GB2434612A

GB2434612A - Carrier for vertical louvre blind

Info

Publication number: GB2434612A
Application number: GB0620579A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Perry Day
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-01-26
Filing date: 2006-10-17
Publication date: 2007-08-01
Anticipated expiration: 2026-10-17
Also published as: GB0601546D0; GB0620579D0; GB2434612B

Abstract

The carrier includes a moulded plastics housing 1 having first and second mutually opposed side walls 2 and 3, and a spacer 30 formed from a metal strip has an end portion engaged with the housing and an opposite free end provided with a lug to form a stop for engagement with an adjacent carrier. The spacer is inserted through a slot 20 in the first side wall 2 and is seated in an upwardly open recess 21 in the second side wall. The spacer is formed with a locking projection which engages the internal face of the first side wall 2 and a retaining tongue which is inserted into a hole 22 in the second side wall. The spacer may be pre-formed prior to assembly and is able to pivot within the slot 20 allowing the free portion of the spacer to lift and thus reduces the forces required to move the carriers together.

Description

I

CARRIER FOR A VERTICAL LOUVER BLIND

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention generally relates to blinds of the kind in which a series of vertical louvers, or slats, are suspended from a headrail. The individual louvers are suspended from carriers, or trucks, which are mounted in the headrail, which is normally of inverted channel section. The carriers are moved along the headrail by means of a draw element (e.g. a cord) which extends along the headrail attached to the end carrier. The carriers are each provided with a spacer which is linked to the adjacent carrier so that the carriers pull one another along the headrail to adopt a spaced relationship when they are moved in one direction, thereby determining the spacing between the louvers. When the carriers are moved in the opposite direction the spacers allow the carriers to move into mutual abutment so that the louvers are gathered together. The louvers are generally suspended from the carriers by means of hooks, and a tilt rod which extends through the carriers is operably coupled to the hooks such that rotation of the tilt rod results in rotation of the hooks and hence causes simultaneous rotation of all the louvers.

The invention is more particularly concerned with the assembly of the carriers used in such a blind.

BACKGROUND

Whilst many different forms of carrier have been devised in the past, in many countries there is a generally accepted industry standard for the cross-sectional dimensions of the headrail. Furthermore, in some countries such as the United Kingdom, the width of the standard headrail is relatively narrow (about 30 mm), which places very tight constraints on the arrangement of the carriers.

In carriers which are currently on the market the spacer is provided by an elongate metal or plastics strip which is mounted on top of the carrier. In use, the spacer strip is slidably engaged with the adjacent carrier, and a hook or lug at the free end of the strip engages the adjacent carrier to determine the maximum spacing between the two carriers. Existing carriers are generally assembled by hand. In the case of plastics spacers the lug or hook can be moulded in the configuration of an arrowhead or other shape which assists assembly of the carrier, but in metal spacers which are formed from a flat strip the hook or lug is formed by bending the end of the strip. In the assembly of such a carrier a metal spacer strip is fed through slots in opposing side walls of the carrier until a pre-formed tab at one end of the strip abuts the adjacent side waIl. The spacer is then placed into a machine which forms the free end of the spacer strip into a hooked end for engagement with the adjacent carrier in the assembled blind. The assembly of such a carrier is therefore time-consuming, requires the use of an expensive machine, and incurs significant labour costs.

GB 2 369 389 A describes a form of carrier which includes a moulded plastics housing having a pair of opposed side walls. The spacer is formed from a metal strip with a downturned lug at one end and a hook at the opposite end. The spacer is inserted through a slot formed in one of the side walls and the opposing side wall has an upwardly-open recess in which the spacer is retained by a pair of opposed inwardly-directed projections.

With such an arrangement the spacer may be entirely pre-formed prior to assembly, and the assembly process is relatively quick and simple.

However, the retaining projections limit upward movement of the spacer when the spacing between the carriers is reduced, which could cause interference with the smooth operation of the blind.

The present invention seeks to provide a new and inventive form of carrier which is easy to assemble whilst being very reliable in operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention proposes a carrier for a vertical louver blind which includes a moulded plastics housing having first and second mutually opposed side walls, and a spacer formed from a metal strip has an end portion engaged with the housing and an opposite free end provided with a lug to form a stop for engagement with an adjacent carrier in use, in which the said end portion is inserted through a slot formed in the first side wall and the spacer is seated upon the second side wall, and the spacer is formed with a retaining projection which engages the second side wall.

