JP2024083697A - Method for dismantling horizontal blinds and cutting members - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a dismantling method for easily dismantling horizontal blinds. [Solution] A dismantling method for dismantling horizontal blinds in which slats 13 are supported by weft threads 12b provided between warp threads 12a of each row on a plurality of ladder cords 12 suspended from a head box, lifting cords 15 are hung down from the head box close to the warp threads, the slats 13 can be rotated via the ladder cords 12, and the slats 13 can be raised and lowered by raising and lowering the lifting cords 15, the slats 13 are longitudinal edges having notches at positions where the warp threads 12a hang down, a cutting member 30 having a shape capable of engaging with the weft threads 12b is attached to the end 15a of the lifting cords 15, and the lifting cords 15 are pulled downward to cut the weft threads 12b with the cutting member 30. [Selected Figure] Figure 6

Description

The present invention relates to a method for dismantling horizontal blinds that support multiple tiers of slats suspended from a head box via ladder cords and lifting cords, and to a cutting member used in dismantling horizontal blinds.

In horizontal blinds, the slats are supported by multiple ladder cords that are suspended from a head box. The slats can be rotated in the same phase via the ladder cords by operating an operating device. A bottom rail is attached to the lower end of the ladder cord, and the lower end of a lifting cord that hangs down from the head box is attached to the bottom rail. The lifting cord can be raised and lowered by operating the operating device to raise and lower the bottom rail, thereby raising and lowering the slats.

Some horizontal blinds have multiple lifting cords that are not inserted through the slats, but are suspended in front and behind the slats, allowing the bottom rail to be raised and lowered. With such horizontal blinds, there is no need to provide insertion holes in each slat for the lifting cords to pass through, so there is no light leakage from the insertion holes and they provide a high level of shielding. In Patent Document 1, the slats are inserted between the crossed weft threads of the ladder cords, and the intersections of the weft threads are engaged with the cutouts in the slats, preventing the slats from shifting longitudinally relative to the ladder cords.

JP 2019-108794 A

In the horizontal blinds of Patent Document 1, the intersections of the weft threads engage with the notches in the slats, making it difficult for the slats to shift in the longitudinal direction, and therefore difficult to pull out of the ladder cords when dismantling. For this reason, there is a need to improve the efficiency of dismantling this type of horizontal blind.

A horizontal blind that solves the above problem is a horizontal blind in which slats are supported by multiple ladder cords suspended from a head box with weft threads between two warps at each step of each ladder cord, and lifting cords are hung from the head box close to the warps, allowing the slats to rotate via the ladder cords and allowing the slats to be raised and lowered by raising and lowering the lifting cords, with the slats being longitudinal edges and having notches at the positions where the warps hang down. The dismantling method for dismantling such a horizontal blind is to attach a cutting member shaped to engage with the weft threads to the end of the lifting cords, pull the lifting cords downward, and cut the weft threads with the cutting member.

A horizontal blind suitable for the above-mentioned dismantling method may be configured such that each step of the ladder cord is made up of a plurality of weft threads, and the lifting cord is inserted between the weft threads.
Furthermore, a horizontal blind suitable for the above-mentioned dismantling method may be configured such that a plurality of spaces are formed by crossing a plurality of weft threads at each stage of the ladder cord, with a slat being inserted into one space and the lifting cord being inserted into the other space.

In the above dismantling method, the cutting member may be attached to an end of a lifting cord located above the weft thread that constitutes the uppermost stage of the ladder cord.
The cutting member used in the disassembly method includes an attachment portion to which an end of the lifting cord is attached, and a blade portion that cuts the weft thread.

The cutting member may be provided with an engagement portion into which the weft thread enters and engages to form the blade portion.

