Double pleat cellular shade element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9376860-B2
Application number	US-201214240264-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 27, 2012
Priority date	Aug 26, 2011
Publication date	Jun 28, 2016
Grant date	Jun 28, 2016

Abstract

A covering for an architectural opening is provided. The covering may include a head rail, an end rail, and a cellular panel operably connected between the head rail and the end rail. The cellular panel may include at least one cellular unit. Each cellular unit may include a primary cell having a first side and a second side. In one configuration, the first side has a single crease, and the second crease has three creases. An outer wall may be operably connected to the primary cell and extend around at least a portion of a side of the primary cell.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A covering for an architectural opening, comprising:
a head rail;
an end rail; and
a cellular panel operably connected between the head rail and the end rail, the cellular panel including at least one cellular unit, each cellular unit comprising:
a primary cell including:
a top;
a bottom;
a first side extending between the top and the bottom, the first side having a first crease; and
a second side extending between the top and the bottom, the second side having a second crease, wherein:

the top, the bottom, the first side, and the second side define a continuous inner volume of the primary cell;
an outermost portion of the second side is disposed between the top and the bottom of the primary cell;
the first crease is an outer crease having an apex directed away from the inner volume of the primary cell;
the second crease is an inner crease having an apex directed toward the inner volume of the primary cell; and
the first and second creases are defined in or adiacent to opposing sides of the cellular panel.

2. The covering of claim 1 , wherein the second crease is aligned with the first crease.

3. The covering of claim 1 , wherein each cellular unit further comprises an outer wall connected to an outer top surface and an outer bottom surface of the first side of the primary cell to form a secondary cell disposed laterally adjacent to the primary cell, the outer wall having a crease aligned with the first crease of the primary cell.

4. The covering of claim 3 , wherein the outer wall has approximately the same shape and size as the first side of the primary cell.

5. The covering of claim 3 , wherein the first crease of the first side, the second crease of the second side, and the crease of the outer wall each have an apex disposed in a common plane and oriented in a common direction.

6. The covering of claim 1 , wherein the first and second creases are disposed in a common plane.

7. The covering of claim 1 , wherein:
the second side includes a third crease and a fourth crease;
the third crease is positioned vertically between the top of the primary cell and the first crease;
the fourth crease is positioned vertically between the first crease and the bottom of the primary cell; and
the second crease is positioned vertically between the third and fourth creases.

8. The covering of claim 7 , wherein the third and fourth creases are outer creases each having an apex directed away from the inner volume of the primary cell.

9. A covering for an architectural opening, comprising:
a head rail;
an end rail; and
a cellular panel operably connected between the head rail and the end rail, the cellular panel including at least one cellular unit, each cellular unit comprising:
a primary cell including an inner volume defined by:
a top;
a bottom vertically separated from the top;
a first side extending between the top and the bottom, the first side having a first crease; and
a second side laterally separated from the first side and extending between the top and the bottom, the second side having a second crease; wherein:

the first crease has an apex directed away from the inner volume of the primary cell;
the second crease has an apex directed towards the inner volume of the primary cell;
the second crease is defined in one of a front side or a rear side of the cellular panel; and
the first side extends towards one of the front side or the rear side of the cellular panel as the first side approaches the top, and the second side extends towards the other of the front side or the rear side of the cellular panel as the second side approaches the top.

10. The covering of claim 9 , wherein the first crease and the second crease are positioned vertically equidistant between the top and the bottom of the primary cell.

11. The covering of claim 9 , wherein each cellular unit further comprises an outer wall operably connected to the primary cell and extending around at least a portion of the first side of the primary cell to form a secondary cell.

12. The covering of claim 11 , wherein the outer wall is coextensive in height with the first side of the primary cell.

13. The covering of claim 11 , wherein the outer wall includes a crease that is aligned with the first crease and the second crease.

14. The covering of claim 9 , wherein:
the second side includes a third crease and a fourth crease;
the third crease is positioned vertically between the first crease and the top of the primary cell; and
the fourth crease is positioned vertically between the first crease and the bottom of the primary cell.

15. The covering of claim 14 , wherein the third and fourth creases each have an apex directed away from the inner volume of the primary cell.

16. The covering of claim 14 , wherein the third crease is positioned vertically equidistant between the first crease and the top of the primary cell.

17. The covering of claim 16 , wherein the fourth crease is positioned vertically equidistant between the first crease and the bottom of the primary cell.

18. A cellular shade comprising:
at least two cellular units, each cellular unit including:
an inner cell including:
a top;
a bottom;
a first side having a first pleat and extending between the top and the bottom; and
a second side having a second pleat and extending between the top and the bottom, the second pleat disposed vertically between the top and the bottom of the inner cell; and

a lift mechanism for extending and retracting the at least two cellular units and including a lift cord extending through an inner volume of the inner cell, wherein:
the first pleat is an outer pleat having an apex directed away from the inner volume of the inner cell;
the second pleat is an inner pleat having an apex directed towards the inner volume of the inner cell; and
the second pleat is defined in an exterior side of the cellular shade.

19. The cellular shade of claim 18 , wherein each cellular unit includes an outer cell defined by an outer wall operably connected to the first side of the inner cell and including a single pleat, the outer wall having approximately the same shape and size as the first side of the inner cell.

20. The cellular shade of claim 19 , wherein the single pleat of the outer cell is aligned with the first pleat of the first side.

21. The cellular shade of claim 19 , wherein the second pleat of the second side is aligned with the first pleat of the first side and with the single pleat of the outer wall.

22. The cellular shade of claim 18 , wherein:
the second side includes a third pleat and a fourth pleat disposed vertically between the top and the bottom of the inner cell; and
the third and fourth pleats are outer pleats each having an apex directed away from the inner volume of the inner cell.

23. The covering of claim 22 , wherein one of the third and fourth pleats is positioned vertically between the second pleat and the top of the inner cell, and wherein the other of the third and fourth pleats is positioned vertically between the second pleat and the bottom of the inner cell.

24. The covering of claim 23 , wherein the one of the third and fourth pleats is positioned vertically equidistant between the second pleat and the top of the inner cell.

25. The covering of claim 23 , wherein the other of the third and fourth pleats is positioned vertically equidistant between the second pleat and the bott

Assignees

• Josephson Paul F
• Sevcik Thomas E
• Swiszcz Paul G
• Hunter Douglas

Inventors

• Josephson Paul F
• Sevcik Thomas E
• Swiszcz Paul G

Classifications

• E06B9/30

  liftable · CPC title

• E06B9/262 Primary

  with flexibly-interconnected horizontal or vertical strips; Concertina blinds {, i.e. upwardly folding flexible screens} · CPC title

• E06B9/38 Primary

  Other details · CPC title

• E06B2009/2627

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