With such an arrangement the spacer may be pre-formed prior to assembly.

In addition, the spacer is able to pivot within the slot allowing the free portion of the spacer to lift and thus reducing the forces required to move the carriers together.

Lateral location of the spacer is assisted by providing the second side wall with an upwardly open recess in which the spacer is seated.

The spacer may also be provided with one or more additional projections which engage the first side wall. In a preferred form the spacer has a locking projection which engages an internal face of the first side wall. This projection is preferably formed by a tongue which is formed from the spacer and inclined away from the retaining projection. The spacer may also have a downturned lug which engages an external face of the first wall.

Preferably the retaining projection engages an internal face of the second side wall. In a preferred form the retaining projection includes a tongue which is formed from the spacer. The tongue preferably has a downwardly-extending portion and a tip portion which extends generally parallel to the spacer.

The lug which forms a stop at the free end of the spacer is preferably of hook-like shape, or a simple upturned lug.

The invention includes a vertical louver blind having a headrail, a series of carriers as set forth above located in the headrail, a louver rotatably suspended from each of the carriers, a tilt rod extending longitudinally of the headrail and operably engaged with the carriers for effecting rotation of the louvers, and a draw element connected to the end carrier for moving the carriers along the headrail, in which the carriers are mutually coupled together by the spacers which are inserted through the slot of an adjacent carrier.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following description and the accompanying drawings referred to therein are included by way of non-limiting example in order to illustrate how the invention may be put into practice. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a general view of the carrier housing in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a sectional view of the carrier taken longitudinally of the spacer; and Figures 3 and 4 diagrammatically show two successive stages in the assembly of the carrier.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The carrier described below is intended for use in an extruded headrail of a vertical louver blind, e.g. for installation in a window opening. In such a blind, a number of carriers are slidably received in the headrail for movement along its length. The carriers can, if desired, be provided with pairs of opposing wheels or rollers to assist movement along the headrail.

The headrail is generally of inverted channel section having a top wall and depending side walls provided with opposed inturned flanges. A rotatable tilt rod extends longitudinally within the headrail, passing through all the carriers, and a vertical louver is suspended from each of the carriers.

Referring to Fig. 1, the carrier includes a housing I which is moulded of plastics and is substantially rectangular in plan view, having a pair of side walls 2 and 3, a pair of end walls 4 and 5, and a bottom wall 6. The side walls 2 and 3 contain a pair of opposed apertures 7 for locating a worm gear 9 which, in use, is drivably received on the tilt rod. The worm gear is, in turn, drivably engaged with a cog gear (not shown) which is located inside the housing and rotatable about a substantially vertical axis. The cog gear is mounted on the shaft of a louver hook 10 which extends through the bottom wall of the housing to suspend a vertical louver therefrom in use.

The cog gear can either be moulded with the shaft or engaged on the shaft with a slipping clutch arrangement, in known manner. Thus, rotation of the tilt rod about its horizontal axis causes the louver hook 10 and hence the louver to rotate about a vertical axis.

In the present carrier the end walls 4 and 5 are both recessed at their lower ends, 17 and 18, to receive the abovementioned inwardly-directed flanges of the headrail which thus guide the carrier during longitudinal sliding movement.

The side wall 2 contains a slot 20, located above the respective worm gear aperture 7, extending parallel to the top edge of the side wall. The opposing side wall 3 contains a corresponding shallow upwardly-open recess 21, below which is a relatively short slot-shaped hole 22. Alongside the slot 20 and recess 21 the walls 2 and 3 contain pairs of opposed apertures 25 and 26 through which a draw cord is inserted extending along the length of the headrail in use, to move the carriers as described above. The apertures 25 and 26 are upwardly open as shown so that the cord can be engaged with the carriers by insertion into the holes. This avoids the need for threading whilst still firmly holding the cord.

A spacer 30, which is also shown in Fig. 2, is formed from a thin strip of spring steel 31 which, at one end, is pre-formed with a perpendicular downturned locating lug 32. At the opposite end, the strip 30 has a pre-formed upwardly-curled hook-like stop 33. The stop 33 need not necessarily be formed as a hook. It could for example be a simple upturned flange, similar to the lug 32. The strip 30 has a locking tongue 34 which is pressed downwardly to extend towards the lug 32, being spaced from the lug by the thickness of the side wall 2. The strip is also provided with a retaining tongue 35 which is pressed downwardly to extend in the opposite direction, away from the tongue 34 and lug 32. The tongue 35 generally extends downwardly away from the body of the strip 30, although the free end 36 of the tongue may extend substantially parallel to the strip, as shown.

