Roller shade for non-rectangular openings

A roller shade for covering a designated area such as an opening or a window, comprising:

• a laterally elongated retractor provided on a first side of said designated area;
• a screen sheet having a trailing edge connected to said retractor and a leading edge;
• a rod member attached to said leading edge of said screen sheet and curved so as to be adapted to an associated peripheral edge of said designated area;
• guide means for guiding said rod member at its two ends along each side of said area adjacent an associated one of two ends of said first side;
• biasing means for urging said retractor in a direction to retract and wind said screen sheet around said retractor;
• powered drive means for moving said rod member in a direction to extend said screen sheet by pulling said rod member away from said retractor;
• said drive means including:
• a reel actuated by a motor and disposed on a second side of said designated area opposing said first side;
• a single span of wire having a first end connected to a fixed point located adjacent an end of said second side, a middle part passed through said rod member from one end thereof adjacent said fixed point to the other end thereof, and a second end connected to said reel;
• and
• wire guide means for guiding said wire between said other end of said rod member and said winding reel;
• said rod member being provided with coupling means for allowing telescopic movement of each end of said rod member to vary a length of said rod member as said rod member moves toward and away from said retractor along said guide means while said rod member maintains a fixed angular orientation with respect to said associated peripheral edge of said designated area.

A roller shade for covering a designated area such as an opening or a window having a non-rectangular shape, the roller shade comprising:

• a laterally elongated retractor provided on a first side of said designated area;
• a screen sheet having a trailing edge connected to said retractor and a leading edge, said screen sheet substantially conforming to said designated area when said screen sheet is fully extended;
• a rod member attached to said leading edge of said screen sheet and curved so as to be adapted to an associated peripheral edge of said designated area;
• guide means for guiding said rod member at its two ends along each side of said area adjacent an associated one of two ends of said first side;
• and
• biasing means for urging said retractor in a direction to retract and wind said screen sheet around said retractor;
• said rod member being provided with coupling means for allowing telescopic movement of each end of said rod member to vary a length of said rod member as said rod member moves toward and away from said retractor along said guide means while said rod member maintains a fixed angular orientation with respect to said associated peripheral edge of said designated area, said each end of said rod member is fitted on an associated one of said guide means by way of an open-ended slit defined at said end of said rod member, in a detachable manner.

A roller shade for covering a designated area such as an opening or a window having a non-rectangular shape, the roller shade comprising:

• a laterally elongated retractor provided on a first side of said designated area;
• a screen sheet having a trailing edge connected to said retractor and a leading edge, said screen sheet substantially conforming to said designated area when said screen sheet is fully extended;
• a rod member attached to said leading edge of said screen sheet and curved so as to be adapted to an associated peripheral edge of said designated area;
• guide means for guiding said rod member at its two ends along each side of said area adjacent an associated one of two ends of said first side;
• and
• biasing means for urging said retractor in a direction to retract and wind said screen sheet around said retractor;
• said rod member being provided with coupling means for allowing telescopic movement of each end of said rod member to vary a length of said rod member as said rod member moves toward and away from said retractor along said guide means while said rod member maintains a fixed angular orientation with respect to said associated peripheral edge of said designated area, said coupling means comprising a rod having a non-circular cross section received in a tube defining a bore complementary to said rod.

A roller shade for covering a designated area such as an opening or a window, comprising:

• a laterally elongated retractor provided on a first side of said designated area;
• a screen sheet having a trailing edge connected to said retractor and a leading edge;
• a rod member attached to said leading edge of said screen sheet and curved so as to be adapted to an associated peripheral edge of said designated area;
• guide means for guiding said rod member at its two ends along each side of said area adjacent an associated one of two ends of said first side;
• and
• biasing means for urging said retractor in a direction to retract and wind said screen sheet around said retractor;
• said rod member being provided with coupling means for allowing telescopic movement of each end of said rod member to vary a length of said rod member as said rod member moves toward and away from said retractor along said guide means while said rod member maintains a fixed angular orientation with respect to said associated peripheral edge of said designated area wherein said coupling means comprises a key and slot structure.

A roller shade for covering a designated area such as an opening or a window having a non-rectangular shape, the roller shade comprising:

• a laterally elongated retractor provided on a first side of said designated area;
• a screen sheet having a trailing edge connected to said retractor and a leading edge, said screen sheet substantially conforming to said designated area when said screen sheet is fully extended;
• a rod member attached to said leading edge of said screen sheet and curved so as to be adapted to an associated peripheral edge of said designated area;
• guide means for guiding said rod member at its two ends along each side of said area adjacent an associated one of two ends of said first side;
• and
• biasing means for urging said retractor in a direction to retract and wind said screen sheet around said retractor;
• said rod member being provided with coupling means for allowing telescopic movement of each end of said rod member to vary a length of said rod member as said rod member moves toward and away from said retractor along said guide means while said rod member maintains a fixed angular orientation with respect to said associated peripheral edge of said designated area, said coupling means comprises a rod having a non-circular cross section received in a tube defining a bore complementary to said rod, said guide means consisting of a pair of curved guide rails extending along either side of said rod member, and said coupling means further comprising a pair of articulate joints each allowing an associated one of the two ends of said rod member to rotate with respect to said guide rail in a plane defined by said guide rail.

A roller shade for covering a designated area such as an opening or a window, comprising:

• a laterally elongated retractor provided on a first side of said designated area;
• a screen sheet having a trailing edge connected to said retractor and a leading edge;
• a rod member attached to said leading edge of said screen sheet;
• guide means for guiding said rod member at its two ends along each side of said area adjacent an associated one of two ends of said first side;
• biasing means for urging said retractor in a direction to retract and wind said screen sheet around said retractor;
• and
• powered drive means for moving said rod member in a direction to extend said screen sheet by pulling said rod member away from said retractor, said drive means comprising a reel actuated by a motor, two spans of wire with each span extending between said reel and an associated end of said rod member, and wire guide means for guiding said two spans of wire between said two ends of said rod member and said reel;
• said rod member being provided with a telescopic structure allowing its length to be varied as said rod member moves toward and away from said retractor along said guide means.