Catch for blinds

thingiverse

We urgently required blackout blinds for a loft window. The sloping nature of the window, being set into the roof of our house, would have necessitated expensive specialist blinds with guide rails or similar features. Since the window was not a standard size (i.e. not VELUX or similar due to the age of the building) most off-the-shelf blinds would not have fit properly. I found a set of blinds which could be cut to the width of the window using scissors and a junior hacksaw, and decided to create a catch for the bottom end of the blinds. The blinds we went for, Argos Blackout Roller Blinds priced at £12.99 available from http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/1896275.htm, feature a PVC tube at the bottom with a rounded rectangular profile. I designed a fitting in Fusion 360 to capture this profile with two screw holes to securely attach the fitting to the window frame. I 3D printed two of these fittings and attached them to the window frame (double-sided tape might be sufficient in some cases, but I chose to screw them into the wooden frame). The blind operates by lowering and raising it with a cord or chain and can maintain tension on the blinds. It doesn't block out all light (see photo) but makes a significant difference. Print Settings Printer Brand: Ultimaker Printer: Ultimaker 2 Rafts: No Supports: No Resolution: 0.1 or 0.2mm Infill: 100% Notes: This part could have been printed hollow but the time and material difference was not worth it, so I chose to go for a solid part. How I Designed This Software Autodesk Fusion 360