GB2369389A - Carrier for a vertical louvre blind - Google Patents

Abstract

The carrier includes a moulded plastics housing 1 having a pair of opposed side walls 2, 3, and a spacer 30 formed from a metal strip with a downturned lug 32 at one end and an upturned lug 33 at the opposite end. The spacer is inserted through a slot 20 formed in one of the side walls and the opposing side wall has an upwardly-open recess 21 in which the spacer is retained by a pair of opposed inwardly-directed projections 22 and 23. With such an arrangement the spacer may be entirely pre-formed prior to assembly.

Description

CARRIER FOR USE IN A VERTICAL LOUVRE BLIND TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention generally relates to blinds of the kind which include an array of vertical louvres or slats which are suspended from a headrail of inverted channel section. The individual louvres are suspended from carriers or trucks which are mounted in the headrail and which can be moved along the headrail by means of a draw element (e. g. a cord) which extends along the headrail and is attached to the end carrier. The carriers are provided with spacers which link them together so that the carriers pull one another along the headrail in one direction whilst abutment of the carriers effects movement of the carriers in the opposite direction. The louvres are suspended from the carriers by means of hooks, and a tilt rod which extends through the carriers is operably coupled to the hooks such that rotation of the tilt rod results in rotation of the hooks and hence causes simultaneous rotation of all the louvres.

The invention is more particularly concerned with the assembly of the carriers used in such a blind.

BACKGROUND Whilst many different arrangements of carrier exist, in many countries there is a generally accepted industry standard for the cross-sectional dimensions of the headrail. Furthermore, in some countries such as the UK, the width of the standard headrail is relatively narrow (about 30 mm), which places very tight constraints on the arrangement of the carriers.

In all of the carriers which are currently on the market the spacer is provided by an elongate metal or plastics strip which is mounted on the top of the carrier. The spacer strip is also slidably engaged with the adjacent carrier, and a hook or lug at the free end of the spacer strip engages one or more stops formed on the adjacent carrier to determine the maximum spacing between the two carriers. In the case of plastics spacers the lug or hook can be moulded in the configuration of an arrowhead or other shape which assists assembly of the carrier, but in metal spacers which are formed from a flat strip the hook or lug is formed by bending the end of the strip.

Existing carriers are not easy to assemble and invariably the assembly is carried out by hand which adds considerably to the cost In the assembly of one particular kind of carrier a metal spacer strip is fed through slots in the opposing side walls of the carrier until a pre-formed tab at one end of the strip abuts the side wall. The spacer is then placed into a machine which curls the leading end of the spacer strip to form a hooked end for engagement with the adjacent carrier in the assembled blind. Whilst the assembled carrier is strong and lightweight and the component cost is relatively low, the assembly costs are relatively high. The present invention seeks to provide a new and inventive form of carrier which is generally easy to assemble, is reliable in operation with a long service life.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect, the present invention proposes a carrier for a vertical louvre blind which includes a moulded plastics housing having a pair of opposed side walls, and a spacer formed from a metal strip with a downturned lug at one end and an upturned lug at the opposite end, in which the spacer is inserted through a slot formed in one of the side walls and the opposing side wall has an upwardly-open recess in which the spacer is retained by a pair of opposed inwardly-directed projections.

With such an arrangement the spacer may be entirely pre-formed prior to assembly.

Thus, the invention further provides a method of assembling a carrier for a vertical louvre blind which includes a moulded plastics housing having a pair of opposed side walls and a spacer formed from a metal strip with a downturned lug at one end and an upturned lug at the opposite end, in which the upturned lug is inserted through a slot formed in one of the side walls and the spacer is then fed through the slot until it lies above an upwardly-open recess in the opposing side wall whereupon the spacer is moved downwardly into the recess between a pair of opposed inwardlydirected projections which thereafter retain the spacer in the recess. The invention includes a vertical slat blind having a headrail, a series of carriers as set forth above located in the headrail, a louvre rotatably suspended from each of the carriers, a tilt rod extending longitudinally of the headrail and operably engaged with the carriers for effecting rotation of the louvres, and a draw element connected to the end carrier for moving the carriers along the headrail, in which the carriers are mutually coupled together by the spacers which each have their upturned lug inserted through the slot of an adjacent carrier.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The following description and the accompanying drawings referred to therein are included by way of non-limiting example in order to illustrate how the invention may be put into practice. In the drawings : Figure 1 is a general view of the carrier housing in accordance with the invention; and Figures 2 to 4 show three successive stages in the assembly of the carrier.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The carrier shown in Fig. 1 is intended for use in an extruded metal headrail of a vertical louvre blind for installation in a window opening. In such a blind, a number of such carriers are shdably received in the head rail for movement along its length. The carriers can, if desired, be provided with pairs of opposing wheels or rollers to assist movement along the headrail, although they can be omitted as in the carrier described below. The headrail is generally of inverted channel section having a top wall and depending side walls provided with opposed inturned flanges. A rotatable tilt rod extends longitudinally within the headrail, passing through all the carriers. Each of the louvres is suspended from one of the carriers.

