US5010940A — Swingable junction for a window covering

Claim 1

Independent Claim 142 words

A corner junction assembly for use in association with window coverings supported on two adjacent rails, said rails each having at least one movable window covering control means, said corner junction assembly comprising: upper and lower annular bearing ring means defining respective bearing openings; respective upper and lower annular bearing hub means rotationally engaged within respective bearing openings in said bearing ring means to permit relative rotation thereof about a common axis; respective locking rings formed integrally with respective said bearing hub means and making a rotatable captive pressure fit within respective said bearing ring means; rail engagement means connected to respective ones of said bearing ring means and said bearing hub means for engagement with adjacent ends of respective ones of said rails, and, means attached to said corner junction assembly for facilitating operation of said control means around said corner.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 142 words

A corner junction assembly for use in association with window coverings supported on two adjacent rails, said rails each having at least one movable window covering control means, said corner junction assembly comprising: upper and lower annular bearing ring means defining respective bearing openings; respective upper and lower annular bearing hub means rotationally engaged within respective bearing openings in said bearing ring means to permit relative rotation thereof about a common axis; respective locking rings formed integrally with respective said bearing hub means and making a rotatable captive pressure fit within respective said bearing ring means; rail engagement means connected to respective ones of said bearing ring means and said bearing hub means for engagement with adjacent ends of respective ones of said rails, and, means attached to said corner junction assembly for facilitating operation of said control means around said corner.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 30 words

A corner junction assembly as claimed in claim 1 and including an opening in one of said upper and lower bearing hub means, and, removable closure means closing said opening.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 25 words

A corner junction assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein said closure means comprises a locking ring making a captive snap fit within said opening.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 59 words

A corner junction assembly as claimed in claim 2 and wherein said lower bearing ring means is formed separately from said upper bearing ring means and is secured thereto for conjoint rotational movement therewith, and wherein said lower bearing hub means is formed separately from said upper bearing hub means and is secured thereto for conjoint rotational movement therewith.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 48 words

A corner junction assembly as claimed in claim 1 and including a downwardly dependent arcuate cup member formed integrally with said upper bearing hub means, and a bearing surface of corresponding shape, formed on said upper bearing ring means and guidingly engaging the exterior of said cup member.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 57 words

A corner junction assembly as claimed in claim 5 wherein said cup member is formed with a plurality of fracture lines parallel to one another at spaced intervals therearound, whereby portions of said cup member may be broken away during installation of said corner junction assembly with said rails to accommodate different angular positions of said rails.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 38 words

A corner junction assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said rail engagement means comprise block members formed on said bearing ring means and said bearing hub means, and adapted to fit into ends of adjacent said rails.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 38 words

A corner junction assembly as claimed in claim 1 and in which said control means comprises at least one length of control cord in each of said rails and at least one pulley for guiding said control cord.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 28 words

A corner junction assembly as claimed in claim 8 wherein said at least one pulley is located externally of said bearing ring means and said bearing hub means.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 39 words

A corner junction assembly as claimed in claim 1 for use with rails in which said control means are rotationally mounted and including movement transmission means adapted to transmit rotational movement between said control means of said two rails.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 31 words

A corner junction assembly as claimed in claim 10, in which said movement transmission means comprises a flexible coupling and which comprises at least one bearing means supporting said flexible coupling.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 58 words

A corner junction assembly as claimed in claim 11 and in which said flexible coupling is adapted to be connected to said control means for conjoint rotation therewith and in such a manner that axial movement of said flexible coupling relative to at least one said control means is possible to accommodate different angular positions of said rails.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 37 words

A corner junction assembly as claimed in claim 10 and in which said movement transmission means comprises interengaged gear means adapted to be secured to ends of said control means of said rails for conjoint rotation therewith.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 57 words

A corner junction assembly as claimed in claim 13 and in which said gear means are adapted to be secured to said ends of said control means for conjoint rotation therewith while permitting axial movement of said gears means relative to at least one of said movement transmission means to accommodate different angular positions of said rails.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 40 words

A corner junction assembly as claimed in claim 14 and in which each at least one said gear means comprises spring means adapted to maintain said gear means in engagement with each other over various angular positions of said rail.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 55 words

