Claims
- 1. A window covering comprising a plurality of cells attached one atop the other, each said cell comprising:a substantially opaque top strip at the top of said cell; a substantially opaque bottom strip at the bottom of said cell; a front sheer strip extending vertically at a front of said window covering having an upper end folded inwardly toward a front edge of said top strip and a lower end folded inwardly toward a front edge of said bottom strip; a rear sheer strip extending vertically at a rear of said window covering having an upper end folded inwardly toward a rear edge of the top strip and a lower end folded inwardly toward a rear edge of the second strip; adhesive material connecting the end portions of said front and rear sheer strips to adjacent ends of said top and bottom strips to form a generally rectangular-shaped loop, wherein said plurality of cells are stacked one atop the other to form said window covering with the bottom strip of a first cell abutting the top strip of a second cell directly below said first cell; a head rail assembly attached to an uppermost cell of said plurality of cells; a bottom rail assembly attached to a lowermost cell of said plurality of cells; one or more lift cords connected to the head rail and the bottom rail for raising and lowering one of the head rail and bottom rail assemblies relative to the other of the head rail and bottom rail assemblies; and a layer of fabric positioned between each said cell and extending toward a rear side of said window covering, wherein each said rearwardly extending layer of fabric includes an aperture through which said one or more lift cords pass.
- 2. The window covering as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ends of the front and rear sheer strips overlap with the ends of the opaque strips.
- 3. The window covering as claimed in claim 2, wherein the adhesive is disposed between the overlapped ends of the front and rear sheer strips and the opaque strips.
- 4. The window covering as claimed in claim 1, wherein said substantially opaque top and bottom strips are adapted for at least partially impeding the flow of light through said cell and said front and rear sheer strips are made from fabric adapted to admit substantial amounts of light through said cell.
- 5. The window covering as claimed in claim 4, further comprising an operating element in contact with said cells for causing relative vertical movement of said front and rear sheer strips, wherein relative vertical movement between the front and rear sheer strips causes said substantially opaque top and bottom strips to rotate between a first substantially horizontal position and a second non-horizontal position.
- 6. The window covering as claimed in claim 5, wherein said substantially opaque top and bottom strips in the first substantially horizontal position allow light to flow between the front and rear sheer strips and through said window covering.
- 7. The window covering as claimed in claim 5, wherein said substantially opaque top and bottom strips in the second non-horizontal position at least partially obstruct the light flowing between said front and rear sheer strips and through said window covering.
- 8. The window covering as claimed in claim 1, wherein adjacent cells of said window covering are connected together at the end portions of said front and rear sheer strips.
- 9. The window covering as claimed in claim 8, wherein said adjacent cells are connected together by adhesive beads positioned proximate the end portions of said front and rear sheer strips.
- 10. The window covering as claimed in claim 1, wherein each said top and bottom strip has at least one opening through which said one or more lift cords pass.
- 11. The window covering as claimed in claim 1, wherein said one or more lift cords pass through the adhesive connecting the ends of the sheer strips and the top and bottom strips.
- 12. The window covering as claimed in claim 1, wherein the front and rear sheer strips of each said cell include at least one crease for enabling said cell to move between a collapsed position and an expanded position.
- 13. The window covering as claimed in claim 12, wherein the front sheer strip has at least one crease and the rear sheer strip has at least one crease.
- 14. The window covering as claimed in claim 13, wherein the creases in the front and rear sheer strips are directed inwardly toward one another.
- 15. The window covering as claimed in claim 13, wherein the creases in the front and rear sheer strips are directed outwardly away from one another.
- 16. The window covering as claimed in claim 1, wherein said top and bottom strips are made from flexible fabric.
- 17. The window covering as claimed in claim 1, wherein said front and rear sheer strips are made from flexible fabric.
