US3424224A - Cord control mechanism for roller shades - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 28, 1969 N. E. LOWE 3,424,224

com) CONTROL MECHANISM FOR ROLLER SHADES Filed Dec. 16, 1966 INVENTOR. woe/14,4 .5 LOWE:

76.10. BY M lium ZTTOE/VE ys.

3,424,224 CORD CONTROL MECHANISM FOR ROLLER SHADES Norman E. Lowe, 937 Schuykill Ave., Reading, Pa. 19601 Filed Dec. 16, 1966, Ser. No. 602,400 U.S. Cl. 160308 Int. Cl. E06b 9/204, 9/208 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to roller shade-operating de vices, and more particularly to a roller shade-operating mechanism including means for releasably-locking the associated roller shade in an adjusted position.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved roller-operating mechanism for shades or other similar roller-supported objects, the mechanism being simple in construction, being easy to install, being easy to operate, and involving a very small number of parts.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved roller shade-operating mechanism which is inexpensive to fabricate, which is compact in size, which is neat in appearance, and which is durable in construction.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved roller shade-operating mechanism which is suitable for use with either shade rollers of the spring type, provided with an internal spring which is wound up responsive to rotation of the associated roller, or with rollers of the ordinary non-spring type, the mechanism being adapted for use with conventional spring roller shades or other types of roller shades without the necessity of making permanent modifications of the parts of such conventional roller shade assemblies, the device, when installed, providing improving control of the roller shade assembly with which it is used, and being very reliable in operation.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a roller shade assembly provided with an improved operating mechanism constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the portion of the roller shade assembly shown in FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view taken substantially on the line 33 of FIGURE 2.

\FIGURE 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 44 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the swingable looking member employed in the roller-operating mechanism of FIGURES 1 to 4.

FIGURE 6 is an end elevational view of a roller shade assembly with operating means according to the present invention, but employing a flexible cord instead of a chain.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary front elevational view, partly in vertical cross-section, of a shade roller of the spring type employed with an improved operating mech- United States Patent 0 "ice anism according to the present invention, and employing means to partly immobilize the ratchet portion of the roller assembly.

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged transverse vertical crosssectional view taken substantially on the line 8-8 of FIGURE 7.

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of the substantially cylindrical cover or cap employed on the roller shaft in FIGURES 7 and 8.

FIGURE 10' is a reverse perspective view of a protective cap member similar to that shown in FIGURE 9.

The present invention consists generally of a roller shade-operating mechanism of the type employing a chain gearingly-engaged with a serrated pulley and having a friction spring engaging the inside surfaces of the pulley to frictionally-hold the pulley against rotation unless manually actuated. The mechanism includes a swingable locking element on the pulley shaft swingable into locking engagement with the chain to releasably hold the associated shade in a given adjusted position. The locking element is provided with depending channeled guide portions receiving the front and rear portions of the chcain and may be used to transmit releasing force from the chain to the locking element when either the front or the rear portion of the chain is pulled down- Wardly.

Referring to the drawing, and more particularly to FIGURES 1 to 6, 11 generally indicates a windowshade of the type provided with a roller 12, the shade being attached to the roller and being capable of being rolled up thereon, for example, to the position thereof shown in FIGURE 2, or being unrolled therefrom to partly or completely cover an associated window 13. The roller 12 is provided with suitable end apertures receiving outwardly-projecting end shaft elements which are rotatablyreceived in bracket assemblies secured to the opposite side portions of the associated window frame adjacent the top corners thereof, and in accordance 'with the present invention, an operating assembly, designated generally at 14, is employed at one of the bracket assemblies, for example, at the bracket assembly 15 shown in FIGURE 1.

The bracket 15 comprises a plate-like attaching portion 16 which is fastened to the window frame portion 17 in any suitable manner, for example, by top and bottom screws 18, 18, as shown. The bracket assembly 15 also comprises the forwardly-projecting vertical arm 19 having a slot or aperture 20. Arm 19 is formed inwardly of aperture 20 with a rectangular aperture 21 and is further formed at its outer end with a rectangular notch 22. The generally U-shaped spring-gripping clip 23 has a first hooked arm 24 engaged through the aperture 21 and has a second hooked arm 25 received in the notch 22, the arms 24 and 25 having respective resilient inwardlydirected friction bearing portions 26 and 27 (see FIG- URE l) engageable with the inside flange of a pulley 28 to urge the pulley against the right-angled inner bend portions 29 of the clip, whereby to frictionally-hold the pulley against rotation relative to the clip with sufficient force to prevent the pulley from being rotated unle'ss manually-actuated. The clip 23 and the associated bracket 15 are conventional, per se, and are similar to corresponding elements shown in US. Patent No. 2,217,- 067 to C. McCauley, issued October 8, 1940.

T he roller 12 has a square central aperture 70 which receives the squared portion 30 of the shaft of pulley 28, so that the pulley is keyed to the roller, said shaft being formed with the generally cylindrical outer end portion 31 which is rotatably-re'ceived in the bracket slot 20. The roller 12 and pulley 28 are thus rotatable relative to the bracket 15, being yield ably held against rotation by the above-described action of the retarding clip 23.

