Patent Publication Number: US-8966717-B2

Title: Safety cord connector for window blind

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to window blinds and more particularly, to a safety cord connector for a window blind. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     To facilitate control of opening or closing a window blind, the lift cords of the window blind are usually designed to be accessibly exposed for operation by a user. In addition, a cord connector is generally used to connect the suspended ends of the lift cords for preventing the lift cords from being intertwined so as to achieve the purpose of collecting and arranging the lift cords. 
     Conventionally, the lift cords are fixed to the cord connector, such that one or more loops will be formed between the two or more cords and the connector. In other words, the lift cords fixed to a conventional cord connector will become a dangerous object to a toddler or young child who plays around the window blind because the toddler&#39;s or young child&#39;s neck may be hung on the loops or wrapped by the cords accidentally. Therefore, it is desired to have a safety cord connector for a window blind. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention has been accomplished in view of the above-noted circumstances. It is therefore the primary objective of the present invention to provide a safety connector for connecting two or more cords of a window blind, which will be split by an exceeding force exerting thereon into two elements connected respectively with the cords so as to enhance user safety. 
     To achieve the above-mentioned objective, the connector for connecting two more cords of a window blind provided by the present invention comprises a first half shell and a second half shell combined with the first half shell. The first half shell has a top with a cord hole, a bottom with a coupling portion, and an inner surface on which a positioning notch is provided. The second half shell has an inner periphery contacted with an inner periphery of the first half shell, a top with a cord hole, a bottom with a second coupling portion, and an inner surface from which a positioning protrusion extends. The second coupling portion is detachably coupled with the first coupling portion and the positioning protrusion is inserted into the positioning notch. When an external force exceeding the engaging force between the positioning protrusion of the second half shell and the positioning notch of the first half shell exerts on the safety connector of the present invention, the positioning protrusion will separate away from the positioning notch, such that the first and second half shells will be gradually separated from each other to release the coupling relationship between the first coupling portion of the first half shell and the second coupling portion of the second half shell. As a result, the initially combined first and second half shells will be eventually split from each other so as to enhance safety in use. 
     Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a connector in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the connector shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the connector of  FIG. 1 , with which cords are coupled; 
         FIG. 4  is similar to  FIG. 3  but showing that positioning protrusion of the second half shell is separated from the positioning notch of the first half shell; 
         FIG. 5  is similar to  FIG. 4  but showing that the first and second half shells are separated from each other; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a connector in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is an exploded view of the connector shown in  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of the connector of  FIG. 6 , with which cords are coupled in a crossed manner; 
         FIG. 9  is a top view of the connector of  FIG. 6 , showing that the cords are moved towards the through hole; 
         FIG. 10A  is similar to  FIG. 8  but showing that the cords are separated from the connector directly; 
         FIG. 10B  is similar to  FIG. 10  but showing that the first and second half shells are separated from each other; and 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of an alternate form of the connector according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing that the connector has four cord holes. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-2 , a safety connector  10  provided by a first preferred embodiment of the present invention is adapted to be used in cooperation with two cords of any kind of window blind. The safety connector  10  is composed of a first half shell  20  and a second half shell  30  combined with the first half shell  20 . 
     The first half shell  20  has a first cord hole  22 , a first coupling wall  24 , two positioning notches  26  and two retaining walls  28 . The first cord hole  22  is provided at a top of the first half shell  20 , through which a lift cord  12  is inserted and then knotted as shown in  FIG. 3 . The first coupling wall  24  extends outwardly from an inner periphery of a bottom of the first half shell  20  and is provided with a first coupling portion  242 , which is realized in this preferred embodiment as two elongated through holes  242  spaced from each other at a predetermined distance. The two positioning notches  26  are recessedly formed on the inner surface of the first half shell  20  and located at two lateral sides of the first half shell  20 . Each of the retaining walls  28  protrudes outwardly from the inner surface of the first half shell  20  and neighbors one of the positioning notches  26 . 
     The second half shell  30  has an inner periphery contacted with an inner periphery of the first half shell  20 , a second cord hole  32 , two extension walls  34 , a second coupling wall  36  and two positioning protrusions  38 . The second cord hole  32  is provided at a top of the second half shell  30 , through which a lift cord  12  is inserted and then knotted as shown in  FIG. 3 . The extension walls  34  protrude from the top of the second half shell  30  and are urged against the top of the first half shell  20 . The second coupling wall  36  extends outwardly from an inner periphery of a bottom of the second half shell  30  and is provided with a second coupling portion  362 , which is realized in this preferred embodiment as two spaced blocks each having a triangular cross-section and being engaged in one of the elongated through holes  242 . The positioning protrusions  38  protrude outwardly from an inner surface of the second half shell  30  and are located at two lateral sides of the second half shell  30 . Each positioning protrusion  38  is inserted into one of the positioning notches  26  of the first half shell  20  and abutted against one of the retaining walls  28  of the first half shell  20 . 
