Curtain rail end cap fixing mechanism

Abstract

To provide an end cap fixing mechanism for a curtain rail, capable of easily and surely fixing an end cap without deterioration of good appearance of the end cap, and preventing breakage of the end cap caused by an erroneous operation.SOLUTION: A fixing mechanism comprises an assisting member 41 which has a protrusion part 24 provided on an outer peripheral face of a shaft 23 of an end cap 21 along an axis direction of the shaft 23, has an outer diameter of a size by which the assisting member can be inserted into a first through hole 12 on a curtain rail main body 11, and is formed of an elastic material. The assisting member 41 has a second through hole 42 in which the shaft 23 is inserted and pierced into the center for attaching the assisting member 41 to the shaft 23 in a state in which the shaft 23 is rotatable. The second through hole 42 has a recess part 42a corresponding to a shaft of the protrusion part 24.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fixing mechanism for an end cap that is fixed to the end of a curtain rail body. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, as an end cap fixed to the end of a curtain rail main body, a curtain rail cap has been disclosed in which a through hole for inserting and fixing a curtain rail is formed on one side of a base portion, a female thread portion is formed on the other side of the base portion, and further a male thread portion that can be screwed into the female thread portion of the base portion is formed on the open side of a bag-shaped cap portion (see, for example, Patent Document 1 (Claim 1, paragraph

[0030] , etc.)).

[0003] In this curtain rail cap, a screw hole is provided on the circumferential surface of the cylindrical part of the base, and a screw can be screwed into this screw hole. Then, by screwing a screw into the screw hole with the curtain rail passing through the through hole of the base, the tip of the screw presses against the outer circumferential surface of the end of the curtain rail, fixing the curtain rail and the base.

[0004] Also disclosed is an end cap for a curtain pole that has a circular shaft protruding from a main body, and that is inserted into a hollow curtain pole (see, for example, Patent Document 2 (claims 1, 2, paragraphs

[0012] ,

[0013] , etc.)). In this end cap for a curtain pole, a protrusion protrudes from the outer circumferential surface of the shaft, and a cylindrical rubber fixing member is fitted into the outer circumferential surface of the shaft, with this fixing member being interposed between the shaft and the curtain pole. Furthermore, the protrusion is a rib that extends in the axial direction of the shaft.

[0005] In this curtain pole end cap, the protrusions elastically push the fixing member from the inside out, compressing the fixing member and fixing the shaft of the end cap to the curtain pole, so that a heavy end cap can be securely fixed even to a curtain pole with a small inside diameter. Also, because the protrusions are ribs that extend in the axial direction, the shaft of the end cap can be easily pressed into the fixing member.

[0006] Also disclosed is a mechanism for mounting an end cap to a pipe, in which the hollow columnar part of the end cap is loosely fitted into the pipe, and an inner sleeve fixed to the inner bottom surface of the hollow columnar part is inserted into the pipe (see, for example, Patent Document 3 (Claim 1, paragraph

[0010] , etc.)). In this mounting mechanism, the inner sleeve is formed of an elastic synthetic resin product. The inner sleeve has a fixed part fixed to the inner bottom surface of the hollow columnar part of the end cap, a plurality of support arms extending in the axial direction at intervals in the circumferential direction from the outer periphery of the fixed part, and forks disposed between adjacent support arms in the circumferential direction. Both sides of the extended end of the support arm are integrally joined to both sides of the center part of the fork. Furthermore, the outer surface of the fork is inclined so that the outer diameter of the base part is larger than that of the tip part, and one or more protrusions are formed at the tip of the fork, and the maximum outer radius of the fork and the protrusions is formed slightly larger than the inner diameter of the pipe.

[0007] In the end cap mounting mechanism configured in this manner, the contact points between the outer surface of the inner sleeve and the inner surface of the pipe are located on two cross-sectional surfaces spaced axially apart, resulting in a stable fit between the inner sleeve and the pipe and preventing the end cap from slipping off even when merely touching it.

[0008] Also disclosed is an end cap fixing mechanism in which an eccentric accommodating portion is formed on an end of an end cap body, the eccentric accommodating portion is eccentric by a predetermined amount with respect to the center of the eccentric shank and is capable of accommodating the eccentric shank, and the eccentric accommodating portion is formed on an insertion member whose outer circumferential surface is pressed against the inner circumferential surface of the through hole of the rail body, the eccentric accommodating portion being eccentric by a predetermined amount with respect to the center of curvature of the outer circumferential surface and capable of accommodating the eccentric shank (see, for example, Patent Document 4 (Claim 1, paragraph

[0011] , etc.)). In this end cap fixing mechanism, the eccentric accommodating portion of the insertion member is loosely fitted into the eccentric shank, and the eccentric shank, insertion member, and shank are inserted into the through hole of the rail body. When the end cap body is rotated in a predetermined direction with the rail body fixed, the insertion member does not rotate, and the shank and eccentric shank rotate in the same direction as the end cap body.

