Blinds and methods for manufacturing blinds

Abstract

The present invention provides a blind in which a pattern is displayed when the slats are folded, and a method for manufacturing the blind. [Solution] The blind 100 comprises a headbox 110 and a plurality of slats 120 suspended and supported from the headbox 110 so as to be able to move up and down or open and close left and right. A portion of a pattern 131 is applied to at least one of the front and rear edges of each of the plurality of slats 120. When the plurality of slats 120 are folded, the portions of the patterns 131 come into close proximity or are continuous with each other vertically or horizontally, thereby forming one or more patterns 130 on the front and rear end faces of the overlapping plurality of slats 120. With this configuration, a blind and a method for manufacturing a blind are provided in which a pattern is displayed when the slats are folded.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a blind and a method for manufacturing the blind.

Background Art

[0002] As a conventional blind, the one disclosed in JP-A-2015-169021 (Patent Document 1) is known. The blind disclosed in this Patent Document 1 includes a ladder tape that is suspended from a support member so as to be tiltable, and a plurality of slats that are aligned and supported by the ladder tape so as to be tiltable. Patterns are provided on at least a part of both surfaces of the plurality of slats. When the plurality of slats are closed, due to the reflection of light received by one surface of the plurality of slats, the pattern provided on one surface is projected onto the other surface of the plurality of slats, and on the other surface, the pattern provided on the other surface and the pattern provided on one surface projected by the reflection of light are configured to be displayed.

[0003] According to such a configuration, the pattern can be displayed on the blind surface regardless of which surface of the two surfaces of the slat faces the indoor side.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Incidentally, for users who spend long periods of time with the slats folded, there are times when they want to add decorative design elements to the blinds even when the slats are folded, making them part of the interior decor. Therefore, there has been a demand for blinds that display patterns even when the slats are folded. However, the above-mentioned blinds are configured to display patterns on the surface of the slats when the slats are lowered. As a result, there was a problem in that they could not meet the above-mentioned demand.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of these problems, and its objective is to provide a blind and a method for manufacturing a blind that can provide a decorative design even when the slats are folded. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a blind comprising a headbox and a plurality of slats suspended and supported from the headbox so as to be able to move up and down or open and close to the left and right, wherein a part of a pattern is applied to at least one of the front and rear edges of each of the plurality of slats, and when the plurality of slats are folded, the parts of the patterns come into close proximity or continuity with each other vertically or horizontally, thereby forming one or more of the patterns on the front and rear end faces of the overlapping plurality of slats.

[0008] With this configuration, the pattern is displayed on the front and rear end faces of the folded slats, thus allowing the blind to have a decorative design even when the slats are folded.

[0009] In this invention, the "pattern" refers to the pattern formed on the end face of a slat when multiple slats or all of them are stacked together, and "part of the pattern" refers to the portion of the pattern applied to a single slat in order to form the pattern. For example, a single pattern may be formed by a few of the total number of slats, or by all of the slats. Furthermore, the pattern may be represented not only when the slats are folded, but also when the slats are open and there is a gap between the upper and lower slats, as long as the end faces (edges of each slat) are facing in the front-to-back direction, and the pattern is represented as a single pattern with vertical spacing.

[0010] The present invention has various applications. For example, the slat may have curved edges at its front and rear, and the pattern may be formed by parts of the pattern applied to the edges being adjacent vertically or horizontally. Alternatively, the slat may have flat edges at its front and rear, and the pattern may be formed by parts of the pattern applied to the edges being continuous vertically or horizontally. Furthermore, the slat may have an arc shape consisting of a convex surface and a concave surface on its back, and the pattern may be formed by parts of the pattern applied to the edges, including a part of the convex surface, being continuous vertically or horizontally. With such a configuration, regardless of the shape of the slat, the pattern can be displayed on the front and rear end faces of the folded slat.

