GB2252585A - A blind for mounting in a frame. - Google Patents

Description

225-2585 1 A BLIND FOR MOUNTING IN A FRIAME The present invention relates

to a blind for mounting in aframe.

Venetian blinds have been well-known for several decades. Basically a venetian blind consists of a large number of slats which are supported to extend parallel to one another usually.by ladder cords or ladder tapes. A blind has two or more such tapes depending upon the length of the slats. This has proved to be generally very satisfactory, but it is contemplated that, in particular with very thin slat material, and in circumstances where the blind is to be associated with a window which is other than vertical, for example a skylight, there is a tendency for the slats to sag. This becomes a particular problem where the venetian blind is fitted in the space between two panes of a multiple glazed window used in a skylight. It is the aim of the invention to overcome or alleviate such problems. 20 It is now proposed, according to the present invention to provide a blind for mounting in a peripheral frame, said blind comprising at least two slat supporting means, at least one of which comprises a rigid elongate mounting member adapted to be mounted on, or parallel to, opposite sides of said frame, a plurality of slats carried by said slat supporting means, said slats extending substantially parallel to one another and transverse to said slat supporting means, at longitudinally spaced locations on said slat supporting means, for pivotal movement about axes perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said slat supporting means and an elongate rigid drive transmitting means mounted on said at least one elongate mounting member for longitudinal reciprocating movement relative thereto, said drive transmitting means being operatively connected simultaneously to pivot the slats associated therewith, 2 between angularly open and closed positions.

With such a structure, the slats can be supported more rigidly by the slat engaging means and the elongate coupling member can be used to cause positive tilting motion of all the slat engaging means, and therefore of the slats, simultaneously.

While it is contemplated that the elongate coupling member could itself be subjected to the reciprocating movement, it is preferred that one-of the slat engaging means is rotatably or pivotally driven and this is.used to activate the elongate coupling member.

A preferred structure is one wherein said slat engaging means are in the form of wheels having gear teeth around at least a portion of their periphery and wherein said elongate coupling member is in the form of a toothed rack.

With this structure, the slots may be made openended, opening into the free edges of the side flanges, which will allow the slats to be inserted therethrough.

Advantageously the slots are all inclined at an acute angle to the axial length of the web and this feature can be used to ensure that the slats do not have a tendency to fall out, particularly when the blind is mounted in a skylight or roof window.

For ease of manufacture of standard parts, the elongate coupling member advantageously comprises a number of elements, which can be connected axially adjacent one another, for example by a head and cooperating socket, to form said elongate coupling member.

Again in order to facilitate manufacture, the slat engaging members are preferably formed as a moulding, with all, or at least a number, interconnected by a moulding sprue, to maintain the slat engaging members in the same orientation, whereby they may be fitted into the elongate mounting member simultaneously, whereafter the sprue may be 3 removed.

Various configurations of the slat supporting means are contemplated. For example, there may be at least one of the elongate mounting members of the invention, and its associated slat engaging means, and at least one ladder cord. With this arrangement the elongate mounting member could be located intermediate the ends of the slats and the ladder cords could be located adjacent each end of the slats. In an alternative arrangement. the slat supporting means comprise an elongate mounting member and its associated slat engaging means located adjacent each end of the slats. A further slat supporting means, either of this type, or a ladder cord, could be mounted intermediate the ends.

The blind may include a stiff upper slat or tilt bar, for example as disclosed in EP-A-278230. Equally it could also or alternatively include a stiff lower slat or tilt bar of the same type.

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:-

Figure 1 is a cross-section through the top right hand corner of a window frame showing a portion of one embodiment of blind according to the invention mounted therein; Figure 2 is a cross-section through the blind illustrating the rigid elongate mounting member and the drive transmitting means; 30 Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing a more central part of the frame with the blind thereon or therein; Figures 4 and 5 are an elevation and a section through a portion of the rack of the drive transmitting means; 4 Figure 6 is a side elevation of a portion of the elongate mounting member of the blind of the invention; Figure 7 is a side elevation of five of the gear wheels forming the slat engaging means of the blind shown 5 still mounted on their moulding sprue; Figure 8 is an enlarged cross-section through one of these wheels; Figure 9 is a schematic perspective view with a slightly modified version of the blind of Figures 1 to 8; Figure 10 is a schematic perspective view of a portion of a different embodiment of the blind according to the invention; Figure 11 is an enlarged perspective view of the drive transmitting means of the blind of Figure 10; and Figures 12a, 12b and 12c are schematic views illustrating the tilting of the slats of the blind of Figure 10 from an opened to a closed position.

