Vertical blind

Abstract

To provide a vertical blind capable of more easily adjusting the maximum distance between adjacent carriers.SOLUTION: This vertical blind includes a plurality of carriers 130 that are provided inside a head rail 110 so as to be movable along the longitudinal direction of the head rail 110 and each of which suspends a louver 120; spacer links 140 that connect adjacent carriers 130 among the plurality of carriers 130 and define the maximum distance between adjacent carriers 130 when the plurality of carriers 130 are deployed; and pitch spacers 150 that are fixed so as not to be relatively movable with respect to the spacer links 140 and adjust the maximum distance to be shorter. With this configuration, the maximum distance between adjacent carriers can be adjusted by the simple task of attaching the pitch spacers to the spacer links. This makes it easier to adjust the maximum distance between adjacent carriers.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to vertical blinds. [Background technology]

[0002] A conventional vertical blind is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2010-180677 (Patent Document 1). The vertical blind disclosed in this document has a louver suspended from each of a plurality of carriers arranged movably within a head rail, and adjacent carriers are connected to each other with spacer links, so that the following carriers are pulled by the master carrier located at the front and are sequentially pulled out. In addition, a spacing adjustment means is provided between the carriers and the spacer links, which can adjust the maximum spacing between adjacent carriers.

[0003] This spacing adjustment means is composed of, for example, a locking portion provided on the carrier and multiple locked portions provided on the spacer link, and the maximum spacing between adjacent carriers can be adjusted by changing the locked portions that are locked to the locking portion.

[0004] With such a vertical blind, the maximum distance between adjacent carriers can be adjusted according to the product width, and the distances between adjacent louvers can all be made approximately the same when the carriers are deployed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-180677 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in conventional vertical blinds such as those shown in Patent Document 1, when adjusting the maximum distance between adjacent carriers using a distance adjustment means to reduce the distance, the ends of the spacer links protrude from the carriers. This requires cutting off the protruding portions to prevent interference with adjacent carriers when folding the carriers, making the adjustment process time-consuming. Therefore, there was a need for a vertical blind that allows for easier adjustment of the maximum distance between adjacent carriers.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a vertical blind that allows the maximum distance between adjacent carriers to be more easily adjusted. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, according to the present invention, a vertical blind is provided, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of carriers that are movable inside a head rail along the longitudinal direction of the head rail, each of which has a louver suspended therefrom, spacer links that connect adjacent carriers among the plurality of carriers and determine the maximum distance between the adjacent carriers when the plurality of carriers are deployed, and a pitch spacer that is fixed so as not to be able to move relative to the spacer links and adjusts the maximum distance to be shorter.

[0009] With this configuration, the maximum interval between adjacent carriers can be adjusted by the simple task of simply attaching pitch spacers to the spacer links, making it possible to more easily adjust the maximum interval between adjacent carriers.

[0010] Furthermore, since the pitch spacers are fixed so as not to be able to move relative to the spacer links, it is possible to prevent the pitch spacers from moving on the spacer links when the carrier is folded, which would otherwise increase the vertical overlap of the spacer links. As a result, it is possible to prevent the spacer links from interfering with the top surface of the head rail, resulting in poor folding of the carrier.

[0011] Various application examples of the present invention are conceivable. For example, one of the adjacent carriers may be connected to one end of the spacer link so as to be immovable relative to the spacer link, and the other of the adjacent carriers may be connected to the spacer link so as to be slidable between the other end of the spacer link and the one of the carriers, and the pitch spacer may be disposed between the other carrier and the other end of the spacer link to adjust the maximum distance to be shorter. With this configuration, the maximum distance can be adjusted easily because the pitch spacer can be adjusted simply by disposing it between the other carrier and the other end of the spacer link.

[0012] Furthermore, a fixing means may be provided between the spacer link and the pitch spacer for detachably fixing the pitch spacer to the spacer link. With this configuration, the pitch spacer can be detachably attached to the spacer link by the fixing means, so that the maximum distance can be easily adjusted, for example, by using the spacer link with the pitch spacer removed or by attaching pitch spacers of different lengths.

[0013] The fixing means may be configured to fix the pitch spacer to the spacer link at a position selectable from a plurality of positions in the longitudinal direction of the spacer link, thereby enabling flexible adjustment of the maximum distance between adjacent carriers.

