U.S. patent application number 11/331159 was filed with the patent office on 2007-04-19 for window blind structure.
Invention is credited to Leslie Nien.
Application Number | 20070084568 11/331159 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37561831 |
Filed Date | 2007-04-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070084568 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Nien; Leslie |
April 19, 2007 |
Window blind structure
Abstract
A window blind structure comprises a blind body and a set of
left/right support brackets wherein the blind body is folded into a
U shape with a winding shaft and a hanging rod respectively
attached at both end edges thereto, and a counterweight object
accommodated into the bending area for even suspension of the blind
body thereby. Each left/right support bracket has a grooved area
with a fixing surface at one side, and an extension portion at the
other side wherein one extension portion has crosswise retaining
recesses cut thereon, and the other pivoting holes disposed thereon
for holding the winding shaft there-between. Around four side
corners of each extension portion are respectively disposed a
thru-hole accompanied by first and second positioning blocks to
match with an adjusting support member that can flexibly change the
direction of assembly, achieving more versatile and convenient
assembly of the left/right support brackets thereby.
Inventors: |
Nien; Leslie; (Changhua
Hsien, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
TROXELL LAW OFFICE PLLC
SUITE 1404
5205 LEESBURG PIKE
FALLS CHURCH
VA
22041
US
|
Family ID: |
37561831 |
Appl. No.: |
11/331159 |
Filed: |
January 13, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
160/85 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E06B 9/42 20130101; E06B
2009/2405 20130101; A47H 23/06 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
160/085 |
International
Class: |
A47H 1/00 20060101
A47H001/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 14, 2005 |
TW |
094217799 |
Claims
1. A window blind structure, comprising a blind body and a set of
left and right support brackets wherein the blind body is extended
and bent into a U-shaped configuration to form a first shade
section and a second shade section each made up of a plurality of
light-permeable areas and light-shading areas alternatively
arranged to one another at the surface thereon respectively; at
both end edges of the blind body are respectively attached a
winding shaft and a hanging rod, and a counterweight object is
accommodated into the bending area of the folded blind body so as
to keep even and neat suspension of the first and second shade
sections thereby; each of the left/right support brackets is made
up of a grooved area with a fixing surface defining one sidewall to
be mounted to a wall surface thereby, and an extension portion
stretching outwards in perpendicular to the other sidewall of the
grooved area thereof; one extension portion of the left/right
support brackets is defined by a plurality of retaining recesses,
and the other extension portion of the left/right support brackets
is correspondingly provided with multiple pivoting holes so that a
positioning rib of a covering and a pivoting post of a linkage body
mounted at both end edges of the winding shaft can be respectively
joined therewith; around four side corners of each extension
portion thereof are respectively disposed a thru-hole accompanied
at two adjacent sides by a first positioning block and a second
positioning block to cooperatively work with an adjusting support
member having an adjustment slot disposed thereon; therefore,
depending on the position of the left/right support bracket mounted
to a vertical/horizontal wall surface, the adjusting support member
can flexibly change the direction of assembly onto the extension
portion of the left/right support bracket, and a retaining cavity
is indented at one side of the adjusting support member for the
mounting of the hanging rod therein.
2. The window blind structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein the
hanging rod can be made in a hollow tube.
3. The window blind structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein both
end edges of the hanging rod have a coupling port disposed therein
respectively to be cooperatively associated with a support fitting
thereby.
4. The window blind structure as claimed in claim 3 wherein the
support fitting is made up of a coupling section of smaller
diameter disposed at one end, and a support section of identical
diameter to the hanging rod with an annular coupling groove
indented in the middle section thereon.
5. The window blind structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein the
grooved area of the left/right support bracket can be formed in a
U-shaped configuration.
6. The window blind structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein the
fixing surface of the left/right support bracket has a plurality of
locking holes disposed thereon.
7. The window blind structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of
the retaining recesses defining one extension portion of the
left/right support brackets is made in a U shape and connected to
each other to form a crosswise configuration thereby.
8. The window blind structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein the
first positioning block of the left/right support bracket is
horizontally aligned adjacent to each thru-hole thereof.
