Lift cord adjustment system
AssigneeNewell Operating Company
InventorRobert J. Voss
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for adjusting the length of lift cords used for raising and lowering a bottom rail of a window covering with respect to a head rail includes a receiving element for each lift cord located in the bottom rail and moveable along the length of the bottom rail. A locking element for each receiving element is arranged for being selectively inserted into the receiving element along the bottom rail. The lift cord is attached to one of the receiving element or the locking element. In its most preferred form, the window covering is a fabric window covering, such as a cellular window covering, the receiving element includes a channel which contains at least one cell of the fabric, and the locking element includes a wedge-shaped plate to be inserted into the channel.
Claims21
A lift cord adjustment system for a window covering comprising a head rail, a bottom rail, window covering material between the head rail and bottom rail and at least one lift cord extending from the bottom rail to the head rail adapted for raising and lowering the bottom rail with respect to the head rail, the system comprising the window covering and:
- a receiving element in the bottom rail for each lift cord, each receiving element being movable along the bottom rail;
- a locking element in the bottom rail for each receiving element including structure adapted to be moved from a position in which it is spaced from a receiving element to another position in which it engages an associated receiving element to prevent movement of that receiving element along the bottom rail;
- a lift cord attachment portion on one of the receiving element or the locking element for fixed attachment of an end of the lift cord;
- and
- the lift cord being attached to the portion.
A method for adjusting the length of a lift cord for a window covering of the type including a head rail, a bottom rail, window covering material between the head rail and bottom rail and at least one lift cord extending from the bottom rail to the head rail and adapted for raising and lowering the bottom rail with respect to the head rail, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) attaching an end of the at least one lift cord to one of a respective receiving element or locking element;
- (b) placing the receiving element for each lift cord at a desired location along the length of the bottom rail;
- (c) thereafter engaging the locking element with the respective receiving element to prevent movement of each receiving element along the length of the bottom rail.
In a lift cord attachment system for a window covering including a head rail, a hollow bottom rail, cellular window covering material between the head rail and the bottom rail, at least two spaced apart lift cords extending from the bottom rail to the top rail and adapted for raising and lowering the bottom rail with respect to the head rail, at least one cell of the material located within the bottom rail and a rigid elongate slat extending through a cell located within the bottom rail, the improvement comprising:
- receiving element for each lift cord surrounding the cell and slat within the bottom rail and being adapted for slidable movement along the length of the bottom rail;
- a wedge-shaped locking element for each lift cord adapted for being removably inserted into the receiving element to prevent movement of the receiving element along the length of the bottom rail;
- and
- each lift cord being attached to one of its associated receiving element or locking element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.