Dual fabric covering for architectural openings

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9328552-B2
Application number	US-201213609665-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 11, 2012
Priority date	Apr 28, 2008
Publication date	May 3, 2016
Grant date	May 3, 2016

Abstract

A covering for an architectural opening with improved insulating properties in one embodiment includes face-to-face cellular insulative components defining a fabric with dual layers of cells with the fabric being retractably mounted in a headrail so as to either be rolled about a roller or gathered adjacent to the bottom of the headrail. A first component of the fabric includes a pair of spaced parallel sheets of material interconnected with horizontally-extending flexible vanes so as to define a plurality of horizontally-extending, vertically adjacent cells of generally rectangular cross-sectional configuration. A second component of the fabric is mounted on one sheet of the first component of the fabric so as to form a plurality of vertically adjacent drooping segments of fabric forming a roman-shade appearance. Single or multiple layers of the components can be used with or without the other type of component.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A covering for an architectural opening, comprising:
a headrail;
a bottom rail operably associated with said headrail and extendable from and retractable to said headrail; and
a fabric operably associated with said headrail and said bottom rail, said fabric including a first cellular component and a second cellular component,
said first cellular component including a pair of vertically-extending, parallel sheets interconnected at vertically-spaced locations by a plurality of horizontally-disposed vanes, each of said vanes including vertically-oriented end portions attached to said sheets, said first cellular component defining a plurality of cells between said sheets and adjacent vanes, and
said second cellular component including a material attached to one of said sheets to form a plurality of droops of said material, each of said plurality of droops attached to said one of said sheets at a first location aligned with one of said vertically-oriented end portions of one of said vanes and at a second location aligned with one of said vertically-oriented end portions of another one of said vanes to define a plurality of vertically-adjacent cells horizontally disposed from said one of said sheets,

wherein when the covering is in a retracted position, said sheets of said first cellular component overlap each other and substantially gather on a first side of said bottom rail, and said second cellular component substantially gathers on a second side of said bottom rail.

2. The covering of claim 1 , further comprising a control system for moving said fabric between an extended position where said fabric hangs vertically from said headrail and said retracted position where said fabric is disposed adjacent to said headrail.

3. The covering of claim 1 , further comprising a rotatable roller operably associated with said headrail.

4. The covering of claim 3 , further comprising a lift cord operably associated with said headrail and said bottom rail, wherein when the covering is in said retracted position, said lift cord is wrapped about said roller.

5. The covering of claim 1 , wherein said sheets of said first cellular component are sheer fabric.

6. The covering of claim 1 , further including a metallic coating on a face of at least one of said sheets of said first cellular component.

7. The covering of claim 1 , wherein one of said sheets is made of a plurality of interconnected, horizontally-extending strips.

8. The covering of claim 7 , wherein said strips are a textile material having a length extending horizontally in the covering, and wherein a machine direction of said textile strips is in a longitudinal direction.

9. The covering of claim 1 , wherein said vanes have a width that defines a horizontal spacing between said sheets, and wherein said horizontal spacing is less than a vertical spacing between adjacent vanes.

10. The covering of claim 1 , wherein said vanes are made of a textile material having a length extending horizontally in the covering, and wherein a machine direction of said textile vanes is in a longitudinal direction.

11. The covering of claim 1 , wherein said vanes are operably connected to said sheets along a vertical face of each of said sheets.

12. The covering of claim 1 , wherein said another one of said vanes is a next adjacent, lower vane from said one of said vanes.

13. The covering of claim 1 , wherein each of said plurality of cells of said first cellular component is substantially four inches high and ⅜ inch wide.

14. The covering of claim 1 , wherein said first cellular component has an insulating R-value in a range of 1-3.

15. The covering of claim 14 , wherein said second cellular component has an insulating R-value in a range of 1-2.

16. The covering of claim 1 , wherein said droops of said second cellular component are formed from one continuous sheet of material.

17. The covering of claim 1 , wherein said material of said second cellular component is secured to said one of said sheets in said first cellular component along vertically-spaced horizontal lines of attachment.

18. The covering of claim 17 , wherein said material of said second cellular component is secured to said one of said sheets of said first cellular component with adhesive.

19. A covering for an architectural opening, comprising:
a headrail;
a rotatable roller operably coupled to said headrail;
a bottom rail;
at least one lift cord operably coupled to said roller; and
a fabric structure suspended from said headrail, said fabric structure comprising:
a pair of substantially parallel sheets interconnected at vertically-spaced locations by a plurality of vanes; and
a plurality of horizontally-disposed cells formed from droops of material attached to one of said sheets at a first location and a second location, wherein:

when the covering is in a retracted position, said at least one lift cord is wrapped about said roller, said sheets overlap each other and substantially gather on a first side of said bottom rail, and said plurality of cells substantially gather on a second side of said bottom rail;
said droops of material are attached to said one of said sheets along horizontal lines of attachment with gaps formed in said horizontal lines of attachment; and
said at least one lift cord is slidably positioned at least partially in said gaps.

20. The covering of claim 19 , wherein each of said plurality of vanes comprises
a first component secured to one of said sheets,
a second component secured to the other of said sheets, and
an intermediate portion extending between said sheets, said intermediate portion extending in a range of ⅜ inch to ¾ inch to establish a maximum spacing in that range between said sheets.

21. The covering of claim 19 , wherein each vane is vertically spaced from an adjacent vane in a range of 3.5 to 4.5 inches.

22. The covering of claim 19 , further including a third sheet of vertically-extending material and a second plurality of vanes interconnecting said third sheet to one of said pair of sheets at vertically spaced locations.

23. The covering of claim 22 , wherein said second plurality of vanes establish a maximum spacing in a range of ⅜ inch to ¾ inch between the sheets to which they are connected.

24. The covering of claim 23 , wherein said second plurality of vanes is substantially aligned with said plurality of vanes of said pair of substantially parallel sheets.

25. The covering of claim 22 , wherein said second plurality of vanes are elongated and horizontally oriented.

26. The covering of claim 19 , wherein said plurality of vanes are elongated and horizontally oriented.

27. The covering of claim 19 , wherein one of said sheets is made of a plurality of interconnected, horizontally-extending strips.

28. The covering of claim 27 , wherein said strips are a textile material having a length extending horizontally in the covering, and wherein a machine direction of the textile strip is in a longitudinal direction.

29. The covering of claim 19 , wherein said vanes are made of a textile material having a length extending horizontally in the covering, and wherein a machine direction of the textile vanes is in a longitudinal direction.

30. The covering of claim 1 , wherein a distance between said adjacent vanes is greater than a maximum spacing between

Assignees

• Dann Kevin M
• Siebenaller Michael J
• Marino Gary A
• Kovach Joseph E
• Hunter Douglas

Inventors

• Dann Kevin M
• Siebenaller Michael J
• Marino Gary A
• Kovach Joseph E

Classifications

• E06B2009/2627

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

• E06B2009/2458

  moving simultaneously · CPC title

• E06B9/582

  Means to increase gliss, light, sound or thermal insulation · CPC title

• E06B9/24 Primary

  Screens or other constructions affording protection against light, especially against sunshine; Similar screens for privacy or appearance; {Slat blinds}(operating, guiding or securing devices or arrangements for roll-type closures E06B9/56; free-hanging flexible screens A47H23/00) · CPC title

• E06B9/06 Primary

  collapsible or foldable, e.g. of the bellows or lazy-tongs type (bellows-type doors E06B3/94; roll-type grilles E06B9/18) · CPC title