EP0742339B1

EP0742339B1 - Covering assembly for architectural openings

Info

Publication number: EP0742339B1
Application number: EP96112260A
Authority: EP
Inventors: James M. Anthony; Brad H. Oberg; Wendell B. Colson; Brian M. Hoffmann; Eric N. Williams; Paul G. Swiszcz; Cornelis Marinus Jansen
Original assignee: Hunter Douglas International NV
Current assignee: Hunter Douglas International NV
Priority date: 1991-12-19
Filing date: 1992-12-11
Publication date: 2002-03-06
Anticipated expiration: 2012-12-11
Also published as: EP0549216B1; CA2085801A1; JPH0650069A; ES2098461T3; EP0549216A1; CA2085801C; EP0742339A3; DE69217880T2; NO924910L; BR9205052A; DK0549216T3; DE69232466D1; AU662030B2; EP0742339A2; NO924910D0; DE69217880D1; CN1263413C; DE69232466T2; AU3031592A; HK1000059A1

Abstract

A covering assembly in the form of a window blind includes a front sheer fabric 516, provided with a plurality of forward and rearward pleats 518,520, and a rear elongate sheer fabric 522, again provided with forward and rearward pleats 524,526. A plurality of vanes 528 interconnect the front and rear sheets and are connected to the front and rear sheets at the location of the pleats. In one embodiment one edge of each vane is connected to the rear interior face of the forwardly extending pleat of one sheet, while the other edge is connected to the front interior face of a forwardly extending pleat of the rear sheet, and in another embodiment the one edge is connected as previously mentioned, but the other edge is connected to the forward interior face of a forwardly extending pleat of the rear sheet. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to a covering assembly particularly for windows, doors and other architectural openings.

There are many known forms of covering assemblies for windows, doors and the like including curtains, roller blinds, venetian blinds, drapery and the like. Recently there has been proposed a window covering assembly which includes a first and second generally parallel spaced apart vertically extending sheer fabrics having a plurality of spaced generally parallel transversely extending vanes fixedly secured to the first and second sheer fabrics to extend therebetween.

The sheer fabrics are often constructed of a translucent or transparent material and may be in the form of woven or knitted fabrics or non-woven fabrics or indeed may simply be sheets of plastics material. The vanes are usually opaque or semi-opaque and by adjusting the relative positions of the sheer fabrics, the vanes can be caused to tilt relative to the sheer fabrics rather in the manner of the slates of a horizontal or vertical blind. Conventionally the vanes extend horizontally in such assemblies and the sheer fabrics are supported on a tilt roll which can also be used as a wind up roll. Also known are vertical venetian blinds in which the individual vanes extend vertically; such assemblies have a head rail for opening and closing the assembly and for tilting the vanes when the assembly is in the closed position covering the opening.

DE 75 13 576 discloses a thermal insulating screen constructed from a series of tubes of plastics material stuck together in parallel along opposite walls forming flat strips, the tubes being collapsible and in one embodiment, the adjoining flat strips being coated to give the effect of a venetian blind.

According to the present invention there is provided a window blind comprising in combination:

a front light transmitting sheet having a plurality of parallel alternately forwardly and rearwardly directed pleats formed therein;

a rear light transmitting sheet spaced apart from said front sheet in substantially parallel relation therewith and having a plurality of parallel alternately forwardly and rearwardly directed pleats formed therein; and

a plurality of substantially parallel relatively opaque vanes each having opposite first and second side edges, the first side edge of each of the vanes being attached to said front sheet adjacent to one of the pleats thereof and the second side edge of each of the vanes being connected to a front interior face of one of the forwardly extending pleats of the rear sheet; wherein

a neutral position of said blind is defined as a position in which each forwardly directed pleat on one of said sheets is generally in alignment with one of the rearwardly directed pleats on the other of said sheets so as to form pairs of aligned pleats in the front and the rear sheets; wherein

each of said vanes in said neutral position is inclined diagonally from its first side edge to its second side edge, with said second side edge confronting the rear sheet at a pair of aligned pleats adjacent to, but different from, the pair of aligned pleats where said first side edge confronts the front sheet; and whereby

when one of said sheets is moved with respect to the other of said sheets from said neutral position in one direction of movement transverse to said vanes to a fully open position, said vanes are caused to lie perpendicular to said sheets thereby to allow passage of light through both the front and rear sheets between the vanes and, when said sheets are moved relative to each other from said neutral position in the opposite direction of movement to a fully closed position, said vanes are caused to at least partially block the passage of light through the front and rear sheets.

In order that the present invention may more readily be understood, the following description is given, merely by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which:-

Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of one embodiment of assembly according to the invention;

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the assembly of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 of a slightly modified version;

Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view of another embodiment of blink assembly according to the invention;

In Figure 1 there is illustrated one form of window blind assembly indicated by the reference numeral 510. This assembly indicated by the reference numeral 510 is associated with the headrail 512 provided with an elongate tilt roll member 514 means (not shown) being provided to rotate this roll about its generally horizontal axis.

