Cutting machine for window coverings

Abstract

A cutting machine for cutting components of window coverings has a machine base, a first cutting unit, a first restricting unit, a second cutting unit, and a second restricting unit. The first cutting unit and the second cutting unit are provided on the machine base. The first cutting unit is designed to cut a horizontal top rail, a horizontal bottom rail and horizontal slats of a venetian blind, and a vertical top rail of a vertical blind; the second cutting unit is designed to cut vertical slats of the vertical blind. The first and the second restricting units are designed to hold the components to be cut at specified positions by the first and the second cutting units.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A cutting machine for cutting components of window coverings, wherein the components of the window coverings include a horizontal top rail, a horizontal bottom rail and horizontal slats of a venetian blind, and a vertical top rail and vertical slats of a vertical blind, the cutting machine comprising:
 a machine base for the components, which is a substantially elongated member, which has a long axis and a short axis, wherein the machine base has a first side and a second side parallel to the short axis, and has a third side and a fourth side parallel to the long axis; 
 a first cutting unit, which is provided on the machine base and adjacent to the first side, including a base, a slat holding device, a cutter device, and a driving device; 
 the base having a first bore and a first positioning bore to receive the horizontal slats and the horizontal top rail respectively; 
 the slat holding device having a pressing block and a pushing member, wherein the pressing block is movably received in the first bore of the base and has a bore to receive the horizontal bottom rail; 
 the pushing member moves the pressing block toward the first positioning bore; 
 the cutter device, which is movably provided on the base, having a first cutter and a second cutter which are adjacent to the first bore and the first positioning bore respectively, and the first cutter is used to cut off the horizontal slats and the horizontal bottom rail, the second cutter is used to cut off the horizontal top rail; and 
 the driving device having a connecting member and an operating member, wherein the connecting member is connected to the cutter device, and the operating member is connected to the connecting member to move the cutter device; and  
 a second cutting unit, which is movably mounted on the machine base, comprising a frame, a cutter, and a controller; 
 the frame, which is movably provided on the machine base for a movement along the long axis of the machine base; 
 the cutter, which is movably provided in the frame, wherein a second bore is formed between the cutter and the frame to receive the vertical slats; and 
 the controller, which is connected to the cutter to move the cutter; 
 wherein the frame has a movable base and two rails; the movable base is movably mounted on the machine base, and the rails are connected to the movable base; the rails are vertical to the movable base and are parallel to the short axis of the machine base; the cutter is provided between the rails with opposite sides engaging the rails; and the controller moves the cutter to move in the rail to cut the vertical slats. 
 
     
     
       2. The cutting machine as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the pushing member of the slat holding device of the first cutting unit has a block, a shaft, and a flexible member; the block is connected to the connecting member; the block has an opening, and the base has an opening; the shaft is received in the opening of the block and passes through the opening of the base to connect to the pressing block; the flexible member is provided on the shaft and is between the block and the base to move the pressing block. 
     
     
       3. The cutting machine as defined in  claim 2 , wherein the shaft has a protrusion at a side adjacent to the pressing block; the protrusion is outside of the base; and the flexible member is between the protrusion and the block. 
     
     
       4. The cutting machine as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the cutter is provided with a slot parallel to the short axis of the machine base; and the controller includes a sliding block, a linkage, and a control bar; the sliding block is received in the slot of the cutter to move in the slot; the linkage is pivoted on the sliding block; and the control bar is pivoted on the frame and engages the linkage, whereby when the control bar is moved, the cutter is moved via the linkage and the sliding block. 
     
     
       5. The cutting machine as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a second restricting unit which has a fixing base and a restricting board; the fixing base is connected to the second side of the machine base, and the restricting board is movably provided on the fixing base to move along the long axis of the machine base. 
     
     
       6. The cutting machine as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a first restricting unit provided on the machine base, wherein the first restricting unit is closer to the first side than the first cutting unit; the first restricting unit has a stop device, a transmitting device, and a fixing device; the stop device is beside the first cutting unit; the transmitting device is connected to the stop device and the driving device; when the driving device moves the cutter device along the short axis of the machine base, the driving device moves the stop device between a first position and a second position, wherein the first position is closer to the cutter device than the second position; at the first position, the stop device rests against ends of the horizontal bottom rail and the horizontal slats in the first bore and the horizontal top rail in the first positioning bore; the fixing device is connected to the machine base; the transmitting device rests against the fixing device when the stop device is at the first position, and the transmitting device leaves the fixing device when the stop device moves toward the second position from the first position. 
     
     
       7. The cutting machine as defined in  claim 6 , wherein the transmitting device has a transmitting board, a transmitting shaft, a first supporting shaft, a second supporting shaft, and a locking member; the transmitting board is pivoted on the machine base through an axle; the transmitting board has a slot; the transmitting shaft has an end connected to the connecting member of the driving device to move with the cutter device; the transmitting shaft has a post on an opposite end to engage the slot of the transmitting board; the first supporting shaft has an end fixed to the machine base and an opposite end engaging the stop device, whereby the stop device is free to move between the first position and the second position relative to the first supporting shaft; the second supporting shaft has an end passing through the base and an opposite end pivoted on the transmitting board; the locking member is connected to the second supporting shaft; the locking member is provided with a scale to secure the stop device at a specific position; when the driving device moves the cutter device and the transmitting shaft, the post moves in the slot to swing the transmitting board and move the second supporting shaft in a direction away from the base, as a result, the stop device is moved in a direction away from the first bore and the first positioning bore. 
     
