IMPROVED WINDING WHEEL

ROUE D'ENROULEMENT AMELIOREE

English Abstract

An improved winding wheel includes an anchor dock housing a pulley and a movable lid located on a lower side of the anchor dock having two biased holes. The pulley has a slant slot matching the biased holes to allow two ends of a cord to pass through in a separated manner towards two sides so that the cord may be wound on the pulley neatly without entangling. A movable anchor lug is provided on an upper side of the anchor dock. The movable anchor lug and the movable lid may be lifted and extended to form an upper and a lower open space for the pulley such that the cord may be wound rapidly without obstruction.

French Abstract

Une roue de bobinage perfectionnée comporte un boîtier d'ancrage dans lequel est logé une poulie et un couvercle mobile situé sur un côté inférieur de la cale d'ancrage comportant deux trous biaisés. La poulie présente une fente oblique correspondant aux trous biaisés pour permettre à deux extrémités d'un cordon de passer à travers de manière séparée en direction de deux côtés de telle sorte que le cordon peut être enroulé sur la poulie proprement sans enchevêtrement. Une patte d'ancrage mobile est prévue sur un côté supérieur de la cale d'ancrage. La patte d'ancrage mobile et le couvercle mobile peut être levés et étendus pour former une partie supérieure et un espace ouvert inférieur pour la poulie de sorte que le cordon peut être enroulé rapidement sans obstruction.

Claims

What is claimed is:
1. An improved winding wheel, the winding wheel comprising:
an anchor dock including a first side board and a second side board
corresponding to each other and having respectively a housing opening;
an axle having a worm gear formed on the periphery, a center hole for housing
a shaft, and two struts extended from two ends to be held in the housing
openings; and
a pulley bordered by a movable anchor lug on an upper side and a movable lid
on a lower side that are turnable by coupling a bolt on the side boards to
form
respectively an open space on the upper side and the lower side, having a
wheel on one
end containing a drum which bas a conical peripheral surface, the drum having
a slant
slot which has two apertures on two ends to thread a cord and separate two
ends of the
cord on the left side and the right side to pass through biased holes formed
on the
movable lid to facilitate pulling of the cord in a positive direction and a
reverse direction.
2. The improved winding wheel of claim 1, wherein the sides boards have
respectively a
latch lug extended from one side to couple with a jutting stub located in a
latch hole
formed thereon.
3. The improved winding wheel of claim 1, wherein the second side board has a
pointing
ridge located on an upper side of the periphery of the housing opening,
4. The improved winding wheel of claim 1, wherein one strut has a pointing
notch formed
on the peripheral side.
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5. The improved winding wheel of claim 1, wherein the pulley has a worm
extending from
one side thereof.
6. The improved winding wheel of claim 5, wherein the warm has teeth to engage
with and
drive the worm gear of the axle.
7. The improved winding wheel of claim 6, wherein the teeth direct to the left
side or the
right side.
8. The improved winding wheel of claim 1, wherein the movable anchor lug has
one end
fastening to a tubular element to pivotally couple with the bolt to become
turnable, the
tubular element having a connection block on a left side which is extended
from two
ends to form an arched lid.
9. The improved winding wheel of claim 8, wherein the tubular element is
extended from
one side to form an archcd support block which has a holding trough directing
upwards.
10. The improved winding wheel of claim 1, wherein the movable lid has one
side attaching
to a barrel which has a center hole and a lid plate extended from another side
which has a
flange formed on a front end and two holes formed on one surface at the front
and the
rear side in a biased manner.

