Vertical blind apparatus
AssigneeGraber Industries, Inc.
InventorsScott I. Biba, Dean R. Sommerfeld
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vertical blind apparatus of the type having a plurality of panel support carriages mounted for movement along a track and a lazy-tong linkage extending lengthwise of the track and connected to the carriages to control spacing between adjacent carriages when the blind is extended along the track to a closed position. The maximum spacing between adjacent carriages is further controlled by rail engaging fingers on the outer pivots of the lazy-tong linkage, and a rail having lateral guide faces arranged to engage the fingers to limit movement of the outer pivots to a preselected minimum distance.
Claims8
A vertical blind apparatus including an elongated carriage guide track, a plurality of panel support carriages mounted on the track for movement in a path lengthwise of the track, lazy-tong linkage means extending lengthwise of said path and including a plurality of pairs of levers and center pivot means pivotally interconnecting the levers of each pair and pairs of outer pivot means pivotally interconnecting adjacent pairs of levers, means connecting the carriages to the lazy-tong linkage means, traverse means for moving a lead end of the lazy-tong linkage means along the path between a retracted blind open condition and an extended blind closed condition, the pairs of outer pivot means being spaced apart a first distance when the lazy-tong linkage means is in a retracted blind open condition, rail means extending parallel to said path, and finger means on said lazy-tong linkage means for engaging the rail means to limit movement of the pairs of outer pivot means toward each other to a preselected minimum distance less than said first distance when the lead end of the lazy-tong linkage means is moved toward the blind closed condition.
A vertical blind apparatus including an elongated carriage guide track, a plurality of panel support carriages mounted on the track for movement in a path lengthwise of the track, lazy-tong linkage means extending lengthwise of said path and including a plurality of pairs of levers and center pivot means pivotally interconnecting the levers of each pair and pairs of outer pivot means pivotally interconnecting adjacent pairs of levers, means connecting the carriages to selected ones of the center pivot means, traverse means for moving a lead end of the lazy-tong linkage means along the path between a retracted blind open condition and an extended blind closed condition, the pairs of outer pivot means being spaced apart a first distance when the lazy-tong linkage means is in a retracted blind open condition, pairs of finger means fixed to at least some of the pairs of outer pivot means, and rail means providing a pair of lateral guide faces extending lengthwise of said path intermediate the outer pivot means for engaging the finger means to limit movement of the pairs of outer pivot means toward each other to a preselected minimum distance less than said first distance, when the lead end of the lazy-tong linkage means is moved toward the blind closed condition.
A vertical blind apparatus including an elongated headrail channel having a top wall and depending side walls and means providing carriage guide tracks on the side walls, a plurality of panel support carriages mounted on the tracks for movement in a path lengthwise of the channel, lazy-tong linkage means extending lengthwise of said path above said carriages and below the top wall, the lazy-tong linkage means including a plurality of pairs of levers and center pivot means pivotally interconnecting the levers of each pair and pairs of outer pivot means pivotally interconnecting adjacent pairs of levers, means connecting the carriages to the lazy-tong linkage means at preselected ones of the center pivot means, traverse means for moving a lead end of the lazy-tong linkage means along the path between a retracted blind open condition and an extended blind closed condition, the pairs of outer pivot means being spaced apart a first distance when the lazy-tong linkage means is in a retracted blind open condition, rail means above the lazy-tong linkage means and below the top wall providing a pair of lateral guide faces extending parallel to said path intermediate the outer pivot means and spaced apart a distance less than said first distance, pairs of rail engaging fingers fixed to at least some of the pairs of outer pivot means for engaging the lateral guide faces on the rail means to limit movement of the outer pivot means toward each other to a preselected minimum distance less than said first distance when the lead end of the lazy-tong linkage means is moved toward the blind closed condition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.