[0001] The subject of the invention is a lamellar roller blind. Such solutions are used
in the industrial sector as a filling and as protection of openings in buildings,
wherein the roller blind is usually installed on the outside of a window.
[0002] There are generally known window roller blind installed within the outline of the
window opening or even inside the window, made of thin lamellae, usually paper lamellae,
suspended in parallel on strings enabling the lamellae to be rotated and their horizontal
position to be changed to vertical. In general, in any rotational position of the
lamellae, the lamellae may also be lifted starting from the lowest to the topmost
one, as the lowest lamella is pulled by at least one string and pulls the other lamellae
during lifting. Unfortunately, the stings become tense and unbalanced over time, placing
the lamellae out of the parallel, both in the open, horizontal position and in the
closed, vertical position. This roller blind does not protect against burglary and
does not protect against sunlight, let alone against gusts of wind, even if the lamellae
are made of thin metal sheets instead of paper.
[0003] An example of other structures, better in meeting certain tasks listed above, is
provided as a solution disclosed in a Polish patent application
P. 285236. This document discloses anti-burglary roller blinds with side hinges, installed
between the glazing. The known roller blinds are provided with blind metal sheets
connected with hinges, enabling maintaining mutually parallel position of the blinds
and facilitating rotation around their axis and folding. The roller blind is provided
with a torsion string, enabling rotation of all metal sheets of the roller blinds
and a lifting string intended to fold the roller blinds.
[0004] Polish patent application
P. 290476 discloses a guiding system for external roller blinds, solving the problem of side
guide design for such roller blinds. This system uses equally guiding lever systems
to guide the panel segments. The installed side guides have an enclosed space, within
which the equally guiding lever systems move, installed on panel segment bosses in
a manner enabling rotation and horizontal motion of the panel systems is limited by
the shielding part of side guides.
[0005] An international PCT application
PCT/US2002/022577 describes a cover intended architectural openings, similar to window shutters. The
top rail of the cover is formed similar to many other battens suspended on it using
a string ladder and is connected with the side of the window shutter using assembly
supports in a manner enabling rotation, and is also hollow. Tilting numerous battens
suspended on the top rail is possible using vertical motion of an actuating bar connected
with the main rail in a manner enabling rotation. The roller blind tilting system
made of batten moves inside, towards the glass, whilst the battens are lifted using
a lifting handle slidably attached to the actuating bar and including a locking mechanism
holding the battens in the desired position.
[0006] Finally, Polish patent application
P. 413600 discloses a roller blind with rotary, profile-shaped lamellae and mechanical drive,
wherein at least one of the lamellae is provided with an internal drive. The drive
is provided as an electric motor and a regular polygon-shaped compartment is present
in the central section of the lamella. The lamellae are connected with a transmission
system at a point comprising the rotation axis of the lamella. The trainsmission mechanism
includes a panel with lamella slots and semi-circular guides. A swing arm is located
on one side of the panel, and this swing arm is connected to the lamella on the other
side of the transmission batten, enabling lamella rotation against the swing arm.
Guide bearings provide additional connection of the swing arm with two transmission
battens. The transmission mechianism is located within a rectangular profile. This
profile is provided with two guides on the inside of the top and of the bottom wall
and with two seal grooves on the outside of the bottom wall. A profile with a lamella
slot is located on the opposite side of the transmission mechanism. The roller blind
is provided with profiles parallel to the lamella, connected with profiles perpendicular
to the lamella, thus providing a rectangular, surrounding frame.
[0007] Another known variant of large roller blinds is presented in the Polish patent application
P.415026. Two drive pipes located one above the other are provided over roller blind lamellae
and above the cover area, with rotating motors installed inside, wherein at least
one bushing with a drive wheel or with another wheel actuating the lamellae using
a string or a chain is applied onto one pipe, and at least one spool of string, preferably
a string steel, threaded onto the last lamella of the roller blind is attached onto
the second pipe responsible for lifting and lowering the lamella. Both systems can
strictly cooperate, directly or indirectly, with the rotating and rolling mechanism
installed inside the housing guide, wherein these mechanisms include numerous plates
connected using drawbars. The rolled lamellae of the roller blind resting on one another
are fully entering a box located above the cover area, the sides of which provide
an extension of the guides.
