Patent Abstract:
A control device of a cordless blinds assembly includes a bottom box and a rod unit which is received in the bottom box. The rod unit is cooperated with the operation unit in the bottom box. The operation unit is cooperated with a pawl which is engaged with or disengaged from a gear of the coil spring plate seat so as to control the operation of the blinds assembly without using any operation cord.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Fields of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a cordless blinds assembly, and more particularly, to a control device located in the bottom box to control the cordless blinds assembly. 
         [0003]    2. Descriptions of Related Art 
         [0004]    The conventional window blinds assemblies are developed to include several different styles such as Roman shades, blinds assemblies and curtains assemblies. The control and operation of these window blinds assemblies are catalogued into cordless operation devices and cord-operational devices. The control device is received in the top box and connected to the operation cords which hang downward and located on two sides of the blinds. However, the operation cords may be wrapped around limbs of children playing the operation cords. 
         [0005]    The present invention intends to provide a control device of a cordless blinds assembly and the control device is received in the bottom box of the blinds assembly to eliminate the shortcomings mentioned above. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention relates to a cordless blinds assembly and comprises a top box, a bottom box and multiple slats connected between the top box and the bottom box. Multiple cords are connected to the top box and extend through the slats and extend through the cord holes in the top of the bottom box. The bottom box has two fixed plates located therein and located close to two ends of the bottom box. Each of the two fixed plates has a connection tube through which a rectangular hole is defined. The two cord holes are respectively defined through the top of the bottom box and located close to the two ends of the bottom box. Two outlets are defined through the top of the bottom box and located between the two cord holes. 
         [0007]    A control device includes a rod unit having an operation unit, multiple scrolling belt units and multiple transmission rods, wherein the operation unit has a first case, a second case, a button, an engaging member and a coil spring plate seat. The first case has a first room defined therein which communicates with an opening at the inside of the first case. A first side hole is defined through the outside wall of the first case. A first pivotal hole is defined in the end face of the top wall of the first case. An engaging plate is located in the first room. 
         [0008]    The second case has a second room defined therein which communicates with an opening at the inside and a portion of the top of the second case. A second side hole is defined through the outside wall of the second case. A second pivotal hole is defined through the outside wall of wall of the second case. A stud extends from the top of the front wall of the second room. A resilient member is mounted to the stub. The button has a protrusion extending from the underside thereof. 
         [0009]    The engaging member has a contact plate extending from the front thereof, and a pawl is connected to the rear side of the engaging member. Two pivots respectively extend from two sides of the engaging member. 
         [0010]    The coil spring plate seat has a central rod which is connected between two restriction plates. A coil spring plate is wrapped around the central rod between the two restriction plates. Each of the two restriction plates has an axial tube extending from the outside thereof. Each axial tube has a rectangular hole defined in the end face thereof. A gear is connected to one of the restriction plates and located between the restriction plate and the axial tube corresponding to the restriction plate. The two axial tubes of the coil spring plate seat are pivotably connected to the first and second side holes. One end of the coil spring plate is engaged with the engaging plate in the first room of the first case. The two pivots of the engaging member are pivotably connected to the first and second pivotal holes. The underside of the contact plate of the engaging member contacts the resilient member on the stub of the second case, and the pawl of the engaging member is engaged with the gear of the coil spring plate seat. The first and second cases are connected to each other at the two respective insides thereof. 
         [0011]    The scrolling belt units each have a housing, a cover and a belt wheel, wherein the housing has a first through hole defined in the outside wall thereof. A belt slot is defined in the rear side wall thereof. The cover has a second through hole defined centrally therethrough. A scrolling belt is scrolled to the belt wheel which has a tube extending from each of the two ends thereof. Each of the tubes of the belt wheel has a rectangular hole defined in the end face thereof. The two tubes of the belt wheel respectively extend through the first and second through holes. One end of the scrolling belt extends through the belt slot. The cover is connected to the housing. 
         [0012]    Each of the transmission rods has two ends which respectively inserted into the rectangular hole of the coil spring plate seat and the rectangular hole of the scrolling belt unit corresponding thereto. Each of the transmission rods extends through the rectangular hole of the connection tube of the fixed plate corresponding thereto. The cords extend through the cord holes and are connected to the transmission rods. The scrolling belts extend through the outlets and are connected to the top box. 
