GB2235487A

GB2235487A - Venetian blinds.

Info

Publication number: GB2235487A
Application number: GB8918719A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Der Zanden George Christia Van
Original assignee: Hunter Douglas Industries BV
Current assignee: Hunter Douglas Industries BV
Priority date: 1989-08-16
Filing date: 1989-08-16
Publication date: 1991-03-06
Also published as: AU620731B2; EP0413443A1; GB8918719D0; AU6084090A; NZ234651A; JPH03119283A

Description

1 VENETIAN BLINDS The present invention relates to venetian blinds.

Conventionally, venetian blinds consist of a head rail, at least two ladder means, each consisting of spaced generally longitudinally extending flexible elements such as tapes or cords and a plurality of transversely extending rungs, slats being mounted on the rungs, and a bottom rail being provided, this usually being supported by two or more lift cords. When it is decided what length of blind one wishes to manufacture, the flexible elements of the ladder cords are cut and are secured together, for example by means of a cleat or by forming a knot and then a clip is used to push the cleated or knotted ends through an aperture in the lower surface of the bottom rail. This has been found to be rather a time consuming operation which is not very economic.

It is now proposed, according to one aspect of the present invention, to provide a method of mounting the bottom rail on a venetian blind which includes a head rail, at least two ladder means, each consisting of spaced generally longitudinally extending flexible elements and a plurality of transversely extending rungs, with slats mounted on said rungs, said method comprising passing the bottom rail through an aperture between adjacent rungs in each ladder means, with a least one further rung of the ladder means being positioned below the bottom rail, engaging a clip with said rung of the ladder means, rotating the clip, and with it the ladder meansl about an axis parallel to the longitudinal flexible elements by an angle of at least 1800 to a particular orientation whereby the ladder means is twisted and engaging each clip on the bottom rail so that the clip is retained thereon at that particular orientation.

2 Such a method can be carried out very simply without the need of any knotting or cleating, it simply being necessary to cut the flexible elements immediately below the rung of the ladder means engaged by the clip.

Each clip may be retained at that particular orientation by means of an upstanding shank having a head on the upper end this being engaged in an associated aperture in the lower surface of the bottom rail. whereby the head retains the clip in place. The head may be chamfered and the shank resilient so that the head and shank may simply be pushed upwardly into the bottom rail to be snap fitted into the associated aperture.

Advantageously the clip includes arms which are sprung over front and rear portions of the bottom rail to assist in this securing of the clip to the bottom rail.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a venetian blind including a head rail, at least two ladder means. each consisting of spaced generally longitudinally extending flexible elements and a plurality of transversely extending rungs, slats mounted on said rungs and a bottom rail, a clip associated with each ladder means, each clip having means engageable with a rung of the ladder means, enabling the clip, and with it the ladder means, to be rotated about an axis parallel to the longitudinal flexible elements by an angle of at least 1805 to a particular orientation whereby the ladder means is twisted and means associated with each clip, enabling the clip to be engaged on the bottom rail at, and to be retained at, that particular orientation.

According to a still further aspect of the invention there is provided a clip for mounting the ladder means of a venetian blind on its bottom rail, said ladder means consisting of spaced generally longitudinally extending flexible elements and a plurality of transversely extending rungs, said clip comprising a body of a width Z 3 similar to that between the longitudinally extending flexible elements of the ladder means, engaging means engageable with each of said flexible elementsi to enable said clip. and with it the ladder means, to be rotated about an axis parallel to the longitudinal flexible elements by an angle of at least 180 to a particular orientation whereby the ladder means is twisted and means on said clip engaging the clip on the bottom rail at, and to be retained at. that particular orientation.

In order that the present invention may more readily be understood the following description is given merely by way of example reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which:Figures 1, 2 and 3 are each schematic illustrations showing the method of the present invention being carried out; 4.

Figure 2 is a cross-section through one embodiment of clip according to the present invention and Figure 5 is a section',along the line W of Figure Referring first to Figure 1 there is illustrated the lower part of a venetian blind ladder means, this consisting of two flexible elements 10, 12 and there are also illustrated three rungs 14, 16, 18. Mounted on the uppermost of these rungs 14 is a bottom rail 20 which is shown very schematically as including an aperture 22 in its lower surface. Shown equally schematically is a clip 24 having an upstandin g shank 26 and side arms 27, 28 shaped to conform to the outer surface of the bottom rail 20. As illustrated in Figure 1, the clip 24 is shown mounted on the intermediate rung 16 and the clip is then rotated about a vertical axis as indicated by the arrow 30. As a result of this twisting, the flexible elements 10, 12 are twisted so that they cross over, as illustrated above the clip in Figure 2.

4 The next step, as shown in Figure 3, is to push the clip upwardly so that It engages the bottom rail 20 thereby securing the ladder 10. 12 to the bottom rail 24. The flexible elements 10, 12 are then cut as shown by the scissors 32 and the mounting of the bottom rail Is then complete.

