Roll-up coverings for architectural openings and related methods, systems and devices
First Claim
1. A roll-up covering for an architectural opening, said roll-up covering comprising:
- a first outer elongate tape having a first end, a second end, a length that extends from the first end to the second end, a lateral width that extends perpendicular to the first outer elongate tape length, a thickness, and a first longitudinal axis extending along the first outer elongate tape length;
a first inner elongate tape spaced from the first outer elongate tape, the first inner elongate tape having a first end, a second end, a length that extends from the first end to the second end, a lateral width that extends perpendicular to the first inner elongate tape length, a thickness, and a second longitudinal axis extending along the first inner elongate tape length;
a plurality of flexible slats extending between the first outer elongate tape and the first inner elongate tape, each of the flexible slats having a first end and a second end, an inner longitudinal edge and an outer longitudinal edge each extending from the first end to the second end and defining a length of the slat, an inner edge region along and in proximity to the inner longitudinal edge, and an outer edge region along and in proximity to the outer longitudinal edge, and a width that extends from the inner longitudinal edge to the outer longitudinal edge, the slats oriented transversely with respect to the first inner elongate tape and the first outer elongate tape when the roll-up covering is in an expanded configuration with the slat length extending in the same direction as the lateral width of the first outer elongate tape and the first inner elongate tape; and
a plurality of elongate stiffeners, each elongate stiffener having a length, a width perpendicular to the elongate stiffener length, and a thickness perpendicular to the elongate stiffener width, wherein the thickness of each elongate stiffener is less than its width;
wherein;
the length of each of the plurality of flexible slats is longer than the lateral width of at least one of the first inner elongate tape or the first outer elongate tape; and
at least a respective one of the plurality of elongate stiffeners is attached to each of the flexible slats within at least one of an inner edge region or an outer edge region of the flexible slat, and is positioned with its length extending in the same direction as at least one of the inner longitudinal edge or the outer longitudinal edge of the slat.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The disclosure provides roll-up coverings for an architectural opening, and various embodiments of ladder tapes. Embodiments of the roll-up covering include a roller, a first outer elongate tape, a first inner elongate tape and a plurality of slats disposed between the outer and inner elongate tapes. The first inner elongate tape can further defines a plurality of collapsible hinge segments disposed along the length of the first inner elongate tape. The collapsible hinge segments can be configured to collapse in order to decrease the effective length of the first inner elongate tape when the first inner elongate tape is rolled up around the roller. The collapsible hinge segments can further be configured to expand in order to increase the effective length of the first inner elongate tape when the roll-up covering is unrolled from the roller.
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Citations
49 Claims
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1. A roll-up covering for an architectural opening, said roll-up covering comprising:
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a first outer elongate tape having a first end, a second end, a length that extends from the first end to the second end, a lateral width that extends perpendicular to the first outer elongate tape length, a thickness, and a first longitudinal axis extending along the first outer elongate tape length; a first inner elongate tape spaced from the first outer elongate tape, the first inner elongate tape having a first end, a second end, a length that extends from the first end to the second end, a lateral width that extends perpendicular to the first inner elongate tape length, a thickness, and a second longitudinal axis extending along the first inner elongate tape length; a plurality of flexible slats extending between the first outer elongate tape and the first inner elongate tape, each of the flexible slats having a first end and a second end, an inner longitudinal edge and an outer longitudinal edge each extending from the first end to the second end and defining a length of the slat, an inner edge region along and in proximity to the inner longitudinal edge, and an outer edge region along and in proximity to the outer longitudinal edge, and a width that extends from the inner longitudinal edge to the outer longitudinal edge, the slats oriented transversely with respect to the first inner elongate tape and the first outer elongate tape when the roll-up covering is in an expanded configuration with the slat length extending in the same direction as the lateral width of the first outer elongate tape and the first inner elongate tape; and a plurality of elongate stiffeners, each elongate stiffener having a length, a width perpendicular to the elongate stiffener length, and a thickness perpendicular to the elongate stiffener width, wherein the thickness of each elongate stiffener is less than its width; wherein; the length of each of the plurality of flexible slats is longer than the lateral width of at least one of the first inner elongate tape or the first outer elongate tape; and at least a respective one of the plurality of elongate stiffeners is attached to each of the flexible slats within at least one of an inner edge region or an outer edge region of the flexible slat, and is positioned with its length extending in the same direction as at least one of the inner longitudinal edge or the outer longitudinal edge of the slat. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 31, 34, 35)
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24. A roll-up covering for an architectural opening, said roll-up covering comprising:
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a first outer flexible elongate tape having a first end, a second end, a length that extends from the first end to the second end, a lateral width that extends perpendicular to the first outer elongate tape length, a thickness, and a first longitudinal axis extending along the first outer elongate tape length; a first inner flexible elongate tape spaced from the first outer elongate tape, the first inner elongate tape having a first end, a second end, a length that extends from the first end to the second end of the first inner elongate tape, a lateral width that extends perpendicular to the first inner elongate tape length, a thickness, and a second longitudinal axis extending along the first inner elongate tape length; a plurality of flexible slats extending between the first outer elongate tape and the first inner elongate tape, each of the plurality of flexible slats having a first end and a second end, an inner longitudinal edge and an outer longitudinal edge each extending from the first end to the second end and defining a length of the slat, an inner edge region along and in proximity to the inner longitudinal edge, and an outer edge region along and in proximity to the outer longitudinal edge, a width that extends from the inner longitudinal edge to the outer longitudinal edge, and an upper face surface and a lower face surface defined by the surface defined by the length and width of each respective flexible slat, the plurality of flexible slats oriented transversely with respect to the first inner elongate tape and the first outer elongate tape when the roll-up covering is in an expanded configuration with the slat length extending in the same direction as the lateral width of the first outer elongate tape and the first inner elongate tape; and a plurality of elongate stiffeners, each elongate stiffener having a length, a width perpendicular to the elongate stiffener length, a thickness perpendicular to the elongate stiffener width, a first surface defined by the length and the width of the elongate stiffener, and a second surface defined by the length and width of the elongate stiffener, wherein; at least one of the plurality of elongate stiffeners is attached to one of the upper face surface or the lower face surface of at least one of the plurality of flexible slats within at least one of the inner longitudinal edge region or the outer longitudinal edge region of the flexible slat to which it is attached, and extends along substantially the entire length of the flexible slat to which it is attached. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 32, 33, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A roll-up covering for an architectural opening, comprising:
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a subassembly comprising; (i) a plurality of outer elongate tapes each having a first end, a second end, a length that extends from the first end to the second end of the respective outer elongate tape, a lateral width that extends perpendicular to the respective outer elongate tape length, a thickness, and a first longitudinal axis extending along the respective outer elongate tape length; (ii) a plurality of inner elongate tapes spaced from the plurality of outer elongate tapes, each inner elongate tape having a first end, a second end, a length that extends from the first end to the second end of the respective inner elongate tape, a lateral width that extends perpendicular to the respective inner elongate tape length, a thickness, and a second longitudinal axis extending along the respective inner elongate tape length; (iii) a plurality of flexible slats each having a first end and a second end, an inner longitudinal edge and an outer longitudinal edge that extend from the first end to the second end of the respective slat and defining a length of the slat, an inner longitudinal edge region extending along and in proximity to the inner longitudinal edge and an outer longitudinal edge region extending along and in proximity to the outer longitudinal edge, and a width that extends from the inner longitudinal edge to the outer longitudinal edge of the respective slat, at least a portion of the inner longitudinal edge region of each of the plurality of slats attached to the plurality of inner elongate tapes, at least a portion of the outer longitudinal edge region of each of the plurality of slats attached to the plurality of outer elongate tapes, each of the plurality of flexible slats oriented transversely with respect to the plurality of inner elongate tapes and the plurality of outer elongate tapes when the roll-up covering is in an expanded configuration with the length of each of the plurality of flexible slats extending in the same direction as the lateral width of the plurality of outer elongate tapes and the plurality of inner elongate tapes; and (iv) a plurality of elongate, flexible stiffeners, each elongate stiffener having a length, a width perpendicular to the respective elongate stiffener length, a thickness perpendicular to the respective elongate stiffener width, a first surface defined by the length and the width of the respective elongate stiffener, and a second surface defined by the length and width of the respective stiffener, wherein at least one of the first surface or the second surface of the elongate stiffener is concave along the length of the respective elongate stiffener; a roller having a first end and a second end, a width that extends from the first end to the second end of the roller, a rotational axis, a diameter, and radius of curvature, wherein the first ends of said plurality of outer elongate tapes and the first ends of said plurality of inner elongate tapes are associated with said roller, and rotation of said roller about the rotational axis thereof moves said plurality of inner elongate tapes and said plurality of outer elongate tapes with respect to said roller; and a bottom rail attached to at least one of the second ends of one of the inner elongate tapes, the second end of one of the outer elongate tapes, or a bottom-most slat; wherein at least two respective elongate stiffeners of the plurality of elongate stiffeners are attached to each flexible slat, at least one of said two elongate stiffeners is attached within the inner longitudinal edge region and extends along substantially the entire length of the slat to which it is attached, and at least the other of the two elongate stiffeners is attached within the outer longitudinal edge region and extends along substantially the entire length of the slat to which it is attached. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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Specification