BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a top down/bottom up shade of the invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a day/night shade of the invention.
FIGS. 3 and 4 are perspective section views showing the attachment of the lift cord to the bar in a day/night shade like that illustrated in FIG. 2.
FIG. 5 is a side view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
The window covering of the invention is shown generally at 1 in FIG. 1 and includes a head rail 2 made of a rigid material such as aluminum, wood or the like. The head rail 2 is typically mounted to an architectural feature 4 such as a window such that the window covering may selectively cover the feature. While the window covering 1 is shown with a window it is to be understood that the architectural feature may be a door, alcove or any other feature. The head rail 2 is typically secured to the architectural feature using releasable brackets (not shown) such that the window covering may be removably mounted although any mounting mechanism may be used.
Supported on the head rail 2 is a shade panel 6 consisting of a plurality of cells 8 that extend for substantially the width of the panel. The panel 6 has an upper edge 6a that is disposed closer to head rail 2 than the panel lower edge 6b. The panel 6 may be made of a woven or non-woven material that is constructed to form the substantially contiguous cells 8 where the cells have a polygonal cross-sectional shape and extend substantially parallel to the head rail 2. Referring to FIG. 5, each cell 8 is formed of a plurality of faces 8a that are joined at fold lines 8b such that the cell can collapse when the shade is retracted and expand when the shade is extended. While cells 8 having six faces are illustrated it is to be understood that the cells may have a fewer or greater number of faces and that the specific shape of the cells can vary. The interior of each cell 8 is typically open although it is known to include additional layers of material inside the cells to increase thermal insulation or light impermeability. Moreover, while a single cell configuration is illustrated the shade of the invention may be configured as a double or triple cell shade. A double cell configuration has two layers of cells while a triple cell configuration has three layers of cells. The cellular panel 6 may be created by any known method and is typically made by stitching, gluing, mechanically fastening or otherwise joining multiple pieces of the material together to form the cells.
Referring again to FIG. 1, a bottom rail 10 is secured to the lower edge 6b of the panel 6 by adhesive, mechanical connection or other securing device. The bottom rail 10 may be formed of aluminum, wood or other rigid material. The bottom rail 10 adds weight to the panel 6 to assist in the lowering of the panel and maintains the shape of the panel.
The panel 6 is supported on head rail 2 by a first pair of lift cords 12 and a second pair of lift cords 14. The lift cords 12 are connected to the bottom rail 10 and are used to raise and lower the lower edge 6b of the panel 6. The second pair of lift cords 14 are secured to the uppermost cell 24 located at the upper edge 6a of the panel 6 as will hereinafter be described to raise and lower the upper edge of the panel. The lift cords 12 and 14 extend into the head rail 2 and are connected to draw cords 16 and 18, respectively, that are manipulated by the user to raise and lower the lower edge of the panel and the upper edge of the panel, respectively. Pulling on draw cord 16 will cause lift cords 12 to raise the lower edge of panel 6 and pulling on draw cord 18 will cause lift cords 14 to raise the upper edge of panel 6. Releasing the draw cords 16 and/or 18 allows the upper and lower edges of the panel to extend away from the head rail 2. In some embodiments the lift cords and draw cords consist of a common element such that, for example, each lift cord 12 extends through the head rail to form draw cord 16 and each lift cord 14 extends through the head rail and to form draw cord 18. The head rail 2 typically includes spools or other mechanisms over which the cords are wound and lock mechanisms 20 and 22 for locking the blind panel 6 in the desired position. In one embodiment the lock mechanisms 20 and 22 releasably secure the draw cords 16 and 18 to lock the panel 6 in position.
Referring to FIG. 2 a day/night shade is shown generally at 200 where like reference numerals are used to refer to like components previously described with respect to the shade of FIG. 1. The difference between the day/night shade 200 shown in FIG. 2 and the top down/bottom up shade 1 previously described with respect to FIG. 1 is the addition of a second shade 201. The upper edge 201a of shade 201 is connected to the head rail 2 and the lower edge 201b of shade 201 is connected to the uppermost cell 24 of shade 6. As the upper edge 6a of shade 6 is raised and lowered using lift cords 14 the lower edge 201b of shade 201 is also raised and lowered. Shade 201 may be made of a translucent material to allow some light to pass through the shade while shade 6 may be made more opaque to prevent light from passing through. In this manner the shade may selectively control the amount of light passing through it.
