EP2787161B1

EP2787161B1 - Sunlight-shielding device and device for adjusting lower limit position of bottom rail

Info

Publication number: EP2787161B1
Application number: EP13753254.5A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Masaya Yamaguchi
Original assignee: Tachikawa Corp; Tachikawa Blind Manufacturing Co Ltd
Current assignee: Tachikawa Corp; Tachikawa Blind Manufacturing Co Ltd
Priority date: 2012-06-15
Filing date: 2013-06-12
Publication date: 2016-09-21
Anticipated expiration: 2033-06-12
Also published as: WO2013187431A1; EP2787161A1; JPWO2013187431A1; TWI572771B; CN104321499A; JP6505783B2; CN104321499B; JP2017223107A; JP6184407B2; TW201418566A; EP2787161A4

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a sunlight shielding apparatus where a bottom rail is disposed at the bottom edge of a sunlight shielding material suspended from a head box, and an apparatus for adjusting the lower-limit position of a bottom rail.

BACKGROUND ART

In a sunlight shielding apparatus, a bottom rail is disposed at the bottom edge of a sunlight shielding material suspended from a head box, and a lift cord(s) attached to the bottom rail is pulled into or out of the head box to raise or lower the bottom rail to raise or lower the sunlight shielding material.
In the sunlight shielding apparatus thus configured, the length of the lift cord extending from the head box determines the lower-limit position of the bottom rail. However, it may be necessary to fine-adjust the lower-limit position of the bottom rail at the installation site.
To adjust the lower-limit position of a bottom rail, Japanese Patent No. 3669907 (hereinafter also referred to as "Patent Literature 1") provides a lift cord winding drum and rotates the winding drum from a longitudinal end of a bottom rail to wind the lift cord. Thus, the lower-limit position of the bottom rail can be fine-adjusted.
Japanese Patent No. 4423592 (hereinafter also referred to as "Patent Literature 2") winds and fixes the lower end of a lift cord about a fixing part disposed on a base detachably fixed to a bottom rail and adjusts the length of the lift cord. Thus, the lower-limit position of the bottom rail can be adjusted.
Documents DE102009008774A1 and WO2008/130112A1 relate to sunlight shielding apparatuses similar to the apparatus claimed in the preamble of claim 1.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

The configuration disclosed in Patent Literature 1 increases the number of parts of the winding shaft or locking part and thus increases cost and reduces the ease of assembly. Further, in this configuration, the winding drum is attached to a tape holder for holding the lower end of a ladder cord. However, sunlight shielding apparatuses including no ladder cord, such as pleated screens or roll-up curtains, do not include a tape holder and therefore cannot adopt the configuration of Patent Literature 1 or, even if they can, would suffer a cost increase or be disfigured.
The configuration disclosed in Patent Literature 2 makes complicated the method for guiding the lift cord to a guide groove, or the operation for winding the lift cord about the shaft. Further, to adjust the length of the lift cord using the method of Patent Literature 2 in a sunlight shielding apparatus where the bottom edge of a sunlight shielding material suspended from a head box is attached to a bottom rail, such as a pleated screen or roll-up curtain, it is necessary to perform, at the installation site, a troublesome operation of temporarily detaching the sunlight shielding material from the bottom rail, adjusting the length of the lift cord, and then reattaching the sunlight shielding material to the bottom rail.
The present invention has been made in view of the foregoing and provides a sunlight shielding apparatus that is easily assembled and whose bottom rail lower-limit position can be easily fine-adjusted at the installation site.

MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS

According to the present invention, there is provided a sunlight shielding apparatus including a sunlight shielding material suspended from a head box, a bottom rail disposed at the bottom edge of the sunlight shielding material, a lift cord hung from the head box and configured to support the bottom rail, lift means configured to raise or lower the bottom rail by changing the length of the lift cord between the head box and the bottom rail from the head box side, regulation means configured to regulate the lower-limit position of the bottom rail, and an adjusting apparatus disposed in the bottom rail and configured to adjust the lower-limit position of the bottom rail by changing the amount of the lift cord pulled into the bottom rail in accordance with rotation of a rotating member. The adjusting apparatus includes a holding member configured to hold the lift cord, the rotating member relatively rotatably attached to the holding member, and a rotation operation part configured to rotate the holding member. The holding member has a first cord housing groove configured to house the lift cord. The bottom rail has a through hole in the surface having the holding member disposed thereon.
In the present invention, the adjusting apparatus is disposed in the bottom rail, and the adjusting apparatus includes the holding member having the first cord housing groove configured to house the lift cord, the rotating member relatively rotatably attached to the holding member through the through hole, and the rotation operation part configured to rotate the rotating member. According to this configuration, the adjusting apparatus can be assembled using a simple method including housing the lift cord in the first cord housing groove and attaching the rotating member to the holding member through the through hole. Furthermore, one can easily fine-adjust the lower-limit position of the bottom rail at the installation site by operating the rotation operation part from outside the bottom rail to rotate the rotating member.
Hereafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be exemplified. Any of the embodiments described below can be combined with each other.
Preferably, the lift cord is held in the first cord housing groove between the holding member and the bottom rail.
Preferably, the rotating member includes a base, a front end extending from the base, and a flange radially projecting from the base, and the rotating member is inserted into the through hole in such a manner that the flange contacts an external surface of the bottom rail.
Preferably, the rotation operation part is disposed on the bottom of the bottom rail or in a position in which the rotation operation part can be operated through a through hole formed in the bottom of the bottom rail.
Preferably, the rotation operation part is disposed on an external surface of the rotating member.
Preferably, the rotating member has a second cord housing groove configured to house the lift cord.
Preferably, the rotating member includes a nail configured to engage with a top surface of the holding member.
Preferably, the rotating member and the holding member are engaged with each other in multiple circumferential positions.
Preferably, the rotating member includes multiple engaging projections circumferentially disposed at equal intervals, and the holding member has multiple engaging recesses configured to engage with the engaging projections.
Preferably, the holding member is disposed in the bottom rail in such a manner that the holding member cannot rotate or in such a manner that the angle by which the holding member can rotate about a rotation axis of the rotating member falls within 90 degrees.
Preferably, the bottom rail includes a rail, and the holding member is disposed in a desired position by inserting the holding member into the rail from a longitudinal end of the bottom rail and then sliding the holding member.
Preferably, the first cord housing groove is formed over an entire length of the holding member; the lift cord is held in the first cord housing groove over an entire length of the first cord housing groove; the holding member has a fitting hole configured to fit with the rotating member, in a position which divides the first cord housing groove; and the rotating member is inserted into the fitting hole and thus engaged with the holding member.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing the sunlight shielding apparatus described above. The method includes (1) disposing the holding member on the bottom rail in such a manner that a position of a fitting hole formed in the holding member and a position of a through hole of the bottom rail are matched together; after step (1), (2) inserting the rotating member into the fitting hole through the through hole from an external surface of the bottom rail to fit the rotating member into the holding member; and prior to step (1), between steps (1) and (2), or after step (2), (3) housing the lift cord in the first cord housing groove of the holding member. Preferably, step (3) includes (A) passing the lift cord through the through hole formed in the bottom rail; after step (A), (B) housing the lift cord in the first cord housing groove of the holding member; and after step (B), (C) pulling the lift cord out of the through hole toward an internal surface of the bottom rail, and steps (A), (B), and (C) are performed prior to step (1). Preferably, step (B) includes housing the lift cord in the first cord housing groove by sliding the holding member in such a manner so as to step over the through hole.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view showing an overall configuration of a sunlight shielding apparatus 1 of a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a left-side view showing an overall configuration of the sunlight shielding apparatus 1 of the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an adjusting apparatus 21 disposed in a bottom rail 7 of the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 4(a) to 4(c) are a plan view, a right-side view, and an A-A sectional view, respectively, showing the adjusting apparatus 21 disposed in the bottom rail 7 of the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 5(a) to 5(f) are a perspective view, a plan view, a bottom view, a right-side view, an A-A sectional view, and a B-B sectional view, respectively, showing a holding member 23 of the adjusting apparatus 21 of the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 6(a) to 6(d) are a perspective view, a front view, a bottom view, and a right-side view, respectively, showing a rotating member 25 of the adjusting apparatus 21 of the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 7(a) to 7(f) are perspective views showing steps for assembling the adjusting apparatus 21 of the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the adjusting apparatus 21 disposed in the bottom rail 7 of a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 9(a) to 9(c) are a plan view, a right-side view, and an A-A sectional view, respectively, showing the adjusting apparatus 21 disposed in the bottom rail of the second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the adjusting apparatus 21 disposed in the bottom rail 7 of a third embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 11 (a) to 11 (c) are a plan view, a right-side view, and an A-A sectional view, respectively, showing the adjusting apparatus 21 disposed in the bottom rail of the third embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 12(a) to 12(f) are a perspective view, a plan view, a bottom view, a right-side view, an A-A sectional view, and a B-B sectional view, respectively, showing the holding member 23 of the adjusting apparatus 21 of the third embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 13(a) to 13(d) are a perspective view, a front view, a bottom view, and a right-side view, respectively, showing the rotating member 25 of the adjusting apparatus 21 of the third embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 14(a) to 14(d) are perspective views showing steps for assembling the adjusting apparatus 21 of the third embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing the adjusting apparatus 21 disposed in the bottom rail 7 of a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing the holding member 23 of the adjusting apparatus 21 of the fourth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing the bottom rail 7 and a disassembled adjusting apparatus 21 of a fifth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing an assembled adjusting apparatus 21 of the fifth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 19 is a side view showing a configuration around the bottom rail 7 of a sixth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 20 is a sectional view showing a method for preventing the bottom rail 7 from being tilted according to an embodiment of the present invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Now, various embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Any of the embodiments described below can be combined with each other.

