Device for automatic locking of a rolling blind

Abstract

 A device for automatic locking of a rolling blind comprises a tab (15) which is pushed by a spring (12) to be inserted automatically in a seat made in the blind guide rail (7) at the end of the descent or closure movement of the blind (1) and is automatically withdrawn from said seat at the beginning of the ascent or opening movement of the blind (1). by means of a cable (13) fixed to the blind winding roller (5) and is cheap, reliable and easy to be manufactured, the same components can be assembled in right-hand or left-hand arrangement and in case of default the rolling blind can be actuated also manually.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for automatic locking of a rolling blind in the lowered position, unlocking it also automatically when the blind is being raised, the device being of very easy construction and operation, ready to be assembled and of very reduced cost.

[0002] It is known that there are several devices to lock a rolling blind in the lowered position, but all these devices require a manual or powered operation to lock or unlock them. The most common device for instance consists of a bolt applied on the inner side of one of the slats of the rolling blind and manually actuated in order to insert it in a corresponding seat in the blind slide or withdraw it therefrom. In some cases there are expensive powered control devices or complex lock devices.

[0003] The object of the present invention is to provide adevice whereby both locking and unlocking operations occur automatically in a simple, reliable and economic way with the downward and upward movement of the blind, respectively.

[0004] The present invention solves this problem in an optimal way by a device consisting of a tab which is urged by a spring and is automatically inserted in a seat made in the blind slide at the end of the blind descent or closure stage, and is automatically withdrawn from said seat at the beginning of the blind ascent or opening stage, being drawn by a cable fixed to the blind winding roller.

[0005] These and other features, objects and advantages of the invention will however become apparent and clear from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a partially sectioned side view of the device of the invention, applied to an articulated rolling blind;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the inner side of the device;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device; and

Fig. 4 is a front view of the outer side of the device.

[0006] With reference now to the various figures of the accompanying drawings and firstly to Fig. 1, the rolling blind 1, as it is well known, consists of several slats 2, preferably made of metal, articulated to one another by their complementary edges 3 and 4 inserted into each other.

[0007] The blind is wound on a roller 5 arranged inside a box 6 and runs in slides or rails 7 placed on both vertical sides of the opening (door or window) to be protected by said blind.

[0008] The automatic locking device 8 according to the present invention is applied on one of the uppermost slats of the rolling blind and preferably on the third slat starting from top, that is from the first slat fixed to the roller 5.

[0009] As one can see very well from Figs. 2, 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings, said device 8 consists of a metal box-like housing 9 with mounting lugs 10, in which a metal channel 11 is arranged by suitable means such as spot-welding, said channel being the rail or guide for a compression spring 12 coaxially wound around a control cable 13. Another shaped metal plate 14 slides inside housing 9 as a guiding and fixing member for a locking tab 15 and has a central tongue 16 to which the control cable 13 is connected.

[0010] On one of the mounting lugs 10 another box-like metal element 17 is applied, adapted to support and guide said tab 15 which is the element actually carrying out the locking step for the rolling blind.

[0011] The metal cable 13 is fixed to said tongue 16 by a riveted member 18 and the angular transmission of the cable 13 is obtained by two cylindrical pins 19 provided with sliding races 20.

[0012] It is to be pointed out that there are two pins 19 in order to allow right-hand or left-hand assembling of the device, so as to avoid two sets of elements and corresponding dies, without any structural change.

[0013] On the box-like housing 9 there is a hole 21 and an adjoining slot 22 allowing to actuate a threaded member 23 connecting the guide plate 14 with the tab 15 so as to attach or detach the control cable 13, and at the same time to move manually said locking tab 15.

[0014] In practice, the cable 13 fixed to the locking tab 15 runs inside the compression spring 12, passes through a hole in the housing near the cylindrical pins 19 and sliding on their races 20 extends to the roller 5 for the blind 1, and is anchored on the roller surface by any suitable fastening system.

[0015] Operation of the device according to the present invention is obtained by unwinding the blind and at the end of the descent, cable 13 becomes slackened so that the spring 12 may push outwardly the locking tab 15, which on finding a suitable seat (not shown) in the guide rail 7, enters it and automatically locks the blind. Conversely, at the beginning of the ascent, i.e. when one starts winding the blind, the cable 13 is stretched and draws the locking tab 15 inside the channel 11 against the force of spring 12 and causes the tab to be withdrawn from the seat in the rail 7 so as to unlock immediately and automatically the blind as soon as its winding is started. The device according to the present invention may be applied on both sides of the rolling blind as the device is ambidexterous without requiring any modification, as already stated.

[0016] Finally it is to be pointed out that the preceding detailed description of the illustrative embodiment does not limit the field of the invention, but on the contrary it is to be understood that many modifications, variations, additions and substitutions of elements may be resorted to the device of the invention without altering its spirit and objects and without departing from its scope of protection, as it is also defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1) Device for the automatic locking of a rolling blind (1), characterized by the fact of comprising a tab (15) which is pushed by a spring (12) to be inserted automatically in a seat made in the blind guide rail (7) at the end of the descent or closure movement of the blind (1) and is automatically withdrawn from said seat at the beginning of the ascent or opening movement of the blind (1), by means of a cable (13) fixed to the blind winding roller (5).

2) Device according to Claim 1, characterized by the fact that the locking tab (15) is slidingly arranged in a box-like support element (17) fixed to one of the mounting lugs (10) of the box-like housing (9) of the device (8).

3) Device according to Claim 1, characterized by the fact that the compression spring (12) is arranged in a guide channel (11) fixed inside the box-like housing (9).

4) Device according to Claim 1, characterized by the fact that the control cable (13) is angled at 90 degrees by means of two cylindrical pins (19) provided with sliding races (20) allowing to mount the device in the right-hand or left-hand position without any mechanical or structural modification.

5) Device according to Claim 1, characterized by the fact that a hole (21) with adjoining longitudinal slot (22) allows to effect, without removing the device (1), replacement of the control cable (13) and manual actuation of the locking tab (15) so as to ensure blind unlocking in case of device default.

6) Device for automatic locking of a rolling blind, substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated in the figures of the accompanying drawings, for the above mentioned objects.

Drawing