Dual cord operating system for an architectural covering
AssigneeHunter Douglas Inc.
InventorsDavid B. McNeill, Ronald Holt, Stephen T. Wisecup, David Lynch, Christopher R. Mueller
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A covering for an architectural opening has a dual cord operating system. The covering may include a head rail, blind panels depending from the head rail, and an operating system. The operating system may include a housing connected to the head rail, a first drive assembly rotatably mounted within the housing and operable to move the blind panels between an extended configuration and a retracted configuration, and a second drive assembly rotatably mounted within the housing and operable to move the blind panels between a closed configuration and an open configuration.
Claims35
A covering for an architectural structure or feature, said covering comprising:
- a head rail;
- a covering material depending from said head rail;
- and
- an operating system comprising:
- a first drive assembly operable to move said covering material between an extended configuration and a retracted configuration, said first drive assembly including a first pulley and a second pulley coupled to and driven by said first pulley;
- and
- a second drive assembly including an operating wand having a longitudinal axis, said operating wand operable to move said covering material between a closed configuration and an open configuration;
- wherein:
- said first drive assembly comprises a cord loop including a first segment and a second segment, said first segment of said cord loop, said second segment of said cord loop, and said wand are all aligned with one another with said first segment of said cord loop positioned on a first side of said longitudinal axis of said operating wand and said second segment of said cord loop is positioned on a second, opposite side of said longitudinal axis of said operating wand;
- and
- said first pulley including a longitudinal axis of rotation, said longitudinal axis of rotation of said first pulley is angled relative to a longitudinal axis of said operating wand.
A covering for an architectural structure or feature, said covering comprising:
- a first drive assembly including a first cord loop and a second cord loop, said first drive assembly operable to move said covering between an extended configuration and a retracted configuration;
- a second drive assembly including an operating wand including a longitudinal axis, said operating wand accessible by a user, said operating wand operable to move said covering between a closed configuration and an open configuration;
- and
- a transmission system coupling said first cord loop with said second cord loop, said transmission system including an axis of rotation, said axis of rotation of said transmission system is angled with respect to a plane of at least one of said first and second cord loops;
- wherein:
- said first cord loop extends from said transmission system and along said operating wand;
- said second cord loop extends from said transmission system and is operable to travel along a head rail;
- and
- a tension force on said second cord loop is decoupled by said transmission system from directly acting on the operating wand.
A covering for an architectural structure or feature, said covering comprising:
- a first drive assembly including a first cord loop and a second cord loop, said first drive assembly operable to move said covering between an extended configuration and a retracted configuration;
- a second drive assembly including an operating wand having a longitudinal axis, said operating wand accessible by a user, said operating wand operable to move said covering between a closed configuration and an open configuration;
- and
- a transmission system including:
- a first pulley;
- and
- a second pulley coupled to and driven by said first pulley;
- wherein:
- said first cord loop extends around said first pulley and away from said transmission system for access by a user along a length of said operating wand;
- said second cord loop extends around said second pulley and away from said transmission system;
- said first and second pulleys including an axis of rotation, said axis of rotation of said first and second pulleys lying in a plane that is angled with respect to said first and second cord loops.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.