GB2256000A

GB2256000A - Non-rectangular roller blind

Info

Publication number: GB2256000A
Application number: GB9111303A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Bert Ohrem
Original assignee: REMIS GmbH
Current assignee: REMIS GmbH
Priority date: 1991-04-09
Filing date: 1991-05-24
Publication date: 1992-11-25
Anticipated expiration: 2011-05-24
Also published as: GB2256000B; DE4111400C1; GB9111303D0

Description

2 21 3 6 J 10 J ROLLER BLIND The invention is directed to a roller blind.

Known roller blinds or window shades for shielding rooms from sun radiation comprise a web of material adapted to rolled up. Said web, being normally provided with a coating for reflection or radiation, is mounted before or behind the window faces. The web can be rolled up onto a roll shaft and has two parallel longitudinal edges and a bottom edge which, with the roller blind being unrolled, is flush with the lower edge of the window. For providing higher stiffness to the web, a stiffening bar is arranged on the bottom edge of the web. The stiffening bar, extending along the end edge, maintains the web in plane condition, serves as a handle bar for unrolling the roller blind and keeps the unrolled blind tensioned.

Disadvantageously, such known roller blinds, due to their rectangular web, cannot be used for shielding non rectangular window faces having an oblique side or bottom edge. Non-rectangular window faces are sometimes found in modern buildings but also in vehicles. If it were tried to provide a known roller blind with a bottom edge extending obliquely to the roll shaft axis for adaptation to the shape of the window, it would not be possible anymore to roll up the roller blind with its stiffening bar onto the roll shaft.

It is an object of the invention to provide a roller blind, comprising a web to be unrolled, which is adapted for shielding window faces having oblique side or bottom edges.

According to the present invention there is provided a roller blind comprising a web adapted to be rolled up on a roll shaft, the end of said web having an end edge stiffened by a stiffening bar characterised in that the end edge is arranged obliquely to the axis of the roll shaft and that the stiffening bar is divided into a plurality of rod-shaped segments with their side edges provided in parallel to the axis of the roll shaft, said segments being staggered in longitudinal direction and arranged closely adjacent each other.

In the roller blind of the invention, the stiffening bar, extending obliquely to the roll shaft axis, is divided into a plurality of rod-like segments having their side edges orientated in parallel to the roll shaft axis and, as seen in longitudinal direction, being provided in staggered arrangement side by side to each other. Since the separating lines between the individual segments are parallel to the roll shaft axis, the web can be rolled up onto the roll shaft together with the stiffening bar. During roll-up, the individual segments take on an oblique position with respect to each other and come into abutment with the cylindrical peripheral surface of the roll shaft. By dividing the stiffening bar into a plurality of segments, it is accomplished that the stiffening bar can be wound up around the roll shaft like a flexible band.

Due to the stiffening bar, the roller blind is given sufficient stability even if the roll shaft axis is arranged in vertical direction and the web is unrolled in horizontal direction. The stiffening bar prevents bulging and sagging of the horizontally extending web.

f-.

z 1 The roller blind of the invention is suitable for shielding nonrectangular window faces in buildings but also for shielding windows in vehicles. Thus, e.g., the roller blind can be mounted on side windows of trailers. whose side windows occasionally have oblique side edges.

Preferably, the segments are displaced with respect to each other in longitudinal direction. The segments abut each other without any intermediate space and effect continuous stiffening of the end edge.

Preferably, the segments are arranged in such a manner that their end faces are in alignment with each other, The stiffening bar is formed as a rod being cut into a plurality of rod-like segments, the cutting lines being parallel to the roll shaft axis.

It is preferred that the segments have their upper or lower faces fastened to a carrier material. The segments can be bonded to said carrier material. The carrier material provides connection of the individual segments to each other and allows the segments to be folded apart. The carrier material can consist of a separate band fastened to the web of the roller blind. However, also the roller-blind web itself can be used as the carrier material.

Instead of the preferably glas-fiber reinforced carrier material or in addition thereto, hinges ort joints can be employed f or interconnection of the segments. The individual segments are movably coupled to each other. Rotation of the segments relative to each other is possible only about the hinge axis being parallel to the roll shaft axis. The stiffening bar is flexible only in one direction and is completely rigid otherwise.

