Patent Grant
RE43475
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a venetian blind, the slats of which can be tilted to different angles relative to one another (i.e., variably tilted). When the slats of such a blind have been tilted, so that they are closed in a normal fashion, the slats of a lower portion of the blind, in front of a room window, can be tilted to an open position to provide a view of the outside, while at the same time, the slats of the blind's upper portion can be left tilted in a closed position to reduce the amount of sunlight coming into the room. Alternatively, an upper portion of the blind can be tilted to an open position to admit some sunlight into the room, while at the same time, the slats of the blind's lower portion can be left tilted in a closed position to provide privacy in the room and/or reduce the amount of sunlight in the room, for example to prevent glare from interfering with the use of computer or television screens in the room.
2. Description of the Art
Venetian blinds have generally included: a horizontally-elongated head rail; a plurality of horizontally-elongated slats beneath the head rail and parallel to it; and at least two slat-supporting ladders movably suspended from the head rail and supporting the slats in vertically spaced apart relationship. In this regard, each ladder generally has had front and rear, vertically-extending members that have been connected to each other by a plurality of vertically-spaced cross-rungs. Supported on each cross-rung, between the vertically-extending members of its ladder, has been one length-wise side of a slat. The head rail generally has had an adjusting mechanism for moving the ladders, so that the vertically-extending members of each ladder move in opposite vertical directions relative to one another, to pivot each slat about its length-wise axis.
It has also been known to provide a venetian blind with a vertically-extending auxiliary tilt cord to provide variable tilting of its slats. The auxiliary tilt cord has been adapted to engage at least one of the vertically-extending members of the blind's ladders, at an intermediate location along its height, and when manipulated, to adjust the angle of pivot of the slats below the intermediate location. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,427,266, 2,719,586, 2,751,000, 4,940,070, EP 0 620 355 and JP(A) 8-210060. Although such a blind has been reasonably successful in providing a room with both privacy and some sunlight, the blind has generally been rather complicated to manufacture and use.
In accordance with this invention, a venetian blind is provided which includes a plurality of horizontally-elongated slats; at least two ladders supporting the slats in vertically spaced apart relationship; an adjusting mechanism for moving the vertical members of each ladder in opposite vertical directions, relative to one another, to pivot each slat about its length-wise axis; and an auxiliary tilt cord which can be moved vertically and can engage a vertically-extending member of one of the ladders at an intermediate location along the height of the one ladder; and wherein a plurality of regularly-spaced guiding loops are along the height of the one ladder; and wherein the auxiliary tilt cord comprises:
Advantageously, this blind also includes: means for adjusting the angular pivot of the slats, below the intermediate location along the height of the one ladder, which comprises:
Also in accordance with this invention, a venetian blind is provided which includes a plurality of horizontally-elongated slats; at least two ladders supporting the slats in vertically spaced apart relationship; an adjusting mechanism for moving the vertical members of each ladder to move in opposite vertical directions, relative to one another, to pivot each slat about its length-wise axis; and an auxiliary tilt cord which engages a vertically-extending member of one of the ladders at an intermediate location along the height of the one ladder; and which also includes means for adjusting the angular pivot of the slats below the intermediate location along the height of the one ladder, comprising:
Advantageously, this blind also includes a plurality of regularly-spaced guiding loops along the height of the one ladder; and the auxiliary tilt cord comprises:
Further aspects of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description below of specific embodiments and the drawings thereof, in which:
FIG. 8 is a perspective of a fourth embodiment.
