Patent Application
20060054289
None.
Not applicable.
Various window coverings have been devised for regulating the amount of light let into a building through a window, and to provide a degree of privacy. Sunlight, in particular, is one form of light that can be both beneficial and undesirable at times. For instance, sunlight can provide solar heating within a room of a building when the light rays are allowed to freely enter through a window. This heating may be desirable in colder seasons when the outside air temperature is rather low, but contrastingly, is undesirable in warmer seasons when the air within a building is constantly being cooled by an air conditioning system. Furthermore, ultraviolet (UV) rays in sunlight can cause damage to various items, including carpets, furniture, etc., when exposed to such UV rays over an extended period of time. Window coverings can thus reduce the exposure to UV rays by substantially blocking their pathway into a building.
One window covering design popular for residential use involves hanging a curtain rod above one or more windows to allow various clips suspending one or more curtains to slid along the rod. Each curtain may be moved manually by pulling the curtain in one direction, or if the curtain rod has a track in which the clips may travel, by pulling on draw cords connected with the clips to slide the same within the track and move the curtain to expose the window. While the typical curtain rod arrangement works well for rectangular windows, for a number of reasons, it is utilized less frequently to cover arch shaped windows typically formed over traditional rectangular windows, as can been seen in the exemplary arrangement in
Therefore, homeowners and the like often neglect to cover arched windows because of the difficulty in finding and installing an arched window covering that is aesthetically pleasing. While at times they may prefer to leave the arched window uncovered, at other times they could realize energy savings by blocking solar radiation from substantially entering their home and preserve their carpets, upholstery, and other items from UV degradation.
A removable window covering for an arched window is provided. The window covering includes a reinforcing frame having at least one joint, fabric secured around the frame, and attachment means for removable securing of the covering over an arched window. The covering is divided into sections so that it is easily foldable for transporting and storage.
In one aspect, the window covering has four sections and can be separated into two separate pieces each comprising two sections and having a reinforcing frame. The sections of each piece are connected at the joint of the frame allowing the sections to be folded over atop one another. The two pieces each have attachment means, such as hook and loop fasteners (e.g., VELCRO®) positioned therearound for mating with similar attachment means preferably mounted on the casement surrounding the window to allow for installation and removal of the window covering as desired.
The window covering provides many advantages, including being lightweight, aesthetically pleasing, insulative, easy to install and remove, compact, easy to clean, and inexpensive to manufacture.
In the accompanying drawings which form a part of the specification and are to be read in conjunction therewith and in which like reference numerals are used to indicated like elements in the various views:
With reference initially to
As can be seen in more detail in
The frame 12 can be formed of any lightweight material that is fairly rigid, such as cardboard, plastics or very thin plywood, and typically one frame portion is provided for each wedge shaped section 50, 60, 70, 80 to define the overall shape of the respective section. The fabric 14 envelops each frame section and may be, for example, made of natural fibers, synthetics, or a combination of the two. In one arrangement, the fabric 14 may comprise a first general type of material overlaying the front side 20 of the window covering 10, and a second UV resistant material (e.g., high-density polyethylene) overlaying the backside 22 of the covering that may be exposed to direct sunlight through the window. Alternatively, or in addition to having UV resistant characteristics, the second UV resistant material may be a thermally insulative fabric to aid in making the indoor environment less vulnerable to the influence of outdoor temperatures or to sunlight contacting the covering 10.
Attachment means 18 may be in the form of a hook and loop system, such as that commonly referred to under the brand name VELCRO®, where the hook component 24 is secured to one of the window covering 10 and the window casement 100, and the loop component 26 is secured to the other of the covering and casement, as can be seen in
One exemplary fabrication method for the window covering 10 will now be described with reference to
The frame 12 forming the foundation for the first and second components 90, 92 of the window covering 10 is then enveloped by the fabric 14. The fabric 14 is preferably sewn over the frame 12 as to surround both frame pieces forming the respective component 90 or 92 of the covering 10. For instance, a first fabric piece 30 overlaying the covering front side 20 may be sewn to a second fabric piece 32 overlaying the covering backside 22. The sewing takes place—for each of the components 90 and 92—around the perimeter of the frame 12 forming the respective components 90 or 92. Other attachment means, such as adhesives or glues may be used instead of sewing to secure the first and second fabric pieces 30, 32 together to envelop the frame pieces only if such adhesives or glues can withstand the elevated temperatures endured by the covering 10 when exposed repeatedly to radiation from incoming sunlight. Optionally, at the time of sewing the first and second fabric pieces 30, 32 together, or thereafter, a fabric ruffle 34 may be sewn around the edges of the sections 50, 60, 70 and 80.
Finally, the hook and loop components 24, 26, as attachment means 18, can be secured to the first and second components 90, 92 of the window covering 10 on the backside 22 thereof as described above. In one arrangement, the hook components 24 are sewn (e.g., in 1 inch squares or circles) onto the second fabric piece 32 on the backside 22 of the covering 10, and the loop components 26 are glued or adhered onto the window casement 100 near where the arched window 200 interfaces therewith. However, the location of the hook components 24 and loop components 26 could be reversed, such that the loop components 26 are secured to the covering 10 and the hook components 24 are secured on the casement 100. One suitable adhesive for attaching the loop components 26 is that sold under the name “Perfect Glue 2, Liquid Nails” offered by ICI Paints of Cleveland, Ohio. Other glues or epoxies may also be used.
The window covering 10 may be easily installed over an arched window 200 by unfolding the particular component (first component 90 or second component 92) to be flat, aligning the hook and loop components 24, 26 between the component 90 or 92 and the window casement 100, and pressing the component 90 or 92 against the window casement 100. Then, the other component 90 or 92 is aligned and pressed against the casement 100 over the uncovered part of the window 200 to complete the installation of the covering 10 over the window 200. Because of a degree of rigidity provided by the frame 12, and the lightweight nature of the covering 10, each component 90, 92 can usually be lifted to a high location merely by holding onto a lower portion 36 of the particular component 90, 92. When it is desired to see through the window 200 towards the outdoor environment, or to merely clean the window from the inside, each component 90, 92 may be independently pulled outward to overcome the gripping force of the hook and loop components 24, 26 and remove the covering 10 from attachment with the casement 100. Then each component 90, 92 may be folded at the respective joint 16, as shown in
It should be understood that the window covering 10 may, alternatively, be formed where all of sections 50, 60, 70 and 80 are attached together such that the first and second components 90, 92 become just a single body with another joint 16 formed therebetween. However, this design would have more bulk and weight, which may be noticeable when attempting to mount the covering 10 over the arched window 200. In still another arrangement, the first and second components 90, 92 may be formed of more than four sections (i.e., more than sections 50, 60, 70 and 80). For instance, six sections may be selected such that each of the first and second components 90, 92 may be divided into three sections, and an additional joint 16 would be required for each component 90, 92.
From the forgoing, it can be seen that the window covering 10 of the present invention provides an effective solution for covering an arched shaped window that is also easy to install and remove as desired. Furthermore, since certain changes may be made in the above invention without departing from the scope hereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