     When a foreign object, e.g. the neck of a child, enters the loop defined by the two cords  12  and the safety connector  10  and moves downwardly to press on the safety connector  10 , the positioning protrusions  38  of the second half shell  30  will be forced to separate away from the positioning notches  26  of the first half shell  20  if the pressing force exerting on the safety connector  10  exceeds the engaging force between the positioning protrusions  38  and the positioning notches  26 . At the same time, the first and second half shells  20  and  30  will be gradually separated from each other, as shown in  FIG. 4 . As a result, the coupling relationship between the first coupling portion comprising holes  242  of the first half shell  20  and the second coupling portion  362  of the second half shell  30  will be released, resulting in that the initially combined first and second half shells  20  and  30  will be eventually split from each other, as shown in  FIG. 5 . In this situation, the two lift cords  12  will be respectively connected with the separated first and second half shells  20  and  30 ; in other words, the loop will no longer exist, preventing the child&#39;s neck from hanging on the cords  12  so as to enhance the safety in use. 
       FIGS. 6-7  show a safety connector  40  in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention, which comprises a first half shell  50  and a second half shell  60  for connecting three cords  12 . 
     The first half shell  50  has a first cord hole  52 , a first coupling portion including holes or concavities  54 , a positioning notch  56  and a retaining wall  58 . The first cord hole  52  is provided at a top of the first half shell  50 , through which a lift cord  12  is inserted and then knotted as shown in  FIG. 8 . In this preferred embodiment, the first coupling portion is realized as the two through holes or concavities  54  provided at the bottom of the first half shell  50  and spaced from each other at a predetermined distance. The positioning notch  56  is recessedly formed on the inner surface of the first half shell  50  and located between two lateral sides of the first half shell  50 . The retaining wall  58  protrudes outwardly from the inner surface of the first half shell  50  and neighbors the positioning notch  56 . 
     The second half shell  60  has an inner periphery contacted with an inner periphery of the first half shell  50 , a second cord hole  62 , a coupling wall  64  and a positioning protrusion  68 . The second cord hole  62  is provided at a top of the second half shell  60 , through which a lift cord  12  is inserted and then knotted as shown in  FIG. 8 . The coupling wall  64  extends outwardly from an inner periphery of a bottom of the second half shell  60  and is abutted with the bottom of the first half shell  50  and provided with a second coupling portion  66 , which is realized in this preferred embodiment as two spaced convexities engaged with the through holes or concavities of the first coupling portion  54  respectively. The positioning protrusion  68  protrudes outwardly from an inner surface of the second half shell  60  and is located between two lateral sides of the second half shell  60 . The positioning protrusion  68  has an urging end  682  protruding over the inner periphery of the second half shell  60  and is inserted into the positioning notch  56  of the first half shell  50  and abutted against the retaining wall  58  of the first half shell  50 . In addition, the urging end  682  of the positioning protrusion  68  has a cut  684 , such that the urging end  682  of the positioning protrusion  68  is flexibly deformable for enhancing the convenience in assembly. 
     On the other hand, a third cord hole  70 , through which a cord  12  is inserted, is defined between the tops of the first and second half shells  50  and  60  and communicated with the first and second cord holes  52  and  62  through a through hole  72  defined between the tops of the first and second half shells  50  and  60  in such away that a cord engaging portion  74  having a width smaller than a diameter of the cord  12  is defined between each of the first, second and third cord holes  52 ,  62  and  70  and the through hole  72 , as shown in  FIG. 9 . 
     When a foreign object, e.g. the neck of a child, enters the loop defined by three cords  12 , which are crossed with each other as shown in  FIG. 8 , and the safety connector  10  and then moves downwardly to press on the cords  12 , the cords  12  that receive the pressing force will move from the cord holes  52 ,  62  and  70  towards the through hole  72 , and then the cords  12  may escape from the safety connector  40  through the through hole  72 , as shown in  FIG. 10A , if the external force exerting on the cords  12  overcomes the resistances of the cord engaging portions  74  to enabling the cords  12  to pass through the cord engaging portions  74 , as shown in  FIG. 9 . On the other hand, the first and second half shells  50  and  60  may be separated from each other if the cords  12  are respectively jammed in the cord engaging portions  74 , and after separation of the first and second half shells  50  and  60  the cords  12  may escape from the first and second half shells  50  and  60  through the through hole  72 , as shown in  FIG. 10B . In either event, it can prevent the user&#39;s neck from being hung on the cords  12 . 
     It is to be understood that the number of the third cord hole  70  is not limited to one. For example, as shown in  FIG. 11 , the safety connector of the present invention can provide two third cord holes  70 , i.e. the connector can be configured having four cord holes  52 ,  62  and  70 . In addition, the features disclosed in the two preferred embodiments of the present invention can be selectively and/or hybridly adopted in designing a safety connector of the present invention. For example, in the safety connector of second preferred embodiment of the present invention, the coupling structure disclosed in the first preferred embodiment, i.e. the elongated through hole and block, can be used to substitute for the concavity and convexity originally used in the second embodiment, the positioning structure of the first preferred embodiment, the positioning notch and positioning protrusion, can be used to substitute for the positioning structure used in second embodiment, and the top of the second half shell can be provided with an extension wall as the safety connector of the first embodiment does. 
     The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.