AU2019100498B4 - Method And Apparatus For Securing A Blind - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a roller blind securing system utilised in a channel-guided, side retention blind system, in which the channels have grooved opposing inner surfaces, between which a movable male member at the lower end of a roller blind to be secured is received, the member having a complementally shaped ridged surface for multipoint engagement with the grooved channel surfaces, the system including means for locating the male member into the channel for achieving engagement, the channels being adapted to prevent splaying apart of the inner surfaces when the ridges of the male member and grooves of the inner surface have been operatively engaged.

Description

The invention provides a roller blind securing system utilised in a channel-guided, side retention blind system, in which the channels have grooved opposing inner surfaces, between which a movable male member at the lower end of a roller blind to be secured is received, the member having a complementally shaped ridged surface for multipoint engagement with the grooved channel surfaces, the system including means for locating the male member into the channel for achieving engagement, the channels being adapted to prevent splaying apart of the inner surfaces when the ridges of the male member and grooves of the inner surface have been operatively engaged.

SPECIFICATION FOR A PROVISIONAL PATENT APPLICATION METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SECURING A BLIND

Field of invention

[01] This invention relates to apparatus for and a method of providing simultaneous securing at both lateral edges of a roller blind installation in the blind design and installation industry.

Background to the invention

[02] Locking or securing mechanisms are known for use on installations of roller blinds, slatted blinds and similar window coverings. Typically, roller blinds have a roller in a housing from which the blind unrolls into operative covering position. The blind may be configured to unroll from a stationary roller mounted at the upper end of the window or opening to be covered and have at its lower end a rail to maintain blind form as it is unrolled. Side guide channels are provided at the lateral edges of the window or opening. The channels are fixed to uprights flanking the opening. Peripheral lateral margins of the blinds locate in the channels. These margins are generally braided or fitted with flexible piping so that they remain retained in the guide channels as the blind descends. In an alternative configuration, the blind is fixed at its upper end with its lower end attached to a roller in the housing. In this arrangement, the housing and roller assembly descend, with the ends of the housing or roller axle being guided in the lateral channels.

[03] Two-way locks are known for use in locking roller and hinged garage doors. However, locks of this kind require the door to have descended to its fully closed position before that can be activated. There is a need for being able to lock the blind in any position without breaking the continual flow of the blind. Achieving locking is exacerbated when the locking mechanism needs to be located on the inside of the bottom rail for aesthetic reasons. Known methods involve the use of externally mounted pins, chains, clips and holes in the track system. Where a side retention, tracked system is required to be deployed, the guide channel itself cannot be altered in any way, shape or form without detrimental effects to the smooth operation of the blind.

[04] Locking systems are known in which the lowered bottom rail of the blind can be locked in one position only, that is when the blind is in its fully-extended, closed position. In this kind of arrangement, there are two locks typically required, one at each end of the rail.

[05] It has long been a challenge within the blind design and installation industry to avoid the use of externally mounted pins, chains, clips and holes in the track system, for functional as well as aesthetic reasons.

[06] Further, to extrude a single aluminium profile in the shape required to make a locking system work from one lateral edge of a window or opening is not possible: The system has to be designed as two laterally extending components.

[07] Australian patent publication 2006222704 discloses a blind locking system having a multipoint locking system in which a male insert is pushed laterally outward from a tubular housing attached to the lower end of a blind to engage with complemental formations installed within a blind guide channel to define a female part. The male part has a zig-zag profile resulting from a series of parallel lateral horizontal ledges and inwardly sloping defining ridges and grooves, configured to enable a ratcheting action for engagement with the female formation, whereby the male part, once laterally inserted, can be pushed downward by virtue of the sloping surfaces to tension the blind, but because of the horizontal ledges, cannot be pushed back up. However, to enable the blind to be extended downward and tensioned, the female parts need to be spread ahead of the descending male part to allow the ridges to pass the complemental ridges in the female parts, before a final engagement position and tensioning is achieved.

[08] An issue with this system is that the female parts, being made of flexible plastics strips, tend to lose their initial resilience with time and use and therefore become ineffective in maintaining blind extension and tension.

Objects of the invention

[09] It is an object of this invention to address the shortcomings of the prior art and, in doing so to provide a simultaneous, single action lateral locking system that does not require splaying out of female parts when receiving a multipoint male locking member.