Each vertically-extending auxiliary tilt cord 14, 15 is located adjacent the rear vertical member 17, 19 of one of the ladders 5, 7, respectively. Each tilt cord 14, 15 is connected to, and engages, its adjacent rear vertical member 17, 19 at a plurality of predetermined intermediate locations along the height of the tit cord and its adjacent rear vertical member. In this regard:
The plurality of guiding loops 21 are preferably regularly spaced along the height of each rear vertical member 17, 19, and the plurality of beads 23 are preferably regularly spaced along the height of each auxiliary tilt cord 14, 15. The vertical spacing or pitch (P(beads)) of the regularly spaced beads 23 along each auxiliary tilt cord 14, 15 is preferably the same and preferably slightly less than the pitch (P(rungs)) of the cross-rungs; for example: P(beads)=P(rungs)−1 or an integral multiple (X1) thereof (i.e., X1* (P(rungs)−1). The pitch (P(loops)) of the regularly spaced guiding loops 21 along each auxiliary tilt cord is also preferably the same and is preferably the same absolute value as P(rungs), but it can also be an integral multiple (X2) thereof (i.e., P(loops)=X2* P(rungs)). The locations of the cross-rungs 29 and the locations of intermediate guiding loops 21, between the top and bottom of the rear vertical members 17, 19, preferably do not coincide horizontally, and preferably, the integral values of X1 and X2 are identical.
The number of guiding loops 21 on each of the rear vertical members 17, 19 is preferably the same, and each guiding loop on each of the rear vertical members 17, 19 is preferably aligned horizontally with a guiding loop on the other rear vertical member(s). The number of beads 23 on each of the auxiliary tilt cords 14, 15 is preferably the same, and each bead on each of the auxiliary tilt cords is preferably aligned horizontally with a bead on the other auxiliary tilt cord(s). The number of engaging collars 25 on each of the auxiliary tilt cords 14, 15 is also preferably the same, and each collar 25 on each of the auxiliary tilt cords 14, 15 is preferably aligned horizontally with a collar on the other auxiliary tilt cord(s). The number of beads 23 spaced along each of the auxiliary tilt cords 14, 15 is equal to, or greater than, preferably equal to, the number of engaging collars 25 spaced along the auxiliary tilt cord.
The rearwardly-extending guiding loops 21 on the rear vertical members 17, 19 of the ladders 5, 7 keep the auxiliary tilt cords 14, 15 and the rear vertical members in close proximity to each other. In particular, the guiding loops 21 of each rear vertical member 17, 19 prevent the adjacent auxiliary tilt cord 14, 15, respectively, around which the guiding loops extend, from forming unsightly loops when the blind 1 is raised or from becoming entangled during use of the blind. When P(loops) equals P(rungs), the number of loops 21 equals the number of cross-rungs 29. This is illustrated in
Preferably, each engaging collar 25, slidably located on an auxiliary tilt cord 14, 15, has a generally circular horizontal cross-section. Each collar also has a central vertically-extending passage 27, through which its auxiliary tilt cord can pass vertically but not the beads 23 on its auxiliary tilt cord. Each collar 25 further has a radially inwardly-extending vertical slit 28 which opens into its central passage 27. During assembly of the blind 1, one of the auxiliary tilt cords 14, 15 can be pushed through the slit 28 of each collar into its central passage 27. Each collar 25 also has a horizontal circumference greater than each guiding loop 21, so that the exterior size of the collar 25 is too large for the guiding loops 21 to pass vertically over the collar. However, the guiding loops 21 each have a diameter greater than the horizontal circumference of each bead 23, so that the beads can pass vertically through the guiding loops.
When the slats 13 of the blind 1 have been closed in a normal fashion (i.e., are downwardly-inclined from front to rear) and the rear vertical members 17, 19 are stationary, moving upwardly both the auxiliary tilt cords 14, 15, with their beads 23, causes the tilt cords to slide freely upwardly through the central passages 27 of their engaging collars 25 until their upwardly moving beads 23 engage their collars that are directly above their beads. Before the beads 23 on the auxiliary tilt cords 14, 15 reach their engaging collars 25, their beads can pass through one or more guiding loops 21 around the auxiliary tilt cords. Continued upward movement of the auxiliary tilt cords 14, 15 and their beads 23 then causes their collars 25 to move upwardly, with the tilt cords and beads, into engagement with the guiding loops 21 that are directly above their collars. This happens because the central passages 27 in the collars 25 are too small to allow the beads 23 on the auxiliary tilt cords 14, 15 to pass through them, and the exterior size of each collar 25 does not allow it to pass through the guiding loops 21.