The blind of Figures 1 to 9 is shown mounted in a frame including a top member 10, one of two side members 11 and a lower member 12. Mounted in the corner of the frame is a drive motor 14 having an electric lead 16. This arrangement is similar to that of EP-A-345007. The motor is used to drive a rigid top slat 18 of the blind, this top slat being as shown in EP-A-278230 and mounted to the upper frame member 10 in the same manner as illustrated therein.

The blind includes, adjacent each end, a conventional ladder tape 20 supported in a plurality of slats 22 and having a lower rail 24 similar to the upper rail 18. The thus described arrangement, therefore, is large conventional.

However, mounted intermediate the ends are one or more rigid elongate mounting members 26 forming further slat supporting means. These include a channel section member 28, having a web 30 and two side arms 32 (Figure 6) these side arms being provided with a number, five as shown, of openings 34 each having associated therewith a slot 36 which is angled upwardly and opens into the free edge 37 of the associated flange 32. The member 30 then is secured between the panes 38, 40 of the multiple glazed window and are supported on the top frame member 10 via a clip 42 similar to that used to support the top or bottom slat 18, 24..

Axially reciprocable adjacent the web 30 is a rack member 44. Teeth 45 of this mesh with the teeth 46 of a wheel 48 associated with each aperture 34.

As can be seen from Figures 7 and 8, each wheel -has the teeth 46 around only part of its periphery and the wheel is provided, on each side, with a shoulder 50. Each wheel can be snap fitted into the openings 34 these openings themselves acting as bearings, surrounding the smaller diameter portion and engaging the shoulders 50. The arms 32 can readily be flexed outwardly, particularly because of the provision of the slots 36 to enable the wheels to be inserted.

As can be seen from Figure 7, the wheel 48 are each moulded, e.g. from a plastic material or an alloy, in a group of a number which preferably equals the total number required. In fact there are illustrated in the drawings five wheels 48 which, during the moulding process, finish up with a sprue 52. In the assembly operation, the sprue is maintained until all of the wheels are inserted. This has the advantage that all of the wheels will be oriented in exactly the same way. After insertion onto th eir respective bearings formed by the apertures 34, the sprue is removed.

It can be seen that each wheel 48 includes a near diametral slot 54, which is sized to accommodate a slat 22.

The rack 44, as can be seen from Figures 4 and 5, can be formed of a number of discrete length sections which can be interconnected by a head 56 at one end which can be press-fitted into an identically shaped recess 58 in the 6 opposite end of an adjacent section. Thus one can build up a rack of any desired length.

The general assembly of the various parts is illustrated more clearly in Figure 9, from which it can be seen that a rigid tubular side member 60 which is mounted on each side frame member 11, is provided with an inwardly directed arm 62 which can engage against a cut out portion 64 of each slat. In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 9, there is a minor modification in so far as the rack, which is illustrated here by the reference 47, is in the form of a slotted strip axially slidable in a head portion 49 of a modified T cross-section rigid member, in which are mounted the wheels 48. Figure 9 also illustrates one of the ladder tapes 20.

In operation of the blind, the top more rigid slat 18 is pivoted by the electric motor 14 to a desired angle and by this means one of the slats 22 is caused to pivot. This Pivoting causes its associated wheel 48 to rotate rotational which causes the rack 44 to move in a reciprocal manner, thereby turning all of the other wheels and the associated slats simultaneously.

It will be appreciated that the slats can readily be introduced in the channel section member 28. This can, in fact, be achieved by inserting the slats into the diametral slots 54 while the wheels are still mounted on their associated sprue 52. The slats can then pass the slots 36. Because the slots are angled upwardly, if the blind is mounted in a vertical plane as shown in Figure 6, there will be no tendency for the slats to fall out. In some instances it is desirable that the blind be mounted in a roof window and the arrangement will then be such that the slot 36 will be at or near the uppermost position.

