EP2440734A1

EP2440734A1 - A shade device

Info

Publication number: EP2440734A1
Application number: EP10786462A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ronny Kogsta
Original assignee: Erco Systems AB
Current assignee: Erco Systems AB
Priority date: 2009-06-10
Filing date: 2010-06-10
Publication date: 2012-04-18
Also published as: EP2440734A4; WO2010144045A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a shade device (1) for windows. The device comprises an upper bar (3), on which a cloth (4) is arranged to be unrolled or rolled up. The cloth (4) is partly permeable to light. The cloth is arranged to run about a lower bar (8) and to be drawn upwards so that, in this way, the cloth may be caused to overlap itself. An outer end of the cloth (4) may be attached to flexible straps which are rolled on reels on the upper bar and which straps have a length which is less than the length of the cloth.

Description

A SHADE DEVICE

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a shade device, comprising a cloth or a fabric which may be unrolled from a bar on which the cloth/fabric is rolled-up in an initial stage so that the cloth or fabric thus may cover a window.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It has previously been suggested in WO 03/076756 that a shade may be designed such that a lower region of the cloth of the shade has a comparatively low permeability to light while an upper region of the cloth has a higher permeability to light. The cloth may be rolled up and unrolled, respectively, both from an upper and from a lower bar. In this way, one may vary the share of the unrolled surface of the cloth which constitutes a cloth with a low permeability to light. This previously known shade thus permits that one may adjust the amount of light being let in through a window at the same time as one may choose in the first place to block light in the lower region of a window. In this way, the problem of disturbing reflexes can be reduced or avoided.

The previously known shade functions well but has a comparatively complicated construction. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a shade device which may serve essentially the same purpose but which has a simpler construction. This object is achieved by a shade device according to the present invention.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is achieved by a shade device for windows, which shade device comprises an upper bar on which a cloth is arranged to be unrolled or rolled up. The cloth is partly permeable to light and it has an outer end. The shade device comprises also a lower bar and the outer end of the cloth is arranged to run about the lower bar. The shade device is arranged to draw the outer end of the cloth upwards from the lower bar at the same time as the cloth is unrolled from the upper bar. In this way, the cloth may be caused to overlap itself and form a region with a reduced permeability to light. The shade device may comprise one or several flexible lifting elements connected to the outer end of the cloth. The flexible lifting element/s is/are arranged such that it/they can be rolled up at the same time as the cloth is unrolled so that the cloth is thereby caused to overlap itself.

Suitably, the shade device comprises two flexible lifting elements, which are arranged on the same upper bar as the cloth or on a part which is fixedly connected to the upper bar. The flexible lifting elements then have a length that is less than the length of the cloth.

Preferably, the flexible lifting elements have a length that is half the length of the cloth.

In one embodiment, the lower bar may be partly surrounded by a tube with a slot through which slot the cloth may run. hi this embodiment, a cover against wear on the cloth may possibly be arranged along the slot.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 shows, in a perspective view, an upper region of the shade device of the invention. Fig. 2 shows, in a perspective view, a lower region of the shade device of

Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows, from the front, a region of a shade cloth according to an embodiment.

Figs. 4 to 6 show, from the side and in cross-section, a procedure at the unrolling the shade cloth.

Figs. 7 to 9 show, from the front, the same procedure as in Figs. 4 to 6.

Fig. 10 shows, in principle and from the side, an alternative embodiment.

Fig. 11 shows, in principle and from the side, an additional alternative embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to Fig. 1, a shade device 1 is shown, which is intended to cover a window (not shown). The shade device comprises an upper bar 3, on which a cloth 4 is arranged such that it can be unrolled and rolled up. The upper bar 3 may be journalled in a bracket 15, which in turn may suitably be directly or indirectly mounted to a fixed structure, e.g. a wall of a building. The cloth 4 is partly permeable to light. With reference to Fig. 3, the cloth 4 may be divided into regions 6 with a low permeability to light and regions 5 with a high permeability to light. In practice, the regions 6 with a low permeability may consist of a dense cloth or fabric, and the regions 5 with a high permeability may consist of a loose-woven cloth. It shall be understood that embodiments are conceivable where the cloth over its entire surface has a fabric with an essentially uniform density.

As is best seen in Fig. 2, the shade device 1 further comprises a lower bar 8. The cloth has an outer end 7, i.e. the free end which is unrolled from the upper bar 3. In Fig. 1 it is shown how the outer end 7 may be arranged as a loop around a profile bar 16 giving stability to the outer end 7 of the cloth. Normally, the outer end 7 of the cloth 4 is essentially parallel to the upper bar 3. The other end of the cloth 4 is normally attached to the upper bar 3. According to the invention, the outer end 7 of the cloth 4 is arranged such that it runs about the lower bar 8. The lower bar 8 may be a heavy tube which through its weight tends to stretch the cloth 4 in a direction downwards. The lower bar 8 can then be said to rest in a fold in the cloth 4 (see e.g. Fig. 1 or Fig.4). Further, the shade device 1 is arranged such that it can draw the outer end 7 of the cloth 4 upwards from the lower bar 8 at the same time as the cloth 4 is unrolled from the upper bar 3. Thereby, the cloth 4 may overlap itself and form a region 18 with a reduced permeability to light (see Fig. 9). It should be understood that the lower bar 8 can move together with the outer end 7 of the cloth 4 down to the lowermost position. In the lowermost position, the lower bar 8 can remain in the same position, while the cloth 4 continues to be unrolled so that the outer end 7 of the cloth 4 moves in relation to the lower bar 8. This sequence may also be performed in the opposite direction when for instance the degree of overlapping is to be reduced or when one wants to roll up the cloth entirely so that light may pass through the window without being stopped by the shade device.

With reference to Fig. 1 as well as Figs. 4 to 9, it will now be explained how the outer end 7 of the cloth 4 may be drawn upwards from the lower bar. As is shown in Fig. 1, the shade device is provided with flexible lifting elements 9 which are connected to the outer end 7 of the cloth 4. The flexible lifting elements 9 may consist of cords, strings or straps, for instance. As is shown for example in Fig. 8, there is suitably at least one such flexible lifting element 9 arranged at each end of the upper bar 3. The flexible lifting element/s 9 can be unrolled from and rolled up on the upper bar 3. In Fig.l it is shown how a flexible lifting element 9 is arranged to be unrolled from or rolled up on a reel 17. The reel is fixedly connected to the upper bar 3 and may be considered as a part of the upper bar 3. In principle, the invention may be practised without any special reel 17 and the flexible lifting elements 9 may instead be rolled directly on an outer end of the upper bar 3 that may have the same diameter along its entire length. The reel 17 may suitably have a groove (not shown in the figures) in order easier to receive the flexible lifting element 9. It is understood that such a reel 17 may sit on each end of the upper bar 3. As may be seen from Figs. 1 and 7 to 9, the reels 17 are arranged outside the region of the upper bar 3 on which the cloth is rolled. The cloth 4 and the flexible lifting elements 9 are thus arranged to be rolled up from different parts of the upper bar 3. It is realized that this must be the case regardless of whether the flexible lifting elements 9 being rolled up on reels 17 or only on the outer ends of the upper bar 3. As is best seen from Fig. 1, each flexible lifting element 9 may be arranged to run through a guide 14 which is arranged on the bracket 15. In an initial stage, the flexible lifting elements 9 may be rolled up on their respective reels 17 with the same direction of rotation as the cloth 4 has on the upper bar 3. When the cloth 4 is unrolled from the upper bar 3, also the flexible lifting elements 9 will thus be unrolled. The end 7 of the cloth 4 will then be lowered together with the low bar 8, about which the cloth 4 runs. During this stage, the lower bar 8 is thus movable together with the end 7 of the cloth 4. The flexible lifting elements 9 have, however, a length which is less than the length of the cloth 4. When the flexible lifting elements 9 have been unrolled in their entire length and the cloth 4 continues to be unrolled, the following will happen. Through continued rotation of the upper bar 3, the reels 17 will continue to rotate in the same direction of rotation as the upper bar 3, as the reels 17 are firmly connected to the upper bar 3. As the entire length of the flexible lifting elements has then been unrolled, the continued rotation of the reels 17 will result in the flexible lifting elements 9 beginning to be rolled up onto the reels 17 but with a rolling-up direction which is opposite their original rolling-up direction. Then, the flexible lifting elements 9 will begin to lift the outer end 7 of the cloth 4 while the cloth 4 is still fed from the upper bar 3. Thereby, the cloth 4 will move around the lower bar 8, so that the cloth 4 is caused to overlap itself. It is realized that, in this stage, the lower bar 8 is no longer moving together with the end 7 of the cloth 4.