1. First Embodiment

FIGS. 1 and 2 are a front view and a left-side view, respectively, showing an overall configuration of a sunlight shielding apparatus 1 of a first embodiment of the present invention.
One edge of a sunlight shielding material 5 is attached to a head box 3, and the other edge is attached to a bottom rail 7 having an aperture in one surface thereof. The sunlight shielding material 5 may be attached to the head box 3 and bottom rail 7 by any method. In the present embodiment, by attaching textile holders 9 to both ends of the sunlight shielding material 5 and then resiliently attaching the textile holders 9 to the head box 3 and bottom rail 7 in such a manner that the textile holders 9 block apertures formed in the head box 3 and bottom rail 7, the sunlight shielding material 5 is attached to the head box 3 and bottom rail 7.
The sunlight shielding material 5 may be of any type and, in the present embodiment, is a pleated screen which can be folded in a vertical zigzag fashion. The sunlight shielding material 5 may be a roll-up curtain, blind, or the like.
A lift cord(s) 11 hangs from the head box 3, passes through through holes 13 formed in the sunlight shielding material 5, and support the bottom rail 7 with the bottom rail 7 suspended therefrom. Lift means changes the length of the lift cord between the head box 3 and the bottom rail 7 from the head box 3 side so as to raise or lower the bottom rail 7. The lift means may be composed of anything and, in the present embodiment, includes an operation cord 15 coupled to the lift cord 11 through an equalizer 14. By pulling the operation cord 15, the lift cord 11 is pulled out of the head box 3, thereby reducing the length of the lift cord between the head box 3 and the bottom rail 7 and thus raising the bottom rail 7. By relaxing the force applied to the operation cord 15, the lift cord 11 is pulled into the head box 3, so that the bottom rail 7 attempts to fall. However, a stopper apparatus 17 disposed in the head box 3 functions as a lock to prevent the bottom rail 7 from falling. By pulling the operation cord 15 again, the lock function of the stopper apparatus 17 is released. Subsequently, by relaxing the force applied to the operation cord 15, the lift cord 11 is pulled into the head box 3, thereby lowering the bottom rail 7. As the bottom rail 7 falls, the equalizer 14 approaches the head box 3. Since the equalizer 14 cannot pass through a cord outlet 19 formed in the head box 3, the bottom rail 7 stops falling at the point in time when the equalizer 14 contacts the head box 3. The position at which the bottom rail 7 has stopped falling is the lower-limit position of the bottom rail 7.
While, for the lift means of the present embodiment, the lower-limit position of the bottom rail 7 is determined at the point in time when the equalizer 14 contacts the head box 3, it may be determined by different methods in accordance with the configuration of the lift means. For example, a ninth embodiment of Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2011-236555 is configured to rotate a pulley using a ball chain to wind a lift cord about a winding shaft in a head box to change the length of the lift cords between the head box and a bottom rail to raise or lower the bottom rail. In this embodiment, both ends of the non-loop ball chain are coupled using a connector having a diameter greater than a ball of the ball chain, and the lower-limit position of the bottom rail 7 is determined using the fact that this connector cannot pass between the pulley and a pulley case. For another example, the lower-limit position of the bottom rail 7 may be determined using another mechanism for stopping rotation of the winding shaft when the bottom rail 7 falls to a predetermined position. Various means for determining the lower-limit position of the bottom rail 7 as described above are referred to as "regulation means" in CLAIMS.
In the bottom rail 7, the lift cord 11 passes through the through holes formed in the textile holder 9 and is held by an adjusting apparatus 21 disposed in the bottom rail 7.
Referring now to FIGS. 3 to 6, details of the adjusting apparatus 21 will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 3 to 4, the adjusting apparatus 21 includes a holding member 23 configured to hold the lift cord 11, a rotating member 25 relatively rotatably attached to the holding member 23, and a rotation operation part 27 configured to rotate the rotating member 25. The adjusting apparatus 21 has a function of changing the amount of the lift cord 11 pulled into the bottom rail 7 in accordance with the rotation of the rotating member 25 to adjust the lower-limit position of the bottom rail 7.
As shown in FIGS. 5(a) to 5(f), the holding member 23 has, over the entire length thereof, a first cord housing groove 33 configured to house the lift cord 11. The lift cord 11 has a locking part 31 (knot) at an end thereof. Since the locking part 31 contacts the peripheral wall of the first cord housing groove 33, the lift cord 11 is prevented from being pulled out in the direction of an arrow A of FIG. 3. Since the first cord housing groove 33 is open toward the bottom rail 7, the lift cord 11 is held in the first cord housing groove 33 between the holding member 23 and the bottom rail 7. In the present embodiment, the bottom rail 7 is provided with a rail 29 in the center in a width direction thereof, and the holding member 23 has a rail holding groove 35 which is closer to the bottom rail 7 than the first cord housing groove 33. The rail holding groove 35 communicates with the first cord housing groove 33 and extends in parallel therewith. The holding member 23 is attached to the rail 29 by inserting the rail 29 into the rail holding groove 35. According to this configuration, in the present embodiment, the lift cord 11 is held in space surrounded by the peripheral wall of the first cord housing groove 33 and the rail 29 (see FIG. 4(b)).
The holding member 23 has a fitting hole 37 configured to fit with the rotating member 25 in a position which divides the first cord housing groove 33 (for example, in the longitudinal center of the first cord housing groove 33). The rotating member 25 is inserted into the fitting hole 37 and relatively rotatably attached to the holding member 23.
As shown in FIGS. 6(a) to 6(d), the rotating member 25 includes a base 39, a front end 41 extending from the base 39, and a flange 42 radially projecting from the base 39 (in other words, having a greater radius than the base 39). The front end 41 is provided with a radially projecting nail(s) 43. When inserting the rotating member 25 into the fitting hole 37, the nail 43 is engaged with the top surface of the holding member 23, thereby preventing the rotating member 25 from being separated from the holding member 23. The front end 41 has a second cord housing groove 45 through which the lift cord 11 passes. With the rotating member 25 fitted into the holding member 23, the second cord housing groove 45 is disposed on a line joining the pair of first cord housing grooves 33 divided by the fitting hole 37, and the lift cord 11 is passed through a lift cord passing position 47 (see FIG. 6(b)). The second cord housing groove 45 forms the front end 41 into bifurcated fitting pieces which can be easily resiliently deformed in an inward radial direction when inserting the rotating member 25 into the fitting hole 37 of the holding member 23. Thus, the rotating member 25 can be easily fitted into the holding member 23.
Assume that with the rotating member 25 fitted into the holding member 23 as shown in FIG. 3 and with the lift cord 11 housed in the first and second cord housing grooves 33 and 45, the rotating member 25 is rotated. At this time, the lift cord 11 is wound around a lift cord winding position 49 of the front end 41 of the rotating member 25 (see FIG. 6(b)). The lift cord 11 is pulled into the bottom rail 7 in accordance with the extent to which the lift cord 11 is wound, thereby raising the lower-limit position of the bottom rail 7. In this way, by rotating the rotating member 25, the lower-limit position of the bottom rail 7 can be adjusted.