In assembly of the carrier the worm gear, cog gear and hook are inserted through the open top of the housing 1. As shown in Fig. 3, the stop 33 is inserted through the slot 20 in the direction of the recess 21, and the spacer is then rotated as indicated by the arrow A until it lies substantially perpendicular to the side wall 2. The main portion of the spacer is then fed through the slot, as indicated by the arrow B in Fig 4, so that the spacer passes above the recess 21. When the retaining tongue 35 reaches the slot it may be resiliently deformed (e.g. using a thumb nail) to assist entry into the slot. The spacer continues to be fed through the slot 20 until the locking tongue 34 passes through the slot, so that the tongue 34 and the lug 32 locate on the opposites of the wall 2, as shown in Fig. 2, with the retaining tongue 35 inserted into the hole 22.

The assembly of the blind can then proceed in the normal way, with the stop 33 of one carrier being hooked through the slot 20 of the next carrier.

The tongues 34 and 35 prevent the spacer strip from moving longitudinally relative to the spacer in use. The retaining tongue 35 also stops the strip from lifting out of the recess 21. The locating lug 32 provides positive location between the strip and the housing I and relieves the tongue 35 of stresses when the carriers are pulled along the headrail. Since the space above the strip 30 is unimpeded in the region of the side wall 3 the spacer of the adjacent carrier can slide smoothly along the spacer when the carriers move together. This may be assisted by an upwardly-extending shallow protrusion 38 ( Fig. 1), produced by a stamping operation, which may be formed between the tongues 34 and 35 to lift the spacers of the adjacent carrier.

Although the spacer is firmly held by the carrier housing the hole 22 can be sized to allow a slight pivotal movement of the spacer when the carriers are moved together, thereby reducing the forces required to move the spacers into close mutual proximity.

The carrier is thus easy to assemble, utilises few parts, simplifies assembly by using a fully pre-formed spacer, optimises use of the space available when the size of the headrail is limited, is aesthetically attractive, and is reliable in operation giving a long service life.

It will be appreciated that the features disclosed herein may be present in any embodiment of the invention in any feasible combination. Whilst the above description places emphasis on those areas which, in combination, are believed to be new, protection is sought for any inventive combination of the features disclosed herein.

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Claims

CLAIMS

I A carrier for a vertical louver blind which includes a moulded plastics housing having first and second mutually opposed side walls, and a spacer formed from a metal strip has an end portion engaged with the housing and an opposite free end provided with a lug to form a stop for engagement with an adjacent carrier in use, in which the said end portion is inserted through a slot formed in the first side wall and the spacer is seated upon the second side wall, and the spacer is formed with a retaining projection which engages the second side wall.

2. A carrier according to Claim 1 in which the second side wall is provided with an upwardly open recess in which the spacer is seated.

3. A carrier according to Claim 1 or 2 in which the spacer is provided with one or more additional projections which engage the first side wall.

4. A carrier according to Claim 3 in which the spacer has a locking projection which engages an internal face of the first side wall.

5. A carrier according to Claim 4 in which the locking projection comprises a tongue which is formed from the spacer and inclined away from the retaining projection.

6. A carrier according to any preceding claim in which the spacer has a downturned lug which engages an external face of the first wall.

7. A carrier according to any preceding claim in which the retaining projection engages an internal face of the second side wall.

8. A carrier according to any preceding claim in which the retaining projection comprises a tongue which is formed from the spacer.

9. A carrier according to Claim B in which the tongue has a downwardly-extending portion and a tip portion which extends generally parallel to the spacer.

10. A carrier according to any preceding claim in which the lug which forms a stop at the free end of the spacer is of hook-like shape.

11. A carrier according to any of Claims 1 to 9 in which the lug which forms a stop at the free end of the spacer is an upturned lug.

12. A vertical louver blind having a headrail, a plurality of carriers according to any preceding claim located in the headrail, a louver rotatably suspended from each of the carriers, a tilt rod extending longitudinally of the headrail and operably engaged with the carriers for effecting rotation of the louvers, and a draw element connected to the end carrier for moving the carriers along the headrail, in which the carriers are mutually coupled together by the spacers which are inserted through the slot of an adjacent carrier.

13. A carrier for a vertical louver blind substantially as described with reference to the drawings.

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