Patent Publication Number: US-2023151683-A1

Title: Ladder tape assembly and window blind using the ladder tape assembly

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to window blind cord technology and more particularly, to a ladder tape assembly and window blind using the wide-version ladder tape assembly. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     At present, the common window blinds (e.g. venetian blinds) mostly use lift cords to make the blinds rise and fall or open and close. However, some children sometimes play under the window blind, and unpreventable accidents can happen if the guardian or caregiver is careless. For example, there are some accidents caused by window blind lift cords in foreign countries, or because the child&#39;s curiosity is driven to play with the lift cord, his hands, feet, and neck are accidentally entangled by the lift cord, which causes avascular necrosis of the limbs, and even cannot break free and suffocation. Therefore, the current common window blinds do have security problems. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. In order to solve the problems mentioned in the previous technology, the present invention to provide a window blind (for example, venetian blind), which comprises at least two ladder tape assemblies to improve the dangerous phenomenon of effectively preventing people or children from being accidentally entangled by lift cord when the window blind is folded or extended. 
     The window blind disclosed in the present invention comprises a headrail, a blind body, at least two ladder tape assemblies, and a bottom rail. The blind body is composed of a plurality of elongated slats. One side of one slat is set close to the headrail, and one side of another slat is set on the bottom rail. The two opposite long sides of the long axis of each slat are individually recessed to form at least one limit portion. Each ladder tape assembly comprises two wide webbings, a mesh webbing, a lift cord and multiple supporting cords. The mesh webbing is fixedly connected to the two long sides of wide webbings so that the mesh webbing is located between the two wide webbings. The lift cord is set in the mesh webbing. One end of any supporting cord is individually connected and fixed at the position of the mesh webbing. One ends of the lift cords of the two ladder tape assemblies are respectively inserted through a plurality of tape insertion holes of the headrail and then tied to a tape reel set in the headrail so that the two ladder tape assemblies are electrically controlled by the tape reel to produce rolling and flipping movements. The other ends of the lift cords of the two ladder tape assemblies extend in the direction of the bottom rail along the two opposite long sides of the slats of the blind body and are wrapped around the bottom rail and tied and fixed. The two ladder tape assemblies are arranged oppositely based on the two long sides of the slats of the blind body, and any one of the ladder tape assemblies is limited to the at least one limit portion of the same long side of the slats of the blind body. 
     In summary, by the technical features that the lift cords of the ladder tape assemblies are set in the mesh webbings, any one of the slats is surrounded by the supporting cords of the ladder tape assemblies arranged opposite to each other, and the two ends of the supporting cords are respectively braided and connected to the mesh webbings of the two ladder tape assemblies arranged opposite to each other, in addition to the effect of stabilizing the support between any of the slats, it can also reduce the possibility of the lift cords of the ladder tape assemblies being pulled out, thereby effectively preventing children from being accidentally entangled by the lift cords. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is an oblique top elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, which mainly reveals a state in which a window blind is unfolded. 
         FIG.  2    is an enlarged schematic diagram of part of the components of  FIG.  1   , which mainly reveals the positional correspondence between the two ladder tape assemblies on one side of the window blind and one of the slats. 
         FIG.  3    is a schematic side view of  FIG.  1   , which mainly reveals the connection relationship between the two ladder tape assemblies of the window blind and the slats. 
         FIG.  4    is an enlarged schematic diagram of part of the components of  FIG.  1   , which mainly reveals one of the ladder tape assembly of the window blind. 
         FIG.  5    is an enlarged and side view schematic diagram of some components similar to  FIG.  4   . 
         FIG.  6    is an enlarged schematic diagram of part of the components of  FIG.  1   , which mainly reveals the connection relationship between the two ladder tape assemblies on one side of the window blind and the bottom rail. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The applicant first states here that throughout the specification, including the preferred embodiment described below and the claims in the scope of patent application, the terms related to directionality are based on the directions in the drawings. The applicant first explains here that in the entire specification, including the embodiment described below and the various claims in the scope of the patent application, the nouns related to directionality are based on the directions of the diagrams listed in the BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS of the present application. Secondly, in the preferred embodiment and drawings to be described below, the same element numbers represent the same or similar elements or their structural features. Moreover, the detailed structure, characteristics, assembly or use, manufacturing and other methods of the present invention will be described in the detailed description of the subsequent embodiments. However, those with ordinary knowledge in the field of the present invention should be able to understand that these detailed descriptions and the examples listed in the present invention are only used to support the explanation that the present invention can actually be implemented, and are not intended to limit the patent scope of the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIGS.  1 - 6   , a window blind  1  (for example, venetian blind) provided by the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a headrail  10 , a blind body  20 , four ladder tape assemblies  30 , and a bottom rail  40 . 
     The blind body  20  is a blind body composed of a plurality of elongated slats  21 , which is commonly known as a venetian blind. One side of one of the slats  21  of the blind body  20  is set close to the headrail  10 , and tone side of another one of the slats  21  of the blind body  20  is set on the bottom rail  40 . Each of two opposite long sides of the long axis of each slat  21  is recessed to form two limit portions  211  at intervals. Preferably, the limit portions  211  of any one of the slats  21  are arranged opposite to each other along the long axis of the slat  21 . It is worth mentioning that, depending on the actual length of the blind body  20 , at least one limit portion  211  can be selectively recessed on the two opposite long sides of the long axis of each slat  21 . This quantity is attributable to the optional needs of users and designers, and will not be repeated here. 