The base 39 of the rotating member 25 has the rotation operation part 27 in an external surface thereof, and the rotating member 25 is rotated using the rotation operation part 27. While, in the present embodiment, the rotation operation part 27 is a linear (i.e., - (minus) shaped) engaging groove, it may be in any form. For example, the rotation operation part 27 may be an engaging groove having another shape, such as + (plus) shape or hexagonal shape, or an engaging projection having a - shape, + shape, or hexagonal shape. By engaging the tip of a rotation tool, such as a minus driver, coin, plus driver, or hexagonal wrench, with the engaging groove and then rotating the rotation tool, the rotating member 25 can be rotated. If the rotation operation part 27 is an engaging projection, the rotating member 25 can be rotated by preparing a rotation tool configured to engage with the engaging projection and then operating the rotation tool similarly. Another alternative is to simply increase the amount of a part of the base 39 that extends out of the bottom rail 7 and to grasp the side of the extending part and then rotate the rotating member 25. In this case, the side of the extending part serves as the rotation operation part 27.
The bottom rail 7 has a through hole 51 (see FIG. 7(a)) in the surface thereof (that is, the bottom) having the holding member 23 disposed thereon, and the rotating member 25 is inserted into the bottom rail 7 through the through hole 51. The through hole 51 has a size which allows the base 39 of the rotating member 25 to be inserted thereinto and which is slightly smaller than the flange 42. For this reason, when pushing the rotating member 25 into the through hole 51, the flange 42 contacts the bottom of the bottom rail 7 and, at the same time, a top surface 56 and a shoulder 59 of the base 39 contact two contact parts 61 formed in the fitting hole 37. Thus, the rotational member 25 is prevented from being further pushed. Since the nail 43 is engaged with the top surface of the holding member 23 (see FIG. 4(c)), the rotating member 25 is prevented from coming off the through hole 51. While the holding member 23 can be freely slid along the rail 29 before the rotating member 25 is inserted thereinto, the position of the holding member 23 is fixed when the rotating member 25 is fitted thereinto. While, in the present embodiment, the flange 42 completely blocks the through hole 51 to prevent an accident, such as a cut of a hand by the edge of the through hole 51, to improve safety, the flange 42 is not always essential. An alternative configuration may be employed in which the entire holding member 23 is housed in the bottom rail 7 and in which one inserts a rotation tool into the through hole 51, engages it with the rotation operation part 27 and rotates the rotating member 25. While, in the present embodiment, the rotation operation part 27 is disposed on the bottom of the bottom rail 7, there may be employed a configuration in which a through hole is formed in the textile holder 9 and in which one inserts a rotation tool into this through hole to engage it with the front end 41 of the rotating member 25 and then rotates the rotating member 25 or a configuration in which the front end 41 projects outward through the through hole and in which one grasps the front end 41 and then rotates the rotating member 25. Alternatively, the rotating member 25 and the holding member 23 may be configured such that the rotating member 25 is inserted from the textile holder 9.
Due the self weight of the bottom rail 7, tension is always acting on the lift cord 11, and the rotating member 25 winds the lift cord 11 against this tension. Accordingly, unless there is a mechanism for keeping the lift cord 11 wound, the lift cord 11 would be unwound immediately. For this reason, in the present embodiment, the rotating member 25 and the holding member 23 are engaged with each other in multiple positions, thereby preventing the lift cord 11 from being unwound. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5(c), the holding member 23 has three engaging recesses 53 on each side of the first cord housing groove 33 at intervals of 45 degrees. Further, the rotating member 25 has four engaging projections 55 at intervals of 90 degrees around the base 39. In a first state in which the engaging recesses 53 and the engaging projections 55 are engaged with each other, two engaging projections 55 are located in the first cord housing groove 33, and the other two engaging projections 55 are engaged with the centered one of the three engaging recesses 53 formed on each of the first cord housing groove 33. By rotating the rotating member 25 in this state, the engagement is released; by rotating it further, the four engaging projections 55 are engaged with four engaging recesses 53 which have not been involved in the engagement in the first state; and by rotating it furthermore, the first state is restored. Thus, the engaging recesses 53 and the engaging projections 55 are engaged with each other in multiple positions at each 45-degree rotation, preventing the lift cord 11 from being unwound. Note that the positions and numbers of the engaging recesses 53 and engaging projections 55 may be changed as necessary and that the recesses and projections may be replaced with each other.
If the holding member 23 can rotate, rotation of the rotating member 25 is transmitted to the holding member 23 due to the engagement between the engaging recesses 53 and the engaging projections 55. Thus, the holding member 23 would also rotate. To prevent this, it is preferred to dispose the holding member 23 on the bottom rail 7 in such a manner that it cannot rotate or can rotate at angles not greater than 90 degrees around the rotation axis of the rotating member 25. It is more preferable that the holding member 23 cannot rotate; however, if the angle by which the holding member 23 rotates due to rotation of the rotating member 25 falls within 90 degrees, such rotation does not become a significant problem. This is because by rotating the rotating member 25 further, the lift cord 11 can be wound. Note that the angle by which the holding member 23 can rotate refers to an angle from the position in which the holding member 23, which has rotated due to rotation of the rotating member 25 in one direction, stops rotating to the position in which the holding member 23, which has rotated from the above position due to rotation of the rotating member 25 in a direction reverse to the above direction, stops rotating.
Referring now to FIGS. 7(a) to 7(f), a method for assembling the adjusting apparatus 21 of the present embodiment will be described.
As shown in FIG. 7(a), the lift cord 11 is passed through the through hole 51 formed in the bottom rail 7. The lift cord 11 has the locking part (knot) 31 at the end thereof.
Subsequently, as shown in Fig. 7(b), the holding member 23 is engaged with the rail 29 disposed in the bottom rail 7 (more specifically, a longitudinal end of the rail 29 of the bottom rail 7 is inserted into the rail holding groove 35 of the holding member 23), slid on the rail 29, and, as shown in FIG. 7(c), moved to a position ahead of the through hole 51. Due to this operation, the lift cord 11 is naturally housed in the first cord housing groove 33.
Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 7(d), the lift cord 11 is pulled out of the through hole 51 toward the inside of the bottom rail 7. Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 7(e), the holding member 23 is slid so that the position of the fitting hole 37 formed in the holding member 23 matches the position of the through hole 51 of the bottom rail 7.
Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 7(f), the rotating member 25 is fitted into the fitting hole 37 of the holding member 23 through the through hole 51 from the external surface of the bottom rail 7. In this way, the adjusting apparatus 21 is assembled.
As seen, according to the configuration of the present embodiment, the adjusting apparatus 21 is composed of only two parts and assembled very easily.