[0008] Unfortunately, the solutions described above, although potentially more resilient
than based on paper lamellae, show relatively low resistance to external forces acting
on the roller blind. The presented structures may be lifted or rotated from the outside
at any time, e.g. during an attempt at breaking in. Such designs are also susceptible
to irregularities of mutual lamellae placeement as one of the possible motion types
may be disrupted, namely: the top/bottom motion during rolling/unrolling, because
of specific lamellae in rotated positions or rotation, as specific lamellae may be
out of the parallel position, thus disrupting effective and uniform cover of the opening.
[0009] The objective of the solution according to the invention is to obtain such a roller
blind mobility inherent in its design that it prevents breaking in in closed and covered
position by rotating the lamellae to a virtua plane, or in covered and open position
thanks to spaces between lamellae and their parallel position despite the fact that
the roller blind may be fully hidden above the opening, namely, shall be mobile, or
foldable.
[0010] A preferable embodiment of the roller blinds according to the invention intends to
maintain the aforementioned features and to provide the roller blind as a design foldable
at its installation site at least thanks to its length, making the assembly step independent
from the pre-fabrication step. As the width of openings at construction sites is generally
constant or selected from a range of the most frequently used sizes, e.g. 60cm, 90cm,
120cm, 150cm, 180cm, and whilst the length can be standardised, but is more often
varied, installation of a modular roller blind shall be possible once the sill is
provided and before thermal insulation is applied, thus making the period between
the order and the assembly significantly shorter.
[0011] The presented, functional assumptions have been implemented thanks to the design
according to the invention.
[0012] A lamellar roller blind with rotary, profile-shaped lamellae according to the invention,
has lamellae connected with the rotation transmission mechanism at the point comprising
the rotation axis of the lamella, where the lamella slot is located. Elements of the
rotation transmission mechanism are additionally hiden behind a panel-type frame comprising
a guide housing, wherein the transmission batten is one of the elements of the mechanism
and wherein the lamellae of the folded roller blind are fully hidden inside a box
located above the cover area. The box sides provide an extension of the panel-type
frame with a guide and an indpendent rolling drive is located inside the box and connected
with two rollers for two main side strings, connected with the bottom lamella placed
inside the panel-type frame. The invention is characterised in that each of the main
side strings is provided as a loop placed on its own bottom spool and attached at
a point, respectively, to the bottom left protrusion and to the bottom right protrusion
of the bottom lamella without being connected to the other lamellae. Every other lamella
is provided, respectively, with a left side handle and a right side handle, attached
as tiltable elements to a semi-roller comprising the rotation axis of the lamella
and fixed permanently to the lamella, wherein the side handles are provided with a
top socket and a bottom socket, where distancing bosses of side strings connected
neighbouring lamellae are located. The semi-roller passing through side holes of the
handles of its own lamella is also placed inside a slot rotating inside the panel-type
frame using a flat wedge pad, or directly inside the guide without using a slot, depending
on whether the lamella is in its rotating position or in its sliding position. The
slot is fully located along the panel-type frame and comprises a part of the guide,
and the wedge is matching the length and width of the slot. The rotating slot is centrally
and permanently connected to a sprocket assigned to the lamella on the inside of th
epanel-type frame, and lamella sprockets with the transmission batten provided with
teeth on its edge comprise a single rack and pinion intended to rotate multiple slots
simultaneously. The distance L between holes of neighbouring side handles of the neighbouring
lamella with tensioned distancing side strings is equal to the distance between neighbouring
slots of the panel-type frame, wherein distancing side strings attached to the top
sockets of the topmost lamella are only anchored inside the box.
[0013] The rotation transmission mechanism, in particular provided as a drive batten, is
preferably connected with a motor. The motor may be a low power motor, as it is only
required to move the toothed batten by a few centimetres, also possibly using its
own sprocket or a follower.
[0014] The rotation transmission mechanism, in particular provided as a transmission batten,
is preferably connected with a manual slider or a manual gear. This provides a solution
independent from the need to provide power supply to the roller blind installation
point, as the hole may not be adapter to the use of two independent electric drives
because of the aforementioned reason, wherein the electric drive responsible for lifting
seems to be more important, making the rotating drive redundant. Thus, manual control
is fully permitted.