- 18. A light control window covering comprising a plurality of cells attached one atop the other, each said cell comprising:a substantially opaque top strip at the top of said cell; a substantially opaque bottom strip at the bottom of said cell; a substantially transparent front sheer member extending vertically at a front of said window covering having an upper end folded inwardly toward a front edge of said top strip and a lower end folded inwardly toward a front edge of said bottom strip; a substantially transparent rear sheer member extending vertically at a rear of said window covering having an upper end folded inwardly toward a rear edge of the top strip and a lower end folded inwardly toward a rear edge of the bottom strip; said front and rear sheer members having end portions being flexibly connected to adjacent ends of said top and bottom strips to form a generally rectangular-shaped loop; an adhesive material comprising thin strips of material connecting said sheer members and said top and bottom strips to provide a flexible hinge between said sheer members and said top and bottom strips, wherein said plurality of cells are stacked one atop the other to form said window covering with the bottom strip of a first cell abutting the top strip of a second cell directly below said first cell; and an operating element in contact with said cells for causing relative vertical movement of said front and rear sheer members, wherein relative vertical movement between the front and rear sheer members causes said top and bottom strips to rotate between a first substantially horizontal position which allows light to flow between said sheer members and a second position in which said top and bottom strips at least partially obstruct the flow of light through said sheer members.
- 19. The light control window covering according to claim 18, wherein the operating element includes one or more lifting cords for lifting a lowermost cell of said window covering to thereby collapse one or more of said cells.
- 20. The light control window covering according to claim 18, wherein said cells are adhered to each other by beads of adhesive positioned proximate the end portions of said sheer members.
- 21. The light control window covering according to claim 18, wherein said substantially opaque top and bottom strips are made from soft fabric.
- 22. The light control window covering according to claim 18, wherein said front and rear sheer members are made from soft fabric.
- 23. A window covering comprising a plurality of cells attached one atop the other, each said cell comprising:a substantially opaque top strip at the top of said cell; a substantially opaque bottom strip at the bottom of said cell; a substantially sheer front strip extending vertically at a front of said window covering having an upper end folded inwardly toward a front edge of said top strip and a lower end folded inwardly toward a front edge of said bottom strip; a substantially sheer rear strip extending vertically at a rear of said window covering having an upper end folded inwardly toward a rear edge of the top strip and a lower end folded inwardly toward a rear edge of the second strip; adhesive material connecting the end portions of said front and rear strips to adjacent ends of said top and bottom strips to form a generally rectangular-shaped loop, wherein said plurality of cells are stacked one atop the other to form said window covering with the bottom strip of a first cell abutting the top strip of a second cell directly below said first cell; a head rail assembly attached to an uppermost cell of said plurality of cells; a bottom rail assembly attached to a lowermost cell of said plurality of cells; one or more lift cords connected to the head rail and the bottom rail for raising and lowering one of the head rail and bottom rail assemblies relative to the other of the head rail and bottom rail assemblies; and a layer of fabric positioned between each said cell and extending toward a rear side of said window covering, wherein each said rearwardly extending layer of fabric includes an aperture through which said one or more lift cords pass.
- 24. The window covering as claimed in claim 23, wherein adjacent cells of said window covering are connected together at the end portions of said front and rear strips.
- 25. The window covering as claimed in claim 24, wherein said adjacent cells are connected together by adhesive beads positioned proximate the end portions of said front and rear strips.
- 26. The window covering as claimed in claim 23, wherein each said top and bottom strip has at least one opening through which said one or more lift cords pass.
- 27. The window covering as claimed in claim 23, wherein said one or more lift cords pass through the adhesive connecting the ends of the front and rear strips and the top and bottom strips.
- 28. The window covering as claimed in claim 23, wherein the front and rear strips of each said cell include at least one crease for enabling said cell to repeatedly collapse and expand.
- 29. The window covering as claimed in claim 28, wherein the front strip has at least one crease and the rear strip has at least one crease.
- 30. The window covering as claimed in claim 29, wherein the creases in the front and rear strips are directed inwardly toward one another.
- 31. The window covering as claimed in claim 29, wherein the creases in the front and rear strips are directed outwardly away from one another.
- 32. The window covering as claimed in claim 23, wherein said top, bottom, front and rear strips are made from flexible fabric.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present application claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. Section 120 of commonly assigned U.S. provisional application No. 60/110,392 filed Dec. 1, 1998, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
US Referenced Citations (18)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
756270 |
Sep 1956 |
GB |
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60/110392 |
Dec 1998 |
US |