[0011] Furthermore, a portion of the aforementioned design may be applied in any of the following ways. • Stamps, sprays, branding, or printing applied with the aforementioned multiple slats overlapping. • A seal attached to the slat so as to span the edge from the front to the back surface. • The aforementioned multiple slats are attached in an overlapping state, and the seals are separated from each slat. With this configuration, it becomes possible to apply a design to multiple slats at once using stamps, sprays, or branding irons. Furthermore, by using stickers, it becomes possible to apply designs to thin aluminum slats or slats with curved edges.

[0012] Furthermore, a method for manufacturing a blind comprising a headbox and a plurality of slats suspended and supported from the headbox so as to be able to move up and down or open and close to the left and right, wherein one or more patterns are formed on at least one of the front-to-back end faces of the plurality of slats that are folded and overlapped, wherein the plurality of slats are overlapped, one or more patterns are applied to at least one of the front-to-back end faces of the overlapped plurality of slats, and each of the plurality of slats with the patterns applied is suspended from the headbox so as to be able to move up and down or open and close to the left and right. With such a configuration, it is not necessary to apply a part of the pattern to each individual slat, and the patterns can be applied to multiple slats at once, thus enabling efficient manufacturing.

[0013] Furthermore, one or more of the aforementioned designs may be applied to at least one of the front-to-back end faces of the overlapping slats by stamping, spraying, branding, printing, or sealing. This configuration makes it possible to apply the designs more efficiently and easily. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the blinds and blind manufacturing method of the present invention, decorative designs can be given to blinds even when the slats are folded. Other effects of the present invention will be explained in the embodiments for carrying out the invention described later. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This is a front view showing the overall configuration of the blind 100 according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2]It is a side view near the head box 110 of the blind 100. [Figure 3] It is a front view for explaining the state of the pattern 130 when the slat 120 moves up and down. (a) shows the state when the slat 120 is being folded, and (b) shows the state when all of the slat 120 is folded. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing a method of applying a pattern to the slat 120. (a) shows the state where the slats 120 are overlapped, and (b) shows the state where the slats 120 are open. [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing a method of applying a pattern to the slat 220 of the blind 200 of the second embodiment. (a) shows the state where the slats 220 are overlapped, and (b) shows the state where the slats 220 are open. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing a method of applying a pattern to the slat 320 of the blind 300 of the third embodiment. (a) shows the state where the slats 320 are overlapped, and (b) shows the state where the slats 320 are open.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail while referring to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

[0017] (First Embodiment) The overall configuration of the blind 100 according to the first embodiment will be described while referring to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a front view showing the overall configuration of the blind 100 of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view near the head box 110 of the blind 100.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, the blind 100 of the present embodiment includes a head box 110 and a plurality of slats 120 that are suspended and supported from the head box 110 so as to be movable up and down. And, a part 131 of a pattern is applied to at least one of the front and rear edges of each of the plurality of slats 120. When the plurality of slats 120 are folded and the parts 131 of the patterns are close to or continuous with each other vertically, one or more patterns 130 (see FIG. 3) are formed on the front and rear end faces of the plurality of superimposed slats 120 in the front-rear direction. Hereinafter, each configuration of the blind 100 will be described in detail.

[0019] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the head box 110 is attached to a window frame or the like (not shown) by a bracket 112. An operation cord 140 for operating the tilting and lifting of the slat 120 hangs down from one end of the head box 110.

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the plurality of slats 120 are supported in an aligned state by a ladder cord 150 that is suspended from the head box 110 so as to be tiltable, and the tilt angle is variable by the tilting of the ladder cord 150. Further, the plurality of slats 120 can be moved up and down by a lifting cord 160 that is suspended from the head box 110 so as to be movable up and down. A bottom rail 170 is disposed below the lowermost slat 120, and the lower ends of the ladder cord 150 and the lifting cord 160 are connected. The tilting of the ladder cord 150 and the lifting of the lifting cord 160 are operated by the operation cord 140.

