WO2012049477A1

WO2012049477A1 - Blind apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2012049477A1
Application number: PCT/GB2011/051901
Authority: WO
Inventors: Tony Paterson
Original assignee: Premierchoice Limited
Priority date: 2010-10-12
Filing date: 2011-10-05
Publication date: 2012-04-19
Also published as: GB201017152D0; GB2484485A

Abstract

Blind apparatus (10) comprises a winding device having a lockable spring-assisted roller (32) and at least three narrow elongate flexible elements (34) which are windably engaged with the roller (32), blind material (12), and a support element (14) which rotatably supports the roller (32) and the blind material (12) independently of the roller (32). Two first said elongate flexible elements (34) are slidably and releasably engaged with the blind material (12) via respective stops (56) abutable with respective guides (30) for furling the blind material (12). A second said elongate flexible element (34) releases the locked roller (32) and is non-load bearing during furling. Each stop (56) is releasable from its respective said first elongate flexible element for preventing or limiting a strangulation hazard.

Description

Blind Apparatus

The present invention relates to blind apparatus, particularly for blind material requiring a stationary header and which incorporates a safer winding device thereby reducing a risk of strangulation. Winding mechanisms for blinds are well-known and which comprise long depending looped pulls, typically being chains or cords, at one side of the blind apparatus. Once installed, this has caused a strangulation risk, particularly for young children, which has resulted in fatalities. To this end, the long depending looped pulls of these kinds of winding mechanism have been banned in some countries. Banning in further countries is also being considered. The present invention therefore seeks to provide a winding solution to this problem, particularly but not necessarily exclusively for stationary header blinds such as Roman, Austrian and Festoon blinds.

According to the present invention, there is provided blind apparatus comprising a winding device having a lockable spring-assisted roller and at least three narrow elongate flexible elements which are windably engaged with the roller, blind material, and a support element which rotatably supports the roller and the blind material independently of the roller, two first said elongate flexible elements being slidably and releasably engaged with the blind material via respective stops abutable with respective guides for furling the blind material, and a second said elongate flexible element for releasing the locked roller and being non-load bearing during furling, each stop being releasable from its respective said first elongate flexible element for preventing or limiting a strangulation hazard.

Preferable and/or optional features of the invention are set forth in claims 2 to 16, inclusive.

The invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which : Figure 1 shows a front view of blind apparatus, in an unfurled condition and in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 shows a rear view of the blind apparatus, still unfurled;

Figure 3 shows a front view of the blind apparatus, when in a furled condition; Figure 4 shows a rear view of the blind apparatus, when the blind material is furled;

Figure 5 shows a side edge view of the blind apparatus, when in the furled condition;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of part of a roller of the apparatus; and

Figure 7 is a portion of the blind material of the apparatus, showing a tether of a stop. Referring to the drawings, there is shown blind apparatus 10 which comprises blind material 12, a support element 14 which can support the blind material 12, and a winding mechanism 16 for furling or ruching the blind material 12. The support element 14 includes a rigid elongate roller channel 18 which in this case has a uniform or substantially uniform lateral cross-section along at least a majority of its longitudinal extent. The roller channel 18 preferably has a substantially inverted U-shaped lateral cross-sectional shape, which may conveniently be formed of extruded metal or plastics, for example. In this case, the channel has a substantially L-shaped lateral cross-sectional shape.

The support element 14 also preferably includes two end caps which close the ends 20 of the roller channel 18. The end caps may conveniently by fastened to the roller channel 18 via screw-ports integrally formed as one-piece at interior corners of the roller channel 18.

The roller channel 18 may also preferably function as a bracket, thus being fastenable through one wall, by for example screw-threaded fasteners, to an interior house or building wall or ceiling portion. Typically, this would be at or adjacent to a header of a window opening.

In this embodiment, the roller channel 18 has a sufficient length to support a header 24 of the blind material 12 on the outer surface of at least one of its walls. The header 24 of the in use blind material 12 is held stationary by the support element 14. Preferably, the header 24 is removable from the support element 14 so that the blind material 12 is demountable, for example, to enable cleaning and maintenance. To this end, the header 24 of the blind material 12 is engaged with the roller channel 18 by a hook and loop fastening device 26. Other releasable engagement means are possible, such as by utilising a clamping strip or element on the outer surface of the roller channel 18.

Although preferably releasable, it should be understood that the header 24 of the blind material 12 may be permanently attached to the roller channel 18. The blind material 12 itself is configured to enable folding in the desired manner so that, when furled, it provides the appropriate aesthetic appearance. In this case, the blind material 12 provides a Roman blind and thus folds laterally to its drop with a predetermined pitch.

