VENETIAN BLIND CAPABLE OF PERFORMING AUTOMATIC ALIGNMENT FOR SLATS

A venetian blind includes a headrail, a bottom rail, a first pull cord, and a second pull cord. Two ladder cords are provided between the headrail and the bottom rail. The ladder cords each have a first warp, a second warp, a plurality of wefts connected with the first and second wefts and supporting slats, and a plurality of first loops connected with the first warp. The slats each have a perforation passing through the top and bottom surfaces of the slat and penetrated by the first loop, and a recess provided at one of the inner and outer edges of the slat. At least one of the first pull cord, the second pull cord, the first warp, and the second warp is positioned in the recesses of the slats. As such, the venetian blind of the prevent invention can achieve an effect of automatic alignment of the slats.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to venetian blinds and more particularly, to a venetian blind that can achieve an effect of automatic alignment of the slats.

2. Description of the Related Art

As far as a traditional venetian blind is concerned, the slats can be driven by the ladder cords to be in a tilted state after unfolded, thereby providing a light-blocking effect. However, the ladder cords only provide support to the slats and does not have the function of restricting transvers displacement of the slats. Therefore, as long as the ladder cords or the slats are swung to a large extent due to an external force, or when uneven force is applied during the folding or unfolding of the slats, it may result in uneven alignment of the two ends of the slats. This causes a cluttered appearance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a venetian blind that can achieve an effect of automatic alignment of slats.

To attain the above objective, the venetian blind of the present invention comprises a headrail, a bottom rail, two ladder cords, and a lifting unit. The bottom rail is located below the headrail. The slats are provided between the headrail and the bottom rail. The slats each have a top surface, a bottom surface, a first edge connected with the top and bottom surfaces, a second edge connected with the top and bottom surfaces and opposite to the first edge, a perforation passing through the top and bottom surfaces, and a recess provided at one of the first and second edges. The ladder cords are provided between the headrail and the bottom rail. The ladder cords each have a first warp adjacent to the first edges of the slats, a second warp adjacent to the second edges of the slats, a plurality of wefts connected with the first and second warps and supporting the bottom surfaces of the slats, and a plurality of first loops connected with the first warp and penetrated in the perforations of the slats. The lifting unit has a first pull cord adjacent to the first wrap and a second pull cord adjacent to the second wrap. At least one of the first pull cord, the second pull cord, the first warp, and the second warp is positioned in the recesses of the slats.

It can be seen from the above that the venetian blind of the present invention uses the first loops to be inserted into the perforations, so that the slats are prevented from excessive transverse displacement, and further, the venetian blind of the present invention uses the recesses to accommodate at least one of the first pull cord, the second cord, the first warp, and the second warp, thereby allowing the slats to achieve an automatic alignment effect.

Preferably, the recess is provided at the first edge. When the slats are in a horizontal state, the first pull cord and/or the first warp is positioned in the recesses of the slats.

Preferably, the recess is provided at the second edge. When the slats are in a horizontal state, the second pull cord and/or the second warp is positioned in the recesses of the slats.

Preferably, the recess and the perforation are provided at the first edge. The slats each have a slot provide with one end thereof forming an opening at the first edge and the other end thereof communicating with the perforation. The first loop is inserted in the slot through the opening and penetrated in the perforation along the slot. The recess and the slot are located at two opposite sides of the perforation.

Preferably, the first pull cord passes through the first loops. Through the mutual restraint of the first pull cord and the first loops, the slats can more accurately achieve the automatic alignment effect.

Preferably, the first loops each have a first end portion provided with one end thereof connected with first warp, a second end portion provided with one end thereof connected with first warp, and a penetration segment connected with the first and second end portions and penetrated in the perforation. A junction of the first end portion and the first warp is spaced from a junction of the second end portion and the first warp.

Preferably, the first loops each have two penetration segments penetrated in the perforation and each provided with one end thereof connected with the first warp, and a loop portion connected with the other ends of the penetration segments and penetrated by the first pull cord. A junction of one of the penetration segments and the first warp is spaced from a junction of the other of the penetration segments and the first warp.