According to the present invention, horizontal blinds can be easily dismantled.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a horizontal blind according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view of a slat used in the horizontal blind in the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main portion of a horizontal blind according to an embodiment, showing a support state of slats on both sides in the longitudinal direction. 1 is a perspective view of a main portion of a horizontal blind according to an embodiment, showing the positional relationship between the cutouts of the slats on both longitudinal sides, the ladder cords, and the lift cords. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main part of a horizontal blind according to an embodiment, showing a support state of a slat at the center in the longitudinal direction. 1 is a side view of a main portion of a horizontal blind according to an embodiment, showing a state in which a cutting member is attached to a lower cut end of a lifting cord. FIG. 1 is a side view of a main portion of a horizontal blind according to an embodiment, showing a state in which a cutting member starts to cut a weft thread. FIG. 4 is a side view of a main part of the horizontal blind according to the embodiment, showing a state in which a weft thread has been cut by a cutting member. FIG. FIG. 10 is a front view showing a cutting member of a second embodiment. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a main portion showing a state in which a cutting member of a second embodiment is attached to a lower cut end of a lifting cord. FIG. FIG. 13 is a front view showing a cutting member of a third embodiment. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a main portion showing a state in which a cutting member of a third embodiment is attached to a lower cut end of a lifting cord. FIG.

Hereinafter, a horizontal blind to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to the drawings.
First Embodiment
[Configuration of horizontal blinds]
As shown in Fig. 1, a horizontal blind 1, which is an example of a shading device, includes a head box 11, ladder cords 12, slats 13, a bottom rail 14, and a lifting cord 15. The head box 11 is attached to a mounting portion such as a ceiling, a window frame, or a curtain box by a mounting bracket. The ladder cords 12 and the lifting cords 15 support and suspend the slats 13 and the bottom rail 14.

The ladder cord 12 hangs down from the head box 11. The ladder cord 12 has a pair of warp threads 12a and a weft thread 12b that is hung between the pair of warp threads 12a. A plurality of weft threads 12b are provided between the pair of warp threads 12a along the lifting direction, which is the height direction of the horizontal blind 1. The weft threads 12b of each row provided along the lifting direction between the pair of warp threads 12a support the slats 13. There are multiple weft threads 12b, two in this embodiment. When there are multiple weft threads 12b, the slats 13 are sandwiched between the top and bottom. There may be only one weft thread 12b. When there is only one weft thread 12b, the slats 13 are supported from below.

The slats 13 are shielding materials for blocking sunlight and the like. The slats 13 are made of synthetic resin, metal, or wood. The slats 13 are in the form of elongated rectangular thin plates. The slats 13 are supported between a pair of warp threads 12a by each of the weft threads 12b arranged along the lifting and lowering direction so that the tilt can be adjusted. In addition, a bottom rail 14 is provided below the slat 13 located at the bottom of the multiple slats 13.

The bottom rail 14 is a weight member for maintaining the multiple slats 13 in a lowered state. The bottom rail 14 has approximately the same longitudinal length and lateral width as the slats 13. The bottom rail 14 is connected to the lower ends of a pair of warp threads 12a of the ladder cord 12. Note that although FIG. 1 illustrates a configuration in which three ladder cords 12 are provided, the number of ladder cords 12 is not limited, and it is sufficient to provide the number necessary to support the slats 13.

The lifting cord 15 hangs down from the head box 11 near the ladder cord 12. The lower end of the lifting cord 15 is connected to the bottom rail 14. When the lifting cord 15 is pulled up, the bottom rail 14 is pulled up, causing the multiple slats 13 to rise and be stacked on top of the bottom rail 14.

In FIG. 1, three lifting cords 15 are arranged. The lifting cords 15 located on both sides of the head box 11 in the longitudinal direction extend vertically at the rear side, which is on the window side. The lifting cord 15 located in the longitudinal center of the head box 11 extends vertically at the front, which is on the room side. There is no limit to the number of lifting cords 15, and it is sufficient to provide the number necessary to raise and lower the slats 13.

