GB2148366A

GB2148366A - A roller blind

Info

Publication number: GB2148366A
Application number: GB08324768A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Graham Richard Jones
Original assignee: Inoventors Ltd
Current assignee: Inoventors Ltd
Priority date: 1983-09-15
Filing date: 1983-09-15
Publication date: 1985-05-30
Also published as: GB8324768D0

Abstract

A roller blind 12 suitable for a vehicle window extends through a slit 11 from the housing 10 tensioned by a resilient band (25) has ratchet teeth 31 formed thereon which are engaged by a paw 30 on the adjacent end cap 17 to lock the roller against rotation. To retract the blind the end cap 17 is mounted to tilt on the housing to disengage the paw from the teeth. The housing is adhered to a window by suckers 19. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to roller blinds This invention relates to roller blinds and is particularly although not exclusively applicable to roller blinds suitable for mounting in a motor vehicle such as on a vehicle window to extend over the window.

The invention provides a roller blind comprising an elongate housing having an aperture extending lengthwise thereof, an elongate roller in the housing having a blind wound on to the roller and leading through the aperture in the housing, resilient means acting between the roller and housing arranged to be tensioned by unwinding of the blind from the roller as the blind is withdrawn from the housing and releasable stop means to hold the roller against re-winding and, on release of the stop means, to allow the roller to wind up the blind.

The following is a description of a specific embodiment of the invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a roller blind for use in a motor vehicle; and Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view of the components of the blind as shown in Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings there is shown a roller blind suitable for mounting in a motor vehicle for covering a vehicle window comprising an elongate hollow rectangular cross-section housing 10 formed from a PVC extrusion and having an elongate slit 11 extending along the length thereof adjacent one corner of the housing from which a blind 12 extends.

The edge of the blind is formed with a hem 13 in which a rod 14 is located and midway along the edge of the blind, the blind is cut away at 15 and the rod 14 where it extends across the aperture is formed into a U-shaped handle 16 for operating the blind. The ends ofthe housing i0areclosedbyendcapsi7,18 and suckers 19 (see Figure 2) are mounted at spaced locations along the underside of the housing 10 by means of headed spigots 20 on the suckers which engage in apertures in the housing wall to enable the housing to be adhered to a smooth surface of the motor vehicle such as a vehicle window which the blind is to cover.

Reference is now made to Figure 2 of the drawings which show the components of the roller blind in greater detail. The blind 12 is wound on to an elongate roller 21 extending the length of the housing and formed from PVC tube. The end cap 17 at one end of the housing is a plastics moulding comprising a generally rectangular base 22 having an integral wing element 23 angled obliquely to the base to form a fulcrum 24 extending across the base on the inner side of the cap. Two parallel projecting lugs 22a extend down the base adjacent either side thereof to locate in and prevent the end cap from turning in the end part of the housing 10 about an axis extending lengthwise of the housing. The fulcrum 24 of the base 22 bears on the end of the main part of the housing so that the end cap can rock on the end of the housing about the fulcrum as described below.

A long rubber band 25 extends through tubular roller 21, and is prevented from turning in the roller at a point mid-way along the roller by a transverse pin 26 mounted at its ends in apertures 27 in the wall of the roller. The other ends of the band 25 are threaded through split rings 28. The end caps 17 and 18 are formed with projecting lugs 29 which extends into the open ends of the tubular roller in the housing and are formed with eyes 30 to receive the split rings 28. The length of the band is such that it is held in tension between the caps 17, 18 to hold the latter engaged on the housing. As the blind 12 is withdrawn from the housing 10, the band to either side of the pin 26 is wound up and when the blind is releasd, the torsional force stored in the band rewinds the blind on to the roller.The band 25 is pre-wound with a number of turns to create sufficient force to rewind the blind fully into the housing until the ends of the blind containing the rod 14 reaches the slit 11 in the housing.

