GB2222192A - Window blind - Google Patents

Abstract

A window blind comprises a plurality of vertically-disposed, horizontally-extending slats (11) suspended by their upper edges from a raising and lowering cord system (12) defining the vertical disposition. The cords (12) define a slat spacing less than or equal to the depth of the slats. The slats may be made of stiff material or soft fabric which may be weighted. The lower edges may be scalloped and/or the slats may be fluted. <IMAGE>

Description

WINDOW BLIND This invention relates to window blinds.

There are numerous popular types of window blind, including Venetian, Roman, Austrian, Festoon and Vertical, as well as the straightforward Roller Blind.

Each has its place in practical or decorative window furnishing.

One of these popular types of blind - the Roman blind - comprises a window-sized stiff fabric panel with horizontal folds and a cord system that raises the panel, concertina-fashion.

This type of blind has certain limitations.

On the one hand, it needs to be made of stiff material, or it will not fold properly. On the other hand, it must be custom made to fit a particular window.

The present invention provides a blind which has a similar appearance, effect and operation to a Roman blind, but which does not have these disadvantages.

The invention comprises in one aspect a window blind comprising a plurality of vertically disposed, horizontally extending slats suspended by their upper edges from a raising and spacing system defining the vertical disposition.

The invention comprises in another aspect a window blind comprising a plurality of vertically disposed, horizontally extending slats suspended by their upper edges from a support by a vertical slat spacing system providing two or more spacing locations over the width of the blind, and a raising cord or the like attached to a lowermost slat or other blind member for raising and lowering the blind.

The spacers or spacing locations may have a spacing less than or equal to the depth of the slats.

The cord system may be collected in a header for attachment at a window, and may have a cord lock, which may be a cord snubbing arrangement at one end of the header, or may be a window-frame-mounted cleat.

The cord system may comprise first cords attached at intervals to the slats and second, raising cords attached to the lowermost slat. The said first cords may comprise bead chains.

The slats may have pockets along their upper edges for a support and stiffening rod. The rod may carry eyes for the cord system projecting through holes in the pockets.

The blind may be made of stiff fabric such as roller blind or vertical blind fabric, or it may be made of soft fabric. In the latter case, the lower slat edges may be weighted and/or stiffened as by having a pocket with a stiffening rod.

It will be seen that since such blinds can be made from soft fabrics as well as stiff fabrics the range of fabric types, weights, finishes and textures is vastly increased over conventional Roman blinds.

Moreover, the slats themselves need not be straight but can have scalloped or otherwise profiled lower edges (upper edges too, but these will not normally be seen from inside a room) and can even have a third dimension in being fluted, corrugated, gathered or otherwise shaped.

There may be a separate weighted lowermost blind member suspended so as to be positioned behind the material of the lowermost slat.

Embodiments of window blinds according to the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of one blind Figure 2 is a front view of a lowered blind Figure 3 is a front view of a raised blind Figure 4 is a front view of a lowered blind with scalloped lower slat edges Figure 5 is a front view of a lowered blind with fluted slats, and Figure 6 is a view of another blind showing a separate weighted lowermost blind member.

The drawings illustrate window blinds comprising a plurality of vertically disposed, horizontallyextending slats 11 suspended by their upper edges lla from a raising cord system 12 defining the vertical disposition.

The cord system 12 defines a slat spacing less than or equal to the depth of the slats, so that no space appears between the lower edge of one slat and the upper edge of the slat next below.

The cord system 12 is collected in a header 13 for attachment at a window. Such header 13 is similar to a conventional festoon blind header in comprising a channel section member having eyes 14 for collection of cords 15, 16 and an endwise eye 17 for collected raising cords 16 to decend as a cord pull, the cords being knotted at intervals or plaited and provided with a window-frame-mounted cleat 18 in the usual way.

Otherwise a snubbing device may be incorporated at the end eye 17.

Cords 15 (in the form of bead chains) hang from the header 13 and attach the slats 11 at intervals being less than the depth of the slats. Usually, the slat depth will be equal and the bead chains will attach the slats 11 at equal intervals, but this is not, of course, necessary - it may be desired to have an unequal depth slats, as by alternating deep and narrow slats or by slats of graded depth with for example the deeper slats to the top or perhaps to the bottom of the blind for special effects.

Usually, blinds will be supplied complete with headers, but it may also be arranged for the blind to be suspended from a header arrangement which is built in to a window.

The slats 11 themselves - shown held out at an angle in Figures 1 for clarity's sake, as, in reality, they would normally lie with their lower edges resting against the slats next below, are formed from fabric strips with upper pockets 10 accommodating support and stiffening rods 21.

The rods 21 have eyelets 22 which project through apertures 23 in the pockets 19 and these are used to attach the cords 16 and to guide the raising cords 16. The raising cords 15 are of course tied to the lowermost slat eyelets 22.

