EP0355527B1 - Locking mechanism of a mechanical blind - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a mechanism for locking a mechanical blind in its box. It also relates to a mechanical blind equipped with such a mechanism.

There are various more or less expensive locking mechanism solutions, such as for example that described in patent FR-A-2612563 in which lugs fixed to the front profile penetrate under the pressure of springs into corresponding cavities adapted in the lateral supports. of the blind box, the springs being actuated by means of an independent cable or connected to the winding control.

These mechanisms are not without drawbacks, because they require separate control of the winding and unwinding mechanism of the blind.

The object of the invention is to provide an automatic locking mechanism linked to the winding or unwinding of the blind.

The locking mechanism according to the invention is characterized in that the front profile of the mechanical blind comprises a step to which corresponds a lock mounted in the blind box and controlled by the shaft itself of the winding and unwinding of the blind.

• La figure 1 est une vue en perspective d'un store mécanique décomposé en ses divers éléments.
• La figure 2 représente une coupe d'un store mécanique suivant l'invention dans la position du store, en cours d'enroulement avant verrouillage.
• La figure 3 représente une coupe du même store mécanique que celui représenté à la figure 2, mais dans la position où le store est enroulé en fermant la boîte à store, après verrouillage.
• La figure 4 représente une coupe du même store mécanique que celui représenté aux figures 2 et 3, dans la position du déverrouillage au moment où commence le déroulement du store.
• La figure 5 représente une vue de face partielle d'une boîte à store avec un mécanisme de verrouillage suivant invention, tel qu'il est illustré par les figures 2, 3 et 4.

Other characteristics and advantages of the locking mechanism of a mechanical blind according to the invention will emerge from the description of a specific case, illustrated by means of the attached figures without limiting the object of the invention to the mode of execution described.

• Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mechanical blind broken down into its various elements.
• 2 shows a section of a mechanical blind according to the invention in the position of the blind, during winding before locking.
• Figure 3 shows a section of the same mechanical blind as that shown in Figure 2, but in the position where the blind is rolled up by closing the blind box, after locking.
• 4 shows a section of the same mechanical blind as that shown in Figures 2 and 3, in the unlocked position at the time when the unwinding of the blind begins.
• FIG. 5 represents a partial front view of a blind box with a locking mechanism according to the invention, as illustrated by FIGS. 2, 3 and 4.

A mechanical blind as shown in its various elements in FIG. 1 is composed of a blind box (1), of a roller (2) on which the blind (23) itself, canvas or another, which ends with a front profile (3) which, when the blind is fully rolled up, is perfectly suited to the box (1) which is closed by this profile. The control of the roller (2) can be manual by a removable crank (4) or automatic by an electric motor, through a transmission (24), the arms (5) serving to hold the front profile (3) so as to stretch the blind (23) during winding or unwinding.

The front profile (3) is formed of an angle iron (6) one of the sides of which ends in a cylindrical gutter (7) in which the terminal rod of the blind (23) itself is housed and in a dish (8 ) which constitutes a stop when the front profile (3) comes to close the blind box (1) when the latter is completely rolled up (Figure 2, 3, 4 and 5).

In a mechanical blind according to the invention, the front profile (3) further comprises at the bottom of the angle (6) a step (9) composed of an angular point (10) and a preferably rectangular cutout (11 ).

On the other hand, in the blind box (1) is fixed to one of these lateral faces a slide (12) formed on the one hand of a relatively short dish (13) and on the other of a dish. (14) of the same length as the plate (13) but elongated by an angular body (15) whose internal dimensions correspond to the dimensions of the angular tip (10) of the step (9) of the front profile (3).

In the slide (12) is housed a spring (16) fixed to the fixed crosspiece (17) connecting the two plates (13) and (14) of the slide (12). At the other end of the spring (16) is fixed a finger (18) integral under the pressure of the spring (16) with a latch (19), ending at one end by a corner (20) and at the other end by a hook (21) coming at the height of the roller (2) of blind. This roller (2) of the blind has at least one of its lateral faces one or more pins (22) intended for automatic control of the locking and unlocking of the mechanical blind according to the invention when the blind is fully rolled up.

When wrapping the blind (23) (Figure 2) around the roller (2) the front profile (3) approaches the blind box (1) (in the direction of the arrows). At the end of its travel, the front profile (3) is guided into its correct position by guides, not shown, so that the angular tip (10) of the step (9) of the profile (3) takes a position (see lines interrupted in Figure 2) such that the angular tip (10) has a face facing a corresponding face of the corner (20) and the finger (18) of the latch (19) of the locking mechanism according to invention. In its terminal progression the angular point (10) of the step (9) pushes by its contact with the corner (20) the latch (19) upwards by compressing the spring (16), until the angular point ( 10) having passed the corner (20) is housed in the hollow of the angular body (15) which extends the flat (14) of the slide (12), while the finger (18) pushed by the spring (16) pushes the corner (20) in the rectangular cutout (11) of the step (9) of the front profile (3) thereby ensuring the locking of the blind box (1), closed by the front profile (3).