Preferably, the first and second pull cords are located at the left and right sides of the wefts.

Preferably, at least one of the first and second pull cords is wound around the wefts in a left-right manner.

Preferably, the ladder cords each further have a plurality of second loops connected with the second wefts for penetration of the second pull cord.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring toFIGS.1,2, and6, a venetian blind10of a first embodiment of the present invention comprises a headrail rail20, a bottom rail30, a plurality of slats40, two ladder cords50, and a lifting unit60.

The headrail20and the bottom rail30are arranged in an up-down manner.

The slats40are provided between the headrail20and the bottom rail30. As shown inFIGS.3to6, the slats40each have a top surface41, a bottom surface42, a first edge43(the first edge43referred to here is the edge facing the outdoors) connected with the top and bottom surfaces41,42, a second edge44(the second edge44referred to here is the edge facing the indoors) connected with the top and bottom surface41,42and opposite to the first edge43. In this embodiment, two ends of each of the slats40each have a perforation45, a slot46, and a recess47. The perforation45, the slot46, and the recess47are provided at the first edge43, wherein the perforation45and the slot46pass through the top and bottom surfaces41,42. In this embodiment, the perforation45is triangular, so that the peripheral wall of the perforation45has two guiding surfaces452. The distance between the two guiding surfaces452gradually decrease towards the first edge43, so that a positioning portion454is formed at a junction of the two guiding surfaces452. The slot46has a first guiding segment462extending in a width direction of the slat30and having one end thereof forming an opening466at the first edge43, and a second guiding segment464extending in a length direction of the slat30and having two ends thereof connected with the first guiding segment462and the perforation45, respectively. The recess47is recessed inwardly from the first edge43and located on the opposite side of the perforation45from the slot46.

The two ladder cords50are provided between the headrail20and the bottom rail30. As shown inFIGS.3,5, and6, the two ladder cords50each have a first warp51, a second warp52, a plurality of wefts53, a plurality of first loops54, and a plurality of second loops55. The first and second warps are parallel to each other and adjacent to the first and second edges43,44of the slats40, respectively. Further, the top ends of the first and second warps51,52extend into the headrail20to be connected with a tape roll58disposed in the headrail20(as shown inFIGS.1and2). The wefts53are connected between the first and second warps41,42in an equidistant manner and support the bottom surfaces42of the slats40. The first loops54are connected with the first warp51in an equidistant manner, and inserted into the first guiding sections462of the slots46through the openings466, and then penetrated into the perforations45of the slats40from the second guiding sections464of the slots46. Furthermore, the first loops54each have a first end portion542located above the top surface41of the slat40and provided with one end thereof connected with first warp51, a second end portion544located below the bottom surface42of the slat40and provided with one end thereof connected with first warp51, and a penetration segment546connected with the first and second end portions542,544and penetrated in the perforation45. A junction of the first end portion542and the first warp51is spaced from a junction of the second end portion544and the first warp51. The second loops55are connected with the second warp52in an equidistant manner, and further, a junction of the top end552of the second loops55and the second warp52is spaced from a junction of the bottom end554of the second loop55and the second warp52. In this way, the ladder cords50can be controlled by an adjuster56to drive the slats40to operate between a horizontal state S1(as shown inFIG.1) and a tilted state S2(as shown inFIG.7). When the slats40are in the horizontal state S1, the first warps51are positioned in the recesses47of the slats40(as shown inFIGS.3and5). When the slats40are in the tilted state S2, the first warps51are located outside the recesses47of the slats40(as shown inFIG.8).

