Vertical blinds

Abstract

To provide a vertical blind capable of reducing a folding margin when a louver is folded.SOLUTION: A vertical blind is configured to suspend a first louver and a second louver from each of a plurality of carriers that is movable in a head rail, in which each of the carriers includes a first suspended lower section having a first support section for supporting the first louver, a second suspended lower section having a second support section for supporting the second louver, and an arm section that is provided on at least one of the first suspended lower section and the second suspended lower section and can be developed and bent so as to move the position of at least one of the first support section and the second support section. When the first louver and the second louver are folded, the arm section is bendable in the longitudinal direction of the head rail so that the first support section and the second support section are within a range that is less than twice the length of one carrier in the longitudinal direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] A known conventional vertical blind is described in Patent Document 1. In the vertical blind described in Patent Document 1, a louver is suspended from each of a plurality of carriers arranged movably within a head rail, and only every other carrier (first carrier) of the plurality of carriers is provided with a rotation transmission mechanism that transmits the movement of a drive means provided within the head rail to rotation of the louver about the vertical axis, and a carrier (second carrier) that is not provided with a rotation transmission mechanism is provided with a biasing means that constantly biases the louver in a predetermined rotational direction about the vertical axis.

[0003] When the louvers suspended from the first carrier are rotated so that they are approximately perpendicular to the head rail (i.e., fully open), the louvers suspended from the second carrier are configured to maintain a state in which they approximately close the gaps between the louvers suspended from the adjacent first carriers on either side.

[0004] This prevents gaps from occurring between the louvers when opaque louvers are hung on the first carrier and translucent louvers are hung on the second carrier in the fully open state, which allows for lighting and a clear view. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-140952 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, even with the technology described in Patent Document 1 above, the configuration itself of one louver hanging from one carrier is similar to other conventional vertical blinds, so when multiple carriers are gathered at one end of the head rail and the louvers are folded, a folding allowance is created that is at least greater than the total thickness of each carrier corresponding to the number of louvers, and so there is still room for improvement in reducing the folding allowance.

[0007] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a vertical blind capable of reducing the folding margin when the louvers are folded. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, a vertical blind according to one aspect of the present invention is a vertical blind that suspends a first louver and a second louver from each of a plurality of carriers that are movable within a head rail, and each of the plurality of carriers includes a first suspension part having a first support part that supports the first louver, and a second suspension part having a second support part that supports the second louver, The arm portion is provided on at least one of the first suspension portion and the second suspension portion and is capable of unfolding and bending so as to move the position of at least one of the first support portion and the second support portion. The arm portion is bendable so that when the first louver and the second louver are folded, the first support portion and the second support portion are within a range less than twice the longitudinal length of one of the carriers in the longitudinal direction of the head rail.

[0009] With this configuration, the first louver and the second louver are hung from one carrier, and when both louvers are folded, the longitudinal positions of the first support part and the second support part are configured to fall within a range less than twice the thickness of the carrier. Therefore, the folding allowance can be reduced compared to the conventional configuration in which one louver is hung from one carrier.

[0010] The arm portion may be bendable in the longitudinal direction when the first louver and the second louver are folded so that the first support portion and the second support portion are within the range of the longitudinal length of the one carrier.

[0011] This configuration allows for a further reduction in folding allowance compared to the conventional configuration in which one louver is hung from one carrier.

[0012] The arm portion may be unfoldable so that when the first louver and the second louver are not folded, the position of the second support portion in the longitudinal direction is approximately midway between the carrier and another adjacent carrier.

[0013] According to this configuration, even when two louvers are hung from one carrier, the louvers can be hung at the same intervals as in a configuration in which one louver is hung from one carrier.

[0014] At least one of the first suspending part and the second suspending part may further include a first biasing means that biases the arm part so as to be deployable.

[0015] According to this configuration, the arm portion that is bent as the louver is folded can be unfolded by the biasing force and returned to its original state.

[0016] The first support portion may support the first louver below the carrier, and the arm portion may be provided not in the first hanging portion but in the second hanging portion. In this case, the arm portion may have a first connecting member having one end rotatably supported by the carrier and a second connecting member having one end rotatably supported by the other end of the first connecting member and having the second support portion at the other end, and the first connecting member and the second connecting member may be biased by the biasing means so as to form a predetermined angle with respect to the head rail.

