AU618296B2 - Tableau curtain - Google Patents

Description

PCIT DPI DATE 19/07/89 APPLN. ID 26130 /88 INTERNATIONAL) 8ODJ /0299f Pr- NUMBER PCI/CH88/00211 (21) Internationales Aktenzeichen: PCT/CH88/0021 1 (81) Bestimmungsstaaten: AT (europaisches Patent), AU, BE (europdisches Patent), CH (europaisches Patent), (22) Internationales Anrineldeslatum: DE (europtiisches Patent), FR (europdisches Pa- 16. November 1988 (16.11.88) tent), GB (europAisches Patent), IT (europaisches Patent), JP, LU (europ~isches Patent), NL (europdisches Patent), NO, SE (europdisches Patent), US.

(31) Prioritatsaktenzeichen: 4884/87-6 (32) Prioritatsdatum: 15. Dezember 1987 (15.12.87) Veroffentlicht Mit internationalem Recherchenbericht.

(33) Priorititsland: CR (71) Anmelder (fur alle Besrimmungsstaaten ausser US): K.

BRATSCHI, SILENT GLISS [CR/CR]; Raldenweg 29, CH-3074 Muri (CH).

(72) Erfinder; und Erfinder/Anmelder (nur far US) FLUICKIGER, Werner [CH/CH]; Walkestrasse 27, CH-31 10 Minsingen

(CH).

(74) Anwalt: ISLER AG; Walchestrasse 23, CH-8006 Zarich

(CH).

(54) Title: TABLEAU CURTAIN (54) Bezeichnung: RAFFVORHANG (57) Abstract 12 A winding shaft is driven by a bead chain (10) and is connected to winding rollers via worm gears Each winding roller is in- 13 13 2 U I 6 6 6 tergral with a worm wheel rotatably mounted in a housing When7 the tableau curtain is mounted, the axes of the worm wheels are arranged horizontally and perpendicular to the winding shaft The transmission ratio of the worm gear 5) is chosen so that the lift is self-lock- o1 ing. A separate braking device is not required. The tableau curtain is 1 particularly suited for sloping windows, as well as for tall windows and heavy curtain materials.

(57) Zusammenfassung Mittels einer Kugelkette (10) wird eine Wickelwelle angetrieben, die Olber Schneckengetriebe 5) mit Wickelrollen ';erbunden ist. Die 13 2 Wickelrollen sind jeweils an einem Schneckenrad angeformt, das in einem Gehdiusek6rper (13) drebbar gelagert ist. Beim montierten Raff- 6 -66 vorhang sind die Achsen der Schneckenrdder horizontal und rechtwinklig zur Wickelwelle angeordnet. Das Clbersetzungsverhaltnis des Schneckengetriebes 5) ist so gewdhlt, dass der Aufzug selbsthemnmend ist. Eine separate Bremsvorrichtung ist nicht erforderlich. Der Raffvor- hang eignet sich auch fijr Schragfenster sowie fiir hohe Fenster und fur schwere Vorhangstoffe

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la Tabl. eau curtain The present invention relates to a tableau curtain in accordance with the preamble to independent Patent Claim 1.

This type of curtain is known in the present state of the art as disclosed in the US Patent US-A-2 676 654. In these curtains the winding rollers are firmly attached to the winding shaft without any axial play and alongside every winding roller there is a separate bearing block which is fastened to the wall of the building.

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ooloo ~A tableau curtain of this type is known from the European Patent EP-A-0 118 700 in which the winding rollers can be displaced with axial play in the axial direction of the winding shaft and each of the winding rollers has a bearing block and also an adjusting ring associated with it.

*eta o S.9 With these tableau curtains, the difficulty arises that they cannot be used for sloping-top windows in which the winding

S.

S rollers are arranged on a slope and, because of the restricted space behind the curtain, the cord- or tape-uptake on the winding rollers is limited to approximately 3 metres.

The objective of the present invention is to develop a tableau curtain of the type referred to initially which avoids this difficulty and, despite this, is simpler to install and is reliable in operation.

The objective is achieved in accordance with the present invention by using the features set down in Claim 1.

Even with a very steep slope of the winding rollers, the winding cords or winding tapes can be wound up on spools without running 1 2 off track, for which reason the tableau curtain in accordance with the present invention is also particularly suitable for sloping-top windows. The diameter is not limited to the distance between curtain and window and can be substantially larger and longer to match the curtain length. Damage to the curtain material from tangential rubbing against the winding rollers is avoided with the tableau curtain in accordance with the present invention. There is no need to provide separate bearing blocks, which greatly simplifies the installation and the keeping of the curtains in the desired position.