9. The window blind structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein the
second positioning block of the left/right support bracket is
vertically aligned adjacent to each thru-hole thereof.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention is related to a window blind
structure, comprising a blind body and a set of left and right
support brackets wherein each left/right support bracket has a
grooved area with a fixing surface at one side, and an extension
portion at the other side; one extension portion has crosswise
retaining recesses cut thereon, and the other has pivoting holes
disposed thereon so as to hold a winding shaft there-between, and
around four side corners of each extension portion are respectively
disposed a thru-hole accompanied by a set of first and second
positioning blocks to cooperatively work with an adjusting support
member that can flexibly change the direction of assembly for the
mounting of a hanging rod thereon, achieving more versatile and
convenient assembly of the left/right support brackets thereby.
[0002] Please refer to FIG. 1 showing an assembled perspective view
of a conventional blind structure. A conventional blind structure
is made up of a blind body 10, and a winding shaft 11 fixed at the
top edge of the blind body 10 wherein both ends of the winding
shaft 11 are respectively assembled a winding device 13 controlled
by an operational element 12 like a beaded chain, and a linkage
member 14. The outer side of the winding device 13 and the linkage
member 14 is respectively disposed a pivoting rotary post 131, 141
to be pivotally mounted to a U-shaped retaining groove 151 defining
a support bracket 15 attached to both sides of a window frame
thereon respectively. Therefore, the winding device 13 and the
linkage member 14 can be rotated depending on the pulling direction
of the operational element 12, actuating the clockwise or
counterclockwise rotation of the winding shaft 11 therewith so as
to control the blind body 10 either coiling upwards or stretching
downwards accordingly. The support bracket 15 also includes a
plurality of arcuate and connected positioning cavities 152
sequentially cut thereon for the location of two rod-like clamping
members 16 juxtaposed side by side on the positioning cavities 152
thereof, and a fixing surface 153 with locking holes 1531 thereon
are bent in a right angle at one side to be screwed up onto a wall
surface thereby. The lower section of the blind body 10 is preset
an appropriate length as an extension portion 101 that is bent
backward and guided upwards to go through the two clamping members
16 and cover on top of the winding shaft 11 to form a decorative
shading cover 102 fixedly held in place by the two clamping members
16 thereof. A counterweight object 17 is then accommodated into the
bending area of the blind body 10, permitting the front section of
the blind body 10 to evenly space apart from the extension portion
101 and form a front decoration portion 103 thereby. The surface of
both extension portion 101 and front decoration portion 103 is
respectively made up of multiple light-permeable areas 1011, 1031
and light-shading areas 1012, 1032 that are alternatively arranged
one to another. Thus, the blind body 10 can be rolled and adjusted
till the light-permeable areas 1011, 1031 of the extension portion
101 and the front decoration portion 103 are correspondingly
aligned one to another, permitting part of sunlight or moonlight to
shine indoors through each light-permeable area 1011, 1031 thereby.
Otherwise, the light-permeable areas 1031, 1011 thereof can also be
adjusted to alternate with the corresponding light-shading areas
1012, 1032 so that bright sunlight blocked by the light-shading
areas 1012, 1032 can become softened thereby. Moreover, the
light-shading areas 1032 of the front decoration portion 103 can be
so adjusted as to accurately align with the light-permeable areas
1011 of the extension portion 101 respectively for a complete
sheltering effect thereby.
[0003] However, there are some drawbacks to such conventional blind
structure. First, the fixing surface 153 of the support bracket 15,
except being mounted to a vertical wall surface, cannot be flexibly
assembled other kind of wall surface like a horizontal one, which
makes it rather limited and inconvenient in terms of application
and assembly thereof. Second, the bottommost end of the blind body
10 is clamped and held in place by the two clamping members 16. In
case the blind body 10 is not accurately mounted between the two
clamping members 16, the blind body 10 unstably located will slide
and jump awkwardly in operation, which renders the conventional
blind structure rather complicated and inconvenient in assembly as
well as in application.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
[0004] It is, therefore, the primary purpose of the present
invention to provide a window blind structure, comprising a blind
body and a set of left and right support brackets wherein around
four side corners of each extension portion of the left/right
support brackets are respectively disposed a thru-hole accompanied
by a set of first and second positioning blocks to match with an
adjusting support member that, depending on the position of the
left/right support brackets fixed to a vertical/horizontal wall
surface, can flexibly change the direction of assembly for the
mounting of a hanging rod thereon accordingly, achieving more
versatile and convenient assembly of the left/right support
brackets without being limited by the circumstances.