The operation unit 21 is a part that constitutes the operation section, and is located at one end inside the head box 11. The operation unit 21 includes a circular operation cord 21a such as a ball chain or string, a pulley to which the operation cord 21a is fastened, and a gear box. The operation cord 21a is led outward from the head box 11. The gear box connects the pulley and the drive shaft. The operation unit 21 rotates the drive shaft by continuing to operate the operation cord 21a. Specifically, when the hanging part on the front side as seen from the operator positioned in front of the horizontal blind 1 is pulled downward, the operation cord 21a raises the bottom rail 14, and when the hanging part on the back side is pulled downward, the bottom rail 14 is lowered.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the slat 13. The slat 13 has a notch 13a on one of its long sides where the warp thread 12a hangs down. The notch 13a is formed in a substantially rectangular shape. The notch 13a is formed on the long side on the rear side, which faces the window. The warp thread 12a of the ladder cord 12 and the lift cord 15 are located at the positions of the notches 13a on both sides in the longitudinal direction. The warp thread 12a of the ladder cord 12 is located in the notch 13a in the longitudinal center. The notch 13a may be provided on both long sides.

Figures 3 and 4 show the relationship between the lift cords 15 and ladder cords 12 located on both sides in the longitudinal direction and the cutouts 13a of the slats 13. In the ladder cord 12, the weft threads 12b constituting each stage specifically comprise a first weft thread 16a and a second weft thread 16b. One end of the first weft thread 16a is located above the first warp thread 18a on the interior side, and one end of the second weft thread 16b is located below the first warp thread 18a. The other end of the first weft thread 16a is located below the second warp thread 18b on the window side, and the other end of the second weft thread 16b is located above the second warp thread 18b.

In each row of the ladder cord 12, a first cross section 17 is formed between a pair of first warp threads 18a and second warp threads 18b by a first weft thread 16a and a second weft thread 16b. A first space 17a is formed between the first warp thread 18a and the cross section 17, and a second space 17b is formed between the second warp thread 18b and the cross section 17. The slat 13 is inserted into the first space 17a. The lift cord 15 is inserted into the second space 17b. The cross section 17 engages with the cutout 13a, and the lift cord 15 and the second warp thread 18b extend through it.

Figure 5 shows the lift cord 15 located in the center of the lengthwise direction, the ladder cord 12, and the periphery of the slats. Again, in each row of the ladder cord 12, an intersection 17 is formed between a pair of first warp threads 18a and second warp threads 18b by the first weft threads 16a and second weft threads 16b. A first space 17a is formed between the first warp threads 18a and the intersection 17, and another second space 17b is formed between the second warp threads 18b and the intersection 17. The lift cord 15 is inserted into the first space 17a. The slats 13 are inserted into the second space 17b, and the second warp threads 18b extend into the position of the notch 13a.

In the horizontal blind 1 as described above, each slat 13 has at least a portion at each stage where the intersection 17 engages with the notch 13a. This prevents the slat 13 from shifting longitudinally relative to the ladder cord 12 (see FIG. 4). Even if only the second warp thread 18b extends to the position of the notch 13a, there is a high probability that the second warp thread 18b will engage with the notch 13a (see FIG. 5).

In this way, the slats 13 are unlikely to shift longitudinally relative to the ladder cords 12, so when dismantling, the intersections 17, warp threads 12a, and lifting cords 15 get caught in the cutouts 13a, making it difficult to pull out the slats 13 from the ladder cords 12. Therefore, the horizontal blinds 1 are dismantled by cutting the weft threads 12b using the cutting member 30.

[Disassembly method]
As shown in Figure 1, with the bottom rail 14 lowered to its lowest position, first the lifting/lowering cord 15 is cut between the head box 11 and the topmost slat 13. This operation may be performed with the horizontal blind 1 attached to a mounting part such as a ceiling, a window frame, or a curtain box with a mounting bracket, or it may be performed with the horizontal blind 1 removed from the mounting part and placed on the floor, etc. With the horizontal blind 1 removed from the mounting part, the lifting/lowering cord 15 in the head box 11 is unwound from the winding member. Then, a cutting member 30 is attached to the end 15a of the lifting/lowering cord 15.

