U.S. patent application number 11/150134 was filed with the patent office on 2006-12-14 for curtain blind winding mechanism.
Invention is credited to Hsien-Te Huang.
Application Number | 20060278345 11/150134 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37523055 |
Filed Date | 2006-12-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060278345 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Huang; Hsien-Te |
December 14, 2006 |
Curtain blind winding mechanism
Abstract
A curtain blind winding mechanism, applicable for use in a
horizontal curtain blind that uses cords to operate horizontal
roll-up and roll-down of the slats, including curtain blinds such
as pleated blinds, roman blinds, cellular blinds, and so on. The
present invention primarily uses a restoring drive device to act on
a horizontally displaceable rolling tube, and further uses the dead
weight of the slats to counteract the drive mechanism restoring
force. The present invention enables single-handed operation to
open up the slats by lifting a bottom edge of the slats or pulling
down on the bottom edge to close the slats. Furthermore, the bottom
edge of the slats can be effectively fixed at any height
position.
Inventors: |
Huang; Hsien-Te; (Taipei,
TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
TROXELL LAW OFFICE PLLC;SUITE 1404
5205 LEESBURG PIKE
FALLS CHURCH
VA
22041
US
|
Family ID: |
37523055 |
Appl. No.: |
11/150134 |
Filed: |
June 13, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
160/84.04 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E06B 2009/2625 20130101;
E06B 9/262 20130101; E06B 2009/3227 20130101; E06B 9/322
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
160/084.04 |
International
Class: |
A47H 5/00 20060101
A47H005/00 |
Claims
1. A curtain blind winding mechanism, applicable for use in a
horizontal curtain blind that uses cords to operate horizontal
roll-up and roll-down of slats, including curtain blinds such as
pleated blinds, roman blinds, cellular blinds, and so on; and
comprises a top rail, two ends of which are configured with a left
stop end member and a right stop end member respectively, through
holes are defined in a lower portion of the top rail to provide
cords to penetrate therethrough, top ends of the cords are joined
to a rolling tube, and lower portions of the cords penetrate and
join together slats, bottom ends of the cords are connected to a
horizontal bottom rail; the curtain blind winding mechanism is
characterized in that one end of the rolling tube is restrained by
a coaxially configured displacement device, thereby causing
transversal displacement of the rolling tube, and the entire
rolling tube is subjected to a reverse rotational force from a
coaxial disposed drive device, an outer circumferential surface of
the rolling tube is movable disposed on a slide-shear portion to
support the rolling tube thereon.
2. The curtain blind winding mechanism as described in claim 1,
wherein the drive device is a helical spring, one end of which is
fixed to a stop end member, and another end is joined to an
interior of the rolling tube.
3. The curtain blind winding mechanism as described in claim 1,
wherein the drive device drives the rolling tube by an electric
motor.
4. The curtain blind winding mechanism as described in claim 1,
wherein the displacement device comprises a threaded rod, one end
of which is fixed to the right stop end member, and a working end
is coaxially rotate connected to a screw hole defined in a rotate
connecting end of the rolling tube.
5. The curtain blind winding mechanism as described in claim 1,
wherein the displacement device comprises an interior teeth tube
coaxially fixed to the right stop end member, and which rotate
connect with exterior screw teeth configured on a corresponding end
of the rolling tube.
6. The curtain blind winding mechanism as described in claim 1,
wherein the rolling tube provides for a plurality of the cords to
be wound thereon, and astriding support devices are configured on a
girth position of the rolling tube.
7. A curtain blind winding mechanism, applicable for use in a
horizontal roll-up and roll-down curtain blind such as a pleated
blind, a roman blind, a cellular blind, and so on, comprising a top
rail, two ends of which are respectively configured with stop end
members, through holes are defined in a lower portion of the top
rail to provide cords to penetrate therethrough, top ends of the
cords are joined to a rolling tube, and lower portions of the cords
penetrate and join together slats, bottom ends of the cords are
connected to a horizontal bottom rail, the curtain blind winding
mechanism is characterized in that one end of the rolling tube is
penetrated by a coaxially configured smooth shaft, exterior screw
teeth are configured on a left end outer circumference of the
rolling tube, and the exterior screw teeth rotate connect to
interior screw teeth configured on a slide-shear portion, a
coaxially configured drive device reverse rotates the rolling
tube.