The material 510 includes a front sheer fabric 516 provided with a plurality of spaced parallel, horizontal forward pleats 518 and rearward pleats 520. The material 510 also includes a rear elongate sheer fabric 522 formed with forward pleats 524 and rearward pleats 526 similar to the pleats 518,520 of the front elongate sheer fabric 516.

As best seen in Figure 2, a plurality of vanes 528 interconnect the front and rear sheer fabrics 516,522. The vanes 528 in Figure 2 extend between a rear, interior, face of a rearwardly extending pleat 520 of the front sheer fabric 516 diagonally upwardly to where it is connected to the forward interior face of a forwardly extending pleat 524 of the rear sheer fabric 522.

As shown the front and rear sheer fabrics 516,522 are connected to a bottom rail 539 adjacent their lower ends and are connected to the elongate tilt roll 514 at their upper ends. In the construction illustrated a spacer member 532 is provided below the headrail and is connected to the front and rear sheer fabrics adjacent further pleats 518,526 thereof. This space 532 is not essential but provides a better configuration for the upper parts of the pleated blind material.

Figure 3 shows a slightly modified structure in which like parts have been indicated by like reference numerals. The vanes are here indicated by the reference numeral 534 and are connected slightly differently. In this construction the lower parts of the vanes 534 are connected to the rear, interior, face of a forwardly extending pleat 518 of the front sheer fabric 516 and the vanes are again inclined diagonally upwardly and connected to the front, interior, face of a forwardly extending pleat 524 of the rear sheer fabric 522. In this construction the vanes 534 are not planar as in Figure 1 but are reversed curved as shown at 536 and 538.

It will be appreciated that such a structure is, in some ways, rather similar to a venetian blind with the vanes 528,534. It will be appreciated that if the tilt roll 514, in either structure, is rotated in a clockwise sense, as seen in Figure 2 or Figure 3, the vanes 528,534, will overlie one another because they are in an overlapping mode and will thus, effectively, block the passage of light. If, however, the tilt roll 514 are tilted in a counter-clockwise sens, then the vanes 528,534, can be moved to a position in which they extend substantially horizontally, while remaining parallel to one another, so that there can be no passage of light therebetween.

For this purpose, therefore, the sheer fabrics 516,522, need to be formed of a translucent or transparent material, such as paper, or woven fabric, or non-woven fabric, or indeed they can be made of a plastics material. Similarly, the vanes 528,534 can be made of any suitable material. However, they are preferably formed of an opaque or semi-opaque material.

The vanes are connected in a suitable manner to the respective pleats 518,520,524,526 as appropriate. While it is contemplated that this could be done by a heat technique, such as by welding, they are preferably adhered by means of a third material such as stitching or stapling but according to a preferred arrangement they are connected by having adhered, preferably using a hot melt adhesive, which melts at a temperature significantly below the melt temperature of the sheer fabric. It would be appreciated that the sheer fabric needs to have the pleats set in it and this can be done by a heat setting process which should again be conducted at a temperature in excess of the temperature of melting of the hot melt adhesive.

If reference is now made to Figure 4, a further rather different structure is illustrated. This structure has the pleats of the sheer fabrics extending generally vertically. In detail therefore, the structure of Figure 4 employs a headrail in which are mounted a plurality of sliding carriers 542 which are preferably provided with wheels (not shown) for running along guide tracks 544 formed in the headrail. Movement of the carriers 542 can be effected in any suitable manner but as shown a cord system 546 is provided. The assembly of carriers in the headrail be generally similar to that disclosed in US Patent 3996988 in the name Dwight or in US Patent 4267875, in the name Koks. As in the Koks patent, a tilt rod 547 is provided and this may be rotated by a pulley 548 with a bead chain 550. The tilt rod 547 is associated with a worm and worm wheel, as in Koks US Patent 4267875, and the worm wheel in each carrier is connected to a separate hanger 552.

Now the blind material shown in Figure 4 is generally similar to the blind material shown in Figure 2 and like parts have been shown by life reference numerals. In this structure, however, the pleats 518,520,524,526 extend vertically as do the vanes 528. The upper ends of the vanes are mounted on the hangers 552. It would be appreciated that the operation of the vanes can be effected by operation of the bead chain 550 rotating the pulley 548 which in turn rotates the tilt rod 547. Rotation of this tilt rod will effect rotation of the worm wheel and pinion (not shown) which will in turn cause the hangers 552 to rotate about their respective vertical axes. This rotation will, it will be appreciated, cause tilting of the vanes 528 about their respective vertical axes.

If one operates the pull cord 546 then the end one 543 of the carriers will be pulled to the left or the right. Since these carriers have associated with them spacers 554, movement to the right of the end carrier 543 will cause the adjacent carrier 542 to move to the right with it and then the subsequent carriers will also in turn move to the right to provide the right spacing.

As shown in this structure, a first end rail 560 is associated with the right hand end of the sheer fabrics rather in the manner of the bottom rail 530 of Figures 2 and 3. This end rail can be mounted on its own hanger which would then be associated with the end carrier 543, or it can be mounted on the same carrier as the right hand most vane. This end rail will then move with the end carrier and will act as a positive end to the "curtain" formed by the blind assembly of the invention. A second end rail 564 may, if desired, be provided at the other end. However, neither of the end rails are absolutely essential with the structure.