[0014] The fixing means may be configured to include a locking portion provided on either the spacer link or the pitch spacer, and a locked portion provided on the other of the spacer link or the pitch spacer, with which the locking portion can be locked. With this configuration, the pitch spacer can be fixed to the spacer link with a simple structure.

[0015] Furthermore, the fixing means may be a recess formed in the spacer link, and the pitch spacer may be fitted into the recess to be fixed so as to be immovable relative to the spacer link. With this configuration, the pitch spacer can be easily attached to and detached from the spacer link. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present invention, a vertical blind is provided that allows for easier adjustment of the maximum distance between adjacent carriers. Other advantages of the present invention will be described in the detailed description of the invention below. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic front view showing the overall configuration of a vertical blind 100 according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is an exploded perspective view of a carrier 130, a spacer link 140, and a pitch spacer 150. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the carrier 130, the spacer link 140, and the pitch spacer 150 in an assembled state. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the vertical blind 100 in an unfolded state. [Figure 5] 1 is a front view showing the state of the carrier 130, the spacer link 140, and the pitch spacer 150 when the vertical blind 100 is in the unfolded state. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a state in which the vertical blind 100 is being folded. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a front view showing the state of the carrier 130, spacer link 140, and pitch spacer 150 when the vertical blind 100 is in the middle of being folded. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing a spacer link 340 and a pitch spacer 350 of a comparative example. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a front view showing the state of a carrier 330, a spacer link 340, and a pitch spacer 350 in the middle of folding up a vertical blind 300 of a comparative example. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing a carrier 230, a spacer link 240, and a pitch spacer 250 according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functional configurations are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0019] (First embodiment) A first embodiment of the present invention will be described. First, the overall configuration of a vertical blind 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a schematic front view showing the overall configuration of the vertical blind 100 of this embodiment.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 1, the vertical blind 100 is configured with a plurality of carriers 130 that are movably disposed inside the head rail 110 along the longitudinal direction of the head rail 110 and each of which suspends a louver 120, spacer links 140 that connect adjacent carriers 130 among the plurality of carriers 130 and determine the maximum distance between adjacent carriers 130 when the plurality of carriers 130 are deployed, and pitch spacers 150 (see Figs. 2 and 3 described below) that are fixed so as not to move relative to the spacer links 140 and adjust the maximum distance to be shorter. Each component will be described in detail below.

[0021] (Headrail 110) The head rail 110 supports the louvers 120 by suspending them so that they can move in the longitudinal direction. The head rail 110 is attached to a fixed surface such as a window frame. As shown in FIG. 1, multiple carriers 130 are arranged within the head rail 110 so that they can move in the longitudinal direction. A master carrier 130M, which serves as the leading carrier, is located at one end of the head rail 110.

[0022] 1, a drive shaft 112 extending in the longitudinal direction of the head rail 110 passes through the multiple carriers 130 and the master carrier 130M. By rotating the drive shaft 112, the multiple carriers 130 and the master carrier 130M can be operated to rotate the louvers 120. A rotation operation unit 114 that can rotate the drive shaft 112 is provided at the other end of the head rail 110.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 1, an opening / closing cord 116 is provided within the head rail 110 to move the multiple carriers 130 and the master carrier 130M in the unfolding and folding directions. The opening / closing cord 116 is connected to the master carrier 130M. The master carrier 130M moves in the longitudinal direction of the head rail 110 by operating the opening / closing cord 116. The multiple carriers 130 move in the unfolding and folding directions by moving the master carrier 130M. The opening / closing cord 116 hangs down in a loop from one end of the head rail 110, and serves as an opening / closing operation part 116a for operating the opening / closing cord 116.

[0024] (Louver 120) As shown in Fig. 1, the louver 120 opens or closes an opening such as a window. The louver 120 can have a configuration similar to that of a typical vertical blind. The upper end of the louver 120 is rotatably engaged with the carrier 130 and the master carrier 130M. A balance weight 122 is provided at the lower end of the louver 120.

[0025] (Career 130) The carriers 130 move the louvers 120 in the unfolding and folding directions and rotatably support the louvers 120. As shown in FIG. 1, each carrier 130 and the master carrier 130M are connected by spacer links 140 so that they can be positioned at regular intervals.

