Roller shade system having a pleated fabric
AssigneeLutron Electronics Co., Inc.
InventorDavid A. Kirby
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pleated roller shade system allows a thin flexible shade fabric, such as, for example, silk, to be wrapped around a roller tube. The system comprises a pleating bar mounted parallel to the roller tube and having a fabric-receiving opening that defines, for example, a serpentine path. The shade fabric is received through the fabric-receiving opening and is folded by the pleating bar, such that the shade fabric is wrapped around the roller tube in folds as the roller tube rotates. The shade fabric is neatly wrapped around the roller tube (i.e., bunching of the shade fabric is avoided) and is stored out-of-sight when rolled up.
Claims20
A roller shade system comprising:
- a rotatably-mounted roller tube;
- a flexible shade fabric windingly received around the roller tube, the shade fabric having a first fabric end connected to the roller tube and a second fabric end opposite the first fabric end, the second fabric end adapted to move in an upwards direction and in a downwards direction as the roller tube is rotated in respective first and second directions, the shade fabric comprising a weighting element at the second fabric end, such that the shade fabric hangs from the roller tube;
- and
- a pleating bar defining a fabric-receiving opening and mounted such that the shade fabric is received through the fabric-receiving opening, the pleating bar adapted to fold the shade fabric, such that the shade fabric is wrapped around the roller tube in folds as the roller tube rotates in the first direction to move the second fabric end of the shade fabric in the upwards direction.
A roller shade system comprising:
- a rotatably-mounted roller tube;
- a flexible shade fabric windingly received around the roller tube, the shade fabric having a first fabric end connected to the roller tube and a second fabric end opposite the first fabric end, the second fabric end adapted to move in an upwards direction and in a downwards direction as the roller tube is rotated in respective first and second directions;
- and
- a pleating bar defining a fabric-receiving opening and mounted such that the shade fabric is received through the fabric-receiving opening, the pleating bar adapted to fold the shade fabric, such that the shade fabric is wrapped around the roller tube in folds as the roller tube rotates in the first direction to move the second fabric end of the shade fabric in the upwards direction;
- wherein the shade fabric comprises a hem bar pocket at the second fabric end for holding a weighting element.
A roller shade system comprising:
- a rotatably-mounted roller tube;
- a flexible shade fabric windingly received around the roller tube, the shade fabric having a first fabric end connected to the roller tube and a second fabric end opposite the first fabric end, the second fabric end adapted to move in an upwards direction and in a downwards direction as the roller tube is rotated in respective first and second directions, the shade fabric comprising a weighting element at the second fabric end, such that the shade fabric hangs from the roller tube;
- and
- a pleating bar comprising first and second support bars oriented parallel to each other along the length of the pleating bar and a plurality of pleating elements each defining a T-shaped structure, the pleating elements mounted to the first and second support bars and spaced at intervals from each other, the pleating elements coupled to the first and second support bars extending towards the second and first support bars, respectively;
- wherein the support bars are mounted such that a fabric-receiving opening is formed between the pleating elements and defines a serpentine path, the pleating bar mounted parallel to the roller tube and the shade fabric received through the fabric-receiving opening, the pleating bar adapted to fold the shade fabric, such that the shade fabric is wrapped around the roller tube in folds as the roller tube rotates in the first direction to move the second fabric end of the shade fabric in the upwards direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.