EP3282082B1

EP3282082B1 - A reeling device

Info

Publication number: EP3282082B1
Application number: EP16183530.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ole Stilling Petersen
Original assignee: Aluproff AS
Current assignee: Aluproff AS
Priority date: 2016-08-10
Filing date: 2016-08-10
Publication date: 2020-01-29
Anticipated expiration: 2036-08-10
Also published as: HUE048635T2; DK3282082T3; PL3282082T3; ES2785608T3; SI3282082T1; EP3282082A1

Description

The present invention relates to a reeling device to be mounted to a head rail for suspending a curtain or a blind according to the subject-matter of claim 1.
The head rail for use with the reeling device is of the kind having a longitudinal opening and comprising a rotational drive shaft passing trough the lengthwise shaft hole of the reel component for raising and lowering the curtain or the blind carried by the head rail.
The reeling device is the tool that facilitate lowering and raising of a blind or curtain. The blind or curtain is attached to the head rail to be suspended length-adjustable below the head rail by the strings. These strings are wound on the reeling device when the curtain is raised and wound off the reeling device when the curtain is lowered. The curtain or blind should be operated with good stability and proper tension. The parallel strings of parallel reeling devices need to be wound and unwound simultaneously in order that the curtain or blind does not skew, the reeling device oscillates or swings to jam the strings on the reel component. The more strings the higher risk that windings tangles or overlaps on the reeling device, and that independent strings are wound differently, thereby causing skewing.
To that aspect British patent no. GB2415732 proposes a reeling unit that has bottom hooks that engage wings on the head rail for firm mounting of the reeling unit. Since hooks and wings need to find the proper engagement the mounting process is rather complicated and the change and/or reposition of the reeling unit difficult. The hooks radiate along a base plate so that when the strings are reeled the reeling unit heavily rattles and oscillate inside and against the head rail with the result that a loud noise is emitted when the reeling unit is operated.
US patent no. 5,908,062 , International patent application no. WO 2005/009875 and British patent no. 2 415 732 all describes reeling devices that must be secured using screws into the top rail.
The noise resulting from raising and lowering blinds and curtains suspended by strings to a hollow head rail is a challenge yet to be solved by manufacturers and a nuisance to users.
Furthermore, such prior art reeling devices are secured to the head rail by means of screws. A separate bridge member that is longer than the width of the longitudinal opening of the headrail is arranged to span this opening. The bridge member is then fastened to the reeling device by means of at least two screws, one in each of opposite walls that delimit the longitudinal opening of the head rail. The screwing operation takes time, is fiddly work, and requires a screw driver every time a screw is to be fastened. This increases product costs and the sewer person objects to the use of craftman's tools.
Accordingly the present invention is directed to a reeling device of the kind mentioned in the opening paragraph that mitigates and/or obviates the drawbacks of the conventional reeling devices for a curtain or a blind.
In particular it is a main aspect of the present invention to provide a reeling device of the kind mentioned in the opening paragraph that has a very quite operation.
It is a further aspect of the present invention to provide a reeling device of the kind mentioned in the opening paragraph that moves the curtain or blind at the two ends synchronically and evenly.
It is yet an aspect of the present invention to provide a reeling device of the kind mentioned in the opening paragraph that can be mounted to the head rail and demounted again without using tools, such as screw drivers.
It is yet an aspect of the present invention to provide a reeling device of the kind mentioned in the opening paragraph that can be mounted fast and efficient to the head rail and in a smooth operation at the manufacturing room.
It is yet an aspect of the present invention to provide a reeling device of the kind mentioned in the opening paragraph that is suitable for domestic as well as for commercial applications.
The applicant's earlier European patent application no. 15199295 (not yet published) provides a novel reeling device of the kind mentioned in the opening paragraph but having a detachable coupling component. The operators of this earlier reeling device has however experienced problems that the coupling component is lost and that the reeling device may be a bit difficult to mount to the head rail because the male and female coupling parts of the coupling component and the bracket member respectively must be guided into engagement and sometimes inadvertently get out of engagement during installation of the reeling device inside the head rail.
To this earlier reeling device the applicant now has developed the alternative reeling device disclosed by the present application.
The novel an unique whereby these and other aspects are achieved according to the present invention consists in that the reeling device is securable to the head rail without screws.
