Roller shade mounting system

Abstract

A roller shade mounting system includes a pair of assemblies for limiting sagging in a roller shade tube. The assembly includes a single bearing supported by a shaft to position the bearing at a distance from an end of the tube. Alternatively, the assembly includes a bearing pair supported by a shaft to define spaced support points for applying a reaction moment the roller tube. The assembly further includes an attachment member secured to the shaft at a first end and to the structure at an opposite second end, either directly, or to a mounting bracket secured to the structure. The mounting assembly may further include a deflection adjustment member engaging the attachment member and a fixed support member to provide variable control of roller tube deflection.

1 . A system for mounting a shade roller including a roller tube having opposite ends, the mounting system comprising: 
 a bearing receivable within an interior defined by an end portion of the roller tube and adapted for engagement therewith to define a support point for rotatably supporting the tube, the support point defining one end of an unsupported length of the roller tube that includes a central portion of the tube; and    an elongated bearing support member having opposite first and second ends and receivable within the roller tube end portion, the bearing connected to the bearing support member adjacent the first end of the bearing support member, the bearing support member receivable within the tube interior to position the bearing at a distance from each of the opposite ends of the roller tube, the distance between the bearing and each of the opposite ends of the roller tube being greater than or equal to about one-sixth of an overall length of the roller tube so as to be sufficient to reduce the unsupported length of the roller tube such that sagging deflection of the roller tube is limited.    
   
   
       2 . The mounting system according to  claim 1  comprising a pair of bearing support members each supporting a bearing.  
   
   
       3 . The mounting system according to  claim 1  further comprising an end plate secured to the second end of the bearing support member and an elongated attachment member having opposite first and second ends, the first end of the attachment member connected to the end plate to extend longitudinally with respect to the roller tube and adapted for attachment to a fixed support member.  
   
   
       4 . A system for rotatably supporting a roller tube having opposite ends, the system including a pair of mounting assemblies each comprising: 
 first and second bearings receivable within an interior defined by an end portion the roller tube and adapted to engage the tube for rotatably supporting the tube;    an elongated bearing support member supporting the first and second bearings for engagement with the roller tube at spaced locations within the interior of the tube end portion; and    a tube end support assembly secured to the bearing support member and attachable to a fixed support, the tube end support assembly adapted to pivot with respect to the fixed support in response to tube loading such that a moment is applied to the roller tube end portion to limit sagging of the roller tube.    
   
   
       5 . The system according to  claim 4 , wherein the bearing support member of each mounting assembly has opposite first and second ends and wherein each tube end support assembly includes an end plate secured to the second end of the bearing support member and an elongated attachment member having opposite first and second ends, the first end of the attachment member connected to the end plate to extend longitudinally with respect to the roller tube, the tube end support assembly further including at least one mounting member for attaching the attachment member to the fixed support adjacent the second end of the attachment member, the at least one mounting member adapted to permit pivoting of the attachment member with respect to the fixed support.  
   
   
       6 . The system according to  claim 5 , wherein the at least one mounting member for each mounting assembly includes a bracket adapted for attachment to the fixed structure by at least one threaded fastener, the attachment member pivotably connected to the bracket adjacent the second end of the attachment member.  
   
   
       7 . A system for mounting a shade roller including a roller tube having opposite ends, the mounting system including a pair of assemblies each comprising: 
 at least one bearing receivable within an end portion of the roller tube to define a support point for rotatably supporting the tube;    a bearing support shaft having opposite first and second ends, the bearing support shaft adapted to rotatably support the bearing; and    an end support assembly secured to the bearing support shaft and attachable to a fixed support, the end support assembly adapted to pivot with respect to the fixed support in response to tube loading to apply a moment to the roller tube end portion that limits sagging deflection in the roller tube.    
   
   
       8 . A system for mounting a shade roller including a roller tube having opposite ends, the mounting system comprising: 
 at least one bearing receivable within an interior defined by an end portion of the roller tube and adapted for engagement therewith to define a support point for rotatably supporting the tube, the support point defining one end of an unsupported length of the roller tube that includes a central portion of the tube; and    an elongated bearing support member having opposite first and second ends and receivable within the roller tube end portion, the at least one bearing connected to the bearing support member adjacent the first end of the bearing support member, the bearing support member receivable within the tube interior to position the bearing at a distance from each of the opposite ends of the roller tube, the distance between the bearing and each of the opposite ends of the roller tube being sufficient to reduce the unsupported length of the roller tube such that sagging deflection of the roller tube is limited to about ten percent or less of what the sagging deflection of the roller tube would have been if substantially the entire length of the roller tube was unsupported.    
   
   
       9 . The mounting system according to  claim 8  further comprising an end plate secured to the second end of the bearing support member and an elongated attachment member having opposite first and second ends, the first end of the attachment member connected to the end plate to extend longitudinally with respect to the roller tube and adapted for attachment to a fixed support member.  
   
   
       10 . The mounting system according to  claim 9 , wherein the attachment member is secured to a shade mounting bracket adjacent the second end of the attachment member, the shade mounting bracket adapted for attachment to a fixed surface.