Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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CORD FIXER FOR VENETIAN BLIND
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This instant invention relates to a cord fixer for
venetian blind and, more particularly, to a plate for
easily securing a lift cord to a bottomrail and yet being
able to adjust the lift cord length and the relative
position of the bottomrail.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A traditional horizontal blind generally has a
headrail, a plurality of slats, a bottomrail, and a lift
cord penetrates through the slats from the headrail
extending downwardly to the bottomrail and out through
the underside bore of a cord fixer inserted within the
bottomrail and, subsequently entangling a knot at a
proper position on the lift cord, such knot of the lift
cord is comparatively bigger than the diameter of the
bore of the cord fixer so as to fasten the lift cord upon
the cord fixer.
To achieve better adjustability of the lift cord
length in relation to the cord fixer, U.S. Pat.
Nos.61 19757 and 6302183 both disclose a cord fixer for
a horizontal blind, in which the bottomrail has an
opening at a corresponding position to the lift cord, and
a snug-fitted type of cord fixer fastened in the opening.
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The lift cord is entangled into a knot at its free end after
passing through the opening of the cord fixer, and then
the cord fixer is fitted tightly within the predetermined
position in the bottomrail, so that the lift cord is stably
fastened upon the cord fixer in the bottomrail. The U.S.
Pat. No. 6463985 to Pey-Son the lift cord passes through
the bottomrail and out of the cord fixer, the free end of
the lift cord is fastened into a knot for securing purpose.
In addition, the U.S. Pat. Nos. 6948216, 6845801,
5769143, 5518057, 4886102 and 4621673 disclose
alternate types of cord fixers in varying structures for
horizontal blinds so as to acquire effortless assembly
process.
However, horizontal blinds generally have varying
specifications, so workers at assembly lines have to
substantially adjust both the lift cord length and the
position of the associated rails according to a specific
blind size, so as to obtain great extent on light blockage
and aesthetic appearance of the blind. As mentioned
previously, the prior art is commonly seen and designed
utilizing the knot entangled at the free end of the lift
cord for securing the lift cord upon the bottomrail,
however, such knot is not easily disentangled and,
consequently, the lift cord length is difficult to readjust
by means of cord fixer. Accordingly, there is an urgent
need in the horizontal blind industry for a cord fixer
structure, which readily and quickly secured to the
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associated rails of a horizontal blind assembly to secure
the lower end of the lift cord to the bottommost rail in
the manufacturing and assembly process.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A cord fixer for a blind according to the instant
invention is installed in a bottomrail of a blind that
includes a headrail, a plurality of slats provided
between the headrail and the bottomrail, plural lift cords
extending downwardly from the headrail, through the
slats to the bottomrail and then subsequently fastened
with at least one cord fixer within the bottomrail. The
cord fixers have an upper surface facing to the slats and
a bottom surface facing to the bottomrail, allowing the
lift cord to pass through. And at least one fitting member
is protruded outwardly on the bottom surface of the cord
fixer, allowing the lift cord to be securely wound about
thereon. Besides, a fitting groove is further provided at
end portion of such fitting member for securely receipt
of the lift cord therebetween. The cord fixer depicted in
the instant invention not only can suspend the bottomrail,
but also allow the lift cords to be stably fitted within the
fitting groove of the fitting members after wrapping
around the fitting members, so the lift cords can be
immovably kept by fastening itself in the fitting grooves
without entangling the free end of life cord into a knot.
