Patent Grant
9850704
This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2016-0045159, filed on Apr. 12, 2016, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The present invention relates to an under-structure of a blind apparatus and a blind apparatus having the same and, more particularly, to an under-structure of a blind apparatus that can adjust the length of a screen, and a blind apparatus having the under-structure of a blind apparatus.
In general, a blind apparatus is installed in space with windows or window walls such as a dining room, a room, and an office to shut out light, hinder vision, or adjust the amount of light traveling inside. In most blind apparatuses, an end of a screen is fixed to a roll at the top and the other end is fixed to a roll bar at the bottom so the blind is pulled up or down over a window or a window wall by rolling or unrolling the screen on or from the roll bar, in which the screen is a single screen or a double screen composed of separate screens.
The double screen can adjust the amount of light only when fully unrolled. Accordingly, when the entire length of a window is shorter than the length of a screen fully unrolled, it is required to fully unroll the screen to adjust the amount of light and then roll back up the screen to fit to the entire length of the window.
Therefore, there is a need for a blind apparatus that can adjust the entire length of a screen to fit to the entire length of a window.
Patent Literature 1: Korean Patent No. 10-1357736 (2014, Jan., 24.)
An object of the present invention is to provide an under-structure of a blind apparatus that can adjust the length of a screen.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a blind apparatus that can adjust the length of a screen.
The objects of the present invention are not limited to those described above and other objects not stated herein may be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.
In order to achieve the objects of the present invention, an embodiment of the present invention provides an under-structure of a blind apparatus that includes: a first bar that holds the lower end of a screen; a plug that is coupled to an end of the first bar and has a first through-hole at the center; a second bar that receives the first bar and has a slit through which the screen comes out; a cover that is fixed to an end of the second bar and has a second through-hole communicating with the first through-hole; and a wrench plug that is coupled to the outside of the cover and is fitted in the first through-hole through the second through-hole to transmit torque.
The wrench bar may have a non-circular cross-sectional portion in at least a predetermined section and the first through-hole may have a non-circular cross-section the same as the cross-section of the wrench bar.
The wrench bar may have a prismatic first section and a cylindrical second section extending from the first section.
The wrench bar may have at least one projections protruding outward at the boundary between the first section and the second section.
The wrench bar may apply elasticity to the inner side of the first through-hole by being longitudinally divided into several parts.
The outer diameter at an end of the wrench bar may be larger than the inner diameter of the first through-hole.
At least one fixing hole may be formed at any one of the wrench plug and the cover in the contact surface of the wrench plug and the cover and a fixing protrusion inserted in the fixing hole may be formed at the other one.
The wrench plug may include a flange part extending outward at the end of the wrench bar and an elastic member disposed between the flange part and the plug and transmits elasticity to bring the wrench plug in contact with the cover.
The under-structure may further include a handle that is coupled to the wrench plug and has a grip that is larger in diameter or thickness than the wrench plug.
Another embodiment of the present invention provides a blind apparatus including: a screen; a roll that is fixed to the upper end of the screen to roll up the screen; and the under-structure of a blind apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 9.
The screen may include: a first screen and a second screen attached to different positions on the outer side of the roll and overlapping each other; and a plurality of third screens connecting the first screen and the second screen to each other and arranged in parallel with regular intervals.
The advantages and features of the present invention, and methods of achieving them will be clear by referring to the exemplary embodiments that will be describe hereafter in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described hereafter and may be implemented in various ways, and the exemplary embodiments are provided to complete the description of the present invention and let those skilled in the art completely know the scope of the present invention and the present invention is defined by claims. Like reference numerals denote like elements throughout the descriptions.
An under-structure of a blind apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention and a blind apparatus having the under-structure will be described hereafter in detail with reference to
A blind apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is an apparatus for hinders vision to block the inside from the outside and adjust an amount of light form the outside.
The under-structure of a blind apparatus and the blind apparatus having the under-structure can adjust the entire length of a fully unrolled screen in accordance with the entire length of a window through simple operation without assembling or disassembling. Adjusting the entire length of a fully unrolled screen means adjusting the longitudinal length of the entire screen fully unrolled down. Accordingly, when it is a double screen, it is possible to remove the trouble that it is required to fully unroll down a screen to adjust the amount of light and then roll back up the screen. Further, it is possible to easily remove wrinkles or waves at the lower end or around the lower end of the screen, so the external appearance of the blind apparatus can be improved, and functional deterioration of the blind apparatus due to wrinkles or waves can be prevented.