[0021] The overall configuration of the blind 100 has been described above. Hereinafter, the slat 120, which is a characteristic configuration of the present embodiment, will be described with reference to FIG. 3 in addition to FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is a front view for explaining the state of the pattern 130 when the slat 120 moves up and down. (a) shows a state in which the slat 120 is being folded, and (b) shows a state in which all the slats 120 are folded.

[0022] As shown in Figure 2, the slats 120 have an R-shape, which is an example of a curved shape at the front and rear edges. At least one of the front and rear edges of each of the multiple slats 120 is covered with a part 131 of a pattern, as shown in Figure 3. When the multiple slats 120 are folded and the parts 131 of the patterns come into close proximity vertically, multiple patterns 130 are formed sequentially on the front and rear end faces of the overlapping slats 120, starting from the lower slat 120, as shown in Figure 3(a). When all the slats 120 are folded, all the patterns 130 appear on the entire surface of one end face of the slats 120, as shown in Figure 3(b). The other edge of the slats 120 can also be covered with a pattern 130 in the same way as the other edge.

[0023] Since the pattern 130 is applied to the edge of the slat 120, it is not visible when the slat 120 is closed, as shown in Figure 3(a). On the other hand, when the slat 120 is open, there is a gap between the upper and lower slats 120, but since the edges face either the front or back, the pattern 130 can be formed with the gap. Therefore, the shape of the pattern 130 can be changed between the folded and open states of the slat 120.

[0024] The method for applying a pattern to the slats 120 will be explained with reference to Figure 4. Figure 4 shows the method for applying a pattern to the slats 120, where (a) shows the slats 120 stacked on top of each other and (b) shows the slats 120 opened up. First, as shown in Figure 4(a), multiple slats 120 are stacked on top of each other. Multiple sticker-like patterns 130 are then attached to at least one of the front-to-back edges of the stacked slats 120.

[0025] Since the edges of the slats 120 are rounded (R-shaped), the overlapping slats 120 form a series of peaks and valleys. The pattern 130 is attached to the peaks of the rounded (R-shaped) slats 120, and remains floating in the valleys between the upper and lower slats 120. The pattern 130 is cut off in the floating portion between the upper and lower slats 120, and the edges of the cut portion 131 of the pattern are attached to the upper and lower surfaces of the slats 120. In this way, the portion 131 of the pattern is applied to the slats 120.

[0026] In this way, the blind 100 is manufactured by suspending each of the multiple slats 120, each of which has a portion of the design 131 applied, from the headbox 110 so that it can be raised and lowered by ladder cords 150 and lifting cords 160, as described above.

[0027] (Effects of the first embodiment) As described above, according to this embodiment, the pattern 130 is displayed on the front and rear end faces of the folded slats 120, so that the blind 100 with the slats 120 folded can also be given a decorative design.

[0028] Furthermore, regardless of the shape of the slat 120, the pattern 130 can be displayed on the front and rear end faces of the folded slat 120.

[0029] Since it is not necessary to apply a portion of the pattern 131 to each individual slat 120, and the pattern 130 can be applied to multiple slats 120 at once, efficient manufacturing becomes possible.

[0030] Multiple patterns 130 can be applied to the slats 120 simply by attaching the sticker-like pattern 130 to the edges of the slats 120. Therefore, it is possible to apply patterns 130 to the slats 120 more efficiently and easily.

[0031] (Second embodiment) Next, the configuration of the blind 200 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 5. Figure 5 is a diagram showing a method for applying a pattern to the slats 220 of the blind 200 of the second embodiment, where (a) shows the slats 220 in an overlapping state and (b) shows the slats 220 in an open state. In this embodiment, the method for applying a pattern to the slats 220 differs from that of the slats 120 of the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the differences from the first embodiment will be explained in detail. Components having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0032] As shown in Figure 5, the slat 220 is a wooden slat with flat edges at the front and rear. The pattern 230 is formed by a portion of the pattern 230 applied to one edge of the slat 220 continuing vertically. The method for applying the pattern to the slat 220 will be described below.