Therefore, it has proven to provide an effortless and
user-friendly method on the extent of adjustability of
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lift cord length and rails positions during assembly and
disassembly process in accordance to the actual blind
sizes and thusly, reducing the labor time and process
necessary to manufacturing a horizontal blind asseinbly.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
This invention will be better understood by
referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Figure I is a partial exploded perspective view of
a blind with a cord fixer in the present invention;
Figure 2 is a side view of a bottomrail and the cord
fixer combined in the present invention;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the cord fixer in
the present invention;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the cord fixer
with a lift cord combined in a first way in the present
invention;
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the cord fixer
combined with the lift cord in a second way in the
present invention;
Figure 6 is a perspective view of the cord fixer
combined with the lift cord in a third way in the present
invention;
Figure 7 is a perspective view of the cord fixer
combined with the lift cord in a fourth way in the present
invention;
Figure 8 is a perspective view of the cord fixer
combined with the lift cord in a fifth way in the present
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invention;
Figure 9 is a partial exploded perspective view of
a second preferred embodiment of a cord fixer for a blind
in the present invention;
Figure 10 is a partial exploded perspective view of
a third preferred embodiment of a cord fixer for a blind
in the present invention; and
Figure 11 is a side view of a fourth preferred
embodiment of a cord fixer for a blind in the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED
EMBODIMENTS
A first preferred embodiment of a cord fixer 50 for
a blind in the present invention, referring initially to
FIGS. 1-3, is combined with a blind, which includes a
plurality of slats 10, a headrail 20, a bottomrail 30, and
two lift cords 40 extending downwardly from two sides
of the headrail 20 through the slats 10 and reaching the
bottomrail 30. The headrail 20 and the bottomrail 30
respectively having a through hole (not shown) for the
lift cords 40 to pass through, and the lift cords 40 are
respectively fixed stably upon the cord fixer 50 and
eventually restored within the corresponding bottomrail
30.
The bottomrail 30 is provided with a lengthwise
hollow space 31 with an upper opening along the
longitudinal axis, a block member 32 is respectively
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formed extending from two sides of the upper opening of
the hollow space 31, so the cord fixer 50 may be kept
within the hollow space 31 and thusly, being restrained
in position between the two block meinbers 32. The
lowest slat 10 is provided with an insert meinber 33 at
interior for connecting the associated slat 10 with the
bottomrail 30 and further securely positioned between
the opening of the hollow space 31 and the cord fixer 50.
The insert member 33 has a hole (not shown) at a point
corresponding to the cord fixer 50 so that the cord fixer
50 is securely restrained in position by the block member
32 with the lift cord 40 passing through such hole (not
shown) on the insert member 33. Moreover, the
bottoinrail 30 is provided with a respective seal cover 34
at two lateral sides.
The cord fixer 50 is a rectangular plate,
configured with a central hole 51 having respective
longer sides and shorter sides. In this embodiment, the
bottomrail width is extensive great in degree, so the
cord fixture 50 is inserted with its longer sides mating
to the interior of upwardly extending side walls of the
bottomrail 30. Further, the cord fixer 50 has an upper
surface 52 facing to the lowest slat 10 and a bottom
surface 53 facing to the bottomrail 30, the central hole
51 is constructed and arranged to penetrate through the
central passage between the upper surface 52 and bottom
surface 53 and a cylindrical member 521 is fixed on the
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upper surface 52, having a shaft hole (not shown)
communicating with the central hole 51 for the lift cord
40 to pass through. Further, a fitting member 54 is
respectively formed on the bottoin surface 53 at a proper
location corresponding to the opposite side of the
central hole 51, which is further provided with a
position-limiting block 541 at the end portion of the
respective fitting member in parallel relation to the
bottom surface 53 so that the lift cord 40 may be wrapped
around thereon and stably restrained in position after
passing through the central hole 51, and thusly being
securely received within one of the fitting grooves 542
formed at end portion of the fitting member 541.
Next, in assembly process, the lift cord 40 is made
to pass through the hole (not shown) of the insert
member 33 inside the lowest slat 10, then out of the
central hole 51 of the cord fixer 50, properly wound
around the fitting member 54 and subsequently received
within the fitting groove 542. Referring to FIG. 4, a
first wrapping method for such lift cords is shown. After
the lift cord 40 is extended through the central hole 51
of the cord fixer 50 and directed to wind around the
periphery of the right fitting member 54 then redirected
to wind around the periphery of the left fitting member
54 located at diagonal orientation, the free end of the
lift cord 40 is eventually received within the fitting
groove 542 locating between the right fitting members
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54, forming a figure eight-like twisting. Finally the
lengthwise sides of the cord fixer 50 are inserted
through the lateral (short) side of the bottomrail 30 into
the hollow space 31 to complete the assembly process.