[010] The preceding discussion of the background to the invention is intended to facilitate an understanding of the present invention. However, it should be appreciated that the discussion is not an acknowledgement or admission that any of the material referred to was part of the common general knowledge in Australia or elsewhere as at the priority date of the present application.

[011] Further, and unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words 'comprise', 'comprising', and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense - that is to say, in the sense of 'including, but not being limited to' - as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense, meaning 'including this and nothing else'.

Summary of invention

[012] According to a first aspect of the invention, in a guided, side-retention blind system comprising a guide channel in which a lateral peripheral portion of a roller blind is retentively locatable, there is provided a blind locking system comprising:

a. a channel having a grooved inner surface,

b. a movable male member operably associated with a lower end of a roller blind to be secured, the member having a complementally shaped ridged surface for multipoint engagement with a portion of the grooved surface, whereby multiple ridges engage by fitting into adjacent grooves of the surface,

c. means for locating the male part into the channel for achieving said engagement, the ridges of the male member and grooves of the inner surface being shaped to prevent vertical displacement of the male member when operatively engaged.

[013] In a preferred form of the invention, the locating means comprises actuating means operable by single action to locate first and second male members into opposing first and second channels.

[014] In a further preferred form of the invention, the grooves have parallel opposing surfaces.

[015] Preferably, the male member has ridged lateral surfaces.

[016] Preferably, the channel comprises an inflexible lining having the grooved inner surface, the lining being fixable within at least a portion of the channel.

[017] Further preferably, the channel comprises opposite first and second surfaces to which are fixed first and second lining portions for receiving between them the male member without splaying.

[018] In a preferred embodiment, the channel has first and second opposing inner surfaces, first and second inflexible, grooved lining portions fixed to the respective surfaces, defining opposing grooved surfaces for receiving between them the male member, wherein the male member is received without the lined surfaces splaying.

[019] The opposing inner surfaces may be racked.

[020] According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a method of locking a roller blind having at its lower end a laterally extendable male member with a ridged surface having ridges running parallel with the direction of extension, a peripheral formation retained in a vertical track channel, the method comprising providing the channel with a surface comprising horizontally disposed grooves, and attaching to a lower edge of the blind a transversely directable locking member adapted to mate with a plurality of grooves of the grooved surface, causing the member to travel into the channel to engage with said plurality of grooves of the surface.

Brief description of drawings

[021] In order that the invention may be readily understood, and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying figures. Thus:

Figure 1 shows in schematic form a diagram of a window blind environment containing a preferred embodiment of the system of this invention.

Figure 2 is a schematic vertical cross-section of a channel along line AB in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a male tongue of the invention in a preferred embodiment from Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a male tongue of the invention in an alternative embodiment.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a portion of the lower tubular rail from Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a partially cutaway view of the locking actuator assembly of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a cross section of the tubular rail taken along the line XY in Figure 5.

Detailed description of an embodiment of the invention

[022] Prior to discussing the details of the present disclosure, it should be understood that several sections of the following description are presented largely in terms of logic and operations that may be performed by conventional components. These components, which may be grouped in a single location or distributed over a wide area, generally include processors, memory, storage devices, graphical displays, input devices, etc. In circumstances where the components are distributed, the components are accessible to each other via communication links. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a description of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to one skilled in the art, however, that the disclosed subject matter may be practiced without some or all of the specific details.

[023] Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numbers are used herein to designate like elements throughout, the various views and embodiments of the apparatus and system of the invention are illustrated and described, and certain other possible embodiments are described. The figures are not necessarily drawn to scale, and in some instances the drawings have been exaggerated and/or simplified in places, but for illustrative purposes only. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate the many possible applications and variations based on the following examples of possible embodiments.

[024] The system comprises principal male and female components that can be engaged together without hindering the blind fabric. The male component is in the form of an extensible tongue having a generally horizontally ridged surface that slides into receiving complementally shaped grooves in the female component.

[025] The system further comprises self-locating cleat strips that are positioned to line both sides of the channel in which the blind material flows. The cleats can be installed anywhere along the track without interference and make for a very easy lock operation.

[026] Referring to Figure 1, in a preferred embodiment of this invention, the general environment in which the invention is applied is depicted in front elevation. The invention is found in the area pointed to with arrow 10. A roller blind 12 is shown partially extended downward in a window opening 14, which is bounded by a frame 16 installed in surrounding wall 18. Within the window recess and on either side of the window space are fitted first and second channels 22, 22', to the frame uprights 24, 24'.

