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. 17, 2000
Filed:
Sep. 24, 1999
Konrad Welfonder, Bremerhaven, DE;
Abstract
A locking device (38) for locking a hollow longitudinally extending tubular roller (12) of a shade (16) of an architectural covering (1) releasably in any unwound position of the shade. The locking device (38) includes a center shaft (28) concentrically arranged within the roller and a return spring (32), capable of being operatively interposed between the roller (12) and the center shaft (28), for biasing the roller (12) towards a fully wound position of the shade (16). It also includes a disc (42) rotatably mounted on the center shaft (28) radially adjacent a first portion (12A) of the length of a circumferential inner surface of the roller (12) and a plurality of detent projections (82, 86) integrally formed on a second portion (12B) of the length of the inner surface of the roller (12). A cam member (44) is mounted on the center shaft (28), so as to be able to carry out sliding movement transversely, preferably laterally, of the center shaft (28), between two end positions. The cam member (44) has a lateral cam projection (70, 90) for engaging the detent projections (82, 86). A friction arrangement (47, 48, 49) is provided between the disc (42) and the roller (12), for yieldingly engaging the disc (42) to rotate with the roller (12) in either of two opposite rotational directions. The friction arrangement includes a cylindrical cavity (47) housing a coaxially-extending compression spring (48) and a ball (49), radially outwardly of the compression spring; the ball being biased against, and frictionally engaging, the first portion (12A) of the inner surface of the roller (12). The disc (42) has a face (51) that confronts the cam member (44) and is provided with a guide track (52) forming a closed loop in the face of the disc and the cam member (44) is provided with a pawl (74) engaged in the guide track (52) to move the cam member (44) between the two end positions in response to changes in rotational direction of the roller.