| 0581410 | April, 1897 | Biehn | 49/60 | |
| 1057310 | March, 1913 | White | 49/60 | |
| 1609877 | Circle-head-window shade | December, 1926 | Kendall | 160/84.07 |
| 5002112 | Suspension and actuation systems for specialty window shades | March, 1991 | Schnebly et al. | |
| 5010939 | Blind for arched windows | April, 1991 | King | |
| 5794680 | Retractable arced window covering | August, 1998 | Xue | 160/84.07 |
| 6145569 | Arched window blind | November, 2000 | Shaw et al. | 160/84.07 |
| 6865817 | Window shade with measurement guide | March, 2005 | Militello et al. | 33/194 |
| 7000669 | Locating device of fan-like blind embodiment | February, 2006 | Hsu | 160/84.07 |
The present invention relates to an improved bracing bracket for arched window blinds and particularly to a bracing bracket for arched window blinds that is easy to install rapidly.
In the general residential houses or buildings, many people like to set up arched window blinds on the upper side of the windows to enhance ornamental effect. Most people also set up window coverings on the inner side of the windows and arched transoms to block sunshine and protect privacy. To set up window coverings on a window and an arched window, a bracing bracket has to be installed first. FIG. 1 (U.S. Pat. No. 6,145,569) illustrates an arched window blind which has an one-way extendable blind B mounted on one side of a window sill A and a bracing bracket C to hold the blind B. The bracket C includes a base C 1 and arched tracks C 2 and C 3 to guide extension of the blind B. Although it can hold the blind B, the bracket C is difficult to install. It also is more costly.
FIG. 2 shows U.S. Pat. No. 5,010,939 which is a blind for arched windows. It includes a bracing bracket D containing a center axle D 1 to couple with two sets of blinds E and F on the periphery. While it is relatively easy to install on the window sill of an arched window, the coupling locations in the center of the blinds B and F are remote from the axle D 1 . The extended blinds E and F do not have a coupling basis. As a result, coupling of the blinds E and F cannot be done smoothly.
FIG. 3 shows another conventional bracket structure disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,002,112. The bracing bracket G has an arched seat G 1 and a center plank G 2 and two side planks G 3 and G 4 . The side planks G 3 and G 4 are respectively coupled with an inset plank G 5 and G 6 . A window shade H has a hollow material H 1 to couple on the center plank G 2 . Then two sides H 2 and H 3 of the window shade H are bonded to the side planks G 3 and G 4 to brace the window shade H on the bracing bracket G. Installation involves assembly and bonding of the window shade, and is more complicated.
In view of the aforesaid disadvantages occurred to the conventional bracing brackets such as more expensive and difficult to install, applicant discovers that most arched window blinds are seldom opened once set up. Hence to install a window blind that may be opened one-way or two-way, or closed is a waste of construction and cost. Moreover, most conventional arched window blinds cannot be trimmed to fit different types of arched windows. There are still rooms for improvement.
Therefore the primary object of the invention is to provide an improved bracing bracket for arched window blinds that has a protrusive seat and a plank. The protrusive seat has an arched top rim with a wedge notch formed thereon, and a mark formed respectively in the center of a front end and a rear end thereof. The plank has a wedge rib on one end mating and engageable with the wedge notch to form a bracing bracket to serve as the bonding basis of a left material and a right material.
The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a front view of the arched window blind structure disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,145,569.
FIG. 2 is a front view of the arched window blind disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,010,939.
FIG. 3 is a front view of the arched window blind structure disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,002,112.
FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the present invention.
FIG. 5A is a perspective view of the present invention in use.
FIG. 5B is a perspective view of the bracing bracket of the present invention.
FIG. 5C is a cross section taken on line 5 C- 5 C in FIG. 5B.
FIG. 6A is a front view of the present invention assembled.
FIG. 6B is another front view of the present invention assembled.
FIG. 7 is a schematic view of the window blind trimmed to a smaller size according to the present invention.
FIG. 8 is an exploded view of another embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 9 is a front view of another embodiment of the invention.
Please referring to FIGS. 4 through 5C, the improved bracing bracket for arched window blinds according to the present invention includes a protrusive seat 1 and a plank 2 . The protrusive seat 1 has an arched and convex top rim with a wedge notch 11 formed thereon to couple with the plank 2 , a mark 12 formed respectively in the center of a front side and a rear side. The protrusive seat 1 has a bottom side 13 bonding to a double-sided adhesive 3 , and two arched surfaces 14 and 15 on two sides to couple with a left material 5 and a right material 6 . The plank 2 has a wedge rib 21 on one end mating the wedge notch 11 .
For assembly, affix the double-sided adhesive 3 on the bottom side 13 of the protrusive seat 1 , and align the marks 12 on the front and rear ends of the protrusive seat 1 with the center of a window sill 4 and mount the protrusive seat 1 onto the window sill 4 for anchoring; couple the wedge rib 21 in the wedge notch 11 to form the bracing bracket (as shown in FIGS. 5B and 5C). Thereby two arched surfaces 14 and 15 on two sides of the protrusive seat 1 may be coupled with the left material 5 and the right material 6 , and two neighboring edges 50 and 60 of the material 5 and 6 may be bonded to the basis side of the plank 2 . The left and right material 5 and 6 also have respectively an outer edge 51 and 61 coupling with a double-side adhesive 52 and 62 to bond to the window sill 4 to install the left and right material 5 and 6 as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B.
Referring to FIG. 7. The left and right material 5 a and 6 a of the invention to the plank 2 , may be trimmed according to the size of the arched window and the specification of the window sill 4 a so that the two neighboring edges of the material 5 a and 6 a may be bonded together, then be positioned and bonded to the window sill 4 a as desired and become a different specification of the left and right material 5 a and 6 a.
Refer to FIG. 8 for another embodiment of the invention for bonding the plank 2 on the protrusive seat 1 and a material 5 b . The two sides of the plank 2 are bonded respectively to two neighboring pleated sides 50 b and 51 b of the material 5 b , and two lateral sides 52 b and 53 b of the material 5 b have respectively a double-sided adhesive 54 b bonded thereon to adhere to the window sill 4 b for installing the material 5 b (also referring to FIG. 9).