[0009] As a result, a portion of the outer surface of the insertion member is pressed with great force against the first pressure contact portion of the through hole of the rail body, and a portion of the outer surface of the shaft portion is pressed with great force against the second pressure contact portion of the through hole of the rail body, thereby making it possible to easily and securely fix the shaft portion, the insertion member, etc. to the through hole of the rail body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0010] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 5-7187 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-151156 [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 3620678 [Patent Document 4] JP 2007-236677 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0011] However, in the conventional curtain rail cap shown in Patent Document 1, as described above, the curtain rail and the base are fixed with screws, so the screws are exposed to the outside and the appearance of the curtain rail cap is marred. Furthermore, there is also a problem that the assembly work is relatively troublesome because a tool such as a screwdriver is required to fix it to the curtain rail.

[0012] In addition, in the curtain pole end cap shown in the above-mentioned conventional Patent Document 2, the shaft of the end cap is inserted into the curtain pole via a rubber fixing member and attached. However, as the inner diameter of the curtain pole becomes smaller compared to the outer diameter of the member, the resistance generated during insertion increases accordingly, making insertion difficult due to slight deviations in dimensions. On the other hand, if the inner diameter of the curtain pole becomes too large compared to the outer diameter of the member, rattling occurs, making stable fixing difficult. Therefore, when there are multiple curtain poles to be assembled and the inner diameters vary greatly from pole to pole, there is a problem that it is difficult to use members of the same dimensions.

[0013] In addition, in the attachment mechanism of the end cap to the pipe shown in the above-mentioned conventional Patent Document 3, when the hollow cylindrical part of the end cap is loosely fitted into the pipe and the inner sleeve is inserted into the pipe, the support arms and forks of the inner sleeve elastically deform and are pressed against the inner surface of the pipe, fixing the end cap. However, because the pressing force of the support arms and forks against the inner surface of the pipe is relatively small, there was a problem that the end cap would become misaligned if a relatively large external force was applied to the end cap.

[0014] In addition, the end cap fixing mechanism shown in Patent Document 4 does not cause the end cap to shift due to external forces, and the appearance of the end cap is not marred by exposure of screws, etc. On the other hand, the mechanism is designed so that the rotation is stopped by the stopper mechanism when the eccentricity of the eccentric shaft portion is at its maximum. Therefore, there is no way to let the user know that the end cap has already been fixed, and there is a risk that the end cap will be damaged by rotating it more than necessary.

[0015] To provide an end cap fixing mechanism for a curtain rail that can easily and securely fix an end cap to the end of a curtain rail body without compromising the appearance of the end cap, and that can flexibly accommodate curtain rails with members of the same dimensions even if the inner diameters of the curtain rails vary to some extent from rail to rail.

[0016] Another object of the present invention is to provide an end cap fixing mechanism that can detect when the end cap is fixed to the end of the curtain rail body and can prevent damage to the end cap due to erroneous operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0017] A first aspect of the present invention is a fixing mechanism for an end cap 21 of a curtain rail, which includes a cylindrical curtain rail main body 11 and an end cap 21 attached to an end of the curtain rail main body 11, as shown in Figs. 1 to 6. The end cap 21 has an end cap main body 22 that closes an end face of the curtain rail main body 11, a shaft portion 23 provided at one end of the end cap main body 22 on the side that is attached to the curtain rail main body 11, and a protrusion 24 provided on the outer circumferential surface of the shaft portion 23 along the axial direction of the shaft portion 23. The fixing mechanism further includes an auxiliary member 41 made of an elastic material and having an outer diameter large enough to be inserted into a first through hole 12 of the curtain rail main body 11. The auxiliary member 41 has a second through hole 42 in the center through which the shaft portion 23 is inserted and passed, and through which the auxiliary member 41 is attached to the shaft portion 23 in a state in which the shaft portion 23 is rotatable. The second through hole 42 is provided with a recess 42a corresponding to the shape of the protrusion 24. When the protrusion 24 is fitted into the recess 42a, at least a part of the tip of the protrusion 24 is covered by the recess 42a. It is characterized by:

[0018] The second aspect of the present invention is an invention based on the first aspect, and is characterized in that after the shaft portion 23 with the auxiliary member 41 attached thereto is inserted into the first through hole 12, the end cap body 22 is held and the shaft portion 23 is rotated around the center of the shaft portion 23 as the rotation axis, and the protrusion portion 24 is fitted into the recess 42a, thereby pressing the surface of the protrusion portion 24 against the inner surface of the auxiliary member 41, and the outer surface of the auxiliary member 41 against the inner surface of the curtain rail body 11, respectively, and fixing the end cap 21 at the end of the curtain rail body 11.

