Levolor, Inc.

Newell Operating Company

Alan R Sternquist

Robert N King

Douglas J Warner

The present invention provides a roller shade with a variable load brake and, in a modification thereof with a lift assist. The load brake includes a compressible spring surrounding a threaded rod, the spring acting against a traveling nut mounted on the rod. The compressive friction of the traveling nut against the threads of the threaded rod continually varies during raising and lowering of the shade to provide the variable load braking capability. The lift assist uses at least one torsion spring, also associated with a shaft and coupled between a nonrotating flange and a nipple rotationally anchored to the shaft. The torsion spring system is increasingly loaded when the shade is lowered.

Shade with variable load braking and lift assist

A pair or more of three-piece brackets (20) are provided for mounting the longitudinal edges of a window blind headrail (11). Each bracket includes a frame (21) with apertures (22) for mounting to a window frame top or ceiling (15). The frame (20) includes spaced depending apertured tabs (24, 25) through which a slidable tongue (30) is positioned. The distal ends (41) of an arrow spring (40) are confined by tangs (31) on tongue (30) and the other spring end (42) abuts and is confined by a notch (39) in tab (25). A top front lip (12) of the headrail (11) is tilted and positioned on the tongue (30) and then pushed inwardly to move the tongue (30) and compress spring (40) which allows the top rear lip (14) of the headrail (11) to rotate and clear a lip portion (25b) of tab (25) to a position within the lip portion (25b). Release of the pushing force releases the spring energy, forcing the tongue (30) back so that the headrail (11) is clamped between tongue (30) and tab (25). Bifurcated ramped legs (32) on one end of the tongue (30) prevent disassembly of the bracket.

Window blind low profile mounting bracket

A tilt wand (40)-to-tilt shaft (30) detachable connection in a venetian blind (10) having a series of tiltable slats (14) depending from a blind headrail (11) is provided by a U-shaped stiff wire or link (20). In one embodiment the distal free ends (22) of the U-shaped link (20) are ramp (25) snap-connected into bores (32) or a transverse through-aperture in the tilt shaft (30) which transmits wand torque through gearing (18, 19) to a blind ladder-tilting drum (17) in the headrail. The other bight end (21) of the link extends through a wand tip eye (41). Upon axial downward stress on the wand the ramped distal ends (22) of the link (20) will pull out of the bores (32) permitting disengagement of the link (20) and wand (40) from the tilt shaft (30) before any damage can be done to the gearing. In another embodiment distal end (52) of a link (50) is fixed in the tilt shaft (30) and a bight portion (53) of the link engaged to and disengageable from an open semi-eye (61) on the wand tip. In a third embodiment a cap (70) is fixedly attached to the link bight (53) and a wand tip (71) inserted in a cap bore (77) therein. A series of transverse and axial ribs and grooves in the cap bore and on the tip prevent relative rotation and transmit torque and provide a disengageable snap connection.

Growing community of inventors

Pleasanton, CA, United States of America

Alan R Sternquist