2. Second Embodiment

Next, referring to FIGS. 8 and 9(a) to 9(c), a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. While the configuration of the second embodiment of the present invention is similar to that of the first embodiment, it differs therefrom in the structure of the bottom rail 7. In the first embodiment, the rail 29 is disposed in the center in a width direction of the bottom rail 7 and the rail holding groove 35 of the holding member 23 is engaged with the rail 29. In the present embodiment, on the other hand, the bottom rail 7 is provided with a rail 54 on each internal side surface thereof (see FIG. 8), and the shoulder 24 of the holding member 23 (see FIG. 5(a)) is engaged with each rail 54 (see FIG. 9(b)). Thus, as in the first embodiment, the holding member 23 can be slid along the bottom rail 7.
Preferably, the space between the rails 54 on both internal side surfaces of the bottom rail 7 has a width which enables the holding member 23 to be slid through the space but disables it from rotating. However, since the angle by which the holding member 23 can rotate about the rotation axis of the rotating member 25 only has to fall within 90 degrees, the space may have a width which allows the holding member 23 to rotate to such an extent.
The second embodiment only differs from the first embodiment in the configuration for allowing the holding member 23 to be slid, and the adjusting apparatus 21 can be assembled using a method similar to that of the first embodiment.
While, in the second embodiment, the holding member 23 does not need to have the rail holding groove 35, the holding member 23 having the rail holding groove 35 may be used for commonality of parts.

