By: Judith Persit
Blinds were invented by the ancient Egyptians. They had a basic function of tilting using pulleys, and were not commonly used because of their high cost. If you believe that myth, then you need to read this article. Blinds could only have been invented many years later as they were needed to control entering light. In fact, blinds were an innovation after curtains. Therefore, unlike beer, blinds cannot draw their roots back to an invention by the ancient Pharaohs and they cannot be blamed for the lost tombs either.
Modern day blinds are a very unique product because of the important everyday function they perform in the home – the blockage of light and the procurement of personal privacy. Additionally the security factor can not be ignored in these modern times. In order for blinds to provide the aforementioned functions, versatility in tilting of the slats and its ability to be raised to a given point are indispensable. If the only function of a blind were to just block a window, less expensive ways can be found, i.e. cover the opening with newspaper, use of cloth sheets or any other unaesthetic material which today is completely unacceptable.
Blinds are generally available in horizontal and vertical designs thus accommodating the particular requirements of the window or door to be covered. Controls are built in to perform the opening and tilting functions of the modern day blind and are also available in a multitude of colors and sizes to fit all applications. All blinds, regardless of origin, must perform these functions in order to meet the consumer demand and specific requirements. In summary, similar functions are found in all blinds with disregard to their origin. Only the quality of the components will dictate the smoothness of operation and reliability of the blind.
As previously mentioned, all blinds typically have two functions – tilt and raise. In the case of vertical blinds, the raising function is replaced by the traverse/open function. The end result of these operating functions is to either adjust the incoming light, control privacy or totally exposing the covered opening. All blinds perform similar functions thus giving the consumer the preferred function at a specific time.
To make sure that it is out there first, miniblinds are almost exactly the same as wood blinds, when it comes to the control system. Even if a company offers a specialty system, the components might be higher quality, or look nicer, but the basic functions are the same.
The same principle applies to vertical blinds regardless of the internal systems used by the fabricators. The functions of the vertical blind remain the same – tilt open or close or traverse open or close as desired.
To start with the traverse of a vertical blind, or a lift of a wood blind, one must visualize the blinds. The cords for this action exit one side of the blind. They are pulled in a downward motion to cause the lift or traverse. In the case of a vertical blind, pulling the other direction causes the opposite direction. In the case of a horizontal blind, this action is prevented by a cord lock, but disengaging the cord lock causes this effect to occur. This works by a pulley action. A cord end is attached to one end of the blind, and the other end is what you pull. When you pull, the other end of the cord drives everything else in the control system in that direction.
What about tilting and rotating? Those effects are caused by adjusting a different cord, or chain. This movement causes a geared actuator inside the blind to rotate a metal rod. In a horizontal blind, the actuator is the tilter, either wand or cord style, and the rod that is moved is called a tiltrod. The rod has collectors for the cords, which move one side of the ladder up. The movement in the other direction does the same thing in reverse. In the case of a vertical blind, the action is the movement of a pinion gear moved by a chain control. The pinion gear moves a gear in the carriers that support the hanging vertical fabric. That part then moves to adjust the orientation of the slat material.
Although the basic functions of blinds remain basically the same, in an effort to differentiate their products, certain fabricators offer “enhancements” to their specific products such as monocommand controls, plastic or metal chains, plastic or metal weights, valance and bottom rail designs, etc. However, these enhancements usually increase production and selling costs and have little bearing on the basic operation of either the horizontal blind or vertical blind.
The basic elements of blinds are the same among various systems. If one needs to repair a blind, usually it is best to try to work with a retailer, who can determine if the blinds are reparable. In many cases, the blinds are so outdated that they may be a safety risk in the homes. However, if you will make repair to your blinds, at least you can understand how they work.
Judith Persit learned alot about vertical blinds for her interior design degree, and writes about vertical blinds. Learn more aboutblinds at her website.
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