Retractable shade for coverings for architectural openings

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016305183-A1
Application number	US-201615189077-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 22, 2016
Priority date	Dec 22, 2003
Publication date	Oct 20, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A retractable cellular shade is illustrated in various embodiments to consist of a support structure that could assume numerous forms including cellular material, flexible sheets of material, tapes or ribbons, or flexible monofilaments or similar cords of natural or synthetic fibers with the support structure supporting a plurality of vanes or slats in various configurations and orientations. The movement of the vanes or slats is totally dependent upon movement of the support structure. The fabric so formed can be incorporated into a covering for architectural openings with the covering including a headrail with means for gathering the fabric material within the headrail.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A covering for an architectural opening, comprising:
a roller; a support structure suspended from said roller; and resilient slats or vanes secured to said support structure at vertically-spaced locations and extending horizontally across said support structure, each of said resilient slats or vanes including a lower edge that is unsecured; wherein said support structure and said resilient slats or vanes are wrappable around said roller.

2 . The covering of claim 1 , wherein said resilient slats or vanes include an arcuate transverse cross section.

3 . The covering of claim 2 , wherein a concave side of said resilient slats or vanes faces said support structure.

4 . The covering of claim 2 , wherein said resilient slats or vanes are configured to resiliently deform when wrapped around said roller such that said resilient slats or vanes resume their arcuate transverse cross section when unwrapped from said roller.

5 . The covering of claim 1 , wherein said lower edge is supported by the next adjacent lower resilient slat of vane when said support structure is in a fully extended condition.

6 . The covering of claim 1 , wherein said each of said resilient slats or vanes include a height such that said resilient slats or vanes overlap a next adjacent lower resilient slat or vane when said support structure is in a fully extended condition.

7 . The covering of claim 6 , wherein said lower edge is supported by the next adjacent lower resilient slat of vane when said support structure is in the fully extended condition.

8 . The covering of claim 1 , wherein said each of said resilient slats or vanes are secured to said support structure along an upper edge of said each of said resilient slats or vanes.

9 . The covering of claim 8 , wherein said upper edge is folded to define a flap or tab.

10 . The covering of claim 1 , wherein said resilient slats or vanes are secured to said support structure with adhesive.

11 . The covering of claim 1 , wherein said support structure comprises a flexible sheet of material.

12 . The covering of claim 11 , wherein said sheet of material comprises a fabric selected from the group consisting of a sheer fabric, a woven fabric, and a non-woven fabric.

13 . A method of manufacturing a covering for an architectural opening, comprising:
extending resilient slats or vanes horizontally across a support structure; securing the resilient slats or vanes to the support structure at vertically-spaced locations such that each of said resilient slats or vanes include a lower edge that is unsecured; and suspending the support structure from a roller; wherein the support structure and the resilient slats or vanes are wrappable around the roller.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the resilient slats or vanes include an arcuate transverse cross section.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising orienting the resilient slats or vanes relative to the support structure such that a concave side of the resilient slats or vanes faces the support structure.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein securing the resilient slats or vanes to the support structure at vertically-spaced locations comprises securing the resilient slats or vanes to the support structure at vertically-spaced locations such that the lower edge is supported by the next adjacent lower slat or vane.

17 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising spacing the resilient slats or vanes along the support structure such that each of the resilient slats or vanes overlap a next adjacent lower resilient slat or vane when the support structure is in a fully extended condition.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising supporting the lower edge by the next adjacent lower resilient slat of vane when the support structure is in the fully extended condition.

19 . The method of claim 13 , wherein securing the resilient slats or vanes to the support structure at vertically spaced locations comprises securing an upper edge of each of the resilient slats or vanes to the support structure at the vertically spaced locations.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising folding the upper edge to define a flap or tab.

Assignees

• Hunter Douglas

Inventors

• Jelic Ralph G
• Colson Wendell B
• Swiszcz Paul G
• Jelic Kim
• Fogarty Daniel M
• Throne Jason T

Classifications

• E06B9/327

  Guides for raisable lamellar blinds with horizontal lamellae · CPC title

• E06B2009/2429

  One vertical sheet and slats · CPC title

• A47H23/04

  Shapes of curtains · CPC title

• E06B2009/2435

  Two vertical sheets and slats in-between · CPC title

• E06B9/264 Primary

  Combinations of lamellar blinds with roller shutters, screen windows, windows, or double panes; Lamellar blinds with special devices · CPC title