3. Third Embodiment

Next, referring to FIGS. 10 to 13, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. While the configuration of the present embodiment is similar to that of the first embodiment, it differs therefrom mainly in the structure of the holding member 23 shown in FIGS. 12(a) to 12(f). In the first embodiment, the first cord housing groove 33 of the holding member 23 is open toward the bottom rail 7; in the present embodiment, the first cord housing groove 33 is open toward the aperture of the bottom rail 7 (toward the textile holder 9), and the lift cord 11 is housed in the first cord housing groove 33 through this aperture. To prevent the lift cord 11 housed in the first cord housing groove 33 from being detached, locking projections 57 are disposed on both sides of the internal wall of the first cord housing groove 33.
The configuration of the rotating member 25 of the present embodiment shown in FIGS. 13(a) to 13(d) is similar to that of the first embodiment but differs therefrom in some points. First, the rotating member 25 of the present embodiment does not include the flange 42. Accordingly, when pushing the rotating member 25 into the holding member 23 through the through hole 51 of the bottom rail 7, the flange 42 does not prevent the rotating member 25 from being pushed further. Instead, the shoulder 59 disposed on the base 39 contacts a contact part 61 disposed in the fitting hole 37 of the holding member 23, preventing the rotating member 25 from being pushed further (see FIGS. 11(c) and 12(f)). Further, with the rotating member 25 engaged with the holding member 23, the bottom of the bottom rail 7 and the bottom of the rotating member 25 are flush with each other. As a result, the entire bottom of the bottom rail 7 is flat.
In the first embodiment, the bottom of the second cord housing groove 45 is semi-cylindrical; in the present embodiment, it is flat. While the semi-cylindrical shape is preferable since it increases the contact area between the rotating member 25 and the lift cord 11 and thus the force gripping the lift cord 11 is increased, even the flat shape does not become an obstacle to adjusting the lower-limit position of the bottom rail 7.
In the first embodiment, the engaging projections 55 are disposed on a plane parallel with the second cord housing groove 45; in the present embodiment, they are disposed in positions which are displaced from the engaging projections 55 of the first embodiment by a 45-degree rotation angle. In any disposition, the engaging projections 55 function similarly.
Referring now to FIGS. 14(a) to 14(d), a method for assembling the adjusting apparatus 21 of the present embodiment will be described.
First, as shown in FIG. 14(a), the bottom rail 7 having the through hole 51 and the rail 29 is prepared and, as shown in FIG. 14(b), the holding member 23 is inserted into the rail 29 from the longitudinal end of the bottom rail 7 and slid to match the position of the fitting hole 37 of the holding member 23 with the position of the through hole 51 of the bottom rail 7.
Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 14(c), the rotating member 25 is inserted into the fitting hole 37 through the through hole 51 and fitted into the holding member 23.
Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 14(d), the lift cord 11 is pushed into the first cord housing groove 33 of the holding member 23 from the aperture side of the bottom rail 7. Before or after this step, the locking part 31 is formed at the end of the lift cord 11.
Through the above steps, the adjusting apparatus 21 is assembled. As seen above, according to the method of the present embodiment, by only fitting the rotating member 25 into the holding member 23 and pushing the lift cord 11 into the first cord housing groove 33, the adjusting apparatus 21 is assembled. This is very easy.
The configuration of the present embodiment are also applicable to a structure in which the rails 54 are disposed on the internal side surfaces of the bottom rail 7, like the second embodiment, a structure in which the bottom rail 7 and the holding member 23 are engaged with each other using an resilient fitting structure, or the like.

4. Fourth Embodiment

Next, referring to FIGS. 15 and 16, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. While the configuration of the present embodiment is similar to that of the third embodiment, it differs therefrom mainly in the structure of the holding member 23. In the third embodiment, the first cord housing groove 33 is open toward the aperture of the bottom rail 7 and extends from the fitting hole 37 in both longitudinal directions. In the present embodiment, on the other hand, the first cord housing groove 33 is open toward the bottom of the bottom rail 7, as in the first embodiment, but extends from the fitting hole 37 only in one direction.
While a method for assembling the adjusting apparatus 21 of the present embodiment is similar to that of the first embodiment, the difference therebetween is as follows. In the first embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b), the lift cord 11 is passed through the through hole 51 and then the holding member 23 is slid and placed in the state of FIG. 7(c); in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 14(b), with the position of the fitting hole 37 of the holding member 23 matched with the position of the through hole 51 of the bottom rail 7, the lift cord 11 is passed through the fitting hole 37 and through hole 51 and then the holding member 23 is further slid and placed in a state as shown in FIG. 7(c). Subsequent steps are similar to those of the first embodiment, and a configuration shown in FIG. 15 is finally obtained.
In the present embodiment, the lift cord 11 extends out of the bottom rail 7 through the fitting hole 37. Even in such a configuration, when rotating the rotating member 25, the nail 43 is engaged with the lift cord 11. Thus, it is possible to wind the lift cord 11 about the front end 41 of the rotating member 25 to adjust the lower-limit position of the bottom rail 7.