Claims

A window blind comprising in combination:

a front light transmitting sheet (516) having a plurality of parallel alternately forwardly and rearwardly directed pleats (518,520) formed therein;

a rear light transmitting sheet (522) spaced apart from said front sheet in substantially parallel relation therewith and having a plurality of parallel alternately forwardly and rearwardly directed pleats (524,526) formed therein; and

a plurality of substantially parallel relatively opaque vanes (528,534) each having opposite first and second side edges, the first side edge of each of the vanes being attached to said front sheet (516) adjacent to one of the pleats (518,520) thereof and the second side edge of each of the vanes being connected to a front interior face of one of the forwardly extending pleats (524) of the rear sheet (522); wherein

a neutral position of said blind is defined as a position in which each forwardly directed pleat (518,524) on one of said sheets (516,522) is generally in alignment with a rearwardly directed pleat (520,526) on the other of said sheets (522,516) so as to form pairs of aligned pleats in the front and the rear sheets; wherein

each of said vanes (528,534) in said neutral position is inclined diagonally from its first side edge to its second side edge, with said second side edge confronting the rear sheet at a pair of aligned pleats adjacent to, but different from, the pair of aligned pleats where said first side edge confronts the front sheet; and whereby

when one of said sheets (516,522) is moved with respect to the other of said sheets (522,516) from said neutral position in one direction of movement transverse to said vanes (528,534) to a fully open position, said vanes are caused to lie perpendicular to said sheets (516,522) thereby to allow passage of light through both the front and rear sheets between the vanes and, when said sheets are moved relative to each other from said neutral position in the opposite direction of movement to a fully closed position, said vanes are caused to at least partially block the passage of light through the front and rear sheets.
A window blind according to claim 1, wherein the first side edge of each vane (534) is connected to a rear, interior, face of one of the forwardly extending pleats (518) of the front sheet (516) and wherein each vane (534) between its first and second side edges extends in a generally S shaped curve.
A window blind according to claim 1, wherein the first side edge of each vane (528) is connected to a rear, interior, face of one of the rearwardly extending pleats (520) of the front sheet (516).
A window blind according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein a pivotable spacer member (532,564) is provided adjacent end ones of said pleats and the front sheet (516) and the rear sheet (522) being attached to said spacer member (532) and wherein in the neutral position of said window blind said spacer member (532) is in a perpendicular orientation with respect to said front and rear sheets (516,522).
A window blind according to claim 4, further comprising a rotatable tilt member (514) for rotating said spacer member (532), whereby rotation of said tilt member (514) in opposite rotational senses being effective to relatively move said front and rear sheets (516,522) in a longitudinal direction with respect to one another, while tilting the vanes (528,534) and effective to allow passage of light through the blind or to at least partially block the passage of light through the blind depending on the sense of rotation.
A window blind according to claim 5, wherein said vanes (528) and said pleats extend in a horizontal direction, wherein the front and rear sheets extend vertically and wherein the spacer member (532) is connected to the front and rear sheets (516,522) adjacent an uppermost one of the forward pleats (518) of the front sheet (516) and an uppermost one of the rearward pleats (526) of the rear sheet (522).
A window blind according to claim 6, wherein the front and rear sheets (516,522) are connected to a bottom rail (530) adjacent their lower ends.
A window blind according to any preceding claim, wherein said vanes (528) extend vertically and further including a horizontal guide track (540,544); and a plurality of sliding carriers (542) connected to upper ends of at least some of said vanes (528) and slidable along said said guide track (540,544).
A window blind according to claim 8, further comprising means (547- 552) to simultanously rotate all of said vanes (528), whereby rotation of said vanes (528) in opposite rotational senses by said means (547-552) being effective to relatively move said front and rear sheets (516,522) in a longitudinal direction with respect to one another, while tilting the vanes (528) and effective to allow passage of light through the blind or to at least partially block the passage of light through the blind depending on the sense of rotation.
A window blind according to claim 8 or 9, further including a hanger (552) associated with each of said sliding carriers (542), said upper end of at least some of the vanes being connected to the relevant sliding carriers (542) by said hangers (552).
A window blind according to claim 8 or 9, wherein a first end rail (560) is associated with one end of the first and second sheets (516,522).
A window blind according to claim 11, wherein a second end rail (564) is provided at an end opposite to said one end.
A window blind according to claim 12, further comprising a further sliding carrier (543) mounted on said horizontal guide track (540,544) for movement therealong, said further sliding carrier defining an end one of said carriers; the first end rail (560) being connected to said further sliding carrier (543), and hanging vertically from said further sliding carrier (543) for movement with said further sliding carrier (543) along said track (540,544), said first end rail (560) being connected to at least one of said front and rear sheets (516,522); and the second elongate end rail (564) being connected to at least the other of said front and rear sheets (522,516) at the end of said window blind opposite said first end rail (560).
A window blind according to claim 13, further comprising means for moving the end one of said carriers (543) along said horizontal guide track (540,544).
A window blind according to claim 14, further comprising spacer means (554) connecting adjacent carriers (542,543) at a predetermined spacing.