GB2376707A

GB2376707A - Porous Venetian blind slat

Info

Publication number: GB2376707A
Application number: GB0115356A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ke-Min Lin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-06-18
Filing date: 2001-06-22
Publication date: 2002-12-24
Also published as: NL1018359C2; FR2826399A3; FR2826399B3; DE20110043U1; GB0115356D0

Abstract

The blind slat 3 is formed with a plurality of pores 33 throughout the slat body 30, so as to alter the form sunlight enters the room interior. The small size of the pores alters the sunlight into a relatively soft light that provides more comfort for the occupant. The slat substrate 31 is made of a plastics material. Preferably, the slat has anti-static coatings 32 on the front and rear side to reduce accumulation of dust, the pores being formed through both the substrate and the coatings.

Description

POROUS VENETIAN BLIND SLAT The present invention relates to a Venetian blind slat formed with pores to alter the form in which sunlight enters into the interior of a room.

Conventionally, a Venetian blind includes a plurality of parallel slats disposed and mounted below a fixed top housing. The Venetian blind is typically provided with an adjustment unit operable for adjusting tilting of the slats so as to adjust width of slits formed among the slats, thereby permitting adjustment of the amount of sunlight passing through the blind and entering into the interior of a room. However, the part of sunlight that enters directly into the room interior via the slits often causes discomfort to the people inside the room. In addition, a conventional slat is typically made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic, and electrostatic charges are present on the slat such that dust particles easily attract to the slat surface. It is desirable to provide a slat that alters the form in which sunlight enters the interior of a room and that can minimize attraction to dust particles to minimize accumulation of dust thereon.

Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to provide a Venetian blind slat that is formed with pores to alter the form in which sunlight enters into the interior of a room.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a Venetian blind slat that can minimize dust accumulation thereon.

Accordingly, the Venetian blind slat of the present invention includes a slat body formed with a plurality of pores that are distributed throughout the slat body.

Each of the pores has a diameter not greater than 2.5mm. The slat body has a porosity in the range of from 2 to 50%. The slat body includes a slat substrate made of a plastic material. Preferably, the slat body further includes two anti-static coatings formed on front and rear side surfaces of the slat substrate. The pores are formed through the slat substrate and the anti-static coatings.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 illustrates a Venetian blind which incorporates a slat of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention ; Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the slat of the first preferred embodiment; Figure 3 is a fragmentary elevational view of the slat of the first preferred embodiment; and Figure 4 is a fragmentary elevational view of a slat of a second preferred embodiment of the present

invention.

Referring to Figure 1, a Venetian blind slat 3 of a preferred embodiment of the present invention is adapted to be used in a Venetian blind 1 which includes a fixed top housing 11 that is disposed horizontally. A plurality of the slats 3 of the present embodiment are disposed below the top housing 11, and are mounted to the top housing 11 by means of a known pull unit 12 that includes a bottom rail 121 disposed below the slats 3 and a pull cord 122 extending through the slats 3 and the top housing 11 and connected to the bottom rail 121. A tilt-adjustment mechanism with a tilt-adjustment rod 14 is mounted on the top housing 11 to permit adjustment in the tilting of the slats 3 in a known manner. The slats 3 are disposed horizontally in a parallel relationship with one another.

The slat of the present invention may also be used in a vertical blind (not shown), in which the slats are disposed vertically in a parallel relationship with one another below a top housing of the blind, and are mounted to the top housing.

Referring to Figure 2, the slat 3 of the present embodiment is shown to be formed as a flat slat body 30 which includes a slat substrate 31 and two anti-static coatings 32 formed respectively on front and rear side surfaces 311 of the slat substrate 31. The slat substrate 31 is formed from a sheet material made of plastic, such

as polyvinyl chloride plastic. The anti-static coatings 32 are formulated using a resin system that is selected from a variety of resin compositions, such as epoxy resins, urethane resins, acrylic resins, and polyester resins. In the present embodiment, the material for the anti-static coatings 32 is one that is commercially available from Ever-Long Chemical Co. , Ltd. , a Taiwan-based company. During manufacture, the coatings 32 are applied to the front and rear side surfaces 311 via a known process, such as transfer printing, spraying or screen-printing. Preferably, each coating 32 has a thickness in the range from 5 to 15 11m. When the coatings 32 are thicker than 15gm, the coatings 32 can hardly be dried uniformly after being applied to the slat substrate 31.

With further reference to Figure 3, the slat 3 has a plurality of pores 33 with a diameter of 2.5mm. The pores 33 are distributed uniformly throughout the slat body 30, and are formed through the slat substrate 31 and the coatings 32. Preferably, the slat 3 has a porosity in the range from 2 to 50%. In a 26.75mm X 89mm area of the slat 3 of the present embodiment, there is formed with 240 pores 33 with a diameter of 2. 5mm. The porosity of the slat 3 is calculated as follows: 7r (2. 5mm/2) 2X 240/ (26. 75mm X 89mm) = 49. 5%

Whenitisdesiredtopermitentryofapartofsunlight into the room interior, the slats 3, when used in the

Venetian blind shown in Fig. 1, are disposed at an upright "closed" position such that sunlight can only pass though the slats 3 via the pores 33, which are relatively small in size. The sunlight is altered into a relatively soft light that provides a more comfortable feeling when compared with that passing through the slat of the prior art.

Referring to Figure 4, pores 33'formed in a slat 3'of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention are shown to be smaller in size, and the porosity of the slat 3'is thus different from the previous embodiment. In a 26.75mm X 89mm area of the slat3', thereisformedwith248pores33'withadiameter of 0. 5mm. The porosity of the slat 3'is calculated as follows: 7l (0. 5mm/2) 2 X 248/ (26. 75mm X 89mm) = 2. 1% It was found that, to alter the sunlight passing through the slat 3, 3'into soft light that provides a more comfortable feeling, the porosity of the slat 3, 3'of the present invention is preferably in the range of from 2 to 50%, and the diameter of the pores 33, 33'is preferably not greater than 2.5 mm.

It has thus been shown that, by controlling the diameter of the pores 33,33'formed in the slat 3,3',

and by controlling the porosity of the slat 3, 3', the manner in which light passes through the slat 3, 3'can be altered so as to provide a more comfortable feeling.

In addition, with the anti-static coatings 32 to minimize attraction to dust particles, dust accumulation on the slat 3, 3'of the present invention can be reduced.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A Venetian blind slat comprising a slat body formed with a plurality of pores that are distributed throughout the slat body, each of the pores having a diameter not greater than 2. 5mm, the slat body having a porosity in the range of from 2 to 50%, the slat body including a slat substrate made of a plastics material.
2. The Venetian blind slat as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the slat substrate has opposite front and rear side surfaces, the slat body further including two anti-static coatings formed respectively on the front and rear side surfaces of the slat substrate, the pores being formed through the slat substrate and the anti-static coatings.
3. The Venetian blind slat as claimed in Claim 2, wherein each of the anti-static coatings has a thickness in the range of from 5 to 15gm.
4. A Venetian blind comprising a plurality of slats according to any one of Claims 1 to 3.
5. The Venetian blind slat substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
6. The Venetian blind substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.