As shown in FIG. 6, the cutting member 30 has a hook shape. The cutting member 30 includes a first portion 31 and a second portion 32, and the inner angle formed by the first portion 31 and the second portion 32 is set to be an acute angle. The inner angle portion of the first portion 31 and the second portion 32 constitutes an engagement portion 33 into which the weft 12b enters and engages. The inner angle portion may be a right angle or an obtuse angle. The edges of the first portion 31 and the second portion 32 that constitute the engagement portion 33 constitute a blade portion 34. The blade portion 34 may be provided only on the inner angle portion of the first portion 31, or may be provided on the inner angle portion of the second portion 32, or may be provided only on the deepest portion.

The end of the first portion 31 is provided with a mounting hole 31a that constitutes the mounting portion. The end 15a of the lift cord 15 is passed through the mounting hole 31a, and a knot is provided to prevent it from coming loose. The end 15a may also be tied to the mounting hole 31a.

As shown in FIG. 7, when the lifting cord 15 to which the cutting member 30 is attached is pulled in the direction of the bottom rail 14 (the direction of the arrow in FIG. 7), the engagement portion 33 engages between the first weft thread 16a and the second weft thread 16b of the topmost row. Then, at least one of the first weft thread 16a and the second weft thread 16b is cut by the blade portion 34 in succession. When the lifting cord 15 is further pulled in the same direction, the engagement portion 33 engages between the first weft thread 16a and the second weft thread 16b of the second row from the top, and at least one of the first weft thread 16a and the second weft thread 16b is cut by the blade portion 34 in succession. In this way, the weft threads 12b are cut in succession from the top row to the bottom row. Then, finally, the weft thread 12b of the bottom row engages with the engagement portion 33, and the weft thread 12b is cut by the blade portion 34 in succession.

As shown in FIG. 8, this separates the first warp thread 18a and the weft thread 12b, and the intersection 17 is eliminated. The slat 13 is now only present between a pair of warp threads 12a. This allows the slat 13 to be easily removed from the ladder cord 12. The method for cutting the weft thread 12b is the same whether it is on both sides in the longitudinal direction as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, or in the longitudinal center as shown in FIG. 5.

[Effects of the First Embodiment]
The first embodiment as described above can provide the following advantages.
(1-1) By simply pulling the lifting cord 15, to which the cutting member 30 is attached, toward the bottom rail 14, the weft threads 12b constituting each row of the ladder cord 12 can be continuously cut by the cutting member 30. This makes it easy to separate the ladder cord 12 from the slats 13.

(1-2) Even if the cutouts 13a of the slats 13 engage with the warp threads 12a, weft threads 12b, and lifting cords 15, and the slats 13 are supported by the ladder cords 12 so that they are unlikely to shift in the longitudinal direction, the weft threads 12b are cut by the cutting member 30. This makes it easy to separate the ladder cords 12 and the slats 13. In other words, horizontal blinds can be separated by material for disposal.

(1-3) A cutting member 30 is attached to the end 15a of the lifting cord 15 between the head box 11 and the top slat 13. This makes it easy to continuously cut the weft threads 12b that make up all the rows of the ladder cord 12.

(1-4) The cutting member 30 can be a cutter having a simple structure that only includes the mounting hole 31a and the blade portion 34.
(1-5) The cutting member 30 includes the engaging portion 33, so that when the lifting cord 15 is pulled in the direction of the bottom rail 14, the cutting member 30 can cut the weft threads 12b of each row with high accuracy.

