Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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19534P0030CA01
1
WINDOW BLIND ASSEMBLY WITH A RELEASABLE
CURTAIN-DRAWING MECHANISM
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a window blind
assembly, more particularly to a window blind assembly
provided with a releasable curtain-drawing mechanism.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a conventional window
blind assembly is exemplified as a roman blind 1 that
includes a top rail 11 adapted to be disposed at a top
edge of a window, a drawable light-blocking curtain 12
hung from the top rail 11, and a pull cord 14 for drawing
up and lowering the drawable light-blocking curtain 12.
The drawable light-blocking curtain 12 is provided with
a plurality of assembly pockets 122 vertically spaced
apart from each other. The roman blind 1 further
includes: a plurality of horizontal rods 131 disposed
in the assembly pockets 122, respectively; two sets of
vertically aligned connecting straps 132 connected to
a rear side of the drawable light-blocking curtain 12,
and vertically spaced apart from each other; and two
sets of buckles 133 connected to a corresponding set
of the vertically aligned connecting straps 132,
respectively. The pull cord 14 includes an operating
section 143 disposed in front of the drawable
light-blocking curtain 12 for allowing a user to draw
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up or lower the drawable light-blocking curtain 12, and
a pair of connecting sections 144. Each of the
connecting sections 144 of the pull cord 14 extends
through a corresponding set of the buckles 133, and is
attached to a lowest one of the buckles 133 in the
corresponding set.
Generally, the connecting sections 144 are fixedly
attached to the lowest ones of the buckles 133 so as
to prevent release of the pull cord 14 from the drawable
light-blocking curtain 12. However, such an
arrangement is dangerous for children playing with the
pull cord 14. In particular, the arrangement as such
can lead to strangulation when the pull cord 14 is wound
on the neck of a child playing with the pull cord 14.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to
provide a window blind assembly provided with a
releasable curtain-drawing mechanism to enhance safety
and convenience during use.
Accordingly, a window blind assembly of this
invention comprises a top rail, a drawable curtain, and
a releasable curtain-drawing mechanism. The drawable
curtain has an upper section hung from the top rail,
and a lower section extending downwardly from the upper
section. The releasable curtain-drawing mechanism
includes a pull cord for drawing up and lowering the
drawable curtain, and at least one magnetic connecting
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unit for connecting releasably the pull cord to the lower
section of the drawable curtain. The magnetic
connecting unit includes a first magnetic member
connected to the pull cord, and a second magnetic member
connected to the lower section of the drawable curtain.
The second magnetic member is releasably connected to
the first magnetic member via a magnetic force
therebetween.
The magnetic force is sufficient to bear the weight
of the drawable curtain so as to maintain connection
between the first and second magnetic members and thus
between the pull cord and the lower section of the
drawable curtain when the drawable curtain is lowered
from the top rail. The pull cord is released from the
lower section of the drawable curtain when a pulling
force that is sufficient to release the first magnetic
member from the second magnetic member is applied to
the pull cord while the drawable curtain is in a fully
drawn up state.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other features and advantages of the present
invention will become apparent in the following detailed
description of the preferred embodiments with reference
to the accompanying drawings, of which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a conventional roman
blind;
Figure 2 is a side view of the conventional roman
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blind shown in Figure 1, illustrating a state where a
drawable light-blocking curtain of the conventional
roman blind is fully drawn up;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of a first preferred
embodiment of a window blind assembly with a releasable
curtain-drawing mechanism of the present invention;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of a magnetic
connecting unit of the releasable curtain-drawing
mechanism of the first preferred embodiment;
Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the magnetic
connecting unit of the first preferred embodiment;
Figure 6 is a perspective view of a second preferred
embodiment of a window blind assembly with a releasable
curtain-drawing mechanism of the present invention; and
Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of a magnetic
connecting unit of the second preferred embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Before the present invention is described in greater
detail, it should be noted that like elements are denoted
by the same reference numerals throughout the
disclosure.
Referring to Figures 3 to 5, the first preferred
embodiment of a window blind assembly of the present
invention is shown to be in the form of a roman blind
adapted to be installed at a top edge of a window. The
roman blind of this embodiment includes a top rail 2
adapted to be disposed at the top edge of the window,
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a light-blocking unit 3 hung from the top rail 2, and
a releasable curtain-drawing mechanism 4 for drawing
up and lowering the light-blocking unit 3.
The light-blocking unit 3 includes a drawable curtain
5 31 capable of blocking light. The drawable curtain 31
has an upper section 310 hung from the top rail 2, a
lower section 311 extending downwardly from the upper
section 310, and a plurality of assembly pockets 312
disposed horizontally at the drawable curtain 31 and
vertically spaced apart from each other. The
light-blocking unit 3 further includes a plurality of
horizontal rods 321 respectively disposed in the
assembly pockets 312, two sets of vertically aligned
connecting straps 322 connected to a rear side of the
drawable curtain 31, and a plurality of buckles 323,
323'. The connecting straps 322 are vertically spaced
apart from each other, and are disposed adjacent to a
corresponding one of the assembly pockets 312. Each
of the buckles 323, 323' is connected to a corresponding
one of the connecting straps 322, and the lowest two
of the buckles 323' are respectively connected to the
lowest two of the connecting straps 322 disposed at a
top edge of the lower section 311 of the drawable curtain
31.
