FR2655086A1 - INTERIOR BLINDS WITH AUTOMATIC WINDING. - Google Patents

Abstract

The blind with its drum (2) for automatic rolling up of the flexible screen (4) is characterised in that, for the purpose of locking in any desired position, it consists of the following components: a profiled piece (18) on at least one side of the end rail (8) and a lateral fixed element (17), the profiled piece (18) and the element (17) being aligned in relation to one another in such a manner that, according to the angular position of the end rail (8) which in turn is determined by the elastic reverse rotation device and the drawcord (9), the former locks with or slides unrestrictedly along the latter.

Description

i The present invention relates to an interior blind

with automatic winding.

  These blinds comprise, in a known manner, a transverse cylindrical support which can rotate around its horizontal axis and which is situated above the upper edge of the opening to be obscured, for example a window On this support

  a flexible rectangular panel is fixed by its upper edge

  laire, for example canvas, which can be rolled up or

  unwound for opening or closing the blind Inside

  of the cylindrical support or drum are arranged

  elastic yen which act between the drum and its fixed support to permanently recall the drum in the direction of the winding of the panel The panel is subject, by its lower edge, to a rigid lower horizontal transverse element, generally called "final blade" , which is used to stiffen

  the lower part of the panel and the central part of the

  which one end of a hanging cord hangs

  down for manual opening and closing control

  ture of the blind These blinds furthermore comprise means of

  removable blocking which allows the panel to be immobilized

  ple in any position, except possibly for the position

  fully open in which the blade f i N has the can itself

  even come into abutment against a fixed or mobile element of the system

  me. In currently known blinds, the means of

  blocking are relatively complicated and fra-

  gile and, moreover, they require on the part of the user a certain dexterity because they comprise at least one movable part which is moved towards its blocking position by the

  movement of the blind, this movement must be careful-

  controlled by the user so that the blocking position

is reached.

  The object of the invention is to remedy this drawback

  deny by providing a blind of the kind indicated above in which the locking means are of a simple structure

  and robust, and in addition to handling requiring no

  no particular dexterity on the part of the user.

  To this end, the interior blind according to the invention is characterized in that the locking means are

  consisting of: a fixed rectilinear lateral element, generally

  vertically vertical, provided on at least one side and extending substantially over the entire height swept by said lower transverse element between its two extreme positions; a profiled tip provided on at least one end of said lower transverse element to cooperate with the latter; and by the fact that, in projection in a plane containing said element

  rectilinear lateral fixed and perpendicular to the axis of the element

  lower transverse, the point of attachment of the panel

  on said lower transverse element is located between the em-

  end and the point of attachment of the pull cord on this element

  lower transverse ment so that when the bead

  is not pressed down manually, the assembly cons-

  moved by the lower transverse element and the end piece occupies a first angular position for which the end piece is locked on the fixed transverse straight element under the action of the upward pull exerted by the means

  elastic and when said bead is stressed manually

  down with sufficient force, this set oc-

  cuts a second angular unlocking position by

  report to said element, for which it can be lowered or displayed

  tee sliding freely along it 1 ci, at the same time as the panel is wound or unrolled, depending on whether the manual downward pull exerted on the cord is less or greater than the upward pull exerted by the elastic means. Thus, when the blind according to the invention is at rest, that is to say that the user exerts no pulling action downwards on the lower element or final strip, the assembly as defined above. above occupies, under the effect of the elastic means and by cooperation with the fixed lateral element, an angular position for which it locks on this rectilinear lateral element; on the contrary, when a

  sufficient downward traction is exerted by the user

  on the pull cord, the assembly is subjected to a cut

  pie, due to the offset between the attachment points of the

  draw cord and panel on the blade f i N a le, out

  that this set swings to be able to slide freely

  up or down along the fixed side member.

  Preferably, the blind has a fixed lateral element

and a nozzle on each side.

  According to a preferred embodiment, the cord

  draw is at the front of the final blade and the tip is at the rear

  so that the fixed side element is located behind

  the panel which conceals it for the closed position of the blind.

  According to a first type of locking, the side element

  fixed ral and the endpiece have combined reliefs for positive mechanical locking when said assembly is

  in the first angular position According to one embodiment

  preferred station, the fixed lateral element has projections, for example balls, preferably regularly spaced, and the end piece has a complementary projection, for example

  a tooth, and a bearing surface, the fixed lateral element not

  between the tooth and the bearing surface and the latter being spaced apart by a sufficient distance for the free sliding of said assembly on the fixed lateral element when it occupies the second angular position. Preferably, the bearing surface has a shoulder turned upward to cooperate with

  a projection of the fixed lateral element while the tooth cooperates

  re with another protrusion of it, so that one ensures

  thus a two-point locking of the assembly on the element

  fixed lateral ment Preferably, the tooth is located at the lower part of the end piece and the shoulder, if there is one,

  is located at the top.