     
       8. The cutting machine as defined in  claim 7 , wherein the transmitting board of the transmitting device is closer to the first cutting unit than the fixing device of the first restricting member to be moved to rest against or leave the fixing device. 
     
     
       9. The cutting machine as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the connecting member of the driving device is a rack; the rack has teeth meshed with a gear set; and the gear set is connected to the operating member. 
     
     
       10. The cutting machine as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the base is further provided with a second positioning bore adjacent to the first positioning bore to receive the vertical top rail; the first bore, the first positioning bore and the second positioning bore are located in order along the short axis of the machine base; the cutter device further has a third cutter beside the second positioning bore to cut the vertical top rail. 
     
     
       11. A cutting device for cutting window coverings, comprising:
 a machine base, which is a substantially elongated member;   a frame, which one end of a window covering to be cut is passed through, the frame being positioned on the machine base;   a cutting unit, positioned corresponding to the frame, having at least one cutter device;   a driving device, connected to the cutting unit, the driving device being controlled to move the cutting unit with respect to the frame and to cut the window covering with the at least one cutter device; and   a positioning device, positioned on the machine base and adjacent to the frame, the positioning device comprising:
 a stop device, which is movably positioned on the machine base, the stop device being moved by the driving device from a first position to a second position, wherein, the first position is closer to the frame than the second position, and when the stop device is at the first position, the one end of the window covering passed through the frame abuts against the stop device; and 
 a transmitting device, connected to the stop device and the driving device, the transmitting device being driven by the driving device; wherein, the driving device drives the cutting unit and the transmitting device simultaneously such that when the at least one cutter device of the cutting unit is driven to cut the window covering by the driving device, the transmitting device moves the stop device from the first position to the second position so as to separate the stop device from the one end of the window covering.  
   
     
     
       12. The cutting device for cutting window coverings of claim 11, wherein the transmitting device comprises:
 a transmitting board having a slot, wherein the transmitting board is pivoted on the machine base through an axle, and is controllable to pivot on the machine base along the axle;   a transmitting shaft, wherein one end of the transmitting shaft is connected to the driving device, and the other end of the transmitting shaft includes a post engaged in the slot of the transmitting board, wherein the transmitting shaft is controllable to move with the cutting unit synchronously by the driving device; and   a supporting unit, fixed on the machine base, wherein the stop device is movably disposed on the supporting unit and is driven to move from the first position to the second position along the supporting unit.    
     
     
       13. The cutting device for cutting window coverings of claim 12, wherein the supporting unit comprises a first supporting shaft having one end fixed on the machine base, and an opposite end passing through the stop device, whereby the stop device is controllable to move along the first supporting shaft.  
     
     
       14. The cutting device for cutting window coverings of claim 13, wherein the supporting unit further comprises a second supporting shaft having one end passing through the frame, and an opposite end pivoted on a side of the transmitting board opposite to the post of the transmitting shaft; the second supporting shaft is controllable to move with respect to the frame together with the movement of the transmitting shaft driven by the driving device.  
     
     
       15. The cutting device for cutting window coverings of claim 14, wherein the transmitting device further comprises a locking member connected to the second supporting shaft and the stop device; the locking member fixes the stop device at a predetermined position on the second supporting shaft; when the driving device moves the cutting unit and the transmitting shaft, the post of the transmitting shaft slides along the slot of the transmitting board so as to move the second supporting shaft in a direction away from the frame and to move the stop device from the first position to the second position along the first supporting shaft.  
     
     
       16. The cutting device for cutting window coverings of claim 15, wherein the locking member comprises a scale positioned along a longitudinal direction of the second supporting shaft; the locking member fixes the stop device on the predetermined position according to the scale, and the predetermined position of the second supporting shaft is corresponding to the first position of the stop unit before the driving device moving the cutting unit.  
     
     
       17. The cutting device for cutting window coverings of claim 12, further comprising a fixing device, the fixing device being positioned on the machine base and adjacent to a side of the transmitting board opposite to the frame, wherein the transmitting board abuts against the fixing device when the stop device is at the first position; the transmitting board moves away from the fixing device when the stop device moves from the first position to the second position.  
     
     
       18. The cutting device for cutting window coverings of claim 11, wherein the frame comprises a first bore and a first positioning bore for receiving slats and a rail of the window covering respectively.  
     
     
       19. The cutting device for cutting window coverings of claim 18, further comprising a slat holding device having a pressing block and a pushing member, wherein the pressing block is movably positioned in the first bore of the frame, and the pushing member is controllable to move the pressing block toward the slats of the window covering received in the first bore of the frame.  
     
     
       20. The cutting device for cutting window coverings of claim 19, wherein the pressing block comprises a bore for receiving another rail of the window covering.