[0015] The rolling drive is preferably coupled with the rotation transmission mechanism
using a contactor detecting the current position status of the lamellae. This additionally
protects the roller blind mechanisms against overload caused by attempted, simultaneous
lamellae rotation and lifting within the roller blind, particularly if operated by
an untrained individual unaware of the fact that lamelle are locked when rotated in
the socket as a result of the design and remain locked until set to the rolling position,
which means that they are fully open. The contactor set by the assembly technicians
in the correct position shall enable operation of one of the mechanisms only if and
when the other mechanism and the roller blind are set according to the required mobility.
[0016] The transmission batten and the panel-type frame are preferably divided into smaller
parts of constant length, provided as detachabled transmission battens and detachable
panel-type frames, wherein the transmission battens are at least 2L long, and panel-type
frames have the length of L.
[0017] The tranmission battens are preferably connected using a lockable tongue and groove
connection, at least one per every connected edge.
[0018] The panel-type frames are preferably connected using a lockable tongue and groove
connection, at least one per every connected edge.
[0019] One of the transmission battens is preferably attached longitudinally to two panel-type
frames.
[0020] The aforementioned, optional characteristics enable the final structure to be assembled
within the height of the functional field of lamellae at the assembly site, namely
where the specific structural opening is covered. The frame mabe be extended by attaching
elements to it and the mechanism shall remain functional and continuous.
[0021] The panel-type frame and the rotation tranmission mechanism are preferably covered
with at least one front panel and a rear panel, wherein the front panels also cover
the slots with the exception of slot apertures. This prevents interventions into the
structure, as well as protects the lamella against sliding out of the slot aperture.
It additionally improves functional comfort and visual aesthetics. It also enables
adapation to actual opening sizes, often imprecise in practice, as the frame can still
be installed thanks to the initial panel assembly. The panels, especially the rear
panels, may even become slightly deformed, as a result of the selected, most effective
assembly technique, whilst retaining functional precision and lifetime of the roller
blind.
[0022] The bottom lamella is preferably positioned upright, regardless of whether this and
the other lamellae are set in the rotational or sliding position, wherein the bottom
lamella is of the same length as the other lamellae, but its width does not exceed
half of the width of the other lamellae. This allows the covered space to be precisely
closed with rotary lamellae and the bottom lamella to be precisely supported e.g.
on the sill of the opening, thus forming a fully protected space of the structural
opening.
[0023] The lamellae and the panel frame or frames are preferably made of plastic, preferably
coated with wood or metal imitations. This simplifies work of the contractor, results
in lighter elements and guarantees extremely positive perception of the customer.
[0024] Preferably, the lamella with its accessories, as well as its detachable sprocket
with the transmission batten and the detachable panel-type frames and distancing side
strings comprise a module, wherein the modules are detachably connected. This ensures
the best structural properties of the products, meeting all project and technological
requirements of the selected design purpose. The resulting advantages have already
been indicated, however, the most important advantage of the solution definitely results
from the design and connection type of the lamellae instead of additional, mechanical
locks, from the system of possible roller blind motions resulting in loss of vertical
mobility of lamellae at the time when lamellae start rotating and vice versa - when
vertical motion begins, rotation becomes impossible. This is extremely important as
such a feature can be implemented despite the modular structure of the system.
[0025] The main side strings and, simultaneously or alternatively, distancing side strings
are provided as a toothed tape or a toothed belt, preferably a V-belt, preferably
mae of plast. Execution of strings provided as transmission elements by default, as
well as of drawbars for elements moved up or down by the drawbars in this particular
form, ensures not only improved sliding precision, but more importantly, makes the
mechanism much more independent of variable ambient temperatures. It is known that
the scope of applicability of the design should operate precisely within the range
of ambient temperatures between at least -20°C and at least +30°C, ensuring a minimum
range of 50°C. This may result in loss of calibration of the drawbar system for obvious
reasons, if the drawbars are made of a material susceptible to thermal expansion,
e.g. of metal. Use of plastic eliminates this disadvantage of the system by the default
and the use of locking teeth prevents sliding potentially occurrind in the case of
overload, namely when the lamellae start moving upwards. The sliding also seems to
be undesirable, as it may result in loss of calibration of the mechanical system within
the entire strucutre, regardless of thermal expansion. Thus, the indicated feature
ensures the most preferable execution of optional structures.