  According to a second type of locking, the element la-

  fixed body and the end piece have surfaces which cooperate by friction to lock said assembly when it occupies

the first position.

  According to another aspect of the present invention,

  the lower transverse element, which receives the margina-

  the lower part of the flexible panel comprises a main body and a clipped profile which trap this marginal part between them.

  The invention will be clearly understood on reading the supplement

  description which follows and with reference to the drawings

  which are part of the description and in which:

  Fig 1 is a perspective view showing, in cutaway and seen from the interior of a room, the left part of an interior blind established according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;

  Fig 2 is, on a larger scale, a cross-section

  dirty showing the rigid lower horizontal element, or final blade, which receives the lower part of the flexible panel;

  Fig 3 is a schematic cross-section through

  tielle showing, in the direction A-A of Fig 1, the blind in the fully raised or open position; Fig 4 is a view similar to Fig 3, the blind being unlocked and in an intermediate height position, to be opened or closed; and Fig 5 is a view similar to Fig 3, the blind

  being in the lower locked position.

  There is shown in Fig 1 an internal blind

  bli according to a preferred embodiment of the invention This blind is intended to be placed in front of an opening 1, for example a window in order to be able to conceal it at least partially. In a known manner, this blind comprises an upper transverse cylindrical support 2 which is placed above

  opening 1 and which can rotate around its horizontal axis.

  In Fig 1, the support 2 comprises an outer cover 3 which conceals the rotating elements as well as the part of a flexible panel 4 already wound. On each side of the opening 1, the support 2 is fixed to a wall 5, by example by a square 6 In a known manner, elastic means are housed inside the drum 2 and they act between this drum

  and an extreme flange 7 to permanently remind the tam-

  bour in the direction of the winding of the panel 4 These elastic means are well known in the art, this is why they are not shown and will not be described here The flexible panel 4, for example a canvas, is rectangular and it is secured in a known manner by its upper edge

  to drum 2 for its winding and unwinding.

  At the lower part of the blind is provided a rigid horizontal transverse element 8, or final blade, on which the lower edge of the panel 4 is fixed; this final blade

  8 serves to stiffen the lower part of the panel 4 and to hang

  expensive a draw cord 9 which is fixed on the central part

the of the final blade 8.

  read As shown in the Figures, the point of attachment of the pulling cord 9 to the final blade 8 is offset forward relative to the axis thereof, and therefore relative to the horizontal line of attachment of the panel 4 to this blade, so that, when the user exerts downward pull on the pulling cord 9, the final blade 8 is subjected to a torque, as shown in FIG. 4, l amplitude and sign of this torque depending in particular on the value of the tensile force F exerted by the user on the cord 9 and the restoring force F 'exerted on the panel 4 by the elastic means

reminder.

  There is shown in Fig 2, in cross section, a preferred embodiment of the blade f i N a le 8 This blade has a constant cross section and it is constituted

  by a main body 10 and a clipped profile 11 which imprint

  ring the lower marginal part 4 between them

  neau 4 At its lower part, the body 10 has a shoulder

  Lement 12 which cooperates with an end tooth 13 of the profile 11.

  At its other end, the profile 11 has a lip 14 whose longitudinal free end is housed under a complementary lip 15 of the body 10 The profile 11 extends and completes the circular shape of the body 10; between the body and the profile 11 is formed a space 16 which has

  baffles and in which the lower marginal part is housed

  panel 4, for example up to shoulder level-

  12 and tooth 13 Panel 4 leaves space 16 in

  be the lips 14, 15 which exert a pinching effect. The profile 11 is clipped, after the marginal part of the panel 4 has been placed on the corresponding part of the body, by first bringing the tooth 12 against the shoulder 13, then by slightly deforming the profile 11 so that the lip 14 comes to be housed under the lip 15, the profile 11 thus being locked on the body 10 To remove the profile 11, it suffices to exert a radial compression on the lip 14

  to release it from the lip 15.

  On at least one side of opening 1, and preferably

  on each side of it, there is a rec-

  fixed lateral line 17, generally vertical, which extends over the entire height swept by the blade f-i N ai-le-8 between its two extreme positions shown in Figs 3 and; element 17 is intended to cooperate, in a locking connection, with a profiled end piece 18 which is fixedly mounted

  on the corresponding end of the blade f i N has the 8.

  As can be seen in the Figures, the end piece 18 is located at the rear of the final blade 8, being substantially diametrically opposite the point of attachment of the pull cord 9, so that, in projection in a plane containing

  element 17 and perpendicular to the horizontal axis of the

  me f i n has the 8, the point of attachment of the panel 4 on the

  blade f i N a le is located between the end piece 18 and the point of contact

  hooking of the draw cord 9 on the final blade.

