Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02486333 2004-10-26
COLLAPSING AND SECURING DEVICE OF
LATERAL BLINDS
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
S 1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a collapsing and securing
device of lateral blinds, particularly to one manually
handled without using a pull rope as used in a convention
lateral blind for effectively preventing potential
dangers from happening.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional lateral blinds such as winding blinds,
roman blinds, or cloth blinds generally are provided with
a pull rope with a loop for a user to pull for collapsing
and expanding them and secured at one of many wound-up
(or collapsed) positions, for opening or closing them so
as to attain shading sunlight or to make the blinds as a
decoration, or keeping its interior of a room from being
seen from the exterior.
However, the pulling rope is always provided with
a loop for griping and exposed and drooping down so
there is a potential danger of the neck of a small child
getting caught by the loop of the pull rope of the child is
playing near the blind. Therefore, it is a pressing need
that this unseen danger has to be gotten rid of
conventional lateral blinds.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
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A collapsing and securing device of lateral blinds
in the invention has a number of positioning members
fixed at least on one surface of a lateral blind so that the
positioning members can temporarily adhere, stick or
attract one another to secure the lateral blind at one of
many collapsed (or wound up) position in case the lateral
blind is manually wound up. The collapsed lateral blind
can also easily be released to expand down manually. The
invention does not use pull ropes with a pool as used in
a conventional lateral blind, preventing potential
dangers that a small child's neck may be hooked by the
pool of the pull ropes, as may happen to the conventional
lateral blinds.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
This invention will be better understood by
referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a lateral blind
provided with a first embodiment of a collapsing and
securing device in the present invention;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the lateral blind
provided with the first embodiment of a collapsing and
securing device in the present invention, showing it
being collapsed;
Figure 3 is a partial side cross-sectional view of
the lateral blind provided with the first embodiment of a
collapsing and securing device in the present invention,
showing it being collapsed;
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Figure 4 is a perspective view of a lateral blind
provided with a second embodiment of a collapsing and
securing device in the present invention;
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the lateral blind
provided with the second embodiment of a collapsing and
securing device in the present invention, showing it
being collapsed;
Figure 6 is a partial side cross-sectional view of
the lateral blind provided with the second embodiment of
a collapsing and securing device in the present invention,
showing it being collapsed;
Figure 7 is a perspective view of a lateral blind
provided with a third embodiment of a collapsing and
securing device in the present invention;
Figure 8 is a perspective view of the lateral blind
provided with the third embodiment of a collapsing
securing device in the present invention, showing it
being collapsed; and,
Figure 9 is a partial cross-sectional view of the
lateral blind provided with the third embodiment of a
collapsing and securing device in the present invention,
showing it being collapsed.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED
EMBODIMENTS
A first embodiment of a collapsing and securing
device of a lateral blind in the present invention, as
shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, includes a lateral blind 10,
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two positioning members 20, blind strips 30, and a lower
rod 40, as main components.
The lateral blind 10 is composed of plural curtain
strips 30 forming a front body and a rear body of the
lateral blind 10.
The two positioning members 20 are made of
Velcro bands 21, adhered lengthwise and parallel on a
left side and a right side of the outer surface and of the
inner surface of the lateral blind 10 from an upper edge
to the lower edge.
The lower rod 40 is combined with the lower end of
the lateral blind 10 and protruding out of the right and
the left .side edge of the lateral blind 10 for a proper
length to form respectively a grip 41 for a user to hold.
In using the first embodiment of the collapsing and
securing device, a user holds the two grips 41 of the
lower rod 40 and winds up the lower rod 40 toward the
rear side of the lateral blind 10, letting the Velcro bands
21 of the outer positioning members 20 on the outer
surface of the lateral blind 10 coming to contact and
adhere to the Velcro bands 21 of the inner positioning
members on the inner surface of the lateral blind 10 so
that the wounded portion of the winding curtain 10 may
be kept immovable at that position, with the lower rod 40
not rolling down. Thus, the lateral blind 10 can be
collapsed to any of many wounded-up positions as
needed.
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On the contrary, if the wounded-up (or collapsed)
lateral blind 10 is wanted to be pulled Or expanded down,
a user holds the two grips 41, pulls and rolls the lower
rod 40 down, with the two sets of the Velcro bands 21 of
the position members 20 mutually and forcefully
separated from each other.
Next, Figs. 4, 5 and 6 show a second embodiment
of a collapsing and securing device of a lateral blind in
the present invention, which is used for a Roman blind
50. It includes two sets of two positioning members 20,
and a plurality of blind strips 30 connected with lateral
tubular members respectively between two blind strips
30 so as to form the Roman blind 50.
The two positioning members 20 are provided on a
right side and a left side of an inner surface of the blind
strips 30, respectively consisting of plural sets of two
spaced Velcro bands 22 adhered an the inner surface of
each blind strip 30.
In using the second embodiment of the collapsing
and securing device, a user begins to fold up each blind
strip 30 to let a lower half portion of the strip 30 to
contact with an upper half portion of the same strip 30 so
that the lower Velcro band 22 may overlap and tightly
tangle with the upper Velcro band 22, and so repeating
the same operation and then all the element strips 30 may
be collapsed completely. On the contrary, if the lateral
blind is to be expanded down from a collapsed position,
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a user pulls down the each folded blind strip 30, letting
each set of the Velcro bands 22 separated from each
other.
In addition, Figs. 7, 8 and 9 show a third
embodiment of a collapsing and securing device a lateral
blind, in which positioning members 20 are made of
plural magnets 23, and a plurality of wooden bars 60
fixed laterally and spaced apart on a front surface of a
Roman blind for collapsing. Then the magnets 23 are
fixed respectively at a right side and a left side of each
wooden rod 60. In using, a user pushes up the wooden
rods 60 to lie side by side and to let the magnets 23
mutually attract one another, with each section oil the
Roman blind 50 folded and kept in that position by the
attracting force of the magnets 23. The collapsed
condition of the third embodiment is almost the same as
that of the second embodiment. On the contrary, in
expanding the collapsed condition of the lateral blind
provided with the third embodiment, a user pulls the
wooden rods 60 to separate from one another, forcing the
magnets 23 separate from one another at the same time.
Moreover, the magnets 23 used for the positioning
members 20 can be replaced by hooks or Velcro bands
(not shown in the Figures).
Besides, a fourth embodiment of the invention can
be applied to a wave-shaped lateral blind (shown)
includes positioning members provided with Velcro
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bands, magnets, or hooks fixed spaced apart, and then
attached lengthwise on an inner surface of a lateral blind.
Then the lateral blind forms plural waves between every
two positioning members in case of being collapsed,
enabling every upper and every lower element of the
positioning members to adhere, attract or hook with each
other so as to keep the collapsed position.
The invention has the following advantages, as can
be understood from the foresaid description.
1. The positioning member can used to
collapse and secure at the same time a lateral blind
such as a winding blind, a Roman blind, or a cloth
blind, without using a pull rope with a loop as used in
a conventional lateral blind so as to get rid of
potential dangers involved in the conventional ones.
2. It includes different embodiments for a
consumer to select according to personal taste,
applicable to a common lateral blind, a Roman blind or
a cloth blind.
3. A lateral blind provided with any
embodiment of a collapsing and securing device in the
invention can be handled with a little force and
quickness, as the positioning members used are very
simple materials such as Velcro bands, magnets etc.
generating attractive force or tangling and sticking
force.
While the preferred embodiments of the invention
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have been described above, it will be recognized and
understood that various modifications may be made
therein and the appended claims are intended to cover all
such modifications that may fall within the spirit and
scope of the invention.
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