Hereinafter, an under-structure 1 of a blind apparatus and a blind apparatus 100 having the under-structure will be described in detail with reference to
The under-structure 1 of a blind apparatus according to the present invention, which is connected to the lower end of a screen 2 to unroll down and fix the entire screen 2 using its own weight, includes a first bar 10, a plug 20, a second bar 30, a cover 40, and a wrench plug 50.
The first bar 10, which is a cylindrical member, holds the lower end of the screen 2. The first bar 10, as shown in
The plug 20, a part rotating the first bar using torque from the wrench plug 50 to be described below, as shown in
The plug 20 may be coupled to at least coupling portion 21 protruding toward the first bar 10, and when the plug 20 is separated from the first bar 10, the first end of the first bar 10 can be opened. Accordingly, with the first end of the first bar 10 open, the screen 2 can be more easily inserted into the insertion groove 10a. Although a pair of protruding coupling portions 21 is formed on the plug 20 in the figures, the present invention is not limited thereto and the number and shape of the coupling portion 21 may be variously changed.
The first bar 10 is inserted in disposed in the second bar 30.
The second bar 30 is a hollow cylinder that is larger in diameter of the first bar 10. Accordingly, the first bar 10 can be disposed in the empty space inside the second bar 30. The second bar 30 is not necessarily a cylinder and may be formed an elliptical space having a space inside for keeping the first bar 10, or may be formed in other polygonal bar shapes rather than a cylindrical or an elliptical shape. Further, when there is a sufficient space inside the second bar 30, the first bar 10 may also change in various shapes such as a polygonal bar shape other than the cylindrical shape as long as it can freely change.
The first bar 10 is fully inserted in the second bar 30 and the screen 2 comes out through a slit 30a formed through the outer side of the second bar 30. To this end, the first bar 10 may be smaller in entire length than the second bar 30. The slit 30a may be changed in length in accordance with the width of the screen 2 and may be appropriately changed in width in accordance with the thickness of the screen 2 or the number of screens 2 coupled to the first bar 10.
The cover 40 is fixed to a first end of the second bar 30.
The cover 40 may have a shape corresponding to the transversal cross-section of the second bar 30 and to cover the first end of the second bar 30 and to be open at the top to overlap the slit 30a of the second bar 30. Accordingly, even though the cover 40 is coupled, the screen 2 can freely enter the slit 30a through the top of the cover 40.
The cover 40 has a second through-hole 40a that communicates with the first through-hole 20a. The second through-hole 40a may be formed in a circular shape through the cover 40, as shown in the figures, but may be formed in shapes other than a circle, if necessary. That is, the shape of the second-through-hole 40a is not specifically limited as long as the second through-hole 40a has an appropriate width large enough for a wrench bar 51 of the wrench plug 50 to be described below can be easily inserted into the first through-hole 20a. The minimum diameter of the second through-hole 40a may be larger than the maximum diameter of the first through-hole 20a so that the wrench bar 51 can be easily inserted into the first through-hole 20a through the second through-hole 40a even if the second through-hole 40a is not a circle.
The cover 40 is coupled to the second bar 30 such that the edge protruding toward the second bar 30 in contact with the second bar 30, whereby it can be firmly coupled to the first end of the second bar 30. Further, the cover 40 can be more firmly combined with the second bar 30 by at least fastening protrusions 41 and 42 protruding to the inside of the second bar 30. A pair of first fastening protrusions 41 and a fastening protrusion 42 are formed at over and under the second through-hole 40a, respectively, in the figures, but the present invention is not limited thereto and the positions, numbers, and shapes of the first fastening protrusions 41 and the second fastening portion 42.
The wrench plug 50 is coupled to the outside of the cover 40.
The wrench plug 50, which is provided to apply torque to the plug 20 and the first bar 10, has the wrench bar 51 that is fitted in the first through-hole 20a through the second through-hole 40a to transmit torque. In other words, when the wrench plug 50 is coupled to the outside of the cover 40, the wrench bar 51 is fitted in the first through-hole 20a through the second through-hole 40a of the cover 40, so torque from the wrench plug 50 can be transmitted to the plug 20 and the first bar 10.
The wrench bar 51, as shown in
The wrench bar 51 may have a prismatic first section A and a cylindrical second section B extending from the first section A. Referring to
The wrench bar 51 may have at least one projection 52 protruding outward at the boundary between the first section A and the second section B. As at least one projection 52 that protrudes perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the wrench bar 51 (to the X-direction in
Further, the wrench bar 51 can apply elasticity to the inner side of the first through-hole 20a by being longitudinally divided in several parts. The longitudinal direction means the longitudinal direction of wrench bar 51. As the wrench bar 51 is divided in several parts and applies elasticity to the inner side of the first through-hole 20a, the wrench bar 51 and the first through-hole can be more strongly fitted, so it is possible to easily turn the plug 20 and the first bar 10 even with small force.