8. The curtain blind winding mechanism as described in claim 7,
wherein the drive device is a helical spring, one end of which is
fixed to the left stop end member, and another end is joined to an
interior of the rolling tube.
9. The curtain blind winding mechanism as described in claim 7,
wherein the drive device drives the rolling tube by an electric
motor.
10. The curtain blind winding mechanism as described in claim 7,
wherein the displacement device comprises a motor driving an
angular-shaped transmission shaft, which functions in conjunction
with an angular-shaped slide-shear hole defined in an end of the
rolling tube opposite to that of the angular-shaped transmission
shaft.
11. The curtain blind winding mechanism as described in claim 7,
wherein the rolling tube provides for a plurality of the cords to
be wound thereon, and astriding support devices are configured on a
girth position of the rolling tube.
12. The curtain blind winding mechanism as described in claim 1,
wherein the horizontal bottom rail joined to a bottom end of the
slats has sufficient weight to balance a counterforce of the drive
device.
13. The curtain blind winding mechanism as described in claim 7,
wherein the horizontal bottom rail joined to a bottom end of the
slats has sufficient weight to balance a counterforce of the drive
device.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] (a) Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a curtain blind winding
mechanism, and more particularly to a winding mechanism applicable
for use in a horizontal curtain blind that uses cords to operate
horizontal roll-up and roll-down of the slats, including curtain
blinds such as pleated blinds, roman blinds, cellular blinds, and
so on. The present invention primarily uses a restoring drive
device to act on a rolling tube, which is restrained and
transversely displaced. Cords respectively wind round sections of
the rolling tube, and lower ends of the cords joined together lower
edges of the slats, thereby enabling a user to directly hold a
bottom end of the curtain blind and vertically operate the curtain
blind, thereby enabling the slats to spontaneously roll up or be
let down, and thus eliminating the need for other roll-up and
roll-down ancillary devices.
[0003] (b) Description of the Prior Art
[0004] With reference to a horizontal winding curtain blind such as
a pleated blind, a roman blind, a cellular blind, and so on, or
similar horizontal roll-up and roll-down curtain blind, a top rail
configured at a top end of the curtain blind has a drive or cord
device installed therein for taking up or letting down the slats. A
cord method or electromechanical drive method provides the power
source for the drive mechanism to achieve the aforementioned taking
up or letting down of the slats. Apart from the electromechanical
method further using a rocker method, which is manually operated
with two hands, thereby providing a rotating motive power,
conventionally, if the cord method is used to operate taking up and
letting down of the slats, because the bottom edge of the cord
often becomes coiled, and easily becomes wrapped round the body of
a child playing nearby, thus endangering the child, thus, the cord
was removed and a cordless roll-up and roll-down device installed
to provide greater safety.
[0005] Furthermore, a winding shaft configuration was used in a
winding curtain blind mechanism, two ends of which are made to roll
by means of a helical spring, which rolls a cloth-form curtain
blind round the circumferential surface of the rolling shaft. The
user pulls directly down on a bottom edge of the curtain blind,
thereby opening the slats, and, because of the resilient
counteraction from the helical spring, the bottom edge must be
secured by means of a binding or hook fastening method. However,
during the course of taking up or letting down the slats, the user
is unable to optionally fix the curtain blind at selective heights.
If it is required to fix the curtain blind at a certain height,
then a fixing end must additionally have a transmission mechanism
providing transmission and a lock catch. However, such a
configuration cannot be used in a device having cords.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention particularly provides a rolling tube
for use in a horizontal curtain blind, which use cords to take up
and let down the slats, including curtain blinds such as pleated
blinds, roman blinds, cellular blinds, and so on, wherein the
rolling tube is transversally displaced during the course of
winding the slats, thereby enabling the cords to maintain in
correct position. The present invention uses a restoring drive
mechanism to assist an upward push from external forces, which
enables the slats to be effectively rolled up. Furthermore, the
dead weight of a bottom rail is used to counteract a restoring
driving force of the drive mechanism, thereby enabling a bottom
edge of the curtain blind to be effectively fixed at any height
position. Thus, the present invention achieves objective of
providing a curtain blind that can be operated without a pull
cord.
