[4 Feb. 15,1972

United States Patent Piana aa .l d. mmmmwmmm mmm mn w um m m m m m f ,mmm o s mm n n c rmf m m aw w m .mw m m m nm mmm m T lu m c m wm m L ak m mm emm m mmm um m mm m mm 4 fimm m n mmm mmwm mm RM m mw wmmm 465 d C mmm mm mmmmmm s Muu m mm mmm wmfi 1 E u fin mmm mn M dmw m. 5 V. W. f E y fi n UM mm o fln mmm m n m m m n mm .m um n m, nw n n m m n m Om m m O mwifi ..m s m w w m m m l w w M m n n a m mm a 9 O N m w m m T m m le... l n n A a L 9 n m N T e e 1 n C I r E m n n E m WRMJS NW T.. n m m N La w m L m mm & d O O v m D. St n. 3 FZ Rm FA Um M 7 O l fi l] 111] 1 0 6 mm mm mmmm N 8 ROLL-TYPE BLINDS FOR WINDOWS One of the inconveniences of the present roll-type blinds is that, when they are lowered, even though the slats are spaced apart for a maximum distance from one another, the passage of air through the blind is rather limited. On the other hand, such an arrangement of the slats causes another incon venience which is still more annoying, in as far as there is a good visibility from outside into the rooms, especially at night when they are lit up. The user is, therefore forced to keep the blinds completely lowered also during summer time, giving up the benefit of having air come in from outside.

The object of the present invention is an improvement in such blinds in order to permit a better passage of air as compared with those in use at present and, preventing at the same time the visibility into the home from outside. This is accomplished with rather simple methods and without modifying at all the present systems of control, such as the winding-up roller, the lifting belt, the belt-stopping device etc.

The roll-type blinds of this invention can be considered in a certain sense as an economical combination of the conventional blinds with a Venetian blind, the elements being possibly made of plastic, aluminum or other material.

ln the attached drawings two embodiments are diagrammatically illustrated by way of example only without intcntion to limit in any way the present invention:

FlG. l is a cutaway perspective view of several elements of a roll-type blind according to one embodiment of this invention, having its slats in closed position;

FlG. 2 is a similar view as in FlG. l but with blind slats in wide open position;

FlG. 3 is a cutaway perspective view of another embodiment of the roll-type blind of this invention with closed blind slats; and

FlG. 4 is a similar view as in FlG. 3 showing blind slats in a partially open position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION As can be seen from the drawings the roller-type blind of this invention comprises a plurality of alternately arranged blind elements of two different types, namely of laths l and of slats 5. The laths l are vertically suspended and Controlled by conventional means (not illustrated), such as a tensioning belt, for example, for being pulled upwardly to increase or lower the tension therebetween. By contrast to conventional roll-type blinds, the laths l are hinged one to another by upper coupling portions of slats 5, as it will be explained below.

With reference to FlGS. l and 2, each lath l includes a flat central portion with venting apertures A and A'. The upper rims of each lath l is provided with a D-shaped upper coupling channel 4 having a longitudinal slit 15 in its perpendicular wall for receiving a coupling shoulder 7 projecting from the upper portion of the slat 5.

The lower rim of the flat portion of the lath l is integral with a lower coupling member 14 having a hook-shaped portion 2 in which a bent upper rim 3 of the slat 5 is suspended.

The lower portion of the slat 5 undemeath the coupling shoulder 7 forms a cover which, in a loosened condition of the blind, covers the entire flat portion of the lath l (FIG. l). As mentioned above, the upper rim of the slat has a hooklike bent portion 3 which is hinged in hook portion 2 of the lower coupling member 14.