A corner junction assembly as claimed in claim 13 and in which said gear means are disposed for rotational movement through a rotational axial position of said corner junction assembly to eliminate the need for relative axial movement of said gear means and said control means during movement of said rails into different angular positions.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 94 words

A corner junction assembly as claimed in claim 10 wherein said rails support travellers and in each of which there are two said rotationally mounted control means, namely first control means for rotating the angular positions of the travellers and second traveller control means for moving the travellers along said rails and in which corner junction assembly there is a first said movement transmission means adapted to transmit rotational movement between said first traveller control means and a second said movement transmission means adapted to transmit rotational movement between said second traveller control means.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 32 words

A corner junction assembly as claimed in claim 17 and in which each of said first and second movement transmission means comprises a flexible coupling supported by a said respective bearing means.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 142 words

A corner junction assembly for use in association with window coverings supported on two adjacent rails, said rails each having first and second movable window covering control means, said corner junction assembly comprising; at least one annular bearing ring means; at least one annular bearing hub means rotationally engaged with said bearing ring means to permit relative rotation thereof; rail engagement means connected to respective ones of said bearing ring means and said bearing hub means for engagement with adjacent ends of respective ones of said rails, and first and second movement transmission means for facilitating operation of said control means around said corner, and in which one of said first and second movement transmission means comprises flexible coupling means supported by a bearing means and in which the other of said first and second movement transmission means comprises inter-engaged gear means.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 142 words

A corner junction assembly for use in association with window coverings supported on two adjacent rails, said rails each having first and second movable window covering control means, said corner junction assembly comprising; at least one annular bearing ring means; at least one annular bearing hub means rotationally engaged with said bearing ring means to permit relative rotation thereof; rail engagement means connected to respective ones of said bearing ring means and said bearing hub means for engagement with adjacent ends of respective ones of said rails, and first and second movement transmission means for facilitating operation of said control means around said corner, and in which one of said first and second movement transmission means comprises flexible coupling means supported by a bearing means and in which the other of said first and second movement transmission means comprises inter-engaged gear means.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 143 words

A corner junction assembly for use in association with two adjacent blind tracks, said tracks each being adapted to carry slat-carrying travellers and each having a rotatably mounted traveller control means, said corner junction assembly comprising: a first corner member; a second corner member pivotally connected to said first corner member to permit relative rotation thereof; track engagement means connected to respective ones of said first and second corner members for engagement with adjacent ends of respective ones of said tracks, and, rotatable transmission means adapted to be coupled to and to transmit rotational movement from a said traveller control means in one said blind track to said traveller control means in the other said blind track said transmission means including inter-engaged gear means adapted to be secured to ends of said traveller control means of said blind tracks for conjoint rotation therewith.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 143 words

A corner junction assembly for use in association with two adjacent blind tracks, said tracks each being adapted to carry slat-carrying travellers and each having a rotatably mounted traveller control means, said corner junction assembly comprising: a first corner member; a second corner member pivotally connected to said first corner member to permit relative rotation thereof; track engagement means connected to respective ones of said first and second corner members for engagement with adjacent ends of respective ones of said tracks, and, rotatable transmission means adapted to be coupled to and to transmit rotational movement from a said traveller control means in one said blind track to said traveller control means in the other said blind track said transmission means including inter-engaged gear means adapted to be secured to ends of said traveller control means of said blind tracks for conjoint rotation therewith.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 30 words

A corner junction assembly as claimed in claim 20, in which said movement transmission means comprises a flexible coupling and which comprises at least one bearing supporting said flexible coupling.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 92 words

A corner junction assembly as claimed in claim 21 for use in association with two adjacent said blind tracks, each comprising first and second rotationally mounted traveller control means, said first traveller control means being provided for moving said travellers along said blind tracks and said second traveller control means being provided for rotating said travellers relative to said blind tracks and which corner junction assembly comprises first and second said flexible couplings adapted to be coupled to and to transmit rotational movement between said first and second traveller control means respectively.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 58 words

A corner junction assembly as claimed in claim 21 and in which said flexible coupling is adapted to be connected to said traveller control means for conjoint rotation therewith but in such a manner that axial movement of said flexible coupling relative to said traveller control means is possible to accommodate different angular positions of said blind tracks.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 58 words

