Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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The present Inventlon relates to a track mechanlsm, for
the orientatlon and dlsplacement of the strlps of a vertlcal
strlp blInd. As Is currently known, vertlcal strlp blInds are
largely utlllzed for the coverlng and decoratlon of wlndows In
general, such blInds belng constltuted by ad~acent strlps of
sultably relnforced fabrlc. Such strlps are suspended from con-
venlently formed members slldable along a hollow track support
whlch members are capable of causlng orlentatlon of the strlps by
maklng them turn through a glven angle about thelr parallel ver-
tlcal axes.
It Is llkewlse known that the movement of such blIndscan be obtalned by means of a slngle control or a double control.
In the latter case a flrst cord effects the dlsplacement of the
strlps (drawlng together or apart) and a second cord causes rota-
tlon thereof. In the former case a slngle control cord Is used
to perform the sald two operatlons In sequence.
However, assemblles whlch are commerclalIy avallable at
present for obtalnlng, wlth a slngle control, the dlsplacement
and orlentatlon of the strlps, have a slgnlflcant structural com-
plexlty and are therefore rather expenslve. Thls structural com-
plexlty, moreover, can detrImentally affect, at least In general,
the correct operatlon of the product, or at least requlre fre-
Z5 quent ad~ustments and/or replacement of parts.
Llkewlse, the conventlonal type of dlsplacement andorlentatlon members for the strlps usually have a not Inslgnlfl-
cant llnear bulk, whlch only allows them to be used on rectllln-
ear sectlons.
Moreover, wlth the currently avallable dlsplacementmembers, whenever It Is deslred to provlde a blInd wlth a central
aperture, It Is necessary to use a double track for the slldlng
~5 of the sllde guldes or dlsplacement members.
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The present Inventlon ellmlnates the prevlously
descrlbed dlsadvantages by provl~lng a mechanlcal devlce for the
manlpulatlon of vertlcal strlp bllnds whlch are structurally
slmple and therefore of low cost.
In partlcular the present Inventlon provldes a mechanl-
cal devlce for operatlng vert~cal strlp blInds; whlch has a sub-
stantlally llmlted bulk so as to be used even on curved proflles.
The present Inventlon agaln provldes a mechanlcal
devlce for operatlng vertlcal strlp bllnds whlch wlll allow
bllnds havlng a central openlng to be formed uslng only a slngle
slldlng track of sultable shape.
The present Inventlon stlll further provldes a mechanl-
cal devlce for operatlng vertlcal strlp bllnds whlch Is made from
a llmlted number o~ component parts cooperatlng together In such
a way as to provlde an extremely secure and rellable product for
the user.
Accordlng to the present inventlon there Is provlded a
mechanlsm for the operatlon of a vertlcal strlp blInd whlch com-
prIses a flrst splndle supported by a prlsmatlc box-lIke body at
one end of whlch splndle Is a toothed wheel and on whlch Is fIt-
ted, wlth the Interposltlon of reslllent blaslng means, a hollow
- cyllndrlcal element provlded wlth a clrcumferentlal proJectlon
havlng teeth. The toothed wheel of the sald flrst splndle
engages a shaped end of a second splndle havlng a vertlcal axls,
whlch shaped end has teeth over a part of Its perlphery. The
second splndle carrles a sultably shaped hook for supportlng one
of the strlps of the vertIcal strlp b!Ind. The sald prIsmatlc
box-shape body Is housed wlth the fIrst splndle dlsposed on one
slde In a slldlng trac~ havlng mlrror Image symmetry across the
vertlcal plane passlng through Its longltudlnal axls and Is pro-
3~ vlded wlth opposed guldes for the passage of a flexIble controlmember whlch Is adapted to engage the clrcumferentlal toothed
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pro~ectlon formed on ~he hollow cyllndrlcal element whlch sur
rounds the flrst splndle.
Preferably the sald fIrst splndle Is dlsposed oblIquely
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with respect to the second spindle; in -this case, obviously,
the corresponding toothed and partially toothed wheels formed
at tneir facing ends and n~utually engaging one another are of
conical type, namely bevel wheels.
Preferred embodiments of a mechanism for operating
vertical strip blinds, of the present invention, will be further
illustrated by way of the accompanying drawinss, in which:
Figure 1 is a vertical section illustrating the device
according to one embodiment of the present invention in an
10 associa-ted sliding track;
Figure 2 is a schematic perspec-tive of a vertical strip
blind the support and sliding track of which is equipped with
a plurality of -the devices of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a cross-section similar to Figure 1
illustrating a device according to a second embodiment oF the
present invention in which a first and second spindle are
parallel to one another; and
Figure 4 is a view from above of the second spindle.
With particular reference to the accompanying
20 drawings, the operating mechanism for a vertical strip blind
comprises a suitably shaped prismatic box-like body 1 having
a substantially trapezoidal shape, with a projecting portion
1' in which are mountings for housing and supporting a spindle
2 disposed
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wlth Its axls preferably Incllned or else vertlcal.
At Its base portlon the splndle has a perlmetral
toothed wheel 3 slmllar to a toothed rlng, above whlch Is located
a fIxed collar 4. Upwardly from the toothed wheel 3 the splndle
has a fIrst cyllndrlcal portlon 2' and above thls a second cylln-
drlcal portlon 2" of smaller dlameter.