The slats 11 as shown in Figure 1 are of stiff material such as filled linen such as roller blinds are made of. They could equally, however, be of soft fabric which may or may not, as desired, be stiffened or weighted, as by having a lower hem with curtain weights or by having a pocket like the pocket 10 with an inserted stiffening and/or weighting rod.

Figure 2 and 3 show a blind like that illustrated in Figure 1 (in which only a small but representative part is shown) in lowered and raised positions respectively.

Figure 4 illustrates a blind of which the slats 11 have scalloped lower edges 41. The slats may have their scallops aligned vertically, or adjacent slats may have their scallops displaced laterally to give a patterned or random effect.

Figure 5 illustrates a blind of which the slats are fluted. Clearly this can be effected by "moulding" a stiff fabric (which might even comprise a plastic sheet such as some Vertical blinds and most Venetian blinds are made of) or a similar three-dimensional effect could be had by gathering a soft fabric, incorporating perhaps twice the window width into each slat.

Figure 6 illustratesa blind with a separate weighted lowermost member 61 which is suspended so as to be positioned behind the material of the lowermost slat 62. This may be found to have advantages over arrangements in which the lowermost slat per se carries extra weighting over and above the normal requirement for weighting a slat, merely to keep the slat itself in downwardly extending position and free from folds and rucks. The member 61 can be heavy enough to weight the blind as a whole without making the lowermost slat look different to any of the others.

Aside from the increased design possibilities of blinds according to the invention, it will also be realised that these blinds need not to be custom made to fit a window. Rather, a range of stock sizes can be produced, either assembled or, because assembly is simple and straightforward, in kit form for assembly by the customer, and individual slats cut to size at installation - since such cutting to size is again, a simple and straightforward matter.

It will be appreciated that many variations in design, material and construction can be made without departing from the invention. This for example instead of eyelets 22 projecting through apertures 23 in the pockets 19, clips may be used to fit over the outside of the pockets, which would be easier to assemble. The blinds might also be used on sloping e.g. lean-to glass roofs, providing, where necessary, a cord attached to the lowermost slat for pulling the blind down, where gravity normally does that on vertical windows, and attaching the lower ends of the cords 15 to the lower edge of the roof so that said cords 15 form taut tracks on which the slats rest and ride - the cords 15 in this case can be made of plain round wire or even stiff rod for larger roofs.

Claims (22)

1. A window blind comprising a plurality of vertically disposed, horizontally extending slats suspended by their upper edges from a raising and spacing system defining the vertical disposition.

2 A window blind comprising a plurality of vertically disposed, horizontally extending slats suspended by their upper edges from a support by a vertical slat spacing system providing two or more spacing locations over the width of the blind, and a raising cord or the like attached to a lowermost slat or other blind member for raising and lowering the blind.

3. A blind according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the spacing system defines a slat spacing less than or equal to the depth of the slats.

4. A blind according to claim 3, in which the spacing system comprises one or more spacing members at each spacing location.

5. A blind according to claim 4, having at each spacing location one spacing member formed by a cord, chain or the like, attached at intervals to the respective slats.

6. A blind according to any one of claims 1 to 5, having a pocket along the upper edge of each slat for a stiffening and/or support rod.

7. A blind according to claim 6, in which each slat is provided with guide members, e.g. eyes for guiding the respective raising cords.

8. A blind according to claim 7, in which the rods are provided with the guide members, said guide members projecting through the pockets.

9. A blind according to claim 7 or claim 8, in which a group of vertically aligned guide members is positioned at each spacing location and the guide members serve to attach the spacing member or members to the respective slats.

10. A blind according to any one of claims 1 to 9, made of stiff fabric such as vertical blind fabric.

11. A blind according to any one of claims 1 to 9, made of soft fabric.

12. A blind according to claim 11, having the lower slat edges weighted and/or stiffened.

13. A blind according to claim 11, the lower slat edges having pockets with weighting and/or stiffening rods.

14. A blind according to claim 11, of which the slats have a lower hem with curtain weights.

15. A blind according to any one of claims 1 to 14, in which the slats are not straight but have scalloped or otherwise profiled lower and/or upper edges.

16. A blind according to claim 15, in which the slats have their scallops aligned vertically.

17. A blind according to claim 15, in which adjacent slats have their scallops displaced laterally to give a patterned or random effect.

18. A blind according to any one of claims 1 to 17, in which the slats have a third dimension in being fluted, corrugated, gathered or otherwise shaped.

19. A blind according to claim 18, of which said third dimension is effected by moulding a stiff fabric.

20. A blind according to claim 18, of which said third dimension is effected by gathering a soft fabric.

21. A blind according to any one of claims 1 to 20, in which a separate weighted lowermost blind member is used suspended so as to be positioned behind the material of the lowermost slat.

22. A window blind substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to or as illustrated in any of the accompanying drawings.