# US 5,700,328 A · Method of washing a blind

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- Number: US 5,700,328 A
- Document ID: US5700328A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/630,778
- Filed: 1996-04-10
- Granted: 1997-12-23
- Earliest claimed: 1995-05-13
- Assignees: Daitoh System Company, Ltd.
- Inventors: Norio Kawanobe
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5700328A

## CPC

- A47L 4/04: Accessories facilitating cleaning, e.g. venetian blind separators, spreaders, or cleaning racks
- A47L 4/00: Cleaning window shades, window screens, venetian blinds (A47L1/15 takes precedence; suction cleaner nozzles A47L9/02)
- B08B 3/12: by sonic or ultrasonic vibrations
- B08B 11/02: Devices for holding articles during cleaning {(B08B9/42 takes precedence)}
- A47L: DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING (brushes A46B; cleaning quantities of bottles or of other hollow articles of one kind B08B9/00; laundry D06F); SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL (cleaning in general B08)
- B08B: CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL

## Abstract

A method of washing a blind which assures that a gap between adjacent louvers of the blind can easily be reduced to a shortest distance and dirty material can reliably be removed from the louvers. The method is practiced such that while the distance between the adjacent louvers is widened, a coil spring-like spacer is pressed against the blind. Offset ring-like portions of the spacer are inserted between the vertically adjacent louvers, and thereafter, the distance between the louvers is reduced to the diameter of a wire material forming the spacer while holding the offset ring-like portions in a clamped state. Subsequently, while the foregoing state is maintained, the blind is washed in a washing liquid circulated by a recirculating pump. Supersonic vibrations, generated by a supersonic vibration generator, are applied to the washing liquid. Then the blind is rinsed in a rinsing bath, and finally, after the coil spring-like spacer is disconnected from the blind, the blind is dried.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of washing a blind, said method comprising:
enlarging a distance between adjacent louvers of a blind to be washed, each of said louvers being held in a horizontal orientation;
pressing a coil spring spacer member against said blind so as to insert offset ring portions of said coil spring spacer member between said adjacent louvers, wherein said coil spring spacer member is disposed at a right angle relative to said louvers and is formed of a wire having a diameter;
reducing the distance between adjacent louvers of said blind so as to hold said offset ring portions in a clamped state such that a gap, corresponding to said wire diameter, is formed between said adjacent louvers;
washing said blind while maintaining said gap between said adjacent louvers;
removing said coil spring spacer member from said blind; and
drying said blind.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of washing a blind as claimed in claim 1, wherein said coil spring spacer member is formed of a non-metallic material.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of washing a blind as claimed in claim 1, wherein the diameter of each of said offset ring portions of said coil spring spacer member is dimensioned so as to correspond to the width of each of said louvers.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of washing a blind as claimed in claim 1, wherein said washing step includes dipping said blind in a washing liquid and displacing said washing liquid by stirring.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of washing a blind as claimed in claim 4, wherein said washing step includes generating supersonic vibrations in said washing liquid, and said vibrations are transmitted to said blind via said washing liquid.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of washing a blind as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said offset ring portions is bent inwardly to form a U-shaped contour which surrounds a center of said each offset ring portion.