The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 04, 1994
Filed:
Jun. 25, 1993
Cletis F Swopes, Madison, WI (US);
Springs Window Fashions Division, Inc., Middleton, WI (US);
Abstract
A vertical blind apparatus of the type having a head-rail channel and a plurality of panel support carriages guidably mounted on carriage support flanges on the side walls of the channel, and a mechanism for releasably retaining the trail carriage at a selected location along the head-rail. The trail carriage retaining mechanism is formed of resilient synthetic resin material and includes an elongated base mounted on one side wall of the channel and an elongated latch member having forward and rear resilient end portions formed integrally with the base. The latch member has a forward ramp portion that diverges rearwardly from the forward end portion relative to one side wall of the channel; a rearwardly facing stop shoulder intermediate the ends of the latch member; and a finger pad portion rearwardly of the stop shoulder. The ramp portion is disposed in the path of movement of a part of the trail carriage and the forward resilient portion of the latch member is arranged to yield and allow the ramp portion to be deflected laterally when the trail carriage is moved in a rearward direction along the path. The rearwardly facing stop shoulder is engageable with the trail carriage to inhibit forward movement of the trail carriage and a finger pad is provided on the latch member and operative to deflect the rear resilient portion and allow the latch member to shift toward the side wall of the channel and disengage the stop shoulder.