US20100282421A1

US20100282421A1 - Window blind assembly with a releaseable curtain-drawing mechanism

Info

Publication number: US20100282421A1
Application number: US12/437,419
Authority: US
Inventors: Shih-Ming Lin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-05-07
Filing date: 2009-05-07
Publication date: 2010-11-11

Abstract

A window blind assembly includes a top rail, a drawable curtain, and a releasable curtain-drawing mechanism. The drawable curtain has an upper section hung from the top rail, and a lower section extending downwardly from the upper section. The releasable curtain-drawing mechanism includes a pull cord for drawing up and lowering the drawable curtain, and at least one connecting unit for connecting releasably the pull cord to the lower section of the drawable curtain. The connecting unit includes a first engaging component connected to the pull cord, a second engaging component connected to the lower section of the drawable curtain, and an engaging mechanism disposed on the first and second engaging components for providing an engagement force therebetween to interconnect releasably the first and second engaging components.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a window blind assembly, more particularly to a window blind assembly provided with a releasable curtain-drawing mechanism.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a conventional window blind assembly is exemplified as a roman blind 1 that includes a top rail 11 adapted to be disposed at a top edge of a window, a drawable light-blocking curtain 12 hung from the top rail 11, and a pull cord 14 for drawing up and lowering the drawable light-blocking curtain 12. The drawable light-blocking curtain 12 is provided with a plurality of assembly pockets 122 vertically spaced apart from each other. The roman blind 1 further includes: a plurality of horizontal rods 131 disposed in the assembly pockets 122, respectively; two sets of vertically aligned connecting straps 132 connected to and behind the drawable light-blocking curtain 12, and vertically spaced apart from each other; and two sets of buckles 133 connected to a corresponding set of the vertically aligned connecting straps 132, respectively. The pull cord 14 includes an operating section 141 disposed in front of the drawable light-blocking curtain 12 for allowing a user to draw up or lower the drawable light-blocking curtain 12, and a pair of connecting sections 142. Each of the connecting sections 142 of the pull cord 14 extends through a corresponding set of the buckles 133, and is attached to a lowest one of the buckles 133 in the corresponding set.
Generally, the connecting sections 142 are fixedly attached to the lowest ones of the buckles 133 so as to prevent release of the pull cord 14 from the drawable light-blocking curtain 12. However, such an arrangement is dangerous for children playing with the pull cord 14. In particular, the arrangement as such can lead to strangulation when the pull cord 14 is wound on the neck of a child playing with the pull cord 14.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a window blind assembly provided with a releasable curtain-drawing mechanism to enhance safety during use.
Accordingly, a window blind assembly of this invention comprises a top rail, a drawable curtain, and a releasable curtain-drawing mechanism. The drawable curtain has an upper section hung from the top rail, and a lower section extending downwardly from the upper section. The releasable curtain-drawing mechanism includes a pull cord for drawing up and lowering the drawable curtain, and at least one connecting unit for connecting releasably the pull cord to the lower section of the drawable curtain. The connecting unit includes a first engaging component connected to the pull cord, a second engaging component connected to the lower section of the drawable curtain, and an engaging mechanism disposed on the first and second engaging components for providing an engagement force therebetween to interconnect releasably the first and second engaging components.
The engagement force is sufficient to bear the weight of the drawable curtain so as to maintain connection between the first and second engaging components and thus between the pull cord and the lower section of the drawable curtain when the drawable curtain is lowered from the top rail. The pull cord is released from the lower section of the drawable curtain when a pulling force that is sufficient to release the first engaging component from the second engaging component is applied to the pull cord while the drawable curtain is in a fully drawn up state.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional roman blind;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the conventional roman blind shown in FIG. 1, illustrating a state where a drawable light-blocking curtain of the conventional roman blind is fully drawn up;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of a window blind assembly with a releasable curtain-drawing mechanism of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a connecting unit of the releasable curtain-drawing mechanism of the first preferred embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the connecting unit of the first preferred embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a side view of the first preferred embodiment, illustrating a state where a drawable curtain of the window blind assembly is fully drawn up;

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a connecting unit of a second preferred embodiment of this invention; and