[0017] According to this configuration, the arm portion can be deployed and held at a predetermined angle, so the hanging position of the second louver can be stably held.

[0018] The first support portion may be provided integrally with the first hanging portion as a shaft portion that rotates by a driving force from a drive shaft that can be rotated by an operating portion, and the second support portion may be provided on the second hanging portion so as to be constantly biased in one direction about a vertical axis by a second biasing means. In this case, the first louvers and the second louvers may be suspended such that the second louvers close the gap between adjacent first louvers when the first louvers are rotated until they are approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

[0019] This configuration can be applied to vertical blinds in which, of the first and second louvers suspended from one carrier, only the first louver can be rotated, and the second louver is configured to always block the space between the first louvers due to a biasing force.

[0020] The first louvers may be opaque louvers and the second louvers may be translucent louvers.

[0021] This configuration can be applied to vertical blinds that are configured to enter a light-admitting state when the first louver is rotated fully open and to enter a light-blocking state when the first louver is rotated fully closed.

[0022] The arm portion may have a first connecting member having one end rotatably supported by the carrier and the first support portion at the other end, and a second connecting member having one end rotatably supported by the carrier and the second support portion at the other end. In this case, the first connecting member may be biased by the biasing means in a first direction so as to form a first angle with respect to the head rail, and the second connecting member may be biased by the biasing means in a second direction opposite to the first direction so as to form a second angle with respect to the head rail. [Effects of the Invention]

[0023] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vertical blind that can reduce the folding margin when the louvers are folded in. However, this effect does not limit the present invention. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view of a vertical blind according to an embodiment of the present invention in an expanded state and in a light-collecting state. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged perspective view of the head rail and carrier of the vertical blind. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the carrier of the vertical blind. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the side of the head rail and carrier of the vertical blind. [Figure 5] 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] 5 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 4 taken along line B-B. [Figure 7] 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along CC in FIG. 4. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a method for setting the angle of the arm portion of the vertical blind. [Figure 9] 10 is a bottom view showing how the arm portion of the carrier bends. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a bottom view showing the vertical blind in an unfolded state and in a light-collecting state in comparison with the prior art. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a bottom view showing the folded state of the vertical blind in comparison with the prior art. [Figure 12] 10A to 10C are bottom views showing the unfolded (lighting) state, the folded state, and the unfolded (fully closed) state of a vertical blind according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0026] [Vertical blinds configuration] Fig. 1 is a front view of a vertical blind according to one embodiment of the present invention in an unfolded state and in a light-receiving state, Fig. 2 is a partially enlarged perspective view of the head rail and carrier of the vertical blind, Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the carrier of the vertical blind, and Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the side of the head rail and carrier of the vertical blind, Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 4, Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in Fig. 4, and Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in Fig. 4.

[0027] As shown in these figures, the vertical blind 100 of this embodiment has a head rail 10 fixed to an opening such as a window frame by a bracket (not shown), a plurality of carriers 12 that can slide in the longitudinal direction (X direction) of the head rail 10, a first louver 15 suspended from each carrier 12 via a first hanging portion 13, and a second louver 16 suspended from each carrier 12 via a second hanging portion 14.

[0028] That is, each carrier 12 suspends two louvers, and first suspending portion 13 and second suspending portion 14 support first louver 15 and second louver 16 at different angles.

[0029] A plurality of first louvers 15 are provided along the longitudinal direction of the vertical blind 100 and are made of an opaque fabric such as drape fabric. The second louvers 16 are provided alternately with the first louvers 15 along the longitudinal direction of the vertical blind 100 and are made of a translucent fabric such as lace fabric.

[0030] 1, in the unfolded state, the first louvers 15 and the second louvers 16 are hung so that the second louvers 16 close the gap between adjacent first louvers 15 when the first louvers 15 are rotated until they are approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (X direction) of the head rail 10. In this state, the angle between the first louvers 15 and the second louvers 16 is, for example, about 60 degrees.

[0031] A carrier movement mechanism that moves the carrier 12 and a louver rotation mechanism that integrally rotates the first louvers 15 and second louvers 16 are provided within the head rail 10. As shown in Figure 4, the lower end of the front surface of the head rail 10 is provided with a flange 11 that protrudes downward (in the Y direction) to conceal components that protrude from the bottom surface of the head rail 10, such as the first hanging portion 13 and the second hanging portion 14.

