Patent Abstract:
A holder for suspending a vertical vane or the like in an architectural covering includes a male component connectible to the control system for the architectural covering and a female component connected to a vane of the architectural covering. The male and female components are releasably connected.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    This invention relates to a holder for a hollow vertical section of an architectural covering, such as a tubular flexible material for covering an architectural opening, like a window or door. This invention particularly relates to a holder for vertically arranged, hollow fabric louvers of a vertical venetian blind.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Relevant Art  
           [0004]    Vertical venetian blinds have generally been provided with a longitudinally-and horizontally-extending head rail, in which there have been several carriers that can be moved along the length of the head rail. Each carrier has typically supported a vertically-extending louver in such a manner that the consumer could move the blind&#39;s louvers along the length of the head rail and also could rotate the louvers about their vertical axes. For example, carriers have each included a drive hub of a gear wheel driven by a worm gear, and the drive hub has supported a depending louver holder that has been adapted to support securely the top portions of a louver while the carrier has been moving and turning the holder and the louver. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,267,875.  
           [0005]    Different types of louver holders have been provided in carriers for vertical blinds with solid louvers. For example, holders have held upper marginal portions of louvers: between their pairs of downwardly-extending pinching fingers (DE-Y 85 23 104, DE-A1 27 15 018 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,869,309); and also on hooks that are provided on their downwardly-extending fingers and that extend through apertures in the upper marginal portions of the louvers (U.S. Pat. No. 4,335,775).  
           [0006]    However, such louver holders have been unsatisfactory for use with hollow vertical louvers as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,442. This is because such holders have tended to squeeze together the upper marginal portions of hollow vertical louvers and, for this reason, have not maintained the tubular shape of the hollow louvers over their entire height. For this reason, the use of a hanger plate, adhesively bonded to one side of the interior of such a hollow vane has been proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,442, but this has not been an entirely satisfactory solution.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    In accordance with this invention, a holder is provided for suspending a hollow vertical section of an architectural covering, such as a hollow, fabric or plastic louver of a vertical venetian blind, from a carrier of a horizontally-extending head rail; the holder comprising:  
           [0008]    a vertically-extending, generally cylindrical, male part having an upper portion, connected to the carrier, and a lower portion; and  
           [0009]    a generally inverted U-shaped, female part having a horizontal top member with a pair of parallel, downwardly-extending legs on opposite sides and a downwardly-extending hole through it; the facing surfaces of the legs each having a first detent adjacent the bottom of the legs; the first detents extending towards each other and being adapted to be inserted through apertures in opposite sides of the hollow vertical section; and  
           [0010]    wherein the lower portion of the male part is inserted in, and force fit within, the hole of the female part.  
           [0011]    With this holder, the first detents of its female part securely hold the hollow vertical section by the apertures in the opposite sides thereof, and the male part of the holder securely holds the female part to a carrier of the head rail.  
           [0012]    Advantageously, the top member of the female part is generally rectangular and generally planar, and it is especially advantageous that the hole in the top member is rectangular.  
           [0013]    Also advantageously, the lower portion of the male part has:  
           [0014]    a radially-extending shoulder with a lower surface that extends circumferentially and horizontally around the top of the lower portion; and  
           [0015]    a pair of parallel planar vertical guide surfaces that are below the shoulder and or circumferentially opposite sides of the lower portion; each guide surface having, near its top, adjacent the shoulder and on circumferentially opposite sides of the lower portion, a radially-extending second detent; and upper surfaces of the second detents being horizontally coplanar.  
           [0016]    In this regard, it is especially advantageous that the guide surfaces, on circumferentially opposite sides of the lower portion of the male part, are a pair of ramp surfaces which extend downwardly from between the upper surfaces of the second detents to the bottom of the lower portion and which curve inwardly of the lower portion as the ramp surfaces extend downwardly; and wherein the bottom portions of the ramp surfaces are parallel vertical surfaces. It is particularly advantageous that the distance between the free ends of the first detents of the female part is no more than about the distance between the bottom portions of the ramp surfaces and the bottom portions contact the free ends of the first detents when the lower portion of the male part is force fit within the hole of the female part, so as to prevent an aperture of the hollow vertical section from slipping off a first detent.  
