US3169006A

US3169006A - Venetian blind installation and bracket therefor

Info

Publication number: US3169006A
Application number: US256206A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hans K Lorentzen; Joseph A Anderle
Original assignee: Levolor Corp
Current assignee: Levolor Corp
Priority date: 1963-02-01
Filing date: 1963-02-01
Publication date: 1965-02-09
Anticipated expiration: 1982-02-09
Also published as: GB1014927A; NL6400653A; NL140924B; DE1509607A1

Description

VENETIAN BLIND INSTALLATION AND BRACKET THEREFOR Filed Feb. 1, 1963 1965 H. K. LORENTZEN ETAL 2 sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR HANS K LORENTZf/V GEORGE Alf/RA JOSEPH A. ANDf/ZLE BY MTzbRNl-IY Feb 1965 H. K. LORENTZEN ETAL N VENETIAN BLIND INSTALLATION AND BRACKET THEREFOR 2 Sheets-Sheet? Filed Feb. 1, 1963 5 m M R2 mNm 5 N A E0 W K H O P SEE N S A H J remote from the ends of the head channel.

ted States Pate This invention relates to Venetian blinds and more particularly to a Venetian blind installation and to a bracket therefor. The side of the blind which faces the room will be considered as the front of the blind and the opposite side will be considered as the rear of the blind.

A metal Venetian blind is customarily provided with a channel-shaped head bar, also called a head channel. The blind depends from the head channel, and by installing the head channel adjacent to the top of a window opening the entire blind is installed.

Various forms of brackets are known for attachment to the building to receive and support the head channel, such brackets being commonly referred to as installation brackets. customarily there are two installation brackets, one at each end of the head channel. Grdinarily each installation bracket has a horizontal shelf which is adapted to receive the end of the head channel by horizontal movement of the head channel from front to rear. Such brackets are disclosed in US. Patents 2,526,393, 2,670,- 167, 2,680,589 and 2,792,999.

In the case of a blind having a long head channel it is necessary to provide support at one or more points Brackets for this purpose are known and are often referred to as intermediary brackets.

In some Venetian blind installations the head channel is installed by upward movement, and installation brackets which receive the head channel by movement thereof from front .to rear are unsuitable. This is true in installations in which the head channel is nested within a downwardly-opening pocket or recess that is at the top of the window opening. It is also true in certain installations in which the ends of the head channel, and the ends of the slats, are received in vertical light-excluding channels. These vertical channels may be installed first. Then the head channel of the blind may be inclined so that the ends thereof can be entered in the vertical channels, after which the head channel may be moved upwardly to mounted position at the top of the window opening. The head channels have substantial flexibility and may be flexed somewhat to circumvent certain obstructions that may be encountered in entering the ends of the head channel into vertical light-excluding channels and/or moving the head channel upwardly to installed position.

An installation bracket which permits the head bar of a blind to be installed upwardly, and which can be used-as an intermediary bracket, is shown in US. Patent 2,674,432 issued April 6, 1954. While that bracket has been extensively used it has a number of limitations. It consists of a building-attached part and a separate stirrup member which embraces the head channel. The buildingattached part cannot be secured to the front face of a window frame. In installing or removing the head channel, the stirrup member has to be manipulated lengthwise of the head channel while the head channel is somehow held in position. Where that bracket is at the end of the head channel the manipulation of the stirrup member lengthwise of the head channel requires special manipulation of the operating cords of the blind in order to avoid interference between the cords and the stirrup member. The stirrup member also interferes aieaeas with the installation of a light block that, in some installations, is attached to the bottom of the head channel where a high degree of room darkening is desired. Such a light block extends for the length of the head channel, and serves to block the entry of light through the crack between the upper edge of the top slat of the blind and the bottom of the head channel. In most installations in which the head bar is exposed the stirrup is so exposed to view that to prevent color clash it is necessary to have stirrups finished in the various colors and finishes of the blinds with which the installation bracket of Patent 2,674,432 is to be used.

