Retractable shade with collapsible vanes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10030438-B2
Application number	US-201615296652-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2016
Priority date	Aug 20, 2003
Publication date	Jul 24, 2018
Grant date	Jul 24, 2018

Abstract

A retractable cover for architectural openings having collapsible vanes includes a support structure in the form of a sheet of material, monofilaments, tapes, ribbons, cords, or the like, supporting an upper edge of a plurality of vertically spaced, horizontally extending vanes with the lower edges of the vanes in most embodiments of the invention being connected to operating elements adapted to raise the lower edges of each vane toward the upper edges to define openings or gaps between the vanes through which vision and light can pass in an open condition of the covering. Variations of the covering do not require movement of a lower edge of a vane relative to an upper edge but simply movement of some vanes relative to other vanes. The vanes can be made of materials having different flexibilities and where more rigid materials are used, creased fold lines can be established for desired operability.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A covering for an architectural opening, said covering comprising:
a rotatable roller;
a support structure movable upon rotation of said roller;
a plurality of operating elements movable upon rotation of said roller, said plurality of operating elements spaced across a width of said support structure; and
at least one vane extending across a face of said support structure, said at least one vane including an upper edge portion supported by said support structure and a lower edge portion movable with said plurality of operating elements such that movement of said plurality of operating elements relative to said support structure causes movement of said lower edge portion towards or away from said upper edge portion.

2. A covering as in claim 1 , wherein said at least one vane comprises a plurality of vanes each including an upper edge portion supported by said support structure and a lower edge portion movable with said plurality of operating elements such that movement of said plurality of operating elements relative to said support structure causes movement of said lower edge portions of said plurality of vanes towards or away from said upper edge portions of said plurality of vanes.

3. A covering as in claim 2 , wherein said lower edge portions of said plurality of vanes are coupled to said plurality of operating elements at spaced locations along a length of said plurality of operating elements.

4. A covering as in claim 1 , wherein rotation of said roller causes said lower edge portion to move relative to said upper edge portion via movement of said plurality of operating elements.

5. A covering as in claim 1 , wherein said lower edge portion moves towards said upper edge portion to move said at least one vane towards an open position.

6. A covering as in claim 1 , wherein said lower edge portion moves away from said upper edge portion to move said at least one vane towards a closed position.

7. A covering as in claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of attachment strips positioned between said support structure and said plurality of operating elements.

8. A covering as in claim 1 , wherein said support structure is disposed in a first vertical plane offset from a second vertical plane bisecting said roller when said at least one vane is in an open position.

9. A covering for an architectural opening, said covering comprising:
a rotatable roller; and
a panel coupled to said roller, said panel comprising:
a support structure having a first side edge and a second side edge;
at least one operating element extending along said support structure between said first side edge and said second side edge of said support structure; and
at least one vane extending across a face of said support structure from said first side edge to said second side edge, said at least one vane including an upper edge portion supported by said support structure and a lower edge portion movable with said at least one operating element;

wherein movement of said at least one operating element relative to said support structure causes movement of said lower edge portion of said at least one vane towards or away from said upper edge portion of said at least one vane.

10. A covering as in claim 9 , wherein said at least one operating element comprises a plurality of operating elements spaced across a width of said support structure between said first side edge and said second side edge of said support structure.

11. A covering as in claim 9 , wherein:
said support structure is sheer; and
movement of said at least one operating element relative to said support structure causes movement of said at least one vane relative to said support structure between a closed configuration in which said at least one vane extends across said support structure to block view through a portion of said support structure and an open configuration in which said at least one vane is folded to permit viewing through said portion of said support structure.

12. A covering as in claim 11 , wherein:
said at least one vane includes a plurality of vanes vertically spaced from one another along said support structure; and
movement of said at least one operating element relative to said support structure causes movement of said plurality of vanes relative to said support structure between a closed configuration in which said plurality of vanes extend across said support structure to block view through said support structure and an open configuration in which said plurality of vanes are configured to permit viewing between said plurality of vanes and through said support structure.

13. A covering as in claim 9 , wherein said at least one vane includes a plurality of vanes vertically spaced from one another along said support structure.

14. A covering as in claim 9 , wherein:
said at least one operating element extends along a height of said support structure between said first side edge and said second side edge of said support structure; and
said at least one vane extends across a width of said support structure transverse to the height of said support structure and from said first side edge to said second side edge of said support structure.

15. A covering as in claim 9 , wherein said at least one vane is actuated by rotation of said roller.

16. A covering for an architectural opening, said covering comprising:
a rotatable roller;
a support structure extending from said roller;
at least one operating element extending from said roller; and
at least one vane including an upper edge portion supported by said support structure and a lower edge portion movable with said at least one operating element such that movement of said at least one operating element in a first direction relative to said support structure causes said lower edge portion to move toward said upper edge portion and movement of said at least one operating element in a second direction opposite said first direction relative to said support structure causes said lower edge portion to move away from said upper edge portion;
wherein said covering is movable between a retracted position in which said covering does not cover the architectural opening and an extended position in which said covering covers the architectural opening.

17. A covering as in claim 16 , wherein said covering is wrapped around said roller in said retracted position.

18. A covering as in claim 16 , wherein said at least one operating element comprises a plurality of operating elements spaced across a width of said support structure.

19. A covering as in claim 16 , wherein said at least one operating element is narrower than said support structure.

20. A covering as in claim 16 , wherein rotation of said roller causes movement of said at least one operating element which in turn causes movement of said lower edge portion.

Assignees

• Hunter Douglas

Inventors

• Colson Wendell B
• Harper Marjorie G
• Fogarty Daniel M
• Hartman David P
• Jelic Ralph G
• Kopecky Kristi K

Classifications

• E06B9/34

  roller-type; {Roller shutters with adjustable lamellae} · CPC title

• E06B2009/2625

  Pleated screens, e.g. concertina- or accordion-like · CPC title

• E06B9/384

  Details of interconnection or interaction of tapes and lamellae · CPC title

• E06B2009/2429

  One vertical sheet and slats · CPC title

• E06B2009/2627

  Cellular screens, e.g. box or honeycomb-like · CPC title