           [0017]    Further advantageously, the hole in the top member of the female part has:  
           [0018]    a width, measured between the legs, that is no less than the width, measured parallel to the guide surfaces, of a radially outer surface of the lower portion of the male part, below the lower surface of the shoulder; and  
           [0019]    a length, parallel to the legs, that is no more than the radial distance, measured transverse to the guide surfaces, between radially outer surfaces of the second detents.  
           [0020]    In this regard, it is particularly advantageous that the vertical thickness of the top member of the female part, about its hole, is no more than, advantageously approximately the same as, the vertical spacing between the lower surface of the shoulder and the upper surfaces of the first detents of the male part, whereby the lower portion of the male part can be urged downwardly into the hole in the top member, so that the top member is securely held, in the assembled holder, between the upper surfaces of the second detents and the lower surface of the shoulder.  
           [0021]    It is still further advantageous that each first detent has a generally cylindrical configuration with: i) its axis being normal to the leg, to which it is attached; a smooth outer surface; and ii) its outer diameter being less than, advantageously slightly less than, the diameter of one of the apertures, whereby the opposite sides of the hollow vertical section can slide easily apart on the pair of first detents after the first detents have been inserted in the apertures.  
           [0022]    It is yet further advantageous that the hollow vertical section of the architectural covering is a deformable, generally tubular vane, especially a vane having three-dimensional and torsional stability along its length, particularly a vane made of a fabric having diagonal dimensional stability.  
           [0023]    It is also advantageous that the apertures in the hollow vertical section are in opposite sides of an upper marginal portion of the hollow vertical section.  
           [0024]    In accordance with other aspects of the invention, a head rail for an architectural covering, such as a vertical blind, and an architectural covering are provided, comprising the holder, just described.  
       
    
    
       [0025]    Further aspects of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description below of a particular embodiment and the drawings thereof.  
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0026]    [0026]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vertical venetian blind with a head rail that supports a plurality of hollow vertical louvers by means of a plurality of holders of this invention;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a carrier of the head rail of FIG. 1, supporting a single louver with a two-part holder of the invention;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 3 is a perspective, partially exploded view of the carrier, holder and louver of FIG. 2 with the parts of the holder disengaged from each other and from the louver;  
         [0029]    FIG. it is a longitudinal end view of the carrier, holder and louver of FIG. 2 with portions of the louver and holder cut away to show how the holder is secured to the louver, so that the louver maintains its tubular shape; and  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 5 a lateral view of the carrier, holder and louver of FIG. 2, with portions of the louver and holder cut away to show how the holder is secured to the louver.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0031]    [0031]FIG. 1 shows a vertical blind  1  having a plurality of hollow vertically-extending louvers  3  suspended from its longitudinally-and horizontally-extending head rail  5 . The louvers  3 , are deformable, generally tubular, plastic or fabric vanes, preferably vanes such as are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,442. In this regard, each louver  3  preferably has three-dimensional and torsional stability along its length and is preferably made of a fabric having diagonal dimensional stability.  
         [0032]    In opposite lateral sides of the upper marginal portion  7  of each louver  3 , as shown in FIG. 2, is a pair of apertures  9  which can be reinforced in a conventional manner against tearing. In this regard, the apertures are preferably reinforced by a thin (e.g., 0.25 mm) strip (not shown) of plastic, such as polyvinyl chloride, adhesively attached to the interior of the upper marginal portion  7  of each louver  3 . As described in detail below, each louver  3  is securely suspended vertically from one of a plurality of conventional carriers, generally  11 , within the head rail  5 , by means of a vertically-extending two-part holder, generally  13 , of this invention. The holder  13  is attached to the carrier  11  and to the apertures  9  of the louver  3  as shown in FIGS.  2 - 5 .  
