AU2001100215A4 - Batten assembly - Google Patents

Description

31/07/2001 12:34 +61398867600 hMORGON PERNAT +61398867600 AUSTRALL4, PAGE 06 PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE

SPECIFCATION

INNOVATION

PATENT

Batten Assembly" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: RECEIVED TIME 31. UL. 12:33 PRINT TIME 31. JUL, 13:16 31/07/2001 12:34 +61398867600 A MORCOM PERNAT PAGE 07 +61398867600 2 BATTEN ASSEMBLY Field of the Invention This invention relates to a batten assembly and in a particular non-limiting aspect relates to a batten assembly which is suitable for use with Roman blinds.

Background of the Invention A Roman blind is made up of several horizontal panels in a web of fabric or lining.

The panels are formed by folding and sewing small pockets which extend across the width of the lining. The lining prepared in this fashion becomes the base for a blind.

This method has been used since Roman blinds evolved. However the method suffers from the problem that where the pocket is sewn each stitch makes a hole in the fabric of the lining. Of course, light can readily pass through each of the holes formed in this fashion. As a result when the blind is put in place across a window, the light shines through as a row of pinholes across the length of each of the pockets.

Apart from the problem with the pinholes, the actual sewing operation can itself be time consuming and hence expensive.

There is therefore a need for a Roman blind construction which obviates or reduces the aforesaid disadvantages.

Disclosure of the Invention The invention provides in one aspect a batten assembly comprising, a batten member having an elongate body portion with a generally C-shaped hollow extending along the length of the main body portion, an elongate spline member shaped so that it may be fitted into the C-shaped hollow and held within the hollow by the forward edges of the C, RECEIVED TIME 31A UL. 12:33 PRINT TIME 31. JUL. 13:16 31/07/2001 12:34 +61398867600 A MORCOM PERNAT PAGE 08 +61398867600 3 a region of reduced thickness on an outer surface of the batten member, and a clip shaped to snugly fit on the region of reduced thickness whereby the clip may be held in place mounted on the region of reduced thickness, and cord retaining means provided on the clip, wherein the construction is such that a thin web of material may be held in place within the C-shaped hollow interposed between the elongate spline member and batten member.

The batten member may be formed of any suitable stiff material. It may be formed as an aluminium extrusion. It may be open ended.

One or more external ribs may extend along the batten member. They may extend part or all of the way along the length of the batten member. They may be continuous or they may be interrupted.

In one preferred embodiment there may be an external rib which is provided on the outer surface of the elongate body portion at a location generally opposite the opening defined by the C-shaped hollow. This external rib may be interrupted to define the region of reduced thickness. Suitably it may be interrupted at two or more points along the elongate body to define two or more regions of reduced thickness. This allows two or more clips to be fitted to the batten member.

Two or more further ribs may be provided on the elongate body. Suitably, two ribs may be provided near the forward edges of the C-shaped hollow on the exterior surface of the elongate body.

The clips may themselves be provided with a pair of arms defining a generally

C-

shaped cavity. The arms may be formed with elongate recesses which are complementary to the ribs formed near the forward edges of the C-shaped hollow.

Suitably, the region of reduced thickness is approximately equal to or slightly larger than the width of each of the clips.

RECEIVED TIME 31A UL 12:33 PRINT TIME 31. JUL, 13:16 31/07/2001 12:34 +61398867600 MORCOM PERNAT PAGE 09 +61398867600 4 In another aspect, the invention provides a blind assembly comprising, a web of flexible material, a plurality of battens as hereinbefore described applied to the web at spaced intervals, and a cord extending through the cord retaining means of each clip.

The cord may be arranged so that when the cord is pulled the battens are pulled towards each other to abut each other and the web material is folded concertina fashion upon itself.

Preferred aspects of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 illustrates a plan view of a blind assembly according to the invention; Figure 2 shows an isometric view of the blind of Figure 1 when it is folded; Figure 3 shows an isometric view of a blind assembly according to the invention; Figure 4 shows a fragmentary view of a batten assembly according to the invention; Figure 5 shows a fragmentary isometric view of a batten member; and Figure 6 shows an isometric view of a clip.

Elements identified by numerals in the accompanying drawings are listed in the following Integer List.

Integer List 1 Blind assembly 3 Fabric RECEIVED TIME 31. JUL, 12:33 PRINT TIME 31. JUL, 13:16 31/07/2001 12:34 +61398867600 A 31/S /28e 12 34 u.uiv IPAGE +61398867600 Batten assembly 7 Panel 9 Headboard 11 Cord 512 Roller wheel 13 Blatten member Clip 17 Spline 18 Semi-circular body 19 C-profile hollow Forward edge 21 Rib 23 Rib Rib is 27 Reduced thickness region 29 Clip body Larger arn 31 Smaller arm 32 C-shaped cavity 34 Recess 36 Recess 37 Cord retaining means Referring to Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings the blind generally designated I shown therein comprises a fabric or web 3 having a number of batten assemblies 5 applied thereto.

Panels 7 are defined by the area of web lying between adjacent batten assemblies.

The blind assembly is suspended from a headboard 9 in the conventional manner, RECEIVED TIME 31. JL. 12:33 PRINT TIME 31. UL 13:16 31/07/2001 12: 34 +61398867600 A MORCOM PERNAT PAGE 11 +61398867600 6 A cord 11 extends on both sides of the blinds through the clips 15 attached to each of the batten members 13 with the cord being securely fixed to the lowermost clip on either side of the blind.

