WO2010007347A1

WO2010007347A1 - Blind for a window

Info

Publication number: WO2010007347A1
Application number: PCT/GB2009/001615
Authority: WO
Inventors: Martin Dibben
Original assignee: Martin Dibben
Priority date: 2008-07-14
Filing date: 2009-06-30
Publication date: 2010-01-21
Also published as: GB0812823D0

Abstract

An edging strip (1) for a window blind, comprising an elongate body (10) having a first part (12) for attachment to a lateral edge of a window blind (14) and a second part (16) pivotally mounted by a hinge member (18) to the first part (12). The second part (16) defines a pair of flanges (20, 22) extending in opposite directions either side of the hinge member (18). The second part (16) is configured to pivot about the hinge member (18) relative to the first part (12) from a low profile configuration in which one flange (20, 22) overlays at least a portion of the first part (12) to a raised profile configuration in which the flanges (20, 22) project away from the first part (12).

Description

TITLE: BLIND FOR A WINDOW

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a blind for a window or the like, and more particularly an edging strip for such a blind.

A zip-like screen is a special type of roller-mounted blind which is used in conjunction with a pair of guide rails on opposing sides of a window to be screened. The blind fabric has flexible strips on its lateral sides, each of which is configured to slide along a respective keyway in the guide rails. Each flexible strip is typically one half of a zipper (hence the name zip-like screen) , but could be manufactured by moulding a soft or semi-rigid high polymer such as hot-melt synthetic resin or rubber, as disclosed in US 4,638,844.

There are certain disadvantages to known zip-like screens which utilise flexible strips in the form of half zippers. First, as the blind is wound back onto its roller during use, there is a tendency for each half zipper to form a spiral with axial and radial displacement, rather than just radial displacement as originally intended. ^' Such a tendency is exacerbated if the hem bar of the blind is not level as the blind is wound back onto its roller. Secondly, there may be a tendency for the blind to develop a slight rippling or wave across its surface adjacent each half zipper when the zip-like screen is deployed or unrolled in use. Such a phenomenon is a hangover from zipper manufacture and although it can be reduced by subsequent "straightening" of the half zippers, such straightening is not always performed. A third disadvantage may arise with so-called "black-out" blinds which use an opaque blind fabric intended to prevent all light passing therethrough. The zipper comprises teeth which are mounted on (e.g. stitched to) a woven fabric, which by its very nature is not opaque. As part of the woven fabric is exposed at the edges of the opaque blind fabric, light may not be totally excluded when the blind is drawn .

The present applicant has devised the present invention with a view to addressing or at least ameliorating the above disadvantages.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an edging strip for a window blind, comprising an elongate body having a first part for attachment to a lateral edge of a window blind and a second part pivotalIy mounted by a hinge member to the first part, the second part defining a pair of flanges extending in opposite directions either side of the hinge member, the second part being configured to pivot about the hinge member relative to the first part from a low profile configuration in which one flange overlays at least a portion of the first part to a raised profile configuration in which the flanges project away from the first part . In the low profile configuration, the flanges of the second part are aligned with the first part such that a portion of one overlaps a portion of the other, allowing the edging strip to be wound snugly around a roller. In the raised profile configuration, the flanges protrude laterally relative to the first part, allowing the edging strip to engage and slide along a keyway in a guide rail.

The edging strip is configured such that - at the same time one portion of the elongate body may be in one configuration and another portion spaced along the elongate body may be in the other configuration. For example, the second part may be flexible to twist along its length to adopt the two positions relative to the first part required to achieve the two different configurations. In this way, a transition region where the second part pivots between the two configurations can travel along the edging strip as it is wound around/unwound from a roller. The transition region may be of the order of a few millimetres to a few centimetres long, perhaps less than 2cm or even lcm long. The second part may be configured to provide a substantially cylindrical surface when in the low profile configuration and wound around a roller. The substantially cylindrical surface may have an axial span of several millimetres, for example at least 2mm. In this way, the second part provides a stable platform capable of forming a spiral with little or no axial displacement when the edging strip is wound around a roller.

The hinge member may be formed of resilient material. The hinge member may be formed in such a way that the second part is biased towards the low profile configuration rather than the raised profile configuration.

The first and second parts may be formed from a different material to the hinge member. For example, the first and second parts may be formed from a flexible plastics material which is harder and/or stiffer than the resilient material of the hinge member. The flanges of the second part must be sufficiently strong to resist forces exerted thereon by the guidance rails during blind use. The hinge member may be integrally formed with the first and second parts and, for example, by a co-extrusion process. Alternatively, the first and second parts may be formed from the same material as the hinge member, with the latter perhaps having a reduced cross-section compared to the first and second parts to provide the pivoting action required.

The first part may include a marker for registration with a lateral edge of a window blind. The marker may be a ridge extending from one side of the first part . The ridge may define a margin for contact with a surface of a window blind when its lateral edge butts against the ridge.

The position of the second part relative to the first part in the low profile and raised profile configurations may be angularly spaced by about 90° about the hinge member. The elongate body may have a substantially "T" -shaped cross-section when the second part is in the raised profile configuration, with the hinge member disposed between the "stem" and "cross" parts of the T-shaped cross-section.