The reeling device of the present invention has all the advantages of the reeling device described in European patent application no. 15199295 and is mounted to the head rail in a similar manner by turning the coupling component from outside the bracket component.
The coupling component of the present reeling device is however not detachable but still turnable due to the length of the shaft that extends through the opening in the center section of the base part of the bracket component. The coupling flange prevents the coupling component from being pulled out of the opening, and the handle part is easy detectable and accessible for turning the coupling component in relation to the bracket component without the coupling component is separated from the bracket component. When the reeling device is secured inside a head rail the handle part faces downwards to that the coupling flange rests on the base part of the bracket component, and so that the operator easily can detect and feel the presence of the handle part and turn said handle part. Thus because the coupling component already is situated through the opening in the base part of the bracket component, the coupling operation becomes very tactile and the operator will never be in doubt if proper coupling of the reeling device to the head rail has been achieved because he/she can simply feel the tensioning during turning the coupling component.
For the present invention no tools are needed to mount the reeling device to the head rail. A male coupling part of the coupling component is simply permanently inserted through a female coupling part, which female coupling part is in form of an opening in the base part of the bracket component. The opening is provided in the base part between opposite brackets for suspending the reel component rotationally to the bracket component, and located at the center section thereby being easy accessible for the shaft to allow the operator to turn the coupling component, with the aim of thereby reaching interlocking of the coupling component to the head rail, so that the position of the reeling device in relation to said head rail is fixed and secured. The reeling device of the present invention is also easy to reposition if the need arises since all tools are ready at hand.
Mounting a prior art reeling unit to a head rail needs multiple moves, including aligning the screws and the screw holes and turning the wrist and/or hand lots of times to fasten at least two screws to the head rail to attached the reeling unit thereto. This is not an ergonomic work operation, and may cause wrist pains.
The person who mounts the reeling device described in European patent application no. 15199295 to the head rail needs to make two moves once the reeling device has been inserted in the head rail: one move to pass a female coupling part over the mail coupling part, and one move to turn the detachable coupling component so that the male coupling part and the female coupling part interlock and cannot accidentally disengage when the reeling device is operated for raising and lowering the curtain or blind in relation to the head rail.
In contrast thereto the reeling device of the present invention only requires one move: turning of the coupling component for achieving the same engagement between head rail and reeling device. Turning of e.g. 90° can be appropriate, which turning only requires a slight turn of e.g. the hand wrist, if any at all because use of the fingers might suffice. Any angle of rotation that ensures a firm interlocking of reeling device to head rail is however within the scope of the present invention. Thus by means of the present invention a very ergonomic assembling of a reeling device to a head rail can take place. A further advantage is the very fast and efficient fastening step of reeling device to head rail.
If the opening is a slot extending at the center section along the length of the bracket component the operator has a degree of freedom to choose the most convenient locking position for the reeling device along a section of the length of the bracket component. The shaft may be moved along the length of the slot and turned after choosing the securing position. The length of the slot is longer than the diameter of the shaft of the coupling component, and the width of the slot may be substantially equal to the diameter of the shaft or slightly larger to define a small clearance to the shaft so that turning of the coupling component can takes place smoothly. A breast may protrude from the shaft above the slot to further assist in preventing the coupling component from dropping through the slot.
The operator may feel a small resistance against turning the coupling component in case the diameter of the shaft is substantially the same as the width of the slot. Nevertheless the coupling component can easily be turned by overcoming this small resistance.
During turning the coupling component the handle part is moved across the head rail.
The coupling flange is conveniently adapted to be arranged between the reel component and the base part at the centre section of the base part of the bracket component, so that a lift string can be wound on and off the main reel body without obstructing rotation of the main reel body.