5. Fifth Embodiment

Next, referring to FIGS. 17 and 18, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the first to fourth embodiments, by rotating the rotating member 25, the lift cord 11 is wound about the lift cord winding position 49 (see FIG. 6(b)) of the front end 41 of the rotating member 25. In the present embodiment, on the other hand, by rotating a first rotating member 25a and a second rotating member 25b, the lift cord 11 is wound about a tube 36 of the holding member 23.
FIG. 17 shows the bottom rail 7 and a disassembled adjusting apparatus 21. FIG. 18 shows an assembled adjusting apparatus 21. The adjusting apparatus 21 includes three parts: the holding member 23, the first rotating member 25a, and the second rotating member 25b. As in the second embodiment, the holding member 23 is engaged with the rails 54 disposed on both internal side surfaces of the bottom rail 7.
A method for assembling the adjusting apparatus 21 described above is as follows. First, the lift cord 11 is passed through the first cord housing groove 33 and an aperture 34 in the top surface of the holding member 23 communicating with the first cord housing groove 33. In this state, the positions of the fitting hole 37 of the holding member 23 and the through hole 51 of the bottom rail 7 are matched together.
Subsequently, the lift cord 11 is engaged with an engaging groove 46 formed in the second rotating member 25b; the second rotating member 25b is pushed against the top surface of the tube 36 standing on a base 26 of the holding member 23; and the first rotating member 25a is inserted into the fitting hole 37 of the holding member 23 and a fitting hole 63 of the second rotating member 25b through the through hole 51 to engage the nail 43 with the top surface of the second rotating member 25b. In this way, the adjusting apparatus 21 is assembled.
A section of the fitting hole 63 of the second rotating member 25b and a section of the front end of the first rotating member 25a both have a shape obtained by cutting off edges of a circle. Accordingly, by engaging the front end of the first rotating member 25a with the fitting hole 63, the first rotating member 25a and the second rotating member 25b are rotated together. Further, by adjusting the rotation angle of the first rotating member 25a so that the front end of the first rotating member 25a is engaged with the fitting hole 63, the directions of the engaging groove 46 and the second cord housing groove 45 are naturally aligned with each other. Thus, the lift cord 11 is housed in the second cord housing groove 45.
The base end of the first rotating member 25a is provided with the flange 42. The flange 42 has a size such that the flange 42 cannot be inserted into the through hole 51 and contacts the bottom of the bottom rail 7, preventing the first rotating member 25a from being further pushed into the bottom rail 7. The first rotating member 25a has the rotation operation part 27 on the bottom thereof. By operating the rotation operation part 27, the first rotating member 25a can be rotated.
The rotation of the first rotating member 25a simultaneously rotates the second rotating member 25b, so that the lift cord 11 in the engaging groove 46 of the second rotating member 25b is wound about the tube 36. Thus, the length of the lift cord 11 pulled into the bottom rail 7 can be changed to adjust the lower-limit position of the bottom rail 7.

6. Sixth Embodiment

In the first to fifth embodiments, the examples have been described in which the lift cord 11 is inserted into the bottom rail 7 through the through hole of the textile holder 9 attached to the aperture of the bottom rail 7. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 19, the lift cord 11 may be inserted in to the bottom rail 7 through a through hole formed in a surface 7(a) corresponding to a short side of an appropriately rectangular section of the bottom rail 7 (for example, this configuration is suitably applied to a pleated screen of a type as shown in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2008-266979 ). In this case, a through hole is formed in a surface 7(b) corresponding to a long side of the appropriately rectangular section of the bottom rail 7, and the rotating member 25 is engaged with the holding member 23 through this through hole. One can adjust the lower-limit position of the bottom rail 7 by operating the rotation operation part 27 from the direction of an arrow X to rotate the rotating member 25 to wind the lift cord 11.

7. Other Embodiments

In the first to fifth embodiments, the holding member 23 is slid along the rail 29 or rails 54 disposed in the bottom rail 7. However, the holding member 23 need not necessarily be slid and, for example, a configuration may be employed in which the holding member 23 is resiliently engaged with the bottom rail 7. Further, a configuration may be employed in which there is no engaging structure between the holding member 23 and the bottom rail 7. For example, in the first embodiment, the holding member 23 and the bottom rail 7 are fixed in such a manner so as to rotate relative to each other, by the nail 43 and flange 42 of the rotating member 25. Accordingly, it is only necessary to dispose a mechanism which allows the angle by which the holding member 23 can rotate to fall within 90 degrees. In this case, the nail 43 and the flange 42 are given strength with which these parts can hold the force applied between the holding member 23 and the bottom rail 7.
Depending on the shape of the bottom rail 7 or the position of the adjusting apparatus 21, the bottom rail 7 may be tilted back and forth. To prevent this, in FIG. 20, a cord equalizer 65 is attached to the textile holder 9 in a position which is displaced from the center in a front-back direction of the adjusting apparatus 21 toward outside the room, to move the center of gravity to a higher position in the bottom rail 7. Thus, the bottom rail 7 is not easily tilted.

