BLIND BODY ACTUATOR FOR NON-CORD WINDOW BLIND ASSEMBLY

Abstract

A blind body actuator used in a cordless window blind assembly is provided to include a casing, a winding mechanism, two guide units and two lift cords. The winding mechanism includes two winding wheels and a volute spring connected to the winding wheels. Each of the winding wheels is meshed with one respective lift-cord wheel so that the lift-cord wheels can be driven by the winding mechanism to rotate synchronously. The guide units are respectively disposed adjacent to one respective lift-cord wheel, each including a first cylinder roller. Each of the lift cords is wound around the first cylinder roller of one respective guide unit, having one end thereof connected to one respective lift-cord wheel and an opposite end thereof extended out of the casing.

Claims

1. A blind body actuator for a cordless window blind assembly, comprising: a casing; a winding mechanism comprising two winding wheels and a volute spring, said two winding wheels being rotatably mounted in said casing and meshed with each other, said volute spring being connected to said two winding wheels and capable of wound around one of said winding wheels; two lift-cord wheels being rotatably mounted in said casing and respectively meshed one respective said winding wheel; two guide units being mounted in said casing and respectively disposed adjacent to said lift-cord wheels, each of said guide units comprising a first cylinder roller rotatably mounted in said casing, each of said first cylinder rollers, said winding wheels, and said lift-cord wheels having an axle respectively, and said axles of said first cylinder rollers, said winding wheels, and said lift-cord wheels being parallel to each other; and two lift cords respectively wound around said first cylinder rollers of said guide units respectively, each of said lift cords having one end thereof connected to one respective said lift-cord wheel so that each said lift cord is capable of being wound around or unwound around the respective said lift-cord wheel by the rotation of the respective said lift-cord wheels, each of said lift cords having an opposite end thereof extended out of said casing.

2. The blind body actuator as claimed in claim 1, wherein said casing defines a first peripheral side; said first cylinder roller of each said guide unit is disposed adjacent to said first peripheral side of said casing; each of said lift cords is wound around said first cylinder roller of the respective said guide unit through one turn.

3. The blind body actuator as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said guide units further comprises a second cylinder roller rotatably mounted in said casing; said first cylinder roller and said second cylinder roller of each of the guide units are respectively disposed adjacent to two opposite peripheral sides of said casing; each of said lift cords is wound around said first cylinder roller of the respective said guide unit through a half turn and then wound around said second cylinder roller of the respective said guide unit through a half turn.

4. The blind body actuator as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said guide units further comprises a second cylinder roller and a third cylinder roller respectively and rotatably mounted in said casing adjacent to one peripheral side of said casing in a parallel manner; said first cylinder roller is disposed adjacent to an opposing peripheral side of said casing; each of said lift cords is wound around said first cylinder roller of the respective said guide unit through a half turn, and then wound around said second cylinder roller of the respective said guide unit through a half turn, and then wound around said third cylinder roller of the respective said guide unit through one turn.

5. The blind body actuator as claimed in claim 1, wherein said casing comprises two opposite sides, an opening defined in each of said two opposite sides, and a cross bar disposed in each of said openings in such a manner that a center of each said cross bar coincides with a center of the corresponding said opening; each of said lift cords is extended out of said casing through one respective said opening and peripherally abutted against said center of said corresponding cross bar.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] FIG. 1 is an oblique top elevational view of a blind body actuator in accordance with the present invention.

[0011] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the blind body actuator in accordance with the present invention.

[0012] FIG. 3 is a schematic partial top view of the present invention, illustrating the lift cord wound around the first and second cylinder rollers.

[0013] FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 3, illustrating the lift cord wound around the first cylinder roller.

[0014] FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 3, illustrating the lift cord wound around the first, second and third cylinder rollers.

[0015] FIG. 6 is a schematic applied view of the present invention, illustrating that the slats are in an extended status.

[0016] FIG. 7 is similar to FIG. 6, illustrating that the slats are in a received status.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a blind body actuator 10 in accordance with the present invention is shown. The blind body actuator 10 comprises a casing 20, a winding mechanism 30, two lift-cord wheels 40, two guide units 50, and two lift cords 60.

[0018] The casing 20 is mounted inside a headrail 12 and the casing 20 comprises a bottom panel 21, a top panel 22 covering the bottom panel 21, an opening 23 defined between the bottom panel 21 and the top panel 22 in each of two lateral sides thereof and a cross bar 24 located in each opening 23 and fixedly connected between the bottom panel 21 and the top panel 22 in such a manner that a center of the cross bar 24 coincides with a center of the respective opening 23.

