CA2516086A1

CA2516086A1 - Push pull roller blind

Info

Publication number: CA2516086A1
Application number: CA 2516086
Authority: CA
Inventors: Leslie N. Mcgowan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-08-24
Filing date: 2005-08-24
Publication date: 2007-02-24

Abstract

This Push-dull roller blind consists of a stationary shaft, a torsion spring around the shaft, a rigid tube covering the shaft and a one-way bearing that allows this tube to turn one way only. A second rigid tube over the first tube has the blind secured to it and a weight is secured to the bottom of the blind. The weight in the bottom of the blind prevents the torsion spring from lifting the blind. When the weight on the bottom of the blind is lifted, the torsion spring rolls up the blind as both rollers roll free in that direction. The essence of this invention is that the torsion spring is not strong enough to lift the weighted blind and the weight on the blind is not heavy enough to overcome the friction between the two rollers, thus enabling the blind to easily be raised or lowered to any stable position. The blind only moves when the bottom of the blind is lifted or pulled down.

Description

Description This Push-Pull roller blind can be raised to any position by putting force up or down on the bottom of the blind, thus moving it to any desired position. In the invention a weight is secured to the bottom of the blind and a mechanical device inside the tube on which the blind is rolled will enable the weight which is secured to the bottom of the blind to stop and stay at any position. Roller blinds are not new but they require external chains or strings to control their height or they may have an internal control which requires a difficult jerking movement to raise the blind.
In the blind I have developed, the position of the weighted bottom of the blind is controlled by a torsion spring inside the blind roller and friction between the roller of the blind and another concentric roller which turns one way only. The roller that rolls one way only is connected to the outer roller by friction. The essence of this invention is that the torsion spring is not strong enough to lift the weighted blind and the weight on the blind is not heavy enough to overcome the friction between the two rollers thus enabling the blind to easily be raised or lowered to any stable position.
To assist in explaining how this invention achieves its ability to raise or lower the blind to any stable position, I have enclosed 2 pages of Drawings. Page 1 shows an end view (Fig. l ) of the blind roller and (Fig.2) shows an oblique drawing of the roller and blind mounted in a secure bracket ( 11 ).
The drawings show a one-way bearing mounted on a round shaft 2. The round shaft 2 shall have a flattened end 3 which is to be securely mounted in a bracket 11 (Page 2) This prevents the round shaft from turning. In the diagrams shown, the one-way bearing is mounted so that it turns counterclockwise only. One end of a rigid tube 4 is mounted securely to the rim of the one-way bearing 1. A resilient material such as string or leather 9 is wound onto rigid tube 4. The end of a second rigid tube 5 is slid over the resilient material 9 so that there is friction between the two concentric rigid tubes, 4 and 5. The free end of rigid tube 5 will have a plug 8 in it and the plug 8 will have a pivot point 10 extended outward from it.
A rigid disc 7 is mounted firmly inside tube 5 and secured to it. The disc 7 has a hole centred in it and the hole will be the same size as round shaft 2 and will allow the shaft to turn freely in disc 7. A torsion spring 6 shall be mounted inside tube 4 between one -way bearing 1 and disc 7 with one end of the torsion spring 6 firmly secured to round shaft 2 and the other end firmly secured to disc 7. One end of suitable blind material 12 (Page 2) of sufficient length shall be secured to roller 5 and wrapped onto the roller. The blind material will have a hem large enough to hold a suitable weight 13 (Page 2). The weight alone will not pull the blind down and the torsion spring on its own is not strong enough to lift the blind.

Description (cont'd.) In operation pulling down on the blind overcomes friction between tubes 4 and 5 and causes tension on the torsion spring 6 to increase. Lifting up on the blind allows the energy of the torsion spring to roll the blind onto tube 5. Tube 4 does not hinder this action because it rolls freely in counterclockwise direction.

Claims

1. A weighted roller blind that rolls on a stationary shaft, has a torsion spring attached to the shaft and the roller on which the blind is rolled, a second roller inside the blind roller and able to turn in one direction only by virtue of a one-way bearing on which it turns. The two rollers are close fitting which causes friction when they both do not turn in unison.

2. A roller blind as defined in claim 1 in which the one-way bearing can be replaced by a ratchet or any other device or method that will allow the smaller tube to turn one way only.