The projecting shoulder 7 is provided with transverse wings 7 and 8 and passes through the slit into the interior of the upper coupling channel 4. The wings 7 and 8 are arranged in such a manner as to cooperate with the curved wall of the D- shaped coupling channel 4 and with the lips of the slit 15 in response to the direction of tension applied to the suspended blind. The shoulder 7 thus operates as a lever controlling the angular positions of the slat 5. When the laths of the blind are lowered, by loosening the lath belt, for example, the only tension applied to the blind is that caused by the gravity as indicated by an arrow in FIG. l. ln this case the projecting shoulder 7 is disengaged from the upper edge of the slit 15. As a result, the cover portion of the slat 5 will turn into its closed position, covering the venting apertures A, A' in the flat portion of the lath l. lf, however, a tension in an upward direction is applied to the upperrnost lath of the blind, as indicated by arrow in FIG. 2, the upper lip of the slit 15 will abut against the upper surface of the shoulder 7 and the lower lip of the slit will exert pressure against the lower wing 7. Due to the applied traction, the upper lip starts sliding on the shoulder 7 and the lower lip on the Wing 7, thus causing rotation of the slat around the hinge represented by the hooks-2 and 3. The rotation of the slat 5 continues until the shoulder 7 angularly dis places slats 5 of the blind into their wide open position (FlG. 2);

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate an improved modification of the embodiment as shown in FlGS. l and 2. The improvement resides particularly in that configuration of the upper coupling channel 4' and in the Simplified shape of the shoulder 7' which ensures a better coupling of two blind elements, facilitates the lifting and lowering of the slats and can be made easily produced in a plastic material. The structure and operation of the remaining parts is substantially identical with that of the preceding embodiment. By contrast to the previously described upper coupling channel 14, the top wall 11 of the modified coupling channel 14' in FIGS. 3 and 4 has a V- shaped profile and the projecting shoulder 7' which is without any transverse wings, is profiled accordingly into a V-like shape. ln the rest position, when the blind belt is loosened and the laths 1 lowered (FlG. 3) the apex of the V-shaped control shoulder 7' rotates around the hinge 2 by the force of gravity downwardly to a Vertical alignment with the apex of the V- shaped top wall 2' of the coupling channel 4'. When the belt is tensioned and the laths l are pulled apart from one another (FIG. 4), the profiled top wall ll starts functioning as a cam and the profiled shoulder 7' as a cam follower. The V-shaped top surface of the shoulder 7' slidably abuts against the apex and the free edge of the top wall ll and causes rotating of the slat upwardly until a single aperture A" in the lath l is wide open.

By regulating the tension of the belt it is possible to correspondingly regulate the lifting of only one part of the slats. The lower slats are the last Ones to be opened when the lifting beltis tensioned.

The invention can, of course, undergo several modifications in form and disposition of its various constituting parts within the spirit and scope of the invention.

l claim:

l. ln a roll-type blind construction, comprising in combination a plurality of laths one above the other when the blind is in use, each lath having at least one aperture, a plurality of slats, each slat including a connecting portion and a cover portion, and each slat being movable between a covering position wherein said cover portion covers said aperture and, respectively, a ventilating position at an angle to said covering position and wherein it is angularly spaced apart from said lath and uncovers said aperture thereof sufiiciently to pennit air to flow through said aperture, each lath having a top and bottom rim,

suspension means including engaging means formed on the connecting portion of each slat operable for interengaging two adjoining laths for normally suspending the lower thereof from the upper thereof at least in said closing position of the slat therebetween when the upper thereof is suspended above the lower,

and including pivoting means between said connecting portion of each slat, and the lath above and the lath below said slat, operative to move said slat from said covering to said ventilating position when the upper lath through gravity approaches the lower lath.

2. ln a roll-type blind construction, as claimed in claim l, wherein said engaging means have a hook portion' at one end thereof, and another hook portion on a lower part of each of said laths, said hook portions being operable to interengage thereby linking said laths with said slat.

3. ln a roll-type blind construction, as claimed in claim 2, wherein said pivoting means for the lath below defines a 'I'- shape on the slat at an end thereof,

projection means on said operable pivoting means on the latch to abut thereagainst when said slat is in the covering position.

4. ln a roll-type blind construction, as claimed in claim 3, wherein said pivoting means has a sectional shape matching the shape of a shaped portion ofan upper side of said lath; said pivoting means being operable to lie substantially directly under said shaped portion when said slat is in the covering position. v 5. ln a roll-type blind construction, as claimed in claim l, saidpivoting means for the upper lath including an end with a rounded corner on said engaging means of said slat, said corner having a concave portion thereof facing the bottom of the upper lath, said corner being operative to contact said lower part of said upper lath, for suspension when said slats are in the covering position and, respectively, sliding thereagainst for rotating said slat when said laths are moved towards the ventilating position.