Suitably, the flexible lifting elements have a length which is half or about half the length of the cloth 4.

As is shown in Fig. 2, the lower bar 8 may be partly surrounded by a tube 10 with a slot 11, through which slot 11 the cloth 4 runs. A cover 12 against wear of the cloth 4 may be arranged along the slot 11 but embodiments without any such a cover 12 are also conceivable.

At use of the shade device the procedure is the following. In an initial stage, the shade is in a position when essentially the entire cloth is rolled up on the upper bar 3. This position is shown in Fig. 4 and in Fig. 7. Then, one begins to unroll the cloth 4 from the upper bar 3. This may take place by conventional means which are as such well known and need not be illustrated further. For instance, one may use a cord or a chain which is connected directly or indirectly to the upper bar 3 in such a way that the upper bar 3 is turned when one draws the chain or the cord. When the upper bar 3 is turned, the cloth 4 will be unrolled. As the reels 17 are firmly connected to the upper bar, also these will turn and also the flexible lifting elements 9 are unrolled. The lower bar then follows the cloth 4 downwards. Finally, the cloth 4 has reached its lowermost position, as may be seen from Fig. 5 and Fig. 8. If the shade device has been correctly adapted to a certain window, then the entire or essentially the entire window is covered by the cloth 4. The amount of light entering through the window is reduced. If one then wants to further reduce the amount of light entering through the lower region of the window, this may be realized by quite simply continuing to turn the upper bar 3. When the cloth has reached its lowest position, the flexible lifting elements 9 may not be unrolled any longer. If, in this position, one continues to turn the upper bar 3 so that the cloth 4 continues to be unrolled, the flexible lifting elements 9 will therefore begin to be rolled up again as has been explained above. In this way, the cloth 4 will begin to overlap itself, as may be seen from Fig. 6 and Fig. 9, so that a region 18 with a reduced permeability to light is created. It is realized that the procedure described may be run backwards, when one instead wants to increase the amount of light to be let through.

The cloth may be designed such that the open or permeable regions 5 have essentially the same height as the regions 6 with a dense fabric, e.g. 5 centimetres. Through small movements of the fabric, one may then achieve different degrees of overlapping as regions with dense fabric may be caused to overlap partly or entirely regions with looser fabric.

In Fig. 10, an alternative embodiment is shown schematically, which functions in essentially the same way as the embodiment described above, but with the difference that the flexible lifting elements 9 are arranged to be rolled up or unrolled on/from at least one rotatably journalled component 9 which is separate from the upper bar 3. In this embodiment, one may be forced to arrange a separate drive for the rotatable component 19, possibly one may have a separate twist grip. In Fig. 11, an additional alternative embodiment is schematically shown, where the lower bar 8 is fixedly arranged in relation to the upper bar 3. In variants of the embodiments according to Figs. 10 and 11, non-flexible lifting elements are conceivable. For example, stiff lifting elements are conceivable, which are arranged to run in a groove in a wall.