For the prior art reeling units the reeling unit is fastened to the head rail at just one end of said reeling unit, e.g. close to a bracket of said reeling unit. If, as in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the opening is arranged at substantial equal distance from the first base part end and the second base part end, and thus from the first reel end and the second reel end, thus e.g. substantially at the middle of the reeling device, such as e.g. the middle of the base part, a central fastening of the reeling device to the head rail will be possible by means of the coupling component instead of an end fastening, as in the prior art devices.
The long flapping arm of the prior art reeling unit, thus the arm constituted by the free length of the reeling unit from its attachment to the head rail, has then been halved, and the vibrations and oscillations experienced by the reeling device of the present invention have been reduced to an inferior level hardly noticeable at all by the person raising and lowering the curtain or blind. The operation of the reeling device of the present invention is exceptional silent because the mechanical forces and reaction forces acting on the operated and operative reeling units are minimised and more evenly distributed by positioning the coupling mechanism between reeling device and head rail at or close to a centre position of said reeling device. The length of the opposite free arms protruding on both sides of the suspension point defined by at the interlocking point between the opening, e.g. the slot, and the coupling component are substantially less that the single longer arm of the known reeling unit that can oscillate and bump against the head rail when the reel component rotates.
The coupling component may conveniently have a protruding handle part for grasping and maneuvering said coupling component in the opening. Thus by turning the handle part the shaft rotates in the opening so that the handle part promptly interlocks with the head rail, in a single move. Interlocking is this way significantly facilitated.
For achieving the optimum interlocking the handle part may have a free top and a bottom sized to engage an exterior face of the head rail.
The dimensions of at least the bottom of the handle part and of the coupling flange are selected so that neither the handle part nor the coupling flange can pass through the opening of the base part of the bracket component. This way the bracket component and the coupling component are made one unit so that the coupling component is loose for being rotated and always at hand for the user, and so that the user does not need spending time to couple a coupling part of the coupling component to another coupling part of the bracket component in order to lock the reeling device to the head rail.
Accordingly, it is an important feature of the present invention that the reeling device is of a completely new kind that can be secured to the head rail without screws, and without the need of assembling the coupling component and the bracket component prior to turning the coupling component.
In order to arrange the reeling device so that a curtain or blind can be lowered and raised a lift string of said curtain or said blind can be attached to the first reel end of the main reel body and exit the reeling device via a string hole or string guide in the base part at the second reel end of the main reel body. Thus at one end, the first reel end, the lift string is secured to the main reel body. Then the lift string is wound on, or can be wound on, said main reel body to exit the reeling device via the opposite second reel end to pass through the length of the curtain or blind, thus from top to bottom, through pleatings, folds or lamella. The end of the lift string not being secured to the reeling device is secured to the bottom of the curtain or blind so that when the lift string is reeled in the curtain is raised, and when the lift string is reeled out the curtain or blind is lowered.
The main reel body may advantageously taper from the second reel end towards the first reel end so that windings of the lift string develops neatly next to each other without inconvenient overlapping that might result in jamming of the lift string in the reeling device. This kind of tapering main reel body is known to the person skilled in the art.
The reeling device may conveniently be dimensioned in relation to the head rail so that it is possible to maintain a clearance to the ceiling or bottom of said head rail in the mounted position of the reeling device in the head rail. This way the majority of the reeling device can be kept out of direct contact with the interior of the head rail, and even if slight oscillation or vibration occur when the reeling device is operated to raise or lower a curtain or a blind, the distance between other parts of the reeling device and the head rail other than where directly suspended to said head rail, is too large to allow the remainder of the reeling device hit the interior of the head rail upon operation.
The second reel end may optionally be provided on a reel end part that is detachable arranged on the main reel body opposite the first reel end, so that mounting of the reel component to the bracket component are made easy.
The present invention also relates to a method of mounting the above defined reeling device to a hollow head rail that carries a curtain or a blind, which hollow head rail is of the kind having a longitudinal opening and a rotative drive shaft for winding and unwinding a lift string during raising and lowering the curtain or the blind in relation to the head rail by operating said reeling device by means of a lift cord.
The method comprises the steps of