On the flrst cyllndrlcal portlon there Is fltted, wlth
the Interposltlon of reslllent blaslng means ~, a hollow cylln-
drlcal element 6 carrylng a coaxlal rlng 7, the perlmeter of
whlch has a set of teeth In the form of a rlng ge~r.
The sald reslllent blaslng means ~ may be a coll sprIng
or a length of rubber tube, or be other functlonally equlvalent
members sultably dlmensloned and placed In compresslon by the
presslng actlon of a reslllent washer 19 to act as a frlctlon
clutch between the hollow cyllndrlcal element 6 and the collar 4.
The lower toothed wheel 3 of the splndle 2 Is engaged
by the UPper end 20 of a second splndle 8 whlch has a conlcal
head and teeth around part oF Its perlphery. Thls latter Is
housed such that It can turn In a sultable seat 9 In the base of
the box-lIke body 1 adJacent Its pro~ectlng portlon 1'.
The portlon of the box-lIke body 1 constltutlng the
sal&i seat 9 further defInes outer guldes 10 for retalnlng and
slldlng along the flanges 11 of a C-shape sectlon 12.
Thls section, havlng a vertlcal plane of symmetry, has,
In partlcular, on the Inner faces of the two lateral walls
respectlv~ open channels 13 of sultable sectlon whlch can house a
slldable member 14 whlch causes rotatlon of or drawlng along (In
one of two dlrectlons) of the toothed rlng 7.
The slldable member 14 may, as requlred or preferred,
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be a cord or a chaln carrylng balls or other sultable proJectlng
elements, or be a perforated band or the llke adapted to engage
the teeth of the toothed rlng. In partlcular, the proJectlng
members of the said slldable operatlng member should extend from
the channels 13.
The toothed rlng 7, the rotatlon of whlch Is essen-
tlally reslsted by the actlon of the reslllent means 5, starts,
at flrst, to turn puttlng the partlally toothed upper end 20 of
the splndle 8 Into rotatlon through the toothed rlng 3. The
lower end of the splndle 8 carrles a sultably shaped support hook
15 for one of the strlps 16 of the blInd.
The rotatlon of thls splndle Is obvlously llmlted In
amplItude by the clrcumferentlal extent o~ the teeth on Its upper
end 20. I n fact, when the toothed rlng 3 engages the contlnuous
portlon of the sald upper end of the splndle 8 the rotatlon of
the splndle and the correspondlng toothed rlng ceases slnce any
posslble further tractlon exerted on the teeth of the rlng 7
20 cause solely a rotatlon of thls latter agalnst the reslstance of
the reslllent frlctlon means ~.
In practlce, after thls rotatlonal movement, further
tractlon on the sald toothed rlng 7 causes translatlon of the
25 box-lIke body 1 in one dlrectlonal sense or the other causlng the
- varlous strlps of the blInd to approach or become spaced from one
another. The normal posltlon of these strlps Is determlned,
obvlously, by the length of the cable or chaln whlch Jolns the
box-llke bodles together, whlch can vary wlth the speclflc
requlrements of use for the user. Moreover, the sald frlctlon
clUtch can be fltted, Instead of on the flrst splndle 2, to the
second splndle 8 wlth the necessary varlatlon of provldlng the
head of thls latter also wlth a complete toothed wheel and by
arranglng a tooth for the necessary arrest of rotatlon thereof.
Moreover, In the case of an Incllned splndle ~FIgure 1)
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there Is provided, at the top of the prlsmatlc body 1, a
reslllent tongue 17 whlch, by abuttlng agalnst a proJectlon 18
formed In the middle of the proflle 12, Improves the retentlon of
the box~ e body Itself wlthln thls latter. In partlcular, thls
tongue Is able to guarantee perfect stablllty of the box-lIke
body agalnst the Inevltable stresses transmltted by the movement
of the dlsplacement member.
The per~ect mlrror Image symmetry of the sectlon con-
stltutlng the slldlng track allows the box-llke bodles to be
Introduced wlth the proJectlng portlon 1' faclng elther the rlght
(wl~h reference to Flgures 1 and 3) or towards the left that Is
to say wlth the box-lIke
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body itself rotated through 180 with respect to its
vertical axis. In this way box-like bodies with the
toothed ring c~rranged ~or right hand movement of the
slidable operating bodies 14 can be fitted on the right
hand section of a track whilst bodies arranged with
the teeth on the le~t can be fitted to the left hand
section of the same track for sliding movement in the
opposite sense from that of the right hand section.
Consequently, by arranging the said box-like bodies
within the section constituting the track with some
of them facing the right and some ~acing the le~t it
is possible easily to provide a blind having c~ central
opening. The presence of the said friction clutch
likewise prevents`breakage or wear phenomena on the
slidable operating member 14 or the toothed ring 7 or
sliding of the blind even in the case of prolonged
and repeated adjustment.
From what has been explained above and from observation
of the various Figures of the drawings attached the
great functionality and practicality in use which
characterise the operating mechanism for
vertical strip blinds and constituting the subject of
the present invention will be apparent.
