# US 2016/0090779 A1 · Window Shade System and Housing-Guide Assembly > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2016/0090779 A1 - Document ID: US20160090779A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/628,890 - Filed: 2015-02-23 - Published: 2016-03-31 - Earliest claimed: 2014-09-29 - Assignees: Parata Solutions LLC - Inventors: Christopher J. Nurre; William B. Nurre - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20160090779A1 ## CPC - E06B 9/42: Parts or details of roller blinds, e.g. suspension devices, blind boxes (brackets or adjustable mountings for roller blinds and drawable curtains A47H1/13) - E06B: FIXED OR MOVABLE CLOSURES FOR OPENINGS IN BUILDINGS, VEHICLES, FENCES OR LIKE ENCLOSURES IN GENERAL, e.g. DOORS, WINDOWS, BLINDS, GATES (shades or blinds for greenhouses A01G9/22; curtains A47H; lids for car boots or bonnets B62D25/10; skylights E04B7/18; sunshades, awnings E04F10/00) ## Abstract A window shade system and housing-guide assembly for shading a window systemically includes a shade assembly, a bracket element and a guide-cover element. The shade element is furlable and unfurlable about an axis for rotation for selectively shading an outfitted window site. The bracket element includes a bracket-to-support interface portion and a guide-cover attachment portion. The guide-cover element includes a bracket-attachment portion, a shade-cover portion, and a shade-guide portion. The guide-cover element is attachable to the bracket element via mated engagement of the guide-cover attachment portion and the bracket-attachment portion. The shade-cover portion is formed so as to subtend an arc length radially anterior relative to the interface portion. The furled shade element is receivable in a space defined by the shade-cover portion and unfurlable via a shade-letting gap defined intermediate the shade-guide portion and the interface portion. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A window shade system for shading a window, the window shade system comprising, in combination: a shade assembly, the shade assembly comprising a shade element and axis fixing means for fixing a shade axis of rotation, the shade element being furlable and unfurlable about the shade axis for rotation for selectively shading the window; the shade element oriented about the shade axis of rotation such that the shade element hangs from the shade axis of rotation opposite the window; a bracket element, the bracket element comprising a bracket-to-support interface portion and a guide-cover attachment portion, the guide-cover attachment portion comprising an inverted L-shaped portion and a spacer portion, the L-shaped portion having a primary riser portion and a primary support portion; and a guide-cover element, the guide-cover element comprising an inverted Π-shaped, channel portion, a shade-cover portion, and a shade-guide portion, the channel portion having a posterior extension portion, an anterior extension portion, and the channel portion being elevated with respect to the shade-cover portion, a spacer extension portion, the shade-cover portion being formed so as to subtend an arc length radially anterior relative to the posterior extension portion, the shade-guide portion being formed so as to extend obliquely relative to a horizontal plane, the bracket-to-support interface portion being attachable to a support structure, the shade element being received in a space defined by the shade-cover portion, the axis fixing means fixing the shade axis of rotation relative to the shade-cover portion, the guide-cover element and shade assembly being attachable to the bracket element such that the guide-cover attachment portion is received in the channel portion, the shade-guide portion being downwardly sloped for guiding the shade element when being unfurled, the shade-guide portion terminating posteriorly at a guide-cover terminus situated in inferior adjacency to the bracket-to-support interface portion, an unfurled portion of the shade element being extendable through a shade-letting cap defined by the bracket-to-support interface portion and the guide-cover terminus and downwardly via the guide-cover terminus for selectively shading the window. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The window shade system of claim 1 wherein the guide-cover attachment portion comprises a secondary support portion parallel to the primary support portion, the primary and secondary support portions for simultaneously contacting the anterior extension portion for preventing rotation of the guide-cover element relative to the bracket element. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The window shade system of claim 2 wherein the primary and secondary support portions are spaced via the riser portion so as to effect a fastener-receiving channel, the fastener receiving channel for receiving at least one fastener, the at least one fastener for fastening the guide-cover element to the bracket element. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The window shade system of claim 1 wherein the shade-guide portion is outfitted with friction reduction means for reducing friction between the shade element and the shade-guide portion and enhancing uniform unfurlment of the shade element. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The window shade system of claim 1 wherein the bracket element comprises an L-shaped upper support attachment portion, the upper support attachment portion comprising an upper support riser portion and an upper support flange portion, the upper support flange portion being spaced from the primary support portion for enabling the guide-cover attachment portion to be received in the channel portion, the upper support flange portion providing means for attaching the bracket element to an upper support structure. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The window shade system of claim 1 comprising, in combination, a mount element, the mount element comprising a first mount portion and a second mount portion orthogonal to the first mount portion, the first mount portion being attachable to the bracket-to-support interface portion, the second mount portion being attachable to an upper support structure. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The window shade system of claim 1 comprising a valance, the valance being cooperable with the guide-cover element for concealing the same. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The window shade system of claim 1 comprising select means for furling and unfurling the shade element of the shade assembly, the select means being selected from the group consisting of user-powered means and electrically-powered means. ### Claim 9 A housing-guide assembly for housing a furled shade element and guiding the same as it unfurls, the housing-guide assembly comprising: a bracket element, the bracket element comprising a bracket-to-support interface portion and a guide-cover attachment portion, the guide-cover attachment portion comprising an inverted L-shaped portion and a spacer portion, the L-shaped portion having a primary riser portion and a primary support portion; a guide-cover element, the guide-cover element comprising a channel portion, a shade-cover portion, and a shade-guide portion, the channel portion having a posterior extension portion, an anterior extension portion and a spacer extension portion, the channel portion being elevated with respect to the shade-cover portion, the shade-cover portion being formed so as to subtend a single arc length radially anterior relative to the posterior extension portion, the bracket-to-support interface portion being attachable via an adhesive element attached to the bracket-to-support interface portion to a support structure, the guide-cover element being attachable to the bracket element such that the guide-cover attachment portion is received in the channel portion, a furled shade element being receivable in a space defined by the shade-cover portion and unfurlable via a shade-letting gap defined intermediate the shade-guide portion and the bracket-to-support interface portion, the furled shade element oriented such that the furled shade element unfurls within the shaded-cover portion on a side of the furled shade element opposite the vertical surface; and the adhesive element capable of adhering the housing-guide assembly to the support structure. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The housing-guide assembly of claim 9 wherein the shade-guide portion is downwardly sloped for guiding the shade element when being unfurled via the shade-letting gap. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The housing-guide assembly of claim 9 wherein the shade-guide portion terminates posteriorly at a guide-cover terminus, the guide-cover terminus being spatially situated in inferior adjacency to the bracket-to-support interface portion. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The housing-guide assembly of claim 9 wherein the guide-cover attachment portion comprises a secondary support portion parallel to the primary support portion, the primary and secondary support portions for simultaneously contacting the anterior extension portion for preventing rotation of the guide-cover element relative to the bracket element. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The housing-guide assembly of claim 12 wherein the primary and secondary support portions are spaced via the riser portion so as to effect a fastener-receiving channel, the fastener receiving channel for receiving at least one fastener, the at least one fastener for fastening the guide-cover element to the bracket element. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The housing-guide assembly of claim 9 wherein the shade-guide portion is outfitted with friction reduction means for reducing friction between the shade element and the shade-guide portion and enhancing uniform unfurlment of the shade element. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The housing-guide assembly of claim 9 wherein the bracket element comprises an L-shaped upper support attachment portion, the upper support attachment portion comprising an upper support riser portion and an upper support flange portion, the upper support flange portion being spaced from the primary support portion for enabling the guide-cover attachment portion to be received in the channel portion, the upper support flange portion providing means for attaching the bracket element to an upper support structure. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The window shade system of claim 9 comprising, in combination, a mount element, the mount element comprising a first mount portion and a second mount portion orthogonal to the first mount portion, the first mount portion being attachable to the bracket-to-support interface portion, the second mount portion being attachable to an upper support structure. ### Claim 17 A housing-guide assembly for housing a furled shade element and guiding the same as it unfurls, the housing-guide assembly comprising: a bracket element, the bracket element comprising a bracket-to-support interface portion, a guide-cover attachment portion, a J-shaped construction extending inferiorly from the bracket-to-support interface portion, and a channel for accepting a mechanical screw; and a guide-cover element, the guide-cover element comprising a bracket-attachment portion, a shade-cover portion, and a shade-guide portion, the guide-cover element being attachable to the bracket element via mated engagement of the guide-cover attachment portion and the bracket-attachment portion, the shade-cover portion being formed so as to subtend an arc length radially anterior relative to the bracket-to-support interface portion, a furled shade element being receivable in a space defined by the shade-cover portion and unfurlable via a shade-letting gap defined intermediate the shade-guide portion and the bracket-to-support interface portion. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The housing-guide assembly of claim 17 wherein the shade-guide portion is downwardly sloped for slope-guiding an unfurling portion of the shade element. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The housing-guide assembly of claim 17 wherein the shade-guide portion terminates posteriorly at a guide-cover terminus, the guide-cover terminus being spatially situated in inferior adjacency to the bracket-to-support interface portion. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The housing-guide assembly of claim 17 wherein the guide-cover attachment portion is F-shaped and the bracket-attachment portion is Π-shaped, the F-shaped guide-cover attachment portion being receivable in the Π-shaped bracket-attachment portion and comprising parallel support portions, the parallel support portions for simultaneously contacting an inner wall of the Π-shaped bracket-attachment portion for preventing rotation of the guide-cover element relative to the bracket element. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The window shade system of claim 1 wherein: the shade-cover portion is formed of a single arc length radially anterior relative to the posterior extension portion. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The window shade system of claim 1 further comprising: a first end cap unit connected to one side of the bracket element and the guide-cover element; a first end-based axis-fixing unit attachable to the first end cap unit for selectively furling and unfurling the shade element; a second end cap unit opposite the first end cap unit; and a rotatable second end-based axis-fixing unit cooperable the second end cap unit. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The window shade system of claim 22 wherein the first and second end cap unit selectively engage the guide-cover element to prevent rotation of the guide cover element during furling and unfurling of the shade element. ### Claim 24 (depends on 8) The window shade system of claim 8 wherein the select means for furling and unfurling the shade element of the shade assembly comprises: a chain, cord or cord-like element cooperable with a rotatable first end of the shade axis of rotation and attachable to an end cap unit. ### Claim 25 (depends on 17) The window shade system of claim 17 wherein: the bracket element and guide-cover element is comprised of anodized aluminum. ### Claim 26 (depends on 17) The window shade system of claim 17 wherein: the bracket element further comprises an L-shaped upper support attachment portion which upper support attachment portion comprising a secondary riser portion and an upper support flange portion.