[0019] A third aspect of the present invention is an invention based on the first or second aspect, characterized in that auxiliary member 41 further has a slit 43 on the outer periphery of its main body for reducing the pressure resistance generated between the inner surface of the curtain rail main body 11 and the outer periphery of auxiliary member 41 when inserted into the first through hole 12.

[0020] A fourth aspect of the present invention is an invention based on the first to third aspects, and is characterized in that auxiliary member 41 further has a cavity 44 within its main body for reducing the pressure resistance generated between the inner surface of curtain rail main body 11 and the outer surface of auxiliary member 41 when inserted into first through hole 12, and the pressure resistance generated between the surface of protrusion portion 24 and the inner surface of auxiliary member 41 when shaft portion 23 rotates.

[0021] A fifth aspect of the present invention is an invention based on the first to fourth aspects, characterized in that the second through hole 42 is further provided with a stopper 42c for preventing rotation in the direction opposite to the rotation direction of the shaft portion 23.

[0022] A sixth aspect of the present invention is an invention based on the first to fifth aspects, and is characterized in that auxiliary member 41 is formed so that a part of its inner diameter is widest at the initial position where shaft portion 23 is inserted, and narrows as protrusion portion 24 moves toward recess 42a as shaft portion 23 rotates.

[0023] A seventh aspect of the present invention is the invention based on the first to sixth aspects, characterized in that second through-hole 42 is further provided with convex portion 42b adjacent to concave portion 42a.

[0024] An eighth aspect of the present invention is an invention based on the first to seventh aspects, characterized in that the auxiliary member 41 is formed so that its outer diameter is larger than the inner diameter of the curtain rail body 11. Effect of the Invention

[0025] The end cap fixing mechanism according to the first aspect of the present invention includes an end cap body, an axial portion provided at one end thereof, and a protruding portion provided on the outer circumferential surface of the axial portion, and further includes an auxiliary member made of an elastic material, the outer diameter of which is large enough to be inserted into a first through hole of the curtain rail body. The auxiliary member has a second through hole in the center through which the axial portion is inserted and through which the auxiliary member is attached to the axial portion in a rotatable state, and the second through hole has a recess corresponding to the shape of the protruding portion. In the fixing mechanism configured in this way, after the axial portion to which the auxiliary member is attached is inserted into the first through hole, the end cap body is held and the axial portion is rotated around the axial portion as the rotation axis, and the protruding portion is fitted into the recess, whereby the outer circumferential surface of the axial portion and the inner circumferential surface of the auxiliary member, and the outer circumferential surface of the auxiliary member and the inner circumferential surface of the curtain rail body can be pressed against each other.

[0026] In the end cap fixing mechanism according to the second aspect of the present invention, the shaft with the auxiliary member attached thereto is inserted into the first through hole, and then the shaft is rotated around the shaft center as the axis of rotation while holding the end cap body, and the protrusion is fitted into the recess, thereby pressing the surface of the protrusion against the inner circumferential surface of the auxiliary member, and the outer circumferential surface of the auxiliary member against the inner circumferential surface of the curtain rail body, respectively, to fix the end cap at the end of the curtain rail body. Therefore, the end cap can be easily and reliably fixed without the need for tools, etc. Furthermore, since mounting screws, etc. are not exposed on the outside, the appearance of the end cap is not marred.

[0027] In the end cap fixing mechanism according to the third aspect of the present invention, a slit is provided on the outer periphery of the main body of the auxiliary member, which reduces the pressure resistance that occurs between the inner periphery of the curtain rail main body and the outer periphery of the auxiliary member when the auxiliary member is inserted into the first through hole, making it easy to attach the end cap fixing mechanism to a curtain rail main body whose inner diameter is somewhat smaller than the desired diameter.

[0028] In the end cap fixing mechanism according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, a cavity is provided inside the main body of the auxiliary member. This can reduce the pressure resistance that occurs between the inner circumferential surface of the curtain rail main body and the outer circumferential surface of the auxiliary member when the auxiliary member is inserted into the first through hole, and the pressure resistance that occurs between the surface of the protruding portion and the inner circumferential surface of the auxiliary member when the shaft portion is rotated. This allows the end cap to be easily attached to a curtain rail main body having an inner diameter that is somewhat smaller than the desired diameter, and allows the shaft portion to be rotated to the desired position without applying a large force to easily fix the end cap.

