Patent Application
20080230189
The invention relates generally to cordless window coverings and more particularly to cordless window coverings having relatively soft, flexible panels.
Window coverings having flexible shade panels such as woven wood shades, natural shades, Roman shades, hobbled shades, looped shades, and the like are known. Because of the construction of the shade panel such shades typically are light permeable. For example, the flexible panel of a woven shade may comprise a plurality of horizontal members constructed of bamboo, faux bamboo, or the like connected together by woven cords. Natural shades may comprise a plurality of horizontally extending fabric pieces loosely woven with a plurality of vertically extending woven pieces. Such shades typically allow some light to pass through the shade through the spaces or gaps in the woven material. While such shades provide an aesthetically pleasing window covering, in some applications the user may desire the appearance of a woven shade with a window covering that provides greater light filtering or blocking characteristics.
Day/night shades are also known. One type of day night shade comprises a pleated shade panel where the top portion of the shade has a first light blocking/filtering ability and the bottom portion of the shade has a second light blocking/filtering ability. The shade can be raised to expose the bottom portion of the shade or lowered to expose the top portion of the shade.
One embodiment of the window covering comprises a window covering having a flexible panel and a first lift cord for raising the flexible panel. A second panel is at least partially coextensive with the flexible panel and a second lift cord is provided for raising the second panel. The flexible panel may have an upper edge and a lower edge where the upper edge is connected to a head rail and the lower edge is disposed below the head rail. The second lift cord may raise the upper edge of the second panel. In one embodiment a third panel at least partially coextensive with a portion of the flexible panel and a third lift cord for raising the top edge of the third panel are provided. In this embodiment the second panel has a first light blocking characteristic and the third panel has a second light blocking characteristic.
The window covering is shown generally at 1 in the illustrations and comprises a head rail 2 supporting the upper edge 5 of a flexible shade panel 4 and may have a bottom rail 6 located at the lower edge 3 of the panel 4. Either or both the head rail 2 and the bottom rail 6 may be covered in the shade panel fabric such that they are hidden from view. The flexible shade panel 4 may comprise woven wood shades, natural shades, Roman shades, hobbled shades, looped shades, or the like where the shade panel is made of a relatively flexible material. In the illustrated embodiment the shade panel 4 is a woven wood shade and comprises a plurality of horizontal members 9 constructed of bamboo, faux bamboo, reeds, grasses or the like connected together by woven cords 7. The shade panel 4 may also comprise a fabric panel made of a plurality of horizontal and vertical strips of fabric or other material woven to create the panel. The panel 4 is relatively soft such that it can be folded over itself or rolled when the shade panel is raised. Further, because the panel may be made of woven elements the panel is light permeable both through the materials of the shade and through the gaps between the various woven elements.
The head rail 2 and shade panel 4 are typically dimensioned to coincide with the dimensions of the architectural feature with which the window covering is intended to be used. While the invention is referred to as a window covering and may be used primarily to cover windows, it is to be understood that the invention may be used to cover any architectural feature such as a window, door, opening, alcove or the like.
The upper edge 5 of the panel 4 is secured to the head rail 2 such that the head rail extends for substantially the width of the panel 4. The head rail 2 may be comprised of a rigid material such as a wood, plastic or metal and may be formed as a solid member or may be formed as a hollow member such as a U-shaped member.
A second panel of material 8 is located on one side of the panel 4. In one embodiment the second panel is located on the back side of panel 4 such that it is hidden from view when the window covering is located on an architectural feature. The second panel of material 8 may be provided with particular light blocking/filtering characteristics. For example, the second panel 8 may be completely light blocking or it may be partially light blocking or light filtering. In the illustrated embodiments the second panel has a width that is substantially the same as the width of panel 4 and extends between the bottom rail 6 or lower edge 3 and a midpoint P of the panel 4. It is to be understood that the midpoint P does not necessarily constitute the exact center of the shade panel may be any point between the upper edge 5 and lower edge 3 of panel 4. In the illustrated embodiment panel 8 has an upper edge 8a secured to the panel 4 at midpoint P and a lower edge 8b secured at or near the lower edge 3 of panel 4.