[0019] The winding mechanism 30 comprises two winding wheels 32, and a volute spring 34. The two winding wheels 32 are rotatably mounted inside the casing 20 by a respective first wheel axle 36 and meshed with each other. The volute spring 34 has two opposite ends thereof respectively connected to the two winding wheels 32. Subject to relative rotation between the two winding wheels 32, the volute spring 34 is wound around one of the winding wheels 32.

[0020] The lift-cord wheels 40 are rotatably mounted inside the casing 20 by a respective second wheel axle 42 and respectively meshed with one respective winding wheel 32 so that each of the lift-cord wheels 40 is rotatable with the meshed winding wheel 32 synchronously.

[0021] The guide units 50 are mounted inside the casing 20 and respectively disposed adjacent to the lift-cord wheels 40. Each of the guide units 50 comprises a first cylinder roller 51, a second cylinder roller 52 and a third cylinder roller 53. The first cylinder roller 51 is rotatably mounted in the casing 20 and adjacent to one peripheral side, namely, a front side of the casing 20 by a first roller axle 54. The second cylinder roller 52 is rotatably mounted in the casing 20 and adjacent to an opposing peripheral side, namely, a rear side of the casing 20 by a second roller axle 55. The third cylinder roller 53 is rotatably mounted in the casing 20 and adjacent to the rear side of the casing 20 by a third roller axle 56 and kept spacedly arranged to the second cylinder roller 52. Further, the axles 36,42,54,55,56 are parallel to each other. The first cylinder roller 51, the second cylinder roller 52 and the third cylinder roller 53 are made of plastic material.

[0022] The two lift cords 60 have respective one ends thereof respectively fixedly connected to the respective lift-cord wheels 40 so that the two lift cords 60 can be wound by the respective lift-cord wheels 40 or unwound around the respective lift-cord wheels 40 by the rotation of the respective lift-cord wheels 40. Further, the two lift cords 60 can be selectively extended through the respective guide units 50 by different winding methods according to the size of the window blind. In the application example shown in FIG. 3, each lift cord 60 is wound around the first cylinder roller 51 of the associating guide unit 50 through one turn and then extended out of the casing 20 through the adjacent opening 23, and then connected to a bottom rail 14. In the application example shown in FIG. 5, the blind body actuator 10 is used in a large size window blind where each lift cord 60 is wound around the first cylinder roller 51 of the associating guide unit 50 through a half turn, and then wound around the second cylinder roller 52 of the associating guide unit 50 through a half turn, and then wound around the third cylinder roller 53 of the associating guide unit 50 through one turn, and then extended out of the casing 20 through the adjacent opening 23 for connection to the bottom rail of the window blind. In any of the aforesaid various winding methods, the lift cords 60 will be abutted against the center of the respective cross bars 24 of the casing 20 when extended out of the respective openings 23, enhancing actuation stability.

[0023] When extending out the blind body 16 that is connected between the headrail 12 and the bottom rail 14, pull the bottom rail 14 downward to gradually extend out the lift cords 60. The lift-cord wheels 40 are accordingly rotated and cause the rotation of the meshed winding wheels 32. At this time, the volute spring 34 is unwound from one winding wheel 32 relative to the other winding wheel 32 to store elastic force. After the blind body 16 is fully extended out, release the pulling force to the bottom rail 14. At this time, the gravity weight of the bottom rail 14 and the stored elastic force of the volute spring 34 are maintained in static balance, and thus, the blind body 16 is held in the extended status.

[0024] When receiving the blind body 16, push the bottom rail 14 upward to loosen the lift cords 60. At this time, the elastic force of the volute spring 34 works with the user's manual power to cause the winding wheels 32 to rotate reversely and synchronously. During the reverse rotation of the winding wheels 32, the lift-cord wheels 40 are rotated by the respective winding wheels 32 to wind around the respective lift cords 60. Once the blind body 16 is fully received, the user releases the pushing force to the bottom rail 14. At this time, the gravity weight of the bottom rail 14 and the elastic force of the volute spring 34 are maintained in static balance again, and thus, the blind body 16 is held in the received status.

[0025] Either in the process of extending out the blind body 16 or receiving the blind body 16, the first, second and/or third cylinder rollers 51,52,53 of the guide units 50 can be driven to rotate by the respective lift cords 60 by means of the friction force generated therebetween, enhancing the stability and smoothness of the movement of the lift cords 60, and thus, the overall operation process can achieve optimal actuation effects.