[0026] This solution is presented as an example embodiment in the drawing, in which Fig.1
presents a roller blind, expanded in order to present its elements, Fig.2 presents
a roller blind assembled with lamellae unfolded and fully open, Fig.3 presents a lamella
section together with adjacent elements, Fig.4 presents a section of two neighbouring
elements with expanded elements viewed from the rear, and a section of the same, two
neighbouring modules partially connected and partially expanded elements viewed frontally,
whilst Fig.5 presents the bottom section of the roller blind in the left bottom view,
with key elements assembled.
[0027] An example lamella roller blind 1 with profile-shaped rotary lamellae 2 is provided
with lamellae 2 connected with a rotation transmission mechanism at a point comprising
rotation axis 3 of a lamella 2, where a socket 26 for the lamella 2 is located. Elements
5 of the rotation transmission mechanism are also hidden behind a panel-type frame
6 comprising housing 7 of the guide 8, with one of the elements 5 of the mechanism
provided as a transmission batten 9, wherein lamellae 2 of the roller blind in the
folded position are fully hidden inside the box 10 located above the cover area. Sides
11 of the box 10 comprise an extension of the panel-type frame 6 with a guide 8, and
an independent rolling drive 12 is installed inside the box 10 and connected with
two rollers 13 of two main side strings 14 connected with the bottom lamella 15 installed
within the panel-type frame 6. Each of the main side strings 14 is formed into a loop
placed on its own bottom spool 16 and attached at a point, respectively, to the bottom
left protrusion 17' and the bottom right protrusion 18' of the bottom lamella 15 without
a connection to the other lamellae 2. Each of the remaining lamellae 2 is provided,
respectively, with a left side handle 17 and a right side handle 18, tiltably fixed
to a semi-roller 19 comprising the rotation axis 3 of lamella 2, fixed to the lamella
2, wherein the side handles 17, 18 are provided with a top socket 20' and a bottoms
socket 20", where bosses 21 of distancing side strings 22 connecting neighbouring
lamellae 2 are located. The semi-roller 19 is placed through and inside the openings
23 of side handles 17, 18 of its own lamella 2 and also using a flat wedge pad 24,
either in the aperture 25 of the slot 26 rotating within the panel-type frame 6, or
without the slot 26, directly in the guide 8, depending on whether lamella 2 is in
its rotation or sliding position. The slot 25 of the socket 26 running along the panel-type
frame 6 along its entire length comprises a part of the guide 8, and the pad 24 precisely
matches the length and width of the aperture 25. The rotary socket 26 is centrally
and permanently connected with a sprocket 27 assigned to the lamella 2 on the inside
of the panel-type frame 6, and sprockets 27 of the lamella 2 together with the batten
9 provided with teeth 4 on its edge in order to transmit the drive, comprise a single
rack and pionion type gear intented to simultaneously rotate multiple sockets 25.
The distance L of 0.12m between openings 23 of neighbouring side handles 17, 18, respectively,
left sied handles 17 and right side handles 18, assigned to the neighbouring lamella
2 is equal to the distance between neighbouring sockets 26 provided within the panel-type
frame 6 with tensionsed distancing side strings 22, wherein the distanced side strings
22 attacked to the top sockets 20' of the top lamella 2 are only anchored within the
box 10.
