Skew adjustment mechanism for a window covering

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10119329-B2
Application number	US-201615227056-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 3, 2016
Priority date	Aug 12, 2015
Publication date	Nov 6, 2018
Grant date	Nov 6, 2018

Abstract

A skew adjustment mechanism is used for adjusting the length of a lift cord on a window covering. The lift cord extends from a lift spool at a first end to an anchor drum at a second end. A cord wrap post is provided between the lift spool and the anchor drum so that the lift cord can be wrapped around the cord wrap post to provide friction between the lift cord and the cord wrap post when the lift cord is taut in order to reduce the amount of holding force that is needed to prevent the anchor drum from rotating.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A skew adjustment mechanism for adjusting a length of a lift cord in a window covering, said skew adjustment mechanism comprising:
a covering material;
a lift cord extending along said covering material, said lift cord being secured at a first end to a lift spool and at a second end to an anchor drum, said lift spool being mounted for accumulating said lift cord upon rotation of said lift spool to effect extension and retraction of said covering material;
an anchor drum housing which houses said anchor drum for selective rotation relative to said anchor drum housing; and
a cord wrap post that permits at least one wrap of said lift cord thereabout so as to provide friction between said cord wrap post and said lift cord in order to reduce the amount of holding force that is needed to prevent said anchor drum from rotating relative to said anchor drum housing when said lift cord is taut between said lift spool and said anchor drum housing.

2. The skew adjustment mechanism as recited in claim 1 , wherein said lift cord is wrapped around said cord wrap post.

3. The skew adjustment mechanism as recited in claim 1 , wherein:
said lift spool is configured to be mounted for rotation on a first rail; and
said anchor drum, said anchor drum housing, and said cord wrap post are configured to be mounted on a second rail.

4. The skew adjustment mechanism as recited in claim 1 , wherein said cord wrap post is positioned adjacent said anchor drum at a location between said anchor drum and said lift spool along a cord path of said lift cord extending between said first and second ends of said lift cord.

5. The skew adjustment mechanism as recited in claim 1 , wherein said cord wrap post is fixed on said anchor drum housing.

6. The skew adjustment mechanism as recited in claim 5 , wherein said anchor drum housing includes a cylindrical wall defining a cavity configured to receive said anchor drum, said cord wrap post extending outwardly from said anchor drum housing adjacent to said cylindrical wall.

7. The skew adjustment mechanism as recited in claim 1 , wherein said cord wrap post has a free end and an anchored end, said cord wrap post defining a retaining shoulder stop between said free end and said anchored end.

8. The skew adjustment mechanism as recited in claim 7 , wherein said cord is wrapped around said cord wrap post between said anchored end and said retaining shoulder stop.

9. The skew adjustment mechanism as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
a second lift cord extending along said covering material, said second lift cord being secured at a first end to a second lift spool and at a second end to a second anchor drum, said second lift spool being mounted for rotation with said lift spool for accumulating said second lift cord upon rotation of said second lift spool to effect extension and retraction of said covering material;
a second anchor drum housing which houses said second anchor drum for selective rotation relative to said second anchor drum housing; and
a second cord wrap post that permits at least one wrap of said second lift cord thereabout so as to provide friction between said second cord wrap post and said second lift cord in order to reduce the amount of holding force that is required to prevent said second anchor drum from rotating relative to said second anchor drum housing when said second lift cord is taut between said second lift spool and said second anchor drum housing.

10. The skew adjustment mechanism as recited in claim 9 ,
wherein:
said second cord wrap post has a free end and an anchored end and defines a retaining shoulder stop between said free end and said anchored end; and
said second lift cord is wrapped around said second cord wrap post between said anchored end and said retaining shoulder stop.

11. The skew adjustment mechanism as recited in claim 9 , wherein:
said lift spool and said second lift spool are configured to be mounted for rotation on a first rail; and
said anchor drum, said second anchor drum, said anchor drum housing, said second anchor drum housing, said cord wrap post, and said second cord wrap post are mounted on a second rail.

12. A window covering comprising:
a covering material having a first end and a second end;
a first rail coupled to said first end of said covering material;
a second rail coupled to said second end of said covering material;
a lift cord extending between said first rail and second rail;
a skew adjustment mechanism comprising:
a rotatable anchor drum coupled to one end of said lift cord; and
a cord wrap post that permits at least one wrap of said lift cord thereabout so as to provide friction between said cord wrap post and said lift cord in order to reduce the amount of holding force that is needed to prevent said anchor drum from rotating when said lift cord is taut between said lift spool and said anchor drum.

13. The window covering as recited in claim 12 , wherein said cord wrap post is fixed on an anchor drum housing of said skew adjustment mechanism, said anchor drum being configured to selective rotation relative to said anchor drum housing.

14. The window covering as recited in claim 13 , wherein said lift cord is wrapped around said cord wrap post.

15. The window covering as recited in claim 14 , wherein said cord wrap post has a free end and an anchored end and defines a retaining shoulder stop between said free end and said anchored end.

16. The window covering as recited in claim 15 , wherein said lift cord is wrapped around said cord wrap post between said anchored end and said retaining shoulder stop.

17. The window covering as recited in claim 12 , wherein:
said lift cord is secured at a first end to a lift spool;
said lift cord is secured at a second end to said anchor drum; and
said lift cord accumulates about said anchor drum as said anchor drum is rotated to shorten the length of first lift cord.

18. The window covering as recited in claim 17 , wherein:
said lift spool is mounted for rotation on a first rail; and
said anchor drum, and said cord wrap post are mounted on a second rail.

19. The window covering as recited in claim 12 , wherein:
said skew adjustment mechanism is provided in operative association with one of said first rail or said second rail; and
said cord wrap post is positioned at a location between said anchor drum and a point at which said lift cord exits said one of said first rail or said second rail to extend to the other of said first rail or said second rail.

20. The window covering as recited in claim 12 , wherein said lift cord is operable to bring said first and second rails closer together to retract said covering material.

21. The window covering as recited in claim 17 , further comprising:
a second lift cord extending along said covering material, said second lift cord being secured at a first end to a second lift spool and at a second end to a second anchor drum, said second lift spool being mounted for rotation with said lift spool for accumulating said second lift cord upon rotation of said second lift spool to effect extension and retraction of said covering material; and
a second cord wrap post that permits at least one wrap of said second lift cord thereabout so as to provide friction between said second cord wrap post and said second lift cord in order to reduce the amount of holding force that is required to prevent said second anchor drum from rotating when said second lift cord is taut between said second

Assignees

• Hunter Douglas
• Hunter Douglas

Inventors

• Anderson Richard N

Classifications

• E06B9/322 Primary

  Details of operating devices, e.g. pulleys, brakes, spring drums, drives ({operating devices E06B9/68} ; devices of general interest specially adapted or mounted for storing and repeatedly paying-out and re-storing lengths of material B65H75/34) · CPC title

• E06B9/382 Primary

  Details of ladder-tapes or ladder chains, e.g. buckles for local shortening of tapes · CPC title

• E06B9/32 Primary

  Operating, guiding, or securing devices therefor (operation of tilting bars E06B9/307) · CPC title

• E06B9/388

  Details of bottom or upper slats or their attachment · CPC title

• E06B9/326

  Details of cords, e.g. buckles, drawing knobs · CPC title