The lifting unit60includes two first pull cords61and two second pull cords62. As shown inFIGS.1and2, the first and second pull cords61,62extend from the headrail20to the bottom rail30. The top ends of the first and second pull cords61,62are inserted into the headrail62and connected with a cord winder (not shown) disposed in the headrail20, and the bottom ends of the first and second pull cords61,62are connected with the bottom rail30, so that the first and second pull cords61,62can be controlled by the aforesaid cord winder to fold the slats40through the bottom rail30. In addition, as shown inFIGS.5and6, the first pull cords61pass through the first loops54, and the second pull cords62pass through the second loops55. When the slats40are in the horizontal state S1, the first pull cords61are positioned in the recesses47of the slats40(as shown inFIGS.3and5). When the slats40are in the tilted state S2, the first pull cords61are located outside the recesses47of the slats40(as shown inFIGS.8).

It can be seen from the above that the that the venetian blind10of the present invention uses the first loops54to be inserted into the perforations45, so that the slats40are prevented from excessive transverse displacement, and further, when the slats40are in the tilted state S2, the first loops54are moved along the guiding surfaces452to the positioning portions454. Since the first pull cord61has tension, when the first pull cord61is positioned in the recess47, the slats40cannot be moved left and right, and at the same time, the first loop54is used to prevent the first pull cord61from escaping from the recess47when the slats40are unfolded. This allows the slats40to achieve an automatic alignment effect. On the other side, the venetian blind10of the present invention uses the mutual restraint between the first loop54and the first pull cord61to allow the first warp51and the first pull cord61to be positioned in the recess47at the same time when the slats40are unfolded. This allows the first warp51and the first pull cord61to be as close as possible, thereby visually presenting an integrated effect and achieving a simple overall appearance.

What needs to be supplemented here is that the way in which the first loop54is inserted into the perforation45may be varied. As shown inFIGS.9and10, in the second embodiment, the first loops54each have two penetration segments546and a loop portion548. The penetration segments546are penetrated in the perforation45and each have one end thereof connected with the first warp51. Junctions of the penetration segments546and the first warp51are located above the weft53and spaced from each other. The loop portion548is connected with the other ends of the penetration segments546and located below the weft53and penetrated by the first pull cord61. This also allows the first loop54and the first pull cord61to restrain each other, so that the first warp51and the first pull cord61are positioned in the recess47at the same time when the slats40are unfolded, thereby achieving the same effect as the aforesaid first embodiment.

On the other side, the perforation45, the slot46and the recess47are not limited to be set at both ends of the slat40at the same time, but can also be set at one end of the slat40respectively according to actual needs. As shown inFIGS.11to13, in the third embodiment of the present invention, the perforation45, the slot46, and the recess47are provided at the same edge of the slat40(not limited to the first edge43or the second edge44). The recess47is provided at one end of the slat40, and the perforation45and the slot46are provided at the other end of the slat40. As for the ladder cords50, they only need to be provided with the first loops54on one of the first warps51. In this way, through the restriction of the single recess47, the slat40can also be prevented from transverse displacement, thus achieving the automatic alignment effect.

As shown inFIG.14, the venetian blind12of the fourth embodiment of the present invention have three ladder cords50. In this embodiment, as shown inFIGS.15and16, the perforation45is provided at the first edge43of the slat40, and the recess47is provided at the second edge44of the slat40and accommodates the second pull cord62and the second warp52. The perforation45and the recess47can, but not limited to, be opposite to each other. In addition, in this embodiment, the left first pull cord61and the left second pull cord62are located on the left and right sides of the weft53(as shown inFIG.15), and the right first pull cord61and the right second pull cord62are located on the same side of the weft53(not limited to the left or right side) (as shown inFIG.16). Such a structural configuration also prevents the first and second pull cords61,62from moving, thus effectively limiting the transverse displacement of the slats40.

It is worth mentioning that the first loop54can also be omitted according to actual needs. In this case, as shown inFIG.17, the first pull cord61is wound around the wefts53from top to bottom in a left-right manner, so that the first pull cord61is restricted by the wefts53without moving; similarly, the second loop55can also be omitted according to actual needs. In the case where the second loop55is not provided, the second pull cord62is also wound around the wefts53from top to bottom in a left-right manner, so that the second pull cord62is restricted by the wefts53without moving.