Second Embodiment
9 and 10 show modified examples of the cutting member 30. The cutting member 40 of the second embodiment has, for example, an isosceles triangle shape. A pair of oblique sides are configured with blades 42. From the base to the apex, a cut 43 perpendicular to the base is provided, and an insertion portion 43a is configured at the tip of the cut 43. A groove 43b is configured in the apex toward the base. The end 15a of the lifting cord 15 is provided with a knot 15b to prevent it from slipping out. Then, the lifting cord 15 is inserted from the cut 43 to the insertion portion 43a. The lifting cord 15 is engaged by being pressed into the groove 43b. This determines the position of the cutting member 40 relative to the lifting cord 15. That is, the apex of the cutting member 40 becomes the insertion end between the first weft 16a and the second weft 16b. When the lifting cord 15 to which the cutting member 40 is attached is pulled in the direction of the bottom rail 14, it enters between the weft threads 12b of each row in order from the top, and cuts between the first weft thread 16a and the second weft thread 16b with the blade portion 42 formed on the oblique side.

That is, when the lifting cord 15 to which the cutting member 40 is attached is pulled in the direction of the bottom rail 14, the cutting member 40 engages between the first weft 16a and the second weft 16b that constitute the top weft 12b. Then, at least one of the first weft 16a and the second weft 16b is cut in succession. When the lifting cord 15 is further pulled in the same direction, the cutting member 40 engages between the first weft 16a and the second weft 16b in the second row from the top, and at least one of the first weft 16a and the second weft 16b is cut in succession. In this way, at least one of the first weft 16a and the second weft 16b is cut in succession from the upper row to the lower row. Then, finally, at least one of the first weft 16a and the second weft 16b in the lowest row is cut by the cutting member 40.

The cutting member 40 configured as described above can also easily cut the weft threads 12b, and as a result, the slats 13 can be easily removed from the ladder cord 12.
Third Embodiment
11 and 12 show further modified examples of the cutting member 30. The cutting member 50 of the third embodiment has an overall arrow shape. That is, the cutting member 50 includes a peak portion 51 and a straight portion 52. The straight portion 52 extends so as to bisect the interior angle of the peak portion 51. The inner angle portion formed by one oblique side constituting the peak portion 51 and the straight portion 52, and the inner angle portion formed by the other oblique side and the straight portion 52, become an engagement portion 53 with which the weft thread 12b engages. The engagement portion 53 includes a blade portion 54.

An attachment hole 52a constituting an attachment portion is provided at the end of the straight portion 52. An end portion 15a of the lift cord 15 is passed through the attachment hole 52a, and a knot 15b is provided to prevent it from coming loose.
In the cutting member 50 configured as described above, the tip of the straight portion 52 is the insertion end for the first weft thread 16a and the second weft thread 16b. When the straight portion 52 is pulled in the direction of the lifting cord 15 toward the bottom rail 14, the first weft thread 16a and the second weft thread 16b enter the respective engagement portions 53 and are cut by the respective blade portions 54. When the lifting cord 15 is further pulled in the same direction, the straight portion 52 enters between the first weft thread 16a and the second weft thread 16b in the second row from the top, and the first weft thread 16a and the second weft thread 16b are cut in succession. In this manner, the weft threads 12b are cut in succession from the upper row to the lower row. Finally, the weft thread 12b in the lowest row is cut by the cutting member 50.

The cutting member 50 configured as above can also easily cut the weft threads 12b, and as a result, the slats 13 can be easily removed from the ladder cord 12.
[Modifications of the embodiment]
The above embodiment can be further modified as follows.

The cutting members 30, 40, and 50 do not have to have an engagement portion like the cutting member 40 in the second embodiment. The cutting members 30, 40, and 50 may be any members capable of continuously cutting the weft thread 12b when the lifting cord 15 is pulled.