[0029] In the end cap fixing mechanism according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, a stopper is provided in the second through hole, which allows the shaft to rotate in only one direction and prevents rotation in the opposite direction, thereby preventing erroneous operation during installation or removal.

[0030] In the end cap fixing mechanism according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the auxiliary member is formed so that a part of its inner diameter is widest at the initial position where the shaft is inserted, and narrows as the protruding portion moves toward the recess as the shaft rotates. This makes it easy to attach the auxiliary member to the shaft during assembly work. In addition, when the shaft is rotated, the pressing force applied to the inner peripheral surface of the auxiliary member and further to the inner peripheral surface of the curtain rail body can be controlled so as to gradually increase according to the amount of rotation, so that the final amount of rotation of the shaft can be adjusted by adjusting the position where the recess is provided, and the pressing force at the fixed position can also be easily adjusted. In addition, it is possible to avoid a large load being suddenly applied to each member, thereby further improving the damage prevention effect.

[0031] In the end cap fixing mechanism according to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the second through hole is further provided with a convex portion adjacent to the concave portion. This allows the user to feel that the protruding portion has overcome the convex portion and fitted into the concave portion as the shaft portion rotates. This makes it easy to know when the end cap is fixed to the end of the curtain rail main body during the assembly process, and prevents damage to the end cap due to incorrect operation.

[0032] In the end cap fixing mechanism according to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the auxiliary member is formed with an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the curtain rail body. By forming the outer diameter of the auxiliary member larger than the inner diameter of the curtain rail body in this way, after insertion into the first through hole, the outer peripheral surface of the auxiliary member made of an elastic material presses against the inner peripheral surface of the curtain rail body. This makes it possible to prevent the auxiliary member itself from rotating when the shaft portion rotates, etc. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0033] [Figure 1] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing components of the end cap fixing mechanism according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 13 is a side view showing an end cap with an auxiliary member attached to a shaft portion. FIG. [Diagram 3] 13 is another side view showing the end cap with the auxiliary member attached to the shaft portion. FIG. [Figure 4] 13 is a front view showing an end cap with an auxiliary member attached to a shaft portion. FIG. [Diagram 5] 1 is a side view showing a curtain rail with an end cap body fixed to an end portion. FIG. [Figure 6] 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in FIG. 5, showing a state in which the shaft portion has been rotated from an initial position to a fixed position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0034] Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Fig. 1, the fixing mechanism of the end cap 21 of the embodiment of the present invention includes a cylindrical curtain rail main body 11 and an end cap 21 attached to the end of the curtain rail main body 11 as its components.

[0035] The curtain rail body 11 is generally made of metal such as aluminum alloy or stainless steel, plastic, or wood, which is molded into a cylindrical shape, but the fixing mechanism of the embodiment of the present invention is not particularly limited to the material of the curtain rail body 11, and the above-mentioned general materials can be used. In this specification, a cylindrical shape refers to a thin rod-like pipe-like shape with a hollowed-out center and a through hole (hereinafter referred to as the first through hole 12). In addition, it is not limited to a cylindrical shape as shown in Fig. 1, but also includes a square cylindrical shape.

[0036] In addition, a plurality of ring-type sliders (not shown) are loosely fitted in the curtain rail body 11 when in use. These sliders move on the curtain rail while holding the upper edge of the curtain, allowing the curtain to be opened and closed. The outer and inner diameters of the curtain rail body 11 are not particularly limited as long as they have the strength to withstand the weight of the curtain held by the sliders, and are generally several centimeters to several tens of centimeters. In this specification, the diameter refers to the diameter in the case of a cylindrical shape, and refers to the thickness in the case of a square tube shape, etc. The length of the curtain rail body 11 is adjusted appropriately according to the width of the window frame in which it is installed, etc.

[0037] A pair of end caps 21 of the same shape are normally attached to the left and right ends of the curtain rail body 11, but these can be appropriately selected and adjusted depending on the application and the dimensional difference between the left and right ends, and for example, end cap bodies 22 with different shapes can be used for the left and right ends. Note that the principles and operating procedures of the fixing mechanism in this embodiment of the present invention are almost the same for the left and right ends of the curtain rail body 11, so in this embodiment, a case in which the end cap 21 is fixed to one end of the curtain rail body 11 will be described.