         [0033]    The head rail  5 , shown in FIG. 1, can be any conventional head rail for a vertical blind, such as the head rail generally described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,267,875. In this regard, the head rail  5  provides controlled longitudinal movement of the carriers  11  and the hollow vertical louvers  3  along the length of the head rail and controlled rotation of the louvers  3  about their vertical axes. One longitudinal side of the head rail is provided with a conventional pull cord  15  that is connected in a conventional manner to the carriers  11  for moving them longitudinally along the length of the head rail  5 . The one longitudinal side of the head rail  5  is also provided with a conventional bead chain  17  for rotating a conventional, longitudinally-extending drive shaft (not shown) of the head rail which can rotate a conventional worm gear and its worm (not shown) within each carrier  11  so as to rotate the holders  13  and the louvers  3 .  
         [0034]    As shown in FIGS.  2 - 5 , each carrier  11  in the head rail  5  carries a pair of rollers  19  on opposite lateral sides of its housing  21 , so that the carriers can roll on longitudinally-extending tracks (not shown) on laterally opposite sides of the interior of the head rail  5 , along its length, in response to movement of the pull cord  15 . The housing  21  of each carrier  11  has a pair of openings  23  on its longitudinally opposite sides, through which the drive shaft (not shown) of the head rail  5  passes to drivingly engage the worn gear (not shown) within the housing  21 , so that rotation of the drive shaft causes rotation of the worm gear and thereby rotation of a conventional drive gear (not shown) within the housing. A lower portion of the drive gear includes a hollow vertically-extending hub (not shown), into which an upper portion  25  of a vertically-extending, generally cylindrical, male part, generally  27 , of the two-part holder  13  of this invention can be inserted, so that the carrier  11  supports the holder  13 . The upper portion  25  of the male part  27  is a conventional upper part of a vane holder for a vertical blind as described, for example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,335,775.  
         [0035]    As also shown in FIGS.  2 - 5 , the holder  13  has a generally inverted U-shaped, female part, generally  29 , into which a vertically-extending, lower portion  31  of the male part  27  can be inserted to hold securely a louver  3 .  
         [0036]    The lower portion  31  of the male part  27  has a radially-extending shoulder  33  with a lower surface that extends circumferentially and horizontally around the top of the lower portion  31 . A pair of parallel planar vertical guide surfaces  35  are below the shoulder  33 , on circumferentially opposite sides of the lower portion  31  of the male part  27 . On each guide surface  35 , near its top, adjacent the shoulder  33  and on circumferentally opposite sides of the lower male part portion  31 , is a radially-extending first detent  37 , and upper surfaces of the first detents  37  are horizontally coplanar. Between the guide surfaces  35 , on circumferentially opposite sides of the lower male part portion  31 , are a pair of ramp surfaces  39  which curve inwardly of the lower male part portion as the ramp surfaces extend downwardly from between the upper surfaces of the first detents  37  towards the bottom of the lower male part portion  31 . Near their bottom, the ramp surfaces  39  become parallel vertical surfaces  41 .  
         [0037]    The female part  29  of the holder  13  has a generally rectangular, horizontal, generally planar, top member  43  and a pair of parallel, downwardly-extending legs  45  on opposite sides of the top member. The top member  43  has a downwardly-extending, preferably rectangular, hole  47  through it. The hole  47  has a width (measured between the legs  45 ) that is no less than, and preferably is greater than, the diameter (measured parallel to the guide surfaces  35 ) of the radially outer surface of the lower portion  31  of the male part  27 , below the lower surface of the shoulder  33 . The hole  47  also has a length that is about the same as, or slightly less than, the radial distance (measured transverse to the guide surfaces  35 ) between the radially outer surfaces of the first detents  37  on the male part. Furthermore, the vertical thickness of the top member  43 , about its hole  47 , is no more than, and is preferably approximately the same as, the vertical spacing between the lower surface of the shoulder  33  and the upper surfaces of the detents  37 . As a result, the lower portion  31  of the male part  27  can be urged downwardly into, and thereby force fit within, the hole  47  in the top member  43  of the female part  29 , so that the top member  43  of the female part is securely held, in the assembled holder  13  of this invention, between the upper surfaces of the first detents  37  and the lower surface of the shoulder  33  of the male part.  