The carrier includes a housing 1 which is moulded of plastics and is substantially rectangular in plan view, having a pair of side walls 2 and 3, a pair of end walls 4 and 5, and a bottom wall 6. The side walls 2 and 3 contain a pair of opposed apertures 7 and 8 for locating a worm gear (not shown) which, in use, is drivably received on the tilt rod. The worm gear is, in turn, drivably engaged with a cog gear (also not shown) which is located inside the housing rotatable about a substantially vertical axis and mounted on the shaft of a conventional louvre hook which snap-engages through an aperture 16 in the bottom wall 6 to suspend a vertical louvre therefrom in use. The cog gear can either be moulded with the shaft or engaged on the shaft with a slipping clutch arrangement, in known manner.

It will thus be appreciated that rotation of the tilt rod about its horizontal axis causes the louvre hook and hence the louvre to rotate about a vertical axis.

The end walls 4 and 5 are both recessed at their lower ends, 17 and 18, to receive the abovementioned inwardly-directed flanges of the headrail which thus guide the carrier during longitudinal sliding movement. Above the worm gear aperture 7 the side wall 2 contains a closed slot 20 extending parallel to the top margin of the side wall The opposing side wall 3 contains a corresponding upwardly-open shallow recess 21, the opposite ends of which are provided with opposed inwardly-directed projections 22 and 23. Adjacent to the slot 20 and recess 21 there are pairs of opposed apertures 25 and 26 through which a draw cord is threaded along the length of the headrail in use to permit movement of the carriers as described above the carriers.

A spacer strip 30 is formed from a thin strip of spring steel 31 which, at one end, is pre-formed with a downturned lug 32 and, at the opposite end, has a pre-formed upwardly-curled hook-like lug 33. The lug 33 need not necessarily be formed as a hook. It could for example be a simple upturned flange, similar to the lug 32. The strip 30 also has a retaining tongue 34 which is pressed downwardly in the direction of the lug 32, being spaced from the lug by the thickness of the side wall 2. Although not essential, a pair of opposed notches 36 and 37 (indicated in outline only) may be formed in opposite sides of the strip 30.

The assembly of the carrier is very simple. The worm gear, cog gear and hook are inserted through the open top of the housing 1. As shown in Fig 2, the lug 33 is Inserted through the slot 20 In the direction of the recess 21, rotating the spacer as indicated by the arrow A until it lies a little below horizontal. The main portion of the spacer is then fed through the slot as indicated by the arrow B in Fig 3, ensuring that the spacer passes above the recess 21. If the notches 36 and 37 are present, when they become positioned above the recess 21 the spacer can be dropped into the recess so that the opposed projections 22 and 23 pass through the notches. The spacer is fed through the slot 20 until the tongue 34 passes through the slot so that the tongue 34 and the lug 32 locate on the opposites of the wall 2.

If the notches 36 and 37 are not provided the spacer can now be pressed between the projections 22 and 23 into the recess 21 as indicated by the arrow C in Fig. 4.

The assembly of the blind can then proceed in the normal way, with the lug 33 of one carrier being hooked through the slot 20 of the next carrier.

The carrier is thus easy to assemble, utilises few parts, simplifies assembly by using a fully pre-formed spacer, optimises use of the space available when the size of the headrail is limited, is aesthetically attractive, and is reliable in operation giving a long service life.

It will be appreciated that the features disclosed herein may be present in any feasible combination. Whilst the above description lays emphasis on those areas which, in combination, are believed to be new, protection is claimed for any inventive combination of the features disclosed herein.

Claims (6)

1. CLAIMS 1. A carrier for a vertical louvre blind which includes a moulded plastics housing having a pair of opposed side walls, and a spacer formed from a metal strip with a downturned lug at one end and an upturned lug at the opposite end, in which the spacer is inserted through a slot formed in one of the side walls and the opposing side wall has an upwardly-open recess in which the spacer is retained by a pair of opposed inwardly-directed projections.
2. 2. A vertical louvre blind having a headrail, a series of carriers according to Claim 1 located in the headrail, a louvre rotatably suspended from each of the carriers, a tilt rod extending longitudinally of the headrail and operably engaged with the carriers for effecting rotation of the louvres, and a draw element connected to the end carrier for moving the carriers along the headrail, in which the carriers are mutually coupled together by the spacers which each have their upturned lug inserted through the slot of an adjacent carrier.
3. 3. A method of assembling a carner for a vertical louvre blind which Includes a moulded plastics housing having a pair of opposed side walls and a spacer formed from a metal strip with a downturned lug at one end and an upturned lug at the opposite end, In which the upturned lug is Inserted through a slot formed in one of the side walls and the spacer IS then fed through the slot until it lies above an upwardly-open recess in the opposing side wall whereupon the spacer IS moved downwardly into the recess between a pair of opposed inwardly-directed projections which thereafter retain the spacer in the recess.
4. 4. A carrier for a vertical louvre blind substantially as described with reference to the drawings.
5. 5. A vertical louvre blind substantially as described with reference to the drawings.
6. 6. A method of assembling a carrier for a vertical louvre blind substantially as described with reference to the drawings.