WO2005031103A1

WO2005031103A1 - Machine and method for cutting a sunshade

Info

Publication number: WO2005031103A1
Application number: PCT/SE2004/001413
Authority: WO
Inventors: Stefan Schörling
Original assignee: Hasta Ip Holding Ab
Priority date: 2003-10-02
Filing date: 2004-10-02
Publication date: 2005-04-07
Also published as: SE0302629D0; SE525951C2; EP1789649A1; SE0302629L

Abstract

Sun blinds (17) are cut off comprising a number of slats (18), e.g., wooden Venetian blinds, having suspensions (12,13) with supports under the slats, by inserting shims (26-30) between certain slats (18) in order to compensate for the thickness of the supports, and clamping the slats (18) with inserted shims (26-30) as one package in a machine, and cutting off the slat package close by the shims. A machine for this purpose may comprise a bed (22) for the sun blind with an end stop (35) for the same, a number of shims (26-30) selectably insertable between slats (18) in order to compensate for the thickness of the supports, a clamping member (31,32) for clamping the slats including selected shims to one package (17), and a cutting member (33) for cutting off the slat package close by the shims.

Description

MACHINE AND METHOD FOR CUTTING A SUNSHADE

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a method and a machine for cutting off sun blinds comprising a number of slats, for instance wooden Venetian blinds, and having suspension with support under the slats.

Size-adjustable wooden Venetian blinds are most often manufactured individually. It is also possible to size-adjust a manufactured wooden Venetian blind by cutting off the overhang of the slats outside the suspensions.

Object of the Invention and Brief Description of the Invention

It is an object of the invention to enable simple size adjustment of series produced sun blinds, for instance wooden Venetian blinds or slat curtains, so that they can be size-adjusted, for instance, in a shop or a department store. This is in principle achieved by inserting shims between certain slats in order to compensate for the thickness of the supports, and clamping the slats with inserted shims as one package in a machine, and cutting off the slat package close by the supports. In doing so, it is possible to use a machine having a bed for the sun blind with an end stop for the same, a number of shims selectably insertable between slats in order to compensate for the thickness of the supports, a clamping means for clamping the slats including selected shims to one package, and a cutting off means for cutting off the slat package close by the supports.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 shows in a side view a wooden Venetian blind in a pulled-up position.

Figure 2 shows schematically and in a side view a machine for cutting off sun blinds.

Figure 3 shows, as seen from above, the Venetian blind in figure 1 placed in the machine according to figure 2, the machine being only fragmentary and schematically shown. Figure 4 shows enlarged and fragmentary some details from the machine shown in figures 2 and 3.

Figure 5 shows in enlargement a member of the machine in engagement with a cornice that is to be cut off at the same time as the Venetian blind. Figure 6 shows another member of the machine shown in engagement with the Venetian blind to be cut off.

Figure 7 shows the member in figure 5 in engagement with a cornice of another appearance than the one in figure 5.

Description of the Shown and Preferred Embodiment. Figure 1 shows a sun blind in the form of a conventional wooden Venetian blind having a carrier in the form of an upper strip or cassette 11 in which two suspension strings 12,13 are fastened. A bottom strip 14 is fastened in the ends of the suspension strings that are shown having end knobs 15,16. The suspension strings are double and are in the form of ladders, and each "rung" constitutes support for a wood slat. For the sake of simplicity, the wood slats are not shown individually, but shown as a rectangle 17. The carrier 11 is shorter than the slats so that the part of the slats and the bottom strip that is outside the suspension strings 12,13 can be cut off for adjustment of the width of the Venetian blind without the carrier 11 having to be cut off. Therefore, the carrier may be of a material, e.g., metal, that cannot be cut off together with the slats.

