Adjustable-width roller shade configured to maintain orthogonal tracking at all available widths
First Claim
1. An adjustable-width roller shade comprising:
- a telescoping roller assembly having an adjustable width;
a telescoping shade assembly carried on the telescoping roller assembly and varying in width in cooperation with changes in the width of the telescoping roller assembly;
the telescoping shade assembly characterized by two shades with inner portions that overlap each other by an amount that varies with the width of the telescoping shade assembly;
each shade defining an outer portion located away from the overlapped inner portion of the corresponding shade; and
each shade carrying an orthogonal tracking spacer for compensating for the overlapped condition of the inner portion of the corresponding shade as that shade winds around the roller assembly.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An adjustable-width spring-operated roller shade that maintains proper orthogonal tracking at all available widths within the shade'"'"'s range of width adjustment. The adjustable-width roller shade utilizes two overlapping window shades and a telescoping roller to provide a shade that is repeatedly width-adjustable within its original range of width adjustment. To keep the shade sufficiently perpendicular to the roller as the shade winds onto the roller, orthogonal tracking spacers, such as continuous, pliable strips constructed from the same material as the shades, are attached to non-overlapped portions of the shade material to compensate for the extra layers of material existing at the overlapped portion of the shades. Thus, the roller shade maintains proper orthogonal tracking of the shade at all available widths within the shade'"'"'s range of width adjustment.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. An adjustable-width roller shade comprising:
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a telescoping roller assembly having an adjustable width;
a telescoping shade assembly carried on the telescoping roller assembly and varying in width in cooperation with changes in the width of the telescoping roller assembly;
the telescoping shade assembly characterized by two shades with inner portions that overlap each other by an amount that varies with the width of the telescoping shade assembly;
each shade defining an outer portion located away from the overlapped inner portion of the corresponding shade; and
each shade carrying an orthogonal tracking spacer for compensating for the overlapped condition of the inner portion of the corresponding shade as that shade winds around the roller assembly. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An adjustable-width roller shade comprising:
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a telescoping roller assembly having an adjustable width, including;
an inner roller having an outer longitudinal surface defining a cylinder with a longitudinal ridge carried radially outward from the cylinder, an outer tube having an outer longitudinal surface defining a cylinder with a longitudinal channel cut through a substantial portion of the longitudinal extent of the outer surface, and the inner roller concentrically received within the outer tube with the ridge positioned within the channel to form an adjustable width telescoping roller assembly; and
a telescoping shade assembly carried on the telescoping roller assembly and varying in width in cooperation with changes in the width of the telescoping roller assembly, including;
a first shade is attached to the ridge of the inner roller, a second shade is connected to the outer surface of the outer tube, and the first and second shades having inner portions that overlap each other by an amount that varies with the width of the telescoping shade assembly. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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14. An adjustable-width roller shade comprising:
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an inner roller having an outer longitudinal surface defining a cylinder with a longitudinal ridge carried radially outward from the cylinder;
an outer tube having an outer longitudinal surface defining a cylinder with a longitudinal channel cut through a substantial portion of the longitudinal extent of the outer surface;
the inner roller concentrically received within the outer tube, with the ridge positioned within the channel, to form a telescoping roller assembly of adjustable width;
a first shade connected to the longitudinal ridge of the inner roller and defining an outer portion located longitudinally away from the outer tube;
a second shade connected to the outer tube and defining an outer portion located longitudinally away from the inner roller;
the first shade having an inner portion being overlapped by an inner portion of the second shade to form a telescoping shade assembly of adjustable width carried on the telescoping roller assembly;
a first orthogonal tracking strip attached to the outer portion of the first shade and having a thickness selected to compensate for the overlapped condition of the inner portion of the first shade when winding the first shade around the roller assembly;
a second orthogonal tracking strip attached to the outer portion of the second shade and having a thickness selected to compensate for the overlapped condition of the inner portion of the second shade when winding the second shade around the roller assembly; and
a spring motor coupled to the roller assembly and operative to store spring energy as the first and second shades are moved from a rolled-in configuration to a rolled-out configuration, and to use stored spring energy to move the first and second shades from the rolled-out configuration to the rolled-in configuration.
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21. An adjustable-width roller shade comprising:
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a telescoping roller assembly having an adjustable width;
a telescoping shade assembly carried on the telescoping roller assembly and varying in width in cooperation with changes in the width of the telescoping roller assembly;
the telescoping shade assembly characterized by two shades that have inner portions that overlap each other by an amount that varies with the width of the telescoping shade assembly;
each shade defining an outer portion located away from the overlapped inner portion of the corresponding shade;
a first orthogonal tracking strip attached to the outer portion of the first shade and having a thickness selected to compensate for the overlapped condition of the inner portion of the first shade when winding the first shade around the roller assembly; and
a second orthogonal tracking strip attached to the outer portion of the second shade and having a thickness selected to compensate for the overlapped condition of the inner portion of the second shade when winding the second shade around the roller assembly. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification