Abstract:
A curtain blind winding mechanism, applicable for use in a horizontal curtain blind that uses cords to operate horizontal roll-up and roll-down of the slats, including curtain blinds such as pleated blinds, roman blinds, cellular blinds, and so on. The present invention primarily uses a restoring drive device to act on a horizontally displaceable rolling tube, and further uses the dead weight of the slats to counteract the drive mechanism restoring force. The present invention enables single-handed operation to open up the slats by lifting a bottom edge of the slats or pulling down on the bottom edge to close the slats. Furthermore, the bottom edge of the slats can be effectively fixed at any height position.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     (a) Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a curtain blind winding mechanism, and more particularly to a winding mechanism applicable for use in a horizontal curtain blind that uses cords to operate horizontal roll-up and roll-down of the slats, including curtain blinds such as pleated blinds, roman blinds, cellular blinds, and so on. The present invention primarily uses a restoring drive device to act on a rolling tube, which is restrained and transversely displaced. Cords respectively wind round sections of the rolling tube, and lower ends of the cords joined together lower edges of the slats, thereby enabling a user to directly hold a bottom end of the curtain blind and vertically operate the curtain blind, thereby enabling the slats to spontaneously roll up or be let down, and thus eliminating the need for other roll-up and roll-down ancillary devices.  
         [0003]     (b) Description of the Prior Art  
         [0004]     With reference to a horizontal winding curtain blind such as a pleated blind, a roman blind, a cellular blind, and so on, or similar horizontal roll-up and roll-down curtain blind, a top rail configured at a top end of the curtain blind has a drive or cord device installed therein for taking up or letting down the slats. A cord method or electromechanical drive method provides the power source for the drive mechanism to achieve the aforementioned taking up or letting down of the slats. Apart from the electromechanical method further using a rocker method, which is manually operated with two hands, thereby providing a rotating motive power, conventionally, if the cord method is used to operate taking up and letting down of the slats, because the bottom edge of the cord often becomes coiled, and easily becomes wrapped round the body of a child playing nearby, thus endangering the child, thus, the cord was removed and a cordless roll-up and roll-down device installed to provide greater safety.  
         [0005]     Furthermore, a winding shaft configuration was used in a winding curtain blind mechanism, two ends of which are made to roll by means of a helical spring, which rolls a cloth-form curtain blind round the circumferential surface of the rolling shaft. The user pulls directly down on a bottom edge of the curtain blind, thereby opening the slats, and, because of the resilient counteraction from the helical spring, the bottom edge must be secured by means of a binding or hook fastening method. However, during the course of taking up or letting down the slats, the user is unable to optionally fix the curtain blind at selective heights. If it is required to fix the curtain blind at a certain height, then a fixing end must additionally have a transmission mechanism providing transmission and a lock catch. However, such a configuration cannot be used in a device having cords.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     The present invention particularly provides a rolling tube for use in a horizontal curtain blind, which use cords to take up and let down the slats, including curtain blinds such as pleated blinds, roman blinds, cellular blinds, and so on, wherein the rolling tube is transversally displaced during the course of winding the slats, thereby enabling the cords to maintain in correct position. The present invention uses a restoring drive mechanism to assist an upward push from external forces, which enables the slats to be effectively rolled up. Furthermore, the dead weight of a bottom rail is used to counteract a restoring driving force of the drive mechanism, thereby enabling a bottom edge of the curtain blind to be effectively fixed at any height position. Thus, the present invention achieves objective of providing a curtain blind that can be operated without a pull cord.  
         [0007]     To enable a further understanding of said objectives and the technological methods of the invention herein, brief description of the drawings is provided below followed by detailed description of the preferred embodiments. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]      FIG. 1  shows a side cutaway view of component members according to the present invention.  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  shows a front view of an assembled embodiment according to the present invention.  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  shows a front view of a plurality of cords joined to a rolling tube according to the present invention.  
         [0011]      FIG. 4  shows a side cutaway view of a slide-shear portion of another embodiment according to the present invention.  
         [0012]      FIG. 5  shows an end cutaway view of  FIG. 4  according to the present invention.  
         [0013]      FIG. 6  shows a side cutaway view of another embodiment according to the present invention.  
         [0014]      FIG. 7  shows a side cutaway view depicting the rolling tube configured with a separating sleeve isolating a threaded rod according to the present invention.  
         [0015]      FIG. 8  shows a side cutaway view of an interior of the rolling tube further configured with a fixing member according to the present invention.  
         [0016]      FIG. 9  shows a schematic view depicting an electromechanical method driving the rolling tube according to the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0017]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , which shows the present invention primarily structured to comprise a top rail  1 , two ends of which are configured with a left stop end member  11  and a right stop end member  12  respectively. Interior of the top rail  1  provides for pivotal disposal of a hollow rolling tube  2 , one end of which is driven by a drive device  3  to form a restoring reverse rotational motion. Another end of the rolling tube  2  is restrained by a displacement device  120 , thereby enabling the rolling tube  2  to be transversely displaced during the course of taking up or letting down slats.  
         [0018]     The displacement device  120  and a threaded rod  121  are coaxially configured. One end of the threaded rod  121  is joined to the right stop end member  12 , and a working end of the threaded rod  121  is rotate connected to a screw hole  210  defined in a corresponding rotate connecting end  21  of the rolling tube  2  rotate connecting end  21 . Because of the rotational motion of the rolling tube  2 , thus, the rotate connecting end  21  is slide-shear displaced on the threaded rod  121  through a displacement distance of L 2 . Another end of the rolling tube  2  is movably disposed on a slide-shear portion  112 , and the slide-shear portion  112  is directly formed on the stop end member  11  or directly configured on a corresponding position of the top rail  1 . The slide-shear portion  112  provides for transversal displacement of the rolling tube  2  through a transversal displacement distance of L 1 , and primarily supports the rolling tube  2  to maintain displacement along an axle center line. The lengths L 1  and L 2  are identical.  
         [0019]     The rolling tube  2  is subjected to a reverse rotational driving force from the drive device  3 , and a helical spring  31  provides a restoring motive force for the rolling tube  2 . One end of the helical spring  31  is joined to an interior of the rolling tube  2 , and another end is joined to a fixing portion  111  of the left stop end member  11 .  
         [0020]     Referring to  FIG. 2 , which shows cords  41  respectively joined to fixing portions  410  of the rolling tube  2 , and the cords  41  hang down therefrom and join together slats  40 , at a bottom of which is configured a horizontal bottom rail  4 , which provides for assembling the bottom slat  40  and bottom ends of the cords  41 . According to requirements of the present invention, the horizontal bottom rail  4  must have a specific mass that can counteract a restoring rolling force of the rolling tube  2 .  
         [0021]     The cords  41  respectively penetrate through holes  13  defined in a lower portion of the top rail  1 . When a user pulls down on the horizontal bottom rail  4 , the slats  40  are let down, the rolling tube  2  then rotates in an opposite direction. During the course of the rolling tube  2  rotating, because the rotate connecting end  21  of the rolling tube  2  is slide-shear restrained by the threaded rod  121 , thus, the rolling tube  2  is transversally rightward displaced. The objective of the displacement is to enable the cords  41  to correctly position in the through holes  13 .  
         [0022]     The horizontal bottom rail  4  can be fixed at any position through a dead weight effect of the horizontal bottom rail  4 , which opposes the wind restoring force of the rolling tube  2  produced by the drive device  3 . Furthermore, when the user raises the bottom horizontal rod  4  in an upward direction, then the rolling tube  2  avoids having to bear the mass of the horizontal bottom rail  4  and caters for countering the reverse rotational force, thereby indirectly rolling up the slats  40 .  
         [0023]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , which depicts the rotational force acquired by the rolling tube  2 , and wherein one end of the helical spring  31  is fixed to the fixing portion  111  of the stop end member  11 , and another end is joined to the interior of the rolling tube  2 . Hence, even after a multiplicity of rotations of the rolling tube  2 , the short pitch of the helical spring  31  enables the helical spring  31  to maintain its elastic stress, while also effectuating an extremely uniform degree of force within an effective range between top and bottom fatigue points of the helical spring  31 . Referring to  FIG. 2 , the horizontal bottom rail  4  configured at the bottom of the slats  40  can be securely positioned at any height by means of the dead weight effect of the horizontal bottom rail  4 , which effectively counteracts the restoring force of the rolling tube  2 .  
         [0024]     During the course of the aforementioned rolling up and letting down of the slats  40 , a transversal displacement is produced in the rolling tube  2  whereby the slide-shear portion  112  supports one end of the rolling tube  2  to enable maintaining displacement along the axle center line.  
         [0025]     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the rolling tube  2  assumes a long tubular form, upon which a plurality of the cords  41  can be distributed. Because the present invention uses a plurality of the cords  31 , thus, the curtain blind of the present invention is relatively wide, and, correspondingly, the rolling tube  2  is relatively long. Hence, astriding support devices  14  can be appropriately configured at positions on the girth of the rolling tube  2  of the top rail  1 , which are used to support the girth of the rolling tube  2  therewith. The astriding support device  14  can be a half-moon shaped bearing or any device able to lubricate and support the rolling tube  2  and that can be configured on an exterior of the rolling tube  2  to support the rolling tube  2 .  
         [0026]     Referring to  FIG. 4 , which shows one end of the rolling tube  2  supported by the slide-shear portion  112 , which comprises a support device  5  with ball bearings  50 , wherein principal design of the support device  5  is that of a bearing. A bearing groove  510  is defined on the support device  5 , which provides for the ball bearings  50  to be movable disposed therein. The entire support device  5  is joined to the top rail  1  by means of bases  51 . The ball bearings  50  roll on the surface of the rolling tube  2 , thereby substantially reducing friction, and enabling the rolling tube  2  to roll more smoothly.  
         [0027]     Referring to  FIG. 5 , which depicts the aforementioned top rail  1  joined to the bases  51 , wherein structural configuration of the support device  5  comprises the ball bearings  50  movably disposed within the bearing groove  510  defined on the support device  5 , and number of the ball bearings  50  does not have to be large, but sufficient to be distributed in the bearing groove  510  below the top rail  2  and provide adequate support thereof. Position confinement of the ball bearings  50  is achieved by using any defined bearing groove  510 . Referring to  FIG. 5 , which depicts the ball bearings  50  disposed in the bearing groove  510  of the bases  51  so as to at least enable a lower half of the top rail  2  to come in contact with the ball bearings  50 , thereby leaving hollow a top half of the bearing groove  510  above the upper half of the top rail  2 . Moreover, the ball bearings  50  must be confined to stop them from rolling into the top half bearing groove  510  above the top rail  2 . Design of the upper portion bearing groove  510  is depicted in  FIG. 5 , which shows one of the two bases  51  positioned in reverse to that of the other base  51 , thereby enabling the two bases  51  to be assembled around the top rail  2 . Hence, the ball bearings  50  are unable to pass beyond the bottom half bearing groove  510  below the top rail  2 , and are effectively confined within the bottom portion of the base  51 .  