With the invention a possibility is provided to vary the amount of light let in through a window. The cloth may be rolled up entirely so that all light enters, the cloth may also be partly unrolled, it may be unrolled to the lowermost position without any overlapping having occurred and the cloth may further be unrolled to a varying degree of overlapping.

By using flexible lifting elements which are arranged on the same bar as the cloth itself but which are shorter than the cloth, one may in a very simple way cause the cloth to overlap itself.

By using guides 14 for the flexible lifting elements, one can guarantee that the raising and falling cloths are kept separated and do not disturb each other.

By surrounding the lower bar with a tube 10, the risk is eliminated that the cloth gets caught in objects or structures in the lower edge of the window.

Claims

1. 1. A shade device (1) for windows, which shade device (1) comprises en upper bar (3) on which a cloth (4) is arranged to be unrolled or rolled up, which cloth (4) is partly permeable to light and which cloth (4) has an outer end (7), and which shade device (1) further comprises a lower bar

(8), wherein the outer end (7) of the cloth (4) is arranged to run about the lower bar (8) and the shade device (1) is arranged to draw the outer end (7) of the cloth (4) upwards from the lower bar (8), while the cloth (4) is unrolled from the upper bar (3), so that the cloth (4) in that way may overlap itself and form a region (18) with reduced permeability to light, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the shade device (1) comprises two flexible lifting elements (9) connected to the outer end (7) of the cloth (4), which flexible lifting elements (9) are arranged on the same upper bar (3) as the cloth (4), so that they may be unrolled from and rolled up on the upper bar (3), and which flexible lifting elements (9) have a length which is less than the length of the cloth (4), so that the flexible elements (9) can be rolled up onto the upper bar (3) at the same time as the cloth (4) is unrolled, such that the cloth (4) is thereby caused to overlap itself.

2. A shade device (1) according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible lifting elements (9) have a length which is half the length of the cloth (4).

3. A shade device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the lower bar (8) is partly surrounded by a tube (10) with a slot (11), through which slot (11) the cloth (4) may run.

4. A shade device according to claim 3, wherein a cover (12) against wear of the cloth (4) is arranged along the slot (11).

5. A shade device (1) for windows, which shade device (1) comprises an upper bar (3) on which a cloth (4) is arranged to be unrolled or rolled up, which cloth (4) partly is permeable to light and which cloth (4) has an outer end (7), c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the shade device (1) further comprises a lower bar (8) and in that the outer end of the cloth (4) is arranged to run around the lower bar (8), and in that the shade device (1) is arranged to draw the outer end (7) of the cloth (4) upwards from the lower bar (8) at the same time as the cloth (4) is unrolled from the upper bar (3) such that, thereby, the cloth (4) can overlap itself and create a region (18) with reduced permeability to light.

6. A shade device (1) according to claim 5, wherein the shade device (1) comprises one or several flexible lifting element (9) which are connected to the outer end (7) of the cloth (4), which flexible lifting element/s (9) is/are arranged to be rolled up at the same time as the cloth (4) is unrolled such that, thereby, the cloth (4) is caused to overlap itself.

7. A shade device (1) according to claim 6, wherein the shade device comprises two flexible lifting elements (9), which are arranged on the same upper bar (3) as the cloth (4) and have a length which is less than the length of the cloth (4).

8. A shade device (1) according to claim 7, wherein the flexible lifting elements (9) has a length which is half the length of the cloth (4).

9. A shade device (1) according to claim 8, wherein the lower bar (8) is partly surrounded by a tube (10). with a slot (11), through which slot (11) the cloth (4) may run.

10. A shade device according to claim 9, wherein a cover (12) against wear of the cloth (4) is arranged along the slot (11).

11. A shade device according to claim 6, wherein the flexible lifting element/s (9) is/are arranged to be rolled up on or unrolled from at least one rotatably journalled component (19) which is separate from the upper bar (3).

12. A shade device according to claim 5 or claim 11, wherein the lower bar (8) is fixedly arranged in relation to the upper bar (3).