[0032] 1, the carrier at the front of the multiple carriers 12 is designated as a master carrier 12a. Adjacent carriers 12 are connected to each other by spacer links 17 (see FIG. 4) with the master carrier 12a at the front so that they can be spaced apart or moved closer together with a predetermined maximum distance determined by the length of the spacer links 17.

[0033] As shown in Figure 4, the carrier movement mechanism has an opening / closing cord 18. One end of the opening / closing cord 18 is connected to the master carrier 12a, and the other end is led through the head rail 10 to the control unit 10a at one end of the head rail 10, hangs down from the control unit 10a, then turns around and is introduced back into the head rail 10, and is further led to the end cover 10b (see Figure 1) at the other end of the head rail 10, then turns around at the end cover 10b, is led through the head rail 10, and is connected to the master carrier 12a.

[0034] 1, the exposed portion of the opening / closing cord 18 hanging down from the control unit 10a functions as an opening / closing operation unit 25 that opens and closes the first louver 15 and the second louver 16. A weight 27 is attached to the lower end (turning end) of the opening / closing operation unit 25.

[0035] When the user pulls one of the double portions of the opening / closing operation unit 25, the master carrier 12a is pulled by the opening / closing cord 18 and moves to one side or the other within the head rail 10. On the other hand, when the user pulls the other of the double portions of the opening / closing operation unit 25, the master carrier 12a is pulled by the opening / closing cord 18 and moves to the other side within the head rail 10.

[0036] When the first louvers 15 and second louvers 16 are folded, as the master carrier 12a moves, the subsequent carriers 12 are pulled one after another via the spacer links 17 in accordance with the movement of the master carrier 12a, and the first louvers 15 and second louvers 16 can be expanded as shown in Figure 1.

[0037] On the other hand, when master carrier 12a moves and pushes out carrier 12 from the unfolded state shown in FIG. 1, first louver 15 and second louver 16 can be folded.

[0038] The louver rotation mechanism is composed of a drive shaft (tilt shaft) 24 (see FIGS. 1 and 3) that extends in the longitudinal direction (X direction) within head rail 10 and is rotatably supported, and a rotation operation unit (operation rod) 26 (see FIG. 1) that is connected to drive shaft 24 via a gear (not shown) that is disposed within control unit 10a. Rotation operation unit 26 hangs down from control unit 10a.

[0039] Each carrier 12 has a built-in rotation transmission mechanism that engages with the drive shaft 24, and the rotation transmission mechanism transmits the rotation of the drive shaft 24 by the rotation operating unit 26 to the first hanging part (first hanging shaft) 13 of the carrier 12, thereby allowing the first louver 15 and the second louver 16 to rotate integrally.

[0040] In the vertical blind 100 of this embodiment, when the first louvers 15 and second louvers 16 are deployed, the rotation transmission mechanism can rotate each louver between a state in which the semi-transparent second louvers 16 close the opening in a window frame or the like (the second louvers 16 block the spaces between the first louvers 15 that are perpendicular to the head rail 10) (daylighting state / dimming state), and a state in which the opaque first louvers 15 close the opening (fully closed state). In the daylighting state, external light can be taken in through the opening while maintaining a certain degree of privacy, and in the fully closed state, external light can be prevented from entering through the opening.

[0041] [Detailed carrier configuration] Next, the carrier 12 will be described in detail.

[0042] 4, carrier 12 incorporates a rotation transmission mechanism made up of worm 122, worm wheel 123, and friction spring 124 inside the case, and has a vertical first suspending part (first suspending shaft) 13 below it. A second suspending part 14 is connected to first suspending part 13, which protrudes from the bottom end of the case, so as to be rotatable together with it.

[0043] The friction spring 124 connects the worm wheel 123 and the first suspending part 13 with a friction force. When the first suspending part (first suspending shaft) 13 can no longer rotate, the friction spring 124 rotates freely, thereby preventing damage to the worm wheel 123 and the first suspending part 13.

[0044] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, a first hook portion 131 is formed at the lower end of the first hanging portion 13, from which the first louver 15 can be suspended. The second hanging portion 14 has an arm portion 20 made up of a first connecting member 21 and a second connecting member 22. A second hook portion 141 is formed at the end of the second connecting member 22 of the arm portion 20, from which the second louver 16 can be suspended. The arm portion 20 can be unfolded and bent to move the position of the second hook portion 141, and as will be described later, this structure enables the arm portion 20 to reduce the folding allowance when the first louver 15 and the second louver 16 are folded up compared to conventional structures.

