US2573326A - Venetian blind - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 30, 1951 s, usco 2,573,326

VENETIAN BLIND Filed Dec. 11, 1948 .IV/A

Patented Oct. 30, 1951 VENETIAN BLIND Mario S. Fusco, Chicago, Ill.,; assignor to David Kayman, Barnett Kayman, and Joseph Kayman, Chicago, Ill.

Application December 11, 1948, Serial No. 64,761

3 Claims. (01; 160-1 73) This invention relates to Venetian blinds, and among other objects aims to provide a Venetian blind in which the louver boards or slats may be easily removed for cleaning.

Another object of the invention is to provide a construction wherein the slats, although easily removable, will not become accidentally displaced.

The nature of the invention and other objects and advantages thereof will be readily understood by reference to one illustrative construction embodying the invention and shown in the accompanying drawing.

In said drawing:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of an illustrative Venetian blind partly broken away to facilitate illustration on a larger scale;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view on an enlarged scale of. a series of slats illustrating the manner of retaining the lift cord against accidental displacement;

Fig. 3 is a similar perspective view illustrating the slats tilted to the maximum degree;

Sig. 4 is a plan view of an illustrative slat; an

Fig. 5 is a detail showing the manner of connecting a lift cord to the bottom board.

This application is a continuation in part of my application Serial No. 14,840, now abandoned.

The louver boards or slats of Venetian blinds are more exposed to dirt and the soiling action of wind, rain and sun than most elements of a building structure. Moreover they are often light in color (for light reflecting purposes) and soiling is'therefore very conspicuous. Cleaning of the slats is difiicult and ineffective unless they can be easily moved and replaced. The illustrative Venetian blind makes such removal and replacement easy without impairing or requiring alteration of, the conventional Venetian blind accessories. Although the slats may be easily removed and replaced, accidental displacement is nevertheless prevented.

The general details of one illustrative Venetian blind are disclosed in my said copending application and will be set forth herein only to the extent they concern the present improvement. Other details may be regarded as conventional.

A typical Venetian blind comprises a series of slats l0 supported in spaced relation by so-called ladder tapes It (generally two). The latter are supported from above by a tilting bar I2 by means of which the entire series of slats may be simultaneously angularly adjusted or tilted to the desired position. Any appropriate mechanism for tilting bar l2 may be employed. One such mechanism isillustrated in my said copendmg application. Such mechanism may be conveniently operated by tiltin cords [3. A pair of lifting cords [4 connected to a bottom board l5 serve to raise and lower the blind. Any appropriate means for connecting the. cords to the bottom board may be used. In the: present instant the ends of the cords: pass thru holes. in the boards and have clipped thereto split metal ferrules l6 whose teeth I! bite'into the cord enclosed on itand Whose head [8 is enlarged so that it will not pull thru: the hole. The cords preferably pass over pulleys and together thru releasable latchmeans which: hold the cords in adjusted position. The ladder tapes are also fastened at their lower ends. to the bottom board and thereby give. the ladder the. same tilt. as the slats;

The. lift cords pass thru the slats; and therefore serve to hold them against lateral displacement. Instead of slotting the slats intermediate their ends for the lift cords I4, open slots l9 are formed in the respective ends of the slats in the illustrative Venetian blind. The slots are elongated transversely of the slat for purposes presently described. The elevator or lift cords thus lie in effect at the ends of the slats, holding them against accidental longitudinal displacement or shifting, and, lying as they do in the slots l9, are prevented thereby from lateral displacement relative to the slats. The cords however are free to be pulled out of the slots and aside to permit any slat to be pulled out of its position in the blind and thereby easily cleaned or dusted. The slots l9 are curved or circular at the ends and advantageously elongated transversely of the slat so as not to bind the cords when the slats are steeply inclined or closed as illustrated in Fig. 3. Each slat should preferably be long enough so that its horizontal projection when the slat is given its maximum tilt, is substantially greater than the diameter of the cord. The slots should also be correspondingly wider than the cord diameter to eliminate any danger of binding the cord. The cords, being free even when the slats are given their maximum tilt, may be operated to raise and lower the blind without binding in the slots.

The openings 20 in the slots 19 are advantageously offset laterally from the position or axis of the cord in the slot so that an imperforate portion 2| of the outer margin of the slat lies opposite the cord to hold the latter in the slot and prevent longitudinal displacement of the slat or cord. Preferably the slots in the opposite ends of a given slat are formed with their offset openings 2! adjacent the same side edge of the slat so that by reversal of alternate slats in the blind, the openings may be staggered as in Fig. 2. This arrangement prevents escape of the cord from the slot merely by displacing the cord from'its central axis. If it be displaced to escape from an opening 20 of one slat it is restrained by the imperforate margins 2| of the adjacent slats. However removal of a given slat is not thereby made less easy since manual removal of the cord from one slot at a time is just as easy as though the opening were centrally located. Moreover replacement of the slats after they have been dusted or washed is just as simple. 7 V

The slats may advantageously be formed from a strip of thin enameled or otherwise decorated sheet metal transversely curved to stiffen them. The individual slats may be formed by transversely severing the strip into the required lengths by a shearing die which simultaneously punches the slots 19 and openings 20 in the ends of the slats as they are severed. Y

Obviously the invention is not limited to the details of the illustrative constructions since these may be variously modified. Moreover it is not indispensable that all features of the invention be used conjointly since various features may be used to advantage in different combinations and. subcombinations.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. An individually replaceable slat for a Venetian blind, said slat having an elongated slot disposed adjacent its end and extending transversely of the longitudinal axis of the slat and being wide and long enough to accommodate an elevator cord for free movement therein when the slat is in a tilted position in a blind, the end edge of the slat having an entrance opening extending longitudinally of the slat and intersecting the slot adjacent an end thereof, said entrance opening having its side edges lying in planes spaced from and to one side of the lo tudinal medial axis of the slat and extending longitudinally of the slat and perpendicular to the transverse axis of the slat.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said slat consists of a relatively thin strip of sheet material.

3. A Venetian blind comprising a plurality of vertically spaced elongated louver slats each having a transverse slot adjacent an end thereof, opposite elevator cords for raising and lowering the blind andhaving a vertical run disposed in said slots, said slots being wide and long enough to provide ample clearance for said vertical run in all positions of adjustment of said slats, said slats having in said one end thereof longitudinallyextending entrance openings communicating with said slots, said openings being of sufficient width to pass the vertical reaches longitudinally of the slats and into said slots, said openings having their side edges offset from and spaced laterally from and on the same side of the longitudinal medial line of the slats, the

' transverse openings at the adjacent ends of adjacent slats being disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal medial lines.

MARIO S. FUSCO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 691,603 Coveney Jan. 21, 1902 2,428,909 Elliott Oct. 14, 1947 2,493,186 Delgaudio Jan. 3, 1950 2,495,973 Jones Jan. 31, 1950

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