         [0028]     Referring to  FIG. 6 , which shows another embodiment of the rolling tube  2 , wherein exterior screw teeth  221  are further defined on a left end of the rolling tube  2 , and interior screw teeth  113  are defined on the slide-shear portion  112 , which meshes with the exterior screw teeth  221 . One end of the drive device  3  is similarly fixed to the stop end member  11 , and another end is joined to the interior of the rolling tube  2 . A through hole  220  is formed in a center of a right side of the rolling tube  2 , which enables a smooth shaft  123  fixed to the right stop end member  12  to be disposed therein. When the rolling tube  2  is subjected to external forces and begins to roll, the exterior screw teeth  221  mesh with the interior screw teeth  113  of the slide-shear portion  112  and forms a shearing effect, which enables the rolling tube  2  to form a transversal displacement and rotational state.  
         [0029]     The configuration of the rolling tube  2  as depicted in  FIG. 6 , and similar to that depicted in  FIG. 1 , causes transversal displacement of the rolling tube  2  when rotating, and is subjected to a restoring reverse rotation actuated by the drive device  3 . During the course of reverse rotation, the exterior screw teeth  221  of the rolling tube  2  mesh with the interior screw teeth  113  of the slide-shear portion  112 , thereby forming a slide-shear effect that produces a rightward backward displacement in the rolling tube  2 .  
         [0030]     Referring to  FIG. 7 , the rotate connecting end  21  has a threaded rod  121  penetrating the interior of the rolling tube  2  similar to that depicted in  FIG. 1 . A connecting end of the helical spring  31  is joined to the rotate connecting end  21 , and in order to prevent interference between the threaded rod  121  and the helical spring  31 , inner space of the rotate connecting end  21  is greater than that required of the threaded rod  121 , and a separating sleeve  211  is used to realize a separating effect between the helical spring  31  and the threaded rod  121 , thereby avoiding mutual interference therebetween. Size of the diameter of the separating sleeve  211  is based purely on the requirement that there is no mutual interference between the helical spring  31  and the threaded rod  121 . If the diameter of the separating sleeve  211  is too large, then the diameter of the helical spring  31  will change when rotating, and result in needless interference. Thus, the diameter of the separating sleeve  211  needs only be larger than that of the threaded rod  121 .  
         [0031]     Referring to  FIG. 8 , if the configuration of  FIG. 7  is excluded, then one end of the helical spring  31  can be fixed to a center position of the rolling tube  2  by means of a fixing member  23 . Any method can be used to achieve fixing the fixing member  23  to the rolling tube  2 . The interior of the rolling tube  2  provides for the other end of the helical spring  31  to be fixed thereto. A minimum consideration for the position of the fixing member  23  is that it does not obstruct the deepest penetrable position of the threaded rod  121 , thereby preventing the threaded rod  121  from interfering with straight horizontal motion of the rolling tube  2 .  
         [0032]     Referring to  FIG. 9 , which shows an end of the rolling tube  2  controlled by the displacement device  120 , wherein an outer surface of the rolling tube  2 , close to the right rotate connecting end  21  is further defined with exterior screw teeth  212 . The exterior screw teeth  212  rotate connect with an interior screw tube  122  joined to the right stop end member  12 , thereby enabling transversal displacement of the rolling tube  2 .  
         [0033]     The rolling tube  2  is designed to be reverse driven by a drive device, which can be an electric motor  32  installed within the left stop end member  11 , and power is transmitted to an angular-shaped transmission shaft  34  through a decelerator device  33 . The angular-shaped transmission shaft  34  slide shears within a corresponding angular-shaped shear hole  22  defined in an end of the rolling tube  2  opposite thereof. The electromechanical motor  32  provides motor-driven control, which can be further controlled by other electronic operation equipment, thereby achieving complete automation control of degree of roll-up or roll-down of the slats  40  of a horizontal winding curtain blind. Wherein the slide-shear portion  112  is similarly joined to an interior of the top rail  1  or directly formed on the left stop end member  11 , and the decelerator device  33  is used to produce a counterforce damping effect, which is able to effectively fix position of the bottom edge of the curtain blind at any height within an allowable weight range.  
         [0034]     It is of course to be understood that the embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention and that a wide variety of modifications thereto may be effected by persons skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.