- 4 For still increasing the stiffness of the bar, it is preferably provided that a tensioning member, arranged in longitudinal direction of the end edge, keeps the individual segments in mutual abutment. The tension applied to the segments by the tensioning member should be sufficiently high for precluding that,, in the unrolled condition of the web, the stiffening bar bends downward under its own weight. However, the tension has to be adjusted such to such a level that the segments are still allowed to move into their oblique position relative to each other and into abutment on the roll shaft when the web is rolled up. The tensioining member can be elastic in itself or be connected to a spring. Thin wires can be used for a non-elastic tensioning member and rubber bands can be used for an elastic tensioning member.

In place of a tensioning member, the segments can also be provided with adhesive magnets for holding the seg- ments together and safeguarding sufficient stability.

The stiffening bar of the roller-blind web is preferably guided along guide rails. The guide rails ensure defined guidance of the stiffening bar when unrolling or rolling up the roller-blind web. Further, by using said guide rails, mounting of the roller blind is possible not merely for unrolling the blind in vertical direction but also for unrolling it in horizontal direction. In combination with the lateral guide rails, the stiffening bar prevents downward bending of the web if the roller blind is mounted in horizontal direction.

For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how the same maybe carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying 35 drawings, in which:

- Fig. 1 is a plan view of the roller blind mounted on the side window of a trailer, the web being arranged to be unrolled in horizontal direction and having its end provided with an end edge stiffened by a stiffening bar and extending obliquely to the winding direction of the web; Fig. 2 is a side view of the roller blind of Fig. 1 as seen from the direction of arrow II; Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the area A of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a side view of segments connected to a carrier material; Fig. 5 is a view of the roller blind rolled up onto a roll shaft; Fig. 6 is a view of the roller blind of Fig. 5 as seen from the direction of arrow VI in Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a side view of segments provided with adhesive magnets; Fig. 8 is a plan view of segments held together by an elastic tensioning member; and Fig. 9 is a side view of segments connected to each other by a hinge.

Fig. I shows the roller blind 3 mounted within the side window 1 of a trailer. One of the lateral edges, 5, of window 1 extends in parallel to the oblique front portion 7 of the trailer. The roller blind 3 comprises at least one radiation-shielding and/or heat-insulating 0 6 - web 9 adapted to be rolled up on a roll shaft 11. The roll shaft is arranged in vertical direction so that the web 9 can be pulled in horizontal direction into a position along the window f ace. In Fig. 1, the web is shown in its unrolled state wherein the web covers the window f ace nearly completely. For additional protection, a second roller blind (not shown) can be mounted on the outside of the trailer in front of roller blind 3.

The end edge 15 at the end of the web f acing away from roller shaft 3 extends - as is also the case for edge 5 of window 1 - obliquely to the vertical roll shaf t axis 13. Said end edge 15 is stiffened by a stiffening bar 17 arranged in longitudinal direction thereof. Stiffening bar 17 protects web 9 from bulging and sagging under its own weight. The lower and upper ends of stiffening bar 17 have a respective guide piece 19 attached thereto. Said guide pieces 19 are guided for longitudinal displacement in two parallel guide rails 23 fastened to the upper and lower portions of window frame 21.

Fig. 2 shows the U-shaped guide rails 23, attached to window frame 21 of side window 1, for allowing sliding movement therein of said guide pieces 19 by means of T-shaped projections 25 thereof. The lower guide piece 19, by an oval recess 27 formed therein, forms a kind of handle for unrolling the web.

The roll shaft 11 is resiliently biased in a direction opposite to the unrolling direction of web 9. The upper and lower guide pieces 19 are provided with locking elements (not shown) for locking web 9 to guide rails 23 in any desired position.

The stiffening bar 17 arranged on end edge 15 of rol ler-blind web 9 will be described in more detail hereunder with reference to Figs. 3-9.

Stiffening bar 17, made from plastics material or aluminium, is divided into a plurality of rod-like segments 29 having their side edges 31 extending in parallel to roll shaft axis 13 and thus to the winding direction of web 9 (Fig. 3). The individual segments 29, when seen in plan view, are shaped as parallelograms and are provided in staggered arrangement in longitudinal direction while being closely adjacent each other. The segments 29 abut each other by their side edges 31 oriented in parallel to roll shaft axis 13. In this constellation, the end faces 33 of the segments 29, extending on parallel to end edge 15 of web 9, are in alignment. Each of the segments 29, being arranged with lateral displacement as seen in longitudinal direction,, constitutes a short link of a flexible band disposed obliquely to end ege 15. The segments 29 are lined up in such a manner that the side edge 31 of a respective segment is formed as a guiding means for the side edge of the adjacent segment. The segments, being fastend to the flexible roller-blind web 9, are ar- ranged in close side-by-side relationship and establish a continuous stiffening means for the web.