providing the head rail and a number of reeling devices corresponding to the number of lift strings of the curtain or the blind,
inserting the reeling devices from an end opening of the head rail with the rotational drive shaft through the lengthwise shaft holes of the inserted reeling devices,
arranging said reeling devices spaced apart in positions corresponding to the positions of the lift strings of the curtain or the blind, and so that the handle part of the coupling component protrudes from the longitudinal opening of the head rail to be accessible for being turned to secure the reeling device to the head rail.

Turning the coupling component may include grasping a handle part between the fingers and rotating the handle part by hand, e.g. rotating it between 30 - 90° clockwise or counterclockwise.
The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein

Fig. 1 is a perspective exploded top view of an exemplary embodiment of a reeling device according to the present invention seen from the exterior face of the bracket component,
Fig. 2 is a perspective view inside the bracket component with the coupling component mounted and turned in the opening crosswise the length of the base part,
Fig. 3 is a perspective, enlarged scale view of the coupling component seen from below,
Fig. 4 is a side view of the same,
Fig. 5 shows the reeling device of fig. 1 in assembled state and from the exterior side of the bracket component,
Fig. 6 shows the same from the reeling component with the reel component facing upwards as in the position of use,
Fig. 7 is a cross section through the reeling device of fig. 5 where windings of lift string is indicated,
Fig. 8 corresponds to fig. 5 but where the reeling device has been insereted in a head rail and the coupling component is in progss of being turned into the interlocking, securing position, and
Fig. 9 shows the same but where the coupling component has been turned fully cross-wise the longitudinal opening of the head rail.