In this embodiment, the releasable curtain-drawing
mechanism 4 includes a pull cord 41 extending through
the top rail 2 for drawing up and lowering the drawable
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curtain 31, and a pair of magnetic connecting units 5
for connecting releasably the pull cord 41 to the lower
section 311 of the drawable curtain 31. Each of the
magnetic connecting units 5 includes a first magnetic
member 51 connected to the pull cord 41, and a second
magnetic member 52 connected to a corresponding one of
the lowest buckles 323' on the lower section 311 of the
drawable curtain 31. The second magnetic member 52 is
releasably connected to the first magnetic member 51
via a magnetic force therebetween. The pull cord 41
includes an operating section 411 disposed in front of
the drawable curtain 31, and a pair of connecting
sections 412 disposed behind the drawable curtain 31
and spaced apart from each other in a left-right
direction. Each of the connecting sections 412 extends
through a corresponding one of the buckles 323, and has
a connecting end 413 attached to the first magnetic
member 51 of a corresponding one of the magnetic
connecting units S.
For each of the magnetic connecting units 5, the first
magnetic member 51 includes a first block 511 made of
plastic, and a first magnetic component 512 disposed
at the first block 511. The first block 511 has a first
top end 518 and a first bottom end 517 opposite to the
first top end 518, and is formed with a first through
hole 516 adjacent to the first top end 518 for coupling
with a corresponding one of the connecting ends 413 of
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the connecting sections 412 of the pull cord 41. The
second magnetic member 52 includes a second block 521
made of plastic, and a second magnetic component 522
disposed at the second block 521. The second block 521
has a second top end 527 and a second bottom end 528
opposite to the second top end 527. The second block
521 is formed with a second through hole 526 adjacent
to the second bottom end 528 for coupling with a
corresponding one of the lowest buckles 323'. The first
magnetic component 512 is a made of a magnetically
attracting material, such as a permanent magnet, and
the second magnetic component 522 is made of the
magnetically attracting material or a magnetically
attracted material, i.e., a material that can be
attracted by a magnet.
The magnetic force between the first and second
magnetic components 512, 522 can be designed according
to particular requirements. The magnetic force is
sufficient to bear the weight of the drawable curtain
31 so as to maintain connection between the first and
second magnetic members 51, 52 and thus between the pull
cord 41 and the lower section 311 of the drawable curtain
31 when the drawable curtain 31 is lowered from the top
rail 2.
In this embodiment, the second top end 527 of the
second block 521 is configured with afrustoconicalmale
coupling part 529 that projects toward the first bottom
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end 517 of the first block 511, and that is formed with
a second recess 525 for retaining the second magnetic
component 522 therein. The first bottom end 517 of the
first block 511 is formed with a female coupling part
519 that complements the male coupling part 529, that
is formed with a first recess 515 for retaining the first
magnetic component 512 therein, and that receives
removably the male coupling part 529. The second top
end 527 has an annular top surface 523, and the male
coupling part 529 of the second block 521 has an inclined
outer surrounding surface 524 upwardly and inwardly
extending from the annular top surface 523. The first
bottom end 517 has an annular bottom surface 513
corresponding to the annular top surface 523. The
female coupling part 519 of the first block 511 has an
inclined inner surrounding surface 514 engaging the
outer surrounding surface 524 of the male coupling part
529 and converging from the annular bottom surface 513
to the first recess 515. Therefore, the second magnetic
member 52 can be automatically guided into alignment
with the first magnetic member 51 when the second
magnetic member 52 is connected to the first magnetic
member 51.
It should be noted that the pull cord 41 is released
from the lower section 311 of the drawable curtain 31
when a pulling force that is sufficient to release the
first magnetic member 51 from the second magnetic member
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52 is applied to the pull cord 41 while the drawable
curtain 31 is in a fully drawn up state. Therefore,
when the pull cord 41 is wound on the neck of a child
playing with the same, the pull cord 41 will be instantly
and automatically released from the drawable curtain
31 due to the weight of the child that is certainly
sufficient to release the first magnetic member 51 from
the second magnetic member 52, thereby alleviating
accidental strangulation.
Referring to Figures 6 and 7, the second preferred
embodiment of the window blind assembly of this invention
is shown to be similar to the first preferred embodiment.
In this embodiment, each of the magnetic connecting units
5 further includes a cord section 53 having one end
connected to the second block 521 at the second through
hole 526 and an opposite end connected to the
corresponding one of the lowest buckles 323'. By virtue
of the cord sections 53, the magnetic members 51, 52
of the magnetic connecting units 5 can be disposed
spacedly from the lower section 311 of the drawable
curtain 31.
While the present invention has been described in
connection with what are considered the most practical
and preferred embodiments, it is understood that this
invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments
but is intended to cover various arrangements included
within the spirit and scope of the broadest
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interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications
and equivalent arrangements.
