Vertical Curtain Blind Connector Clips for Recessed Panel Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vertical curtain blinds with clamp-type connectors suffer from visible light gaps and undesirable aesthetics due to exterior clamping configurations, which are unsightly and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
The use of connector clips that are received within pockets defined in the panels, allowing the connection to be recessed below the top end of the panel assembly, eliminating light gaps and providing a more aesthetically pleasing design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If clamp-type connectors are used to suspend panels from the rail, then the panels can be securely mounted, but light gaps appear between the panels and the rail and the connectors are visible creating undesirable aesthetics
Solution Approach 1:
The connector clip is received within a pocket formed in the panel, nesting the mounting hardware inside the panel structure rather than attaching it externally. This eliminates visible connectors and light gaps while maintaining secure mounting to the rail.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection point is moved from the top surface of the panel (external clamping) to the interior of the panel (within the pocket), changing the spatial dimension of the connection. This allows the mounting function to be maintained while eliminating aesthetic defects.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If connector clips are received within pockets in the panels, then light gaps are eliminated and aesthetics are improved, but the connection structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The pocket structure serves multiple functions: it provides a recessed mounting location to eliminate light gaps, conceals the connector for aesthetic purposes, and provides a integrated attachment point for the rail. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components.
3Ease of manufacture
If the connection between connectors and rail is positioned above the top ends of panels, then mounting is simplified, but large light gaps are created between panels and rail
Solution Approach 1:
The pocket is pre-formed in the panel during panel manufacturing, with the connector clip already positioned within it. This preliminary preparation allows the panel to be mounted to the rail directly without requiring separate alignment steps, maintaining ease of installation while eliminating light gaps.
Data Source
AI summary
A vertical curtain blind includes a panel assembly having a plurality of individual panels coupled together in a side-by-side arrangement. Each panel extends in a vertical direction between a top end and a bottom end. Additionally, each panel includes first and second pockets positioned along first and second sides of the panel, respectively, adjacent to the top end of the panel. The blind associated includes a plurality of clip assemblies, with each clip assembly being configured to couple a respective pair of adjacent panels of the plurality of panels together. Each clip assembly includes a first connector clip positioned within the first pocket of a first panel of the respective pair of adjacent panels and a second connector clip positioned within the second pocket of an adjacent second panel of the respective pair of adjacent panels, with the first connector clip configured to be coupled to the second connector clip.