Patent Publication Number: US-9885208-B1

Title: Window covering auxiliary device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a window covering and, more particularly, to an auxiliary device for a window covering. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     A conventional magnetically attractive shade comprises a shade cloth, at least one magnetic unit mounted on the shade cloth, and at least one metal unit mounted on the shade cloth and spaced from the at least one magnetic unit. The at least one metal unit and the at least one magnetic unit are magnetically attracted with each other so as to fold the shade cloth. However, when the conventional magnetically attractive shade is located at a higher position, the user cannot easily adjust the shade cloth to the required position by restriction of the user&#39;s height and age, thereby causing inconvenience to the user when wishing to expand or fold the shade cloth. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a window covering auxiliary device comprising at least one attracted member, an operation handle and at least one attracting member. The at least one attracted member is mounted on a window covering. The operation handle includes a holding unit and a guiding unit. The guiding unit is mounted on a top of the holding unit and has a top provided with a guide portion. The guide portion has a substantially L-shaped profile and defines a horizontal section and a vertical section. The guide portion has an arcuate face formed between the horizontal section and the vertical section. The horizontal section has a top provided with a receiving recess. The at least one attracting member is mounted in the receiving recess of the operation handle. The at least one attracting member and the at least one attracted member are magnetically attracted with each other. 
     According to the primary advantage of the present invention, the user directly operates the operation handle to lift or lower the shading member of the window covering, so that the user can easily adjust the shading member of the window covering to the required position, without restriction of the user&#39;s height and age. 
     Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic exploded perspective view of a window covering auxiliary device in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an attracted member of the window covering auxiliary device in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective assembly view of an operation handle and an attracting member of the window covering auxiliary device in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded perspective view of the operation handle and the attracting member of the window covering auxiliary device as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective view of the operation handle and the attracting member of the window covering auxiliary device in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a partially exploded perspective view of the operation handle of the window covering auxiliary device in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view showing the window covering auxiliary device for a window covering in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view showing the window covering auxiliary device for a window covering in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view showing the window covering auxiliary device for a window covering in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 10  is a locally enlarged view of the window covering auxiliary device for a window covering as shown in  FIGS. 7-9 . 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view showing the window covering auxiliary device for a window covering in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 12  is a locally enlarged view of the window covering auxiliary device for a window covering as shown in  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 13  is a partially exploded perspective view of the window covering auxiliary device for a window covering in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 14  is a locally enlarged view of the window covering auxiliary device for a window covering as shown in  FIG. 13 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to the drawings and initially to  FIGS. 1-6 , a window covering auxiliary device in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises at least one attracted member  1 , an operation handle  2  and at least one attracting member  3 . 
     The at least one attracted member  1  is preferably made of metallic material and is mounted on a window covering  4 . The at least one attracted member  1  has a shape corresponding to that of the window covering  4 . 
     The operation handle  2  includes a holding unit  21  and a guiding unit  22 . The holding unit  21  is made of metal, wood or plastics and has a bottom provided with an opening  211 . Preferably, a plug  2111  is inserted into the opening  211  of the operation handle  2 . The guiding unit  22  is mounted on a top of the holding unit  21  and has a top provided with a guide portion  221 . The guide portion  221  has a substantially L-shaped profile and defines a horizontal section  2211  and a vertical section  2212 . The guide portion  221  has an arcuate face  2213  formed between the horizontal section  2211  and the vertical section  2212 . The horizontal section  2211  has a top provided with a receiving recess  2214 . 
     The at least one attracting member  3  is preferably a magnet or an iron block and is mounted in the receiving recess  2214  of the operation handle  2 . The at least one attracting member  3  has a shape corresponding to that of the receiving recess  2214  of the operation handle  2 . Preferably, the at least one attracting member  3  is secured in the receiving recess  2214  of the operation handle  2  by glue. The at least one attracting member  3  and the at least one attracted member  1  are magnetically attracted with each other, so that the operation handle  2  is operated to move the window covering  4  so as to fold or expand the window covering  4 . 
     In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the at least one attracted member  1  has a substantially U-shaped profile and defines a receiving chamber  11  and a clamping slit  12 . The clamping slit  12  of the at least one attracted member  1  is provided with a top hook  121  and a bottom hook  122 , and the window covering  4  is clamped by the top hook  121  and the bottom hook  122  of the at least one attracted member  1 . The at least one attracted member  1  has a face provided with a channel  13 . A magnetic member  14  is mounted in the channel  13  of the at least one attracted member  1 . The magnetic member  14  of the at least one attracted member  1  and the at least one attracting member  3  are magnetically attracted with each other. A marking zone  15  is mounted on the at least one attracted member  1 . Preferably, the marking zone  15  is a character, figure, pattern or trademark. 
     In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the holding unit  21  of the operation handle  2  is a pole as shown in  FIG. 4  or has a telescopically adjustable structure as shown in  FIG. 5 . When the holding unit  21  of the operation handle  2  has a telescopically adjustable structure, the holding unit  21  of the operation handle  2  includes a plurality of tubes telescopically connected with each other. 