The wrench bar 51 has an outer diameter at the end larger than the inner diameter of the first through-hole 20a, so it can prevent the wrench plug 50 from separating from the plug 20.
Fixing holes 40b may be formed at any one of the wrench plug 50 and the cover 40 and fixing protrusions 53 may be formed at the other one. It is assumed hereafter that the fixing holes 40b are formed at the cover 40 and the fixing protrusions 53 are formed at the wrench plug 50.
At least one fixing hole 40b is formed around the second through-hole 40a of the cover 40 through the side being in contact with the wrench plug 50. Although four fixing holes 40b are formed around the second through-hole 40a, the present invention is not limited thereto and the position, number, and shape of the fixing holes 40b may be changed in various ways. The fixing projections 53 are inserted in the fixing hole 40b. The fixing protrusions 53 protrude toward the cover 40 on the side being in contact with the cover 40 and are inserted in the fixing holes 40b, thereby fixing the wrench plug 50. At least one fixing protrusion 53 may be formed outside the wrench bar 51, corresponding to the position, number, and shape of the fixing hole 40b.
A handle 60 is coupled to the outside of the wrench plug 50.
The handle 60, which is provided to operate the wrench plug 50, has a third through-hole 60a at the center for inserting the wrench plug 50. The handle 60 has a grip 61 outside the third through-hole 60a and the grip 61 may be larger in diameter or thickness than the wrench plug 50. As described above, the wrench plug 50 is coupled to the outside of the cover 40. Accordingly, when the wrench plug 50 has a larger diameter or larger thickness, it can be easily operated by a user, but the wrench plug 50 protrudes too much out of the cover 40, so it is likely to be separated from the cover 40 and the external appearance of the blind apparatus 100 is deteriorated.
The under-structure 1 of a blind apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that the wrench plug 50 has a small diameter and a small thickness and the separate handle 60 for operating the wrench plug 50 is provided in order to improve the external appearance of the blind apparatus 100 and enable a user to easily operate the apparatus. The handle 60 is separably coupled to the wrench plug 50. That is, the handle 60 is coupled to the wrench plug 50 to operate the wrench plug 50, but is separated from the wrench plug 50 and stowed after finishing the operation.
Fastening grooves 50a may be formed at any one of the handle 60 and the wrench plug 50 and fastening protrusions 62 may be formed at the other one. It is assumed that the fastening holes 50a are formed at the wrench plug 50 and the fastening protrusions 62 are formed at the handle 60.
At least one fastening groove 50a is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the wrench plug 50, that is, on the surface coming in contact with the handle 60. The fastening hole 50a is recessed on the wrench plug 50 and has a stepped structure, so it can prevent separation of the fastening protrusion 62. Although a four fastening grooves 50a are formed around the outer circumferential surface of the wrench plug 50 in the figures, the present invention is not limited thereto and the number and shape of fastening groves 50a may be variously changed. The fastening protrusions 62 are inserted into the fastening groove 50a. The fastening protrusions 62 are formed on the surface coming in contact with the wrench plug 50, that is, protrude toward the wrench plug 50 inside the third through-hole 60a and are inserted in the fastening grooves 50a, thereby fixing the wrench plug 50 and the cover 40. The fastening protrusion 62 may be formed to correspond to the position, number, and shape of the fastening grooves 50a.
An assistant plug 70 is coupled to a second end of the first bar 10.
The assistant plug 70, which is provided to cover the second end of the first bar 10, has a rotational hole 70a at the center. The rotational hole 70a is formed in a circular shape, unlike the first through-hole 20a, and can hold a rotary shaft 81 formed on the assistant cover 80 such that the rotary shaft 81 can rotate. The rotational hole 70a may also be formed on the rotational center axis of the first bar 10 and the first bar 10 can be more stably rotated by a pair of the rotational hole 70a and the first through-hole 20a on the rotational center axis of the first bar 10.