[0028] The rotation transmission mechanism, in particular formed as the elements 5 of the
type of the transmission batten 9, is connected with a motor 28. The motor 28 is a
low power motor, as it moves the toothed batten 9 along a distance of just a few centimetres
using its own sprocket 29. The rolling drive 12 is coupled with the rotation transmission
mechanism via a contactor 30 detecting the current position of lamellae 2. The transmission
batten 9 and the panel-type frame 6 are divided into smaller sections of identical
length, respectively, detachable transmission battens 9' and detachable panel-type
frames 6', wherein the transmission battens 9' have the length of 2L and 3L, and panel
type frames 6' have the length of L. The transmission battens 9' are connected using
a locking tongue and groove joint 31', one for each connecting edge. The panel-type
frames 6' are connected using a locking tongue and groove joints 31", two for each
connecting edge. One transmission batten 9' is connected longitudinally to exactly
two panel-type frames 6' and, respectively, to three panel-type frames 6'. With the
exception of the guide 8, the panel-type frame 6 with elements 5 of the rotation transmission
mechanism are covered using two front panels 32' and one rear panels 32" per each
side of the panel-type frame 6, yielding a total of four front panels 32' and two
rear panels 32", wherein the front panels 32' also cover the sockets 26 with the exception
of their apertures 25. The bottom lamella 15 is positioned upright regardless of whether
this lamella and other lamellae 2 are in the rotation or in the sliding position,
wherein the bottom lamella 15 has the same length as other lamella 2 and the maximum
of half their width. The lamellae 2, the panel-type frame 6 provided as panel-type
frames 6' as well as front panels 31' and rear panels 31" are made of plastic coated
with a wood texture imitation. A lamella 2 with its accessories and with the detachable
sprocket 27 with a transmission batten 9' and its detachable panel-type frames 6'
and the distancing side strings comprise a module, wherein the modules are detachably
connected. The main side strings 14 and the distancing side strings 22 are made, respectively,
as a toothed V-belt 14' and as a toothed tape 22', with all said elements made of
plastic.
[0029] The roller blind has eight lamellae 2 and one bottom lamella 15, and also eight modules
and a bottom cap 33, with slightly overlapping lamellae 2 covering an area of 1.3m
height and of 0.9m width.
Example II
[0030] As in the first example, with the following differences.
[0031] The rotation transmission mechanism, provided in particular as the element 5 of the
type of transmission batten 9, is connected with a manual slider. Lamellae 2 and the
panel-type frame 6 provided as panel-type frames 6', are made of plastic coated with
a metal texture imitation.
[0032] The roller blind 1 has eighteen lamellae 2 and one bottom lamella 15, namely eighteen
modules and a bottom cap 33, with slightly overlapping lamellae 2 covering an area
of 2.25m height and of 2.5m width.
List of reference numbers
[0033]
- 1
- Lamellar roller blind
- 2
- Rotary lamellae
- 3
- Axis of rotation
- 4
- Teeth
- 5
- Rotation transmission mechanism elements
- 6
- Panel-type frame
- 6'
- Panel-type frame
- 7
- Housing
- 8
- Guide
- 9
- Transmission batten
- 9'
- Batten
- 10
- Box
- 11
- Box sides
- 12
- Rolling drive
- 13
- Rollers
- 14
- Main side strings
- 14'
- Toothed belt
- 15
- Bottom lamella
- 16
- Bottom spool
- 17
- Bottom left handle
- 17'
- Left protrusion
- 18
- Bottom right handle
- 18'
- Right protrusion
- 19
- Semi-roller
- 20'
- Top socket
- 20"
- Bottom socket
- 21
- Bosses
- 22
- Distancing side strings
- 22'
- Toothed tape
- 23
- Openings
- 24
- Pad
- 25
- Aperture
- 26
- Rotary socket
- 27
- Sprocket
- 28
- Motor
- 29
- Sprocket
- 30
- Contactor
- 31'
- V-connection
- 31"
- Locking connection
- 32'
- Guiding panels
- 32"
- Rear panel
- 33
- Bottom cap
1. A lamellar roller blind with profile-shaped rotary lamellae, whererin the lamellae
are connected with a rotation transmission mechanism at a point comprising an axis
of rotation of the lamellae, where the lamella socket is located, whilst the rotation
transmission mechanism elements are hidden behind a panel-type frame comprising a
guide housing, wherein a transmission batten is one of the elements of the transmission
mechanism, and wherein folded roller blind lamellae are fully hidden inside a box
located above the cover area and sides of the box comprise an extension of the panel-type
frame with a guide, and an independent rolling drive is installed inside the box and
connected to two rollers for main sie strings connected to the bottom lamella installed
in the panel-type frame, characterised in that each of the main side strings (14) is formed into a loop placed on its own bottom
spool (16) and attached at a point, respectively, to the left bottom protrusion (17')
and the right bottom protrusion (18') of the bottom lamella (15) without being connected