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the connecting unit of the second preferred embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Before the present invention is described in greater detail, it should be noted that like elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the disclosure.
Referring to FIGS. 3 to 5, the first preferred embodiment of a window blind assembly of the present invention is shown to be in the form of a roman blind adapted to be installed at a top edge of a window. The roman blind of the first preferred embodiment includes a horizontal top rail 2 adapted to be disposed at the top edge of the window, a light-blocking unit 3 hung from the top rail 2, and a releasable curtain-drawing mechanism 4 for drawing up and lowering the light-blocking unit 3.
The light-blocking unit 3 includes a drawable curtain 31 capable of blocking light. The drawable curtain 31 has an upper section 311 hung from the top rail 2, a lower section 312 extending downwardly from the upper section 311, and a plurality of assembly pockets 313 disposed horizontally at the drawable curtain 31 and vertically spaced apart from each other. The light-blocking unit 3 further includes a plurality of horizontal rods 321 respectively disposed in the assembly pockets 313, two sets of vertically aligned connecting straps 322 connected to and behind the upper section 311 of the drawable curtain 31, and a plurality of buckles 323 connected to corresponding ones of the vertically aligned connecting straps 322. The vertically aligned connecting straps 322 are vertically spaced apart from each other, and have positions corresponding to those of the horizontal rods 321. Lowest two of the vertically aligned connecting straps 322 are disposed at a top edge of the lower section 312 of the drawable curtain 31, and are not provided with the buckles 323.
In this embodiment, the releasable curtain-drawing mechanism 4 includes a pull cord 41 extending through the top rail 2, and a pair of connecting units 40. Each of the connecting units 40 includes a first engaging component 42 connected to the pull cord 41, and a second engaging component 43 connected to a corresponding one of the lowest two of the connecting straps 322. The pull cord 41 includes an operating section 411 disposed in front of the drawable curtain 31, and a pair of connecting sections 412 disposed behind the drawable curtain 31 and spaced apart from each other in a left-right direction. Each of the connecting sections 412 extends through a corresponding one of the buckles 323, and has a connecting end 413 attached to the corresponding one of the first engaging components 42.
For each of the connecting units 40, the first engaging component 42 includes a horizontal first base wall 421, a first surrounding wall 422 extending downwardly from the first base wall 421, and a first hanging ring 423 projecting upwardly from the first base wall 421 for coupling with a corresponding one of the connecting ends 413 of the connecting sections 412 of the pull cord 41. The second engaging component 43 includes a horizontal second base wall 431, a second surrounding wall 432 extending upwardly from the second base wall 431, and a second hanging ring 433 for coupling with the corresponding one of the lowest two of the connecting straps 322 at the lower section 312 of the drawable curtain 31. The second surrounding wall 432 defines a space 434 into which the first surrounding wall 422 of the first engaging component 42 extends. For securing engagement between the first and second engaging components 42, 43, each of the connecting units 40 further includes an engaging mechanism 44. In this embodiment, the engaging mechanism 44 of each of the connecting units 40 includes an annular recess part 441 formed on an inner surface of the second surrounding wall 432, and an annular protrusion part 442 integrally projecting from an outer surface of the first surrounding wall 422 for engaging the annular recess part 441. The engaging mechanism 44 provides an engagement force between the first and second engaging components 42, 43 to interconnect releasably the first and second engaging components 42, 43. The engagement force is sufficient to bear the weight of the light-blocking unit 3 so as to maintain connection between the first and second engaging components 42, 43 and thus between the pull cord 41 and the lower section 312 of the drawable curtain 31 when the drawable curtain 31 is lowered from the top rail 2. In other embodiments, the annular protrusion part 442 can be formed to project from the inner surface of the second surrounding wall 432, whereas the annular recess part 441 can be formed on the outer surface of the first surrounding wall 422.
It should be noted that the pull cord 41 is released from the lower section 312 of the drawable curtain 31 when a pulling force that is sufficient to release the first engaging component 42 from the second engaging component 43 is applied to the pull cord 41 while the drawable curtain 31 is in a fully drawn up state (as shown in FIG. 6). Therefore, when the pull cord 41 is wound on the neck of a child playing with the same, the pull cord 41 will be instantly and automatically released from the drawable curtain 31 due to the weight of the child that is certainly sufficient to release the first engaging component 42 from the second engaging component 43, thereby alleviating accidental strangulation.
Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, a second preferred embodiment of the window blind assembly of this invention is shown to be similar to the first preferred embodiment. In this embodiment, the second surrounding wall 432 of the second engaging component 43 is formed with a pair of grooves 451 extending parallel to an axis of the second engaging component 43, and a plurality of annular positioning recesses 452 in the outer surface thereof. The annular positioning recesses 452 surround and are spaced apart along the axis of the second engaging component 43, and are intersected by the grooves 451. The engaging mechanism 44 further includes a resilient binding component 451 retained in a selected one of the annular positioning recesses 452. By virtue of the resilient binding component 451 cooperating with the grooves 451 and the annular positioning recesses 452, stability of engagement between the first and second engaging components 42, 43 can be enhanced. Moreover, when engagement force between the annular recess part 441 and the annular protrusion part 442 diminishes over time, the resilient binding component 451 is adapted for binding together the first and second engaging components 42, 43 so as to prolong the service life of the connecting unit 40.
While the present invention has been described in connection with what are considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.