If the blind 1 had only a single engaging collar 25 on each auxiliary tilt cord 14, 15, the blind would have two sections of slats 13, the lower one of which would be operated by the auxiliary tilt cords 14, 15. When the auxiliary tilt cords 14, 15 are raised (e.g., by pulling on the rear of the cord loop 8), their beads 23 beneath their engaging collars 25 would be moved upwardly until they engage and lift their collars 25, which would then slide upwardly along the tilt cords until they engage the adjacent next higher loops 21 on the adjacent rear vertical members 17, 19 of the ladders 5, 7. When the auxiliary tilt cords would continue thereafter to be lifted, the collars would then move upwardly, thereby lifting the next higher loops 21 and the portions of the rear vertical members 17, 19 below the next higher loops 21. This would move upwardly the rear of all the slats 13 below such next higher loops 21, so as to tilt all the slats below the next higher loops 21 from their normal closed position (i.e., downwardly-inclined from front to rear) toward their open position (i.e., horizontal). The slats 13 below the next higher loops 21 would then have a smaller tilt angle than the slats above the next higher loops 21. This would be due to the relative difference in pitch between the crossrungs (P(rungs)) and that of the beads (P(beads)). If the auxiliary tilt cords continue to be further lifted, all the slats 13 of the lower section of the blind, below such next higher loops 21, would continue to be so-tilted until they would be completely open.
In the blind 1 of
If the tilt cords 14, 15 of the blind 1 are thereafter moved further upwardly, an upper bead 23B of each tilt cord moves further upwardly and engages the tilt cord's upper engaging collar 25B (above the upper bead 23B), which then slides upwardly along the tilt cord until it engages the tilt cord's second adjacent, next higher loop 21B of its adjacent rear vertical member 17, 19 of the ladders 5, 7 and then lifts the rear of all the slats 13 of the middle section 13B below the second next higher loop 21B. This causes all the slats of the middle section 13B (below the second next higher loops 21B) to be tilted from their normal closed position toward their open position and causes all the slats of the lower section 13A to be further tilted toward their open position. The slats 13 of the lower section 13A, below the first next higher loops 21A, would then have a smaller tilt angle than the slats between the first and second next higher loops 21A, 21B, and the slats of the middle section 13B, between the first and second next higher loops 21A, 21B, would then have a smaller tilt angle than the slats of the upper section 13C, above the second next higher loops 21B.
If the auxiliary tilt cords 14, 15 of the blind large then moved still further upwardly, all the slats 13 of the lower and middle sections 13A, 13B, below the second next higher loops 21B, would continue to be so-tilted until they would be completely open. However, the slats of the upper section 13C would remain in a normal closed position. If the auxiliary tilt cords 14, 15 are thereafter moved yet further upwardly, all the slats of the lower and middle sections 13A, 13B, below the second next higher loops 21B, would continue to be so-tilted until they would be in an abnormal closed position (i.e., downwardly-inclined from rear to front). Although the slats of the upper section 13C would still remain in a normal closed position, they could be opened simply by then moving the rear vertical members 17, 19 of the ladders 5, 7 downwardly together (e.g., by pulling on the front of the cord loop 8).
If desired, more than two engaging collars 25 and two beads 23 could be provided on each auxiliary tilt cord 14, 15. Thereby, the blind 1 would have more than three sections of slats 13 (between engaging collars 25) which could be progressively tilted to greater angles of openness, relative to one another, so as to provide a more gradual change in the tilting of the slats over the height of the blind.
As shown in
The right tilt swivel 11 in the head rail 3, for tilting the horizontal slats 13 by moving the vertical members 19, 20 of the right ladder 7 in opposite vertical directions, is mechanically identical to the left tilt swivel 9, and the right tilt swivel 11 operates in the same way as, and together with, the left tilt swivel 9 upon movement of the cord loop 8.