[027] The blind is housed to be rolled from and retracted into a housing 20, which is secured below the lintel-adjoining crossbar 28 of window frame 16. Each channel comprises a nested assembly with a hollow square profile, as shown in sectional vertical view in Figure 2. At the lower end of the blind is a rigid tubular rail 30, housing a pair of male engagement tongues 32, 32', which are caused to be alternatively extended and withdrawn by operation of a single action lever mechanism housed in the tube.

[028] The assembly has an outer casing 34 having a back wall 36, which is attached to the supporting frame upright 24 by conventional fastening means, such as threaded screws. Securely fitted within outer casing 34 is an inner guide channel extrusion 38, with a pair of inwardly extending partitions 42, 42' separated by a vertical slot 40. Extrusion 38 is made of aluminium in this embodiment. However, other rigid materials may be used as alternatives. An example of an alternative is a stainless steel alloy.

[029] Behind - that is to the wall side of - slot 40 is an inner, vertically extending elongate guide space 44 into which beading 48, which is securely attached to blind 12 at a lateral edge, is inserted from above when the blind assembly is fitted into window space 14. The beading prevents the blind from being pulled out of guide space 44, for example by force of wind or over-robust operation by a human.

[030] The open window-directed channel 50 is adapted for receiving male locking tongue 32, 32', which will be described in more detail below. Adaptation is in the form of racked lining strips 52, 52' that are inserted into channel 50 and secured to the inner sides of the channel by suitable means, such as an adhesive. The entire length of the channel may be so lined. Alternatively, selected portions may be lined to define discrete zones at which the blind may be locked in place in use. The lining may be formed by moulding, or any suitable alternative method.

[031] Each lining strip has an L-shaped profile that comprises alternate ridges and grooves having surfaces running generally in parallel with the direction of extension of the tongue. In this embodiment, the surfaces are generally horizontally orientated when operatively installed. The grooves have parallel opposing upper and lower surfaces and are regularly spaced. The male tongue having complementally racked surfaces can be securely received between any correctly aligned opposing portions of the racked lining. No tensioning of the blind is required. When it has been extended by unrolling to the required level, the operator works the lever mechanism to cause the opposite tongues to be extended into the waiting racked channel.

[032] With reference to Figure 3, an example of a tongue 32 used with the racked surfaces of the channel is illustrated. It has a solid body 60 with a leading surface 62 that is inserted in use into the channel between the racked surfaces 52, 52' of Figure 2. Side surfaces 64, 64' have ridges 66 and grooves 68 of substantially equal widths corresponding with those of the racked linings 52, 52'to the channel 50. The side surfaces of the grooves are parallel to each other, as are opposite side surfaces of the ridges. Rear face 70 is connected to a ram member 74, which is moveable by the mechanism housed in tube 30.

[033] Figure 4 shows an example of a tongue having three complementally racked vertical surfaces. Surface 72 corresponds to surface 62 of Figure 3, but provides additional stability to the engagement achieved.

[034] Figure 5 shows a portion of tube 30, which anchors the lower edge of blind 12 to the female formations 52, 52' in the channels 50 of previous figures. Tube 30 has a groove 82 formed in its generally elliptical profile. This groove receives a beading formation at the lower edge of the blind, thereby to form a secure connection, allowing downward force on tube 30 to unroll the blind from its housing 20 in Figure 1. Externally located to tube 30 is a twistable handle 84 connected to an internal mechanism described with reference to Figure 6. The mechanism is housed in the hollow space 86 in the tube, having laterally extending rods 74 connecting mechanically to the tongues 32, 32', as previously mentioned.

[035] Referring to Figure 6, there is shown an enlarged front view of the tubular housing 30 of Figure 5, the cover plate partly cut away to reveal an internal lock latch assembly 88, which is of generally known design, including a spring 92 and surrounding glue column 94. Cross-recessed countersunk head screws 90 connect the case containing latch assembly 88 to housing 30. When handle 84 is twisted clockwise, in this single action it shifts driving-bar 98 to cause connecting rods (not shown) to drive tongues 32, 32' laterally to engage the adjacent female rack formations, as previously described. Twisting handle 84 counter-clockwise cause the rods to withdraw the respective tongues from engagement to disengagement and back into housing 30, releasing the blind to be retracted into its housing 20 or to be pulled down further, if this is possible, depending on the extent to which it may have already been unrolled.

