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US 2025/0012145 A1Published application
Covering for architectural openings with coordinated vane sets
AssigneeHunter Douglas Inc.
InventorsWendell B. Colson, Paul G. Swiszcz, James M. Anthony
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A covering for an architectural opening including a roller, an end rail, and a panel rotatable onto the roller and spanning between the roller and the end rail. The panel includes a front sheet, a rear sheet, and a cell spanning between the front and rear sheet. When the front sheet is at a first position relative to the rear sheet, the cell is open. When the front sheet is at a second position relative to the rear sheet, the cell is closed.
Claims36
A flexible panel for an architectural opening, said flexible panel comprising:
- a front exterior vertical support member having a height and width;
- a rear exterior vertical support member having a height and a width, the rear exterior vertical support member moveable relative to the front exterior vertical support member;
- a plurality of expandable, horizontally extending, vane cells that extend horizontally along the width of the front and rear vertical support members and span between and connect the front and rear vertical support members;
- and
- a plurality of gap cells different from the expandable, horizontally extending, vane cells,
- wherein:
- both the plurality of expandable vane cells and the plurality of gap cells are spaced along the height of the front vertical support member and the rear vertical support member when the front exterior vertical support member and the rear vertical support member are spaced apart from each other;
- each expandable vane cell is separately formed of a different material than either of the front vertical support member and the rear vertical support member;
- each expandable vane cell is formed of a continuous sheet of material having two side edges, a top edge, and a bottom edge, the continuous sheet of material is interconnected together to define a sidewall of an expandable tube that encloses an interior space;
- and
- each expandable vane cell is adhesively attached directly to the front vertical support member at at least one front connection location of the expandable vane cell and adhesively attached directly to the rear vertical support member at at least one rear connection location of the expandable vane cell.
8 more elements
A flexible panel for an architectural opening, said flexible panel comprising:
- a front exterior vertical support member having a height and width, the front exterior vertical support member formed from a sheer material that permits light to pass therethrough;
- a rear exterior vertical support member having a height and a width, the rear exterior vertical support member formed of a sheer material that permits light to pass therethrough, the rear exterior vertical support member moveable laterally and vertically relative to the front exterior vertical support member;
- and
- a plurality of expandable, horizontally extending, vane cells, each vane cell extending between and connecting the front exterior vertical support member and the rear exterior vertical support member and having a top vane portion and a bottom vane portion, the top and bottom vane portions defining an enclosed tube that forms an interior cavity, the tube extending horizontally along the width of the front and rear exterior vertical support members,
- wherein:
- each expandable, horizontally extending, vane cell is vertically spaced apart from an adjacent expandable, horizontally extending, vane cell along the height of the front and rear exterior vertical support members to form a gap between adjacent expandable, horizontally extending, vane cells;
- each expandable cell is separately formed of a material that is different than and less translucent than the front and rear exterior vertical support members;
- each expandable vane cell is formed of a single continuous sheet of material having two side edges, a top edge, and a bottom edge, the top edge and bottom edge of the continuous sheet of material connected together to form the enclosed tube that forms the interior cavity;
- each expandable vane cell is adhesively attached directly to the front vertical support member at at least one front connection location and adhesively attached directly to the rear vertical support member at at least one rear connection location;
- and
- the tube and the interior cavity expands or contracts in response to moving the front and rear exterior vertical support members laterally further apart or closer together while the flexible panel is in a fully extended position.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.