[0005] It is, therefore, the second purpose of the present
invention to provide a window blind structure wherein the
bottommost end edge of the blind body is directly fixed to the
hanging rod having a support fitting mounted at both ends therein
respectively to be located onto a retaining cavity of the adjusting
support member thereby, economically omitting the two clamping
members of the above-mentioned conventional blind structure for
easier assembly thereof as well as ensuring a smooth and stable
winding operation of the blind body to achieve the best state of
application.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 is an assembled perspective view of a conventional
window blind structure.
[0007] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the present
invention.
[0008] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the application of the present
invention assembled onto a vertical wall surface thereon.
[0009] FIG. 4 is an assembled enlarged view of the present
invention as shown in FIG. 3.
[0010] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the operation of the present
invention in application.
[0011] FIG. 6 is an assembled perspective view of the present
invention in another state of application.
[0012] FIG. 7 is an assembled and partially enlarged view of the
present invention assembled onto a horizontal wall surface
thereon.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0013] Please refer to FIG. 2 showing an exploded perspective view
of the present invention. The present invention is related to a
window blind structure, comprising a blind body 20 and a set of
left and right support bracket 30. The blind body 20 is extended
and fold into a U-shaped configuration to provide a first shade
section 21 and a second shade section 22 each made up of a
plurality of light-permeable areas 211, 221 and light-shading areas
212, 222 alternatively arranged one to another at the surface
thereon respectively. At both end edges of the blind body 20 are
respectively attached a winding shaft 23 and a hanging rod 24, and
a rod-like counterweight object 25 is accommodated into the bending
area of the blind body 20. A covering 231 with a positioning rib
2311 protruding thereon, and a linkage body 232 with a pivoting
post 2321 extending thereon are respectively mounted to both end
edges of the winding shaft 23 thereof. An operational element 233
like a beaded chain is provided to actuate the rotation of the
winding shaft 23 thereby. The hanging rod 24 can be made of a
hollow tube with both ends defined by a coupling port 241 for the
association of a support fitting 26 therewith respectively. The
support fitting 26 is made up of one end having a coupling section
261 of smaller diameter to be reciprocally engaged with the
coupling port 241 of the hanging rod 24, and the other end having a
support section 262 of identical diameter to the hanging rod 24 and
an annular coupling groove 263 defining the middle section of the
support section 262 thereon. Each of the left/right support
brackets 30 is made up of a U-shaped grooved area 31 with one
sidewall defined by a fixing surface 32 and multiple locking holes
321 disposed thereon, and an extension portion 33 stretching
outwards in perpendicular to the other sidewall of the U-shaped
grooved area 31 thereof. One extension portion 33 of the left/right
support brackets 30 is defined by a plurality of U-shaped retaining
recesses 331 that are reciprocally connected to each other to form
a crosswise configuration, and the other extension portion 33 of
the left/right support brackets 30 is provided with multiple
pivoting holes 331' each correspondingly matched to the end edge
section of one retaining recess 331 thereof. Around the four side
corners of the extension portion 33 thereof are respectively
disposed a thru-hole 332 accompanied by a first positioning block
333 aligned horizontally at one adjacent side and a second
positioning block 334 aligned vertically at another adjacent side
to cooperatively work with an adjusting support member 34 for
flexible assembly thereby. The adjusting support member 34 has an
oval-shaped adjustment slot 341 disposed at one side and an
U-shaped retaining cavity 342 indented at the other side edge
thereon.
