Progressive resistance lifting mechanism for a window covering

• US 7,331,370 B1
• Filed: 08/03/2004
• Issued: 02/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Shades Unlimited, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Shades Unlimited, Inc.
• Inventors: Lathrop, Robert L. III, Dendulk, Bruce R., Militello, David R., Shevick, Barry L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson; Blair M.
• Application Number:
  US10/911,313
• Time in Patent Office: 1,295 Days
• Field of Search: 160/170, 160/171, 160/168.1 P, 160/168.1 R, 160/298, 160/299, 242/378.4, 242/373, 242/381.6, 242/381, 242/375.3, 185/39, 185/45, 188/268, 188/271
• US Class Current: 160/170
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/3222 Cordless, i.e. user interface without cords
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/322 Details of operating devices, e.g. pulleys, brakes, spring drums, drives operating devices E06B9/68 ; devices of general interest specially adapted or mounted for storing and repeatedly paying-out and re-storing lengths of material B65H75/34

Abstract

A lifting mechanism is provided for a window covering which allows a bottom rail of the window covering to maintain a static position unless raised or lowered by a user. The lifting mechanism is included within either a top or bottom rail of the window covering. The lifting mechanism includes cords which pass from a rail including the lifting mechanism to a rail not including the lifting mechanism and about cord redirectors located within the rail including the lifting mechanism. The lifting mechanism includes spools and associated springs for gathering excess portions of the cord thereon. A progressive resister is coupled to the spools with the progressive resister providing different amounts of resistance to spool rotation depending on the amount of cord upon each spool.

Claims

1. A window covering assembly capable of maintaining a selected position without requiring manipulation of cords, buttons or other locking mechanisms, the window covering assembly comprising in combination:

a window covering;

a top rail at an upper end of said window covering, said top rail adapted to be attached to a casing adjacent a window;

a bottom rail at a lower end of said window covering;

a cord;

a cord collector, said cord collector coupled to one of said rails;

said cord extending between said cord collector and one of said rails spaced from said cord collector;

a biaser coupled to said cord collector, said biaser adapted to bias said cord collector toward having more cord collected with said cord collector;

a progressive resister coupled to said cord collector;

said progressive resister adapted to provide greater resistance to motion of said bottom rail and cord collection by said cord collector when said bottom rail is in a first lower position than when said bottom rail is in a second higher position above said first lower position; and

said cord collector adapted to rotate, said progressive resister including a threaded shaft coupled to said cord collector and adapted to rotate with said cord collector, said progressive resister including a key with a threaded hole adapted to ride along said threaded shaft, said key adapted to add resistance to cord collector rotation when said cord collector rotates to a position with less cord collected thereon.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said assembly includes at least two cords and at least two cord collectors, each of said cords coupled to a separate one of said at least two cord collectors, said progressive resister coupled to at least one of said at least two cord collectors.

3. The assembly of claim 2 wherein said assembly includes at least two progressive resisters, at least two of said cord collectors having at least one progressive resister coupled thereto.

4. The assembly of claim 2 wherein said at least two cord collectors are coupled together such that they collect and release said at least two cords in similar amounts, such that said bottom rail remains parallel with said top rail.

5. The assembly of claim 4 wherein each of said at least two cord collectors include spools adapted to rotate and collect said cords thereon, each of said at least two cord collectors geared together such that said at least two cord collectors always rotate similar amounts.

6. The assembly of claim 5 wherein said progressive resister is geared to each of said at least two cord collectors.

7. The assembly of claim 6 wherein said assembly includes at least two biasers with each of said at least two biasers coupled to one of said at least two cord collectors.

8. The assembly of claim 7 wherein each of said at least two biasers includes a helical spring having a first fixed end and a second end coupled to at least one of said spools, such that rotation of said spools causes deformation of said helical springs and causes said springs to bias said spools toward collection of said cords thereon.

9. The assembly of claim 8 wherein each said helical spring is coupled to a common post with one of said spools, with said common post located concentrically through said spring and said spool.

10. The assembly of claim 9 wherein at least one auxiliary spring is coupled to at lest one of said spools through an auxiliary spring gear geared to said spools and said progressive resister, said at least one auxiliary spring having a fixed end which remains stationary and a second end coupled to an auxiliary spring shaft coupled to said auxiliary spring gear and rotating with said auxiliary spring gear, said auxiliary spring adding additional forces to said spools tending to collect said cords upon said spools.

11. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said window covering includes a shade.

12. The assembly of claim 11 wherein said shade is a pleated single layer of material.

13. The assembly of claim 11 wherein said shade is in the form of pleated cellular material.

14. The assembly of claim 11 wherein said shade includes at least one continuous layer of at least partially opaque material extending between said top rail and said bottom rail.

15. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said window covering includes a blind having a plurality of separate parallel slats joined together by at least one tether, said tether adapted to maintain a spacing between said parallel slats.

16. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said at least one cord collector is located adjacent said top rail, with said cord extending to said bottom rail and affixed to said bottom rail.

17. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said cord collector is located adjacent said bottom rail, said cord extending to said top rail and affixed to said top rail.

18. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said cord collector includes a spool, said spool adapted to collect said cord thereon when said spool rotates.

19. The assembly of claim 18 wherein each of said at least two biasers includes a helical spring having a first fixed end and a second end coupled to at least one of said spools, such that rotation of said spools causes deformation of said helical springs and causes said springs to bias said spools toward collection of said cords thereon.

20. The assembly of claim 19 wherein each said helical spring is coupled to a common post with one of said spools, with said common post located concentrically through said spring and said spool.

21. The assembly of claim 20 wherein said spool is coupled to a spool gear, said progressive resister coupled to a resistance gear, said spool gear and said resistance gear meshed together such that rotation of said spool gear requires rotation of said resistance gear, and rotation of said resistance gear requires rotation of said spool gear.

22. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said cord collector includes a spool coupled to a spool gear, wherein said progressive resister is coupled to a resistance gear, said resistance gear and said spool gear meshed together, said key compressing a spring against a plate abutting said resistance gear with a progressively greater force when said spool progressively rotates to release progressively more of said cord from said spool.

23. The assembly of claim 1 wherein a cord redirector is coupled to said rail having said cord collector adjacent thereto, said cord redirector adapted to redirect said cord from a first direction parallel with said rail adjacent said cord collector to an orientation substantially perpendicular to said rail adjacent said cord collector.

24. The assembly of claim 23 wherein said assembly includes a cord tensioner spaced from said cord collector and abutting said cord with sufficient friction between said tensioner and said cord to maintain said cord in tension between said tensioner and said cord collector.

25. The assembly of claim 24 wherein said cord redirector includes a pulley, said pulley rotatably supported by said rail adjacent said cord collector.

26. A movable light occluding structure for a window, the structure comprising in combination:

a window covering;

a top rail at an upper end of said window covering, said top rail adapted to be attached to a casing adjacent a window;

a bottom rail at a lower end of said window covering;

a cord;

a cord collector, said cord collector coupled to one of said rails;

said cord extending between said cord collector and one of said rails spaced from said cord collector;

a biaser coupled to said cord collector, said biaser adapted to bias said cord collector toward having more cord collected with said cord collector;

a progressive resister coupled to said cord collector;

said progressive resister adapted to provide progressively greater resistance to motion by said cord collector when a progressively greater amount of cord is off of said cord collector;

wherein said cord collector is adapted to rotate, said progressive resister adapted to provide resistance to rotation of said cord collector; and

wherein said progressive resister includes a brake which exerts progressively greater braking force when progressively greater amounts of cord are off of said cord collector.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said progressive resister is adapted to provide a common amount of resistance to motion of said cord collector in both a cord collecting direction and a cord release direction.

28. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said cord collector includes a spool with at least a portion of said cord wrapped around said spool.

29. A movable light occluding structure for a window, the structure comprising in combination:

a window covering;

a top rail at an upper end of said window covering, said top rail adapted to be attached to a casing adjacent a window;

a bottom rail at a lower end of said window covering;

a cord;

a cord collector, said cord collector coupled to one of said rails;

said cord extending between said cord collector and one of said rails spaced from said cord collector;

a biaser coupled to said cord collector, said biaser adapted to bias said cord collector toward having more cord collected with said cord collector;

a progressive resister coupled to said cord collector;

said progressive resister adapted to provide progressively greater resistance to motion by said cord collector when a progressively greater amount of cord is off of said cord collector; and

wherein said progressive resister includes a brake which exerts progressively greater braking force when progressively greater amounts of cord are off of said spool.

30. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein said brake of said progressive resister acts directly upon said spool.

31. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein said spool includes a spool gear coupled thereto, and wherein said progressive resister includes a resistance gear thereon, said resistance gear and said spool gear meshed together such that rotation of said spool gear requires rotation of said resistance gear and rotation of said resistance gear requires rotation of said spool gear, and wherein said brake acts upon said resistance gear.

32. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said progressive resister includes a threaded shaft coupled to said resistance gear, a bottom plate abutting said resistance gear with said threaded shaft passing through said bottom plate, a top plate spaced further from said resistance gear than said bottom plate, said top plate coupled to said threaded shaft, said top plate adapted to move toward said bottom plate when said threaded shaft rotates in a direction corresponding with removal of said cord off of said spool coupled to said spool gear and meshed with said resistance gear coupled to said threaded shaft, and a spring interposed between said top plate and said bottom plate, such that movement of said top plate toward said bottom plate compresses said spring and exerts a progressively greater force upon said bottom plate pushing said bottom plate against said resistance gear.

33. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein said top plate includes a key coupled thereto, said key including a threaded hole with a pitch matching a pitch of threads on said threaded shaft, said top plate including arms thereon adapted to prevent said top plate from rotating, such that when said threaded shaft rotates, said key and said top plate resist rotation and are translated along said threaded shaft and translated relative to said bottom plate and said resistance gear.

34. A window covering assembly, comprising in combination:

a window covering;

a top rail at an upper end of said window covering, said top rail adapted to be attached to a casing adjacent a window;

a bottom rail at a lower end of said window covering;

a cord;

a cord collector, said cord collector coupled to one of said rails;

said cord extending between said cord collector and one of said rails spaced from said cord collector;

a spring coupled to said cord collector, said spring adapted to bias said cord collector toward having more cord collected with said cord collector;

a progressive resister coupled to said cord collector;

said progressive resister adapted to provide more resistance to motion by said cord collector when a lesser amount of cord is collected by said cord collector than when a greater amount of cord is collected by said cord collector; and

a cord tensioner adjacent said cord, said cord tensioner adapted to maintain tension of said cord adjacent said cord collector.

35. The assembly of claim 34 wherein a cord redirector is coupled to said rail having said cord collector adjacent thereto, said cord redirector adapted to redirect said cord from a first direction parallel with said rail adjacent said cord collector to an orientation substantially perpendicular to said rail adjacent said cord collector.

36. The assembly of claim 35 wherein said cord collector is coupled to said top rail, said progressive resister is located adjacent said top rail, said spring is located adjacent said top rail, said cord redirector is located adjacent said top rail, and said cord extends down to and is affixed to said bottom rail.

37. The assembly of claim 35 wherein said cord collector is coupled to said bottom rail, said progressive resister is located adjacent said bottom rail, said spring is located adjacent said bottom rail, said cord redirector is located adjacent said bottom rail, and said cord extends up from said bottom rail to said top rail where said cord is affixed to said top rail.

38. The assembly of claim 37 wherein said cord redirector includes a pulley with said cord routed around said pulley, said cord extending horizontally parallel with said bottom rail between said cord collector and said pulley and substantially vertically perpendicular to said bottom rail on a side of said pulley opposite said cord collector.

39. A window covering assembly, comprising in combination:

a window covering;

a top rail at an upper end of said window covering, said top rail adapted to be attached to a casing adjacent a window;

a bottom rail at a lower end of said window covering;

a cord;

a cord collector, said cord collector coupled to one of said rails;

said cord extending between said cord collector and one of said rails spaced from said cord collector;

a spring coupled to said cord collector, said spring adapted to bias said cord collector toward having more cord collected with said cord collector;

a progressive resister coupled to said cord collector;

said progressive resister adapted to provide more resistance to motion by said cord collector when a lesser amount of cord is collected by said cord collector than when a greater amount of cord is collected by said cord collector; and

wherein a cord tensioner is located adjacent a pulley, said cord tensioner adapted to maintain tension of said cord between said pulley and said cord collector.

40. The assembly of claim 39 wherein said cord tensioner includes a resilient finger adapted to press against said cord as said cord rounds said pulley.

41. A window covering apparatus, comprising in combination:

a window covering;

a top rail at an upper end of said window covering, said top rail including means to attach said top rail to a casing adjacent the window;

a bottom rail at a lower end of said window covering;

a cord;

a means to collect cord coupled to one of said rails;

said cord extending between said cord collecting means and one of said rails spaced from said cord collecting means;

a means to bias said cord collecting means toward having more cord collected with said cord collecting means;

a progressive resister coupled to said cord collecting means;

said progressive resister including means to provide progressively greater resistance to motion by said cord collecting means when a progressively greater amount of said cord is off of said cord collecting means; and

said means to provide progressively greater resistance includes a brake adapted to exert a progressively greater braking force at least indirectly upon said collecting means to resist further collection of cord a progressively greater amount as progressively more cord is off of said cord collecting means.

42. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein said cord collecting means includes a spool having at least a portion of said cord wrapped around said spool, said spool adapted to rotate relative to said rail adjacent said cord collecting means.

43. The apparatus of claim 42 wherein said means to bias said cord collecting means includes a spring coupled to said spool.

44. A window covering apparatus comprising in combination:

a window covering;

a top rail at an upper end of said window covering, said top rail including means to attach said top rail to a casing adjacent the window;

a bottom rail at a lower end of said window covering;

a cord;

a means to collect cord coupled to one of said rails;

said cord extending between said cord collecting means and one of said rails spaced from said cord collecting means;

a means to bias said cord collecting means toward having more cord collected with said cord collecting means;

a progressive resister coupled to said cord collecting means;

said progressive resister including means to provide progressively greater resistance to motion by said cord collecting means when a progressively greater amount of said cord is off of said cord collecting means; and

wherein said means to provide progressively greater resistance includes a brake which exerts progressively greater braking force at least indirectly upon said spool to resist further rotation of said spool a progressively greater amount as progressively more of said cord is off of said spool.