Patent Publication Number: US-2010126323-A1

Title: Blind cutter

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to a blind cutter for cutting a blind, and more specifically to a blind cutter that includes a saw blade capable of moving back to an initial position automatically when finishing the cutting action. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,336,388 discloses a blind cut down machine, comprising a base, a rail mounted to the base, a block slidably mounted to the rail, a saw blade rotatably connected with the block and driven by an electric motor for cutting slats of a blind, a fixed plate fixed to the base, and a movable plate movably mounted to the base and carrying a cutting die for cutting a head rail of the blind. By means of the aforesaid design, a user can fasten the slats and the head rail of the blind to the base, and then move the saw blade and the movable plate to cut the slats and the head rail of the blind. 
     However, when the cutting action of the blind cut down machine has been finished, the user needs to force the saw blade to move back to an initial position by manual operation or using a pneumatic cylinder, resulting in that the blind cut-down apparatus has the drawback of inconvenient operation. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention has been accomplished in view of the above-noted circumstances. It is one objective of the present invention to provide a blind cutter, which has a saw blade that can move back to an initial position automatically when finishing the cutting action. 
     To achieve this objective of the present invention, the blind cutter comprises a base having a first through hole and a second through hole, a first rail mounted to the base, a slide block slidably mounted to the first rail and being slidable between a first position and a second position that is lower than the first position, a saw blade rotatably connected with the slide block and covering the first through hole when the slide block is located at the first position, a motor connected with the saw blade, a fixed cutting blade fixed to the base, and a movable cutting blade movably mounted to the base and abutted against the fixed cutting blade. 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, the blind cutter further comprising a regulation plate movably mounted to the slide block, a transmission rod including a shaft portion inserted into a circular hole of the fixed cutting blade, and a cam portion inserted into an eccentric hole of the movable cutting blade, a handle connected with the shaft portion of the transmission rod, a screw rotatably mounted to the base, and a clamp member engaged with the screw to be movable relative to the first through hole of the base. Further, the fixed cutting blade and the movable cutting blade are respectively provided with a cutting hole that is communicated with the second through hole of the base, and clamped between two guide plates of a second rail. 
     Accordingly, when a user pushes the slide block from the second position to the first position, the saw blade and the slide block can move back to the second position automatically because of gravity when the cutting action of the saw blade has been finished. 
     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 blind cutter according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing the front side of the blind cutter. 
         FIG. 2  is another perspective view of the blind cutter according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing the rear side of the blind cutter; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the blind cutter according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a front view of the blind cutter according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing the slide block located at the second position; 
         FIG. 5  is similar to  FIG. 4 , but showing the slide block located at the first position; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the blind cutter according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the fixed cutting blade and the movable cutting blade of the blind cutter according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing another type of the fixed cutting blade and the movable cutting blade provided, and 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the fixed cutting blade and the movable cutting blade of the blind cutter according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing still another type of the fixed cutting blade and the movable cutting blade provided. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 to 4 , a blind cutter  10  for cutting slats  12  and a head rail  14  of a blind in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a base  20 , a first rail  22 , a slide block  24 , a saw blade  26 , a motor  28 , a second rail  30 , a fixed cutting blade  32 , a movable cutting blade  34 , a transmission rod  36 , a handle  38 , a screw  40 , a clamp member  42 , and a regulation plate  44 . 
     The base  20  has a rectangular first through hole  201  for penetration of the slats  12 , and a rectangular second through hole  203  for penetration of the head rail  14 . 
     The first rail  22  is obliquely mounted to the front side of the base  20 . 
     The slide block  24  is configured to the first rail  22  and slidable between a first position, as show in  FIG. 5 , and a second position, as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 4 . The first position is higher than the second position. 
     The saw blade  26  is rotatably connected with the slide block  24 . When the slide block  24  is moved from the second position to the first position, the saw blade  26  can gradually cover the first through hole  201  and cut the slats  12  passing through the first hole  201 . 
     The motor  28  is mounted to the slide block  24  and connected with the saw blade  26  for driving the saw blade  26  to rotate. 
     The second rail  30  includes two guide plates  301 , each of which has a U-shaped section. 