         [0038]    The facing surfaces of the legs  45  of the female part  29  each have a second detent  49 , adjacent the bottom of the legs. The second detents  49  extend horizontally towards each other and are adapted to be inserted through the apertures  9  in one of the louvers  3 , into the louver&#39;s hollow interior, to hold the louver on the holder  13  and thereby on a carrier  11  and the head rail  5 . Preferably, each second detent  49  has a generally cylindrical configuration, with: i) its axis normal to the leg  45 , to which it is attached; ii) a smooth outer surface; and iii) its outer diameter less than, preferably only slightly less than, the diameter of one of the apertures  9 . Thereby, the opposite sides of the upper marginal portion  7  of each louver  3  can slide easily apart on the pair of second detents  49  of the female part  29  of each holder  13  after the second detents have been inserted in the apertures. In this regard, the distance between the facing free ends of the second detents  49  is sufficient to allow opposite sides of the upper marginal portion  7  of a louver  3 , with its pair of apertures  9 , to be pressed together, so that such opposite sides of the louver  3  can then be inserted between the free ends of the second detents until such free ends can pass freely through the apertures  9  into the hollow interior of the louver and such opposite sides of the louver  3  can then be released and allowed to return resiliently to their inherent, generally tubular configuration. However, the distance between the free ends of the second detents  49  is preferably no more than about the distance between the parallel vertical surfaces  41  at the bottom of the ramp surfaces  39  of the male part  27 . This allows the parallel vertical surfaces to pass downwardly between the free ends of the second detents  49  when the lower portion  31  of the male part  27  is urged downwardly into, and thereby force fit within, the hole  47  in the top member  43  of the female part  29 . As a result, the parallel vertical surfaces  41  will fill the space between the free ends of the second detents  49  to prevent one or both of the apertures  9  of a louver  3  from becoming accidentally disengaged from the second detents of the assembled holder  13 .  
         [0039]    The carriers  11  and holders  13  can be made of conventional (e.g., plastic) materials. However, it is essential that the plastic of the male part  27  and/or female part  29  of the holder  13  be sufficiently flexible and resilient, so that the lower portion  31  of the male part can be force fit within the hole  47  in the top member  43  of the female part to fold securely the top member between the first detents  37  and the shoulder  33  of the male part and thereby keep the two-part holder  13  together when, in use, it holds a depending louver  3 .  
         [0040]    The holder  13  can be used to hold securely a hollow louver  3  from a carrier  11  of the head rail  5  in a relatively simple manner. The upper marginal portion  7  of the louver  3  can be squeezed together (against the inherent resilience of the louver), so that its apertures  9  are brought together. The free ends of the second detents  49  of the female part  29  can then be inserted through the apertures  9 . Then, the upper marginal portion  7  of the louver  3  can be released, so that it elastically becomes generally tubular again and its apertures  9  can slide away from each other on the second detents  49 . The lower portion  31  of the male part  27  can then be pushed downwardly into the hole  47  of the top member  43  of the female part  29  to force fit the two parts together in the assembled holder  13 . As a result, the parallel vertical surfaces  41  of the male part  27  contact the free ends of the second detents  49  of the female part  29  and thereby prevent the apertures  9  of the louver  3  from slipping off the second detents of the female part.  
         [0041]    This invention is, of course, not limited to the above-described embodiments which may be modified without departing from the scope of the invention or sacrificing all of it, advantages. In this regard, the terms in the foregoing description and the following claims, such as “longitudinal”, “lateral”, “above”, “below”, “top”, “bottom”, “width”, “length”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “upwardly” and “downwardly”, have been used only as relative terms to describe the relationships of the various elements of the holder of the invention for a hollow vertical section of an architectural covering. For example, the continuous radially-extending shoulder  33  could be replaced by a plurality of segments of the shoulder, circumferentially spaced apart around the top of the lower portion  31  of the male part  27  of the holder  13 .

Technology Classification (CPC): 8