Collapsible shade assembly

Abstract

 A packet blind assembly (1) comprises a blind sheet provided with a plurality of driving vertical cords (10) slidably engaged with the sheet at evenly spaced points and further including transmission elements (20) associated with a section member (17) supporting the packet blind sheet, the transmission elements (20) removably holding the blind sheet operating cords.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a packet blind assembly including means for quickly disengaging the blind sheet.

[0002] There are already known packet blinds, that is blinds in which the blind sheet is slidably vertically moved and stored at the top of the blind as a"packet", in which the blind sheet comprises a plurality of slits or buttonholes which are mutually aligned and arranged at a given spacing from one other, so as to operate as guiding elements for guiding the blind sheet driving cords to allow the sheet to be properly folded in a raised condition thereof.

[0003] For washing the blind sheet, the latter is conventionally disengaged by removing the cord guide slits from a shaped section member supporting the blind assembly.

[0004] A drawback of such a construction is that also the guide slits or buttonholes are washed together with the blind sheet.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] Accordingly, the aim of the present invention is to solve the above mentioned problem, by providing a packet blind assembly, including means for quickly removing the blind sheet which, in addition to allowing a proper folding of the blind sheet, also provides the possibility of quickly and easily removing the blind sheet while holding the blind sheet guide elements anchored to the blind construction.

[0006] Within the scope of the above mentioned aim, a main object of the present invention is to provide such a packet blind which can be easily and quickly assembled and disassembled even by unskilled operators.

[0007] Another object of the present invention is to provide a packet blind assembly with built-in means for quickly removing the blind sheet which is very reliable in operation, can be made starting from available elements and materials and which, moreover, is very competitive from a mere economic standpoint.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, the above mentioned aim and objects, as well as yet other objects, which will become more apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a packet blind assembly comprising a blind sheet including a plurality of driving cords which are slidably engaged with said sheet at evenly spaced points and with transmission elements associated with a section member supporting said packet blind, characterized in that said trasmission elements comprise disengagement means for disengaging the cords from said transmission elements, with the cords associated with the sheet.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed disclosure of a preferred, though not exclusive, embodiment thereof, which is illustrated, by way of an indicative, but not limitative example, in the accompanying drawings, where:

Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the packet blind assembly according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a further perspective view, partially broken away, of the subject blind assembly;

Figure 3 is a rear perspective view of an intermediate transmission or driving element included in the blind assembly according to the invention;

Figure 4 is a further rear perspective view of the intermediate transmission element;

Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the mentioned intermediate transmission or driving element;
and

Figure 6 is a perspective side view illustrating a side transmission or driving element.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0010] With reference to the figures of the accompanying drawings, the packet blind assembly according to the present invention, which has been generally indicated at the reference number 1, comprises a blind sheet 2 provided with horizontal folding lines 3.

[0011] With the blind sheet there are engaged driving cords, and, more specifically, these cords are engaged both at the longitudinal edges of the sheet and at intermediate portions thereof, said cords being adapted to slide through slits or buttonholes provided through the blind sheet at vertically spaced points and advantageously corresponding to the mentioned horizontal folding lines 3.

[0012] At the top edge portion of the blind sheet 2 there is provided a tear strip portion, generally indicated at the reference number 15, which engages with a corresponding tear strip portion 16, joined to the front face of the section member 17 which constitutes the supporting element for the blind assembly.

[0013] At the top end portion of the blind sheet, the cords engage with transmission elements, including intermediate or middle transmission elements, generally indicated at the reference number 20 and which are better shown in Figures 3 and 4.

[0014] These intermediate transmission elements 20 are provided with a top sliding pad 21, which engages in a corresponding channel of the section member 17 and being arranged on the top of a fork shaped body including a front portion 22 and a rear portion 23 which are joined by a pin element thereon there is rotatably engaged a roll 25 operating as a sliding element for the cord.

[0015] A main feature of the present invention is that the intermediate transmission elements are provided with means for disengaging the cord 10, including slots 26 arranged between the rear leg or portion 23 and the sliding pad 21, so as to allow the cord 10 to be easily engaged and disengaged, the cord being held connected to the blind sheet.

[0016] The several driving cords are mutually connected at a respective side end portion thereof, where there is provided a side transmission element, generally indicated at the reference number 30 and including a body 31 having a coupling top pad 32.

[0017] To the body 31 there is removably connected a closure cover element 33.

[0018] The body 31 supports a pair of transmission rollers 34, therethrough the cord assembly connected to the frame is caused to pass.

[0019] Under the transmission rollers there is arranged a locking roll 36, which is floatably mounted in order to affix the cords so as to prevent the packet blind from undesirably lowering.

[0020] The cover element 33 comprises a locking element 37 engaging in a slot provided on the body 31 in order to removably connect the cover element 33 and allow the cover element 33 to be easily removed so as to provide the possibility of disengaging the cords 10 from the transmission rollers 34 without removing said driving cords from the blind sheet.

[0021] This feature is very important since it allows the blind sheet to be washed without removing the cords from the transmission elements, and this by means of operations which are very simple and quick.

[0022] While the invention has been disclosed and illustrated with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it should be apparent that the disclosed embodiment is susceptible to several modifications and variations all of which will come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A packet blind assembly comprising a blind sheet including a plurality of driving cords which are slidably engaged with said sheet at evenly spaced points and with transmission elements associated with a section member supporting said packet blind, characterized in that said transmission elements comprise disengagement means for disengaging the cords from said transmission elements, with the cords associated with the sheet.

2. A packet blind assembly according to Claim 1, wherein said transmission elements comprise intermediate transmission elements arranged near said cords and a side transmission element where said cords are mutually collected.

3. A packet blind assembly according to Claim 2, wherein said intermediate transmission elements comprise a connecting pad for connecting said blind assembly to said supporting section member, and further including, under said pad, a fork body including a front leg and a rear leg joined by a pivot pin thereon there is rotatably supported a transmission roller for a said cord, one of said leg being provided, at a connection region with said pad, with an interruption adapted to provide means for disengaging said cord.

4. A packet blind assembly according to Claim 3, wherein said interruption is defined between a top end portion of said rear leg and said pad.

5. A packet blind assembly according to Claim 2, wherein said side transmission element includes a transmission element body having a coupling pad and supporting a pair of opposite transmission rollers, to said side transmission element body there being removably connected a closure cover element which can be removed in order to allow said cords to be disengaged from said pair of transmission roller.

6. A packet blind assembly according to Claim 1, wherein said blind assembly further comprises locking means associated with said cover element and removably engageable in a slot defined through said body.

7. A packet blind assembly according to Claim 1, wherein said blind assembly further comprises a locking roller for locking said packet blind assembly.

Drawing