[0014] Please refer to FIG. 3 showing the present invention mounted
to a vertical wall surface in application. In assembly, two
adjusting support members 34 are applied, each adjustment slot 341
of which being correspondingly joined to the thru-hole 332 at one
side corner and the adjacent first positioning block 333 to abut
against the inner wall of the extension portion 33, permitting one
side of the adjusting support member 34 to extend towards the
grooved area 31 and the other side to precisely abut against the
first positioning block 333. Screws are then applied to secure the
adjusting support members 34 onto the extension portions 33 thereof
respectively. And, depending on the size and position of the
winding shaft 23, the fixing surfaces 32 of the left and right
support brackets 30 are correspondingly guided to contact and abut
against the vertical side wall and fixedly screwed up thereto via
the locking holes 321 thereof respectively, permitting one
retaining recess 331 to reciprocally align and match with one
pivoting hole 331' of the left/right support brackets 30. Then, the
positioning rib 2311 of the covering 231 is engaged with the
retaining recess 331, and the pivoting post 2321 of linkage body
232 joined to the pivoting hole 331' thereof respectively,
permitting the winding shaft 23 to precisely suspend between the
two extension portions 33 thereof. The coupling grooves 263 of the
support fittings 26 attached at both end edges of the hanging rod
24 are respectively guided to engage with each retaining cavity 342
of the adjusting support member 34 to mount the hanging rod 24 onto
the adjusting support member 34 thereby. Therefore, the winding
shaft 23 and the hanging rod 24 are precisely separated in an
appropriate spacing so as to provide secure support to the blind
body 20 suspending downwards in a U-shaped configuration as shown
in FIG. 4 and stretched by the gravity force of the counterweight
object 25 to keep the first and second shade sections 21, 22 in an
even and neat condition respectively.
[0015] In application, when the first and the second shade sections
21, 22 of the blind body 20 are rolled and adjusted till the
light-permeable areas 211, 221 thereof are correspondingly aligned
one to another, part of the sunlight or moonlight is allowed to
shine through each light-permeable area 211, 221 and come indoors.
Otherwise, when the light-permeable areas 211, 221 and the
light-shading areas 212, 222 are so adjusted as to partially
alternate one to another, bright light blocked by the light-shading
areas 212, 222 will become softened thereby. Furthermore, the blind
body 20 can also be adjusted in arrangement with the light-shading
areas 212 of the first shade section 21 precisely aligned with the
light-permeable areas222 of the second shade section 22 as shown in
FIG. 5 so as to form a complete sheltering effect thereby.
[0016] Please refer to FIG. 6 showing the present invention in
another state of assembly. The adjustment slot 341 of the adjusting
support member 34 can also be secured to the thru-hole 332 disposed
at the outer side corner of the extension portion 33 of the
left/right support bracket 30 and restrained in position by the
adjacent first positioning block 33 thereof, permitting the
adjusting support member 34 to extend forwards at the outer side of
extension portion 33 thereof. Therefore, when the hanging rod 24 is
mounted to the adjusting support members 34, the second shade
section 22 will be precisely located and hanged in front of the
winding shaft 23 and the first shade section 22 to form another
state of application thereby.
[0017] Therefore, via the thru-holes 332 that, each accompanied by
the adjacent first and second positioning blocks 333, 334 thereof,
are disposed at the four side corners of each extension portion 33
of the left/right support brackets 30, the adjusting support member
34 can flexibly change the position of assembly. In addition, each
retaining recess 331 of one extension portion 33 is correspondingly
matched to one pivoting hole 331' of the other extension portion 33
thereof for the registration of the covering 231 and the linkage
body 232 mounted at both end edges of the winding shaft 23 thereof
respectively. When the adjustment slot 341 is associated with
either one first positioning block 333 to extend the adjusting
support member 34 backwards to the grooved area 31 therein or
forwards to the outer side of the extension portion 33 thereof, the
adjusting support member 34 is levelly mounted to the left/right
support bracket 30 so that the fixing surface 32 of the left/right
support bracket 30 can be fixedly assembled onto a vertical wall
surface thereon. However, when the adjusting slot 341 is jointed to
one second positioning block 334 to extend in perpendicular at one
outer side of the extension portion 33 for the abutting location of
the support fitting 26 attached at both end edges of the hanging
rod 24 respectively, the fixing surface 32 of the left/right
support bracket 30 is then turned to assemble onto a horizontal
wall surface as shown in FIG. 7, and the positioning rib 2311 of
the covering 231 and the pivoting post 2321 of the linkage body 232
are respectively mounted to another set of corresponding retaining
recess 331 and pivoting hole 331' accordingly. Therefore, the
present invention can achieve the benefit of flexibility in
assembly without being restricted by any circumstances. Besides,
the bottommost end edge of the blind body 20 is directly fixed to
the hanging rod 24 having the coupling groove 263 of the support
fitting 26 mounted at both ends therein respectively to be engaged
with the retaining cavity 342 of the adjusting support member 34
thereby, economically omitting the two clamping members of the
above-mentioned conventional blind structure to achieve an easier
and speedier assembly thereof.
* * * * *