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In accordance with the further development as set down in Claim 2, it is a simple constructional matter to provide a braking device by means of which the curtain can be automatically arrested in any desired intermediate position.

In accordance with the further development as set down in Claim 3, a tableau curtain can be provided which makes any additional braking device superfluous and even very heavy curtains can be pulled up with small expenditure of physical effort because of the transmission ratio of the worm gear.

A high rate of unwinding from the spool and destruction of the winding mechanism, of che operating elements and of the curtain material is avoided because of. the long delay due to inertia.

Likewise, with the tableau curtain in accordance with the present invention, it is no longer possible for accidents to occur by very rapid descent of the bottom weighting member.

In accordance with the further development as set down in Claim the hoisting element cannot get entangled during spooling and unspooling, making possible an especially simple installation.

In accordance with the developments as set down in Claims 9 and 10, a self-locking worm gear is installed between the driving means and the winding shaft. In this situation it is possible that the gears between the winding rollers and the winding shaft Zj can be conventional inexpensive gears without self-locking.

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e Preferably, a drive wheel is mounted in such a manner that its axis of rotation is at right angles to the winding shaft, so that a similar arrangement is present as that with the winding rollers.

Advantageous further developments will be apparent from the remainder of the dependent Claims.

Examples of embodiment of the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

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Fig. 1 are elevations of a tableau curtain installed for a sloping-top window and for a rectangular window, i Fig. 2 is a vertical section through a holder with gear and winding wheel attached to a profiled rail, ef S Fig. 3 is an elevation in the direction indicated by arrow III of portion of a holder with installed gear and winding roller, and oooo Fig. 4 is an elevation in the direction indicated by arrow IV of portion of a holder as shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 1 depicts a vertically-hanging curtain material 8 to which a profiled weighting member 9 is attached at the bottom. Several winding tapes 6 at regular distances apart and parallel to each other are attached by one end to the bottom weighting member 9 and at the other end are clamped into a slot 34 in the winding roller 3 (Fig. Between their ends, the winding tapes 6 are passed through guide loops 7 which are attached to the curtain material 8 and through which the tapes 6 can slide freely.

The axes of the winding rollers 3 are horizontal and disposed at right angles to a winding shaft 2 which carries a driving wheel 12 which can be rotated by means of a bead-chain. In the case of an ordinary rectangular window, the winding shaft 2 is

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4 horizontal, but for a sloping-top window, it is on the same slope as the top of the window. A curtain rail 1 is disposed parallel to the winding shaft 2 and is generally affixed to the ceiling, the wall or the window frame in the usual manner. As shown in Fig. 2, the curtain material 8 is removably attached to this curtain rail by means of a strip 28 of pile and warp knit fabric. In order to operate the curtain, traction is applied to the bead-chain 10 which, in the case of a tableau curtain for a sloping-top window, passes over a guide pulley 11 which is mounted below the driving wheel 12. In one direction of traction on the endless bead-chain 10, the winding tapes 6 are rolled up around the winding rollers 3 and the curtain is 0* pulled up towards the top of the window, 'whereas, when traction S is applied in the opposite direction, the winding tapes 6 are 15 synchronously unrolled from the winding rollers 3 and the curtain is lowered to cover the window. As explained in greater detail at a later stage, the curtain will automatically remain in the position it occupies when the bead-chain is released and allowed to hang down freely.

20 As depicted in Figs. 2 to 4, each of the winding rollers 3 is rc. mounted in a separate housing which consists essentially of a 4. housing body 13 and two covers 14 and 15 removably attached to said body. Moulded onto the top of the housing body 13 at each end there are two separate hangers which can be detachably hooked into the curtain rail 1 and slid along in it in the .e longitudinal direction.

The housing body 13 has a vertical partition wall 32 which divides the interior of the housing into two compartments 30 and 31. The winding roller 3 with the wound-on tape 19 is located in compartment 30. In the lower part of the compartment 30 there is a narrow slot 21 through which the winding tape is guided.

This slot 21 prevents twisting of the tape 6 in the compartment so that there is no interference in the formation of the wound-on roll of tape 19. The compartment 30 also has a vertical detachable cover 15 with a circular projection 22 on its inner Xsurface which engages in a cavity in the end of the winding 0 9000 0 0* 0I 0( 06 6 roller 3 to act as a support guide for it. The winding roller 3 is moulded onto a worm wheel 4 which passes through an opening 16 in the lall 32 and has stub axle 24 mounted in an opening 33 of an additional cover 14. The teeth 18 of the worm wheel 4 mesh with a worm 5 which is mounted on the housing body 13 and the cover 14. The worm wheel is non-rotatably attached to the winding shaft 2 and is displaceable on it in the longitudinal direction. It is frequently necessary to tighten up a roll of tape 19 or to slacken it off somewhat, so that all the winding tapes 6 will pull up the curtain material synchronously. This can be achieved in a simple manner because the worm wheel 4 can be taken out from the compartment 31 when the cover 15 over the winding roller 3 is removed.* The uncoupled wheel can then be turned in either direction to adjust the position of slot 34.

