US2517788A

US2517788A - Venetian blind

Info

Publication number: US2517788A
Application number: US625203A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ollie L Herron
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1945-10-29
Filing date: 1945-10-29
Publication date: 1950-08-08
Anticipated expiration: 1967-08-08

Description

Aug. 8, 1950 0. L. HERRON VENETIAN BLIND Filed Oct. 29, 1945 INVENTOR. 0ZZ z e fi er/v27.

Patented Aug. 8, 1950 mi.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE i I 2,517,788 h i VENETIAN BLIND Ollie L. Herron, Chicago, Ill. Application OctoberZB, 1945, Serial No. 625,203

1 The invention relates to. curtains Or the like and it has particular relation to Venetian blinds.

The ordinary type of Venetian blind comprises a series of slats disposed between spaced pairs of fabric strips or ribbons and these strips have interconnecting tabs disposed under each slat. While blinds of this characterhave been and are widely used, a common and serious objection to them is that the fabric strips become soiled or discolored and as a result the blind presents an unsightly appearance. It is exceedinglydifficult to clean the strips since they are fastened to the structure and it is impossible to remove them for dry or other similar cleaning. Usually an attempt to clean them while inplace leaves telltale discoloration or marks and often the strips have a worse appearance than they had before cleaning.

One object of the present invention is to pro-- vide a Venetian blind having an in proved type of ribbon and slat supporting structure which will avoid the objections previously noted with respect to the fabric strips.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a Venetian blind which is more easily maintained in a clean condition and which has an improved appearance as compared to structures heretofore used.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the followingspecification, from the drawings relating thereto, and from the claims hereinafter set forth. n

For a better understanding of the invention reference maybe had to the drawings wherein:

Figure l is an elevational view of awindow having a Venetian blind constructed according to one form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view on a larger scale or similar structure Ill and a lower cross member H constituting the upper and lower ends of the blind. In the design illustrated, three pairs of ribbons [2, I3 and M are connected to the cross members In and l I, and each of these pairs, as seen in Fig. 2, comprises ribbons l6 and I1.

. Y 2 l The slats are indicated at I8 and each slatis supported on each pair of ribbons by a connecting element 20 comprising a bar or red having ballshaped ends 2| and 22. One improvement according to the present in- Vention resides principally in the construction of the ribbon employed and the co-operation be;- tween the ribbons and the slat supporting 816-. ments. As shown best by Fig. 5, each ribbon comprises an intermediate woven fabric 24 which is coated on both sides with a rubber-like material, as indicated at 25 and 26, bonded to the fabric. Various synthetic rubbers, for instance, may beemployed as coatings for the fabric and one material found particularly suitable .is Koraseal. Such rubber materials may be furnished in various colors and designs and it should be evident that ribbons so constructed maybe easily cleanedespecially as compared to the work iri volved in cleaningordinary fabric ribbons now used widely on Venetian blinds. Ribbons such as employed in the present invention may not only be cleaned easily but will not become stained in cleaning such as often occurs in cleaning ordinary fabric ribbons. l

. The slat supporting elements 20 are connected to the ribbons byforming openings 28, as seen in Fig. 3, with the openings slightly smaller than the ball elements 2! and ,22 so that the material must be stretched in order to allow the ball ele+ ments to pass through the openings. In assembling the connectin slat supporting elementsand ribbons, it is only necessary to press the aper tured portion of theribbon over the ball element and in doingthis, the material can readily be stretched sufficiently to allow the ball to pass through the opening and then the material returns to its non-stretched condition so as to prevent the ball elements from becoming released. The rubber material is particularly useful in this connection due to its elasticity. i

In the construction shown by Fig. 3, the slat supporting elements are shown as comprising a It has been stated that the ribbons may be constructed of woven fabric coated on both sides by material such as indicated. Under certain circumstances, it may be found desirable to coat only one side of the woven fabric such as the outermost side and then again it may be desirable under certain circumstances to use a solid rubber material without having woven fabric reenforcement. Again the ribbons instead of having woven fabric may be formed with vertical extending cords or cord fabric which may be embedded within the rubber. With respect to the connecting rods 20, these may be formed from plastic, .metal or other suitable material. Here again the material may be colored as desired during its manufacture.

In the form of the invention shown by Fig. 4, the ribbons have snap fastener elements 35'which are adapted to be connected to slat supporting elements indicated at 36. Such slat supporting elements may have downwardly turned-ends "31 provided with co-operating fastener elements 38 which snap into engagement with the eyes or fastener elements 35 on the ribbons. Thus the conn'ectingelements may be readily applied or removed. v

The usual 'means of tilting the slats may be used in the blind although-this is not shown exceptfor the pull cords 39 and 39. Also the usual depending loop'M may be provided for raising the lowercross element l l and this raising means usuallywill include cords 42 extending downwardly through the slats as seen in Fig. 2. Orditwo end pairs I2 and i l of the ribbons.

Venetian blinds constructed according to the invention may "be manufactured inexpensively "and the parts may be easily and readily assem- 'narily'the cords 42 are only used between the ibled. Furthermoreg'the slat supporting elements may be readily disconnected from the ribbons and cleaned or replaced. The ribbons and connecting elements are both constructed from material which may be'readily cleaned withoutstaining and furthermore, thematerial does not absorb water andtherefore will dry readily so that the reassembly may be made without waiting for any drying period. The material employed also enables using various colors and color combina- .tions so as to enhance the appearance of the cross supporting members, a series of slats arranged one above the other, a pair of resiliently flexible vertically extending ribbons connected at their upper and lower ends to the cross members and extending downwardly at opposite sides of the slats and having openings therethrough at the edges of the respective slats, and means connecting the ribbons at each slat and extending under the slat and comprising an element having knobs at its ends projectable through arranged one above the other, a pair of resiliently flexible vertically extending ribbons connected at their upper and lower ends to the cross members and extending downwardly at opposite sides of the slats "and having opening there- "through at'the edges of tthe'resp'ective slats, and means connecting the ribbons'at each slat and extending under the slat'and. comprisin an element'having knobs at its ends 'projectable through said openings, said ribbons comprising fabric coated with rubber material and the openings therein being smaller than the knobs, the ma- 'terial being elastically stretchable to facilitate movement of the knobs through 'the'respective openings.

3. A ribbon:for use in supporting the slats of a Venetian blind including slat supporting elements havingknobs adapted for connecting said elements to said ribbon, said ribbon comprising a strip of elastically stretchable rubberized material having openings therein slightly smaller than said knobs, said ribbon being stretchable within the elastic limit of the material to increase the size of said openings so that said knobs may be passed therethrough.

JOLLIEL. HERRON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS