Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~2~
The present invention relates to a sealed double glazed
window having a slat blind positioned between the panes
of glass, and an adjusting device mounted on one of the
panes and seal~d thereto for adjusting the slats of the
blind while maintaining the window seal.
Several prior devices are known for adjusting a slat blind
sealed in a double glazed window. U.S. Patent No. 2,490~295
issued December 6, 1949 to E. G. Fisher describes an adjust-
ing device mounted on one of the panes of glass and being
sealed by means of a sealing ring about an adjusting shaft
inserted through the glass. U.S. Patent No. 3,201,832
issued August 2~, 1965 to V. A. Hordis et al describes an
adjusting device for a blind in a sealed window which
employs magnets to move the control mechanism of the blind
for adjustment of the slats.
Neither of these prior devices is acceptably reliable when
subjected to repeated use over a number of years. Leakage
is inherent over time in a device such as described in
Fisher which incorporates direct control of the blind
through the adjusting device, while the device described
in Hordis et al suffers from the inherent mechanical
disadvantages of indirect control of the blind mechanism.
More complicated devices are also known, but none afford
the advantages of the present device which allows for
direct mechanical interaction with the control mechanism
of the blind as well as providins for a reliable means of
maintaining the window seal during years of repeated use.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a sealed double
glazed window comprising: two spaced panes of glass sealed
in a frame; a slat blind positioned in the space between
the panes, said blind having control means for adjusting
the slats; one pane of glass having an aperture therethrough
for providing access to the control means; and an adjusting
device mounted about the aperture so that the slats may be
adjusted while maintaining the window seal, said device
having a flexible diaphragm sealed about the aperture and
having adjusting means passing throush the aperture from
the diaphragm to the control means.
A preferred embodiment of the invention is hereafter des-
cribed with reference to the figures in which:
Figure 1 is a plan view of a window of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of an adjusting device
of the invention as mounted on a window pane;
Figure 3 is a cross sectional view of a detail of the
adjusting means of the invention, and
Figure 4 is a side elevation showing a detail of an alternate
embodiment of the control means of the blind.
A slat blind 10 is positioned between two panes of glass 11
and 12 which are spaced apart by a frame 13 comprising two
vertical side members 14, and top and bottom members 15.
The frame members 14 and 15 comprise rolled aluminum
sections having the longitudinal edges 17 thereof curved
inward and butted together to form a longitudinal seam 18.
A dessicant 19 such as silica gel may be added to any or
all of the frame members 14 and lS for the purpose of
drying the air within the sealed window unit 20. The seams
18 in the frame members 14 and 15 allow the air within the
window unit 20 to interact with the dessicant 19.
~indow unit 20 is assembled by anchoring and tensioning the
blind 10 in the top and bottom frame members 15 which are
held in position by temporary clips 16. A sealant 21 is
used to hermetically seal the panes of glass 11 and 12 about
the four frame members. After removal of the clips 16 and
application of additional sealant 21 level with the edges
of the panes of glass 11 and 12, a protective metal covering
22 may be applied about the periphery of the unit 20.
The blind 10 is anchored within the window unit 20 in a
conventional manner. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the blind
10 has stiffened slats 23 at either end thereof. A rod 24
is embedded longitudinally along the axis of rotation of each
slat 23. Cut away portions 25 are provided at the suspension
points of each slat 23 exposing the rod 24. Hooks 26 are
used to engage the rods 24 at the cut away portions 25 to
provide means for anchoring the blind 10 to the frame members
15.
The blind 10 is of conventional construction wherein thin
slats 31 are spaced from one another on ladders 32 which are
made of string or fabric. The ends of the ladders 32 are
secured to the stiffened slats 23 so that rotation of the
slats 23 about the longitudinal axis of each rod 24 causes
the vertical elements 33 of the ladders 32 to move oppositely
one another and thus, causes the thin slats 31 to also
rotate about their longitudinal axes. A control means is
associated with one of the stiffened slats 23. A preferred
control means comprises a control disc 36 mounted on the rod
24/ wherein the disc 36 is a gear or pinion which cooperates
with a rack 37 to effect rotation of slat 2 and hence,
adjustment of the thin slats 31~
Movement of the disc or pinion 36 is controlled ~rom the
exterior of the window unit 20 by the preferred adjusting
device 40 of the invention, which is mounted and sealed
about an aperture 41 in the inner window pane 12 (Figure 2)~
The hermetic seal of the window unit 20 is maintained by a
flexible or elastomeric diaphragm 42 in the adjusting device
40. An end 43 of the rack 37 protrudes through the aperture
41 and is attached to the diaphragm 42 by means o~ an
adhesive sealant 21. Affixed to the end 43 through an
opening 44 in the diaphragm 42 is the head of a bolt 45.
The bolt 45 is secured in place by a nut 46 which also serves
to compress and seal the diaphragm 42.
The bolt 45 is threaded partially into a flanged nut 47,
which is held stationary relative to the longitudinal move-
ment of the bolt 45 by means of structural elements 48 and 49.
These elements 48 and 49 loosely confine the flanged portion
50 of the nut 47 while allowing for rotation of the nut 47
about the bolt 45. To facilitate rotation of the nut 47,
an adjusting knob 51 is affixed to the end of the nut 47
opposite the bolt 45.
Thus, with the device 40 mounted on the pane 12 and sealed
thereto, the slats 31 of the blind 10 can be adjusted
without disturbing the window seal by simply turning the
adjusting knob 51 which causes the bolt 45 and the rack 37
to move longitudinally thereby rotating the pinion 36.
In translating the rotary motion of the knob 51 and the nut
47 into longitudinal motion of the bolt 45 and the rack
37, there is a certain amount of twisting force exerted by
the bolt 45 at the area of attachment to the rack 37. To
prevent this twisting force from effecting the smooth
operation of the rack 37 and pinion 36, it is preferred to
provide a plug 61 in the aperture 41 naving a channel 62
therethxough which is shaped with at least two flat sides
corresponding to sides of the rack 37 so that the rack 37
can slide smoothly through the channel 62 but is unable to
twist (Figure 3).
Another useful feature of the plug 61 can be seen in Figure
2. By providing the plug 61 with a thread 63, it can be used
to ensure a more secure mounting of the adjusting device 40
on the window pane 12. Thus, the face 64 of the device 40
may be provided with threaded opening 65 to allow the plug
61 to be threaded into the face 64 thereby providing in
conjunction with adhesive sealant 21 a secure mounting of the
device on the pane 12. Additionally, it is desirable to have
a resilient washer 67 positioned between the glass about the
aperture 41 and the plug 61.
By providing the rack 37 with a flange 70 at the end 43
secured to the diaphragm 42 the plug 61 can act as a stop
for the rack 37 by engaging the flange 70 when the rack 37
is moved toward the outer pane of glass 11. By proper
design of the rack 37, the engagement of the flange 70 with
the plug 61 will prevent accidental forcing of the rack 37
against the pane of glass 11 when manipulating the knob 51.
The foregoing description has related to a preferred embodi-
ment of the present invention. Clearly, there are a number
of alternate control means for adjusting a slat blind such
as used here, and the adjusting device 40 may be positioned
elsewhere on the window pane 12 in association with a
control means attached to a stiffened slat 23.
Regarding alternative control means, Figure 4 illustrates a
Scotch yoke arrangement whereby the disc 36 has a pin 80
which slides up and down in a vertical slot 81 located
toward the end 82 of the rack 37.