Claims

1. A window blind assembly comprising:

a top rail;

a drawable curtain that has an upper section hung from said top rail, and a lower section extending downwardly from said upper section; and

a releasable curtain-drawing mechanism including a pull cord for drawing up and lowering said drawable curtain, and at least one connecting unit for connecting releasably said pull cord to said lower section of said drawable curtain, said connecting unit including

a first engaging component connected to said pull cord,

a second engaging component connected to said lower section of said drawable curtain, and

an engaging mechanism disposed on said first and second engaging components for providing an engagement force therebetween to interconnect releasably said first and second engaging components;

wherein the engagement force is sufficient to bear the weight of said drawable curtain so as to maintain connection between said first and second engaging components and thus between said pull cord and said lower section of said drawable curtain when said drawable curtain is lowered from said top rail; and

wherein said pull cord is released from said lower section of said drawable curtain when a pulling force that is sufficient to release said first engaging component from said second engaging component is applied to said pull cord while said drawable curtain is in a fully drawn up state.

2. The window blind assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said pull cord includes a pair of connecting sections disposed behind said drawable curtain and spaced apart from each other in a left-right direction; and

said curtain-drawing mechanism includes a pair of said connecting units, each of said connecting units connecting one of said connecting sections of said pull cord to said lower section of said drawable curtain.

3. The window blind assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein said engaging mechanism of each of said connecting units includes an annular recess part formed on one of said first and second engaging components, and an annular protrusion part formed on the other one of said first and second engaging components for engaging said annular recess part.

4. The window blind assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein, for each of said connecting units:

said first engaging component includes a first base wall, a first surrounding wall extending from said first base wall, and a first hanging ring for coupling with a corresponding one of said connecting sections of said pull cord; and

said second engaging component includes a second base wall, a second surrounding wall extending from said second base wall and defining a space into which said first surrounding wall of said first engaging component extends, and a second hanging ring for coupling with said lower section of said drawable curtain.

5. The window blind assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein said first surrounding wall is formed with said annular protrusion, and said second surrounding wall has an inner wall surface formed with said annular recess part.

6. The window blind assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein:

said first surrounding wall extends downwardly from said first base wall, and said first hanging ring is connected to said first base wall and projects upwardly therefrom; and

said second surrounding wall extends upwardly from said second base wall, and said second hanging ring is connected to said second base wall and projects downwardly therefrom.

7. The window blind assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said engaging mechanism includes a resilient binding component for binding together said first and second engaging components.

8. The window blind assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said engaging mechanism includes an annular recess part formed on one of said first and second engaging components, and an annular protrusion part formed on the other one of said first and second engaging components for engaging said annular recess part.

9. The window blind assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein said engaging mechanism further includes a resilient binding component for binding together said first and second engaging components.

10. The window blind assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein:

said second engaging component defines a space into which said first engaging component extends, and is formed with a groove extending parallel to an axis of said second engaging component, and a plurality of annular positioning recesses that surround and are spaced apart along the axis of said second engaging component, and that are intersected by said groove; and

said resilient binding component is retained in a selected one of said annular positioning recesses.

11. The window blind assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said first engaging component includes a first base wall, a first surrounding wall extending from said first base wall, and a first hanging ring for coupling with said pull cord; and

12. The window blind assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein said engaging mechanism includes a resilient binding component for binding together said first and second engaging components.

13. The window blind assembly as claimed in claim 12, wherein:

said second surrounding wall is formed with a groove extending parallel to an axis of said second engaging component, and a plurality of annular positioning recesses that surround and are spaced apart along the axis of said second engaging component and that are intersected by said groove; and