[0033] First, as shown in Figure 5(a), multiple slats 220 are stacked on top of each other, and their edges are aligned to create a flat end surface. Next, a stamp is pressed onto the flat end surface to form multiple patterns 230 across the stacked slats 220. As shown in Figure 5(b), a portion 231 of the pattern is applied to each slat 220. The other edge of the slat 220 can also be treated with the pattern 230 in the same way as the other edge.

[0034] (Effects of the second embodiment) As described above, according to this embodiment, the pattern 230 can be displayed on the front and rear end faces of the folded slats 220.

[0035] Furthermore, since it is not necessary to apply a portion of the pattern 231 to each individual slat 220, and the pattern 230 can be applied to multiple slats 220 at once, efficient manufacturing becomes possible.

[0036] Furthermore, since multiple designs 230 can be applied to the slats 220 using stamps, it becomes possible to apply the designs 230 more efficiently and easily.

[0037] (Third embodiment) Next, the configuration of the blind 300 according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 6. Figure 6 is a diagram showing a method for applying a pattern to the slats 320 of the blind 300 according to the third embodiment, where (a) shows the slats 320 in an overlapping state and (b) shows the slats 320 in an open state. In this embodiment, the configuration of the slats 320 differs from that of the slats 120 of the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the differences from the first embodiment described above will be explained in detail. Components having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0038] As shown in Figure 6, the slat 320 has an arc shape consisting of a convex surface and a concave surface on its back. The pattern 330 is formed by a part 331 of the pattern applied to the edge, which includes a part of the arc-shaped convex surface, continuing vertically. The method for applying the pattern to the slat 320 will be described below.

[0039] The slats 320 are thin aluminum slats, and as shown in Figure 6(a), they are stacked vertically with their arc-shaped concave and convex surfaces aligned. Multiple sticker-like patterns 330 are attached to at least one of the front-to-back edges of the stacked slats 320. The patterns 330 are separated between the upper and lower stacked slats 320, and the edges of the separated patterns 330 are attached to the convex surface of the slats 320. Each slat 320 is then decorated with a portion 331 of the pattern, as shown in Figure 6(b). The other edge of the slat 320 can also be decorated with the pattern 330 in the same way as the other edge.

[0040] (Effects of the third embodiment) As described above, according to this embodiment, the pattern 330 can be displayed on the front-to-rear end faces of the folded slats 320.

[0041] Furthermore, by using a sticker-like pattern 330, it becomes possible to apply the pattern 330 even to thin aluminum slats.

[0042] Furthermore, multiple patterns 330 can be applied to the slats 320 simply by attaching the sticker-like pattern 330 to the edges of the slats 320. Therefore, it is possible to apply patterns to the slats 320 more efficiently and easily.

[0043] Furthermore, since part 331 of the pattern is applied to the edge including a portion of the convex surface, even if the overlapping upper and lower slats 320 are shifted forward or backward relative to each other, the pattern 330 can be displayed without any gaps on the front-to-back end faces of the folded slats 320.

[0044] Preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the attached drawings, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these examples. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications or alterations can be conceived within the scope of the claims, and these will naturally also fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0045] For example, in the first embodiment described above, a horizontal blind was used as an example, in which a plurality of slats 120 are suspended from a headbox 110 so as to be able to move up and down. However, the present invention is not limited to this example. Any design is possible as long as a pattern is displayed on the front-to-back end faces of the folded slats. For example, it may be a vertical blind configured so as to be able to open and close in the left-to-right direction, i.e., in the longitudinal direction, of the headbox. In this case, one or more patterns are formed on the front-to-back end faces of the overlapping plurality of slats by having parts of the patterns close together or continuous from left to right. The same applies to other embodiments.

[0046] Furthermore, although the first embodiment described above used wooden slats with R-shaped edges as an example, the present invention is not limited to this example. Slats can be designed arbitrarily as long as their front and rear edges are curved. For example, the curved shape could be an ellipse or other shape where the radius changes, or a triangular shape that tapers towards the tip and has a curved tip. Moreover, slats are not limited to wood and can be designed from any material such as resin or metal.