Among the objects of the present invention are to provide a Venetian blind installation and a bracket therefor which overcomes some or all of the foregoing limitations. In the Venetian blind installation herein disclosed the bottom of the head channel is unencumbered and is available to receive a light block extending for the length of the head channel. The bracket h rein disclosed is attachable to either the front face of a window frame (or wall) or to a sofrit. It has no part that separates from the building-attached part of bracket. it may be used to provide support at either end of the head channel or at any point along its length. The head channel may be facilely mounted, the bracket itself providing temporary support for the head c annel while the head channel is being secured in mounting or being released in dismounting. There is no interference between the bracket and the operating cords of the blind. in the completed installation so little of the bracket is exposed that it is unnecessary to stock brackets in the many colors and finishes used for Venetian blinds.

Among other objects of the invention are to provide an installation bracket which not only accomplishes some or all of the foregoing objectives when the bracket is in use but which may be inexpensively produced from sheetmetal stampings, which is adapted for rapid manufacture on a quantity-production basis, and which provides strong and reliable support for the head bar despite weak or loose connection between the two main parts of which the bracket is composed.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the drawings and from the description hereinafter.

in both he description and the claims parts at times may be identified by specific names for clarity and convenience but such nomenclature is to be understood as having the broadest meaning consistent with the context and with the concept of our invention as distinguished from the pertinent prior art. The best mode in which we have contemplated carrying out our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification. Except as otherwise indicated the description refers to the specific form of the invention shown in the drawings; it does not necessarily refer to any other form in which the invention may be embodied. The claims, however, do embrace other forms in which invention may be embodied.

FIGURE 1 is a partly diagrammatic front elevationof the top portion of a Venetian blind installation em bodying the present invention, the center portion of the installation being broken out.

FIGURE 2 is a front elevation showing one of the building-attached brackets and the associated portion of the head channel, the pivol ed channel-securing means of the bnacket being in operated position, i.e., locked position.

F FlUGRUERE 5 is.a vertical section on the line 55 of 3 is a vertical sectionon the line El-3 of FIGURE 6 is same as FIGURE 4 except that the pivoted channel-securing means is shown in nonoperated position, i.e., in unlocked position.

FIGURE 7 shows the building-attached bracket in side elevation. The channel is shown in dot-dash lines, in the position it occupies just before being snapped into the bracket.

FIGURE 8 is an isometric view of the bracket, the pivoted channel-securing means being in operated position.

FIGURE 9 is isometric exploded view of the bracket shown in FIGURE 8.

In FIGURE 1 a conventional Venetian blind is designated as a whole by lid. This blind includes, among other things, a shcet-steel head bar or head channel 15, and a series of metal slats 16 that are supported by two or more ladders I7. Mechanism (not shown) that is operable to raise and lower the slats, and to tilt the same forwardly and rearwardly, is incorporated in the head channel 15. Ordinarily a tilt cord as depends from the left end of the head channel 15 and a lift cord such as I9 depends from the right end of the head channel 15. The head channel is supported by two or more buildingattached installation brackets 26 which, in FIGURE 1, are spaced from the ends of the head channel and are secured to a sofiit Zl.

The unitary installation bracket 29 per se is perhaps best seen in FIGURE 8. The two main parts and the rivet of which this bracket is composed are perhaps best seen in FIGURE 9. One of the main parts is an L-shapcd sheet-metal stamping 21. The other is a head-channelsecuring member 232. A rivet 23 pivotally secures the member 22 to the member El. The

members

21 and 22 have been stamped from sheet steel .662 inch thick.

The member 21, which is stamped in one piece, has a vertical leg 36 and a horizontal leg El. Extending for most of the length of the vertical leg 3t} is a rib 32. This rib is pressed forwardly, leaving a groove (not shown) facing toward the rear of leg 36. The rib 32, which increases the rigidity of the vertical leg, continues into the horizontal leg 31 and strengthens the juncture of the legs Bill and 31. Upper and lower buttons or proituberances 33 and are pressed forwardly from the rib 32, leaving depressions (not shown) facing toward the rear of leg Circular holes 36 and 37 and

elongated holes

33 and 39 are adapted to receive screws for attaching the installation bracket to a wall, or to the front of a window frame or mullion. A short horizontal lip to projects forwardly from tie bottom of the vertical leg 39.

