Enveloped blind assembly using independently actuated slats within a cellular structure

A pleated multicellular shade with internal means for controlling light transmission therethrough comprising:

• an expansible and collapsible multicellular curtain comprising transversely arrayed fabric tubes joined to each other longitudinally along their surfaces to form a stacked cellular array of such tubes, said array having distinct pleated obverse and reverse faces and defining a cell-like structure therebetween;
• a conventional Venetian blind system, including actuation means, installed within said cellular array so that each blind slat is disposed singularly and wholly within each of said tubes that lie within a discrete blind plane, said Venetian blind system distinct from said celluar array;
• and
• means for moving in an arcuate path and independent of said cellular array all transverse edges of slate disposed within said tube and which are adjacent one face of said curtain.

A method for making a pleated multicellular shade, said shade having internal means for controlling and diffusing light, comprising the steps of:

• obtaining a multicellular double paneled shade having pleats on at least one panel thereof;
• creating a series of in-line apertures in interior cell partitions of said multicellular double paneled pleated shade in which pleat troughs of a pleated panel are joined to a second panel by means which form and thereby define multiple cells within said shade;
• and
• disposing in each cell that lies in a common plane passing coplanar and lengthwise through said pleated shade between said panels a singular blind slat, said disposing further comprising lengthwise enveloping each slat by a cell and further, providing separate actuating means for both slats and cells.

A flexible, collapsible-expansible, multicellular shade-blind combination comprising:

• a multicellular, pleated shade including a pleated obverse face curtain in spaced-apart registry with a reverse face curtain, pleats of said obverse curtain defining crests and troughs, said troughs each joined through connection means to opposing points on said reverse curtain so that adjacent troughs of an obverse curtain pleat and an opposing surface in said reverse curtain are joined through said connection means to cooperatively form a least one elongate cell joined longitudinally adjacent to another cell to comprise a plurality of said cells arrayed to form said shade;
• a multi-slated Venetian blind array disposed within said shade so that each slat of said blind resides intracellularly, that is, within a discrete cell of said shade to form said shade-blind combination;
• means for collapsibly and expansibly actuating said shade to cause its deployment and retractions;
• and
• means for arcuately moving an aligned set of transverse edges of said slats of said blind, whereby expanding said shade and moving said edges of slats that are disposed intracellularly therein regulates the amount of shade-incident light that passes through said shade.