Blind Operating Systems Explained
Posted on: 25 January 2017
There are various ways in which blinds can be operated and most of them are reasonably easy to get to grips with. Understanding the various mechanisms can be beneficial if you are in the process of choosing a new blind for your home, for example selecting between indoor roller blinds, Venetian blinds or Roman-style blinds. It is also advantageous to have some knowledge of your operating system if yours gets jammed in some way and you are attempting to resolve the problem yourself.
Roller Blind Chains
Among the commonest sort of control mechanism for indoor blinds, roller blind chains are usually made up of a series plastic beads that are attached to one another by a loop of string. Although they are referred to as a chain, they are not really inter-linked in the way that, for example, metal security chains are.
A roller blind chain connects to the blind via a chain drive unit. The beads loop through it so that when they are pulled the chain drive unit rotates. As the chain drive unit is held in place by a mounting bracket and the roller blind has another static mounting bracket at the other end, the entire blind can be rolled up and down by pulling on the chain loop.
It is possible to shorten the length of a roller blind chain by cutting through and repositioning the joining piece which clamps the two ends together. Only do this where the joining piece won't need to pass through the chain drive unit or it bill prevent you from moving the blind fully.
Cord Locks
Some blinds, like Roman and Venetian ones, are pulled up and lowered by using a simple pull cord system. When the cord is pulled, the blind rises and when it is released, the blind drops. In order to stop the pull cord from slipping it needs to be gripped when it has reached the desired position. The operating system that does this is called a cord lock. When the pull cord runs vertically downwards, the jaws of the bracket grip it so that it won't slip. However, when the pull cord is moved to one side the jaws open up, thereby allowing the operator to set a new position for the blind.
Tilt Mechanisms
Used in Venetian, or slatted, blinds, tilt mechanisms can be operated by cords or wands. Either way, they manipulate a trapezium bracket which is above each of the blind's tape rolls. When the tilt mechanism is turned one way, the tape rolls come together and when they are turned the other, they move further apart. This way, it is possible to tilt the slats of a blind open or shut.
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