     In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the holding unit  21  and the guiding unit  22  have a combination structure or an integral structure. When the holding unit  21  and the guiding unit  22  have a combination structure, the guiding unit  22  has a bottom provided with a recessed connecting portion  222  which is disconnected from the receiving recess  2214 , and the top of the holding unit  21  is provided with a protruding connecting section  212  inserted into the recessed connecting portion  222  of the guiding unit  22 , so that the holding unit  21  and the guiding unit  22  are detachably combined with each other as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . Preferably, the protruding connecting section  212  of the holding unit  21  is provided with an external thread  2121  (see  FIG. 6 ), and the recessed connecting portion  222  of the guiding unit  22  is provided with an internal thread  2221  (see  FIG. 6 ) screwed onto the external thread  2121 , so that the recessed connecting portion  222  of the guiding unit  22  is mounted on the protruding connecting section  212  of the holding unit  21 . 
     In operation, the at least one attracted member  1  is mounted on a predetermined position (such as the bottom) of the window covering  4 , and the at least one attracting member  3  is mounted on the operation handle  2 . In such a manner, when the at least one attracting member  3  is moved by the operation handle  2  to touch the at least one attracted member  1 , the at least one attracting member  3  and the at least one attracted member  1  are magnetically attracted with each other, so that the operation handle  2  is operated to move the predetermined position of the window covering  4  (such as to lift or lower the bottom of the window covering  4 ) so as to fold or expand the window covering  4 . 
     In practice, referring to  FIGS. 7 and 10  with reference to  FIGS. 1-5 , the window covering  4  is a roller shade and includes a shading member  41  having a bottom provided with a tubular portion  411 , and a weight member  412  mounted in the tubular portion  411  of the shading member  41  as shown in  FIG. 7 . When the at least one attracted member  1  is mounted on the window covering  4 , the tubular portion  411  and the weight member  412  of the window covering  4  are received in the receiving chamber  11  of the at least one attracted member  1  and are clamped and limited by the top hook  121  and the bottom hook  122  of the at least one attracted member  1 , so that the at least one attracted member  1  is attached to the shading member  41  of the window covering  4 . Thus, when the at least one attracting member  3  is moved by the operation handle  2  to rest on the at least one attracted member  1  as shown in  FIG. 10 , the magnetic member  14  of the at least one attracted member  1  and the at least one attracting member  3  are magnetically attracted with each other, so that the operation handle  2  is operated by the user to fold or expand the shading member  41  of the window covering  4 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 8 , the window covering  4  is a suspension curtain. 
     As shown in  FIG. 9 , the window covering  4  is a magnetically attractive shade. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 11 and 12 , the window covering  4  is a detachable shade and includes a shading member  42  having a plurality of detachable pieces  421  each having two ends each provided with a tubular portion  4211 , and a plurality of matching units  422  mounted in the tubular portions  4211  of the detachable pieces  421 . When the at least one attracted member  1  is mounted on the window covering  4 , the lowermost one of the matching units  422  of the shading member  42  of the window covering  4  is received in the receiving chamber  11  of the at least one attracted member  1  and are clamped and limited by the top hook  121  and the bottom hook  122  of the at least one attracted member  1 , so that the at least one attracted member  1  is attached to the shading member  42  of the window covering  4 . Thus, when the at least one attracting member  3  is moved by the operation handle  2  to rest on the at least one attracted member  1  as shown in  FIG. 12 , the magnetic member  14  of the at least one attracted member  1  and the at least one attracting member  3  are magnetically attracted with each other, so that the operation handle  2  is operated by the user to detach one of the detachable pieces  421  of the shading member  42 , and move one of the detachable pieces  421  to another one of the detachable pieces  421 . In such a manner, the detachable pieces  421  are assembled and disassembled by matching of the matching units  422 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 13 and 14 , the operation handle  2  further includes a support unit  23  mounted on the top of the guiding unit  22 . The support unit  23  is provided with two stop ends  232  formed on two ends thereof. The support unit  23  is provided with a fitting hole  231  mounted on the guiding unit  22 . Thus, when the at least one attracting member  3  is moved by the operation handle  2  to rest on the at least one attracted member  1  as shown in  FIG. 14 , the at least one attracted member  1  is located between the two stop ends  232  of the support unit  23 , so that the at least one attracted member  1  is turned by the operation handle  2  stably and conveniently. 
     In conclusion, the operation handle  2  cooperates with the at least one attracted member  1  to lift or lower the shading member  41  (or the shading member  42 ) of the window covering  4  to the required position and height so as to fold or expand the shading member  41  (or the shading member  42 ) of the window covering  4 . 
     Accordingly, the user directly operates the operation handle  2  to lift or lower the shading member  41  (or the shading member  42 ) of the window covering  4 , so that the user can easily adjust the shading member  41  (or the shading member  42 ) of the window covering  4  to the required position, without restriction of the user&#39;s height and age. 
     Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment(s) as mentioned above, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claim or claims will cover such modifications and variations that fall within the scope of the invention.