[036] Figure 7 provides a cross sectional view of the tubular rail 30, taken along line XY in Figure 5. The embodiment of the tongue body differs in shape from that of body 32, 32' in the previous figures. In this case, the tongue body is numbered 132. Because of its shape, the side formations are not visible in the view shown. However, this view illustrates connecting rod 102 which connects body 132 with the components 98, 96 and 84 of Figure 6. In this view, the grooves 68 and teeth-like ridges 66 are visible, as components of lining 52 to channel 22.

[037] In an alternative embodiment, the ridges and grooves have sloping surfaces. The surfaces may be planar or curving. The tongue will be adapted for complemental engagement with the female form. However, tongue and receiving strips need not have exactly mirrored profiles. For example, a ridge with a rectangular or triangular profile may be received into a female groove of hemispherical profile, subject to dimensions being compatible. The essential requirements in selecting shapes is that the tongues, once inserted, should not be vertically displaceable. This is why the racked surfaces must not be permitted to splay under vertically directed forces.

[038] Advantages of the invention are that the availability of multiple teeth for engagement between the respective male and female formations makes for a multiplicity of contact points, which is a far better intermeshing arrangement that is available from a single pin and a receiver socket. Engagement can be obtained even if alignment is at first not perfect. With a single pin an exact alignment is essential for functionality. Providing an aluminium female section enables a greater number of teeth to come into play in a material that can be cut and shaped to great accuracy and without risk of flexing under strain.

[039] Previously, plastic teeth needed a spacer connector to keep them apart to receive the tongue. Aluminium, being rigid, allows the blind to be drawn down to the bottom of the window space without risk of deformation in the liner surfaces. The liner surfaces are inhibited from splaying out and away from each other, as a result holding the tongue member in place against uncontrolled vertical displacement.

[040] It will be appreciated that instead of having lining strips as contemplated in the preferred embodiment of this invention, the inner channel may be formed to have racked inner side surfaces. The back surface of the channel which flanks the gap giving access to the beading-retaining guide may also be formed with a racked surface to receive a tongue having complemental parallel ridge formations on three exposed sides orientable to be received into the racked portion of the channel.

[041] These embodiments merely illustrate particular examples of the method, kit and apparatus of the invention providing means for securing a lower end of a roller blind at a desired level in relation to a guide track. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure that the drawings and detailed description herein are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive manner and are not intended to be limiting to the particular forms and examples disclosed. On the contrary, included are any further modifications, changes, rearrangements, substitutions, alternatives, design choices, and embodiments apparent to or discernible by those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope hereof, as defined by the following claims. Thus, it is intended that the following claims be interpreted to embrace all such further modifications, changes, rearrangements, substitutions, alternatives, design choices, and embodiments.

[042] With the insight gained from this disclosure, the person skilled in the art is well placed to discern further embodiments by means of which to put the claimed invention into practice.

Claims (5)

REPLACEMENT PAGE CLAIMS

1. In a guided, side-retention blind system comprising a guide channel in which a lateral peripheral portion of a roller blind is retentively locatable, a roller blind securing system comprising:

a. a channel having a grooved inner rigid surface,

b. a movable male member operably associated with a lower end of a roller blind to be secured, the member having a complementally shaped ridged surface for multipoint engagement with a portion of the grooved surface, whereby multiple ridges engage by fitting into adjacent grooves of the surface,

c. means for locating the male member into the channel for achieving said engagement,

the ridges of the male member and grooves of the inner rigid surface being shaped to prevent downward vertical displacement of the male member when operatively engaged.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein the grooves include opposing sloping surfaces.

3. A system according to claim 2 wherein the channel has first and second opposing inner surfaces, first and second inflexible, grooved lining portions fixed to the respective surfaces, defining opposing grooved surfaces for receiving between them the male member, wherein the male member is received without the grooved surfaces splaying.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein the opposing inner surfaces are racked.

5. A method of securing a roller blind having at its lower end a laterally extendable male member with a ridged surface having ridges running parallel with the direction of extension, a peripheral formation retained in a vertical track channel, the method comprising:

REPLACEMENT PAGE

a. providing the channel with a rigid inner surface comprising horizontally disposed grooves,

b. attaching to a lower edge of the blind a transversely directable locking member adapted to mate with a plurality of grooves of the grooved surface, and

c. causing the member to travel into the channel to engage with said plurality of grooves of the surface.

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