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CA2836115C - Chain guide for a roller blind - Google Patents

Chain guide for a roller blind Download PDF

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Publication number
CA2836115C
CA2836115C CA2836115A CA2836115A CA2836115C CA 2836115 C CA2836115 C CA 2836115C CA 2836115 A CA2836115 A CA 2836115A CA 2836115 A CA2836115 A CA 2836115A CA 2836115 C CA2836115 C CA 2836115C
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CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
chain
roller
roller blind
guide
drive clutch
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Active
Application number
CA2836115A
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French (fr)
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CA2836115A1 (en
Inventor
Norman Wills
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
ZMC Metal Coating Inc
Original Assignee
ZMC Metal Coating Inc
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by ZMC Metal Coating Inc filed Critical ZMC Metal Coating Inc
Publication of CA2836115A1 publication Critical patent/CA2836115A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA2836115C publication Critical patent/CA2836115C/en
Active legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

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  • Blinds (AREA)
  • Operating, Guiding And Securing Of Roll- Type Closing Members (AREA)

Abstract

A chain guide for a roller blind. The includes a roller tube mounted between a pair of end brackets. The roller tube is caused to rotate through the operation of a drive clutch positioned generally adjacent to one of the end brackets. The drive clutch has a sprocket member engaged by a chain or cord. The chain guide comprises an inner and an outer guide member. Each of the guide members are mounted to the end bracket that is adjacent to the drive clutch of the roller blind. The guide members each receive separate legs of the chain or cord. The guide members are horizontally off-set from one another relative to the longitudinal axis of the roller blind.

Description

TITLE
[0001] Chain Guide For A Roller Blind FIELD
[0002] This invention relates to a roller blind or roller shade, and in particular to a chain guide for such a roller blind or roller shade.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Roller blinds, or roller shades as they are sometimes referred to, are commonly mounted on windows for privacy purposes and to limit light intrusion.

Modern rollers blinds typically employ a clutch mechanism that permits blind fabric to be wound or unwound from a roller tube through pulling on one end of a looped chain or cord that is received about the clutch. The roller tube typically has its ends mounted to a pair of end brackets, that are in turn mounted or fixed to the window frame or surrounding structure.
[0004] It is desirable that the roller blind be designed to minimize contact between the chain or cord and the end brackets, as well as contact between the chain or cord and the front or lower coverings or fascia of the blind.
Unnecessary contact between such structural components or trim pieces can results in damage to the chain or cord, damage to the structural or trim pieces, excessive noise, or a combination of all three. For that reason, it has been common in the construction of roller blinds to cut large slots in the bottom fascia to allow the chain or cord to hang vertically downward such that it will not readily or easily come into contact with the fascia or end bracket. Rudimentary chain guides, which are typically comprised of a plastic or similar material, have in many instances been incorporated into the lower portion of the blind. Such chain guides assist in allowing the chains to fall in a desired location and also help to prevent unwanted contact between the chain or cord and other aspects of the blind. Although such an approach has been met with a degree of success, currently available chain guides have been found to not work exceptionally well on smaller roller blinds, as the small end brackets associated with such blinds make it difficult to use chain guides or multiple chain guides due to a lack of physical space within the end bracket.
In addition, it has been found that manufacturers and consumers often prefer to have both legs of the chain or cord exit the end bracket close to one another in order to present a neat and tight configuration. Once again, accomplishing that goal can be difficult using currently available chain guides, particularly in the case of small diameter roller tubes.