Description

CA 02472856 2007-05-01
1<1VIPTtOVED WINDING WHEEL
FIELD OF THE iNVEN"rrON
The present invention relates to an improved winding wheel and particularly
to a winding wheel adopted for use on window coverings sucb as curtains,
draperies, shades
and the likes.
BACKGROUN OF THL YN''VLN'Y'YO]~
Window coverings such as curtains, draperies, shades and the likes usually
are equippcd with a winding wheel for contt'olling a cord to open or close the
window
coverings. The winding wheel generally is installed on a front end, a rear end
or a middle
section of the curtain track, and is constructed in many different ways. FIGS.
I and 2 show a
conventional winding wheel for mounting to a front end or a rear end of a
curtain track. The
winding wheel has a closed bottom end. As it does not have openings to allow a
cord to pass
through, a mounting seat must be installed on the track to hold the winding
wheel. The
mounting seat has a bottom section with openings formcd thereon to allow cords
to pass
through. The sidc plate of the winding wheel also has a notch for the cord to
anchor and pass
through (referring to FIG. 3). Such a design and construction is untidy and
takes a lot of effort
and more costs to install.
Moreover, the axle of conventional winding wheel set forth above usually is a
fixed rivet. It is prone to break loose after using for a period of time. Zn
additiory the winding
wheel has two fixed support elements on two sides. When installing the winding
wheel on the
track, it should be coupled with the track from one end and moved sidewards
slowly.
Iriatallation is time-consuming and troublesome.
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CA 02472856 2007-05-01
Furthermore, as conventional winding wheels have a closed structurc, curtains
and draperies have to be mounted on two extreme sides. Installation range and
flexibility is
restricted.
All this indicates that convcntional winding wheels still have problems in
opcration and installation. There is room for improvoment.
S iTI~.~RI Y OF THE INVENTION
It is desirable to provide a winding wheel that has a drum of a conical
peripheral surfacc with a slant slot formed thereon with two apertum on two
ends to thread a
cord towards two sides and a movable lid located on a lower side with two
holes formed
thereon in a biased angle to keep the cord in a confined location thereby
enables the cord be
moved and anchored without entangling.
It is also desirable to provide a winding wheel that has a pulley which has
one
side extending to form a worm with left teeth (or right teeth) for controlling
positioning of the
curtain when it is moved downwards.
t 5 It is furtber desirable to provide a movable anchor lug on an upper side
of the
winding wheel and a movable lid on a lower side of the winding wheel that may
be lifted and
extended to form an angle directing outwards to give the winding wheel open
upper and
lower spacea to wind the cord without obstruction.
It is also desirable to provide a movable anchor lug which is anchored on two
ends to couple with a movable lid which is latched securely on a lower side
such that a
thro-point anchoring is fon,ned to enhance fastening of the winding wheel.
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CA 02472856 2007-05-01
It is also desirable to form an opening on the to anchor deck of the winding
wheel for threading the cord such that installation locations and scope of the
winding wheel
may be chosen easily without restrictions to match other control accessories
of the curtain.
and also to facilitate fast installation,
It is also desirable to provide a movable lid and a hidden axle to obtain tidy
appearance and secured installation without breaking off.
Aocording to a first aspect of the invention there is provided an improved
winding wheel, the winding wheel comprising: an anchor dock including a first
side board
and a second side board corresponding to each otbet' and having respeetively a
housing
opening; an axle having a worm gear formod on the periphery, a center hole for
housing a
shaft, and two struts extended from two ends to bc held in the housing
openings; and a pulley
bordered by a movable anchor lug on an upper side and a movable lid on a lower
side that arc
turnable by coupling a bolt on the side boards to fornl respectively an open
space on the
upper side and the lower side, having a wheel on one end containing a drum
which has a
conical peripheral surface, the drum having a slant slot whicb has two
apertures on two ends
to thread a cord and separate two ends of the cord on the left side and the
right side to pass
through biased holes formed on the movable lid to facilitate pulling of the
cord in a positive
direction and a reverse direction.
Moreover, the axle hole of the invention may bave a pointing ridge to match
the axle so that the axle and the worm may be aligned accurately to keep the
pulley on a
horizontal level, and to allow the cord to be pulled evenly with less efforts.
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CA 02472856 2007-05-01
The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the
invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed
description, which
proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.
ERMF DESCRIPTI N OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional winding wheel.
r"TG. 2 is a schematic view of a convcntional winding wheel.
FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a conventional winding wheel winding a cord.
p'IG. 4 is an exploded view of the invention.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the invention.
FIG. 6 is a cross section of two side boards coupling together.
FIG. 7 is a schematic rear view of the pulley fastening and tbreading a cord
FIG. 8 is a schematic rear view of the pulley fastening to a cord and the cord
threading through the movable lid.
FIG. 9 is a schematic view of the cord winding the pulley on a is returning
position.
FIG. 10 is a schematic front view of the invention after installation.
FIG. 11 is a schematic view of the anchor dock mounting to a track.