The horizontal leg 31 is provided with skirts 42 and 4-3, which depend from the two side edges of the leg and extend for substantially the length of the leg 31. These skirts impart additional strength and rigidity to the leg 31. The skirts 4-2 and 43 are longitudinally slotted at 42a and 43a, respectively, the slots extending sidewise into the horizontal metal of the leg Ell as is shown in FIG- URE 6. At its center the leg 31 has a boss 45 pressed downwardly (FIGURE 9) leaving a depression 4512 (FIG- URE 6) facing toward the top of the leg 31. At the center of the boss 4 there is a rivet hole i6 which is surrounded by an annular bearing-surface .7. From the front end of the leg El a short lip extends downwardly, the bottom portion of the lip being flared forwardly at 4% as is seen in FIGURE 7. Circular holes 31:: (four shown, FIGURE 6) are adapted to receive screws for attaching the installation bracket to a sofllt, as in FIGURE 1.

The channel-securing member 22 is stamped in one iece and has a generally fiat body portion fill with a central hole 54, an L-shaped operating lever 51 that terminates in a thumbpiece 552, and front and rear depending

portions

53 and 55 which terminate in

horizontal fingers

53a and 55a, respectively. The body portion 5% has ribs and which are pressed downwardly, lcav- 4 ing grooves 56a and 57a, respectively (FIGURE 5), facing upwardly. The

ribs

56 and 57 extend from the front to the rear of the body portion 56 and impart additional rigidity thereto. From the side edges of the body portion 50

flanges

58 and 59 extend upwardly.

Horizontal fingers

53a and 59a extend from the upper edges of the

flanges

58 and 59, respectively. In one corner the body portion 50 has a small button or protuberance 6% (FIG- URE 6) which is pressed upwardly.

In assembling the bracket the channel-securing member 22 is brought against the boss 45 with the

parts

21 and 22 in the relative rotative position that is shown in FIGURE 6, and with the rivet holes 46 and 54 in registration. The rivet 23 is inserted through the holes 4-6 and 54 and then set. The particular rivet shown is a hollow-ended rivet, known as a semitubular rivet, which may be set by rolling over the cylindrical wall of the rivet similarly to the setting of an eyelet.

In the drawings the bracket is shown attached to a soflit 21 by four screws 31b inserted through the four holes 31a in the horizontal leg 31 of the bracket (see FIGURE 6, for example). In so attaching the bracket to a sorlit one of the screws 31b may be inserted, after which the bracket can be rotatively adjusted about the screw it necessary to cause the bracket to face directly forward. Screws can then be inserted through one or more of the additional holes Illa in the horizontal leg of the bracket. In many instances it will suilice to use only'two screws 31b, inserting them through holes Sla which are diagonally opposite each other in FIGURE 6.

In the alternative the bracket 2% may be attached to a wall, or to the front face of a. window frame or mullion. In some instances there is difliculty in locating the bracket at precisely the right height and, for this reason, the screw holes 38 and 39 in the vertical leg 36 of the bracket are elongated. First, one screw can be inserted halfway along the length of either hole 33 or After the bracket has been adjusted to the correct height, and the leg been placed in vertical position, the one screw can be tightened. Then additional screws can be in-. serted. In many instances it will suffice to use only two screws, placed in

holes

36 and 39 or in

holes

37 and 33.

As is perhaps best seen in FIGURES 3 and 7, the channel 15 has a front wall 65, a bottom 66 and a rear wall 6'2. The upper edge portions. of the front and rear walls are inturned forming hollow beads a and 67a which extend along the upper edges of the front and rear wall respectively.

With two or more installation brackets 26 attached to the building in alignment, and with the channel-securing member 22 (FIGURE 9) of each bracket in the nonoperated position shown in FIGURE 6, the channel 15 is entered into each of the brackets N as indicated in FIG- URE 7. With the channel 15 tilted slightly to the rear as shown in FIGURE 7 it is moved generally upwardly until the front bead 66a engages the bottom edges of the skirts t2 and 4 3 of the horizontal bracket-leg 31 which extends across the top of the channel. In this position the lower-rear corner of the channel 15 strikes the forward end of the short horizontal flange 4d. The depending skirts 4-2 and 43, the depending lip 49 and the horizontal lip 46 co-operate to block entry of the channel into mounted relationship with the bracket 29 until the channel has been flexed. The necessary flexing of the channel is readily accomplished by upward pressure on the bottom of the channel, as indicated by the arrow at the bottom of FIGURE 7. This squeezes the channel 15 diagonally-between the tip of lip 41) and the angular formation that is formed by lip 49 and the lower edges of the depending

skirts

42 and 43. The channel is resilient and snaps into mounted relationship with the bracket.

Upon completion of the snap-in and before operation of the chnanel-securing member 22, the bracket 26 temporarily supports the channel in substantially the position that is shown in FIGURE 3-in which figure, however.

MAR

the channel-securing member 22 is shown in operated position. The depending skirts 42 and 43 limit upward movement of the channel 15, while the

protuberances

33 and 35 limit rearward movement of the head channel. When the channel-securing member 22 is in nonoperated position the short lip 46 limits downward movement of the head channel while the depending lip 49 prevents fortuitous forward movement of the head channel off of the lip 40. Thus the bracket provides temporary support for the channel 15 before the channel-securing member 22 has been engaged in mounting the channel and after the channel-securing member 22 has been disengaged when dismounting the channel. After disengagement of the channel-securing member 22 for dismounting the channel, the bottom of the channel may be pulled forward thereby flexing the channel and disengaging it from the bracket 20.

After channel 15 has been snapped into mounted relationship with the bracket 20, the operating lever 51 of the channel-securing member 22 is swung from the nonoperated position shown in FIGURE 6 to the operated position shown in FIGURE 4. This swings the

fingers

53a and 55a under the beads 65a and d751, respectively. If desired, the parts may be so proportioned that when channel-securing member 22 is swung to the operated position shown in FIGURES 2-5 and 8 the

fingers

53a and 55a tend to lift the channel 15 slightly from lip 44).

When the channel-securing member 22 moves from the nonoperated position shown in FIGURE 6 to the operated position shown in FIGURES 2-5 and 8, the protuberance 6t) (FIGURE 6) snaps under the lower edge of skirt 42 and prevents fortuitous reverse movement of the channel-securing member 22.

The bracket 20 does not rely upon the rivet 23 to support the weight of the head channel and the weight of the blind which depends from the head channel. As the channel-securing member 22 moves into operated position the

fingers

58a and 5% thereof enter the

slots

42a and 43a in the

skirts

42 and 43 and overlie the slot-associated skirt portions 421: and 43b, respectively (FIG-

URES

4 and 5 for example). To pilot the

fingers

58a and 59a over the skirt portions 42b and 4312, respectively, we may upwardly incline the leading corners of one or both of the

fingers

58a and 59a. In the operated position of the channel-securing member 22 the weight of the blind is transmitted from the

beads

65a and 67a to the channel-securing member 22 and thence to the horizontal bracket-leg 31 by the

fingers

58a and 59a which overlie the skirt portions 42b and 43b, respectively. In saying that the weight is transmitted to the skirt portions 42b and 43b it is only meant that the weight is at least potentially transmitted to the portions 42b and 43b since, when the bracket is new, the rivet 23 may carry the load so well as to hold the

fingers

58a and 59a out of actual contact with the skirt portions 42b and 43b. Nevertheless, the skirt portions 42b and 43b are available to receive the load when and if the channel-securing member 22 sags slightly.

The construction of the bracket 20 is such that there is ample room for the heads of the screws that may be used to mount the bracket, whether the screws be inserted through the vertical leg which is in back of the head channel 15 or whether they be inserted through the horizontal leg 31 that overlies the head channel 15. Referring to FIGURE 3, it will be seen that the

protuberances

33 and 35 establish a space between the back of the head channel 15 and the flat part of the vertical leg 30; and this space is available for the head of screws which may be inserted through the holes 36-39 (FIGURE 9). The depending skirts 42 and 43 (FIGURES 7 and 9) of the horizontal leg 31 establish a space between the top of the head channel 15 and the flat part of the leg 31; and this space is available for the heads of screws 31b which may be inserted through any of the four holes 31a (FIG- URES 6 and 5).