SUMMARY
[0005] The invention therefore provides a chain guide for a roller blind, the roller blind including a roller tube mounted between a pair of end brackets, the roller tube caused to rotate through the operation of a drive clutch positioned generally adjacent to one of the end brackets, the drive clutch having a sprocket member engaged by a chain or cord, the chain guide comprising an inner and an outer guide member, each of said guide members mounted to the end bracket that is adjacent to the drive clutch of the roller blind, said guide members each receiving separate legs of the chain or cord, said guide members horizontally off-set from one another relative to the longitudinal axis of the roller blind.
[0006] In another aspect the invention provides A chain guide for a roller blind, the roller blind including a roller tube mounted between a pair of end brackets, the roller tube caused to rotate through the operation of a drive clutch positioned generally adjacent to one of the end brackets, the drive clutch having a sprocket member engaged by a chain or cord, the chain guide comprising an inner and an outer roller mounted on an axle that is fixed to the end bracket that is adjacent to the drive clutch of the roller blind, said rollers each receiving separate legs of the chain or cord, said rollers horizontally off-set from one another relative to the longitudinal axis of the roller blind such that said inner roller is generally aligned with the sprocket of the drive clutch and said outer roller is off-set horizontally toward the end bracket, said axle fixed to the end bracket such that said rollers enable the legs of the chain to hang from the roller blind adjacent to both one another and a rear portion of the roller blind.
[0007] Further aspects of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken together with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show more clearly how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings which show exemplary embodiments of the present invention in which:
[0009] Figure 1 is a partial lower side perspective view of a typical currently available roller blind utilizing a typical chain guide.
[0010] Figure 2 is a lower end perspective view of a roller blind constructed in accordance with one of the embodiments of the present invention.
[0011] Figure 3 is a side view of the clutch assembly and end bracket of the roller blind shown in Figure 2.
[0012] Figure 4 is a side view similar to Figure 3 wherein the chain guide retention plate has been removed in order to show the roller guide.
[0013] Figure 5 is a side sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 4.
[0014] Figure 6 is a lower perspective view of the clutch and end bracket similar to that shown in Figure 4.
[0015] Figure 7 is an enlarged view of portion "A" shown in Figure 6.
[0016] Figure 8 is a side elevational view of a clutch and end bracket of the roller blind showing an alternate embodiment of the chain guide in accordance with the present invention.
[0017] Figure 9 is a sectional view taken along the line 9-9 of Figure 8, having the chain removed.
DESCRIPTION
[0018] The present invention may be embodied in a number of different forms. The specification and drawings that follow describe and disclose some of the specific forms of the invention.
[0019] With reference to Figure 1, there is shown a typical prior art roller blind 1 that includes an end bracket 2, blind fabric 3, a chain or cord 4 and a chain guide 5. As is common in such prior art roller blinds, the chain guide is merely a plastic structure having a hole in it through which the chain passes. As is also common in such roller blinds, the front leg 6 of chain 4 hangs vertically downward from the front of the roller blind, while rear leg 7 of chain 4 hangs vertically downward from the rear portion of the roller blind.
[0020]
With reference to Figures 2 through 9, there is shown a roller blind having a chain guide constructed in accordance with preferred embodiments of the present invention.
As will become more apparent following a thorough understanding of the invention, and as shown in Figure 2, in accordance with the invention the chain guide permits the two legs of the chain to hang vertically downward from same portion of the roller blind (for example, the front or the back). The invention also helps to facilitate hanging both legs of the chain vertically downward from the same portion of the roller blind in blinds having small diameter roller tubes and small end brackets.
[0021]
With reference to Figures 3 through 7, chain guide 5 is comprised of an inner 8 and an outer 9 guide member. Each of the guide members are mounted to the end bracket that is immediately adjacent to drive clutch 10. The guide members receive chain or cord 4 over a portion of their exterior surface. In accordance with the invention (and as shown more specifically in Figure 5), the guide members are horizontally off-set from one another, relative to the longitudinal axis of the roller blind (ie they are off-set in a plane generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the blind). In one embodiment, the guide members are rollers that are mounted on one or more axles that are, in turn, fixed to end bracket 2. The rollers may have a concave exterior surface that accepts the curvature of the exterior surface of chain or cord 4 in a manner that assists in maintaining the chain or cord about the exterior surface of the rollers as the chain or cord is pulled in one direction or the other.
[0022] It is contemplated that there will be two primary manners of constructing the chain guide such that the rollers are horizontally off-set from one another. However, it is also contemplated that other methods of off-setting the rollers could equally be utilized while remaining within the broad scope of the invention. In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 3 through 7, the rollers are mounted on a single axle 11 that is fixed to end plate 2. In this instance, it will be appreciated that the outer roller 9 will be immediately adjacent to the end bracket while the inner roller 8 will be off-set horizontally along axle 11 in a direction toward the middle of the roller blind.
[0023] A variety of methods and structures could be used to retain the rollers about axle 11. In the embodiment shown in Figures 3 through 7 a chain guide retention plate 12 is secured to the end of axle 11 by a bolt, screw (16) or other fastening means or mechanism. Retention plate 12 serves to not only retain the guide rollers upon the axle, but also helps to confine legs 6 and 7 of the chain or cord to a specific location and helps to prevent the chain from contacting other components or parts of the roller blind. A spacer, bushing or bearing 17 may be positioned between the individual rollers.
[0024] The second primary method or structure that is contemplated to horizontally off-set the rollers from one another is to mount the rollers on separate axles 11 and 13, and to use a spacer in association with one of the rollers to position it further away from end bracket 2 than the other roller. With reference specifically to Figures 8 and 9, there is shown an embodiment of the invention wherein inner roller 8 is mounted about axle 11 and outer roller 9 is mounted slightly above roller 8 and on a second axle 13, where axle 13 is shorter than axle 11. In order to achieve a horizontal off-set of the two rollers, a spacer or bushing 14 may be positioned about axle 11 between end bracket 2 and inner roller 8.
Alternatively, axle 11 may have two distinct diameters; namely, a larger diameter adjacent to end bracket 2 and a smaller diameter about which inner roller 8 is mounted and rotates. In either case, mounting inner roller 8 on axle 11 and outer roller 9 on axle 13 will result in the two rollers being horizontally off-set from one another, similar to the manner in which they are off-set in the embodiment shown in Figures 3 through 7.
[0025] With reference to Figures 3 through 5, it will be understood that chain or cord 4 will be received about the sprocket 15 of drive clutch 10, with the chain that extends from the top portion of the sprocket received over outer roller 9 and the chain that extends from the lower portion of the sprocket received over inner roller 8. The distance between the point where the chain or cord contacts the upper portion of the sprocket and point where the chain contacts the outer roller will generally be greater than the distance between the point where the chain or cord contacts the lower portion of the sprocket and the point where the chain contacts the inner roller.
The inner roller will in most instances be generally aligned with the sprocket with the outer roller generally off-set horizontally from the sprocket in a direction toward end bracket 2 (see Figure 5) . In this manner, the shorter length of chain that exits the lower portion of the sprocket will be received upon the roller that it is generally in-line with the sprocket. It then follows that the longer chain will be received over the outer roller which is off-set horizontally from the sprocket. The greater length of chain in this instance assists in minimizing the effect of the offset pathway of the chain that results from its angle of deflection, and will help to prevent the chain from jumping off the outer roller during operation. In some instances, it may be desirable to off-set the inner roller slightly inwardly toward the middle of the roller blind and away from the end bracket. Doing so will reduce the amount of off-set for the outer roller and thereby minimize the deflection of the chain received about the outer roller to further reduce the likelihood of the chain jumping off the roller.
[0026]
It will be appreciated from a thorough understanding of the invention that the nature of the claimed chain guide, including the horizontal off-setting of the inner and outer rollers, will permit the two legs of the chain or cord to exit the end bracket at approximately the same location relative to the front fascia.
The described chain guide will also will permit the fascia to be constructed so as to enclose virtually the entire lower portion of the end bracket, thereby making it visually more appealing. If desired, both chains can be positioned close to one another and at the back of the roller blind, close to the window. Such a structure is particularly advantageous in the case of roller blinds having small diameter roller tubes and small end brackets that do not readily allow the utilization of more elaborate or larger chain guides.
[0027]
It is to be understood that what has been described are the preferred embodiments of the invention. The scope of the claims should not be limited by the preferred embodiments set forth above, but should be given the broadest interpretation consistent with the description as a whole.