[0038] The end cap 21 has an end cap body 22 and a shaft portion 23. The end cap body 22 closes the end faces of the curtain rail body 11 and prevents the slider from coming off from the left and right ends of the curtain rail body 11. For this reason, it is desirable that the end cap body 22 is larger than the outer diameter of the curtain rail body 11 and larger than the ring diameter of the slider. In addition, the end cap body 22 can be molded into various shapes to give decorativeness to the left and right ends of the curtain rail body 11. The shape of the end cap body 22 is not limited to a cylindrical shape as shown in FIG. 1, etc., but may be formed into an approximately spherical shape, an approximately oval spherical shape, an approximately arrowhead shape, or other shapes.

[0039] The material of the end cap 21 is not particularly limited, but is preferably made of a plastic material such as a thermoplastic resin, because it can be easily processed into a desired shape by injection molding or the like and can ensure a certain level of strength.

[0040] The shaft portion 23 is provided at one end of the end cap body 22 on the side where it is attached to the curtain rail body 11. For example, when the end cap 21 is molded, the shaft portion 23 can be integrally formed with the end cap body 22 by injection molding or the like. Alternatively, the end cap body 22 and the shaft portion 23 may be molded separately and then joined by welding or other general joining means or methods. In this case, the end cap body 22 and the shaft portion 23 may be molded from different materials. As described later, the shaft portion 23 is preferably cylindrical because it is rotated to fix the end cap 21 after being inserted into the first through hole 12. The shaft portion 23 is inserted into the first through hole 12 after the auxiliary member 41 described later is attached, so the diameter of the shaft portion 23 is formed to be smaller than at least the inner diameter of the curtain rail body 11 (the diameter of the first through hole) and the inner diameter of the auxiliary member 41 (the diameter of the second through hole).

[0041] On the other hand, as long as the torsional strength of shaft portion 23 is sufficient to prevent it from breaking when rotated, etc., the diameter of shaft portion 23 may be formed relatively small, and can be determined appropriately taking into consideration the type of material used to form shaft portion 23, the torsional strength, etc.

[0042] In addition, in order to facilitate insertion into the second through-hole 42 when attaching the auxiliary member 41 described below, it is desirable that the corners of the tip of the shaft portion 23 are chamfered as shown in Figures 1 to 4. In addition, after the auxiliary member 41 is attached, in order to prevent the auxiliary member 41 from coming off the shaft portion 23, a retaining ring 61 such as an e-ring is fitted into a predetermined position from the tip of the shaft portion 23. For this reason, a groove for fixing the retaining ring 61 is provided at that position.

[0043] A protrusion 24 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion 23 along the axial direction of the shaft portion 23. As shown in Fig. 1, the protrusion 24 is desirably formed so as to extend in a straight line along the axial direction of the shaft portion 23. The length (axial length) of the protrusion 24 is desirably adjusted to the same length as the length of the auxiliary member 41 described below. Note that, for example, a configuration may be used in which a plurality of short protrusions 24 are arranged in a straight line at regular intervals to form a single protrusion 24 as a whole.

[0044] Moreover, protrusion portion 24 has a predetermined height (the Y-axis direction in the state of FIG. 4, i.e., the height from the outer peripheral surface of shaft portion 23 in the radial direction) and width (the X-axis direction in the state of FIG. 4, i.e., the width in the tangential direction), and in order to reduce frictional resistance, etc. acting on the surface of protrusion portion 24 during rotation, it is preferable that the surface be rounded.

[0045] In addition, taking into consideration the balance of pressure resistance acting on the surface of protrusion portion 24 during rotation and rotation balance, it is preferable to arrange at least two protrusion portions 24 in opposing positions across the center of shaft portion 23, as shown in Figure 6, and it is preferable that the length, height, and width of the two protrusion portions 24 be the same size.

[0046] In addition to the curtain rail main body 11 and end cap 21, the fixing mechanism of the end cap 21 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes an auxiliary member 41 shown in Figs. 1 to 4 and 6 as a constituent member. The auxiliary member 41 is a cylindrical member with a second through hole 42 formed in the center. Note that in Fig. 6, the outer shape of the cross section of the auxiliary member 41 is circular, but if the curtain rail is rectangular in shape, i.e., if the cross section of the first through hole 12 is, for example, rectangular, the auxiliary member 41 can also have a shape appropriate therefor.

[0047] The auxiliary member 41 is made of an elastic material. The elastic material is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a thermoplastic elastomer. The auxiliary member 41 can be formed of such an elastic material, preferably by injection molding.