We claim:

1. An installation bracket for a Venetian blind headchannel that has inturned beads extending along the upper edges of the front and rear walls of the channel, said bracket comprising: a member attachable to a building and adapted to extend across the top of the channel, channel-securing means pivotally attached to said memher, said pivotally-attached channel-securing means having a finger that is adapted to swing under the head that is at the front of the channel and having another finger that is adapted to swing under the bead that is at the rear of the channel, and said pivotally-attached channelsecuring means having additional fingers adapted to swing into engagement with means on said member to transmit to said member the load imposed on the installation bracket by the channel.

2. An installation bracket as in claim 1 in which said member has depending skirts and said additional fingers are adapted to selectively swing into and out of slots in the depending skirts.

3. An installation bracket as in claim 1 in which the bracket includes means to co-operate with the head channel for resiliently holding the head channel in mounted position when the channel-securing means is in nonoperated position.

4. The combination of a sheet-metal venetian-blind head-channel and a building-attached mounting-bracket, in which (a) the head channel is open at the top and has a generally flat front wall, a generally fiat rear wall, and a generally flat bottom, (b) the upper edges of the channel walls are provided with front and rear beads, respectively, (0) the mounting bracket includes a stationary L-shaped part and a part which is movably attached to the L-shaped part, (d) the horizontal leg of the L-shaped part extends across the top of the head channel, and the vertical leg of the L-shaped part depends behind the head channel, (e) at the bottom of the vertical leg a shelf extends under the head channel, and (f) the movable bracket-part includes a channel-supporting portion which moves under the rear bead of the head channel; the improvement which comprises: (1) a lip on the stationary bracket-part which depends in front of the front wall of the head channel, (2) such depending lip, in conjunction with the horizontal leg which extends across the top of the head channel, provides an internal corner which faces downwardly-rearwardly and into which the upper front corner of the head channel nests, (3) the height and width of the head channel provide it with a diagonal dimension which makes it impossible for the lower rear corner of the undistorted head-channel to swing past said shelf, whereby the mounting bracket rejects the undistorted head-channel, (4) the head channel may be resiliently flexed to swing the lower rear corner past said shelf, whereupon the channel snaps into mounted position and is clasped and held by the stationary L-shaped part of the mounting bracket, and (5) the movable bracket-part includes a channelsupporting portion which moves under the front bead of the head channel.

5. The combination of a sheet-metal venetian-blind head-channel and a building-attached mounting-bracket as in claim 4 in which the movable bracket-part includes fingers adapted to swing into engagement with means on the horizontal leg of the L-shaped bracket-part to transmit to the L-shaped bracket part the load imposed on the installation bracket by the head channel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,698,727 1/55 Rutledge 248-264 2,920,849 1/60 Luxford 248-25 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner. FRANK L. ABBOTT, Examiner UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE QERHHQA'M @l (JURREQTWN Patent N06 3 ,169 ,006 February 9, 1965 Hans K. Lorentzen et al.,

It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below Column 4, line 73, for "chnanel-securing" read channel-securing column 6, line 9, for "head" read bead a Signed and sealed this 13th day of July 1965.

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER EDWARD Jo BRENNER Attcsting Officer Commissioner of Patents

Claims

1. AN INSTALLATION BRACKET FOR A VENETIAN BLIND HEADCHANNEL THAT HAS INTURNED BEADS EXTENDING ALONG THE UPPER EDGES OF THE FRONT AND REAR WALLS OF THE CHANNEL, SAID BRACKET COMPRISIG: A MEMBER ATTACHABLE TO A BUILDING AND ADAPTED TO EXTEND ACROSS THE TOP OF THE CHANNEL, CHANNEL-SECURING MEANS PIVOTALLY ATTACHED TO SAID MEMBER, SAID PIVOTALLY-ATTACHED CHANEL-SECURING MEANS HAVING A FINGER THAT IS ADAPTED TO SWING UNDER THE HEAD THAT IS AT THE FRONT OF THE CHANNEL AND HAVING ANOTHER FINGER THAT IS ADAPTED TO SWING UNDER THE BEAD THAT IS AT THE REAR OF THE CHANNEL, AND SAID PIVOTALLY-ATTACHED CHANNELSECURING MEANS HAVING ADDITIONAL FINGERS ADAPTED TO SWING INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH MEANS ON SAID MEMBER TO TRANSMIT TO SAID MEMBER THE LOAD IMPOSED ON THE INSTALLATION BRACKET BY THE CHANNEL.