[0045] The first hook portion 131 is provided integrally with the first hanging portion 13 as a shaft portion that rotates by the driving force from the drive shaft 24 that can be rotated by the rotation operation portion 26. The second hook portion 141 is constantly biased in one direction around the vertical axis by a spring that will be described later.

[0046] One end of the first connecting member 21 is rotatably supported by the carrier 12. One end of the second connecting member 22 is rotatably supported by the other end of the first connecting member 21, and has the second hook portion 141 at the other end. As will be described later, the length of the first connecting member 21 in the longitudinal direction is greater than the length of the second connecting member 22 in the longitudinal direction.

[0047] The first connecting member 21 and the second connecting member 22 have a plurality of springs that bias the arm portion 20 in the deploying direction so that the arm portion 20 can be deployed and is held at a predetermined angle relative to the head rail 10.

[0048] 4 to 6, first hanging part 13 is connected to one end of first connecting member 21 while being inserted into cylindrical part 211, and a spring (torsion spring) 212 is inserted between cylindrical part 211 and first connecting member 21 to connect them. Spring 212 biases first connecting member 21 in the counterclockwise direction in FIGS. 5 and 6.

[0049] 6, a fan-shaped restricting portion 211a is provided on the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 211, and the restricting portion 211a comes into contact with a protrusion provided on the inner periphery of the first connecting member 21, which is biased in the counterclockwise direction, thereby restricting further counterclockwise rotation of the first connecting member 21. As a result, the first connecting member 21 is always held at a constant angle in the unfolded state.

[0050] 5 and 6, the other end of the first connecting member 21 and one end of the second connecting member 22 are connected by inserting a protrusion 221 provided on one end of the second connecting member 22 into an insertion hole provided in the first connecting member 21. A spring (torsion spring) 222 is inserted between the protrusion 221 and the insertion hole to connect them. The spring 222 biases the second connecting member 22 in the clockwise direction in FIGS. 5 and 6.

[0051] 7, a fan-shaped restricting portion 21a is provided inside the other end of first connecting member 21, and restricting portion 21a comes into contact with a protrusion provided on the inner periphery of one end of second connecting member 22, which is biased clockwise, thereby restricting further clockwise rotation of second connecting member 22. As a result, second connecting member 22 is also always maintained at a constant angle in the deployed state.

[0052] The other end of the second connecting member 22 and the second hook portion 141 are connected by inserting a protrusion 142 provided on the upper end of the second hook portion 141 into an insertion hole provided in the second connecting member 22. A spring (torsion spring) 143 is inserted between the protrusion 142 and the insertion hole to connect them together. The spring 143 holds the second hook portion 141 at a fixed angle relative to the second connecting member 22.

[0053] Here, a description will be given of the holding angle between the first connecting member 21 and the second connecting member 22 of the arm portion 20. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing a method for setting this angle.

[0054] As shown in the figure, the longitudinal distance from the midpoint (=P / 4) of first hook portion (first hanging shaft) 131 and second hook portion (second hanging shaft) 141 to the connecting position of first connecting member 21 and second connecting member 22 is denoted as A, the vertical distance from first hook portion (first hanging shaft) 131 to second hook portion (second hanging shaft) 141 is denoted as B, and the vertical distance from first hook portion (first hanging shaft) 131 to the connecting position is denoted as C. In addition, the angle formed between first connecting member 21 and second connecting member 22 is denoted as θ.

[0055] The position of second hook portion (second hanging shaft) 141 is fixed at the midpoint (=P / 2) of pitch P of first louver 15 (carrier 12). This is because if second hook portion (second hanging shaft) 141 is not in this position, a gap will be created between first louver 15 and second louver 16, making it impossible to change the longitudinal position.

[0056] Furthermore, in this embodiment, in order to reduce the folding allowance when first louvers 15 and second louvers 16 are folded, a condition is that first connecting member 21 and second connecting member 22 overlap in a straight line when viewed from the vertical direction (Y direction) when folded. In this case, it is necessary to provide a difference in length between first connecting member 21 and second connecting member 22 (in consideration of the design and the strength of each part, it would be ideal for A = 0, B = 0, and θ = 90°, but in that case, first connecting member 21 and second connecting member 22 would have the same length, which is structurally impossible).