Therefore, the lift cord 40 can be readily disassembled
from and reassembled to the cord fixer 50 according to
the varying blind sizes so that the length of the lift cord
40 may be subsequently adjusted.
Referring to FIG. 5, another lift cord wrapping
method is shown, wherein the lift cord 40 is made to
extend out of the central hole 51 of the cord fixer 50
first, then travels towards the right fitting member 54
and being wound around the outer side of the right
fitting member 54, then travels to the left fitting member
54 and being wound around the periphery of the left
fitting member 54, and the free end of the lift cord 40 is
then fitted tightly within the fitting groove 542 of the
right fitting member 54.
Referring to FIG. 6, yet a third lift cord wrapping
method is depicted, wherein the lift cord 40 is made to
extend through the central hole 51 of the cord fixer 50
first, then to be fitted within the fitting groove 542 of
the right fitting member 54, and subsequently disposed
along the outer rim portion of abutting fitting member 54
to redirect itself to the periphery of the left fitting
member 54 at diagonal orientation, and eventually fitted
within the fitting groove 542 locating between the left
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through the central hole 51 of the cord fixer 50 first, the
lift cord 40 being disposed around the periphery of the
right fitting member 54 at one side then directed to the
1 5 opposite side of the right fitting member 54, making at
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blind, which is almost resembled to the structure of the
first embodiment, except that the blind has three rails
namely, a headrail 20, a middle rail 60 and a bottomrail
30, with a cord fixer 50 being installed within the middle
rail 60 and the bottomrail 30.
Moreover, FIG. 11 shows a cross-sectional view of
another embodiment of the bottomrail 30 combined with
the cord fixer 50, the structure and effect of both
components are almost resembled to aforesaid
embodiments except the bottomrail 30 now is composed
of an upper cover 35 with a downwardly extending
opening and a lower cover 36 with an upwardly extending
opening, with the upper cover 35 slidably positioned at
interior of~ two upwardly extending side walls of the
lower cover 36 along the longitudinal axis so as to form
a hollow space 31 therein between the upper cover 35 and
the lower cover 36.
In addition, the width of the fitting groove 542 of
the cord fixer 50 is designed to have relatively smaller
extent than the diameter of the lift cord 40, so the lift
cord 40 will not become slacking and subsequently slip
away from the fitting groove 542 once being secured
therein. Consequently, while one attempts to replace the
slats 10 or perform the slats 10 cut downs, the blind can
be readily dismantled and reassembled with the
rearrangement of the lift cord 40 and yet flexibly adjust
both the positions of the lift cord 40 and the associated
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rails, thereby, effectively reducing the time and tedious
step of fastening the free end of the lift cord 40 to the
associated rails.
The instant invention offers the following
advantages:
1. By means of fitting members of the cord
fixer, the lift cord can be properly wrapped around the
associated fitting members first and then securely
fastened within one of the fitting grooves without the
independent step of entangling the free end of the lift
cord into a knot. The cord fixer of the present
invention configured with simple design providing an
effortless way to flexibly adjust and fasten the lift
cord to the associated rails by interacting action
between the lift cords and corresponding fitting
members.
2. The cord fixer of the instant invention is
designed to releasably fasten with the lift cord, so it
can be flexibly positioned along the lift cord in
accordance to the practical usage and thereby, the
bottomrail position can be quickly readjusted,
ensuring the blind length to fully coordinate with the
actual window frame specifications.
While the preferred embodiment of the invention
has 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
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such modifications that may fall within the spirit and
scope of the invention.
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