At each fold, the blind material 12 is provided with a laterally extending flap 28 of material on its rear. Each flap 28 includes at least one and in this case three equally spaced apart apertured guides 30. Each guide 30 is an eyelet, but other suitable guides can be considered, such as a small loop.

The guides 30 on neighbouring flaps 28 are at least substantially coaxially aligned to provide respective guide runs along at least substantially the drop of the blind material 12. The winding mechanism 16 includes a preferably tubular cylindrical roller 32, typically formed from metal or plastics, a lockable spring assist mechanism, and at least one narrow elongate flexible element 34 which is windably engaged with the roller 32. The roller 32 is mounted for rotation within the roller channel 18, either via dedicated end brackets 36 connected to an interior surface of the roller channel 18 or through connection to the said roller channel end caps. The spring assist mechanism is provided within the roller 32 and includes a coil spring which is torsionally charged when the blind material 12 is unwound so that once released, it automatically furls the blind material 12. The spring assist mechanism in this embodiment includes a decelerator to slow the angular velocity of the roller 32 as the blind material 12 approaches being fully furled. The spring assist mechanism also includes a releasable locking device, for example, a pawl and ratchet, within the roller 32 which holds the blind material 12 once unwound. The locking device is released via the elongate flexible element 34 to enable furling of the blind material 12.

In this embodiment, three said narrow elongate flexible elements 34 are provided, typically being a cord or ribbon. A primary said elongate flexible element 38 is substantially central of the roller 32, being connected to the roller 32 at its proximal end and slidably extending through the central run 40 of guides 30. The proximal end connection, as shown in Figure 6, is via a releasable bush 64. The bush 64 is preferably a push-fit into an opening on the surface of the roller 32, and is adapted to release on the application of a mass of, for example, 10 to 25 kg, indicative of the weight of a young child. The flexible element 34 is preferably slidably received through the bush 64 and retained by a knotted end, for example. However, the flexible element 34 and bush 64 may be integrally formed together or as one-piece. Although a bush is suggested, any other suitable release means can be utilised to provide a secondary release mechanism.

Preferably, the primary elongate flexible element 38 only extends through one of the guides 30, again to reduce the likelihood of strangulation between the guides 30. In this case, the said one guide 30 would preferably be an uppermost guide 30 closest to the roller 32.

The distal end portion 42 of the primary elongate flexible element 38 terminates in a user-grip element 44, such as a ring or pull. Preferably, the user-grip element 44 is releasable from the primary elongate flexible element 38. For example, the user-grip element 44 may be frangible or may include a clamp device for clamping the user-grip element 44 to the primary elongate flexible element 38. If too much force is applied by the user-grip element 44 being pulled against the lowermost guide 46, for example, due to a portion of the primary elongate flexible element 38 being entangled with a neck of a child, then the user-grip element 44 releases allowing the primary elongate flexible element 38 to pull through the central run 40 of guides 30, releasing any tension being imparted to the child. The remaining two elongate flexible elements 48, 50 are outboard elements for keeping the blind material 12 true during furling. Each outboard elongate flexible element 48, 50 is positioned for equal load support, noting the central primary elongate flexible element 38 does not provide any load support during at least furling or lifting and is for control of the roller 32 only.. The proximal end is engaged with the roller 32 again preferably by the aforementioned secondary release mechanism, and slidably extends through its respective outboard run 52 of guides 30. The distal end portion 54 terminates in or includes a stop element 56 which is abutable with the lowermost guide 58 of the blind material 12 in the respective outboard run 52.

Each stop element 56 is releasably engaged with its outboard elongate flexible element 48, 50, for example, via a sprung clamping jaw. Preferably, each stop element 56 is independently connected to or adjacent to the nearest flap 28 or guide 30. See Figure 7. This may be via a tether 66, for example, being a secondary cord or string. The tether 66 is sufficiently long to prevent or limit the stop element 56 being hindered in its sliding removal from the elongate flexible element 48, 50, but not long enough to itself become a possible strangulation hazard.. As such, by tethering the stop element 56, a possible choking hazard on removal of the stop element 56 is avoidable.

As with the primary elongate flexible element 38 and the associated user-grip element 44, if a mass exceeding preferably the range of 3 to 6kg is applied to any of the outboard elongate flexible elements 48, 50 it causes the stop element 56 to be forced against the respective lowermost guide 58, the stop element 56 disengages from the outboard elongate flexible element 48, 50 thereby relieving any tension.

Once the strangulation hazard is dealt with, the or each stop element 56 and/or the user-grip element 44 can be preferably reattached to their respective elongate flexible elements 34.