[0057] Considering the above, if only one of A and B is increased, the difference in length between first connecting member 21 and second connecting member 22 will become large. Therefore, in this embodiment, when the width of the first louver is 100 mm and the width of the second louver is 85 mm, A is set to 3 mm, B is set to 4 mm, and θ is set to approximately 82° so that first hook portion (first hanging axis) 131 and second hook portion 141 (second hanging axis) do not come into contact when folded and the value of A and B does not become large.

[0058] The value of C is arbitrary, but it was set to 25 mm so that θ would be close to 90°. This is because if the value of C is made too large, the lengths of the first connecting member 21 and the second connecting member 22 will increase, which may result in a decrease in strength.

[0059] [Vertical blinds operation] Next, the operation of the vertical blind 100 configured as above will be described.

[0060] FIG. 9 is a bottom view showing how the arm portion 20 of the carrier 12 is bent.

[0061] As shown in the same figure (a), when the first louver 15 and the second louver 16 are deployed, the arm portion 20 (first connecting member 21 and second connecting member 22) is biased by the above-mentioned springs to a position where the angle θ between the first connecting member 21 and the second connecting member 22 becomes the above-mentioned constant angle (e.g., 82°).

[0062] From this state, when the user operates the opening / closing operation unit 25 in the folding direction (X direction) and each carrier 12 is folded along the head rail 10, as shown in the same figure (b), the arm unit 20 bends against the spring force of each of the springs so that the second hook portion (second hanging axis) 141 of the second connecting member 22 approaches the first hanging part (first hanging axis) 13 (first hook portion 131) (the angle θ becomes smaller).

[0063] Then, as carrier 12 is further folded, arm portion 20 bends further, and second hook portion (second hanging shaft) 141 approaches even closer to first hanging portion (first hanging shaft) 13, and as shown in FIG. 1(c), connecting member 21 and connecting member 22 overlap in the vertical direction (Y direction) (second connecting member 22 is positioned below first connecting member 21). At this time, it can be seen that first hanging portion 13 and second hanging portion 14 (arm portion 20) are contained within the thickness (length in the X direction) of carrier 12.

[0064] When the user operates the opening / closing operation unit 25 in the deployment direction, the force resisting the biasing force is released, and the arm unit 20 returns to its original position (original angle θ) due to the biasing force.

[0065] FIG. 10 is a bottom view showing the unfolded and light-reflecting state of the vertical blind 100 in comparison with the prior art, and FIG. 11 is a bottom view showing the folded state of the vertical blind 100 in comparison with the prior art.

[0066] As shown in Figure 10(b), when the first louver 15 and the second louver 16 are in the unfolded state (unfolded state), the position of the second hook portion (second hanging axis) 141 in the X direction of the arm portion 20 is approximately midway between the carrier 12 and another adjacent carrier 12, as described above.

[0067] As a result, compared to the conventional technology (same figure (a)), two louvers, the first louver 15 and the second louver 16, are hung from one carrier 12, and while the number of carriers 12 is halved, the first louver 15 and the second louver 16 can be hung at the same intervals as in the conventional technology configuration in which one louver is hung from one carrier.

[0068] 11, in this embodiment, compared to the prior art (FIG. 11(a)), a carrier for second louver 16 is not required, and first connecting member 21 (first hook portion 131) and second connecting member 22 (second hook portion 141) fit within the range of the length (thickness) in the X direction of one carrier 12, which allows the folding allowance of first louver 15 and second louver 16 to be smaller than in the prior art. In the example shown in the figure, the folding allowance in this embodiment is reduced to about two-thirds of the folding allowance in the prior art.

[0069] Although not shown, when the user operates the rotation operating unit 26 in the closing direction from the lighting state shown in Figure 10(b), the first louver 15 rotates integrally with the second louver 16 so that it is approximately parallel to the head rail 10, thereby achieving a fully closed state.

[0070] As described above, in this embodiment, the first louver 15 and the second louver 16 are hung from one carrier 12, and when both louvers are folded, the positions of the first hanging portion 13 and the second hook portion 141 in the longitudinal direction (X direction) of the head rail 10 are configured to fall within the thickness of the carrier 12, thereby reducing the folding allowance compared to the conventional configuration in which one louver is hung from one carrier.

