Hollow, rigid vanes for door and window coverings
AssigneeNewell Window Furnishings, Inc.
InventorRoger C. Palmer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A rigid hollow vane for door or window coverings includes a vane shell and an optional fabric covering. The shell is thermally formed and results in a polymer matrix at least partially enveloping fibers. In its most preferred form, the polymer matrix results from heating a batt of two types of fibers, the one type having a lower melting point than the remaining fibers, so that a rigid polymer matrix can be formed about other fibers in the batt.
Claims12
A rigid vane for a door or window covering, the door or window covering including a plurality of such vanes, each of the plurality of vanes being movable between a light passing first position and a light blocking second position, the rigid vane comprising an elongate vane shell including a polymer at least partially enveloping a plurality of fibers, the vane shell having an inner surface and an outer surface, and a space within the vane shell and defined by the inner surface, each vane shell having a rounded edge extending along the length thereof and a thin edge extending along the length thereof and remote from the rounded edge thereby defining an airfoil shape in transverse cross-section that facilitates the passage of light when the vane is in the first position and inhibits the passage of light when the vane is in the second position.
The vane for use in a vertical door or window covering, the vane comprising an elongate vane shell including a polymer matrix, the polymer matrix including thermoplastic fibers enveloped in a thermoplastic resin, the vane shell having an inner surface, and a plug located within one end of the vane, the plug having a hanger tab, the tab being adapted to be coupled to a carrier truck of a vertical blind system, and a plug for a lower end of the vane to create a dead air space within the vane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.