The assistant cover 80 is coupled to the second end of the second bar 30 where the cover 40 is not coupled, thereby closing the second end of the second bar 30. The rotary shaft 81 protruding toward an end of the first bar 10 may be formed at the center of the assistant cover 80 and may be rotatably inserted in the rotational hole 70a of the assistant plug 70 coupled to the end of the first bar 10. The rotary shaft 81 may be formed in the same shape as the rotational hole 70a. The assistant cover 80 is disposed at the opposite side to the cover 40 in a pair with the cover 40. The assistant cover 80 and the cover 40 may be the same when seen from the outside, but the rotary shaft 81 is formed inside the assistant cover 80, so the assistant cover 80 can support the first bar 10 with the rotary shaft 81 inserted in the rotational hole 70a so that the first bar 10 can stably rotate. That is, the rotary shaft 81, the rotational hole 70a, the first through-hole 20a, and the wrench bar 51 inserted in the first through-hole 20a are all positioned on the rotational center axis of the first bar 10 so that the first bar 10 can easily rotate while maintaining balance.
The edge of assistant cover 80 protruding toward the second bar 30, similar to the cover 40, is contact with the second bar 30, so it can be firmly coupled to the end of the second bar 30. Further, the assistant cover 80 can be more firmly combined with the second bar 30 by at least couplers 82 and 83 protruding to the inside of the second bar 30. A pair of first fastening protrusions 82 and a fastening protrusion 83 are formed at over and under the rotary shaft 81, respectively, in the figures, but the present invention is not limited thereto and the positions, numbers, and shapes of the first fastening protrusions 82 and the second fastening portion 83.
The blind apparatus 100 according to the present invention includes the screen 2, the roll 3, and the under-structure 1 of a blind apparatus.
The screen 2 includes a first screen 2a and a second screen 2b overlapping each other and a plurality of third screens 2c connecting the first screen 2a and the second screen 2b and arranged in parallel with regular intervals. Referring to
For example, when the third screens are 2c are vertically arranged between the first screen 2a and the second screen 2b, light passing through any one of the first screen 2a and the second screen 2b is blocked by the third screens 2c, so it cannot pass through the last one. The third screens 2c are vertically arranged between the first screen 2a and the second screen 2b, but partially overlap each other, so they can block light. In contrast, when the third screens are 2c are horizontally arranged between the first screen 2a and the second screen 2b, light passing through any one of the first screen 2a and the second screen 2b can pass through the last one.
The upper end of the screen 2 is fixed to the roll 3. The roller 3, which fixes the upper end of the screen 2 and rolls up the screen 2, is a bar or a rod having a length corresponding to the width of the screen 2 and is rotatably disposed in a housing 4. The upper ends of the first screen 2a and the second screen 2b are connected longitudinally to both sides of the roll 3, respectively, in which the connected portions of the first screen 2a and the second screen 2b may extend in parallel in the same plane. In other words, the first screen 2a and the second screen 2b are tightly connected to different positions on the roll 3, respectively.
The roll 3 is rotated by a specific opening/closing unit, for example, a chain 5 to roll up the screen 2, in which the chain 5 may be coupled to the connected portions of the first screen 2a and the second screen 2b. Accordingly, when the roll 3 is rotated by pulling the chain, the first screen 2a is moved with respect to the second screen 2b and the third screens 2c are moved with the first screen 2a. The third screens 2c moving with the first screen 2a, as described above, may be vertically or horizontally positioned between the first screen 2a and the second screen 2b, whereby they can pass or block light.
For example, when the chain 5 coupled to the connected portion of the second screen 2b is pulled down, the roll 3 is rotated and the connected portion of the first screen 2a is moved up than the connected portion of the second screen 2b. Accordingly, as the first screen 2a moves up than the second screen 2b, the third screens 2c are moved with the first screen 2a and vertically arranged between the first screen 2a and the second screen 2b. When the third screens 2c are vertically arranged, light is blocked. With light blocked by the third screens 2c, when the chain 5 coupled to the connected portion of the first screen 2a, the roll 3 is rotated and the connected portion of the first screen 2a is moved into the same plane as the connected portion of the second screen 2b. Accordingly, the first screen 2a returns to the initial position and the third screens 2c are horizontally arranged between the first screen 2a and the second screen 2b. When the third screens 2c are horizontally arranged, light is passed.
Hereinafter, the operation of the under-structure 1 of a blind apparatus and a blind apparatus 100 having the under-structure will be described in more detail with reference to
Referring to
The lower end of the screen 2 is fixed to the first bar 10 and the first bar 10 is disposed in the second bar 30. The cover 40 is coupled to an end of the second bar 30, that is, the cover 40 may be coupled to the second bar 30 by the first fastening portion 41 and the second fastening portion 42.
