Claims
- 1. In a method of sizing a pleated shade to a desired size at the point of purchase in a retail outlet utilizing the level of skill of service personnel available in such retail outlets, said pleated shade having head rail means, bottom rail means, pleated fabric having a plurality of pleats formed therein, and means for retaining the upper and lower end portions of the pleated fabric in the head and bottom rail means, the method comprising:
- moving the pleated fabric and said rail means laterally with respect to each other to thereby expose said rail means;
- sizing said rail means while the pleated fabric remains retained with said rail means and laterally offset relative to said rail means,
- sizing said pleated fabric while said pleated fabric remains retained with said rail means and laterally offset relative to said rail means; and
- aligning the sized rail means and the sized pleated fabric following sizing.
- 2. The method of claim 1 further characterized in that the head and bottom rail means are sized separately.
- 3. The method of claim 2 further characterized in that the head and bottom rail means are each sized by removing a portion of the rail means material in a single sizing operation.
- 4. The method of claim 1 further characterized in that the pleated fabric is sized by removing excess pleated fabric material from each end portion of the pleated fabric.
- 5. The method of claim 4 further characterized in that substantially equal portions of excess pleated fabric material are removed from each end portion of the pleated fabric.
- 6. The method of claim 1 further characterized in that moving the pleated fabric and said rail means laterally with respect to each other includes moving a lift cord means having a distal end portion secured to the bottom rail means and a proximal end portion received in the head rail means and extending outwardly therefrom, such that
- the subsequent sizing operations occur while said head rail means, bottom rails means, pleated fabric, and lift cord means remain assembled as a unit.
- 7. A method for sizing a pleated shade to a desired width, said pleated shade including a head rail, a bottom rail, and a pleated fabric having a top portion and a bottom portion slidably attached to the head rail and bottom rail respectively, the pleated fabric, head rail and bottom rail each having a first end and a second end, the method comprising:
- moving the pleated fabric laterally with respect to the head rail such that a portion of the head rail extends beyond the first end of the pleated fabric, and the second end of the pleated fabric extends beyond the second end of the head rail;
- sizing the head rail while the pleated fabric remains slidably attached to the head rail and bottom rail and laterally offset from the head rail and bottom rail;
- moving the pleated fabric laterally with respect to the bottom rail such that a portion of the bottom rail extends beyond the first end of the pleated fabric, and the second end of the pleated fabric extends beyond the second end of the bottom rail;
- sizing the bottom rail while the pleated fabric remains slidably attached to the bottom rail and laterally offset from the bottom rail;
- sizing the pleated fabric proximate the second end while the second end of the pleated fabric extends beyond the second ends of the head rail and bottom rail;
- moving the pleated fabric laterally with respect to the head rail and bottom rail such that the first end of the pleated fabric extends beyond the head rail and bottom rail;
- sizing the pleated fabric proximate the first end while the first end of the pleated fabric extends beyond the first ends of the head rail and bottom rail; and
- aligning the sized pleated fabric, head rail and bottom rail.
- 8. A method for sizing a pleated shade to a desired width, said pleated shade including a head rail and a pleated fabric having a top portion attached to the head rail, the method comprising:
- moving the pleated fabric laterally with respect to the head rail;
- sizing the head rail independently of the pleated fabric while the pleated fabric remains connected to the head rail and laterally offset from the head rail,
- sizing the pleated fabric while the pleated fabric remains connected to the head rail and laterally offset relative to the head rail.
- 9. The method of claim 8 wherein moving the pleated fabric laterally with respect to the head rail includes extending a first end of the pleated fabric beyond a first end of the head rail.
- 10. The method of claim 9 wherein sizing the head rail includes cutting a portion of the head rail opposite the first end of the head rail.
- 11. The method of claim 9 wherein sizing the pleated fabric includes cutting a portion of the pleated fabric proximate the first end, and cutting a portion of the pleated fabric proximate a second end, distal the first end of the fabric.
- 12. The method of claim 9 wherein sizing the pleated fabric includes cutting a portion of the pleated fabric proximate the first end, moving the pleated fabric laterally with respect to the head rail such that a second end of the pleated fabric distal the first end of the pleated fabric extends beyond a second end of the head rail, and cutting a portion of the pleated fabric proximate the second end.
- 13. The method of claim 8 further including moving the pleated fabric laterally with respect to a bottom rail to which the pleated fabric is connected, and sizing the bottom rail independently of the pleated fabric while the pleated fabric remains connected to the bottom rail and laterally offset from the bottom rail.
- 14. The method of claim 13 wherein moving the pleated fabric includes moving a lift cord having a distal end connected to the bottom rail and a proximal end thereof received in the head rail and extending outwardly therefrom, such that the subsequent sizing operations occur while said head rail means, bottom rails means, pleated fabric, and lift cored remain assembled as a unit.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/790,290 filed Nov. 8, 1991, the benefit of the filing date of which is hereby claimed now abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 07/726,879, filed on Jul. 8, 1991 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,604,647.
US Referenced Citations (6)
Continuations (1)
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790290 |
Nov 1991 |
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Continuation in Parts (1)
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726879 |
Jul 1991 |
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