[0071] <Modification> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present technology.

[0072] FIG. 12 is a bottom view showing a vertical blind 100 according to another embodiment of the present invention in an unfolded / light-admitting state (FIG. 12(a)), a folded state (FIG. 12(b)), and an unfolded / fully closed state (FIG. 12(c)).

[0073] In the above-described embodiment, first suspending part 13 does not have an arm portion and is fixed below carrier 12, and second suspending part 14 has arm portion 20 and is bendable. However, as shown in the example of the same figure, arm portion 20 may be provided on each of first suspending part 13 and second suspending part 14 with respect to carrier 12 (the axis of worm wheel 123), and each may be bendable.

[0074] That is, in this embodiment, arm portion 20 has a first connecting member 21 having one end rotatably supported by carrier 12 and a first hook portion 131 (first hanging portion 13) at the other end, and a second connecting member 22 having one end rotatably supported by carrier 12 and a second hook portion 141 at the other end. First connecting member 21 and second connecting member 22 are each rotatable in the directions of the arrows in the figure about the axis of worm wheel 123.

[0075] As shown in Figure 1(a), the first connecting member 21 is biased counterclockwise by a spring (torsion spring) so as to form a first angle with respect to the head rail 10. On the other hand, the second connecting member 22 is biased clockwise by a spring so as to form a second angle with respect to the head rail that is different from the first angle.

[0076] In addition, the first louver 15 supported by the first hook portion 131 at the tip of the first connecting member 21 is biased clockwise in the same figure by a spring, but a regulating portion that resists this biasing force restricts rotation at an angle of approximately 90° relative to the head rail 10.

[0077] On the other hand, the second louver 16 supported by the second hook portion 141 at the tip of the second connecting member 22 is biased clockwise by a spring, but rotation is restricted by the louver end abutting against the first louver 15.

[0078] When the user operates the opening / closing operation unit 25 in the folding direction (X direction) from the deployed state shown in FIG. 1A and each carrier 12 is folded along the head rail 10, as shown in FIG. 1B, the first connecting member 21 rotates clockwise and the second connecting member 22 rotates counterclockwise against the respective biasing forces, so that the first hook portion 131 and the second hook portion 141 bend toward each other, and the first connecting member 21 and the second connecting member 22 overlap in the vertical direction (Y direction) (the second connecting member 22 is positioned below the first connecting member 21). At this time, as in the above-described embodiment, it can be seen that the first hanging portion 13 and the second hanging portion 14 (the arm portion 20) are contained within the thickness (length in the X direction) of the carrier 12. In this state, the first louver 15 is folded while being biased clockwise.

[0079] When the user operates the opening / closing operation unit 25 in the unfolding direction, the force resisting the above-mentioned biasing force is released, and the above-mentioned biasing force causes the first connecting member 21 to rotate counterclockwise in the figure, and the second connecting member 22 to rotate clockwise in the figure, returning to their original positions.

[0080] Furthermore, when the user operates the rotation operating unit 26 in the blocking direction from the light-admitting state shown in Figure (a), the first louver 15 rotates integrally with the second louver 16 so that it is approximately parallel to the head rail 10, as shown in Figure (c), and can be placed in a fully closed state.

[0081] In this way, even with a configuration in which the first hook portion 131 and the second hook portion 141 are moved by the arm portion 20, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

[0082] In the above-described embodiment, the angle between the first connecting member 21 and the second connecting member 22 is set to approximately 82°, but this angle is not limited to this. Furthermore, the angle of the second louver 16 relative to the head rail 10 (the installation angle of the second hook portion 141) is also not limited to that shown in the above-described embodiment.

[0083] In the first and second embodiments described above, the first louvers 14 are made of drape fabric and the second louvers 15 are made of lace fabric, but they may be made of fabrics of other materials, metals such as aluminum, wood, or resin. Also, the first louvers 14 and the second louvers 15 may be the same.

[0084] In the above-described embodiment, the opening / closing cord 18 looped inside the head rail 10 was used as the carrier movement mechanism for moving the carriers 12 to open and close the first louvers 14 and the second louvers 15. However, instead of this, an opening / closing shaft (screw shaft) passing through each carrier 12 may be used. In this case, a pulley is provided around which a cord is wound as an opening / closing operation unit, and the master carrier 12a and the opening / closing shaft are screwed together, and the opening / closing shaft rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the pulley, thereby moving the master carrier 12a and the other carriers 12 pulled by it.