Referring to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, to raise and lower the upper edge 6a of panel 6 the lift cords 14 are connected to rigid bar 22 that is located within the uppermost cell 24 of panel 6. The uppermost cell is the cell located nearest to the upper edge 6a of the panel 6. Because the blind illustrated in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 is a day/night shade the lower cells of panel 201 are shown where the lower edge 201b of panel 201 is connected to the uppermost cell 24 of panel 6. In the top down/bottom up shade of FIG. 1, panel 201 is eliminated. In either configuration, the arrangement of bar 22, cell 24 and lift cords 12 and 14 is generally the same such that reference will be made to the day/night configuration for purposes of explanation.
Rigid bar 22 comprises a rigid member that extends for substantially the entire width of the panel 6. Bar 22 may be made of aluminum, rigid plastic, wood or other rigid material. As best shown in FIG. 5, the profile of rigid bar 22 is formed to conform, at least partially, to the shape of cell 24. In one embodiment the upper surfaces 22a of bar 22 conform to the shape of the upper surfaces 24a, 24b, and 24c of the cell 24 such that the top faces of cell 24 are supported by the bar 22 in such a manner that the bar 22 helps to maintain the shape of the cell 24. The weight of panel 6 is supported by the engagement of cell 24 on top of bar 22. By shaping bar 22 to conform to the desired shape of cell 24, cell 24 is supported so that its external appearance that is the same as the other cells in panel 6. The bar 22 may also be formed to conform to the entire interior shape of the cell. In such an arrangement cell 24 could not collapse when the blind is retracted. By providing the bar 22 adjacent only to the upper faces of the cell 24 the cell may partially collapse when the blind is retracted yet bar 22 supports the cell so as to maintain the shape of the cell. Other arrangements are also possible. For example, bar 22 could be made flat and support only surface 24b of cell 24.
Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the lift cords 14 extend through apertures 30 formed in the top of cell 24 and are connected to the bar 22 internally of the cell 24. The lift cords may be connected to the bar by any suitable means where the movement of the lift cord results in the lifting or lowering of the bar. For example the lift cord may extend though an aperture formed in the bar 22 and a knot 32 can be tied in the end of the lift cord (shown in FIG. 3) to prevent it from being withdrawn back through the aperture. The lift cord may also be secured to a fastener 34 (shown in FIG. 4) to secure it to the bar. Alternatively, the lift cord may be secured to the bar by an adhesive or any other securing device. In a day/night shade the lift cords 14 also pass through apertures 40 formed in the cells of shade panel 201.
Referring to FIG. 5, the lift cords 12 also extend through apertures 36 formed in the top cell 24. The lift cords 12 also pass through apertures 38 formed in the bar 22. Lift cords 12 extend through apertures formed in each of the other cells 8 and are connected to the bottom rail 10 such that the raising and lowering of the lift cords 12 result in the raising and lowering of the bottom rail 10 without moving bar 22.
By placing the support bar 22 within the cell 24, the outward appearance of the panel 6 has a uniform appearance from its upper edge 6a to the bottom rail 10. Moreover, in a top down/bottom up shade when the upper edge 6a of the panel 6 is in its completely raised position the top edge of cell 24 abuts the head rail to create an appearance that is the same as a traditional bottom up shade. Further, the upper edge 6a of the panel 6 can be brought into tight engagement with the head rail 2 to minimize light gaps. In a day/night shade the upper cell 24 may have the same shape as the cells of both the top panel 201 and the bottom panel 6 such that a continuous length of cells is presented uninterrupted by a middle rail.
It is also possible to place the bar 22 in a cell other than the top cell 24. For example the bar 22 may be placed in the second cell from the top edge 6a such that the upper most cell 24 simply rides on top of the cell in which the bar 22 is located.
Specific embodiments of an invention are described herein. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the invention has other applications in other environments. In fact, many embodiments and implementations are possible. The following claims are in no way intended to limit the scope of the invention to the specific embodiments described above.
Patent Application
20080083508