As shown in
The blind 101 of
The vertical distance, over which the slats 113 are progressively tilted to an open position is determined by the difference between the first pitch P1 of the cross-rungs 129 and the second pitch P2 of the additional cross-rungs 130. For example, conventional ladders 105, 107 for the venetian blind 101, with 25 mm wide slats 113, could normally have a first pitch P1 of 20 mm. If such ladders 105, 107 are modified by the additional cross-rungs 130 connected to the auxiliary tilt cords 114, 115 at a second pitch P2 of 19 mm, the vertical distance, in terms of the number of slats, between the first fully closed slat 113A (i.e., the lowest closed slat) and the first fully open slat (i.e., the lowest open slat) will be: the first pitch P1 (i.e., 20 mm), divided by the difference between the first and second pitches (i.e., P1−P2=20 −19=1 mm), which means that the vertical distance will be twenty slats. A vertical distance of twenty slats of 25 mm lateral width (normally with 5 mm lateral overlap when fully closed) normally corresponds to 400 mm of vertical height of the blind 101.
When the auxiliary tilt cords 114, 115 of such a blind 101 (with 25 mm-wide slats) are raised with all the slats 113 tilted in a normal closed position (i.e., downwardly-inclined from front to rear), then initially the lowest slat 113A will be tilted towards its fully open (i.e., horizontal) position while the nineteen slats (not shown in
The auxiliary tilt cords 114, 115 should be of sufficient lateral length and have sufficient slack so as not to interfere with the basic slat-tilting function of the rear and front, vertical members 117, 118 and 119, 120 of the ladders 105, 107 and their cross-rungs 129. This requires, inter alia, that there be a minimum lateral length L for the additional cross-rungs 130, relative to the height H of the blind 101. The minimum length L for the additional cross-rungs 130 for a given height H of blind is such that when all of the slats 113 of the blind 101 are in an open (i.e., horizontal) position as shown in
Furthermore, the lateral length L of each additional cross-rung 130 of the blind 101 should be at least one-half of the total difference in the first and second pitches (i.e., P1−P2) for the maximum height of the blind 101. The minimum length L of each additional cross-rung 130 is thus one-half of the product of the total number of slats 113, corresponding to the maximum height of the blind, times the difference in the first and second pitches. For example, if the height of the blind 101 is to be a maximum of 2000 mm, then with a first pitch (P1) of 20 mm, the total number of slats 113 would be one hundred, and with a difference in the first and second pitches (i.e., P1−P2) of 1 mm, the minimum length L of each additional cross-rung would be one-half of 100 mm or 50 mm. Any ladder 105, 107 of the blind 101 of
As shown in
The blind 201 of
The vertical distance, over which the slats 213 are progressively tilted to an open position is determined by the difference between the pitch P1 of the cross-rungs 229 and the length L of the tubular elements 230. For example, conventional ladders 205, 207 for the venetian blind 201, with 25 mm wide slats 213, could normally have a pitch P1 of 20 mm. If such ladders 205, 207 are modified by the tubular elements 230 on the rear vertical members 217, 219 and the auxiliary tilt cords 214, 215 with a length L of 19 mm, the vertical distance, in terms of the number of slats, between the first fully closed slat 213A (i.e., the lowest closed slat) and the first fully open slat (i.e., the lowest open slat) will be: the first pitch P1 (i.e., 20 mm), divided by the difference between the pitch P1 and the length L (i.e., 20−19=1 mm), which means that the vertical distance will be twenty slats. A vertical distance of twenty slats of 25 mm lateral width (normally with 5 mm lateral overlap when fully closed) normally corresponds to 400 mm of vertical height of the blind 201.
When the auxiliary tilt cords 214, 215 of such a blind 201 (with 25 mm-wide slats) are raised with all the slats 213 tilted in a normal closed position (i.e., downwardly-inclined from front to rear), then initially the lowest slat 213A will be tilted towards its fully open (i.e., horizontal) position while the nineteen slats (not shown in
This invention is, of course, not limited to the above-described embodiments which may be modified without departing from the scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its advantages. In this regard, the terms in the foregoing description and the following claims, such as “longitudinal”, “lateral”, “length”, “horizontal”, “vertical”, “above”, “below”, “upwardly”, “downwardly”, “top”, “bottom”, “front”, “rear”, “right” and “left”, have been used only as relative terms to describe the relationships of the various elements of the venetian blind of the invention.