[0048] The outer diameter of the auxiliary member 41 is formed to a size that allows it to be inserted into the first through hole 12 of the curtain rail main body 11. Here, since the auxiliary member 41 is an elastic member, even if the outer diameter of the auxiliary member 41 is slightly larger than the inner diameter of the curtain rail main body 11, i.e., the diameter of the first through hole 12, it can be inserted into the first through hole 12. If the outer diameter of the auxiliary member 41 is formed to be larger than the inner diameter of the curtain rail main body 11, after it is inserted into the first through hole 12, the outer peripheral surface of the auxiliary member 41 presses the inner peripheral surface of the curtain rail main body 11. This makes it easier to prevent the auxiliary member 41 itself from rotating together with the shaft portion 23 when the shaft portion 23 rotates, etc.

[0049] For this reason, it is preferable that the outer diameter of the auxiliary member 41 is larger than the inner diameter of the curtain rail main body 11. Specifically, although it depends on the elastic material used, when the above-mentioned elastic material is used, the outer diameter N of the auxiliary member 41 is preferably (1.001 to 1.05) × M, and more preferably (1.005 to 1.04) × M, where M is the diameter of the first through hole 12. If the outer diameter N of the auxiliary member 41 is extremely smaller than the diameter M of the first through hole 12, the auxiliary member 41 may rotate in the first through hole 12, and the fixing of the end cap 21 may become unstable. On the other hand, if the outer diameter N of the auxiliary member 41 is significantly larger than the diameter M of the first through hole 12, the assembly work becomes difficult, and the pressing force from the outer peripheral surface of the auxiliary member 41 becomes excessive, which may cause deformation or damage to the curtain rail main body 11.

[0050] The auxiliary member 41 is provided at its center with a second through hole 42, and is configured so that the shaft portion 23 can be inserted and penetrated through the center of the auxiliary member 41, and the auxiliary member 41 can be attached to the shaft portion 23 in a state in which the shaft portion 23 can rotate. The auxiliary member 41 is attached to the shaft portion 23 by first inserting the shaft portion 23 into the second through hole 42 and penetrating it, as shown in Figs. 1 to 4, and then fitting a retaining ring 61 to the tip of the shaft portion 23 protruding from the main body of the auxiliary member 41. The retaining ring 61 is fixed by a groove provided at a predetermined position at the tip of the shaft portion 23, so that the shaft portion 23 is attached so that it cannot be pulled out of the auxiliary member 41 even if the end cap 21 is pulled. The retaining ring 61 is not limited to an e-ring as shown in Figs. 1 to 4, and may be a push nut or the like. The position at which the groove is provided at the tip of the shaft portion 23, i.e., the position at which the retaining ring 61 is fixed, can be appropriately adjusted according to the length (width in the axial direction) of the auxiliary member 41, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. At this time, in order to ensure smooth rotation of the shaft portion 23 and to prevent any rattling or the like from occurring in the end cap 21 after fixing, the distance from the base of the shaft portion 23 to the position where the retaining ring 61 is fixed is determined taking into consideration the length of the auxiliary member 41 to be used.

[0051] The second through hole 42 is provided with a recess 42a corresponding to the shape of the protruding portion 24. The shape of the recess 42a does not need to completely match the tip shape of the protruding portion 24, but only needs to be able to cover a part of the tip of the protruding portion 24 and not to allow the protruding portion 24 to easily come off the recess 42a. The shaft portion 23 is rotated about the center of the shaft portion 23 as the rotation axis by a predetermined amount from the initial position, and the protruding portion 24 fits into the recess 42a, so that the rotation of the shaft portion 23 stops at the fixed position. The initial position refers to the position where the shaft portion 23 is first inserted into the second through hole 42 when the auxiliary member 41 is attached to the shaft portion 23. The fixed position refers to the position where the rotation of the shaft portion 23 is finally stopped by fitting the protruding portion 24 into the recess 42a.

[0052] The inner diameter of the auxiliary member 41, i.e., the diameter of the second through hole 42, is composed of a small diameter equivalent to the outer diameter of the shaft portion 23 and a large diameter equivalent to the diameter obtained by adding the height of the protruding portion 24 to the outer diameter of the shaft portion 23. Note that, regarding the small diameter, the meaning of "corresponding to the outer diameter of the shaft portion 23" does not only mean that it is the same as the outer diameter of the shaft portion 23, but also means that it may be slightly larger or smaller than the outer diameter of the shaft portion 23 as long as the elasticity of the auxiliary member 41 allows the shaft portion 23 to be easily inserted and ensures smooth and stable rotational movement. The same meaning is also applied to the large diameter. In order to ensure smooth and stable rotational movement of the shaft portion 23, it is preferable that the shape of the shaft portion 23 excluding the protruding portion 24 is usually a columnar shape whose cross section is a perfect circle. For this reason, it is preferable that the small diameter of the second through hole 42 corresponds to this and is formed in the same shape.