The foregoing details make it evident that it is possible to have a tableau curtain which, despite its very substantial advantages, makes use of relatively few, robust and simple components for its operating mechanism. In addition, when the tableau curtain is used for sloping-top windows or very tall windows, it takes into account, in an outstar ing manner, all S the practical requirements, including the ve.: Areful protective handling of the curtain material to prevent undue wearand-tear and, at the same time it is easy to manufacture and is operationally very reliable.

The transmission ratio of-the worm gear is chosen so that the S movement is self-locking, in which case the friction between the moving parts is given due consideration. If the worm 5 is made from nylon and the worm wheel from Delrin (an acetal resin), then self-locking can be achieved with a transmission ratio of approximately 1 4.2. Without friction, the transmission ratio would need to be approximately 1 6 in order for self-locking to occur. It has been demonstrated that a transmission ratio of approximately 1 4 is advantageous for use with a tableau curtain. On the one hand, even very heavy curtains can be handled with very small expenditure of effort and, on the other hand, the transmission ratio is not so great that the curtain A f-r 1"P i V t.2' .0 6 can only be lifted or lowered very slowly. The effect of the self-locking is that the curtain will remain in its existing intermediate position immediately the actuating bead-chain is released. This will prevent, in particular, the bottom weighting member 9 from rapidly dropping downwards to cause injury to a person or damage to the curtain if the bead-chain is inadvertently released from traction.

The cover 14 is detachably affixed to the housing body 13 by means of a push-on snap-lock fitting. The cover 15 is also affixed to the housing body 13 by means of a similar snap-lock push-on fitting. It is quite apparent that the winding roller ;3 is completely enclosed within the housing and there are no exposed rotating parts to rub against the curtain material 8 and 0 cause possible "damage to it. Because the housing body 13 is steplessly displaceable along the winding shaft 2, it is possible in every case to adjust the position of the slot to be in exact alignment with the guide loops 7. The housing body 13 can then be fastened in position on the curtain rail 1.

In an additional embodiment, not depicted here, the gears 20 between the winding rollers and the winding shaft are ordinary bevel gears without self-locking. In contrast to this, the drive wheel 12 here is coupled to the winding shaft by means of a self-locking worm gear. Preferably, the drive wheel 12 is mounted in a housing on the curtain rod, in a similar fashion '25 to a winding roller, with its axis of rotation at right angles to the winding shaft. This form of embodiment is substantially less expensive, because only one worm gear is provided.

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Claims (10)

1. 2. The tableau curtain according to Claim i, characterised Sin that at least one worm gear is a self-locking gear.
2. 3. The tableau curtain according to Claim 2, characterised in that the worm gear has a transmission ratio which is chosen so that, together with the friction of the lifting device, it provides for self-locking operation of the curtain. 099S e*e9*
3. 4. The tableau curtain according to Claim 3, characterised in that the transmission ratio is in the range from 1 3 to 1 5, preferably 1 4.2 and the worm gear is fabricated from synthetic plastics material, the worm wheel being made of Delrin and the worm of nylon.
4. 5. The tableau curtain according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the worm gear is enclosed with in a housing which is detachably affixed to a curtain rail arranged parallel to the winding shaft.
5. 6. The tableau curtain according to Claim 5, characterised in that the worm wheel is rotatably mounted in a housing body which is divided into two compartments, with the worm being mounted in one compartment and the winding roller in the other compartment. 0324k/AMR 8
6. 7. The tableau curtain according to Claim 6, characterised in that the compartment containing the winding roller is closed by a cover, said cover having a circular projection on its inner surface which engages in a cavity in the end of the winding roller to act as a support guide for it.
7. 8. The tableau curtain according to any one of Claims 2 to 7, characterised in that the winding roller is formed integrally with the worm wheel.
8. 9. The tableau curtain according to Claim 1, characterised in that the winding shaft and the driving means are coupled together by means of a self-locking worm gear. 9
9. 10. The tableau curtain according to Claim 9, characterised in that driving means actuates a drive wheel which is mounted with its axis of rotation at right angels to the winding shaft.
10. 11. A tableau curtain substantially as herein described with reference to the drawings. DATED this 25th day of June, 1990. K. BRATSCHI, SILENT GLISS By Its Patent Attorneys ARTHUR S. CAVE CO. 9 e*