DESCRIPTION:

Field of the invention

The invention relates to a safety handgrip for a Venetian blind pull cord. State of the art

A safety handgrip of this type is generally known. The use of a Venetian blind pull cord is to raise and lower the Venetian blind. This pull cord often consists of two parallel cords having a handgrip at the free end. The two cords thus form a loop.

Situations have occurred in which small children and babies have accidentally ended up with their necks in the loop, for example because they fell. This may lead to serious consequences such as welts in the neck and even impending suffocation.

Summary of the invention.

It is an object of the invention to provide a safety handgrip of the type defined in the opening paragraph where the chance of physical injury caused by an accident is smaller than with the known safety handgrip. For this purpose the safety handgrip according to the invention is characterized in that it comprises:

- a frame which has a first end in which an input and output recess are present for a pull cord, as well as

a redirection element for the pull cord, which redirection element is present in and on the frame and movable in a direction to and from the input and output recesses and, when applied to the safety handgrip in a Venetian blind, redirects the pull cord so as to form the pull cord into a loop having two cord sections extending between the input and output opening respectively and the redirection element and a loop-forming section present between the two cord sections,

a spring which is present between the frame and the redirection element and retains the redirection element in a rest position, and a cutting blade which is fixed to the frame and, when the safety handgrip is used in a Venetian blind, is located within the loop of the pull cord redirected in the redirection element, which cutting blade has a cutting edge which is directed towards the loop- forming section of the pull cord,

where the redirection element is movable to a cutting position against the spring force if pressure is exerted on the front side of the safety handgrip while the pull cord is being held, in which cutting position the cutting blade is moved towards the loop-forming section of the pull cord and has cut through the pull cord.

By not attaching the pull cord to the handgrip, but arranging it as a loop which, in the event much pressure is exerted on the handgrip, is cut through, it is avoided that the loop may lead to bodily harm.

A reliable embodiment of the safety handgrip according to the invention is characterized in that the redirection element is provided with a recess in which the spring is accommodated and in that the frame is provided with a support element which is also accommodated in the recess, where the spring is locked in between the support element and a recess bounding wall facing the support element.

A compact embodiment of the safety handgrip according to the invention is characterized in that the frame is provided with an opening in which the redirection element is accommodated in a movable fashion.

For avoiding that the cutting blade may break while cutting through the pull cord, a further embodiment of the safety handgrip according to the invention is characterized in that the redirection element is provided with two parallel wall portions spaced apart from each other, where the cutting blade is located between the wall portions while running parallel to the wall portions.

For providing that the pull cord is cut through in a quick and proper manner without the need to exert large forces on the handgrip, a still further embodiment of the safety handgrip according to the invention is characterized in that the cutting edge of the cutting blade is tapered relative to the cord sections while running along the wall portions, so that the loop-forming section of the pull cord when the redirection element in the frame is moved across the cutting edge is thus gradually cut through.

Brief description of the drawings The invention will now be described in more detail below based on an example of embodiment of the safety handgrip according to the invention represented in the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of an embodiment of the safety handgrip according to the invention having a transparent housing and the redirection element in a position of rest; and

Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal view of the safety handgrip in which the housing has been omitted and the redirection element is in a cutting position. Detailed description of the drawings

Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of an embodiment of the safety handgrip according to the invention having a transparent housing and the redirection element in a position of rest. The safety handgrip 1 comprises a housing 3 accommodating a frame 5 which has a first end 5 A which contains an input and an output recess 7, 9 for a pull cord 11.

The frame 5 has a redirection element 13 for the pull cord which is movable in a direction to and from the input and output recesses 7, 9. This redirection element 13 redirects the pull cord 11 , so that the pull cord forms a loop by means of two cord sections 11A and 11B extending out of the input and output openings 7, 9 respectively and the redirection element 13 and a loop-forming section 11C located between the two cord sections.

A spring 19 is located between an upright support element 15 which is fixed to the frame 5 and a bounding wall of a recess 17 located in the redirection element 13, which spring retains the redirection element in a position of rest (the position depicted in Fig. 1).

A cutting blade 21 is fixed to the frame, which cutting blade is located within the loop of the pull cord 11 redirected in the redirection element 13. The cutting blade has a cutting edge 21 A which is directed towards the loop-forming section 11A of the pull cord 11. The redirection element 13 is movable to a cutting position (the position depicted in Fig. 2) against the spring force, if pressure is exerted on the front side of the safety handgrip while the pull cord 11 is being held. In this cutting position the cutting blade 21 has been moved towards the loop-forming section 11C of the pull cord 11 and has cut through the pull cord.

The frame 5 is provided with an opening 23 in which the redirection element 13 is movable. The redirection element 13 is provided with two parallel wall portions 25 spaced apart from each other, where the cutting blade 21 is located parallel to and between the wall portions.

The cutting edge 21 A of the cutting blade 21 is tapered relative to the cord sections 11A and 11B running along the wall portions 25, so that the loop-forming section l lC of the pull cord is moved across the cutting edge 21 A and thus gradually cut through when the redirection element 13 is moved in the frame 5.

Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal view of the safety handgrip 1 in which the housing has been omitted and the redirection element 13 is in a cutting position in which the loop-forming section 1 1 C of the pull cord 1 1 has been cut through almost completely.

Albeit the invention has been described in the foregoing with reference to the drawings, it should be observed that the invention is not by any manner or means restricted to the embodiment shown in the drawings. The invention also extends to all embodiments deviating from the embodiment shown in the drawings within the scope defined by the claims.