[0007] To enable a further understanding of said objectives and the
technological methods of the invention herein, brief description of
the drawings is provided below followed by detailed description of
the preferred embodiments.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 shows a side cutaway view of component members
according to the present invention.
[0009] FIG. 2 shows a front view of an assembled embodiment
according to the present invention.
[0010] FIG. 3 shows a front view of a plurality of cords joined to
a rolling tube according to the present invention.
[0011] FIG. 4 shows a side cutaway view of a slide-shear portion of
another embodiment according to the present invention.
[0012] FIG. 5 shows an end cutaway view of FIG. 4 according to the
present invention.
[0013] FIG. 6 shows a side cutaway view of another embodiment
according to the present invention.
[0014] FIG. 7 shows a side cutaway view depicting the rolling tube
configured with a separating sleeve isolating a threaded rod
according to the present invention.
[0015] FIG. 8 shows a side cutaway view of an interior of the
rolling tube further configured with a fixing member according to
the present invention.
[0016] FIG. 9 shows a schematic view depicting an electromechanical
method driving the rolling tube according to the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0017] Referring to FIG. 1, which shows the present invention
primarily structured to comprise a top rail 1, two ends of which
are configured with a left stop end member 11 and a right stop end
member 12 respectively. Interior of the top rail 1 provides for
pivotal disposal of a hollow rolling tube 2, one end of which is
driven by a drive device 3 to form a restoring reverse rotational
motion. Another end of the rolling tube 2 is restrained by a
displacement device 120, thereby enabling the rolling tube 2 to be
transversely displaced during the course of taking up or letting
down slats.
[0018] The displacement device 120 and a threaded rod 121 are
coaxially configured. One end of the threaded rod 121 is joined to
the right stop end member 12, and a working end of the threaded rod
121 is rotate connected to a screw hole 210 defined in a
corresponding rotate connecting end 21 of the rolling tube 2 rotate
connecting end 21. Because of the rotational motion of the rolling
tube 2, thus, the rotate connecting end 21 is slide-shear displaced
on the threaded rod 121 through a displacement distance of L2.
Another end of the rolling tube 2 is movably disposed on a
slide-shear portion 112, and the slide-shear portion 112 is
directly formed on the stop end member 11 or directly configured on
a corresponding position of the top rail 1. The slide-shear portion
112 provides for transversal displacement of the rolling tube 2
through a transversal displacement distance of L1, and primarily
supports the rolling tube 2 to maintain displacement along an axle
center line. The lengths L1 and L2 are identical.
[0019] The rolling tube 2 is subjected to a reverse rotational
driving force from the drive device 3, and a helical spring 31
provides a restoring motive force for the rolling tube 2. One end
of the helical spring 31 is joined to an interior of the rolling
tube 2, and another end is joined to a fixing portion 111 of the
left stop end member 11.
[0020] Referring to FIG. 2, which shows cords 41 respectively
joined to fixing portions 410 of the rolling tube 2, and the cords
41 hang down therefrom and join together slats 40, at a bottom of
which is configured a horizontal bottom rail 4, which provides for
assembling the bottom slat 40 and bottom ends of the cords 41.
According to requirements of the present invention, the horizontal
bottom rail 4 must have a specific mass that can counteract a
restoring rolling force of the rolling tube 2.
[0021] The cords 41 respectively penetrate through holes 13 defined
in a lower portion of the top rail 1. When a user pulls down on the
horizontal bottom rail 4, the slats 40 are let down, the rolling
tube 2 then rotates in an opposite direction. During the course of
the rolling tube 2 rotating, because the rotate connecting end 21
of the rolling tube 2 is slide-shear restrained by the threaded rod
121, thus, the rolling tube 2 is transversally rightward displaced.
The objective of the displacement is to enable the cords 41 to
correctly position in the through holes 13.