The reeling device 1, which is seen in the exploded top view of fig. 1, is adapted to be mounted to a head rail for suspending a curtain or a blind, as seen in figs. 8 and 9 as will be described later.
The reeling device is shown in most figures without windings of lift cord and without lift strings but it should be understood that when mounted to the head rail such are provided.
The reeling device 1 has a bracket component 2, a reel component 3, and a coupling component 4 that is coupled to the bracket component 2, as seen in fig. 2.
The bracket component 2 comprises a base part 5 provided with a first bracket 6 at a first base part end 7 and a second bracket 8 at a second base part end 9. The base part 5 has an opening 10 at a center section 11.
The first bracket 6 and the second bracket 8 serve to rotateably keep the reel component 3 suspended to the bracket component 2.
The reel component 3 includes a tapering main reel body 12a and a reel end part 12b that when assembled into the reel component 3 extends between a first reel end 13 and a second reel end 14. The first reel end 13 at reel end part 12b protrudes axially from the main reel body 12a in order to be rotationally journaled at the first bracket 6. The second reel end 14 protrudes axially from the main reel body 12a opposite the first reel end 13 to be rotationally journaled at the second bracket 8. The main reel body 12a has a slot 3a for coupling with a key 3b or other protrusion on the reel end part 12b to unit these sub-component of the reeling component 3 in mutual non-rotational relationship.
The design of the brackets 6,8 are exemplary and other designs are within the scope of the present invention.
As seen best in fig. 2, for the present embodiment a bore 8a is located between opposite second protruding legs 8b,8c at the second bracket 8 at the second base part end 9 of the base part 5. The bore 8a serves for inserting the second reel end 14, and the legs 8b, 8c act as spacers to the head rail and create appropriate space for arranging the reel component 3 rotateably in the bracket component 2 and out of contact with the head rail. The first bracket 6 has an open bearing 6a for receiving the first reel end 13 of the reel end part 12b of the reel component 3. The open bearing 6a is located between first protruding legs 6b,6c having similar function as the second protruding legs 8b,8c.
The reel component 3 has a lengthwise shaft hole 15 for receiving a rotational drive shaft (not shown) for winding and unwinding a lift string on and off the main reel body 12a, as indicated by curved arrow A in fig. 1.
The coupling component 4 comprises a coupling flange 16 which, via a shaft 17, is connected to an upright handle part 18. As seen in fig. 2 the shaft 17 extends through the elongate opening 10 at the center section 11 of the bracket component 2 and has a larger extent than the elongate opening 10, so that the coupling flange 16 keeps handle part 14 connected to the base part 5 so that the coupling component cannot be pulled out of the elongate opening 10. For the present embodiment the coupling flange is a flat disc having a diameter that is larger than the width of the elongate opening, the slot 10. In fig. 2 the coupling component 4 has been turned as indicated by curved arrow B in fig. 1 so that the handle part 18 extends crosswise the base part 5 of the bracket component 2.
As seen best in the different views of the coupling component seen in figs. 3 and 4 the handle part 18 has a free top 18a, and a bottom 18b. The bottom 18b of the handle part 18 may be thicker than the width of the slot 10 to prevent the coupling component from dropping through the slot 10. A collar 19 or other circumferential enlargement of the shaft is provided at the transition between the handle part 18 and the shaft 17 to serve as the bottom 18b. The collar 19 provides an abutment against the exterior face 20 of the base part 5, as seen in fig. 2. This design serves to permanently keep the coupling component 4 turnable secured in the slot 10, so that the reeling device 1 can be firmly secured inside a head rail, fast and efficiently, so that the reeling device 1 can be operated extremely silent.
The slot 10 of the embodiment of a bracket component 2 seen in figs. 1 and 2 has a enlargement 21 that can be utilised for tactile location of the center of the slot 10 by means of the shaft 17. Thus when an operator feels that the shaft 17 is positioned at the enlargement 21 he/she knows that he/she has found the preferred locking position and can turn the handle part 18.
Fig. 5 shows the reeling device of fig. 1 in assembled state but from the exterior face 20 of the bracket component 2. The position of the coupling component is the same as shown in fig. 4. In fig. 5 the reel component has been inserted in the bracket component 2 so that the first reel end 13 is mounted to the first bracket 6 and second reel end 14 is mounted to the second bracket 8.
Fig. 6 shows the assembled reeling device 1 in the use position but without windings of lift cord, thus seen from the reeling component 3 with the reel component 3 facing upwards, and the handle part 18 of the coupling component facing downwards ready for being turned by an operator.
Fig. 7 is a cross section taken through the reeling device of fig. 5 where windings of lift string are indicated by way of example. Together with figs. 1 and 2, fig. 7 illustrate that the lift string L is attached to the first reel end 13 of the main reel body 12a at a first securing hole 22a of said main reel body 12a and second securing hole 22b of the reel end part 12b and exits the reeling device 1 via a string guide hole 23 in the second bracket 8 of the base part 5 at the second reel end 14 of the main reel body 12a.
The coupling flange 16 engages with, or is close to, the interior face 24 of the bracket component 2 and the collar 19 engages with, or is close to, the exterior face 20 of the bracket component 2. The length of the shaft 17 between the collar 19 and the coupling flange 16 corresponds substantially to the thickness of the base part 5 at the centre section 11 so that play is limited. The windings W of lift string L surround the main reel body 12a with a clearance C to the interior face 24 of the base part 5, so that winding of said lift string can de done unobstructed and free of said bracket component 2. The clearance 25 is defined by the distance from the interior face 24 of the bracket component 2 to the windings W where said windings W are entirely out contact when all windings W are on the main reel component 12a.
The reeling device is easy to couple to and decouple from the head rail again without tools as seen in figs. 8 and 9.
The reeling device 1 seen in fig. 8 corresponds to and is orientated as the reeling device of fig. 5, thus turned upside down in relation to the use position seen in fig. 6. A drive shaft 26 has been inserted through the shaft hole 15 of the reeling device 1 to allow the reel component 3 to rotate when a lift cord (not shown) is used to operate the reeling device 1, and thus to wind on and unwind the lift strings from the reel component 3.
The reeling device 1 has been inserted in a head rail 27 and the coupling component 4 is in progress of being turned into the interlocking, securing position. The top part 18a of the handle part 18 of the coupling component 4 protrudes via a longitudinal opening 28 of the head rail 27 and coupling flange 16 is located inside the bracket component 2 between the windings (not seen) on the reeling component 3 and base part 5.
In fig. 9 the handle part 18 has reached the locking position where the bottom 18b of the handle part 18 abuts the exterior face 29 of the head rail 27.
The handle part 18 will be hidden behind the curtain so that the assembling and suspension of the curtain or blind by means of reeling devices to a head rail is not disfiguring. This assembling arrangement also makes it easy to decouple a reeling device again without tools.
To summarize: The present invention relate to a novel reeling device which can be mounted to a head rail for suspending a curtain or a blind. The reeling device comprises a bracket component, a reel component, and a coupling component adapted to secure the bracket component with the reel component to the head rail. This new locking system allows a curtain or blind suspended by the head rail to be noiseless raised and lowered which is currently not achievable by using screws to fasten the reeling unit to the head rail. Thus, due to the special coupling component the reeling device of the present invention is distinguished from the conventional reeling devices and units by being very easy to mount, demount and replace, and at minimum time without tools and is noiseless in operation.