Claims (9)

I CLAIM:
1. A chain guide for a roller blind, the roller blind including a roller tube mounted between a pair of end brackets, the roller tube caused to rotate through the operation of a drive clutch positioned generally adjacent to one of the end brackets, the drive clutch having a sprocket member engaged by a chain or cord, the chain guide comprising:
an inner and an outer guide member, each of said guide members mounted to the end bracket that is adjacent to the drive clutch of the roller blind, said guide members each receiving separate legs of the chain or cord, said guide members horizontally off-set from one another relative to the longitudinal axis of the roller blind.
2. The chain guide as claimed in claim 1 wherein said guide members are rollers mounted on one or more axles fixed to the end bracket that is adjacent to the drive clutch.
3. The chain guide as claimed in claim 2 wherein said rollers are both mounted on a single axle that is fixed to the end bracket that is adjacent to the drive clutch
4. The chain guide as claimed in claim 2 wherein said rollers are mounted on separate axles, each of said axles fixed to the end bracket that is adjacent to the drive clutch.
5. The chain guide as claimed in claim 2 wherein said rollers have concave exterior surfaces to accept the chain or cord.
6. The chain guide as claimed in claim 5 wherein said inner guide member is generally aligned with the sprocket of the drive clutch.
7. The chain guide as claimed in claim 6 wherein said outer guide member is off-set horizontally from the sprocket, relative to the longitudinal axis of the roller blind, toward the end bracket that is adjacent to the drive clutch.
8. The chain guide as claimed in claim 5 wherein said inner guide member is off-set horizontally from the sprocket, relative to the longitudinal axis of the roller blind, away from the end bracket that is adjacent to the drive clutch.
9. A chain guide for a roller blind, the roller blind including a roller tube mounted between a pair of end brackets, the roller tube caused to rotate through the operation of a drive clutch positioned generally adjacent to one of the end brackets, the drive clutch having a sprocket member engaged by a chain or cord, the chain guide comprising:
an inner and an outer roller mounted on an axle that is fixed to the end bracket that is adjacent to the drive clutch of the roller blind, said rollers each receiving separate legs of the chain or cord, said rollers horizontally off-set from one another relative to the longitudinal axis of the roller blind such that said inner roller is generally aligned with the sprocket of the drive clutch and said outer roller is off-set horizontally toward the end bracket, said axle fixed to the end bracket such that said rollers enable the legs of the chain to hang from the roller blind adjacent to both one another and a rear portion of the roller blind.
CA2836115A 2013-01-31 2013-12-05 Chain guide for a roller blind Active CA2836115C (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US201313755935A 2013-01-31 2013-01-31
US13/755,935 2013-01-31

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2836115A1 CA2836115A1 (en) 2014-07-31
CA2836115C true CA2836115C (en) 2020-06-02

Family

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA2836115A Active CA2836115C (en) 2013-01-31 2013-12-05 Chain guide for a roller blind

Country Status (1)

Country Link
CA (1) CA2836115C (en)

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CA2836115A1 (en) 2014-07-31

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Effective date: 20181029