[0047] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, the pattern 130 was applied to the slats 120 by separating a seal attached to the slats 120 while they were overlapping. However, the present invention is not limited to this example. The pattern can be arbitrarily designed as long as it is displayed on the front-to-back end faces of the folded slats. For example, a part of a pattern formed in the form of a seal may be attached to the slats one by one.

[0048] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, multiple patterns were formed on the front-to-back end faces of the overlapping slats, but the present invention is not limited to this example. The design can be arbitrarily created as long as a pattern is displayed on the front-to-back end faces of the folded slats. For example, one pattern may be formed on the entire front-to-back end faces of the overlapping slats. Alternatively, a part of the pattern may be applied to the bottom rail 170 located below the lowest slat 120. Other embodiments are similar.

[0049] Furthermore, although the above embodiment involved applying patterns to the slats using seals or stamps, the present invention is not limited to this example. Any design is possible as long as the pattern is displayed on the front-to-back end faces of the folded slats. For example, patterns may be applied using spray paint, branding, or printing.

[0050] Furthermore, in the third embodiment described above, the pattern 330 is applied to the edge portion including a part of the arc-shaped convex surface of the slat 320, but the present invention is not limited to this example. The pattern can be arbitrarily designed as long as it is displayed on the front-to-back end face of the folded slat. For example, a part of the pattern may be applied to the edge portion including a part of the concave surface in addition to a part of the convex surface of the slat 320, or it may not be applied to the convex side, but only to the edge portion including a part of the concave surface. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0051] 100, 200, 300 blinds 110 Headbox 112 bracket 120, 220, 320 slats 130, 230, 330 patterns Parts of the 131, 231, and 331 designs 140 Operation Codes 150 ladder code 160 Lifting cord 170 Bottom Rail

Claims

1. It comprises a headbox and a plurality of slats suspended and supported from the headbox so as to be able to move up and down or open and close to the left and right, A blind characterized in that a portion of a pattern is applied to at least one of the front and rear edges of each of the plurality of slats, and when the plurality of slats are folded, the portions of the patterns come into close proximity or continuity with each other vertically or horizontally, thereby forming one or more of the patterns on the front and rear end faces of the overlapping plurality of slats.

2. The aforementioned slat has curved edges at its front and rear, The blind according to claim 1, characterized in that the pattern is formed when a part of the pattern applied to the edge is adjacent to the top and bottom or left and right.

3. The slat has a flat shape at its front and rear edges. The blind according to claim 1, characterized in that the pattern is formed by a part of the pattern applied to the edge being continuous vertically or horizontally.

4. The slat has an arc shape consisting of a convex surface and a concave surface on its back surface. The blind according to claim 1, characterized in that the pattern is formed by a portion of the pattern applied to the edge portion including a portion of the convex surface being continuous vertically or horizontally.

5. The blind according to claim 1, characterized in that a portion of the design is applied by one of the following: a stamp, spray, branding, or printing applied to the multiple slats while they are overlapping; a sticker applied to the slats from the front to the back so as to span the edges; or a sticker applied to the multiple slats while they are overlapping and then separated from each slat.

6. A method for manufacturing a blind comprising a headbox and a plurality of slats suspended and supported from the headbox so as to be able to move up and down or open and close to the left and right, wherein one or more patterns are formed on at least one of the front-to-back end faces of the plurality of slats that are folded and overlapped, The aforementioned multiple slats are stacked on top of each other, One or more patterns are applied to at least one of the front-to-back end faces of the overlapping plurality of slats. A method for manufacturing a blind, characterized in that each of the plurality of slats, which are decorated with the aforementioned design, is suspended from the headbox so as to be able to be raised and lowered or opened and closed from side to side.

7. The method for manufacturing a blind according to claim 6, characterized in that one or more of the designs are applied to at least one of the front-to-back end faces of the overlapping plurality of slats by stamping, spraying, branding, printing, or sealing.

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