[0022] The horizontal bottom rail 4 can be fixed at any position
through a dead weight effect of the horizontal bottom rail 4, which
opposes the wind restoring force of the rolling tube 2 produced by
the drive device 3. Furthermore, when the user raises the bottom
horizontal rod 4 in an upward direction, then the rolling tube 2
avoids having to bear the mass of the horizontal bottom rail 4 and
caters for countering the reverse rotational force, thereby
indirectly rolling up the slats 40.
[0023] Referring to FIG. 1, which depicts the rotational force
acquired by the rolling tube 2, and wherein one end of the helical
spring 31 is fixed to the fixing portion 111 of the stop end member
11, and another end is joined to the interior of the rolling tube
2. Hence, even after a multiplicity of rotations of the rolling
tube 2, the short pitch of the helical spring 31 enables the
helical spring 31 to maintain its elastic stress, while also
effectuating an extremely uniform degree of force within an
effective range between top and bottom fatigue points of the
helical spring 31. Referring to FIG. 2, the horizontal bottom rail
4 configured at the bottom of the slats 40 can be securely
positioned at any height by means of the dead weight effect of the
horizontal bottom rail 4, which effectively counteracts the
restoring force of the rolling tube 2.
[0024] During the course of the aforementioned rolling up and
letting down of the slats 40, a transversal displacement is
produced in the rolling tube 2 whereby the slide-shear portion 112
supports one end of the rolling tube 2 to enable maintaining
displacement along the axle center line.
[0025] Referring to FIG. 3, the rolling tube 2 assumes a long
tubular form, upon which a plurality of the cords 41 can be
distributed. Because the present invention uses a plurality of the
cords 31, thus, the curtain blind of the present invention is
relatively wide, and, correspondingly, the rolling tube 2 is
relatively long. Hence, astriding support devices 14 can be
appropriately configured at positions on the girth of the rolling
tube 2 of the top rail 1, which are used to support the girth of
the rolling tube 2 therewith. The astriding support device 14 can
be a half-moon shaped bearing or any device able to lubricate and
support the rolling tube 2 and that can be configured on an
exterior of the rolling tube 2 to support the rolling tube 2.
[0026] Referring to FIG. 4, which shows one end of the rolling tube
2 supported by the slide-shear portion 112, which comprises a
support device 5 with ball bearings 50, wherein principal design of
the support device 5 is that of a bearing. A bearing groove 510 is
defined on the support device 5, which provides for the ball
bearings 50 to be movable disposed therein. The entire support
device 5 is joined to the top rail 1 by means of bases 51. The ball
bearings 50 roll on the surface of the rolling tube 2, thereby
substantially reducing friction, and enabling the rolling tube 2 to
roll more smoothly.
[0027] Referring to FIG. 5, which depicts the aforementioned top
rail 1 joined to the bases 51, wherein structural configuration of
the support device 5 comprises the ball bearings 50 movably
disposed within the bearing groove 510 defined on the support
device 5, and number of the ball bearings 50 does not have to be
large, but sufficient to be distributed in the bearing groove 510
below the top rail 2 and provide adequate support thereof. Position
confinement of the ball bearings 50 is achieved by using any
defined bearing groove 510. Referring to FIG. 5, which depicts the
ball bearings 50 disposed in the bearing groove 510 of the bases 51
so as to at least enable a lower half of the top rail 2 to come in
contact with the ball bearings 50, thereby leaving hollow a top
half of the bearing groove 510 above the upper half of the top rail
2. Moreover, the ball bearings 50 must be confined to stop them
from rolling into the top half bearing groove 510 above the top
rail 2. Design of the upper portion bearing groove 510 is depicted
in FIG. 5, which shows one of the two bases 51 positioned in
reverse to that of the other base 51, thereby enabling the two
bases 51 to be assembled around the top rail 2. Hence, the ball
bearings 50 are unable to pass beyond the bottom half bearing
groove 510 below the top rail 2, and are effectively confined
within the bottom portion of the base 51.