Lift cords 10 and 12 are connected adjacent to the bottom edge of panel 4 or to the bottom rail 6. The lift cords 10 and 12 extend from the bottom edge of panel 4 to the head rail 2 and pass across and/or through the head rail to form pull cord portions 10a and 12a that can be manipulated by the user to raise and lower the bottom edge of panel 4. In one alternate embodiment the lift cords extend from the bottom edge of panel 4 into the head rail 2 and pass through and out of the head rail to form pull cord portions 10a and 12a. It is to be understood that the lift cords may run through a pulley or roller system 20 that supports and guides the cords through the head rail (
A rail 18 may be provided at the midpoint P to support the center of panel 4 as it is raised by lift cords 14 and 16. Specifically, rail 18 may comprise a rigid member that extends between the side edges of panel 4. The rail may extend for the entire width of the panel 4 or it may extend for a slightly greater or lesser distance than the entire width of panel 4. The lift cords extend through rings 22 that are secured to the panel 4 to guide the lift cords and create the folded pleats 23 of the panel 4 in the retracted position.
To operate the window covering of the invention, the user may manipulate either or both lift cords 10, 12 and lift cords 14,16 to vary the light blocking characteristics of the shade. For example a user may pull portions 14a, 16a to shorten the lift cords 14, 16 and raise the center of the shade as shown in
To change the light blocking/filtering characteristics of the window covering 1, pull portions 14a, 16a are manipulated to lengthen the lift cords 14, 16 and lower the midpoint P of the shade. The pull portions 10a, 12a are then manipulated to shorten the lift cords 10, 12 and raise the bottom of the shade as shown in
Similarly the pull portions 14a, 16a and 10a, 12a can be manipulated such that both the lower edge 3 and midpoint P of panel 4 are located in positions between the completely raised and completely lowered positions. Such a position is shown in
The second panel 8 is shown to be coextensive with approximately half of the shade panel 4; however, panel 8 may extend over more or less of the shade panel. Further, a third panel 30 may be provided, as shown in
The second panel 8 may also extend from the top edge of panel 4, adjacent head rail 2, to the mid-point P as shown in
It is to be understood that the panels 8 and 30 have light blocking and/or light filtering characteristics that change the light that passes through the window covering when compared to the panel 4 alone. The ability of the panels 8 and 30 to filter and/or block light is referred to herein as light blocking characteristics. The panels 8 and 30 may be made of a tightly woven fabric, a polymer sheet or other flexible member that alters the characteristic of light as it passes through the window covering. For example the panels 8 and 30 may filter some portion of or substantially all of the light passing through the window covering or panels 8 and 30 may change the color of the light passing through the window covering or otherwise alter the light passing through the window covering. Further, the panels 8 and 30 may be made of more than one layer of material to achieve the desired light blocking characteristic.
While the system for raising and lowering the lift cords 10, 12, 14, 16, 32 and 34 has been described as a manual system where the user manually manipulates the exposed pull cord portions of the lift cords, the lift cords may be raised and lowered using other means. For example, an electric motor may be used to raise and lower the lift cords. The electric motor may be powered by a battery and controlled by a remote control using an infrared signal or the like. The electric motor may be located in or on the head rail and connected to the lift cords through a pulley system or other transmission system. Additionally, spring motors may be used to raise and lower the lift cords. Spring motors comprise a plurality of spools around which the lift cords are wrapped. A spring is operatively connected to the spools and stores energy when the window covering is lowered (the lift cords are extended). A user may push on the panel 4 to raise and lower the panel. The spring motor assists in the raising of the panel and holds the panel in the desired position when the user stops applying a force to the window covering. Other mechanisms for raising and lowering the panel may also be used.
Specific embodiments of an invention are disclosed herein. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the invention has other applications in other environments. Many embodiments are possible. The following claims are in no way intended to limit the scope of the invention to the specific embodiments described above.
This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to the filing date of U.S. Provisional Application 60/919,052 filed on Mar. 20, 2007, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60919052 | Mar 2007 | US |
