Window shade assembly

A window shade assembly, comprising:

• a flexible window shade sized to cover a window and formed to have a plurality of pleats therein, said flexible window shade being formed of a sheet-like material and each of said pleats being defined by a first fold portion and a second fold portion which together form a double fold, said flexible window shade being formed to have said pleats substantially from one end to the other end thereof;
• a pair of guide tracks to be fixedly mounted to a frame of said window in spaced parallel relation, said guide tracks to extend generally perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of said pleats, said guide tracks also to be spaced by a distance sufficient for positioning said pleats therebetween;
• each of said pleats having a projectable fold line between said first and second fold portions forming said double fold thereof, said projectable fold lines being movable from positions generally corresponding to a plane defined by said guide tracks when said flexible window shade is closed to cover said window to positions gradually increasing in distance therefrom to maximum projecting positions as said flexible window shade is opened to reveal said window, each of said pleats also being integrally associated by means of a non-projectable fold line with the next adjacent of said pleats;
• stiffening means associated with said projectable fold lines of said pleats, said stiffening means being defined by a loop formed in said sheet-like material at each of said projectable fold lines;
• stiffening means associated with said non-projectable fold lines between each of said pleats, said stiffening means being defined by a loop formed in said sheet-like material at each of said non-projectable fold lines;
• stiffening means associated with said ends of said flexible window shade, said stiffening means being defined by a loop formed in said sheet-like material at each of said ends of said flexible window shade;
• retention means associated with said ends of said flexible window shade, said retention means being adapted to operate in cooperation with said guide tracks in a manner providing a resistance to movement only for said ends of said flexible window shade relative to said guide tracks sufficient to maintain both of said ends of said flexible window shade in any selected position of adjustment relative to said guide tracks, and slide means associated with opposite ends of every one of said non-projectable fold lines;
• said slide means cooperating with said guide tracks for moving said non-projectable fold lines of said flexible window shade, said slide means comprising slide members captured in free-sliding fashion within said guide tracks so as to facilitate free-sliding movement of said flexible window shade inwardly of said ends thereof for positioning said flexible window shade in any selected position of adjustment relative to said guide tracks in accordian-like fashion, said slide members maintaining said non-projectable fold lines of said flexible window shade in said plane defined by said guide tracks;
• each of said loops in said sheet-like material at each of said ends of said flexible window shade being adapted to receive a dowel-like member, and including a dowel-like member in each of said loops in said sheet-like material at each of said ends of said flexible window shade to further define said stiffening means;
• said retention means including a roller operatively associated with opposite ends of each of said dowel-like members in each of said loops at said ends of said flexible window shade, said rollers each being disposed in captured rolling relation within one of said guide tracks, said rollers also each being biased by a spring away from the respective one of said dowel-like members toward the corresponding one of said guide tracks;
• one of said slide members being secured to each of said opposite ends of said non-projectable fold lines;
• whereby said rollers can be moved relative to said guide tracks to move said flexible window shade in accordian-like fashion from a closed position covering said window to an open position revealing said window by moving said ends of said flexible window shade against resistance to movement of said retention means relative to said guide tracks so as to be in close proximity at any point therealong.

A window shade assembly, comprising:

• a flexible window shade sized to cover a window and formed to have a plurality of pleats therein, said flexible window shade being formed of a sheet-like material and each of said pleats being defined by a first fold portion and a second fold portion which together form a double fold, said flexible window shade being formed to have said pleats substantially from one end to the other end thereof;
• a pair of guide tracks to be fixedly mounted to a frame of said window in spaced parallel relation, said guide tracks to extend generally perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of said pleats, said guide tracks also to be spaced by a distance sufficient for positioning said pleats therebetween;
• each of said pleats having a projectable fold line between said first and second fold portions forming said double fold thereof, said projectable fold line being movable from a position generally corresponding to a plane defined by said guide tracks when said flexible window shade is closed to cover said window to positions gradually increasing in distance therefrom to a maximum projecting position as said flexible window shade is opened to reveal said window, each of said pleats also being integrally associated by means of a non-projectable fold line with the next adjacent of said pleats;
• stiffening means associated with said projectable fold lines of each of said pleats, said stiffening means being defined by a loop formed in said sheet-like material at each of said projectable fold lines;
• stiffening means associated with said non-projectable fold lines between each of said pleats, said stiffening means being defined by a loop formed in said sheet-like material at each of said non-projectable fold lines;
• stiffening means associated with said ends of said flexible window shade, said stiffening means being defined by a loop formed in said sheet-like material at said ends of said flexible window shade;
• retention means associated with said ends of said flexible window shade, said retention means being adapted to operate in cooperation with said guide tracks in a manner providing a resistance to movement only for said ends of said flexible window shade relative to said guide tracks sufficient to maintain both of said ends of said flexible window shade in any selected position of adjustment relative to said guide tracks, and slide means associated with opposite ends of every one of said non-projectable fold lines;
• said slide means cooperating with said guide tracks for moving said non-projectable fold lines of said flexible window shade, said slide means comprising slide members captured in free-sliding fashion within said guide tracks so as to facilitate free-sliding movement of said flexible window shade inwardly of said ends thereof for positioning said flexible window shade in any selected position of adjustment relative to said guide tracks in accordian-like fashion, said slide members maintaining said non-projectable fold lines of said flexible window shade in said plane defined by said guide tracks;
• each of said loops in said sheet-like material at each of said ends of said flexible window shade being adapted to receive a dowel-like member, and including a dowel-like member in each of said loops in said sheet-like material at each of said ends of said flexible window shade to further define said stiffening means;
• said retention means including a non-rotational slider operatively associated with opposite ends of each of said dowel-like members in each of said loops at said ends of said flexible window shade, said dowel-like members comprising conduit-like members and said non-rotational sliders each being disposed in captured sliding relation within one of said guide tracks, said non-rotational sliders also each being biased by a spring away from the respective one of said conduit-like members toward the corresponding one of said guide tracks;
• one of said slide members being secured to each of said opposite ends of said non-projectable fold lines;
• whereby said non-rotational sliders can be moved relative to said guide tracks to move said flexible window shade in accordian-like fashion from a closed position covering said window to an open position revealing said window by moving said ends of said flexible window shade against resistance to movement of said retention means relative to said guide tracks so as to be in close proximity at any point therealong.