[0028] Referring to FIG. 6, which shows another embodiment of the
rolling tube 2, wherein exterior screw teeth 221 are further
defined on a left end of the rolling tube 2, and interior screw
teeth 113 are defined on the slide-shear portion 112, which meshes
with the exterior screw teeth 221. One end of the drive device 3 is
similarly fixed to the stop end member 11, and another end is
joined to the interior of the rolling tube 2. A through hole 220 is
formed in a center of a right side of the rolling tube 2, which
enables a smooth shaft 123 fixed to the right stop end member 12 to
be disposed therein. When the rolling tube 2 is subjected to
external forces and begins to roll, the exterior screw teeth 221
mesh with the interior screw teeth 113 of the slide-shear portion
112 and forms a shearing effect, which enables the rolling tube 2
to form a transversal displacement and rotational state.
[0029] The configuration of the rolling tube 2 as depicted in FIG.
6, and similar to that depicted in FIG. 1, causes transversal
displacement of the rolling tube 2 when rotating, and is subjected
to a restoring reverse rotation actuated by the drive device 3.
During the course of reverse rotation, the exterior screw teeth 221
of the rolling tube 2 mesh with the interior screw teeth 113 of the
slide-shear portion 112, thereby forming a slide-shear effect that
produces a rightward backward displacement in the rolling tube
2.
[0030] Referring to FIG. 7, the rotate connecting end 21 has a
threaded rod 121 penetrating the interior of the rolling tube 2
similar to that depicted in FIG. 1. A connecting end of the helical
spring 31 is joined to the rotate connecting end 21, and in order
to prevent interference between the threaded rod 121 and the
helical spring 31, inner space of the rotate connecting end 21 is
greater than that required of the threaded rod 121, and a
separating sleeve 211 is used to realize a separating effect
between the helical spring 31 and the threaded rod 121, thereby
avoiding mutual interference therebetween. Size of the diameter of
the separating sleeve 211 is based purely on the requirement that
there is no mutual interference between the helical spring 31 and
the threaded rod 121. If the diameter of the separating sleeve 211
is too large, then the diameter of the helical spring 31 will
change when rotating, and result in needless interference. Thus,
the diameter of the separating sleeve 211 needs only be larger than
that of the threaded rod 121.
[0031] Referring to FIG. 8, if the configuration of FIG. 7 is
excluded, then one end of the helical spring 31 can be fixed to a
center position of the rolling tube 2 by means of a fixing member
23. Any method can be used to achieve fixing the fixing member 23
to the rolling tube 2. The interior of the rolling tube 2 provides
for the other end of the helical spring 31 to be fixed thereto. A
minimum consideration for the position of the fixing member 23 is
that it does not obstruct the deepest penetrable position of the
threaded rod 121, thereby preventing the threaded rod 121 from
interfering with straight horizontal motion of the rolling tube
2.
[0032] Referring to FIG. 9, which shows an end of the rolling tube
2 controlled by the displacement device 120, wherein an outer
surface of the rolling tube 2, close to the right rotate connecting
end 21 is further defined with exterior screw teeth 212. The
exterior screw teeth 212 rotate connect with an interior screw tube
122 joined to the right stop end member 12, thereby enabling
transversal displacement of the rolling tube 2.
[0033] The rolling tube 2 is designed to be reverse driven by a
drive device, which can be an electric motor 32 installed within
the left stop end member 11, and power is transmitted to an
angular-shaped transmission shaft 34 through a decelerator device
33. The angular-shaped transmission shaft 34 slide shears within a
corresponding angular-shaped shear hole 22 defined in an end of the
rolling tube 2 opposite thereof. The electromechanical motor 32
provides motor-driven control, which can be further controlled by
other electronic operation equipment, thereby achieving complete
automation control of degree of roll-up or roll-down of the slats
40 of a horizontal winding curtain blind. Wherein the slide-shear
portion 112 is similarly joined to an interior of the top rail 1 or
directly formed on the left stop end member 11, and the decelerator
device 33 is used to produce a counterforce damping effect, which
is able to effectively fix position of the bottom edge of the
curtain blind at any height within an allowable weight range.
[0034] It is of course to be understood that the embodiments
described herein are merely illustrative of the principles of the
invention and that a wide variety of modifications thereto may be
effected by persons skilled in the art without departing from the
spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following
claims.
* * * * *