Claims

A reeling device (1) that can be mounted to a head rail (27) for suspending a curtain or a blind, said reeling device (1) comprising
- a bracket component (2) comprising a base part (5) provided with a first bracket (6) at a first base part end (7) and a second bracket (8) at a second base part end (9),

- a reel component (3) having a main reel body (12a), a first reel end (13) protruding axially from the main reel body (12) and being rotational journaled at the first bracket (6), and a second reel end (14) protruding axially from the main reel body (12a) opposite the first reel end (13) and being rotational journaled at the second bracket (8),

- the reel component (3) has a lengthwise shaft hole (15) for receiving a rotational drive shaft for winding and unwinding a lift string (L) on and off the main reel body (12a),

- a coupling component (4) adapted to secure the bracket component (2) with the reel component (3) to the head rail (27), and

- the coupling component (4) has a shaft (17) that extends between a handle part (18) and a coupling flange (16), characterized in that the shaft (17) extends through an opening (10) arranged at substantial equal distance from the first base part end (7) and the second base part end (9) in a centre section (11) of the base part (5) of the bracket component (2) so that the coupling component (4) is turnable coupled to the base part (5) of said bracket component (2 wherein the reeling device (1) is securable to the head rail (27) without screws.
A reeling device (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the opening (10) is a slot extending at the center section (11) along the length of the bracket component (2).
A reeling device (1) according to any of claims 1 or 2, characterised in that the coupling flange (16) is adapted to be arranged between the reel component (3) and the base part (5) at the centre section (11) of the base part (5) of the bracket component (2).
A reeling device (1) according to claims 1, 2 or 3, characterised in that the handle part (18) has a free top (18a), and a bottom (18b) sized to engage an exterior face of the head rail (27).
A reeling device (1) according to claim 4, characterised in that the dimensions of at least the bottom (18b) of the handle part and of the coupling flange are selected so that neither the handle part (18) nor the coupling flange (16) can pass through the opening (10) of the base part (5) of the bracket member(2).
A reeling device (1) according to any of the preceding claims 1 - 5, characterised in that main reel body (12) tapers from the second reel end (14) towards the first reel end (13).
A reeling device (1) according to any of the preceding claims 1 - 6, characterised in that the second reel end (14) is provided on a reel end part (12b) that is detachable to the main reel body (12a) opposite the first reel end (13).
A reeling device (1) according to any of the preceding claims 1 - 7, characterised in that the reeling device (1) being dimensioned in relation to the head rail (27) to delimit a clearance to the ceiling (28) of said head rail (27) in the mounted position of the reeling device (1).
A reeling device (1) according to any of the preceding claims 1 - 8, characterised in that the coupling component (4) has a collar (19) at the transition between the handle part (18) and the shaft (17).
A method of mounting a reeling device (1) according to any of the preceding claims 1 - 9 to a hollow head rail (27) that carries a curtain or a blind, the hollow head rail (27) being of the kind having a longitudinal opening (28) and a rotative drive shaft (26) for winding and unwinding one or more lift strings (L) during raising and lowering the curtain or the blind in relation to the head rail (27) by operating said reeling device (1), wherein the method comprises the steps of
- providing the head rail (27) and a number of reeling devices (1) corresponding to the number of lift strings (L) of the curtain or the blind,

- inserting the reeling devices (1) from an end opening of the head rail (27) with the rotational drive shaft (26) through the lengthwise shaft holes (15) of the inserted reeling devices (1),
characterized in that the method comprises the step of:
- arranging said reeling devices (1) spaced apart in positions corresponding to the positions of the lift strings (L) of the curtain or the blind, and so that the handle part of the coupling component (20) protrudes from the longitudinal opening (28) of the head rail (27) to be accessible for being turned to secure the reeling device to the head rail (27).
A method of mounting a reeling device (1) according to claim 10, characterised in that the step of turning the coupling component (4) includes grasping a handle part (18) between the fingers and rotating the handle part (18) by hand.
A head rail (27) comprising at least one reeling device (1) according to any of the preceding claims 1 - 9.