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US 5,313,999 AGranted
Fabric light control window covering
AssigneeHunter Douglas Inc.
InventorsWendell B. Colson, Paul G. Swiszcz
Life of this patent
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AssigneeHunter Douglas Inc.
InventorsWendell B. Colson, Paul G. Swiszcz
Estimating the term…
A fabric light control window covering in which fabric vanes are adhesively bonded between two sheer fabric sheets such that relative movement between the sheer fabric sheets in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the fabric vanes changes the angle of the fabric vanes and, thus, controls the amount of light admitted through the shade. The vanes are bonded to the sheer fabric sheets in a manner which tends to bias the sheer fabric sheets together to the nonlight admitting position. Also, disclosed are methods and apparatus for manufacturing the above window covering. The method features linear application of adhesive to the vane material which provides for a uniform appearance in the finished product. A heat setting process and apparatus is disclosed in which the bonded layers of sheer fabrics and vanes are fed between belts over hot and cool surfaces, under uniform tension and pressure. This provides for heat setting of the layers of the window covering to a uniform temperature-size relationship without inducing wrinkles or distortion into the fabric during heat setting.
A window covering comprising a first sheet of relatively translucent material, a second sheet of relatively translucent material disposed parallel to said first sheet, and a plurality of relatively opaque strips of material, each strip having edge portions bonded to said first sheet and said second sheet, respectively, whereby central portions of said strips form vanes which, in a first closed position of said window covering are substantially planar and extend substantially parallel to the first and second sheets effective at least partially to block transmission of light and, in a second open position of said window covering, extend generally transverse to said first and second sheets, effective to transmit light between said vanes, wherein said first and second sheets have a different physical appearance, wherein, said first and second sheets are each sheer fabrics formed of threads defining interstices therebetween, the interstices of one sheet being of a different size and/or shape and/or of a different orientation from those of the other sheet such that when the sheets are in overlying relation in the window covering the appearance of a moire effect is avoided when light is viewed through both the fabric sheets.
A window covering according to any preceding claim, wherein one face of each vane is bonded to the first sheet and the opposite face of each vane is bonded to the second sheet.
A window covering comprising a first relatively translucent sheet of material, a second relatively translucent sheet of material disposed parallel to said first sheet, and a plurality of flexible strips of relatively opaque material having edge portions bonded to said first sheet and said second sheet, respectively, whereby central portions of said strips form vanes which, in a first closed position of said window covering are substantially planar and extend substantially parallel to the first and second sheets effective to at least partially block transmission of light and, in a second open position of said window covering extend generally transversely to said first and second sheets so as to effectively transmit light between said vanes, said strips having opposite faces with one face of each vane being bonded to the first sheet and the other face of each vane being bonded to the second sheet, the portions of the strips between the bonded edge portions forming smoothly curving portions so that the vanes are of generally S-shaped cross sectional configuration when the window covering is in its second open position.
A light control window covering comprising a first relatively translucent sheet of material, a second relatively translucent sheet of material disposed parallel to said first sheet, a plurality of strips of relatively opaque material affixed to said first and second sheets of material, each strip having oppositely directed faces and edge portions, and an adhesive which was applied to opposite edge portions on opposite faces of each strip prior to its affirmation to said sheets whereby opposite edge portions of the strips are adhesively bonded to said first sheet and said second sheet, respectively, and whereby central portions of said strips form vanes which, in a first closed position of said window covering are substantially planar and extend substantially parallel to the first and second sheets effective at least partially to block transmission of light and, in a second position of said window covering extend generally transverse to said first and second sheets, effective to transmit light between said vanes, wherein, said first and second sheets are each open sheer fabrics having threads defining interstices therebetween, the interstices of one sheet being of a different size and/or shape and/or of a different orientation from those of the other sheet, such that when the sheets are in overlying relation the appearance of a moire effect is avoided when light is viewed through both of the fabric sheets.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.