     The ladder tape assemblies  30  defined on the two opposite long sides of the long axis of the plural slats  21  of the blind body  20  are grouped in pairs, and one end of each ladder tape assembly  30  is tied to a tape reel provided in the headrail  10  (this is a conventional technical feature, and it is not mostly inked here), and it can be electrically controlled by the tape reel to produce movement such as rolling and turning. Each ladder tape assembly  30  is composed of two wide webbings  31 , a mesh webbing  33 , a lift cord  35  and a plurality of supporting cords  37 . The mesh webbing  33  is connected and fixed with the two relatively long sides of the two wide webbings  31  by knitting, weaving, or weaving, etc., so that the mesh webbing  33  is between the two wide webbings  31 . The lift cord  35  is sheathed in the mesh webbing  33 , so that the lift cord  35  is similarly between the two wide webbings  31 , and the two end reserved sections  351  of the lift cord  35  are respectively exposed to the mesh webbing  33 . In this way, one end of each ladder tape assembly  30  is tied to the tape reel provided in the headrail  10  by the exposed end of the lift cord  35 , the other ends of any two ladder tape assemblies  30  pass through the plurality of tape insertion holes  11  of the headrail  10 , and then follow the two opposite long sides of the plurality of slats  21  of the blind body  20  and extend toward the direction of the bottom rail  40 . Until any two of the ladder tape assemblies  30  are individually wrapped around the bottom rail  40  with the exposed other end of the lift cord  35 , they are then tied to two rope fasteners  41  provided at the bottom of the bottom rail  40 . In addition, since the ladder tape assemblies  30  are arranged in pairs based on the two relatively long sides of the plural slats  21  of the blind body  20 , any one of the slats  21  is surrounded by the supporting cords  37  of the ladder tape assemblies  30  arranged opposite to each other, and the two ends of the supporting cords  37  are respectively braided and connected to the mesh webbings  33  of the two ladder tape assemblies  30  arranged opposite to each other. Preferably, the two ends of the supporting cords  37  are respectively braided and fixed to the mesh webbings  33  of the two oppositely arranged ladder tape assemblies  30 , and are respectively tied and fixed to the lift cords  35  of the two oppositely arranged ladder tape assemblies  30 . Furthermore, because the two relatively long sides of the plural slats  21  of the blind body  20  are all recessed to form the respective two limit portions  211 , and the imaginary center points of the two limit portions  211  on the same long side of each slat  21  correspond to the positions of the tape insertion holes  11  of the headrail  10  and the positions of the two rope fasteners  41  of the bottom rail  40  respectively, any one of the ladder tape assemblies  30  is limited to the limit portions  211  on the same long side of the plural slats  21  of the blind body  20 . The overall width of any of the ladder tape assemblies  30  is less than or equal to the inner diameter of the limit portions  211  of any of the slats  21 . 
     The above are the technical features of the window blind  1  (for example, venetian blind) and its components disclosed in the preferred embodiment of the present invention. Next, we will continue to disclose how the ladder tape assemblies  30  installed on the two opposite long sides of the blind body  20  of the window blind  1  cooperate with the operation of the overall window blind  1 , thereby effectively improving the problem of the prior art disclosure and achieving the expected effect of the present invention: 
     One, please refer to  FIG.  1    and  FIG.  2    together, by the technical features of defining the ladder tape assemblies  30  arranged on the two opposite long sides of the long axis of the plural slats  21  of the blind body  20  as a pair of two, and letting one end of each ladder tape assembly  30  be tied to the tape reel set in the headrail  10 , the ladder tape assemblies  30  can be electrically controlled by the tape reel of the headrail  10  to produce almost synchronized scrolling and flipping motions (e.g., opening, closing, etc.). 
     Second, please refer to  FIGS.  1 - 5    together, by the technical features that the lift cords  35  of the ladder tape assemblies  30  are set in the mesh webbings  33 , any one of the slats  21  is surrounded by the supporting cords  37  of the ladder tape assemblies  30  arranged opposite to each other, and the two ends of the supporting cords  37  are respectively braided and connected to the mesh webbings  33  of the two ladder tape assemblies  30  arranged opposite to each other, in addition to the effect of stabilizing the support between any of the slats  21 , it can also reduce the possibility of the lift cords  35  of the ladder tape assemblies  30  being pulled out, thereby effectively preventing children from being accidentally entangled by the lift cords. 
     Third, please refer to  FIGS.  1 - 4    together, by allowing any of the ladder tape assemblies  30  to be limited in the limit portions  211  on the same long side of the plural slats  21  of the blind body  20 , in addition to allowing the window blind  1  to achieve a consistent aesthetic effect, any ladder tape assembly  30  can be indirectly controlled by the electrical control of the tape reel of the headrail  10  to produce nearly synchronized scrolling and flipping motions, thereby achieving a more stable scrolling or flipping effect. 
     Fourth, please refer to  FIGS.  1 ,  2  and  4    together, by the technical feature that the overall width of any one of the ladder tape assemblies  30  is less than or equal to the inner diameter of the limit portions  211  of any one of the slats  21  of the blind body  20 , the window blind  1  achieves a very strong effect through the wide appearance of the ladder tape assemblies  30 .