With the blind material 12 unfurled, preferably the central primary elongate flexible element 38 is tugged via the user-grip element 44 to release the lockable winding mechanism 16. The spring assist mechanism rotates the roller 32, which reels in the central primary elongate flexible element 38 and the outboard elongate flexible elements 48, 50. Once the elongate flexible elements 34 abut their respective lowermost guides 46, 58, the blind material 12 which is spaced from the roller 32 at its header end 60 is pulled upwards along with the winding of the elongate flexible elements 34, thus causing furling of the blind material 12.

The blind material 12 is unfurled by a user holding the tail end 62 of the blind material 12 and drawing it downwards, thereby unwinding the elongate flexible elements 34 from the roller 32 and charging the spring assist mechanism.

A plurality of elongate flexible elements is provided, with one preferably being primarily or solely as a, typically non-loading bearing, controller for releasing the locking device of the spring-assisted roller whereas the others are load bearing lifters for furling the blind material. Lifting is accomplished by simply setting the engagement points of the stop elements relative to their respective lowermost guides, and on use of the controller to release the roller, the roller winds the load bearing lifters causing the blind to be furled.

Although the elongate flexible elements are windable around an outside of the roller, they could be wound inside the roller, for example, by utilising a roller substantially enclosed within a roller housing. The elongate flexible element forming the controller is preferably centrally placed relative to the blind material, but it can be positioned at any point in the direction of the rotational axis of the roller.

More than one releasable stop element may be provided, depending on the type of blind requiring furling. Three elongate flexible elements are described above, which is preferably being the minimum on a shorter width blind. However, three, five, seven or nine elongate flexible elements can be utilised depending on requirements, typically being widths, one always being the central primary elongate flexible element. It is thus possible to provide a non- electrically assisted soft-blind blind mechanism which prevents or limits a strangulation hazard by dispensing with a fixed and non-releasable endless pull chain. By spacing the header of the blind material from a winding roller of the spring winding mechanism, the blind material can be furled by the roller without being wrapped therearound. The embodiments described above are provided by way of examples only, and various other modifications will be apparatus to persons skilled in the field without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

Blind apparatus (10) comprising a winding device having a lockable spring-assisted roller (32) and at least three narrow elongate flexible elements (34) which are windably engaged with the roller (32), blind material (12), and a support element (14) which rotatably supports the roller (32) and the blind material (12) independently of the roller (32), two first said elongate flexible elements (34) being slidably and releasably engaged with the blind material (12) via respective stops (56) abutable with respective guides (30) for furling the blind material (12), and a second said elongate flexible element (34) for releasing the locked roller (32) and being non-load bearing during furling, each stop (56) being releasable from its respective said first elongate flexible element for preventing or limiting a strangulation hazard.

Blind apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stop (56) is independently tethered to the blind material (12) so that, when released from the narrow elongate flexible element (34), the stop (56) does not completely separate from the apparatus (10).

Blind apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein each said first elongate flexible element (34) is releasably engaged with the roller (32).

Blind apparatus as claimed in claim 3, further comprising release means for attaching the narrow flexible elongate elements (34) to the roller (32).

Blind apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the release means includes a releasable bush which is releasably engagable with the roller (32) for holding a respective said narrow flexible elongate elements (34).

Blind apparatus (10) as claimed in claim any one of the preceding claims, wherein the narrow elongate flexible element (34) is one of a cord and a ribbon.

Blind apparatus (10) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the narrow elongate flexible element (34) is windable around an outside of the roller (32).

Blind apparatus (10) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the said at least one guide (30) is proximate a distal edge of the blind material (12) remote from the support element (14).

9. Blind apparatus (10) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein a plurality of said guides (30) are included longitudinally spaced apart on the blind material (12).

10. Blind apparatus (10) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the releasable stop (56) includes a spring-biased clamping element.

11. Blind apparatus (10) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein each first narrow elongate flexible elements (34) extend through at least one further guide (30) on the blind material (12).

12. Blind apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 11, wherein the said at least one further guide (30) is proximate a distal edge of the blind material (12) remote from the support element (14).

13. Blind apparatus (10) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the support element (14) is a bracket, the blind material (12) being attached to the bracket spaced from the roller (32).

14. Blind apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 13, wherein the blind material (12) is attached to a first side of the bracket, and the roller (32) is attached to a second side of the bracket.

15. Blind apparatus (10) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the blind material (12) is detachable mountable on the support element (14).

16. Blind apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 15, further comprising a hook and loop fastening device by which the blind material (12) is releasably engagable with the support element (14).