There is also provided a screen for a window or the like, comprising a blind and an edging strip as hereinbefore defined, with at least a portion of the first part of the edging strip being mounted to one lateral side of the blind for engaging a guide rail. Such a screen need not necessarily be used to screen a window; for example, other apertures such as doors could be screened, and it is even conceivable that the screen could be used where there is no aperture between a pair of guide rails, perhaps to form a projection screen. The screen may be any sheet- like, flexible fabric that needs to be guided or retained when deployed. The blind may be roller-mounted.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows in cross-section an edging strip embodying the present invention in a first configuration;

Figure 2 shows in cross-section an edging strip embodying the present invention in a second configuration; Figure 3 shows schematically detail of the edging strip of Figures 1 and 2 in use; and

Figure 4 shows schematically the edging strip engaged in a guide rail . Figure 1 illustrates in transverse cross-section an edging strip 1 for a window blind, comprising an elongate body 10. The body 10 has a first strip-like part 12 for attachment (e.g. by welding) to a lateral edge of a window blind 14 (shown in dotted lines) , and a second strip-like part 16 pivotally mounted via. a hinge member 18 to the first part 12. The second part 16 defines a pair of flanges 20, 22 extending in opposition directions either side of the hinge member 18. The second part 16 is configured to pivot about the hinge member 18 relative to the first part 12 from a low profile configuration (as shown in Figure 1, with flange 22 overlaying a portion of first part 12) to a raised profile configuration (as shown in Figure 2 with flanges 20, 22 rotated through 90° to extend in a plane transversely to a plane defined by the first part 12) . The hinge member 18 consists of a resilient material which is biased to adapt the configuration of Figure 1 absent external forces.

The first part 12 has a marker in the form of a ridge 30 extending from one lateral side thereof. An edge of the blind 14 butts up against the ridge 30 and is bonded to a marginal portion 32 of the first part 12. It is noted that the second part 16 in Figure 2 is thicker than that in Figure 1, but this is simply because the figures illustrate two different embodiments.

Figure 3 illustrates schematically a blind 14 with edging strip 1 at one lateral side thereof, partially wound around roller 40 whose longitudinal axis is perpendicular to the page. The blind 14 may be any type of flexible, sheet-like material that is guided or retained in use. As the blind 14 meets roller 40, the edging strip 1 adopts the low profile configuration as it flexes to fit around the roller 4, with the two flanges 20, 22 of the second part 16 defining a substantially cylindrical surface 41 when wound around the roller 40. Thus, a section through the edging strip 1 along AA would correspond to Figure 1. However, where the blind 14 meets guide rail assembly 42, the edging strip 1 adopts the raised profile configuration as it flexes to engage its guide rail in a manner described hereinafter in order to retain the blind 14. Thus, a section through the edging strip 1 along BB would correspond to Figure 2. In between the two section lines AA and BB, a transition region 44 exists where the second part 16 twists from one configuration to the other. As the blind 14 is raised or lowered relative to the guide rail assembly 42, the transition region 44 travels along the edging strip 1 to remain substantially stationary relative to guide rail assembly 42. The guide rail assembly 42 comprises a guide rail 50 mounted in a channel of a bracket (not shown in Figure 4) . The guide rail 50 is loosely supported and retained in the channel by resilient pads (also not shown in Figure 4) . The guide rail 50 has a keyway 60 for slidably receiving the second part 16 of edging strip 1 when in the raised profile configuration. The keyway 60 has an elongate slot 62 for slidably receiving the first part 12 of edging strip 1. However the elongate slot 62 is too narrow for the second part 16 to pass therethrough when in the raised profile configuration (of Figure 2) . In other words, once the second part 16 of the edging strip 1 is slidably received in the keyway 60 with the first part 12 slidably received in the slot 62, the edging strip 1 is readily able to slide along the guide rail 50, but is resistant to being pulled away from the guide rail through the open slot 62.

Claims

1. An edging strip for a window blind, comprising an elongate body having a first part for attachment to a lateral edge of a window blind and a second part pivotalIy mounted by a hinge member to the first part, the second part defining a pair of flanges extending in opposite directions either side of the hinge member, the second part being configured to pivot about the hinge member relative to the first part from a low profile configuration in which one flange overlays at least a portion of the first part to a raised profile configuration in which the flanges project away from the first part.

2. An edging strip according to claim 1, in which one portion of the elongate body is capable of being in one configuration at the same time as another portion spaced along the body is in the other configuration.

3. An edging strip according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the second part is configured to provide a substantially cylindrical surface when in the low profile configuration and wound around a roller.

4. An edging strip according to any preceding claim, in which the hinge member is formed by a resilient member.

5. An edging strip according to claim 4, in which the second part is biased towards the low profile configuration.

6. An edging strip according to any preceding claim, in which the first and second parts and the hinge member are formed from the same material .

7. An edging strip according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in which the first and second parts are formed from a different material to the hinge member.

8. An edging strip according to claim 6 or claim 7, in which the first and second parts and the hinge members are integrally formed.

9. An edging strip according to any preceding claim, in which the first part further comprises a marker for registration with a lateral edge of a window blind. 10. A screen for a window or the like comprising a blind and an edging strip according to any one of the preceding claims, at least a portion of the first part of the edging strip being mounted to one lateral side of the blind for engaging a guide rail. 11. A screen for a window or the like according to claim

10. in which the blind is roller-mounted.