The cord extends over roller wheels 12 (or similar) provided underneath the headboard so that the blind may be retracted to the folded configuration shown in Figure 2 when the cord is pulled. As can be seen in Figure 2 the pulling of the cord results in pulling the batten assemblies into abutment with each other so that the panels fold concertina like together.

Referring to Figures 4 to 6, the batten assembly includes an elongate spline 17. The spline has a circular cross-section. However whilst a circular cross-section is preferred it is to be understood that other cross-sectional shapes may also be suitable depending on the characteristics of the batten member into which it is to be fitted.

Typically, the spline may be a separate item in the form of a rod of nylon or other suitable material. The diameter of the spline is chosen so that it is of slightly lesser diameter than the semi-circular C-profile 19 formed as a hollow extending along the length of the semi-circular body 18 of the batten member.

Ribs 21 and 23 are formed on the external surface of the semi-circular body near the forward edges of the opening to the C-profile hollow 19.

A larger more substantial rib 25 provided on the external surface opposite this opening extends in interrupted fashion along the semi-circular body. The rib 25 is interrupted at a reduced thickness region 27 in two places at opposite ends of the semi-circular body. The width of this region of reduced thickness is roughly equal to or slightly greater than the width of the clip 15 which is to be applied to the batten member.

In order for the clip to be able to be fitted snugly to the batten member 13, the clip body 29 includes a larger ann 30 and smaller arm 31 which together define a C- RECEIVED TIME 31A UL. 12:33 PRINT TIME 31, JUL. 13:16 31/07/2001 12:34 +61398867600 A MORCOM PERNAT PAGE 12 +6139 88 6 760 7 shaped cavity 32. Thus the clip may be snap fitted onto the batten member at the region of reduced thickness 27.

The inner surfaces of the arms of the clip include recesses 34 arnd 36 which are complementary to the ribs 21 and 23 so that when the clip is snap fitted to the batten member, the ribs prevent relative rotation between the clip and batten member.

Cord retaining means 37 in the form of a hole extending through the body of the clip are also provided.

The clip is suitably formed of a resilient material which allows the arms of the clip to deflect when the clip is pushed onto the batten and to retract to their original configuration when the clip has been pushed home so that it is held snugly on the batten member.

The batten assembly may be applied to a web of fabric 3 in the manner shown more clearly in the following description which refers to Figure 4.

it can be seen that the web 3 has been partially wound around the splinie 17 so that it is held between the spline and the inner surface of the hollow 19. The spline may simply be pushed through the open end of the batten member together with the web to secure the two in place.

Thus it can be seen that a number of batten assemblies can be easily applied to a fabric to form a Roman blind without the need for any sewing. Furthermore because assembly of the batten simply involves sliding a spline together with the fabric into the batten member, the labour required is relatively small even where a number of battens need to be applied to a blind. Similarly, the snap fitting of the clips make them very easy to apply and the fact that they have pre-drilled holes 37 means that it is easy to thread a cord through the various clips to complete the blind assembly.

RECEIVED TIME 31AUL 12:33 RECEVED IME 1. TL, 1:33PRINT TIME 31. JL 13:16 31/07/2001 12:34 +61398867600 A MORCOM PERNAT PAGE 13 +61398867600 8 It is to be understood that the word comprising as used throughout the specification is to be interpreted in its inclusive form ie. use of the word comprising does not exclude the addition of other elements.

It is to be understood that various modifications of and/or additions to the invention can be made without departing from the basic nature of the invention. These modifications and/or additions are therefore considered to fall within the scope of the invention.

RECEIVED TIME 31. JUL 12:33 PRINT TIME 31, JUL. 13:16

Claims (4)

1. A batten assembly comprising, a batten member having an elongate body portion with a generally C-shaped hollow extending along the length of the main body portion, an elongate spline member shaped so that it may be fitted into the C-shaped hollow and held within the hollow by the forward edges of the C, a region of reduced thickness on an outer surface of the batten member, and a clip shaped to snugly fit on the region of reduced thickness whereby the clip may be held in place mounted on the region of reduced thickness, and cord retaining means provided on the clip, wherein the construction is such that a thin web of material may be held in place within the C-shaped hollow interposed between the elongate spline member and batten member.

2. A batten assembly according to claim 1 comprising, two clips each having a clip body and two arms defining a generally C-shaped cavity, and an external rib extending along the elongate body, wherein there are two interrupted portions of the rib which define the region of reduced thickness of the batten member, and the interrupted portions extend for a distance approximately equal to or slightly greater than the width of each clip.

3. A batten assembly according to claim 2 comprising, elongate recesses formed on an inner surface of each of the arms, and complementary ribs formed on the batten member.

4. A batten assembly according to any one of the preceding claims comprising, cord retaining means formed as a hole extending through each clip, and at least one open end formed in the batten member to permit the spline to be slid through the open end into the C-shaped hollow, and RECEIVED TIME 31. JUL. 12:33 PRINT TIME 31A UL, 13:15 31/@7/2@@1 12:34 +6139B8676~ A MORGOM PERNAT PAGE 31/07/2001 12:34 +61398867600 I MORCOM PERNAT PAGE +61398867600 two resilient arms on the clip whereby the clip may be snap fitted onto the region of reduced thickness. A blind assembly comprising, a web of flexible material, a plurality of battens according to any one of claims 1 to 4 applied to the web at spaced intervals, and a cord extending throughi the cord retaining means of each clip. Dated this 3 1st day of July 2001 Key Image Design Pty Ltd by their patent attorneys Morcom Pernat RECEIVED TIME 31. J. 12:33PITTME 3.L.135 PRINT TIME 31-JUL. 13:15