The end cap 17 at one end of the housing only is provided with a projecting ratchet claw 30 on the opposite side of the lug 29 to the fulcrum 24 to project into the housing 10 and to engage ratchet teeth 31 formed on the adjacent end of the tubular roller 21. The claw and teeth are orientated so that the roller 21 can rotate unimpeded by the ratchet to allow unwinding of the blind 12 from the roller but the claw locks the roller against rewinding of the blind. The claw can be released from the ratchet teeth to permit the roller to wind up the blind under the action of the band 25 by application of pressure to the wing 23 to tilt the end cap about the fulcrum 24 against the pull ofthe band 25 and disengage the ratchet pinion 30 from the teeth 31.The outer face of the wind 23 is ridged or grooved as indicated at 23a in Figure 1 to provide a gripping surface when pressing the wing element.

The assembly thus provides a simple roller blind which can be adhered to any surface which it is required to cover in which the blind can be extended by drawing the blind from the housing and restored to the housing by pressing the wing element of an end cap of one end of the housing which releases the roller lock to allow the blind to wind up. When the wing element is released, the band 25 draws the base 22 of the end cap back against the end of the housing 10 about the fulcrum 24 re-engaging the ratchet claw 30 with the ratchet teeth 31 on the roller tube to re-lock the blind roller against winding up of the blind.

The blind may be formed in any suitable fabric or plastics and may carry promotional display information or art work to be visible when the blind is extended.

1. A roller blind comprising an elongate housing having an aperture extending lengthwise thereof, an elongate roller in the housing having a blind wound on to the roller and leading through the aperture in the housing, resilient means acting between the roller and housing arranged to be tensioned by unwinding of the blind from the roller as the blind is withdrawn from the housing and releasable stop

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to roller blinds This invention relates to roller blinds and is particularly although not exclusively applicable to roller blinds suitable for mounting in a motor vehicle such as on a vehicle window to extend over the window. The invention provides a roller blind comprising an elongate housing having an aperture extending lengthwise thereof, an elongate roller in the housing having a blind wound on to the roller and leading through the aperture in the housing, resilient means acting between the roller and housing arranged to be tensioned by unwinding of the blind from the roller as the blind is withdrawn from the housing and releasable stop means to hold the roller against re-winding and, on release of the stop means, to allow the roller to wind up the blind. The following is a description of a specific embodiment of the invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a roller blind for use in a motor vehicle; and Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view of the components of the blind as shown in Figure 1. Referring to the drawings there is shown a roller blind suitable for mounting in a motor vehicle for covering a vehicle window comprising an elongate hollow rectangular cross-section housing 10 formed from a PVC extrusion and having an elongate slit 11 extending along the length thereof adjacent one corner of the housing from which a blind 12 extends. The edge of the blind is formed with a hem 13 in which a rod 14 is located and midway along the edge of the blind, the blind is cut away at 15 and the rod 14 where it extends across the aperture is formed into a U-shaped handle 16 for operating the blind. The ends ofthe housing i0areclosedbyendcapsi7,18 and suckers 19 (see Figure 2) are mounted at spaced locations along the underside of the housing 10 by means of headed spigots 20 on the suckers which engage in apertures in the housing wall to enable the housing to be adhered to a smooth surface of the motor vehicle such as a vehicle window which the blind is to cover. Reference is now made to Figure 2 of the drawings which show the components of the roller blind in greater detail. The blind 12 is wound on to an elongate roller 21 extending the length of the housing and formed from PVC tube. The end cap 17 at one end of the housing is a plastics moulding comprising a generally rectangular base 22 having an integral wing element 23 angled obliquely to the base to form a fulcrum 24 extending across the base on the inner side of the cap. Two parallel projecting lugs 22a extend down the base adjacent either side thereof to locate in and prevent the end cap from turning in the end part of the housing 10 about an axis extending lengthwise of the housing. The fulcrum 24 of the base 22 bears on the end of the main part of the housing so that the end cap can rock on the end of the housing about the fulcrum as described below. A long rubber band 25 extends through tubular roller 21, and is prevented from turning in the roller at a point mid-way along the roller by a transverse pin 26 mounted at its ends in apertures 27 in the wall of the roller. The other ends of the band 25 are threaded through split rings 28. The end caps 17 and 18 are formed with projecting lugs 29 which extends into the open ends of the tubular roller in the housing and are formed with eyes 30 to receive the split rings 28. The length of the band is such that it is held in tension between the caps 17, 18 to hold the latter engaged on the housing. As the blind 12 is withdrawn from the housing 10, the band to either side of the pin 26 is wound up and when the blind is releasd, the torsional force stored in the band rewinds the blind on to the roller.The band 25 is pre-wound with a number of turns to create sufficient force to rewind the blind fully into the housing until the ends of the blind containing the rod 14 reaches the slit 11 in the housing. The end cap 17 at one end of the housing only is provided with a projecting ratchet claw 30 on the opposite side of the lug 29 to the fulcrum 24 to project into the housing 10 and to engage ratchet teeth 31 formed on the adjacent end of the tubular roller 21. The claw and teeth are orientated so that the roller 21 can rotate unimpeded by the ratchet to allow unwinding of the blind 12 from the roller but the claw locks the roller against rewinding of the blind. The claw can be released from the ratchet teeth to permit the roller to wind up the blind under the action of the band 25 by application of pressure to the wing 23 to tilt the end cap about the fulcrum 24 against the pull ofthe band 25 and disengage the ratchet pinion 30 from the teeth 31.The outer face of the wind 23 is ridged or grooved as indicated at 23a in Figure 1 to provide a gripping surface when pressing the wing element. The assembly thus provides a simple roller blind which can be adhered to any surface which it is required to cover in which the blind can be extended by drawing the blind from the housing and restored to the housing by pressing the wing element of an end cap of one end of the housing which releases the roller lock to allow the blind to wind up. When the wing element is released, the band 25 draws the base 22 of the end cap back against the end of the housing 10 about the fulcrum 24 re-engaging the ratchet claw 30 with the ratchet teeth 31 on the roller tube to re-lock the blind roller against winding up of the blind. The blind may be formed in any suitable fabric or plastics and may carry promotional display information or art work to be visible when the blind is extended. CLAIMS