[0026] The configurations of the head rail 110, drive shaft 112, rotary operating unit 114, opening / closing cord 116, louver 120, multiple carriers 130 and master carrier 130M described above are the same as those of general vertical blinds, so further detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0027] The configurations of the spacer links 140 and pitch spacers 150, which are characteristic of this embodiment, will be described below with reference to Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the carrier 130, spacer links 140, and pitch spacers 150. Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the carrier 130, spacer links 140, and pitch spacers 150 in an assembled state.

[0028] A fixing means is provided between the spacer link 140 and the pitch spacer 150 for detachably fixing the pitch spacer 150 to the spacer link 140. The fixing means is composed of a protrusion 142 (locking portion) provided on the spacer link 140 and a groove 152 (locked portion) provided on the pitch spacer 150 and capable of locking the protrusion 142. The configuration of each portion will be described below.

[0029] (Spacer Link 140) The spacer link 140 defines the maximum distance between adjacent carriers 130 and master carrier 130M when the multiple carriers 130 and master carrier 130M are deployed. The basic configuration of the spacer link 140 is the same as that of a general blind, so the characteristic configuration of the spacer link 140 of this embodiment will be described below.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 2, the spacer link 140 is a long, strip-shaped member, and near one end thereof is formed a protrusion 142 as an engaging portion for engaging with a pitch spacer 150, which will be described later. Near the protrusion 142 of the spacer link 140, as shown in Fig. 2, a long hole 144 is formed in the longitudinal direction. The spacer link 140 is easily elastically deformed near the long hole 144, and is attached to the carrier 130 by being bent in the direction narrowing its width.

[0031] (Pitch spacer 150) The pitch spacer 150 is used to shorten and adjust the maximum distance between adjacent carriers 130 and master carriers 130M when the multiple carriers 130 and master carriers 130M are deployed. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the pitch spacer 150 is formed in a shape that follows the top, side, and bottom surfaces of the spacer link 140 so as to cover both sides of these surfaces. A groove 152 with one open end is formed in the upper part 150a of the pitch spacer 150 as an engagement portion for engagement with the protrusion 142 of the spacer link 140. The groove 152 is formed in a straight line from one side of the pitch spacer 150 to the other side.

[0032] The pitch spacer 150 is attached to the spacer link 140 by fitting the spacer link 140 inside the pitch spacer 150 and engaging the non-open end of the groove 152 with the protrusion 142 .

[0033] The configuration in which the master carrier 130M and multiple carriers 130 are connected by spacer links 140 will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Figure 4 is a plan view showing the unfolded state of the vertical blind 100. Figure 5 is a front view showing the state of the carriers 130, spacer links 140, and pitch spacers 150 when the vertical blind 100 is unfolded.

[0034] 4 and 5, the multiple carriers 130 are connected via spacer links 140. One carrier 130-1 of adjacent carriers 130 is connected to one end 140a of the spacer link 140 so as to be immovable relative to the spacer link 140. The other carrier 130-2 of adjacent carriers 130 is connected to the spacer link 140 so as to be slidable between the other end 140b of the spacer link 140 and the one carrier 130-1. A pitch spacer 150 is disposed between the other carrier 130-2 and the other end 140b of the spacer link 140.

[0035] Therefore, when adjacent carriers 130 slide apart, the movement of the other carrier 130-2 is restricted by coming into contact with the pitch spacer 150. Since the length of the spacer link 140 is thus shortened by the length of the pitch spacer 150, the maximum distance between adjacent carriers 130 when they move apart is shorter than when the pitch spacer 150 is not present.

[0036] The configuration of the vertical blind 100 has been described above. The operation of the vertical blind 100 will now be described with reference to Figs. 6 and 7, along with a comparative example. Fig. 6 is a plan view showing the vertical blind 100 in the middle of folding. Fig. 7 is a front view showing the carrier 130, spacer links 140, and pitch spacers 150 when the vertical blind 100 is in the middle of folding. The unfolding and folding operation of the louver 120 is the same as that of a general vertical blind, so a detailed description will be omitted and the following will mainly describe the parts related to the spacer links 140 and pitch spacers 150.

