 46b, and connects with the locking portion lower surfaces 44a and 44b at a position above the locking portion side ends 46a and 46b. The width of the connecting portion 49 in the left-right direction is smaller than the width of the upper surface of the first upper wall portion 38 of the first sliding portion 32 in the left-right direction, and more specifically, it is smaller than half the width of the upper surface of the first upper wall portion 38 in the left-right direction. The lower surfaces 44a and 44b of the locking portion of the insertion portion 41 are sloped downwards from the connection portion of the connecting portion 49 in the left-right direction. The left and right ends of the lower surfaces 44a and 44b of the locking portion are connected to the upper surfaces 45a and 45b of the locking portion, with the locking portion side ends 46a and 46b in between. The locking portion side ends 46a and 46b are curved surfaces with appropriate curvature. The upper surfaces 45a and 45b of the locking portion are sloped upwards toward the center in the left-right direction, and the upper surfaces 45a and 45b of the locking portion and the lower surfaces 44a and 44b of the locking portion are generally parallel. The point where the pair of upper surfaces 45a and 45b of the locking portion intersect is the insertion tip portion 48.

[0035] Thus, the left and right outer surfaces of the insertion portion 41 have an umbrella-like shape, gradually decreasing in width from the locking portions 43a and 43b towards the insertion tip portion 48, and together with the insertion portion 41 and the connecting portion 49, they form an upward-pointing arrow shape. Since the insertion portion 41 is made of a flexible material, the locking portions 43a and 43b of the insertion portion 41 can be elastically deformed to a size that can pass through the width of the second opening slit 64 in the left-right direction. By configuring the insertion portion 41 and the connecting portion 49 in this way, when inserting and fixing the first curtain rail 130 from below the second opening slit 64 of the second curtain rail 60, the locking portions 43a and 43b of the insertion portion 41 flex, making the insertion operation easier. Furthermore, the insertion portion 41 and the connecting portion 49 are plate-like members with a generally thin and nearly constant thickness, and the lower surfaces 44a and 44b of the locking portion extend inward in the left-right direction to a position above the upper surface of the first sliding portion 32, forming a large space below them. As a result, the first curtain rail 130 is more flexible in the longitudinal direction overall. Therefore, the first curtain rail 130 is easier to bend in the longitudinal direction, making it easier to insert and fix the first curtain rail 130 into the second curtain rail 60, which has a curved portion. This also makes it easier to use resins with slightly higher Shore D hardness as the material for the first curtain rail 130. In addition, the overall weight of the first curtain rail 130 is reduced, which has effects such as reducing the workload when attaching it to the second curtain rail 60 and reducing material costs.

[0036] Furthermore, the characteristics of the first curtain rail 130 in the second embodiment, such as its material and Shore hardness, are the same as those described in the first embodiment, so a further explanation will be omitted. Also, the possibility of providing a lubricating resin layer or a fluororesin coating layer on the first curtain rail 130 in the second embodiment is the same as described in the first embodiment, so a further explanation will be omitted.

[0037] Furthermore, in the description of the second embodiment above and in Figures 6 and 7, components described as planar may be changed to curved surfaces as appropriate, and components described as curved surfaces may be changed to planar surfaces. Also, components described as curved surfaces (for example, the insertion tip 48, the locking end 46a, 46b, etc.) may be changed to points at the tips of corners where straight lines intersect.

[0038] Next, a curtain device according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described using Figure 8. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view taken in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the first curtain rail 230, showing the first curtain rail 230 installed inside the second curtain rail 60 in the third embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] As shown in Figure 8, the first curtain rail 230 in the third embodiment of the present invention also includes at least a first sliding portion 32 and an insertion portion 41, just like in the embodiments described above. Here, the shapes of each part of the first sliding portion 32 are the same as those described in the embodiments described above, so a further explanation will be omitted.

[0040] Furthermore, the basic structure is the same as in the embodiments described above, with an insertion portion 41 provided above the first sliding portion 32 of the first curtain rail 230, and the insertion portion 41 having a pair of left and right locking portions 43a and 43b. However, in the third embodiment of the present invention, the shape of the insertion portion 41 differs from that of the embodiments described above. In other words, in the third embodiment of the present invention, the insertion portion 41 is not designed to be inserted into the second space 62 of the second curtain rail 60 from below the second opening slit 64 of the second curtain rail 60 through the second opening slit 64, but is a type specifically designed to be inserted into the second space 62 from one end of the second curtain rail 60 in the longitudinal direction.

[0041] The insertion portion 41 has locking portions 43a and 43b extending from its left and right sides, but differs from the above embodiment in that the locking portions 43a and 43b cannot be deformed to be smaller than the width of the second opening slit 64 in the left-right direction. In addition, above the left and right locking portions 43a and 43b of the insertion portion 41, there is a portion that protrudes in an arc shape so as to cover the entire left and right locking portions 43a and 43b. Although the boundary is not necessarily clear and therefore not numbered, the fleshy portion interposed between the first sliding portion 32 and the insertion portion 41 is recognized as the connecting portion 49. The width (maximum width) of the insertion portion 41 in the left-right direction is greater than the width (maximum width) of the second opening slit 64, and the width (maximum width) of the first sliding portion 32 in the left-right direction is smaller than the width (maximum width) of the second opening slit 64. As a result, the first sliding portion 32 is positioned to fit inside the second opening slit 64, while the insertion portion 41 cannot be pulled out downwards from inside the second space 69 through the second opening slit 64.

