Curved vertical blind with slat traversing and rotation

Abstract

A curved vertical blind comprising a generally horizontal longitudinally curved guide track and a normally straight resiliently bendable operating rod rotatably supported on the track. Slat support carriages are provided and which have a first carriage part guidably mounted on the curved guide track for movement therealong and a second carriage part guidably mounted on the first part for movement relative thereto in a direction crosswise of the guide track. The second carriage part guideably engages the blind operating rod for shifting thereby relative to the first carriage part crosswise of the guide track to accommodate changes in the spacing between the operating rod and the guide track. Slat carriers are rotatably supported on the second carriage part for turning about generally upright axis, and a drive means is provided on the second carriage part for drivingly connecting the blind operating rod to the slat carriers for rotating the latter in response to turning of the operating rod. The mechanism for rotatably supporting the blind operating rod includes thrust means engaging opposite ends of the rod for applying end thrust to maintain the rod in a resiliently bowed position, and one of the thrust applying means is adjustable to adjust the bow in the rod to a curve approximating the longitudinal curve of the carriage track.