FIG. 12 is a schematic view of the anchor dock supported on three points.
GFSCRIPIjON OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the winding wheel of the invention includes an
anchor dock 1, an axle 2, a pulley 3, a movable anchor lug 4 and a movable lid
S. The anchor
dock 1 has a first side board 10 and a second side board 11 coupling with each
other, and two
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CA 02472856 2007-05-01
housing openings 100 and 110 located in the centcr of an upper section thereof
to eouple with
stiuts 21, 22 on two sides of the axle 2. There is a pointing ridge 1100
formed on the upper
side of the housing opening 110, and an arched notch 1000 formed respectively
on two sides
to couple together for housing a stem 300 extending from two sides of a worm
301ocated on
one side of the pulley 3, and apertures 101 and 1 I 1 located on a bottom
section, and two stub
shafts 102 and 112 for coupling with the movable lid 5. The first side board
10 has latching
lugs 103 and 104 located respectively on the upper right and lower left
portions to couple
with matching latch holes 1130 and 1140 formed on the second side board 11.
The first side
board 10 further has a round opening 105 and an anchor arm 106 formed on the
right side.
The anchor arm 106 has a round cavity 1060. The latching lugs 103 and 104
correspond
respectively to jutting stubs 113 and 114 formed in the latch holcs 1130 and
1140, and the
round opening ] 05 and round cavity 1060 eoffespond respectively to wedge rods
115 and 116
on the second side board 11 to form coupling (referring to FIG. 4 and FIG. 6).
Furthermore,
The side boards 10 and 11 have respectively a concave section 107 and 117
formed on the
upper left comcr to couple with a tubular element 40 of the movable anchor lug
4 through a
bolt 400 so that the movable anchor lug 4 is turnable. Beyond the concave
sections 107 and
117, there are respectively a brakc piece 108 and ]] 8 to press against a side
plate 310 of a
wheel 31 of the pulley 3.
The axle 2 has a worm gear 20 formed on the periphery to engage with a
worm 30 formed on, an extended side of the pulley 3 (with teeth 301 of the
worm 30 directing
leftwards or rightwards), and a center hole 200 to allow a shaft to pass
through. The axle 2
has two struts 21 and 22 extending from two sidcs to be housed in the housing
openings 100
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CA 02472856 2007-05-01
and 110. There is a pointing notch 201 formed on the upper peripherat side of
the strut 22
corresponding to the pointing ridge 1100.
The pulley 3 has the worm 30 extending from one side thereof. The worm 30
has the teeth 301 to engage with the worm gear 20 formed in the middle of the
periphery of
the axle 2. The worm 30 has a stem 300 extending from two sides thereof to
couple with the
arched notches 1000 on two sides of the side boards 10 and a 1 in a turnable
fashion. The
pulley 3 has another side fom ng a wheel 31 for winding a cord 6. The wheel 31
has two side
plates 310 pressing a lower end of the brake pieces 108 and 118 located on the
left side of the
side boards 10 and 11. The wheel 31 has a drum 311 of a conical periphernl
sutface in the
center which has a slant slot 3110 formed on the periphery with two apertures
3111 and 3112
on two ends to allow a middle section 60 of the cord 6 to pass through and
form a
knob for anchoring in the inner diameter of the drum 311. Then two ends 61 and
62 of the
cord 6 may pass through two holes 510 and 511 formed in a biased manner on the
movable
lid 5 (as shown in FIG. 7). 'ltereby the positive and revcrse ends 61 and 62
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CA 02472856 2004-06-29
of the cord 6 may be separated and extending towards two sides to
wind around the drum neatly and smoothly without entangling.
The movable anchor lug 4 has one end fastening to a tubular
element 40 to receive and engage with the bolt 400 so that the
tubular element 40 becomes turnable. The left hand side of the
tubular element 40 is extended to form an arched lid 42 and an
arched support block 41 which has a holding trough 410 with an
upward opening for anchoring to the track rim 70 on the top end of
a curtain track 7.
The movable lid 5 has one side attaching to a barrel 50 which has
a center hole 500 with two sides coupling with the stub shafts 102
and 112 of the side boards 10 and 11 so that the movable lid 5
becomes tumable. 'The movable lid 5 has another side extending to
form a lid plate 51 which has a flange 5100 formed on the front end
to move the lid 5 and two holes 510 and 511 formed on one surface
at the front and rear side in a biased manner to allow the positive
and reverse ends 61 and 62 of the cord 6 to thread through
separately.
When in use (referring to FIGS. 8, 9 and 10), the housing
openings 100 and 110 of the side boards 10 and 11 are coupled with
the struts 21 and 22 of the axle 2, and the pointing ridge 1100 above
the housing trough 110 serves as the reference base. The apertures
101 and 111 located on the lower section on the left and the right
sides allow a rope 8 to pass through. The movable lid 5 is located
in the middle section between the apertures 101 and 111. Thus the
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CA 02472856 2004-06-29
movable anchor lug 4 on the upper side and the movable lid 5 on
the lower side may be lifted and extended to give the pulley 3 an
open space at the upper and lower side so that the cord 6 may be
wound or extended without obstruction. Once the cord 6 is wound,
the lid plate 51 of the movable lid 5 holds the pulley 3 which has
the cord wound thereon. The arched support block 41 on one end
of the movable anchor lug 4, coupling with anchor arm 106 on the
right hand side of the anchor dock 1, and the movable lid 5 at the
bottom end may directly hold the anchor dock 1 on a desired
location, and securely hold the anchor dock.l on the track rim 70 on
the top end of the curtain track 7 to form a three-point support for
the anchor dock 1(as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12).
8

Representative Drawing