When it is not required to adjust the entire length of the screen 2 that has been pulled down, as shown in (a) of
The plug 20 is coupled to the first end of the first bar 10 and the assistant plug 70 is coupled to the second end. The first bar 10 is disposed in the second bar 30, and the cover 40 is coupled to the first end of the second bar 30 and the assistant cover 80 is coupled to the second end. The rotary shaft 81 of the assistant cover 80 is rotatably inserted in the rotational hole 70a of the assistant plug 70 and supports the first bar 10, and the wrench bar 51 of the wrench plug 50 is fitted in the first through-hole 20a of the plug 20 through the second through-hole 40a of the cover 40.
When the first bar 10 is not rotated relative to the second bar 30, as shown in (a) of
On the contrary, in order to rotate the first bar 10 relative to the second bar 30, as shown in (b) of
On the other hand, as shown in (a) of
Thereafter, when the wrench plug 50 is further pulled, the outer side at the end of the wrench bar 51 is locked to the plug 20, in which the wrench bar 51 can be maintained with the second section B inserted in the first through-hole 20a. As the second section B is inserted into the first through-hole 20a, torque from the wrench plug 50 is not transmitted to the plug 20 and the first bar 10, so the plug 20 and the first bar 10 may idle with respect to the wrench plug 50, or the wrench plug 50 and the plug 20 may idle with respect to the first bar 10.
Referring to
According to a blind apparatus of the related art that adjusts the amount of light traveling through the screen 2 by changing the arrangement of the third screens 2c, as shown in (a) of
However, according to the blind apparatus 100 of the present invention, since it is possible to simply roll/unroll the lower end of the screen 2 on/from the first bar 10, it is possible to adjust the vertical length L2 of the screen 2 that has been fully pulled down to fit to the vertical length L1 of the window W.
A wrench plug 50 according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described hereafter in detail with reference to
A wrench plug 50 according to another embodiment of the present invention further includes a flange part 54 and an elastic member 55. The wrench plug 50 according to another embodiment of the present invention is substantially the same as that in the previous embodiment except for further including the flange part 54 and the elastic member 55. Accordingly, the difference is described and the above description is substituted for other configuration not specifically stated.
The wrench plug 50 may further include the flange part 54 and the elastic member 55.
The flange part 54 is a plate extending outward at the end of the wrench bar 51. Although the flange part 54 is thread-fastened to the wrench bar 51 in the figure, the present invention is not limited thereto and it may be modified in various structures as long as it can be fixed to the wrench bar 51. For example, the flange part 54 may be bonded to the wrench bar 51 by an adhesive. The elastic member 55 is disposed between the flange part 54 and the plug 20.
The elastic member 55, which transmits elasticity to bring the wrench plug 50 in contact with the cover 40, for example, may be a compression spring. That is, the elastic member 55 is longitudinally compressed when force is applied, and returns to the initial position when the force is removed. The elastic member 55 brings the wrench plug 50 in contact with the cover 40 with one end in contact with the flange part 54 and the other end in contact with the plug 20.
For example, as shown in (a) of
According to the present invention, it is possible to simply adjust the entire length of a screen that has been pulled down to fit to the entire length of a window without assembling or disassembling the apparatus. Accordingly, when it is a double screen, it is possible to remove the trouble that it is required to fully unroll down a screen to adjust the amount of light and then roll back up the screen.
Further, it is possible to easily remove wrinkles or waves at the lower end or around the lower end of the screen, so the external appearance of the blind apparatus can be improved, and functional deterioration of the blind apparatus due to wrinkles or waves can be prevented.
Although exemplary embodiments of the present invention were described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art would understand that the present invention may be implemented in various ways without changing the necessary features or the spirit of the prevent invention. Therefore, it should be understood that the exemplary embodiments are not limiting but illustrative in all aspects.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2016-0045159 | Apr 2016 | KR | national |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2519638 | Di Marzo Vincent | Aug 1950 | A |
| 4393915 | Olson | Jul 1983 | A |
| 5412225 | Dutta | May 1995 | A |
| 7931069 | Cannaverde | Apr 2011 | B2 |
| 8499814 | Ng | Aug 2013 | B2 |
| 20050028943 | Chang | Feb 2005 | A1 |
| 20120043029 | Gaskill | Feb 2012 | A1 |
| 20150322715 | Chou | Nov 2015 | A1 |
| 20170009519 | Marocco | Jan 2017 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2915204 | Dec 2014 | CA |
| 202016100428 | Feb 2016 | DE |
| 101357736 | Feb 2014 | KR |
| 101357737 | Feb 2014 | KR |
| Entry |
|---|
| Canadian Patent Application dated May 5, 2017 for corresponding CA Application No. 2,936,596. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20170292323 A1 | Oct 2017 | US |