The arrangement as shown in Figures 10 to 12 is somewhat different, but still employs the same principle.

In this construction a rigid slat supporting member 100 is 7 formed with a number of longitudinally spaced curved slots 102 each having a curved lower shoulder (Figure 11). Axially slidable relative to the support 100 is a tilting member 106 which has associated therewith a plurality of laterally extending arms 108.

A slat 109 is introduced into the slot 102, with its concave face in point contact with the shoulder 104. The slat 109 has a slot 110 which embraces the member 106 very loosely.

It can be seen that relative reciprocal motion between the members 100 and 106 will allow the slat to take up different positions as illustrated in Figures 12a, 12b and 12c. In the illustrated construction of Figure 11 the member 10 is provided with a rack 112 to effect this relative movement. Of course the rack could be provided on the other member 106.

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Claims (1)

1. A blind for mounting in a peripheral frame, said blind comprising at least two slat supporting means, at least one of which comprises a rigid elongate mounting. member adapted to be mounted on, or parallel to, opposite sides of said framei a plurality of slats carried by said slat supporting means, said slats extending substantially parallel to one another and transverse to said slat supporting means, at longitudinally spaced locations on said slat supporting means, for pivotal movement about axes perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said slat supporting means and an elongate rigid drive transmitting means mounted on said at least one elongate mounting member for longitudinal reciprocating movement relative thereto, said drive transmitting means being operatively connected simultaneously to pivot the slats associated therewith, between angularly open and closed positions.

2. A blind according to claim 1 and further comprising a plurality of slat engaging means mounted at longitudinally spaced locations on said at least one elongate mounting member, for pivotal movement about axes perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the elongate mounting member, each slat being carried by a separate one of said slat engaging means, said drive transmitting means acting to pivot said slats through the pivoting of said slat engaging means.

4.

3. A blind according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the slat engaging means is rotatably driven to activate said elongate coupling member.

A blind according to claim 2 or 3, wherein said 9 slat engaging means are in the form of wheels having gear teeth around at least a portion of their periphery and wherein said elongate coupling member is in the form of a toothed rack.

5. A blind according to claim 4, wherein said elongate mounting member is in the form of a channel crosssection member having a web and two spaced apart side flanges and wherein said side flanges have slots-at regularly spaced intervals therein extending parallel to one another and transverse to the web of the channel section member, to facilitate flexing of the side flange, to enable the wheels to be snap fitted into place.

6. A blind according to claim 5, wherein said slots are open ended, opening into the free edges of the side flanges, to allow the slats to be inserted therethrough.

7. A blind according to claim 6, wherein the slots are all inclined at an acute angle to the axial length of the web.

8. A blind according to any preceding claim, wherein said elongate rigid drive transmitting means comprises a number of elements, which can be connected axially adjacent one another to form said elongate coupling member.

9. A blind according to any preceding claim, wherein said slat engaging members are formed by moulding, with all, or a selected number, interconnected by a moulding sprue, to maintain the slat engaging members in the same orientation, whereby they may be fitted into the elongate mounting member simultaneously, whereafter the sprue may be removed.

10. A blind according to any preceding claim, wherein Z the slat supporting means comprise said at least one elongate mounting member and its associated slat engaging means and at least one ladder cord.

11. A blind according to claim 10, wherein the elongae mounting member is located intermediate the ends of the slats and a ladder cord is located adjacent each end of the slats.

12. A blind according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the slat supporting means comprise an elongate mounting member and its associated slat engaging means located adjacent each end of the slats.

13. A blind according to any preceding claim and further comprising a stiffened upper slat or tilt bar.

14. A blind according to claim 13 and further_ comprising a stiffened lower slat or tilt bar.

15. A blind according to any preceding claim which is mounted in the space between two panes of a multiple glazed window.

16. A blind according to claim 15, wherein at least one of the slats has ends adapted to engage the side members of the frame of the multiple glazed window.

17. A blind substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.