[0037] 6 and 7, when the louver 120 is folded, the master carrier 130M moves in the folding direction, causing adjacent carriers 130 to come into contact with each other in the movement direction. At this time, the spacer links 140 of the master carrier 130M and carrier 130 that are moving first are positioned below the spacer links 140 of the adjacent carriers 130 that they come into contact with, so that all of the spacer links 140 are stacked one on top of the other in the vertical direction.

[0038] Because the pitch spacers 150 are fixed so as not to move relative to the spacer links 140, the pitch spacers 150 do not move on the spacer links 140 even when the master carrier 130M and carriers 130 move. When adjacent master carriers 130M and multiple carriers 130 are folded so as to be arranged adjacent to each other as shown in Figure 7, the pitch spacers 150 of the vertically overlapping spacer links 140 are arranged so as to be adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction of the head rail 110. Therefore, the vertical overlap of the spacer links 140 is small, preventing interference with the top surface of the head rail 110.

[0039] The operation of the vertical blind 100 of this embodiment has been described above. The operation of the vertical blind 300 of the comparative example will now be described with reference to Figs. 8 and 9. Fig. 8 is an exploded perspective view showing the spacer link 340 and pitch spacer 350 of the comparative example. Fig. 9 is a front view showing the state of the carrier 330, spacer link 340, and pitch spacer 350 when the vertical blind 300 of the comparative example is in the middle of folding up.

[0040] In the comparative vertical blind 300, as shown in FIG. 8, the spacer link 340 and pitch spacer 350 are not provided with fixing means such as the protrusion 142 and groove 152 shown in FIG. 3, and the pitch spacer 350 is configured to be freely movable relative to the spacer link 340. Therefore, when the master carrier 330M and the carrier 330 are folded, the pitch spacer 350 moves on the spacer link 340, as shown in FIG. 9. This increases the possibility that the pitch spacers 350 will overlap one another vertically. In such a case, the overlap of the spacer link 340 becomes large, and the other end of the spacer link 340 interferes with the top surface of the head rail 310, restricting the smooth movement of the carrier 330. This makes it easy for gaps to form between adjacent master carriers 330M and multiple carriers 330, resulting in poor folding.

[0041] (Effects of the first embodiment) As described above, according to this embodiment, the maximum spacing between adjacent master carriers 130M and the multiple carriers 130 can be adjusted by the simple task of simply attaching pitch spacers 150 to the spacer links 140. Furthermore, because the pitch spacers 150 are fixed so as not to move relative to the spacer links 140, it is possible to prevent the pitch spacers 150 from moving on the spacer links 140 when the master carrier 130M and the multiple carriers 130 are folded, thereby preventing the vertical overlap of the spacer links 140 from becoming large. As a result, it is possible to prevent the spacer links 140 from interfering with the top surface of the head rail 110 and causing problems with folding the master carrier 130M and the multiple carriers 130.

[0042] Furthermore, the maximum distance can be adjusted simply by disposing the pitch spacer 150 between the other carrier 130 and the other end 140b of the spacer link 140, so that the maximum distance can be easily adjusted.

[0043] Furthermore, since the pitch spacer 150 can be attached to and detached from the spacer link 140 by the protrusion 142 and groove 152, which are fixing means, the maximum distance can be easily adjusted, for example, by removing the pitch spacer 150 from the spacer link 140 and using it, or by attaching a pitch spacer 150 of a different length.

[0044] Furthermore, the fixing means is configured to be composed of a protrusion 142 (locking portion) provided on the spacer link 140 and a groove portion 152 (locked portion) provided on the pitch spacer 150, so that the pitch spacer 150 can be fixed to the spacer link 140 with a simple structure.

[0045] (Second embodiment) The configuration of the spacer links 240 and pitch spacers 250 of the vertical blind 200 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing the spacer links 240 and pitch spacers 250 of this embodiment. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the configuration of the spacer links 240 and pitch spacers 250, and the following description will focus on the differences from the first embodiment. Components having substantially the same functional configuration will be assigned the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 10, the spacer link 240 has three protrusions 242 (locking portions) formed at intervals in the longitudinal direction from the vicinity of the other end 240b. The pitch spacer 250 has holes 252 (locked portions) into which the protrusions 242 can be locked. In this manner, in this embodiment, the three protrusions 242 and the holes 252 form a fixing means, and the position at which the pitch spacer 250 is fixed to the spacer link 240 can be selected from a plurality of positions in the longitudinal direction of the spacer link 240. Therefore, the maximum distance between adjacent carriers 230 can be adjusted in three stages. The carrier 230 can have a configuration similar to that of the carrier 130 of the first embodiment.