The actual structure of the clip 24 is illustrated in greater detail in Figures 4 and 5. The clip includes a body 34 having two side arms 36, 38 each having inturned end portions 40, 42 shaped to spring over front and rear portions of the bottom rail 20.

The upstanding shank 26 has a head portions 44, 48 having chamfered surfaces 50, 52 respectively. It will be seen, in fact, that the shank 26 is formed with two spaced apart portions of a resilient nature carrying the heads 44, 48. Thus, when the clip 24 is pushed upwardly, the chamfered parts 50, 52 engage an aperture in the lower surface of the bottom rail and flex inwardly and then spring outwardly so that the head engages over the edges of this aperture to assist in the end portion 40, 42 of the arms engaging with the bottom rail to hold the clip in place.

It will be appreciated that the above arrangement can make for very speedy mounting of the bottom rail and requires no tying or cleating of the flexible elements of the ladder means.

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Claims

1. A venetian blind including a head rail, at least two ladder means, each consisting of spaced generally longitudinally extending flexible elements and a plurality of transversely extending rungs, slats mounted on said rungs and a bottom rail, a clip associated with each ladder means, each clip having means engageable with a rung of the ladder means, enabling the clip, and with it the ladder means, to be rotated about an axis parallel to the longitudinal flexible-elements by an angle of at least 180 to a particular orientation whereby the ladder means is twisted and means associated with each clip, enabling the clip to be engaged on the bottom rail at, and to be retained at, that particular orientation.

2. A venetian blind according to claim 1, wherein the bottom rail includes a vertical aperture for each ladder means and wherein each clip includes an upstanding shank with a head on the upper end of the shank adapted to engage in the aperture in the bottom rail to retain the clip in place.

3. A venetian blind according to claim 2, wherein the head is chamfered and the shank is resilient whereby the shank will flex to enable the head to be snap fitted into its associated aperture.

4. A venetian blind according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the clip includes arms shaped to spring over front and rear portions of the bottom rail.

5. A venetian blind according to claim 4, wherein the outer end faces of the arms are provided with 6 grooves to receive the flexible elements of the associated ladder means.

6. A clip for mounting the ladder means of a venetian blind on its bottom rail, said ladder means consisting of spaced generally longitudinally extending flexible elements and a plurality of transversely extending rungs, said clip comprising a body of a width similar to that between the longitudinally extending flexible elements of the ladder means, engaging means engageable with each of said flexible elements, to enable said clip, and with it the ladder means, to be rotated about an axis parallel to the longitudinal flexible elements by an angle of at least 1800 to a particular orientation whereby the ladder means is twisted and means on said clip engaging the clip on the bottom rail at, and to be retained at, that particular orientation.

7. A clip according to claim 6, wherein the clip includes an upstanding shank with a head on its upper end adapted to engage in an aperture in the bottom rail.

8. A clip according to claim 7, wherein the head is chamfered and the shank is resilient whereby the shank will flex to enable the-head to be snap fitted into its associated aperture.

9. A clip according to claim 6, 7 or 8, wherein the clip includes arms shaped to spring over front and rear portions of the bottom rail.

10. A clip according to claim 9, wherein the outer end faces of the arms are provided with grooves to receive the flexible elements of the associated ladder means.

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11. A method of mounting the bottom rail on a venetian blind which includes a head rail, at least two ladder means, each consisting of spaced generally longitudinally extending flexible elements and a plurality of transversely extending rungs, with slats mounted on said rungs, said method comprising passing the bottom rail through an aperture between adjacent rungs in each ladder means, with a least one further rung of the ladder means being position below the bottom rail, engaging a clip with said rung of the ladder means, rotating the clip, and with it the ladder means, about an axis parallel to the longitudinal flexible elements by an angle of at least 1800 to a particular orientation whereby the ladder means is twisted and engaging each clipon the bottom rail so that the clip is retained thereon at that particular orientation.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein each clip is retained at that particular orientation by means of an upstanding shank having a head on its upper end being engaged in an associated aperture in the lower surface of the bottom rail whereby the head retains the clip in place.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the head is chamfered and the shank resilient, and wherein the head and shank are simply pushed upwardly into the bottom rail to be snap fitted into the associated aperture.

14. A method according to claim 11, 12 or 13, wherein the clip includes arms and wherein these arms are sprung over front and rear portions of the bottom rail.

15. A venetian blind substantially as hereinbefore described with reference and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

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16. A clip for mounting the ladder means of a venetian blind on its bottom rail, said clip being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference and 5 as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

17. A method of mounting the bottom rail on the ladder means of a venetian blind, said method being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference and 10 as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Published 1991 atfbepatcnt office. state House, 66/71 High Holborn. IA)ndonWCIR4TP.Furthc!r copies Tnay be obtained from Sales Branch. Unit 6. Nine Mile Point, Cwrnfelinfach, Cross Keys, Newport. NPI 7HZ. Printed by Multiplex techniques ltd, St Mary Cray, Kent-