Pulley 28 is provided with peripheral uniformly-spaced serrations 33, and a chain 34 of the linked-ball type is engaged over the pulley, the chain being endless, and the successive link balls thereof engaging in the recesses between the serrations 33 in the periphery of pulley 28 so that the chain is drivingly-engaged with the pulley.

Designated at 35 is a swingable locking member having a plate-like main body portion 36 which tapers upwardly in width and is provided with a circular aperture 37 in its top portion. The lower corners of the body 36 are formed with inwardly-turned hook elements 38, 38 having beveled top corners 39, 39, as shown in FIGURE 5, and having generally semi-cylindrical shapes at their bight portions. The bottom margin of plate-like body 36 is formed with the horizontal tab 40 which is bent at right angles to the main body portion 36-, as shown in FIGURE 5, and which is located substantially in the plane of the top edges of hook elements 38, 38, the end edges of tab 40 being located just above the bevels 39, 39. Said end edges are formed with respective V- shaped notches 41, 41 adapted to lockingly-engage with the link elements connecting a pair of adjacent balls of the chain 34 in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 4, as will be presently described.

The locking member 35 is mounted on the shaft 30 of the pulley between the plane of the friction fingers Q6, 27 and the end of the roller 12, the squared shaft 30 being rotatably-received in the circular aperture 37. The body 36 thus depends from the shaft 30 and the front and rear portions of the chain 34 are respectively received in the generally U-shaped hook-like enclosures defined by the elements 38, 38, the front and rear portions of said chain 34 extending substantially axially through the semicylindrical bight portions of the elements 38 with the members 35 in its normal, substantially centered position shown in FIGURES l, 2 and 3. Under these conditions, the front and rear portions of the chain 34 are free to move vertically relative to the hook- like enclosures 38, 38.

To adjust the shade 11, the front or rear portion of the chain 34 is moved downwardly, in accordance with the desired direction of adjustment. For example, the front portion of chain 34 is pulled downwardly to raise the shade, and the rear portion of chain 34 is pulled downwardly to lower the shade. To lock the shade in adjusted position, the front portion thereof is manually-grasped and the rear portion of the chain is pulled outwardly, causing the rear portion of the chain to act against the rear notched edge of tab 40, rotating the locking member 35 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIGURE 4, to a position wherein the opposite notched end of tab 40 engages between a pair of adjacent balls of the outer portion of chain 34 and urges same upwardly toward the lower edge of the outer clip hook element 25. The weight of the suspended portion of the shade contributes sufiicient clockwise torque on the pulley 28 to maintain tension in the front portion of chain 34 sufficient to keep said front portion lockingly-engaged with the front notched end of tab 40, whereby to transmit similar clockwise torque to the swingable member 35, and to thereby maintain said swingable member in its locking position shown in FIGURE 4. Thus, with the link between a pair of adjacent balls engaged in the V-shaped notch at the front end of tab 40, the subjacent ball acts against the end of tab 40 from below, under the clockwise torque provided by the Weight of the depending portion of shade 11, providing the necessary clockwise moment on looking member 35 to keep it in its rotated locked position, shown in FIGURE 4. The locking engagement may be released by pulling downwardly on the rear portion of chain 34 while said rear portion is engaged with the rear hook member 38, which thus rotates member 35 counterclockwise, as viewed in FIG- URE 4, and which thus disengages the front notch 41 from the front of chain 34.

FIGURE 4 shows the parts in locked position. To release the shade for further adjustment, either upwardly or downwardly, either the front or the rear portion of chain 34 is pulled downwardly, thereby allowing members 35 to rotate counterclockwise, as viewed in FIGURE 4, sufli' ciently to disengage the previously locked portion of chain 34 from the notched end of tap 40, allowing free adjustment of shade 11 to its desired new position, after which the shade may be locked in said desired new position in the manner above-described.

The locking device 14 may be employed using an endless cord or belt 34' instead of a chain 34, provided that the endless cord or belt 34' is of relatively yieldable and deformable material sufficiently yieldable so that it will wedge in a notch 41 of the member 35 when the member is rotated, in the manner above-described, to a locked position corresponding to that shown in FIGURE 4. Thus, FIGURE 6 illustrates an arrangement which employs such an endless cord or belt 34' of relatively deformable yieldable material which is soft enough to wedgingly-lock in the notch 41 when the member 35 is rotated responsive to a pull on the inward portion of the belt or cord 34 after the associated shade 11 has been adjusted to a desired position. As in the case of the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 1 to 5, the weight of the depending portion of the shade 11 will act, in conjunction with the gripping effect of the engaged notch 41, to maintain the member 35 in a rotated locked position. The member 35 may be swung to its normal position in the same manner as previously-described in connection with FIG- URE 4, namely, by pulling downwardly on either the front or the rear portion of the endless cord 34'.