Figure 2 shows very schematically in a side view a machine having a frame 21 with a bed 22 for a Venetian blind. In the bed, there is a block 23 functioning as a pusher for fixation of the Venetian blind. The bed extends into a protective hood 24 in which there is, among other things, a cutting off member in the form of a circular sawing machine. Above the bed, a shaft 25 is present, on which a number of shims 26-30 are displaceable as shown in figure 4 between a swung-down position (shims 26- 29) and a shown turned-up position (shim 30). Figure 6 shows a Venetian blind slat 18 and the shim 27. In figure 4, a movable clamping member 31 and its anvil 32 are also shown, between which a Venetian blind may be clamped as is shown in figure 3. A cutting off member in the form of a crosscut saw blade 33 of a circular sawing machine is movable up to the anvil 32. The protective hood 24 is only shown in figure 2. The clamping member including anvil 31,31, the circular sawing machine having the crosscut saw blade 33, and the shims 26-30 constitute one unit that is movable along the bed 22. By the fact that the carrier 11 of the Venetian blind is so short, it will not be in the way of the circular sawing machine.

Figure 3 shows parts of the machine fragmentarily as seen from above, the Venetian blind of figure 1 being put on the Venetian blind bed 22 for cutting. Of the bed, only the pusher 23 and an end stop 35 for the Venetian blind are shown. The clamping member 31 and the anvil 32 thereof, as well as the crosscut saw blade 33 and the supporting shaft 25 for the shims 26-30 are displaceable as a unit between the cassette 11 and the stop 35, and the crosscut saw blade is located as close as possible to the clamping member. The four shims 27-30 are swung down between the slats of the Venetian blinds, and the shim 26 is turned down between the bottom strip of the Venetian blind and a cornice 36, which is to be used to conceal the cassette 11 and may be cut off at the same time as the Venetian blind. The shims 27-30 are used in order to compensate for the fact that the supports of the suspension strings between the slats occupy space and to prevent the slats to be in close contact to each other. The shim 26 compensates for the thickness of the end knobs 15,16. The upper parts of the shims and their shaft 25 are not shown in figure 3. The clamping member 31 is angular in order to be as slender as possible so that it will be possible to cut off the Venetian blind as close as possible to the cassette 11.

When a Venetian blind is to be cut off, the Venetian blind is placed on the bed and pushed against the end stop 35 by means of the pusher 23. Then, it is selected how many of the shims 26-30 that are to be swung down between the slats in order to compensate for the thickness of the suspension strings 15,16 and the end knobs 15,16, and the slat package including shims is clamped together between the clamping member 31 and the anvil 32 thereof, after having placed the unit 31, 32, 33, 25-30 at the desired distance from the end stop 35. It is not necessary to have a shim between every slat since, for instance, ten slats that are clamped together with- out shims may be cut off without their difference in length becoming so large that it is noticeable. Since the suspension shaft 25 of the shims 26-30 trails the crosscut saw blade 33 and the clamping members 31,32, the cutting off will always be effected close up by the shims. When one end of the Venetian blind has been shortened, the Venetian blind is turned around and the other end is shortened in the same way.

The carrier 11 is so short that it does not need to be cut off and it may suitably be covered by a cornice covering the entire length of the slats. It may be manufactured from sheet-metal plate or another material that cannot be cut off together with the slats. The carrier does not have to be longer than what is necessary to support the suspension strings 12,13, permitting the cutter 33 to be housed between the end stop 35 and the clamping member 32,33.

Occasionally, it is desired to cut off a cornice 36 simultaneously as the Venetian blind 17 is cut off as is shown, and on that occasion the cornice is desired to be somewhat longer than the Venetian blind. The Venetian blind slats are usually cut 10 mm shorter than the window recess where the Venetian blind is to be placed. The cornice is then desired to be in full length, i.e., 10 mm longer than the Venetian blind. On that occasion, it is possible to have a recess 37 in the pusher block 23 as shown in figure 5 so that the cornice 36 becomes 10 mm longer than the Venetian blind. In doing so, the cornice is cut off upon the second cut of the Venetian blind.