In this locking position (fig. 3) the spring (16) is only partially relaxed, the lock (19) still being slightly raised by the step (9) of the front profile (3). Therefore when the unwinding begins (fig. 4) the hook (21) of the latch (19) is lifted by one of the pins (22) fixed to the roller (2) of blind, which automatically allows the release of the corner (20) by again compressing the spring (16), thus allowing the angular point (10) of the step (9) to disengage from the angular body (15), and the front profile (3) to detach from the box (1) blind under the action of its own weight or under the action arms (5). As soon as the angular tip (10) is released, the wedge (20) under the action of the spring (16) returns to its initial position (Figure 2), simultaneously lowering the hook (21) of the latch (19), thus leaving the free passage to the pins (22) of the roller (2), allowing at the same time the continuation of the unwinding of the roller (2).

The position of the pins (22) on the face of the roller (2), the position on the roller (2) of the connection between the blind (23) and the roller (2) and the length of the blind (23) are such that the pins (22) do not prevent the locking of the front profile (3) by preventing the latch (19) from being pushed up by the step (9) of the front profile. The position of the pins (22) on the face of the roller (2), the position on the roller (2) of the connection between the blind (23) and the roller (2) and the length of the blind (23) are also such that the roller (2) must be unwound through a certain angle, for example 90 °, before a stud (22) can lift the hook (21). Since a quarter turn of the roller (2), depending on the transmission ratio of the transmission (24), corresponds for example with three turns of the crank (4), we can check the locking of the front profile (3) after completely rolled up the blind (23) It suffices to turn the crank (4) in the direction of unwinding by means of a maximum of two turns to be able to ascertain whether the blind box (1) remains properly closed.

It goes without saying that the locking mechanism according to the invention can be provided on one or two sides of the blind box (1) and possibly somewhere in the middle of the blind box (1) when the blind (23) is locally interrupted for some reason or other.

Claims (8)

1. Mechanism for locking a mechanical blind comprising a blind roller (2) situated in a blind box (1) closed by a front profile (3) forming the front end of the blind (23), characterised in that the front profile (3) comprises a step (9), the blind box (1) a catch (19), and the roller (2) or the control of the roller (2) one or more studs (22), in such a way that the step (9) interacts with the catch (19), causing locking of the closing of the box (1) by the front profile (3) in the course of the end of travel of the winding up of the blind (23), and in such a way that the studs (22) interact with the catch (19), causing unlocking at the beginning of the unwinding.

2. Locking mechanism according to Claim 1, characterised in that the step (9) of the front profile (3) comprises an angular tip (10) which forces the catch (19) to be lifted up, which catch [sic] is adjacent to a preferably rectangular cutaway (11) in which the catch will become housed (19) when the front profile (3) is locked in its blind box (1).

3. Locking mechanism according to Claim 1, characterised in that the catch (19) is mounted in a channel (12) fixed in the blind box (1).

4. Locking mechanism according to Claim 3, characterised in that one of the arms of the channel (12) terminates in a angular body (15) corresponding to the angular tip (10) of the step (9) of the front profile (3) which will become housed in this angular body (15) when the mechanical blind is locked in its box (1).

5. Locking mechanism according to Claim 1, characterised in that the catch (19) forms a body with a finger (18) subjected to the pressure of a spring (16) ensuring a continuous contact of the catch (19) with the step (9) of the front profile (3) when the mechanical blind is locked in its box (1).

6. Locking mechanism according to Claim 1, characterised in that the roller (2) of the mechanical blind comprises, on at least one of its lateral faces, one or more studs (22) capable, during the unwinding, of driving upwards the hook (21) with which the catch (19) is equipped at its upper part, ensuring the automatic unlocking of the front profile (3).

7. Locking mechanism according to Claim 6, characterised in that the hook (21) at the end of the catch (19) has a shape such that it can be driven by the studs (22) of the roller (2) only during the unwinding of the blind, whilst, on the contrary, it is pushed downwards by the same studs (22) during the winding up of the blind (23).

8. Mechanical blind comprising a blind box (1) closed by a front profile (3), characterised in that it is equipped, in order to ensure the closing of the blind box (1), with one or more automatic locking mechanisms according to one of Claims 1 to 7.

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