The present invention relates to Venetian blinds and, more specifically, to a combination curtain and blind arrangement.

In order to enhance the light blocking effect and to make the whole assembly more attractive, a Venetian blind is covered with a curtain. Conventional curtains for Venetian blind commonly have a complicated mounting structure and high manufacturing cost. It takes much time and labor to install a curtain in a Venetian blind. When receiving the blind, the curtain tends to be jammed in between the slats and wrinkled. When the border area of the curtain curved or wrinkled, the sense of beauty of the curtain is destroyed, and the curtain cannot completely block the light.

It is the main object of the present invention to provide a combination and blind arrangement, which enables the user to replace the curtains conveniently.

It is another object of the present invention to provide curtains for Venetian blinds that are inexpensive to manufacture.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a combination curtain and blind arrangement, which enables the curtains to be smoothly suspended from the slats.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a combination curtain and blind arrangement, which prohibits the curtains from flying in the wind.

To achieve these objects of the present invention, the combination curtain and blind arrangement comprises a Venetian blind, and a plurality of curtains. The Venetian blind comprises a headrail, a bottom rail, a plurality of slats, and a lift cord and tilt cord unit adapted for joining the headrail, the bottom rail and the slats and keeping the slats arranged between said headrail and said bottom rail. The curtains are respectively formed of a piece of fabric having a cover face and at least one suspension face extended from the cover face. The cover face of each curtain has an insertion hole unit for the passing of the lift cord and tilt cord unit for enabling the cover face of each curtain to be covered on one slat to hold the at least one suspension face of the respective curtain suspended from the corresponding slat.

• FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a combination curtain and blind arrangement according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
• FIG. 2 is a perspective assembly view of the combination curtain and blind arrangement according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
• FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 2 but showing the combination curtain and blind arrangement decorated with an ornamental curtain.
• FIG. 4 is a perspective exploded view of a combination curtain and blind arrangement according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
• FIG. 5 is a perspective assembly view of the second embodiment of the present invention.
• FIG. 6 is an exploded view of a combination curtain and blind arrangement according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
• FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing the fabrication of the curtain for the combination curtain and blind arrangement shown in FIG. 6.
• FIG. 8 is an exploded view in an enlarged scale of a part of FIG. 6.
• FIG. 9 is a side view showing the received status of the combination curtain and blind arrangement according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
• FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a part of a combination curtain and blind arrangement according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
• FIG. 11 is a perspective assembly view of the combination curtain and blind arrangement according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention.
• FIG. 12 is an extended out view of a curtain according to still another alternate form of the present invention.
• FIG. 13 is a perspective showing the curtain of FIG. 12 folded into shape.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a combination curtain and blind arrangement 100 in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention is shown comprised of a Venetian blind 10, a number of curtains 20.

The Venetian blind 10 comprises a headrail 11, a bottom rail 12, a number of slats 13, and a lift cord and tilt cord unit 14. The headrail 11 is fixedly fastened to the top side of the window. The bottom rail 12 is spaced below the headrail 11. The slats 13 are arranged in parallel between the headrail 11 and the bottom rail 12. The lift cord and tilt cord unit 14 comprises a lift cord 141 and two tilt cords 142. The tilt cords 142 are fastened to the slats 13 and the bottom rail 12 and suspended from the headrail 11. When pulling the tilt cords 142, the slats 13 are tilted. The lift cord 141 is inserted through the slats 13 and connected to the bottom rail 12 and the headrail 11. When operating the lift cord 141, the bottom rail 12 is lifted/lowered and the slats 13 are received/extended out to the desired elevation.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 again, the number of the curtains 20 is equal to the number of the slats 13. The curtains 20 are respectively made of a piece of silk, cotton, or nylon fabric, having a width not smaller than the longitudinal width of the slats 13 and defining a cover face 211 and a suspension face 212 extended from one side of the cover face 21. The cover face 211 has two insertion holes 22. The insertion holes 22 are elongated holes for the passing of the lift cord 141 and the tilt cords 142.

The installation procedure of the aforesaid first embodiment is outlined hereinafter.

Before the installation of the Venetian blind 10, the lift cord 141 and tilt cords 142 of the lift cord and tilt cord unit 14 are inserted through the insertion holes 22 of the curtains 20, enabling the cover faces 211 of the curtains 20 to be respectively covered on the slats 13 at different elevations. After installation of the curtains 20, the Venetian blind 10 is installed in the window. When installed, the slats 13 do not support the suspension faces 212, and the suspension faces 212 of the curtains 20 are respectively suspended from the respective cover faces 211 at one side to keep the slats 13 from sight. When the slats 13 maintained in horizontal, the suspended length of the cover face 211 of each curtain 20 is greater than the distance between the suspended point and the slat 13 on which a next curtain 20 is covered. According to this embodiment, the vertical distance of the suspension face 212 of each curtain 20 is greater than the distance between two slats 13. Thus, the suspension faces 211 of the curtains 20 keep the slats 13 from sight and, stop light from passing through the gap between each two adjacent slats 13.