     The fixed cutting blade  32  is clamped between the guide plates  301  of the second rail  30 , and provided with a circular hole  321  at a bottom side thereof and a cutting hole  323  at a top side thereof. The cutting hole  323  is U-shaped and communicated with the second through hole  203  of the base  20  for penetration of the head rail  14 . 
     The movable cutting blade  34  is clamped between the guide plates  301  of the second rail  30 , and moveable relative to the guide plates  301 , and abutted against the fixed cutting blade  32 . The movable cutting hole  34  includes an eccentric hole  341  and a cutting hole  343  that has the same dimensions and position as the cutting hole  323  of the fixed cutting blade  32 . When the head rail  14  passes through the cutting holes  323 ,  343 , the head rail  14  can be cut by means of the relative movement of the fixed cutting blade  32  and the movable cutting blade  34 . 
     The transmission rod  36  passes through the eccentric hole  341  of the movable cutting blade  34 , the circular hole  321  of the fixed cutting blade  32 , and the base  20  in such a way that a shaft portion  361  of the transmission rod  36  is inserted into the circular hole  321 , and a cam portion  363  of the transmission rod  36  is inserted into the eccentric hole  341  such that the movable cutting blade  34  can be forced to move along the second rail  30  by the rotation of the cam portion  363  when the shaft portion  361  is rotated. 
     The handle  38  is connected with the shaft portion  361  of the transmission rod  36  for driving the transmission rod  36  to rotate. 
     The screw  40  is rotatably mounted to the rear side of the base  20 . 
     The clamp member  42  is abutted against the base  20  and engaged with the screw  40  to be movable relative to the first through hole  301  for enabling the slats  12  to be clamped between the clamp member  42  and a periphery wall of the first through hole  301 , thereby keeping the slats  12  stationary. 
     The regulation plate  44  is configured to the slide block  24  through a third rail  441  and a movable member  443  so as to be movable relative to the slide block  24 . The regulation plate  44  is abutted against a distal end of the slats  12 , and the displacement distance of the regulation plate  44  can be measured by means of a graduation  241  of the slide block  24  such that the slats  12  can be cut in any required length. 
     By means of aforesaid design, because the first position is higher than the second position, the slide block  24  is located at the second position due to gravity when the blind cutter  10  of the present invention is unused, as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     To cut the slats  12 , a user can move the slide block  24  from the second position to the first position for enabling the saw blade  26  to cut the slats  12  that pass through the first through hole  201  of the base  20 , as shown in  FIG. 5 . When the cutting action of the saw blade  26  is finished, the user can release the slide block  24  such that the slide block  24  can move back to the second position automatically due to gravity. 
     The way of relative movement between the fixed cutting blade and the moveable cutting blade may be changed. As shown in  FIG. 6 , a blind cutter  50  in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a moveable cutting blade  56  having an eccentric hole that is fitted to a cam portion  583  of a transmission rod  58  such that the movable cutting blade  56  and the transmission rod  58  can be rotated together, and a fixed cutting blade  54  being unmovable and unrotatable relative to the base  52  of the blind cutter  50 . Therefore, when the user forces the transmission rod  58  to rotate through the handle  60 , the head rail  14  of the blind can be cut by means of the relative rotation of the fixed cutting blade  54  and the movable cutting blade  56 . 
     The shape of the fixed cutting blade and the movable cutting blade, and the position of the circular hole and the eccentric hole can be made with various kinds of design on the basis of the spirit of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 7 , the eccentric hole  661  of the movable cutting blade  66  is located on the left of the cutting hole  663  of the movable cutting blade  66 , and the circular hole (not shown) and the cutting hole (not shown) of the fixed cutting blade  64  are respectively communicated with the eccentric hole  661  and the cutting hole  663  of the movable cutting blade  66 ; and further, as shown in  FIG. 8 , the cutting hole  763  of the movable cutting blade  76  are located in the surrounding of the eccentric hole  761  of the movable cutting blade  76 , and the circular hole (not shown) and the cutting hole  743  of the fixed cutting blade  74  are respectively communicated with the eccentric hole  761  and the cutting hole  763  of the movable cutting blade  76 . 
     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.