The shapes of the cutting members 30 , 40 , and 50 are not limited to those of the cutting members 30 , 40 , and 50 .
The cutting members 30, 40, 50 do not have to be attached to the end of the lifting cord 15 located above the weft thread constituting the topmost tier of the ladder cord. For example, if the user cannot reach a position close to the head box 11, the lifting cord 15 may be cut at positions corresponding to the second, third, etc. tiers of the ladder cord 12, and the cutting members 30, 40, 50 may be attached to the end 15a, which is the lower cut end. Even in such a case, even if the topmost tier of weft thread 12b cannot be cut, the weft threads 12b of the tier below the end 15a of the lifting cord 15 can be continuously cut.

- The weft thread 12b may be configured such that two weft threads 16a, 16b are arranged in parallel, one of which is pulled up over the other to provide two intersections 17, leaving three spaces. In this case, the slat 13 is inserted into the space between the intersections 17 located in the center. The lifting/lowering cord 15 is inserted into the spaces on both sides. Even in this case, the weft threads 12b can be cut continuously by attaching cutting members 30, 40, 50 to the end 15a of the lifting/lowering cord 15 and pulling the lifting/lowering cord 15.

- A configuration may be adopted in which multiple weft threads 12b are provided in parallel with each other, and the slats 13 and lifting cord 15 are inserted between the weft threads. Even in such a case, cutting members 30, 40, 50 are attached to the end 15a of the lifting cord 15, and the weft threads 12b can be cut continuously by pulling the lifting cord 15.

-When the weft threads 12b of all the rows of the ladder cord 12 are made up of multiple weft threads, the lifting cord 15 does not have to be inserted between the multiple weft threads 12b in all the rows. For example, the lifting cord 15 may be inserted between multiple weft threads every other row or every third row. Even in such a case, the lifting cord 15 does not separate from the warp threads 12a and can be cut by the cutting members 30, 40, and 50.

-Horizontal blinds can be manual or electric.

1...Horizontal blind 11...Head box 12...Ladder cord 12a...Warp 12b...Wift 13...Slat 13a...Notch 14...Bottom rail 15...Lifting cord 15a...End 15b...Knot 16a...First weft 16b...Second weft 17...Intersection 17a...First space 17b...Second space 18a...First warp 18b...Second warp 21...Operation unit 21a...Operation cord 30...Cutting member 31...First portion 31a...Mounting hole 32...Second portion 33...Engagement portion 34...Blade portion 40...Cutting member 42...Blade portion 43...Incision 43a...Insertion portion 43b...Groove portion 50...Cutting member 51...Crest portion 52...Straight portion 52a...Mounting hole 53: Engagement portion 54: Blade portion

Claims (6)

The slats are supported on a plurality of ladder cords suspended from a head box by weft threads provided between two warp threads at each stage of each of the ladder cords,
A lifting cord is hung from the head box in the vicinity of the warp yarn, and the slats are made rotatable via the ladder cord, and the lifting cord is raised and lowered to raise and lower the slats;
A method for dismantling a horizontal blind in which the slats are longitudinal edges and have notches at positions where the warp threads hang down, comprising:
a cutting member having a shape capable of engaging with the weft thread is attached to an end of the lifting cord;
The lifting cord is pulled downward to cut the weft thread with the cutting member. Each row of the ladder cord is composed of a plurality of weft yarns,
The dismantling method according to claim 1 , wherein the lifting cord is inserted between the weft threads. The dismantling method according to claim 1, wherein each stage of the ladder cord defines a plurality of spaces by crossing a plurality of weft threads, a slat is inserted through one space, and the lifting cord is inserted through the other space. The dismantling method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of attaching the cutting member to an end of the lifting cord located above the weft thread constituting the uppermost stage of the ladder cord. A cutting member used in the dismantling method for dismantling a horizontal blind according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A cutting member comprising: an attachment portion to which an end of the lifting cord is attached; and a blade portion for cutting the weft thread. The cutting member according to claim 5 , further comprising an engagement portion into which the weft thread enters and engages, forming the blade portion.

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