DESCRIPTION OF NUMERALS

1: sunlight shielding apparatus, 3: head box, 5: sunlight shielding material, 7: bottom rail, 9: textile holder, 11: lift cord, 13: through hole, 14: equalizer, 15: operation cord, 17: stopper apparatus, 19: cord outlet, 21: adjusting apparatus, 23: holding member, 24: shoulder, 25: rotating member, 25a: first rotating member, 25b: second rotating member, 26: base, 27: rotation operation part, 29: rail, 31: locking part, 33: first cord housing groove, 34: aperture, 35: rail holding groove, 36: tube, 37: fitting hole, 39: base, 41: front end, 42: flange, 43: nail, 45: second cord housing groove, 46: engaging groove, 47: lift cord passing position, 49: lift cord winding position, 51: through hole, 53: engaging recess, 54: rail, 55: engaging projection, 56: top surface, 57: engaging projection, 59: shoulder, 61: contact part, 63: fitting hole, 65: cord equalizer

Claims

A sunlight shielding apparatus (1) comprising:
a sunlight shielding material (5) suspended from a head box (3);

a bottom rail (7) disposed at a bottom edge of the sunlight shielding material (5);

a lift cord (11) hung from the head box (3) and configured to support the bottom rail (7);

lift means configured to raise or lower the bottom rail (7) by changing a length of the lift cord (11) between the head box (3) and the bottom rail (7) from the head box (3) side;

regulation means configured to regulate a lower-limit position of the bottom rail (7); and

an adjusting apparatus (21) disposed in the bottom rail (7) and configured to adjust the lower-limit position of the bottom rail (7) by changing the amount of the lift cord (11) pulled into the bottom rail (7) in accordance with rotation of a rotating member (25), wherein

the adjusting apparatus (21) comprises:
a holding member (23) configured to hold the lift cord (11);

the rotating member (25) relatively rotatably attached to the holding member (23); and

a rotation operation part (27) configured to rotate the rotating

member (25), and

the holding member (23) has a first cord housing groove (33) configured to house the lift cord (11), and wherein the bottom rail (7) has a through hole (51) in a surface having the holding member (23) disposed thereon, said sunlight shielding apparatus (1) being characterized in that the rotating member (25) is attached to the holding member (23) through said through hole (51).
The apparatus (1) of claim 1, wherein the lift cord (11) is held in the first cord housing groove (33) between the holding member (23) and the bottom rail (7).
The apparatus (1) of claim 1, wherein
the rotating member (25) comprises:
a base (39);

a front end (41) extending from the base (39); and

a flange (42) radially projecting from the base (39), and

the rotating member (25) is inserted into the through hole (51) in such a manner that the flange (42) contacts an external surface of the bottom rail (7).
The apparatus (1) of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the rotation operation part (27) is disposed on a bottom of the bottom rail (7) or in a position in which the rotation operation part (27) can be operated through a through hole (51) formed in the bottom of the bottom rail (7).
The apparatus (1) of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the rotation operation part (27) is disposed on an external surface of the rotating member (25).
The apparatus (1) of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the rotating member (25) has a second cord housing groove (45) configured to house the lift cord (11).
The apparatus (1) of claim 6, wherein the rotating member (25) includes a nail (43) configured to engage with a top surface (56) of the holding member (23).
The apparatus (1) of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the rotating member (25) and the holding member (23) are engaged with each other in a plurality of circumferential positions.
The apparatus (1) of claim 8, wherein
the rotating member (25) includes a plurality of engaging projections (55) circumferentially disposed at equal intervals, and

the holding member (23) has a plurality of engaging recesses (53) configured to engage with the engaging projections (55).
The apparatus (1) of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the holding member (23) is disposed in the bottom rail (7) in such a manner that the holding member (23) cannot rotate or in such a manner that an angle by which the holding member (23) can rotate about a rotation axis of the rotating member (25) falls within 90 degrees.
The apparatus (1) of claim 10, wherein
the bottom rail (7) includes a rail (29) therein, and

the holding member (23) is disposed in a desired position by inserting the holding member (23) into the rail (29) from a longitudinal end of the bottom rail (7) and then sliding the holding member (23).
The apparatus (1) of any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein
the first cord housing groove (33) is formed over an entire length of the holding member (23),

the lift cord (11) is held in the first cord housing groove (33) over an entire length of the first cord housing groove (33),

the holding member (23) has a fitting hole (37) configured to fit with the rotating member (25), the fitting hole (37) provided in a position which divides the first cord housing groove (33), and

the rotating member (25) is inserted into the fitting hole (37) and thus engaged with the holding member (23).
A method for manufacturing the sunlight shielding apparatus (5) of claim 1, the method comprising:
(1) disposing the holding member (23) on the bottom rail (7) in such a manner that a position of a fitting hole (37) formed in the holding member (23) and a position of a through hole (51) of the bottom rail (7) are matched together;

after step (1), (2) inserting the rotating member (25) into the fitting hole (37) through the through hole (51) from an external surface of the bottom rail (7) to fit the rotating member (25) into the holding member (23); and

prior to step (1), between steps (1) and (2), or after step (2), (3) housing the lift cord (11) in the first cord housing groove (33) of the holding member (23).
The method of claim 13, wherein
step (3) comprises:
(A) passing the lift cord (11) through the through hole (51) formed in the bottom rail (7);

after step (A), (B) housing the lift cord (11) in the first cord housing groove (33) of the holding member (23); and

after step (B), (C) pulling the lift cord (11) out of the through hole (51) toward an internal surface of the bottom rail (7), and

steps (A), (B), and (C) are performed prior to step (1).
The method of claim 14, wherein step (B) comprises housing the lift cord (11) in the first cord housing groove (33) by sliding the holding member (23) in such a manner so as to step over the through hole (51).