Fig. 4 shows the stiffening bar 17 of Fig. 3 in a side view from the direction of arrow IV. The segments 29 have their undersides 35 bonded to a strip-shaped carrier material 37 which, in turn, is arranged on rollerblind web 9 along end edge 15. For stiffening purposes, the carrier material 37 has glass fiber threads inserted therein. The carrier material 37, reinforced by said glass fiber threads, connects the segments 29 to each other and forms a sort of hinge so that the segments can move into oblique positions with respect to each other. In this arrangement, bending of stiffening bar 17 is permitted only in winding direction whereas stiffening bar 17 is completely rigid in the opposite direction. When web 9 is rolled up, the segments 29 fold apart and come into abutment against the cylindrical peripheral surface of roll shaft 11, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. Stiffening bar 17 is so f inely divided into its individual segments that the stiffening bar completely adapts to the curvature of roll shaft 11.

For still enhancing the stability of the stiffening bar 17 in longitudinal direction, adhesive magnets can be provided in the segments 29. Fig. 7 shows two adjacent segments 29, with an adhesive magnet 41 arranged in the end portions 39 of each of them. The adhesive magnets 41, by attracting each other, hold the segments together in the unrolled condition of web 9 so that the stiffening bar cannot bend downwards.

A second embodiment of the stiffening bar 17 is shown in Fig. 8. In this embodiment, the individual segments have bores 43 formed therein, arranged in parallel to the longitudinal direction of stiffening bar 17 and thus to end edge 15. The bores 43 of the lined-up segments 29 form two parallel channels, each of them accommodating a tensioning member 45 provided as a rubber band. The ends of said rubber bands are fastened to the upper or, resp., lower guide pieces 19 of web 9. As an alternative to the rubber bands, flexible wires, having their ends connected to a spring, can be guided through the bores 43 of-the segments 29. The tensioning members 45 hold the individual segments 29 pressed against each other, thus lending high stability to stiffening bar A f 17. The tension should be adjusted in such a manner that, upon roll-up of the web, the segments 29 fold apart and lay onto roll shaft 11. If the stiffening bar is provided with a tensioning organ, the glass-fiber reinforced carrier material 37 (Fig. 4), otherwise provided for additional stiffening, can be omitted.

Fig. 90 shows two segments 29 being interconnected by a hinge 47. The axis 49 of hinge 47 extends in parallel to the side edges 31 of the juxtaposed segments 29. The segments can be turned about the hinge axis 49 or the roll shaft axis 13. Twisting or canting of the segments with respect to each other is excluded. Also in this embodiment, adhesive magnets can be mounted in the end portions of the segments as described with reference to Fig. 7.

Claims

Claims

A roller blind comprising a web adapted to be rolled up on a roll shaft, the end of said web having an end edge stiffened by a stiffen ing bar, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the end edge is arranged obliquely to the axis of the roll shaft and that the stif fening bar is divided into a plurality of rod shaped segments with their side edges provided in parallel to the axis of the roll shaft, said segments being staggered in longitudinal direction and arranged closely ad jacent each other.

2. The roller blind according to claim 1 wherein the segments are laterally displaced with respect to each other in longitudinal direction.

3. The roller blind according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the end faces of the segments extending in the longitudinal direction of the end edge (5) are in alignment with each other.

4. The roller blind according to any one of claims 1-3 wherein the segments, being arranged closely side by side to each other, have their upper or lower faces fastened to a carrier material.

The roller blind according to claim 4 wherein the segments are bonded to the carrier material The roller blind according to claim 4 or 5 wherein the carrier material is reinforced by glass fibers.

The roller blind according to any one of claims 1-3 wherein hinges are provided for connecting the individual segments to each other.

8. The roller blind according to any one of claims 1-7 wherein a tensioning member is provided for holding the individual segments next to each other.

9. The roller blind according to claim 8 wherein the tensioning member is elastic.

10. The roller blind according to claim 8 wherein the tensioning member is connected to a spring.

11. The roller blind according to any one of claims 8-10 wherein all of the segments have at least one bore formed therein along the end edge for passage of the tensioning member therethrough.

12. The roller blind according to any one of claims 1-7 wherein the individual segments are pro vided with adhesive magnets for holding the segments together.

13. The roller blind according to any one of claims 1-12 wherein the stiffening bar is arranged to be guided along guide rails.