FIGURES 7 to 10 illustrate the manner in which a locking device 35 may be employed with a shade roller of the spring type. Thus, the shade roller, shown at 12', is of conventional construction and contains the coiled spring 50 which has one end 51 anchored in the roller, and the other end 52 engaged in the notched inner end of a shaft rod 53 which is rotatable in a central aperture provided in the end cap 54 of the roller. A pair of pivoted dogs 55, 55 are provided on the end cap which are lockinglyengageable in diametrically-opposed notches provided in the external portion of the rod 53. The dogs 55, 55 cooperate with the exposed portion of rod 53 in ratchet fashion, to allow the roller to be rotated to unwind a shade therefrom, causing the spring 50 to be tightened as the shade is unwound, the roller being latched by the action of the dogs 55, 55. The dogs may be released by exerting a pull on the shade, after which the rapid rotation of roller 12, driven by spring 50, allows the roller to wind the shade up thereon. In the arrangement shown in FIG- URES 7 and 8, the locking assembly 35 i employed in conjunction with the pintle end of the shade roller 12' opposite that associated with the tensioning spring 50. Thus, the locking assembly 35 is employed in association with the left shaft end portion 56 of the roller assembly 12' of FIGURE 7. To prevent the ratchet mechanism at the right end of the roller assembly from interfering with the operation of the new locking assembly 35, a cap member 57 is engaged over the exposed end of shaft 53, the cap member having a rectangular slot 58 in its end wall to receive the correspondingly-shaped outer end of rod 53. The wall of the cap member 57 is provided with a notch 59 of suflicient size to allow only one of the dogs 55 to engage therethrough, the other dog being kept away from the exposed end of rod 53. Thus, with the cap member 57 in place the upper pawl 55 is de-activated, permitting only one of the notches in the exposed end portion of rod 53 to be effective. The rod 53 is held stationary because of its engagement in the vertical slot of the boss element 60 associated with the bracket 14, whereas the pawl members 55, 55 rotate with the roller 12'. With this arrangement, and with the cap member 57 in place, as above-described, the user may tighten the spring 50 to any desired tension and place the bottom pawl 55 in locking engagement with the lower notch of the exposed rod 53 through the notch 59 in the cap member 57, the spring 50 being held under tension by the said one pawl 55 with the cap member 57 engaged on the shaft rod 53,

in which condition the end of the shaft rod may then be placed in the receiving slot 62 of the supporting bracket 14. Once the pawl 55 is released from the rod 53, the roller and shade will, thereafter, be under constant tension. It will thus be seen that the purpose of the cupshaped cap member 57 is to eliminate the ratchet-like action of the pawl members 55, 55 in favor of the locking action provided by the improved assembly 35, while permitting the spring 50 to be placed under desired tension when the roller is installed in its supporting brackets.

As will be readily apparent, the cap member 57 is held stationary, along with the shaft 53, whereas the roller 12 is rotatable relative thereto, but the cap member 57 prevents the upper pawl 55 from latching with the rod 53, the lower pawl 55 being ineffective because it is biased downwardly by gravity. The spring 50 is thus effective to counterbalance a substantial portion of the Weight of the shade, leaving enough to produce the cooperation of chain 34 with the notched end of tab 40, above-described, to produce the desired locking action.

What is claimed is:

1. In a window-shade supporting and adjusting device, a shade roller journaled between brackets to have a shade wound upon and unwound therefrom, a pulley secured axially to said roller and interposed between one end thereof and one of said brackets, an endless depending flexible belt drivingly-engaged on the pulley and having front and rear depending portions, a retarding member mounted on said one of the brackets and having a friction arm engaging said pulley, a plate-like locking member pivoted axially to said roller between the pulley and said one end of the roller, a locking tab on said locking member extending su-bjacent said pulley between said depending portions with its end edges engageable by said depending portions, the front depending portion of said flexible belt extending between the bottom edge of said friction arm and one end edge of said locking tab, the rear depending portion of the endless belt extending adjacent the other end edge of said locking tab and being engageable therewith when said rear depending portion is pulled outwardly to swing the locking member outwardly so as to cause said front depending flexible belt portion to be locked between said bottom edge of the friction arm and said one end edge of the locking tab, and respectively inwardly-facing hook-shaped channel guides on the locking member located outwardly-adjacent and depending below opposite ends of the locking tab and having bight portions receiving the respective front and rear depending portions on the endless belt, one of said channeled guides being at times engageable by an adjacent portion of the belt to rotate the locking member to an unlocking position responsive to downward pull on said adjacent belt portion.

2. The window shade-supporting and adjusting device of claim 1, and wherein both end endges of the locking tab are provided with V-shaped notches.

3. The window shade-supporting and adjusting device of claim 2, and wherein said locking tab extend substantially perpendicular to the plane of said platelike locking member.

4. The window shade-supporting and adjusting device of claim 3, and wherein said locking tab is located substantially in the plane of the top edges of said hookshaped guides.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 32,062 4/1861 Gatty 160-308 X 2,401,770 6/1946 Nardulli l-l70 2,562,259 7/ 1951 Burns -l70 2,894,578 7/1959 Caesar et a1. 160-308 PETER M. CAUN, Primary Examiner.

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