         [0013]    By pushing the button to disengage the pawl of the engaging member from the gear of the coil spring plate seat. When releasing the button, the resilient member pushes the contact plate of the engaging member, and the pawl of the engaging member is engaged with the gear of the coil spring plate seat. The coil spring plate seat of the operation unit drives the transmission rods and the belt wheels of the scrolling belt units by the force created from the coil spring plate so that the blinds assembly is lifted/lowered and positioned. There will be no operation cords needed. 
         [0014]    The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view to show the blinds assembly with the control device of the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view to show the rod unit of the control device of the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is an exploded view to show the rod unit of the control device of the present invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is an exploded view to show the operation unit of the rod unit of the control device of the present invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is an exploded view to show the scrolling belt unit of the rod unit of the control device of the present invention; 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is a side view to show the blinds assembly with the control device of the present invention; 
           [0021]      FIG. 7  shows that the pawl of the engaging member is engaged with the gear of the coil spring belt seat of the control device of the present invention; 
           [0022]      FIG. 8  shows that the pawl of the engaging member is disengaged from the gear of the coil spring belt seat of the control device of the present invention by pushing the button; 
           [0023]      FIG. 9  shows a partial cross sectional view of the control device of the present invention by pushing the button, and 
           [0024]      FIG. 10  is a cross sectional view to show the connection of the contact plate of the engaging member and the button of the control device of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0025]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 7 , the cordless blinds assembly  10  of the present invention comprises a top box  11 , a bottom box  20  and multiple slats  13  connected between the top box  11  and the bottom box  20 . Multiple cords  12  are connected to the top box  11  and extend through the slats  13  and extend through cord holes  22  defined through the top of the bottom box  20 . 
         [0026]    The bottom box  20  is located next to the lowest slat  13  and has two fixed plates  21  located therein and located close to two ends of the bottom box  20 . Each of the two fixed plates  21  has a connection tube  210  through which a rectangular hole  211  is defined. The two cord holes  22  are respectively defined through the top of the bottom box  20  and located close to the two ends of the bottom box  20 . The cords  12  extend through the cord holes  22  and are connected to the transmission rods  33  which will be described later. Two outlets  23  are defined through the top of the bottom box  20  and located between the two cord holes  22 . 
         [0027]    A control device includes a rod unit  30  which has an operation unit  31 , multiple scrolling belt units  32  and multiple transmission rods  33  as mentioned above. In this embodiment, the operation unit  31  is located between the two scrolling belt units  32 , and two transmission rods  33  are respectively connected between the operation unit  31  and the two scrolling belt units  32 . 
         [0028]    The operation unit  31  has a first case  310 , a second case  311 , a button  312 , an engaging member  313  and a coil spring plate seat  314 . The first case  310  has a first room  310 A defined therein which communicates with an opening at the inside of the first case  310 . A first side hole  310 B is defined through the outside wall of the first case  310 , and a first pivotal hole  310 C is defined in the end face of the top wall of the first case  310 . An engaging plate  310 D is located in the first room  310 . The first case  310  of the operation unit  31  has multiple first fixing holes  310 E defined along sides of the inside thereof. 
         [0029]    The second case  311  has a second room  311 A defined therein which communicates with an opening  311 D at the inside and a portion of the top of the second case  311 . A second side hole  311 B is defined through the outside wall of the second case  311 . A second pivotal hole  311 B is defined through the outside wall of wall of the second case  311 . A stud  311 E extends from the top of the front wall of the second room  311 A. A resilient member  311 F is mounted to the stub  311 E. The button  312  has a protrusion  312 A extending from the underside thereof and the protrusion  312 A has an engaging slot as shown in  FIG. 10 . The second case  311  has multiple second fixing holes  311 G defined along sides of the inside thereof. Multiple bolts  311 H extend through the second fixing holes  311 G and are fixed to the first fixing holes  310 E. 
         [0030]    The engaging member  313  has a contact plate  313 A extending from the front thereof, and a pawl  313 B is connected to the rear side of the engaging member  313 . The contact plate  313 A is engaged with the engaging slot of the protrusion  312 A as shown in  FIG. 10 . Two pivots  313 C respectively extend from two sides of the engaging member  313 . 
