Corner bracket

Abstract

A corner bracket for a window blind frame, the corner bracket including a central body portion and extending from the central body portion a first connector and a second connector, wherein the second connector is angled relative to the first connector; each connector includes a locating arm, a friction plate and a stop surface; wherein each friction plate defines a pair of opposed surfaces and each surface carries thereon a respective outwardly projecting deformable rib; and wherein each locating arm further includes at least one further outwardly projecting deformable rib.

Claims

1. A corner bracket for a window blind frame, the corner bracket including a central body portion and extending from the central body portion a first connector and a second connector, wherein the second connector is angled relative to the first connector; each of the first and second connectors include a locating arm, a friction plate and a stop surface; wherein each of the friction plates defines a pair of opposed surfaces and each of the opposed surfaces of each of the friction plates carries thereon a respective outwardly projecting deformable rib; and wherein each of the locating arms further includes a first outwardly projecting deformable rib carried by a first surface of the respective locating arm and a second outwardly projecting deformable rib carried by a second surface of the respective locating arm; and wherein each of the friction plates is spaced from the respective locating arm to define a gap between the friction plate and the respective locating arm.

2. The corner bracket according to claim 1, wherein the angle between the first connector and the second connector is from 10 to 170.

3. The corner bracket according to claim 1, wherein each of the stop surfaces includes a locating tab, wherein the locating tab is parallel to the respective friction plate and spaced therefrom.

4. The corner bracket according to claim 1, wherein the outwardly projecting deformable ribs extend substantially perpendicularly from the plane of the respective surfaces.

5. The corner bracket according to claim 1, wherein the outwardly projecting deformable ribs include a tapered portion at their leading edge.

6. The corner bracket according to claim 1, wherein the first surface defines a plane that is perpendicular to a plane defined by the second surface.

7. A window blind frame comprising a first and a second angled frame member each having adjacent ends which are joined together by a corner bracket, wherein the corner bracket includes a central body portion and extending from the central body portion a first connector and a second connector, wherein the second connector is angled relative to the first connector; each of the first and second connectors include a locating arm, a friction plate and a stop surface; wherein each of the friction plates defines a pair of opposed surfaces and each of the opposed surfaces carries thereon a respective outwardly projecting deformable rib; wherein each of the locating arms includes a first outwardly projecting deformable rib carried by a first surface; and wherein each of the friction plates is spaced from the respective locating arm to define a gap between the friction plate and the locating arm; and wherein each of the frame members includes a body portion which defines a first channel and a second channel; the friction plate of each of the corner bracket connectors forms a friction fit within the first channel via the deformation of the outwardly projecting ribs of the respective friction plate; and the locating arm of each of the corner bracket connectors is located within the respective second channels defined by each of the frame members.

8. The window blind frame according to claim 7, wherein each of the locating arms of the corner bracket includes a second outwardly projecting deformable rib, and the locating arms form a friction fit within the respective second channels of the pair of frame members via the deformation of the first and second outwardly projecting ribs within the second channel.

9. The window blind frame according to claim 7, wherein the frame includes a third frame member and an additional corner bracket, wherein adjacent ends of the frame members are joined together by respective ones of the corner brackets.

10. The window blind frame according to claim 7, wherein the frame comprises a third and a fourth frame member and additional corner brackets having a rectangular arrangement, wherein adjacent ends of the frame members are joined together by respective ones of the corner brackets.

11. A combination of a window blind and the window blind frame according to claim 7, wherein the window blind is secured to the window blind frame.

12. The combination according to claim 11, wherein the window blind is a roller blind, a vertical blind, a Venetian blind, a Roman blind, a cellular blind or a pleated blind.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

(2) FIGS. 1a, 1b and 1c are views from different angles of a corner bracket according to a first embodiment of the invention;

(3) FIG. 2a shows a combination of a corner bracket according to the first embodiment of the invention and a frame member;

(4) FIG. 2b shows the corner bracket of FIG. 2a inserted into the frame member;

(5) FIG. 3 shows a window blind frame in accordance with the second aspect of the invention; and

(6) FIG. 4 shows a window blind in accordance with the third aspect of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(7) For the avoidance of doubt, the skilled person will appreciate that in this specification, the terms up, down, front, rear, upper, lower, width, etc. refer to the orientation of the components as found in the example when installed for normal use as shown in the Figures.