Further, an ornamental curtain 23 may be secured to the headrail 11 (see FIG. 3) to mask the headrail 1 and the gap between the headrail 11 and the first slat 13, making the combination curtain and blind arrangement more attractive.

In the aforesaid embodiment, the lift cord and the tilt cord of the Venetian blind is exposed to the outside for operation. Alternatively, the Venetian blind can be made having means to keep the lift cord and the tilt cords from sight and out of reach of children.

As indicated above, the curtains are respectively made of a piece of fabric, each having two insertion holes for the passing of the lift cord and the tilt cords so that the curtains can easily be fastened to the blind and covered on the slats to mask the slats and gaps in between the slats. The curtains are easy and inexpensive to manufacture. The consumers can replace the curtains easily.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show a combination curtain and blind arrangement 200 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Similar to the aforesaid first embodiment of the present invention, the combination curtain and blind arrangement 200 is comprised of a Venetian blind 30, and a number of curtains 40. Unlike the aforesaid first embodiment of the present invention, the number of the curtains 40 is one half of the number of the slats 33 of the Venetian blind 30. The curtains 40 are respectively coupled to the odd number (the first, third, fifth, ...) slats 33, each having a cover face 411 and two suspension faces 412;413 respectively extended from the cover face 411 at two sides. When the cover face 411 covered on one slat 33, the suspension faces 412;413 are respectively suspended from two long sides of the corresponding slat 33. The suspended length of each suspension face 412 or 413 is greater than the distance between the slat 33 where the current curtain 40 is covered and the slat 33 where the next curtain 40 is covered, and therefore the suspended faces 412;413 of the curtain 40 completely mask the slats 33 at two sides to block the light.

FIGS. from 6 through 9 show a combination curtain and blind arrangement 300 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. Similar to the aforesaid first and second embodiments of the present invention, the combination curtain and blind arrangement 300 is comprised of a Venetian blind 50, and a number of curtains 60. According to this embodiment, the curtains 60 each comprise a cover face 611, and two suspension faces 612;613 extended from the cover face 611 at two sides. The cover face 611 has two elongated insertion holes 62 (see FIG. 7A) for the passing of the lift cord and the tilt cords of the Venetian blind 50. The fabric curtain body of each curtain 60 has a first peripheral side 614, a second peripheral side 615 opposite to the first peripheral side 614, a third peripheral side 616 connected between the first peripheral side 614 and the second peripheral side 615 at one side, and a fourth peripheral side 617 connected between the first peripheral side 614 and the second peripheral side 615 at one side opposite to the third peripheral side 616. The border areas of the first and second peripheral sides 614;615 are respectively folded inwards to a predetermined distance and then bilaterally stitched to the fabric curtain body of the respective curtain 60, forming a respective pocket 63 (see FIG. 7B). The distance between the pockets 63 is approximately equal to the longitudinal length of the slats. The width of the pockets 63 is approximately equal to length of the long sides of the slats 53. During installation, the two ends of each of the slats 53 are respectively inserted into the pockets 63 at the first and second peripheral sides 614;615 of the curtains 60, keeping the curtains 60 secured to the slats 53 and the cover faces 611 of the curtains 60 respectively covered on the respective slats 53.

Referring to FIG. 7C and FIGS. 8 and 9, the border areas of the third and fourth peripheral sides 616;617 are respectively folded inwards to a predetermined distance and then stitched to the fabric curtain body of the respective curtain 60, forming a respective pocket 64 (see FIG. 7C). The depth of the pocket 64 is approximately equal to the horizontal length of the suspension faces 612;613 (longitudinal length of the slats 53). The pockets 64 at the third and fourth peripheral sides 616;617 of each curtain 60 each have an opening 641 in one end. Through the openings 641 of the pockets 64, weights 65 are respectively inserted into the pockets 64 (see FIG. 8). The weights 65 are heavy rod members approximately equal to the horizontal length of the pockets 64. The weights 65 impart a downward pressure to the suspension faces 612;613 of the curtains 60, prohibiting the suspension faces 612;613 of the curtains 60 from flying in the wind. Because of the effect of the weights 65, the curtains 60 are arranged in a stack (see FIG. 9) when the slats 53 received.

FIGS. 10 and 11 show a combination curtain and blind arrangement 400 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. According to this embodiment, the combination curtain and blind arrangement 400 is comprised of a Venetian blind 70 and a number of curtains 80. Each curtain 80 has two sets of insertion holes 82. Each set of insertion holes 82 includes three insertion holes 821 for the passing of the lift cord 741 and the tilt cords 742 of the Venetian blind 70.

FIGS. 12 and 13 show a curtain 90 constructed according to still another alternate form of the present invention. According to this alternate form, the curtain 90 has two end flaps 918;919 respectively extended from two sides (the first and second peripheral sides) of the cover face 91.

Further, the weights may be respectively attached to the curtains and then the curtains are stitched to secure the weights in position.