[0053] On the other hand, the large diameter of the second through hole 42 is preferably formed so as to be widest at the initial position described above and to become narrower from the initial position toward the recess 42a along the rotation direction of the shaft portion 23. That is, the large diameter portion of the second through hole 42 is preferably formed in a cylindrical shape with an elliptical cross section so as to be widest at the initial position described above and to become narrower toward the protrusion 24.

[0054] In this way, the large diameter of the second through hole 42 is formed to be the widest in the initial position, so that by inserting the shaft 23 into the second through hole 42 so that the protrusion 24 is located in the initial position, the auxiliary member 41 can be easily attached to the shaft 23. Furthermore, when the protrusion 24 is in the initial position, the surface of the protrusion 24 does not exert much pressure on the inner peripheral surface of the auxiliary member 41, so the pressure exerted from the outer peripheral surface of the auxiliary member 41 to the inner peripheral surface of the curtain rail main body 11 is also weak. Therefore, when the protrusion 24 is in the initial position, the end cap 21 can be easily attached and detached.

[0055] In addition, the large diameter of the second through hole 42 is formed so that the diameter becomes narrower from the initial position toward the recess 42a along the rotation direction of the shaft 23. Therefore, the pressing force from the surface of the protruding portion 24 to the inner peripheral surface of the auxiliary member 41 and the pressing force from the outer peripheral surface of the auxiliary member 41 to the inner peripheral surface of the curtain rail main body 11 can be gradually increased according to the amount of rotation of the shaft 23. Therefore, by adjusting the position where the recess 42a is provided, the final amount of rotation of the shaft 23 can be adjusted, and the pressing force at the fixed position can also be easily adjusted. In addition, since it is possible to avoid a large load being suddenly applied to each member, the damage prevention effect can be further improved.

[0056] As a result, the large diameter portion of the second through hole 42 is configured to be narrowest at the above-mentioned fixed position, so that the pressing force applied to the inner surface of the curtain rail main body 11 is controlled to be maximized at that fixed position, thereby enabling the end cap 21 to be securely fixed.

[0057] Next, the process of inserting end cap 21 after attachment of auxiliary member 41 shown in Figures 2 to 4 into first through hole 12 and fixing it to the end of curtain rail 11 will be described with reference to Figure 6. In assembling end cap 21, after auxiliary member 41 is attached to shaft portion 23, first, as shown in Figure 6(a), with protruding portion 24 in the initial position described above, shaft portion 23 is inserted into first through hole 12.

[0058] At this time, the pressing force from the outer surface of auxiliary member 41 to the inner surface of curtain rail main body 11, which is generated by the pressing force from the surface of protrusion 24 to the inner surface of auxiliary member 41, is at its weakest due to the above-mentioned configuration, so shaft portion 23 with auxiliary member 41 attached can be easily inserted. In addition, slits 43 as shown in Figures 3 and 6 can be provided on the outer periphery of the main body of auxiliary member 41. This makes auxiliary member 41 made of an elastic material easier to contract, and reduces the pressure resistance generated between the inner surface of curtain rail main body 11 and the outer periphery of auxiliary member 41 during insertion, making it easier to insert into first through hole 12.

[0059] Furthermore, a cavity 44 as shown in FIG. 6 can be provided inside the main body of the auxiliary member 41, i.e., in a portion other than the center where the second through hole 42 is formed. This promotes the contraction of the auxiliary member 41 made of an elastic material, as with the above-mentioned slit 43, and reduces the pressure resistance generated between the inner peripheral surface of the curtain rail main body 11 and the outer peripheral surface of the auxiliary member 41 during insertion, making it easier to insert the auxiliary member 41 into the first through hole 12. This cavity 44 can also reduce the pressure resistance generated between the surface of the protruding portion 24 and the inner peripheral surface of the auxiliary member 41 during rotation of the shaft portion 23 in the next process. The radial width of the cavity 44 is preferably 1 mm or more in terms of molding. The upper limit is not particularly limited, and although it depends on the size of the auxiliary member 41 used, it is preferable to set it to, for example, 5 mm or less.