[0085] In the above-described embodiment, arm portion 20 is bent in the vertical direction so that first hanging portion 13 and second hanging portion 14 (arm portion 20) fit within the range of the length (thickness) of one carrier 12 in the longitudinal direction (X direction) of head rail 10 when first louver 15 and second louver 16 are folded. However, in relation to the issue of reducing the folding allowance more than in the prior art, it is not essential that first hanging portion 13 and second support portion 14 fit within the thickness of one carrier 12 in the X direction, and arm portion 20 only needs to be bendable so as to fit within a range smaller than the thickness of two carriers 12 (twice the length of carrier 12 in the X direction).

[0086] In the above-described embodiment, the longitudinal length of first connecting member 21 of arm section 20 is set to be greater than the longitudinal length of second connecting member 22. This is because it is assumed that the suspension axis of first suspension part 13 and the rotation axis of first connecting member 21 of arm section 20 on the carrier 12 side are provided at the same position, and the present invention can also be realized by making first connecting member 21 and second connecting member 22 the same length, for example, by widening the opening on the bottom surface of head rail 10 and setting both axes at positions slightly offset from each other. [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] 10...Head rail 11...Flange 12. Career 13…First hanging part 14…Second hanging part 15...First louver 16...Second louver 20...Arm section 21...First connecting member 22...Second connecting member 25...Opening and closing operation section 26...Rotation control unit 100...Blind 131...First hook part 141...Second hook part 143...Spring 212...Spring 222...Spring

Claims

1. A vertical blind in which a first louver and a second louver are suspended from each of a plurality of carriers movable within a head rail, Each of the plurality of carriers a first hanging portion having a first support portion that supports the first louver; a second hanging portion having a second support portion that supports the second louver; an arm portion provided on at least one of the first suspension portion and the second suspension portion, the arm portion being extendable and bendable so as to move the position of at least one of the first support portion and the second support portion; Equipped with The arm portion is bendable in the longitudinal direction of the head rail such that, when the first louver and the second louver are folded, the first support portion and the second support portion are accommodated within a range that is less than twice the length of one of the carriers in the longitudinal direction. Vertical blinds.

2. The vertical blind according to claim 1, The arm portion is bendable in the longitudinal direction such that, when the first louver and the second louver are folded, the first support portion and the second support portion are within a range of the length of the one carrier in the longitudinal direction. Vertical blinds.

3. The vertical blind according to claim 2, The arm portion is deployable such that, when the first louver and the second louver are not folded, the second support portion is positioned approximately midway between the carrier and another adjacent carrier in the longitudinal direction. Vertical blinds.

4. The vertical blind according to claim 3, At least one of the first suspending portion and the second suspending portion further includes a first biasing means for biasing the arm portion so as to be deployable. Vertical blinds.

5. The vertical blind according to claim 4, the first support portion supports the first louver below the carrier; The arm portion The first suspension part is not provided but the second suspension part is provided, a first connecting member having one end rotatably supported by the carrier; and a second connecting member having one end rotatably supported by the other end of the first connecting member and the second support portion at the other end, The first connecting member and the second connecting member are biased by the biasing means so as to form a predetermined angle with respect to the head rail. Vertical blinds.

6. A vertical blind according to any one of claims 1 to 5, the first support portion is integrally provided with the first hanging portion as a shaft portion that rotates by a driving force from a drive shaft that can be rotated by an operation portion, the second support portion is provided on the second hanging portion so as to be constantly biased in one direction around a vertical axis by a second biasing means, The first louvers and the second louvers are hung so that the second louvers close the gap between adjacent first louvers when the first louvers are rotated until they are substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. Vertical blinds.

7. 7. The vertical blind according to claim 6, the first louver is an opaque louver; The second louver is a translucent louver. Vertical blinds.

8. The vertical blind according to claim 4, the arm portion has a first connecting member having one end pivotally supported by the carrier and the other end including the first support portion, and a second connecting member having one end pivotally supported by the carrier and the other end including the second support portion, The first connecting member is biased in a first direction by the biasing means so as to form a first angle with respect to the head rail, and the second connecting member is biased in a second direction opposite to the first direction by the biasing means so as to form a second angle with respect to the head rail. Vertical blinds.

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