(8) FIGS. 1a, 1b and 1c show a corner bracket 2 for a window blind frame. The corner bracket 2 comprises a central body portion 4 and extending perpendicularly from the central body portion 4 a first connector 6 and a second connector 8. The corner bracket 2 is formed from an injection moulded polymeric material.

(9) Each of the connectors 6, 8 include a locating arm 10, a friction plate 12, a stop surface 14 and a locating tab 16. Each friction plate 12 defines an internal surface 18 and an external surface 20. The internal surface 18 carries a tapered deformable projecting rib 22, and the external surface 20 carries a tapered deformable projecting rib 24.

(10) As can be seen from FIGS. 1a and 1c, the locating arm 10 is spaced from the external surface 20 of each friction plate 12 such that a first gap is defined between them. Additionally, the locating tab 16 is spaced from the internal surface 18 of each friction plate 12 such that a second gap is defined between them.

(11) In addition to the tapered deformable projecting ribs 22, 24 provided on the friction plate 12, each of the locating arms 10 also carries two further tapered deformable projecting ribs 26, 28.

(12) As can be seen from FIGS. 1a and 1c, the further deformable projecting rib 26 faces the external projecting rib 24 and both the projecting ribs 24 and 26 are located within the first gap defined between the locating arm 10 and the external surface 20 of the friction plate 12.

(13) FIG. 2a shows a frame member 30 in the form of an elongate aluminium extrusion. The frame member 30 includes an internal wall 32, a channel defining portion 34 and an outer wall portion 36.

(14) The internal wall 32 is sized and configured for location within the second gap defined between the internal surface 18 of the friction plate 12 and the locating tab 16.

(15) A first longitudinal channel 38 is defined between the internal wall 32 and the channel defining portion 34.

(16) The channel defining portion 34 defines a second longitudinal channel 40 which is sized and configured to receive therein a respective locating arm 10 of the corner bracket 2.

(17) To assemble a frame 42 (shown in FIG. 3), a first frame member 30 is located adjacent to a respective corner bracket 2 such that the locating arm 10 is located at the entrance to the second longitudinal channel 40 defined by the channel defining portion 34. The locating arm 10 is then urged into the second longitudinal channel 40. As the locating arm 10 is urged into second longitudinal channel 40, the projecting ribs 26, 28 carried by the locating arm 10 engage respective side walls which define the second longitudinal channel 40 and are deformed.

(18) When the locating arm 10 is approximately 75% inserted into the second longitudinal channel 40, the friction plate 12 begins to enter the first longitudinal channel 38 defined between the internal wall 32 and the channel defining portion 34. The internal wall 32 engages the tapered deformable projecting rib 24 and the channel forming portion 34 engages the tapered deformable projecting rib 22.

(19) As the corner bracket 2 is urged further into the first frame member 30, the projecting ribs 26, 28 continue to deform as describe above and the projecting ribs 22, 24 begin to deform.

(20) When the stop surface 14 engages the end of the first frame element 30, both the locating arm 10 and the friction plate 12 are fully inserted into their respective channels 38, 40 and all of the deformable projecting ribs 22, 24, 26, 28 have been deformed such that a friction force is exerted between the corner bracket 2 and the first frame member 30 that is sufficient to retain the corner bracket 2 within the frame member 30. Thus, in the case of the embodiment described herein, the corner bracket 2 is coupled to the frame member 30 via the frictional forces exerted by the four deformed ribs 22, 24, 26, 28.

(21) The frame 42 is completed by repeating the above steps for each corner of the frame.

(22) FIG. 4 shows a window blind system 44 which comprises a completed frame 42 and secured thereto a pleated blind 46. The headrail (not shown) of the pleated blind 46 is secured to the top frame member 30 in any convenient way.

(23) The window blind system 44 can then be secured to a window in accordance with the clips and method described in EP1727958.