[0060] Next, the shaft 23 is gradually rotated (FIGS. 6(b) and 6(c)) from the state where the protrusion 24 is in the initial position (FIG. 6(a)). At this time, it is preferable that a stopper 42c is provided in the second through hole 42. This allows the shaft 23 to rotate in only one direction and prevents rotation in the opposite direction, thereby preventing erroneous operation when attaching or removing the end cap 21. The stopper 42c can be easily provided by the step between the small diameter and the large diameter of the second through hole 42 described above. Here, the shaft 23 shown in FIG. 6(c) has a larger rotation amount of the shaft 23 from the initial position than the shaft 23 shown in FIG. 6(b), so the pressing force from the outer surface of the auxiliary member 41 to the inner surface of the curtain rail main body 11 caused by the pressing force from the surface of the protrusion 24 to the inner surface of the auxiliary member 41 is larger.

[0061] Finally, as shown in FIG. 6(d), the shaft 23 is rotated to the above-mentioned fixed position, and the protrusion 24 is fitted into the recess 42a, and then the rotation of the shaft 23 is stopped. It is preferable that the second through hole 42 is provided with a protrusion 42b at a position adjacent to the recess 42a (a position on the front side where the protrusion 24 is fitted into the recess 42a by the rotation of the shaft 23). This allows the hand of a person holding the end cap body 22 to feel that the protrusion 24 has climbed over the protrusion 42b and fitted into the recess 42a when the shaft 23 is rotated to the fixed position. Therefore, during the assembly work, it is easy to sense that the end cap 21 has been fixed at the end of the curtain rail body 11, and damage to the end cap 21 due to erroneous operation can be prevented.

[0062] Through the above steps, the end cap 21 can be easily and securely fixed to the end of the curtain rail body 11 without compromising the appearance. Even if the inner diameter of the curtain rail varies to some extent from rail to rail, it can be flexibly accommodated by using materials of the same dimensions. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent damage to the end cap 21 due to incorrect operation. The end cap can be easily removed by performing the above operations in the reverse order. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 11 Curtain rail body 12 First Through Hole 21 End Cap 22 End cap body 23 Shaft 24 Protruding part 41 Auxiliary Materials 42 Second Passage 42a Recess 42b Convex 42c Stopper 43 Slit 44 Cavity 61 Retaining ring

Claims

1. A curtain rail end cap fixing mechanism includes a cylindrical curtain rail body and an end cap attached to an end of the curtain rail body, The end cap has an end cap body that closes an end face of the curtain rail body, a shaft portion provided at one end of the end cap body that is attached to the curtain rail body, and a protruding portion provided on an outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion along an axial direction of the shaft portion, The fixing mechanism further includes an auxiliary member having an outer diameter large enough to be inserted into the first through hole of the curtain rail body and made of an elastic material; the auxiliary member has a second through hole in the center through which the shaft portion is inserted and penetrated, and the auxiliary member is attached to the shaft portion in a rotatable state; The second through hole is provided with a recess corresponding to the shape of the protrusion, and is configured such that at least a part of the tip of the protrusion is covered by the recess when the protrusion is fitted into the recess. The end cap fixing mechanism for a curtain rail is characterized by the above.

2. 2. The end cap fixing mechanism for a curtain rail as described in claim 1, wherein the shaft portion with the auxiliary member attached thereto is inserted into the first through hole, and then the end cap body is held and the shaft portion is rotated around the center of the shaft portion as a rotation axis, thereby fitting the protrusion portion into the recess, thereby pressing the surface of the protrusion portion against the inner surface of the auxiliary member, and the outer surface of the auxiliary member against the inner surface of the curtain rail main body, respectively, thereby fixing the end cap at the end of the curtain rail main body.

3. 3. The end cap fixing mechanism for a curtain rail as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the auxiliary member further has a slit on the outer periphery of its main body to reduce the pressure resistance that occurs between the inner surface of the curtain rail main body and the outer periphery of the auxiliary member when inserted into the first through hole.

4. A curtain rail end cap fixing mechanism as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the auxiliary member further has a cavity within its main body that relieves the pressure resistance that occurs between the inner surface of the curtain rail main body and the outer surface of the auxiliary member when inserted into the first through hole, and the pressure resistance that occurs between the surface of the protrusion and the inner surface of the auxiliary member when the shaft portion rotates.

5. The end cap fixing mechanism for a curtain rail according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the second through hole is further provided with a stopper for preventing rotation in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the shaft portion.

6. The end cap fixing mechanism for a curtain rail described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the auxiliary member is formed so that a portion of its inner diameter is widest at the initial position where the shaft portion is inserted, and narrows as the shaft portion rotates, causing the protrusion portion to move toward the recess.

7. The end cap fixing mechanism for a curtain rail according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the second through hole is further provided with a protrusion adjacent to the recess.

8. 8. The end cap fixing mechanism for a curtain rail according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary member has an outer diameter larger than an inner diameter of the curtain rail body.

Images