         [0031]    The coil spring plate seat  314  has a central rod  314 A which is connected between two restriction plates  314 B. A coil spring plate  314  is wrapped around the central rod  314 A between the two restriction plates  314 B. Each of the two restriction plates  314 B has an axial tube  314 D extending from the outside thereof. Each axial tube  314 D has an rectangular hole  314 E defined in the end face thereof. A gear  314  is connected to one of the restriction plates  314 B and located between the restriction plate  314 B and the axial tube  314 D corresponding to the restriction plate  314 B. The two axial tubes  314 D of the coil spring plate seat  314  are pivotably connected to the first and second side holes  310 B,  311 B. One end of the coil spring plate  314 C is engaged with the engaging plate  310 D in the first room  311 A of the first case  311 . The two pivots  313 C of the engaging member  313  are pivotably connected to the first and second pivotal holes  310 C,  311 C. The underside of the contact plate  313 A of the engaging member  313  contacts the resilient member  311 F on the stub  311 E of the second case  311 , and the pawl  313 B of the engaging member  313  is engaged with the gear  314 H of the coil spring plate seat  314 . The first and second cases  310 ,  311  are connected to each other at the two respective insides thereof. 
         [0032]    The scrolling belt units  32  each have a housing  320 , a cover  321  and a belt wheel  322 , wherein the housing  320  has a first through hole  320 A defined in the outside wall thereof. A belt slot  320 B is defined in the rear side wall thereof. The cover  321  has a second through hole  321 A defined centrally therethrough. A scrolling belt  322 A is scrolled to the belt wheel  322  which has a tube  322 B extending from each of the two ends thereof. Each of the tubes  322 B of the belt wheel  322  has a rectangular hole  322 C defined in the end face thereof. The two tubes of the belt wheel  322  respectively extend through the first and second through holes  320 A,  321 A. One end of the scrolling belt  322 A extends through the belt slot  320 B and the slots  120  of the slats  13  and is connected to the top box  11 . The housing  320  has multiple connection holes  320 C defined along sides of the inside thereof, and the cover  321  has multiple holes  321 B. Multiple bolts  321 C extend through the holes  321 B of the cover  321  and are connected to the connection holes  320 C of the housing  320 , such that the cover  321  is connected to the housing  320 . 
         [0033]    Each of the transmission rods  33  has two ends which respectively are inserted into the rectangular hole  314 E of the coil spring plate seat  314  and the rectangular hole  322 C of the scrolling belt unit  32  corresponding thereto. Each of the transmission rods  33  extends through the rectangular hole  211  of the connection tube  210  of the fixed plate  21  corresponding thereto. The cords  12  extend through the cord holes  22  and are connected to the transmission rods  33 . The scrolling belts  322 A extend through the outlets  23  and are connected to the top box  11 . Each of the two axial tubes  314 D of the coil spring plate seat  314  has a radial hole  314 F which communicates with the rectangular hole  314 E of the axial tube  314 D corresponding thereto. A bolt  314 G as shown in  FIG. 3  extends through each of the radial hole  314 F. Each of the transmission rods  33  has a passage  33 A defined therethrough in one end thereof which is inserted into the rectangular hole  314 E of the axial tube  314 D of the coil spring plate seat  314 . The bolt  314 G extending through the radial hole  314 F is connected to the passage  33 A. 
         [0034]    As shown in  FIGS. 7 to 10 , when in operation, the user pushes the button  312  to disengage the pawl  313 B of the engaging member  313  from the gear  314 H of the coil spring plate seat  314 . When releasing the button  312 , the resilient member  311 F pushes the contact plate  313 A of the engaging member  313 , and the pawl  313 B of the engaging member  313  is engaged with the gear  314 H of the coil spring plate seat  314 . The coil spring plate seat  314  of the operation unit  31  drives the transmission rods  33  and the belt wheels  322  of the scrolling belt units  32  by the force created from the coil spring plate  314 C so that the blinds assembly is lifted/lowered and positioned. There will be no operation cords needed. 
         [0035]    While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 4