Trunnion and bracket for rollers

#This invention relates to brackets for mounting axially rotatable tubes, and more particularly to brackets for mounting roller shades such as those used for covering windows. Brackets of this type are usually used in pairs, one of which must be capable of reacting torque and the other of which serves simply as a trunnion. Mounting of the roller to the first bracket is commonly achieved by axial movement to engage a projection, which is often an axial projection either on the bracket or the roller, with a mating feature on the other. Mounting to the trunnion bracket is then achieved by lowering the second, trunnion end of the roller, until a feature on that end of the roller engages a mating feature on the trunnion bracket. This invention relates to the second bracket regardless of whether it is the torque carrying or the idler bracket. The roller is normally retained in the brackets only by the force of gravity, the engaging feature on the roller at the trunnion end being so oriented that disengagement requires lifting the end of the roller. Frequently, each different mounting circumstance, e.g., trunnion end to the left, trunnion end to the right, mounting on a wall, mounting to the ceiling, ect., requires a bracket with a different configuration to provide the correct orientation of the engagement feature at the trunnion end of the roller relative to its bracket.

#The prior art includes bracket designs intended to reduce the number of different styles that are required to meet all mounting circumstances. One arrangement that has often been used to provide universality for left and right hand wall as well as ceiling installations is to have three different engagement features on the second bracket so that one feature will always be oriented correctly. This method has two disadvantages. The bracket must be larger in order to accommodate the three engagement features; this adds to its cost and is aesthetically undesirable. The second disadvantage, that the roller centerline does not coincide with the centerline of the bracket, requires that the second bracket be mounted at a different height than the first bracket, or that the first bracket have three corresponding features. Another prior art solution to the problem employs an additional part at the interface of the roller and the bracket which can be installed in several different ways to provide the required orientation of the engagement feature while maintaining the alignment of the bracket and roller. An additional piece is always disadvantageous because of both cost and additional difficulty in handling and installation.

#It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved trunnion-end bracket which can be used in left, right, wall or ceiling installations.

#Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

#FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the preferred embodiment of the roller, trunnion, and bracket;

#FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the system of FIG. 1;

#Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the preferred embodiment of the invention, trunnion 5 is rotatably mounted within housing 1, shoulder 9 being sized to turn freely within the inside diameter of housing 1. Snap in feature 11 permits trunnion 5 to be rotatably retained within housing 1 without the requirement of a fastener. The resulting trunnion end assembly is then inserted into roller 3 wherein it is retained by friction, shoulder 13 on housing 1 limiting the insertion depth of the assembly into roller 3. Lug 15 on trunnion 5 has two angled surfaces 17. When trunnion 5 engages bracket 7, angled surfaces 17 engage sides 21 of slot 19 on bracket 7, preferably without play between these two parts.

#FIG. 2 shows bracket 7 oriented as for mounting to a vertical surface with the trunnion end of the roller on the right hand end. For an installation with the trunnion end of the roller on the left hand side, the same bracket can be mounted with slot 23 facing upward to engage lug 15. For an installation in which the bracket is mounted to a ceiling, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, lug 15 will engage slot 31. FIG. 5 shows lug 15 positioned for lowering into slot 31 which is the slot used for ceiling mounts. FIG. 6 shows the same components after mounting is complete and the roller has been lowered into position. In all cases, the axis of symmetry of the bracket intersects the axis of symmetry of the roller. FIG. 3 shows dimension 25 between the bottom of lug 15 and center 27 of trunnion 5 which is preferably equal to or slightly greater than dimension 29 which can be seen in three places in FIG. 4.

#The bracket can be made with different numbers, arrangements, and orientations of slots to permit other desired combinations of mounting configurations. For mounting to surfaces at angles other than vertical or horizontal, the bracket would be appropriately configured so as to provide vertically opening slots for each of the desired mounting orientations.