Adjustable-width roller shade configured to maintain orthogonal tracking at all available widths

• US 20020069980A1
• Filed: 02/14/2002
• Published: 06/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: James C. Floyd
• Original Assignee: James C. Floyd
• Inventors: Floyd, James C.
• Granted Patent: US 6,460,593 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 160/370.22
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 1/205 Winding tubes, e.g. telescopic tubes or conically shaped tubes
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 1/2069 of multiple blinds, e.g. more than one blind per window or per actuation system
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 1/2077 for windshields
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/407 Telescopic roller
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/40 Roller blinds usable only as awnings E04F10/06

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.

Claims

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.

2. The roller shade of claim 1, wherein:

each orthogonal tracking spacer comprises a strip of pliable material attached along the outer portion of a corresponding shade; and

each strip has a thickness selected to compensate for the overlapped condition of the inner portion of the corresponding shade as that shade winds around the roller assembly.

3. The roller shade of claim 1, further comprising:

a spring motor coupled to the roller assembly and operative to store spring energy as the shades are moved from a rolled-in configuration to a rolled-out configuration, and to use stored spring energy to move the shades from the rolled out configuration to the rolled-in configuration.

4. The roller shade of claim 1, further comprising written indicia carried on at least one of the first and second shades and available for viewing when the shades are in a substantially rolled-out configuration.

5. An automobile having a window of substantial width and carrying multiple roller shades as described in claim 1 positioned in side-by-side relation across the width of the window.

6. The roller shade of claim 1, wherein the telescoping roller assembly comprises:

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.

7. The roller shade of claim 6, wherein:

the first shade is attached to the ridge of the inner roller; and

the second shade is connected to the outer surface of the outer tube.

8. An adjustable-width roller shade comprising:

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.

9. The roller shade of claim 8, further comprising:

a spring motor coupled to the roller assembly and operative to store spring energy as the shades are moved from a rolled-in configuration to a rolled-out configuration, and to use stored spring energy to move the shades from the rolled-out configuration to the rolled-in configuration.

10. The roller shade of claim 8, further comprising:

a first orthogonal tracking spacer for compensating for the overlapped condition of the inner portion of the first shade as that shade winds around the roller assembly; and

a second orthogonal tracking spacer for compensating for the overlapped condition of the inner portion of the second shade as that shade winds around the roller assembly.

11. The roller shade of claim 10, wherein:

each orthogonal tracking spacer comprises a strip of pliable material attached along the outer portion of a corresponding shade; and

each strip has a thickness selected to compensate for the overlapped condition of the inner portion of the corresponding shade as that shade winds around the roller assembly.

12. The roller shade of claim 11, further comprising written indicia carried on at least one of the first and second shades and available for viewing when the shades are in a substantially rolled-out configuration.

13. An automobile having a window of substantial width and carrying multiple roller shades as described in claim 12 positioned in side-by-side relation across the width of the window.

15. The roller shade of claim 14, further comprising an outer cover housing the roller assembly and constraining the spring motor from unintended release of stored spring energy.

16. The roller shade of claim 15, wherein the first and second shades pass through an opening in the cover as the shades move between a fully rolled-in configuration and a substantially rolled-out configuration.

17. The roller shade of claim 14, further comprising:

a first rod carried by a free edge of the first shade;

a second rod carried by a free edge of the second shade; and

a clip for securing the first and second rods together after the roller shade has been adjusted to a desired width.

18. The roller shade of claim 14, further comprising a hook coupled to at least one of the first and second shades for securing the shades in a substantially rolled-out configuration.

19. The roller shade of claim 14, further comprising written indicia carried on at least one of the first and second shades and available for viewing when the shades are in a substantially rolled-out configuration.

20. An automobile having a window of substantial width and carrying multiple roller shades as described in claim 19 positioned in side-by-side relation across the width of the window with the written indicia displayed for viewing by a person located on the outside of the automobile proximate to the window.

14. An adjustable-width roller shade comprising:

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.

21. 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 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.

22. The roller shade of claim 21, further comprising:

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.

23. The roller shade of claim 22, further comprising:

an outer cover housing the roller assembly and constraining the spring motor from unintended release of stored spring energy and defining an opening through which the first and second shades pass when moving between a fully rolled-in configuration a substantially rolled-out configuration.

24. The roller shade of claim 23, further comprising:

a first rod carried by a free edge of the first shade;

a second rod carried by a free edge of the second shade; and

a clip for securing the first and second rods together after the roller shade has been adjusted to a desired width.

25. The roller shade of claim 24, further comprising:

a hook coupled to at least one of the first and second shades for securing the shades in a substantially rolled-out configuration.

26. The roller shade of claim 25, wherein the telescoping roller assembly comprises:

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 a telescoping roller assembly of adjustable width.

27. The roller shade of claim 26, wherein:

the first shade is attached to the ridge of the inner roller; and

the second shade is connected to the outer surface of the outer tube.

28. The roller shade of claim 27, further comprising written indicia carried on at least one of the first and second shades and available for viewing when the shades are in a substantially rolled-out configuration.

29. An automobile having a window of substantial width and carrying multiple roller shades as described in claim 28 positioned in side-by-side relation across the width of the window with the written indicia displayed for viewing by a person located on the outside of the automobile proximate to the window.