For example, each engaging collar 25 of the blind 1 could be replaced by a clip which has one or more, vertically-extending passages, through which one of the blind's rear vertical members 17, 19 and its associated auxiliary tilt cord 14, 15 or just one of the auxiliary tilt cords pass. The collar 25 could also comprise two generally C-shaped halves which could be connected to each other about its associated auxiliary tilt cord 14, 15.
Similarly, as shown in FIG. 8, the function of the guiding loops 21 of the blind 1 could be incorporated into the engaging collars 25. In this regard, a plurality of collars 25 could be slidably mounted about each auxiliary tilt cord 14, 15 and about its associated rear vertical member 17, 19, between each adjacent pair of cross-rungs 29 or between selected pairs of cross-rungs of the rear vertical member 17, 19.
Guiding loops 21 are preferably used in the blinds of this invention. However, when no guiding loops are used, both a rear vertical member 17, 117, 217, 19, 119, 219 and its associated auxiliary tilt cord 14, 114, 214, 15, 115, 215 could be within the central passage 27 of each collar 25.
There are preferably only two or three, particularly only two, of the beads 23 and of the engaging collars 25 on each auxiliary tilt cord 14, 15 of the blind 1, but there could, if desired, be five to ten of each on each auxiliary tilt cord. Likewise, there are preferably ten or more guiding loops 21 on each rear vertical member 17, 19, depending on the length of the vertical member, but there could, if desired, be only five to ten guiding loops.
Preferably, each tilt swivel 9, 11 of the blinds 1, 101, 201 of this invention can both move the rear and front, vertical members 17, 117, 217, 18, 118, 218 and 19, 119, 219, 20, 120, 220 of one of the ladders 5, 105, 205, 7, 107, 207 in opposite vertical directions and move vertically the associated auxiliary tilt cord 14,114, 214, 15, 115, 215 in response to movement of the cord loop 8 or tilter 108, 208. However, if desired, rotation of the winding drum 34 of each tilt swivel 9, 11 could be controlled by different means (e.g., a separate pull cord connected to the top of both auxiliary tilt cords) from the cord loop or tilter which controls rotation of the adjusting pulley 31. Such separate means would allow lower portions of the blind, when fully open, to be selectively closed by simply actuating such separate means to pull both auxiliary tilt cords upwardly.
Moreover, the normal closed position of the slats 13, 113, 213 of the blinds 1, 101, 201 could alternatively be downwardly-inclined from rear to front, and the abnormal closed position of the blind could be downwardly-inclined from front to rear.
Furthermore, a blind of this invention could have the ladders 5, 7 of the blind 1 with their regularly spaced guiding loops 21 and also have the auxiliary tilt cords 14, 15 of the blind 1, extending through the guiding loops but have the tubular elements 230 of the blind 201 only on each auxiliary tilt cord between pairs of vertically adjacent loops. In such a blind, the length L of the tubular elements would be smaller than the second pitch P2 of the loops and have a predefined relation to the first pitch P1 of the cross-rungs of the ladders.
Yet further, a blind of this invention could have a single common winding drum for the auxiliary tilt cords 14, 114, 214, 15, 115, 215, which would not be operatively connected with the tilt swivels 9, 11 of the ladders 5, 105, 205, 7, 107, 207 but would be operate by a separate manually operable cord loop.
In addition, a conventional, downwardly-extending, spacer bracket (not shown) could be mounted on the rear of the head rail 3, 103, 203 of a blind of this invention, adjacent the point of entry of each auxiliary tilt cord 14, 114, 214, 15, 115, 215 into the bottom of the head rail. The bracket could thereby serve to route the auxiliary tilt cord rearwardly of the bracket before the tilt cord enters the head rail, to keep it from rubbing against the adjacent rear vertical member 17, 117, 217, 19, 119, 219 where they both enter the head rail.
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|---|---|---|
| 410797 | Jul 1969 | AU |
| 134151 | Aug 1901 | DE |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 09853952 | May 2001 | US |
| Child | 10624938 | US |