1. A roller blind comprising an elongate housing having an aperture extending lengthwise thereof, an elongate roller in the housing having a blind wound on to the roller and leading through the aperture in the housing, resilient means acting between the roller and housing arranged to be tensioned by unwinding of the blind from the roller as the blind is withdrawn from the housing and releasable stop means to hold the roller against re-winding and, on release ofthe stop means, to allow the rollerto wind up the blind.

2. A roller blind as claimed in claim 1 wherein the releasable stop means comprise ratchet teeth on the roller and a ratchet claw on the housing arranged to allow the roller to rotate in a direction in which the blind is unwound from the roller whilst stopping the blind against re-winding, the ratchet claw being mounted on the housing to be withdrawn from the ratchet teeth on the roller when required to allow the roller to wind up the blind under the action of the resilient means.

3. A roller blind as claimed in claim 2 wherein the ratchet teeth are formed at one end of the roller and the ratchet claw is formed on the adjacent end of the housing which is movable to engage and dis-engage the ratchet claw with the ratchet teeth.

4. A roller blind as claimed in claim 3 wherein the housing end is pivotally mounted on the main body of the housing to engage and dis-engage the ratchet claw with the ratchet teeth on the roller.

5. A roller blind as claimed in claim 4 wherein the end wall of the housing is angled to provide a fulcrum to engage the end of the main body of the housing and about which the end wall can pivot to engage and dis-engage the ratchet claw on the end wall with the ratchet teeth at the end of the roller in the housing.

6. A roller blind as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the roller is a hollow tube and the resilient means between the roller and housing comprise an elongate resilient band anchored against turning with respect to the tube and to one or both ends of the housing to be wound up by unwinding of the blind from the roller and to provide the necessary force for rewinding the blind or to the roller when the roller is released.

7. A roller blind as claimed in claim 6 and in the case where the housing has a separate pivotally mounted end wall wherein the resilient band is connected to the end wall to hold the end wall on the main body of the housing with the ratchet claw engaged with the ratchet teeth at the end of the roller, whilst permitting the end wall to be pivoted to disengage the ratchet claw from the ratchet teeth.

8. A roller blind as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the housing is of generally rectangular hollow cross-section and the end caps at either end of the housing are of corresponding rectangular shape.

9. A roller blind as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein suction caps are mounted at the spaced locations along the housing to attach the housing to a surface.

10. A roller blind substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.