[0047] (Effects of the second embodiment) As described above, according to this embodiment, the fixing means is configured so that the position at which the pitch spacer 250 is fixed to the spacer link 240 can be selected from multiple positions in the longitudinal direction of the spacer link 240, thereby making it possible to flexibly adjust the maximum spacing between adjacent master carriers 230M and between multiple carriers 230.

[0048] While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such examples. It is clear that those skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications and alterations within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these modifications and alterations also fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0049] For example, in the first embodiment, the pitch spacer 150 is arranged between the other carrier 130 and the other end 140b of the spacer link 140 to shorten the maximum distance, but the present invention is not limited to this example. Any design can be used as long as it makes it easier to adjust the maximum distance between adjacent carriers. For example, the pitch spacer may be arranged at any position on the spacer link. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0050] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, a fixing means is provided between the spacer link 140 and the pitch spacer 150 for detachably fixing the pitch spacer 150 to the spacer link 140, but the present invention is not limited to this example. Any design is possible as long as the pitch spacer can be fixed to the spacer link. For example, the pitch spacer does not have to be detachably attached to the spacer link.

[0051] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the fixing means is constituted by the protrusion 142 (locking portion) provided on the spacer link 140 and the groove 152 (locked portion) provided on the pitch spacer 150, but the present invention is not limited to this example. The fixing means can be designed arbitrarily. For example, the fixing means may be a recess (concave portion) formed in the spacer link, and the pitch spacer may be configured to fit into the recess and be fixed so as to prevent relative movement. Also, the pitch spacer may be configured in a clip shape, and the spacer link may be attached by being clamped between the pitch spacers. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 100, 200, 300 vertical blinds 110, 310 head rail 112 Drive shaft 114 Rotation control unit 116 Opening and closing cord 116a Opening / closing operation part 120 louvers 122 Balance weight 130, 230, 330 Carrier 130M Master Carrier 140, 240, 340 spacer link 140a One end 140b Other end 142, 242 Protrusion (locking part) 144 Long hole 150, 250, 350 pitch spacers 150a upper 152 Groove (locked part) 252 Hole (locked part)

Claims

1. a plurality of carriers provided inside the head rail so as to be movable along the longitudinal direction of the head rail, each of which has a louver suspended therefrom; a spacer link connecting adjacent carriers among the plurality of carriers and defining a maximum distance between the adjacent carriers when the plurality of carriers are deployed; a pitch spacer that is fixed to the spacer link so as not to be able to move relative to the spacer link and adjusts the maximum distance to be shorter; A vertical blind comprising:

2. one of the adjacent carriers is connected to one end of the spacer link so as to be immovable relative to the spacer link; the other of the adjacent carriers is connected to the spacer link so as to be slidable between the other end of the spacer link and the one of the carriers, 2. The vertical blind according to claim 1, wherein the pitch spacer is disposed between the other carrier and the other end of the spacer link, thereby adjusting the maximum distance to be shorter.

3. 3. The vertical blind according to claim 2, wherein a fixing means is provided between the spacer link and the pitch spacer for detachably fixing the pitch spacer to the spacer link.

4. 4. The vertical blind according to claim 3, wherein the fixing means is configured so that the position at which the pitch spacer is fixed to the spacer link can be selected from a plurality of positions in the longitudinal direction of the spacer link.

5. 5. The vertical blind according to claim 3, wherein the fixing means comprises a locking portion provided on either the spacer link or the pitch spacer, and a lockable portion provided on the other of the spacer link or the pitch spacer, with which the locking portion can be locked.

6. 5. The vertical blind according to claim 4, wherein the fixing means is a recess formed in the spacer link, and the pitch spacer is fitted into the recess and fixed so as to be immovable relative to the recess.

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