  The element 17 is fixed, its upper end being subject to a support 19 secured to the flange 7 and its lower end being immobilized on a bracket.

wall mounted 5.

  The element 17 and the end piece 18 are designed to be able, depending on the angular position of the assembly constituted by the blade f i N a le 8 and the end piece 18, to cooperate with each other

  in a immobilization and panic locking link

  level 4 in any position, except possibly the up position

  extreme end (Fig 3), either slide freely one relative

  to the other for raising or lowering the blind (Fig 4).

  The state of cooperation in the locking connection is re-

  shown in Fig 5, for example for the closed position

of the awning.

  The cooperation between the end piece 18 and the element 17 can

  be achieved in various ways For example, these two elements

  ments may have surfaces which cooperate with each other by friction so as to create on the final blade 8

  sufficient strength to overcome the action of rape

  pel exerted by elastic means, through the

panel 4.

  However, according to a preferred embodiment, the element 17 and the end piece 18 have reliefs

  combined so that the locking is of the mechanical type posi-

  tif when the assembly constituted by the blade f i N has the 8 and

  the end piece 18 is in the desired angular position.

  In the example shown, the element 17 is constituted

  by a cord or cable which carries projections 21, for example

  full of balls, which are regularly spaced and which cooperate

  rent with additional elements provided on the end piece 18.

  The end piece 18 has a complementary projection 22, for example an upwardly facing tooth, and a bearing surface 23 which is situated on the other side of the tooth 22 with respect to the element 17, so that that -this passes between tooth 22 and the surface

  23, passing through a housing 24 formed in the end piece 18.

  The tooth 22 is preceded by a smooth convex surface and the support surface 23 is also smooth and convex for free sliding relative to the element 17 when

  the blind must be raised or lowered.

  As shown in Fig 5 for the position of ver-

  rusting, the tooth 22 engages under a ball 21, while the opposite bearing surface 23 cooperates, on the other side, with the element 17 This cooperation could be a simple support limiting the tilting of the assembly 8, 18 in the direction

  schedule considering Fig 5 but preferably the over-

  face 23 ends with an upwardly facing shoulder 26 which cooperates for locking with another ball 21, for example the ball adjacent to that with the tooth 22 cooperates In the example shown, tooth 22 is at the lower part of the end piece while the shoulder 26

  is at the top, but it is not to be excluded to adopt

ter a reverse arrangement.

  As is clear from the above, the position of the panel 4 is a function of three elements, namely the action

  upward return from the elastic means, the ac-

  pulling down from the cord 9 and the cooperation of the end piece 18 with the element 17 We will now

  describe the operation and use of this blind.

  We will first consider the locked position

  for which the endpiece 18 is immobilized on the element 17.

  This position is shown in Fig 5 for the extreme low position of the blind, but the explanations which will be

  data are also valid for any intermediate position

  locking diary For this position, which also exists

  if the pulling force F on the cord 9 is insufficient

  health, the restoring force F 'exerted on the panel 4 by the elastic means tends to raise the final blade

  8 but, in doing so, tooth 22, or shoulder 26 if there is

  te, comes to hang on the lower surface of a ball 21, which causes the final blade 8 to tilt in the direction of arrow C (Fig 5) This tilting reinforces the locking which is maintained because, once the tooth 22, and possibly the shoulder 26, are hung on a ball

  21, the tilting torque of the final blade 8 due to the

  this recall F 'reinforces the locking cooperation.

  To unlock the blind, the user pulls on the cord 9 (Fig 4) with sufficient force to largely overcome the above torque, so that the final blade 8 rocks in the direction of arrow B while releasing tooth 22 and the shoulder 26, the end piece 18 thus being released from the balls 21 of the element 17 The distance between the tooth 22 and the bearing surface 23 is of course sufficient for the balls 21 to pass freely between them in this angular position of the final slide 8 It should be noted that, depending on the amplitude

  of force F and its direction, the angular position of la-

  final me 8, as well as its distance from element 17, are variable, but the presence of convex surfaces 23 and

  allows free sliding across the entire posi-

  tions of the final blade 8 and consequently of the end piece 18.

  The panel 4 is thus lowered or mounted depending on whether the action of the pulling force F prevails or not over the action of the

restoring force F '.

  When the force F is removed, the final blade 8 rocks again in the direction of the arrow C (Fig 5) for locking the panel, as described above. For the extreme high position, the end piece 18 can either be immobilized on the element 17, as described above, or come in

  stop against the underside of the support 19.

