Room Darkening Curtain System

Abstract

There is disclosed a curtain rod system including an inner rod and an outer rod for mounting at a window. The outer rod is mounted substantially parallel to the inner rod along the length thereof and spaced apart from the inner rod forming a gap therebetween. A first portion of a drape is anchored to the inner rod and a second portion of the drape is laid over the outer rod to span the gap between the inner and outer rods.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A curtain rod system for supporting a drape comprising:
 an inner rod for mounting at a window on a mounting surface and providing an anchor for a first portion a drape, the inner rod including a hollow tube; and   an outer rod for mounting to the mounting surface substantially parallel to the inner rod along the length thereof and spaced apart from the inner rod to form a first gap therebetween and providing support for a second portion of the drape such that the drape overlies the gap to substantially prevent light from passing through the gap, the outer rod including a hollow tube.   
     
     
         2 . A curtain rod system of  claim 1  further comprising a drape including a first portion anchored to the inner rod and a second portion laid over the outer rod to span the first gap between the inner rod and outer rod. 
     
     
         3 . A curtain rod system of  claim 2  wherein the drape includes a darkening component creating at least a  40 % increase in weight over an equivalent drape without such darkening component. 
     
     
         4 . The curtain rod system of  claim 1  wherein the ends of the inner rod are mountable at a window on a mounting surface via adjustable elbows. 
     
     
         5 . The curtain rod system of  claim 2  wherein each adjustable elbow includes base portion to support an end of the inner rod and a connection portion substantially perpendicular to the base portion used in mounting the elbow at a window on a mounting surface at a plurality of positions to set a distance between the inner rod and the mounting surface. 
     
     
         6 . The curtain rod system of  claim 2  wherein the inner rod and a mounting surface at a window forms a second gap for the first portion of a drape to extend into. 
     
     
         7 . The curtain rod system of  claim 1  further comprising first and second mounting brackets, each including an attachment portion and an inner support arm, the first mounting bracket being capable of being attached to a mounting surface using the attachment portion and supporting a first end of the inner rod via the inner support arm, and the second mounting bracket being capable of being attached to a mounting surface using the attachment portion and supporting a second end of the inner rod via the inner support arm. 
     
     
         8 . The curtain rod system of  claim 1  wherein the first and second mounting brackets each include a base being separate from the attachment portion and capable of being mounted to a surface, the base including a set of opposing edges that are received in complementary grooves defined by the attachment portion to mount the attachment portion the base. 
     
     
         9 . The curtain rod system of  claim 7  further comprising a first elbow connector having an base for connecting to the first end of the inner rod and having a socket at an angle to the base for receiving at least a portion of the inner support arm of the first mounting bracket. 
     
     
         10 . The curtain rod system of  claim 9  wherein the connection portion of the first elbow connector is adjustably connected to the inner support arm of the first mounting bracket to set the distance between the first end of the inner rod and a mounting surface. 
     
     
         11 . The curtain rod system of  claim 10  wherein the inner support arm of the first mounting bracket is a tab extending from the attachment portion of the first mounting bracket, the tab defining a plurality of holes in a linear series, the first elbow connector defining a hole at the socket configured to be aligned with any one of the plurality of holes of the first mounting bracket tab to set the distance between the first end of the inner rod and a mounting surface. 
     
     
         12 . The curtain rod system of  claim 7  further comprising a center support bracket including a support arm that are capable of engaging the inner and outer rods to provide support thereto. 
     
     
         13 . The curtain rod system of  claim 12  wherein the support arm of the center support bracket defines a plurality of overlapping holes, each overlapping circular hole sized to receive the inner rod therethrough to set a distance between the inner rod and a mounting surface. 
     
     
         14 . The curtain rod system of  claim 1  wherein the length of the inner rod and the outer rod are adjustable, the inner rod and outer rods each comprising a first rod and a second rod sized to be slidingly received within the first rod. 
     
     
         15 . The curtain rod system of  claim 1  wherein each of the inner rod and the outer rod comprise an intermediate rod. 
     
     
         16 . The curtain rod system of  claim 1  wherein the end portions of the outer rod are curved to allow the drape to be along a mounting surface along a window. 
     
     
         17 . A method of installing a curtain rod system, the method comprising:
 attaching a drape to an inner rod, the inner rod including a hollow tube;   mounting the inner rod to a mounting surface at a top portion of a window;   mounting an outer rod to the mounting surface such that the outer rod is substantially parallel to the inner rod along the length thereof, the outer rod being spaced apart from the inner rod to form a gap therebetween, the outer rod including a hollow tube; and   laying the drape over the outer rod such that the drape spans the gap between the inner and outer rods.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising adjusting the distance between the inner rod and the mounting surface to allow for the drape to be moved substantially to one end of the inner rod. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising adjusting the length of the inner and outer rods. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17  wherein mounting the inner rod to a mounting surface includes:
 mounting a first mounting bracket at a left side of the window; 
 mounting a second mounting bracket at a right side of the window; and 
 attaching the inner rod to the first and second mounting brackets. 
 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20  wherein attaching the inner rod to the first and second mounting brackets includes:
 attaching a first elbow connector to a first end of the inner rod and attaching the first elbow connector to the first mounting bracket; and 
 attaching a second elbow connector to a second end of the inner rod and attaching the second elbow connector to the second mounting bracket. 
 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  further comprising adjusting the distance between the inner rod and the mounting surface by adjusting the attachment point of the first elbow connector to the first mounting bracket and adjusting the attachment point of the second elbow connector to the second mounting bracket. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20  wherein mounting the outer rod to the mounting surface includes attaching the outer rod to the first and second mounting brackets. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising the steps of:
 mounting a center support bracket to the mounting surface at the top portion of a window; and 
 connecting the inner and outer rods to the center support bracket.