[0042] The procedure for installing the first curtain rail 230 on the second curtain rail 60 is as follows: First, the longitudinal end of the second curtain rail 60 is left open, so that the second space 69 is also open at the longitudinal end of the second curtain rail 60. Then, the first curtain rail 230 is inserted into the second space 69 by pushing it longitudinally from the open longitudinal end. If necessary, the general-purpose curtain runner (second curtain runner 61) that was already inserted into the second space 69 of the second curtain rail 60 may be removed before inserting the first curtain rail 230.

[0043] Furthermore, the material and characteristics such as Shore hardness of the first curtain rail 230 in the third embodiment are the same as those described in the above embodiments, so a further explanation will be omitted. Also, the possibility of providing a lubricating resin layer or a fluororesin coating layer on the first curtain rail 30 in the third embodiment is the same as described in the above embodiments, so a further explanation will be omitted.

[0044] As described above, with each embodiment of the present invention, the curtain device 20 can be used as a curtain device with fastener elements as curtain runners, even if a general-purpose curtain rail is already installed, without removing the already installed general-purpose curtain rail.

[0045] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and it is also possible to appropriately utilize, use as a substitute for, or add to technologies that are substantially the same as or have similar effects as those described in the embodiments of the present invention, as recognized by those skilled in the art. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0046] 20 Curtain device 30, 130, 230 First curtain rail 31. The first curtain runner 32 First sliding part 34 First opening slit 36a, 36b 1st retaining part 37a,37b 1st side wall part 38 1st upper wall section 39 1st space 41 Insertion part 43a, 43b Locking part 44a,44b Locking bottom surface 45a, 45b Upper surface of locking part 46a, 46b Locking part side end 48 Insertion tip 49 Connecting part 51 Retaining part (fastener element) 52 Fabric part (fastener tape) 60 Second curtain rail 62 Second sliding part 64 Second opening slit 66a, 66b 2nd retaining part 67a,67b 2nd side wall part 68 2nd upper wall section 69 Second space

Claims

1. A curtain device (20) comprising: a first curtain rail (30) having a first sliding portion (32) formed with a first opening slit (34); a second curtain rail (60) having a second opening slit (64) wider than the first opening slit (34) and a second space (69) communicating with the second opening slit (64), The first curtain rail (30) is provided with an insertion portion (41) on the opposite side of the first opening slit (34), and the first curtain runner (31) is provided inside the first sliding portion (32). The second curtain rail (60) is also designed to allow a second curtain runner (61), which is of a different size from the first curtain runner (31), to slide along it. However, in use, the insertion portion (41) is inserted into the second space (69) of the second curtain rail (60) in this curtain device.

2. The curtain device according to claim 1, characterized in that the Shore D hardness of the insertion portion (41) of the first curtain rail is 40 or more and 95 or less, or the Shore A hardness is 45 or more and 100 or less.

3. The curtain device according to claim 2, characterized in that the first curtain rail (30) can be inserted into the second space (69) of the second curtain rail (60) along the curved portion, even when the second curtain rail (60) has a curved portion with a radius of curvature of 1,000 millimeters, and has the flexibility to change direction by 45 degrees along the curved portion.

4. The curtain device according to claim 2, characterized in that the material of the first curtain rail is an olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer, soft acrylic, PET resin, or a combination thereof, or a combination thereof with another material.

5. The curtain device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that a lubricating resin layer is provided on the surface portion of the first sliding part of the first curtain rail on which the first curtain runner slides.

6. The curtain device according to claim 1, characterized in that the insertion portion (41) is inserted from below the second opening slit of the second curtain rail (60), through the second opening slit, into the second space (62) of the second curtain rail (60), and positioned inside the second space (62).

7. The curtain device according to claim 1, characterized in that the insertion portion (41) is inserted into the second space (62) from one end of the second curtain rail (60) in the longitudinal direction and positioned inside the second space (62).

8. A sliding part (32) is provided with an opening slit (34) and a space (39) communicating with the opening slit (34), An insertion part (41) having locking parts (43a, 43b) having width in the left-right direction and an insertion tip part (48) positioned above the locking parts (43a, 43b), A curtain rail (30) having a connecting portion (49) that connects the insertion portion (41) and the sliding portion (32), The curtain rail (30) is characterized in that the left and right outer surfaces of the insertion portion (41) gradually decrease in width from the locking portion (43a, 43b) towards the insertion tip portion (48).

9. The curtain rail according to claim 8, characterized in that the width of the connecting portion (49) in the left-right direction is smaller than the width of the locking portions (43a, 43b) in the left-right direction, and is also smaller than the minimum width of the sliding portion (32) in the left-right direction.

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