A corner junction assembly as claimed in claim 20 and in which said gear means are adapted to be secured to said ends of said traveller control means for conjoint rotation therewith while permitting axial movement of said gears means relative to at least one of said traveller control means to accommodate different angular positions of said tracks.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 52 words

A corner junction assembly as claimed in claim 20 and in which said gear means are disposed for rotational movement through a rotational axial position of said corner junction assembly to eliminate the need for relative axial movement of said gear means during movement of said blind tracks into different angular positions.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 143 words

A window covering assembly adapted to be installed around at least one corner and comprising: at least two lengths of rail meeting at said corner adapted to support window coverings; at least one control means in each said length of track for controlling said window coverings; and a corner junction assembly at said corner, said corner junction assembly in turn comprising: at least one bearing ring means; at least one bearing hub means making a captive frictional fit with said bearing ring means to permit relative rotation thereof; engagement means connected to respective ones of said bearing ring means and said bearing hub means and engaging adjacent ends of respective ones of said lengths of rail at said corner, and, inter-engaged gear means for transmitting movement of at least one of said control means from one said length of rail to the other.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 143 words

A window covering assembly adapted to be installed around at least one corner and comprising: at least two lengths of rail meeting at said corner adapted to support window coverings; at least one control means in each said length of track for controlling said window coverings; and a corner junction assembly at said corner, said corner junction assembly in turn comprising: at least one bearing ring means; at least one bearing hub means making a captive frictional fit with said bearing ring means to permit relative rotation thereof; engagement means connected to respective ones of said bearing ring means and said bearing hub means and engaging adjacent ends of respective ones of said lengths of rail at said corner, and, inter-engaged gear means for transmitting movement of at least one of said control means from one said length of rail to the other.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 35 words

A window covering assembly as claimed in claim 26 wherein said window covering assembly is a vertical blind assembly having travellers moving in said rails, and including first and second control means for said travellers.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 66 words

A blind apparatus as claimed in claim 27 wherein said first traveller control means comprises a control cord movable along said tracks to move said slats therealong and in which said first movement transmission means comprises a length of said control cord integrally formed therewith and extending through said corner junction assembly and at least one pulley in said corner junction assembly guiding said control cord.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 54 words

A blind apparatus as claimed in claim 27 wherein at least one of said first and second traveller control means comprises control rods rotatably mounted in said lengths of track and in which a respective one of said first and second movement transmission means is adapted to transmit rotational movement between said control rods.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 43 words

A blind apparatus as claimed in claim 29 and in which said respective one of said first and second movement transmission means comprises a flexible coupling and in which said corner junction assembly comprises at least one bearing means supporting said flexible coupling.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 61 words

A blind apparatus as claimed in claim 30, in which both said first and second traveller control means comprise control rods rotatably mounted in each said length of blind track, in which both said first and second movement transmission means comprise flexible couplings and in which said corner junction assembly comprises at least one bearing supporting a respective said flexible coupling.

Claim 36

Dependent Claim 64 words

A blind apparatus as claimed in claim 31 and in which at least one of said flexible couplings is connected to respective ones of said first and second control rods for conjoint rotation therewith but in such a manner that axial movement of said flexible coupling relative to said control rods is possible to accommodate different angular positions of said lengths of blind track.

Claim 37

Dependent Claim 37 words

A blind apparatus as claimed in claim 29 and in which said respective one of said first and second movement transmission means comprises interengaged gear means secured to ends of said control rods for conjoint rotation therewith.

Claim 38

Dependent Claim 55 words

A blind apparatus as claimed in claim 33 and in which said gear means are secured to said ends of said control rods for conjoint rotation therewith while permitting axial movement of said gear means relative to at least one of said control rods to permit different angular positions of said lengths of blind track.

Claim 39

Dependent Claim 53 words

A blind apparatus as claimed in claim 33 and in which said gear means are disposed for rotational movement through a rotational axial position of said corner junction assembly to eliminate the need for relative axial movement of said gear means during movement of said lengths of blind track into different angular positions.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1994-04-29	1994-10-29	1995-04-30	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1998-04-29	1998-10-29	1999-04-30	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2002-04-29	2002-10-29	2003-04-30	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Swingable junction for a window covering

Abstract

Inventors

Bibliographic Details

Claims Analysis

References Cited (Backward Citations)

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Assigned Categories & Tags

Assign Category Tag