Automatically Configurable Blind Cutting Center

• US 20110088524A1
• Filed: 09/08/2010
• Published: 04/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Levolor, Inc (Hunter Douglas N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Newell Window Furnishings Incorporated (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Inventors: Potts, Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 10,792,739 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 83/13
• CPC Class Codes: B23D 23/00 Machines or devices for shearing or cutting profiled stock hand-held devices B23D29/00
• CPC Class Codes: B23D 45/003 for particular purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 1/08 of the guillotine type
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 5/12 Fluid-pressure means
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 5/34 scanning being effected by a photosensitive device
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 7/28 for counting the number of cuts or measuring cut lenghts B26D5/24, B26D5/40 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/266 Devices or accessories for making or mounting lamellar blinds or parts thereof cleaning of lamellar blinds A47L4/00; joining plastics plates for making venetian blinds B29C66/437
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/04 Processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/408 Combined with another type tool of the class
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/525 Operation controlled by detector means responsive to work
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/535 Release of interlock controlled
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/538 Positioning of tool controlled
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/543 Sensing means responsive to work indicium or irregularity
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/626 Operation of member controlled by means responsive to position of element remote from member [e.g., interlock]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/858 Indicates dimension of work being cut
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/8748 Tool displaceable to inactive position [e.g., for work loading]

Abstract

A method and apparatus for sizing window coverings slidably extendable from a bay into an aisle of a retail outlet. The method includes the steps of locating the center of the window covering relative to a cutting station utilizing a half scale for removing a portion of the window covering from each of its ends.

Claims

1. An apparatus to size the width of a window covering in a retail store, comprising:

a support surface to support a window covering to be sized;

a first cutter configured to cut a width of the window covering to a predetermined width, the first cutter being disposed adjacent to the support surface;

a second cutter configured to cut the width of the window covering to a predetermined width, the second cutter being disposed adjacent to the support surface at an opposite end of the support surface from the first cutter;

a controller operatively connected to the first and second cutters; and

an input device communicatively connected to the controller, the input device being configured to receive information;

wherein the first cutter and second cutter are automatically configured based on the information received by the input device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input device is a bar code scanner.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the information is derived from a bar code of the window covering.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first cutter comprises a plurality of sets of cutting elements, each set of cutting elements being configured to cut a different window covering product.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first cutter is adjustable vertically, and at least one of the sets of cutting elements is located at a different elevational level from another set of cutting elements.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, whereby based on the information received by the input device, the controller sends instructions to the first cutter to move the first cutter up or down such that the set of cutting elements corresponding to the information received by the input device is located adjacent to the support surface.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first cutter is a shearing plate and a die plate.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the set of cutting elements includes a headrail die, and bottom rail die, and a slat die in the die plate.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second cutter is a circular saw.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further including an information storage device to store the identification of the user.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further including an information storage device to store the time of each cut.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, further including an information storage device to store the model of each cut.

24. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an end locator disposed adjacent the support surface for locating an end of the window covering relative to the first or second cutter, wherein the end locator includes a hinge about which the end locator can rotate to move the end locator away from the support surface.

9. (canceled)

10. (canceled)

12. (canceled)

16. A method of cutting a window covering in a variable blind cutting center, comprising:

providing a support surface adapted to support a window covering, a first cutter adjacent the support surface, a second cutter adjacent the support surface and disposed at an opposite end of the support surface from the first cutter, and a controller operatively connected to the first cutter and the second cutter, the blind cutting center being initially in a disabled condition;

inputting an identification of the user into an input device that is communicatively connected to the controller;

enabling the blind cutting center by sending a signal from the controller to a control panel;

inputting an identification of the window covering into the input device; and

enabling one of the first cutter and the second cutter based on the identification of the window covering, or disabling the other of the first and second cutter based on the identification of the window covering, by sending a signal from the controller to the first or second cutter.

17. The method of claim 16, the method further including automatically configuring the first cutter based on the identification of the blind to be sized.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein automatically configuring the first cutter includes raising or lowering the first cutter to locate selected stationary and movable dies adjacent to the support surface based on the identification of the window covering.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising storing the identification of the user in a storage device.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising storing the time of entry of the identification of the user in a storage device.

22. The method of claim 16, further comprising storing the information of the window covering in a storage device.

23. The method of claim 16, further comprising storing the time required to size the window covering in a storage device.

18. (canceled)