  As seen in Figs 3 to 5, the angle at the center between the attachment points of the panel 4 and the draw cord 9 on the final blade 8 is approximately 90, while the angle at the center between the point of attachment of the panel 4 and the average point of mounting of the end piece 18 on the final blade 8 is greater than 900, for example of the order of 120 In general, the two above angles are determined in such a way that, as shown in FIG. 4, the end piece 18 is in an optimal angular sliding position

  when the forces F and F 'have substantially the same direction.

  Furthermore, it is obvious that the locking is all the more firm as the second angle defined above is important; however, the greater this angle, the greater the tilt angle for unlocking, which makes it necessary to raise the attachment point of the

  draw cord 9 on the final blade 8.

  Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiment which has been described; we could on the contrary conceive various variants without going out of its way

frame.

Claims (9)

  1 interior roller blind, including:   a transverse cylindrical support (2) suitable for turning   turn of its horizontal axis; a flexible rectangular panel (4) secured by its upper edge to said support (2) for winding and unwinding; elastic means of   recall of said support (2) in the direction of winding of the pan-   calf (4); a rigid horizontal lower transverse element (8), or "final blade", secured to the lower edge (4 a) of the   panel (4); a pull cord (9) hooked to one end   tee at the central part of the blade f i N a 1 e (8); and   removable locking means (17,18) for immobilizing the pan   flexible neau (4) in any position, characterized in that said blocking means (17,18) are constituted by a fixed lateral rectilinear element (17), generally vertical,   provided on at least one side and extending substantially over all   te the height swept by said blade f i N a 1 e (8) between its two extreme positions; a profiled end cap (18) provided   on at least one end of said blade f i n has the for co-   rer with it; and by the fact that, in projection in a plane containing said fixed lateral rectilinear element (17) and perpendicular to the axis of said blade fi N a-le, the point of attachment of the panel (4) on the blade fi N is located   between the end piece (18) and the point of attachment of the tie   rage (9) on the blade f i N has the so that when the cor-   drawing gift (9) is not manually biased downwards, the assembly constituted by the blade f i N has the (8) and the endpiece   (18) occupies a first angular position for which the em-   end is locked on the fixed lateral rectilinear element under   the upward pulling action (F ') exerted by the mo-   elastic yen and when the pulling cord is stressed   manually cited down with sufficient force, this   together occupies a second angular unlocking position   beam with respect to the fixed lateral rectilinear element (17)   for which it can be lowered or mounted by sliding li-   briefly along the latter, at the same time as the panel (4) is rolled up and unrolled, depending on whether the manual pull (F) 1 1 down exerted on the pulling cord is less or more than the pull (F ') upwards exerted by elastic means.   2 blind according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a fixed lateral rectilinear element (17)   and a nozzle (18) on each side.   3 Awning according to one of claims 1 and 2, charac-   terrified by the fact that the draw cord (9) is at the front   and the end piece (18) is at the rear, said rectilinear element la-   fixed plate (17) being thus located behind the panel (4> and   being concealed by it in the closed position.   4 Awning according to one of claims 1 to 3, character-   laughed at by the fact that the fixed lateral rectilinear element (17)   and the endpiece (18) have conjugate reliefs for a glass-   positive mechanical rusting when said assembly is in the first angular position.   5.Store according to claim 4, characterized in that the fixed lateral rectilinear element (17) comprises   projections (21), for example balls, preferably regular   spaced apart, and the end piece (18) has a complete projection   mentary (22), for example a tooth, and a bearing surface (23), the fixed lateral rectilinear element (17) passing between the   complementary projection (22) and the bearing surface (23) and this   these being spaced apart by a sufficient distance for the free sliding of said assembly on the fixed lateral element (17)   when it occupies the second angular position.   6 blind according to claim 5, characterized in that the bearing surface (23) has a shoulder (26) turned upward to cooperate with a projection (21) of the fixed lateral rectilinear element (17) while the complementary projection (22) cooperates with another projection (21) of   this, for example an adjacent projection.   7 awning according to one of claims 5 and 6, charac-   terrified by the fact that the complementary projection (22) is   located at the bottom of the nozzle (18).   8 Awning according to one of claims 1 to 3, charac-   terrified by the fact that the fixed lateral rectilinear element (17) and the endpiece (18) have surfaces cooperating by friction to lock said assembly when it occupies the first angular position.   9 Awning according to one of claims 1 to 8, character-   se the fact that when the tensile force (F) exerted   down on the pull cord (9) and the force (F ') exerted   created by the elastic means on the blade f i N a le (8) are substantially aligned, the end piece (18) is in a position   optimal sliding angle with respect to the rec- fixed lateral coil (17)   Blind according to one of claims 1 to 9, characteristic   se by the fact that the blade f i N has the (8) comprises a main body (10) and a clipped profile (11) trapping between   them the lower marginal part (4 a) of the panel (4).