Process and system for manufacturing a roller blind

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9458663-B2
Application number	US-201113641481-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2011
Priority date	Apr 16, 2010
Publication date	Oct 4, 2016
Grant date	Oct 4, 2016

Abstract

A process and system for manufacturing roller blinds is provided which includes structure for performing plural steps including a first step of helically winding slat fabric about a drum, thereby forming a slat product. A second step includes moving the slat product from the drum to a platform. A third step includes winding the slat product about a roller tube to form a roller blind. A fourth step includes moving the blind from the platform to a heat treating device.

First claim

We claim:

1. A process of forming a slatted roller blind comprising:
forming a fabric layered with a plurality of thermally formable slats about a drum, each slat having a face;
winding the fabric layered with the plurality of thermally formable slats into a coil having an axis such that the face of each slat is substantially parallel with the axis of the coil, wherein the slats include a first slat and a last slat, the first slat is the innermost slat of the coil and the last slat is the outermost slat of the coil; and
heat treating the coil so as to set a wound shape into the slats such that the first slat has a smaller radius than the last slat.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the slats are narrow compared with a height of the fabric so that, on the slatted roller blind, adjacent slats are disconnected from each other and an open fabric exists there between.

3. A process of forming a slatted roller blind comprising:
forming a fabric including a plurality of thermally formable slats about a rotating drum;
winding the fabric about a roller to create a fabric wound roll; and
heat treating the fabric wound roll so as to set a wound shape into each slat.

4. The process of claim 3 , further including encasing the fabric wound roll prior to heat treatment.

5. The process of claim 3 , wherein the slats are narrow compared with a height of the fabric so that, on the slatted roller blind, adjacent slats are disconnected from each other with exposed fabric therebetween.

6. A process for fabricating a blind, comprising:
helically winding thermally formable slat material about a drum, thereby forming a slat product;
moving the slat product from the drum to a platform;
winding the slat product about a roller tube to form a roller blind; and
heat treating the roller blind while wound about the roller tube.

7. A process of forming a slatted roller blind comprising:
winding a fabric layered with a thermally formable slat material secured thereto about a roller;
encapsulating the wound roller; and
heat treating the wound roller so as to set a wound shape into the slat material.

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein the slats are coupled to the fabric prior to heat treatment.

9. The process of claim 7 , wherein the heat treatment causes the slat material to be bonded to the fabric.

10. The process of claim 6 , wherein the slat material is coated with a thermally activated adhesive.

11. The process of claim 8 , wherein the slats are bonded to the fabric by said heat treating.

12. The process of claim 2 , wherein the slats are bonded to the fabric with an adhesive activated by said heat treating.

13. The process of claim 7 , wherein the slat material is secured to the fabric by stitching.

14. The process of claim 7 , wherein the slat material is secured to the fabric by welding.

15. The process of claim 7 , wherein the fabric and the thermally formable slat material are the same material type, and the slat material is treated with a thermally formable resin after being layered to the fabric.

16. The process of claim 3 , wherein the fabric and the thermally formable slats are the same material type, and the slats are treated with a thermally formable resin after being layered to the fabric.

17. A process for fabricating a blind, comprising:
helically winding thermally formable slat material about a drum, thereby forming a slat product;
winding the slat product about a roller tube to form a roller blind; and
heat treating the roller blind while wound about the roller tube.

18. The process of claim 17 , further comprising:
helically winding fabric about the drum; and
winding the slat material about the fabric.

19. The process of claim 17 , wherein:
winding the slat product about the roller tube provides the slat material with a spiral curvature profile; and
heat treating the blind sets the spiral curvature profile into the slat material.

20. The process of claim 17 , further comprising:
moving the slat product from the drum to a platform while helically winding additional slat material on the drum; and
synchronizing winding slat material, winding the slat product, and heating the blind, so that a first-formed blind, formed from a first-formed slat product, is moved from the platform to a heat treating device, substantially when a second-formed slat product is formed.

21. The process of claim 17 , wherein helically winding the thermally formable slat material about the drum further includes:
spinning the drum;
applying, via a slat distributing structure, slat material onto the drum; and
advancing the slat distributing structure between opposing axial ends of the drum at a rate which defines a height-wise spacing between the slat material.

22. The process of claim 17 , wherein helically winding the thermally formable slat material about the drum further includes cutting, along an axial groove in the drum, the slat product wound about the drum.

23. The process of claim 18 , wherein winding said slat material onto said fabric further includes:
coating the slat material with at least one application of adhesive, including a first application of adhesive at a top edge of a rear surface of the slat material; and
pressing the adhesive coating on said top edge of the rear surface into the fabric.

24. The process of claim 23 , wherein coating with adhesive includes coating a second application of adhesive, offset from a bottom edge of the rear surface of the slat material.

25. The process of claim 23 , wherein coating with adhesive includes coating a second application of adhesive, at a bottom edge on a front surface of the slat material.

26. The process of claim 18 , wherein winding the slat material about the fabric further includes layering a release layer with the slat material.

27. The process of claim 17 , further comprising cutting the slat material wrapped about the drum with a rotary blade.

28. The process of claim 3 , further comprising:
holding a leading edge of the fabric against the drum, at a first side of an axial groove, between a first metallic member and a first drum magnet; and
holding a trailing edge of the fabric against the drum, at a second side of the axial groove, between a second metallic member and a second drum magnet;
whereby the fabric is taut on the drum.

29. The process of claim 18 , further comprising:
revolving the drum once in a first direction;
unwinding the slat product from the drum;
revolving the drum once in a second direction opposing the first direction;
drawing, through an axial opening in the drum, additional fabric from a supply of fabric; and
helically winding the additional fabric about the drum.

30. The process of claim 29 , wherein:
winding slat material about the drum sandwiches a first metallic member between the fabric and slat material at a leading edge of the fabric at one circumferential side of the drum axial opening; and
unwinding the slat product from the drum includes:
gripping a leading edge of the slat product, via the first metallic member and a movable magnet;
carrying the leading edge of the slat product to a first platform magnet;
holding the leading edge of the slat product at the first platform magnet; and
holding the slat product at a second platform magnet with a second metallic member;
the second magnet being

Assignees

• Colson Wendell B
• Swiszcz Paul G
• Hartman David P
• Stanczyk Michael Robert
• Hunter Douglas

Inventors

• Colson Wendell B
• Swiszcz Paul G
• Hartman David P
• Stanczyk Michael Robert

Classifications

• E06B9/264 Primary

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

• B29C53/32

  Coiling (B29C53/56 takes precedence) · CPC title

• Y10T29/49861

  Sizing mating parts during final positional association · CPC title

• B29C65/4815

  Hot melt adhesives, e.g. thermoplastic adhesives · CPC title

• B29C53/58

  helically · CPC title