If the cornice is intended to be capable of having so-called returns, i.e., end portions inwardly facing the wall, it usually has ends cut off at 45° as is shown in figure 7. In such a case, the cornice has to be cut off in both ends if it is to be placed in a window recess. The recess 37 in the pusher block 23, therefore, has a chamfering 38 of 45°, adapted as support to such a cornice. In the first cutting of the Venetian blind, the cornice 36 is cut in abutment with this chamfering 38 as is shown in figures 7 and 4. In the next cutting, the cornice abuts against the recess 37 in the same way as is shown in figure 5. The invention enables series production of wooden Venetian blinds and other Venetian blinds and also other types of sun blinds of certain lengths at intervals of for instance 20 cm, and adaptation of the length according to the requirements of the customer at the point of sale while the customer is waiting. Thus, the cutting unit 26- 33 should have an adjustment possibility of at least half the difference in length between nearby series of Venetian blinds so that Venetian blinds of all lengths can be delivered. The number of shims to be used depends on the number of slats and the type of suspension string. The machine may be more or less automatic. Suitably, the machine may have a computer in which all settings are programmed, so that the training time for usage of the machine becomes minimal. In this case, the operator, the sales staff, will just have to place the correct type of Venetian blind on the bed of the machine and lower the number of shims 26-30 selected by the machine, and set the position of the cutting unit 26-33. This lowering and this length setting may also be automated. The machine may have a bar-code scanner and the Venetian blinds may have bar-codes that are read by the machine, signalling if the wrong type of Venetian blind has been entered into the machine for the requirement entered into the computer by the operator by means of a keyboard, not shown. In figure 1 , the computer's display device 39 is outlined.

Claims

1. Machine for cutting off sun blinds (17) comprising a number of slats (18) having suspensions (12,13) with supports under each slat, characterized in that it comprises: a bed (22) for the sun blind with an end stop (35) for the same, a number of shims (26-30) selectably insertable between slats (18) in order to compensate for the thickness of the supports, a clamping member (31 ,32) for clamping the slats and selected shims to a package (17), and a cutting member (33) for cutting off the slat package close by the shims.

2. Machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the shims (26-30) are mounted on a shaft (25) in order to be individually swingable between an active position and an inactive position, and that they are displaceable along the shaft.

3. Machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the machine has a computer (39) programmed for the standard Venetian blinds used and a bar-code scanner to control that the correct type of Venetian blind was used for cutting to desired length.

4. Machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by a member (23) slideable along the bed, by means of which member the Venetian blind is pushed against the end stop (35), the member having a support (37) for a cornice that is clampable together with a Venetian blind and is cut off at the same time as the same, but in doing so becoming somewhat longer than the Venetian blind.

5. Machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the shims (26-30), the clamping member (31 ,32) and the cutting member (33) are assembled to one unit that is movable along the bed (22), with the cutting member on the outside of the clamping member.

6. Method for cutting sun blinds (17) that comprise a number of slats (18) having suspensions (12,13) with supports under the slats, characterized in that shims (26- 30) are inserted between certain slats (18) in order to compensate for the thickness of the supports, and that the slats (18) are clamped in a machine along with inserted shims (26-30) as one package and that the slat package is cut off close by the shims.

7. Method according to claim 6, characterized in that Venetian blinds of a series of standardized lengths and a machine having a cutting range covering at least half the difference in length between two adjacent series of Venetian blinds are used.

8. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that a computer is programmed in respect of the types of Venetian blinds so that the computer gives the operator the settings to be done or directs the machine to execute the settings when the operator has entered the selected Venetian blind and the desired length.

9. Method according to any one of claims 6-8, characterized in that a cornice (36) is clamped together with the slats in order to cut off the same at the same time as the slats.

10. Method according to any one of claims 6-9, for cutting sun blinds having a carrier (11) that is shorter than the slats (18) so that it does not need to be cut off when the slats are cut off, characterized in that the slats are clamped by a clamping member (31 ,32) located outside the end of the carrier (11) and that the slats are cut off by a cutting member (33) located between the clamping member and an end stop (35) against which the ends of the slats are held.