to the other lamellae (2), and each of the other lamellae (2) is provided, respectively,
with a left side handle (17) and a right side handle (18), tiltably connected to a
semi-roller (19) comprising the rotation axis of the lamella (2), permanently fixed
to the lamella (2), wherein the side handles (17, 18) are provided with a top socket
(20') and with a bottom socket (20"), where bosses (21) of the distancing side strings
(22) connecting neighbouring lamellae (2) are installed, while the semi-roller (19)
passing through openings (23) of the side handle (17, 18) of its own lamella (2) is
also passing through the flat wedge pad (24), either inside the aperture (25) of the
socket (26) rotating within the panel-type frame (6), or without using the socket
(26), directly inside the guide (8), depending on whether the lamella (2) is in its
rotation or sliding position, wherein the aperture (25) of the socket (26) running
along the panel-type frame (6) along its entire length comprises a part of the guide
(8), whilst the rotary socket (26) is centrally fixed to a sprocket (27) assigned
to the lamella (2) on the inside of the panel-type frame (6), where the wedge is precisely
matching the length and the width of the aperture (25), and sprockets (27) of the
lamella (2) together with the transmission batten (9) provided with edge teeth (4)
comprise a single rack and pinion type gear intended to simultaneously rotate multiple
sockets (26), and the distance L between openings (23) of neighbouring side handles
(17, 18) of the neighbouring lamella (2) with tensioned distancing side strings (22)
is equal to the distance between neighbouring sockets (26) located within the panel-type
frame (6), wherein the distancing side strings (22) attached to top sockets (20')
of the top lamella (2) are only anchored within the box (10).
2. A lamellar roller blind according to Claim 1, characterised in that the rotation transferring mechanism, in particular provided as an element (5) of
the transmission batten (9) type, is connected with the motor (28).
3. A lamellar roller blind according to Claim 1, characterised in that the rotation transferring mechanism, in particular provided as an element (5) of
the transmission batten (9) type, is connected with a manual slider or a manual gear.
4. A lamellar roller blind according to Claim 1, characterised in that the rolling drive (12) is coupled with the rotation transmission mechanism using
a contactor (30) detecting the current position of lamella (2).
5. A lamellar roller blind according to Claim 1, characterised in that the transmission batten (9) and the panel-type frame (6) are divided into smaller
sections along its entire length, as detachable transmission battens (9') and as detachable
panel-type frames (6'), wherein the transmission battens (9') have the minimum length
of 2L, and panel-tyep frames (6') have the length of L.
6. A lamellar roller blind according to Claim 5, characterised in that transmission battens (9') are connected using a locking tongue and groove connection
(31'), at least one per every connecting edge.
7. A lamellar roller blind according to Claim 5, characterised in that the panel-type frames (6') are connected using a locking tongue and groove connection
(31") at least one per every connecting edge.
8. A lamellar roller blind according to Claim 5, characterised in that one transmission batten (9') is longitudinally attached to exactly two panel-type
frames (6').
9. A lamellar roller blind according to Claim 1 or Claim 5, characterised in that the panel-type frame (6) including the rotation transmission mechanism are covered,
with the exception of the guide (8), with at least one front panel (32'), and a rear
panel (32"), wherein the front panels (32') also cover the sockets (26) with the exception
of the socket apertures (25).
10. A lamellar roller blind according to Claim 1 or Claim 5, characterised in that the bottom lamella (15) is positioned upright, regardless of whether this and the
other lamellae (2) are in their rotation or sliding position, wherein the bottom lamella
(15) has its length identical to that of the other lamellae (2) and a maximum of half
their width.
11. A lamellar roller blind according to Claim 1 or Claim 5 or Claim 9, characterised in that lamellae (2) and the panel-type frame (6) or panel-type frames (6') are made of plastic,
preferably coated with wood or metal texture imitation.
12. A lamellar roller blind according to Claim 5, characterised in that a lamella (2) together with its accessories, as well as with its detachable sprocket
(27) with a transmission batten (9') and detachable panel-type frames (6') and distancing
side strings (22), comprise a module, wherein the modules are detachably connected.
13. A lamellar roller blind according to Claim 1 or Claim 4 or Claim 12, characterised in that main side strings (14) and/or distancing side strings (22) are provided as a toothed
tape (22') or a toothed belt (14'), preferably a V-belt, preferably made of plastic.