WINDOW TREATMENT HAVING BACKLIGHTING

• US 20140262056A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Lutron Electronics Company Incorporated (Lutron Electronics)
• Inventors: Blair, Edward J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,169,690 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 160/5
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/247 Electrically powered illumination
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/6827 sensing light
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/24 Screens or other constructions affording protection against light, especially against sunshine; Similar screens for privacy or appearance; Slat blindsoperating, guiding or securing devices or arrangements for roll-type closures E06B9/56; free-hanging flexible screens A47H23/00
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/68 Operating devices or mechanisms, e.g. with electric drive

Abstract

A window treatment can include a headrail that is configured to be mounted to a structure. A covering material can be attached to the headrail and configured to be raised and lowered. The window treatment can also include a bottom bar that is attached to an opposite end of the covering material as the headrail. The window treatment can also include a light source that is configured to illuminate a side of the covering material when the covering material is in a lowered position. In this manner, the light source may be configured to adjust the transparency level of the covering material to thereby adjust the privacy settings of the interior space that is enclosed by the window treatment.

Claims

1. A window treatment configured to selectively cover a window that separates an exterior space from an interior space, the window treatment comprising:

a headrail that is elongate along a first direction and is configured to be coupled to a structure adjacent the window within the interior space;

a covering material having a top end and a bottom end that is spaced from the top end along a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction, the top end of the covering material being operatively attached to the headrail such that the covering material is movable along the second direction between a raised position and a lowered position, the covering material further having a first side and a second side that is opposite the first side and faces the window when the headrail is coupled to the structure; and

a light source configured to illuminate at least a majority of the second side of the covering material when the covering material is in the lowered position to thereby cause ambient light on the second side of the covering material to be greater than that on the first side of the covering material.

2. The window treatment of claim 1, wherein the light source includes a plurality of light emitting diodes.

3. The window treatment of claim 1, wherein the light source is attached to the headrail such that when the headrail is coupled to the structure, the light source is located between the covering material and the window.

4. The window treatment of claim 1, wherein the light source is attached to the covering material.

5. The window treatment of claim 1, further comprising a bottom bar attached to the bottom end of the covering material, wherein the light source is attached to the bottom bar and spans across at least a portion of the bottom bar along the first direction.

6. The window treatment of claim 1, wherein the light source is configured to be attached to the structure.

7. The window treatment of claim 1, further comprising a motor operatively coupled to the covering material and a controller operatively coupled to the motor such that the controller is configured to drive the motor in response to a command to thereby move the covering material between the lowered position and the raised position.

8. The window treatment of claim 7, wherein the controller is operatively coupled to the light source such that the controller is configured to adjust an illumination level of the light source in response to a command.

9. The window treatment of claim 8, wherein the controller includes either a transceiver or a receiver that is configured to receive instructions from a remote control device.

10. The window treatment of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to automatically adjust the illumination level of the light source based on time of day.

11. The window treatment of claim 10, wherein the time of day is determined by an astronomic time clock.

12. The window treatment of claim 8, wherein the controller includes at least one button that is configured to activate and deactivate the light source upon actuation of the at least one button.

13. The window treatment of claim 1, further comprising a light sensor operatively coupled to the light source, the light sensor being configured to detect a level of ambient light of the exterior space.

14. The window treatment of claim 13, wherein the light sensor is configured to adjust an illumination level of the light source in response to the level of ambient light of the exterior space.

15. The window treatment of claim 1, wherein the light source is configured to illuminate at least 51% of the second side of the covering material when the covering material is in the lowered position.

16. The window treatment of claim 15, wherein the light source is configured to illuminate at least 75% of the second side of the covering material when the covering material is in the lowered position.

17. The window treatment of claim 16, wherein the light source is configured to illuminate about 100% of the second side of the covering material when the covering material is in the lowered position.

18. A window treatment configured to selectively cover a window that separates an exterior space from an interior space, the window treatment comprising:

a headrail that is elongate along a first direction and is configured to be coupled to a structure adjacent the window within the interior space;

a covering material having a top end and a bottom end that is spaced from the top end along a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction, the top end of the covering material being operatively attached to the headrail such that the covering material is movable along the second direction between a raised position and a lowered position, the covering material further having a first side and a second side that is opposite the first side and faces the window when the headrail is coupled to the structure;

a light source coupled to at least one of the headrail and the covering material, the light source being configured to illuminate at least a portion of the second side of the covering material,

wherein (i) during a specified astronomical time range, the covering material is configured to have a first transparency whereby visualization through the covering material from the exterior space is permitted and a second transparency whereby visualization through the covering material from the exterior space is impeded relative to the first transparency, and (ii) the covering material is configured to have the second transparency when the light source illuminates the at least a portion of the second side of the covering material during the specified astronomical time range.

19. The window treatment of claim 18, wherein the astronomical time range is defined from about sunset to about sunrise.

20. The window treatment of claim 18, wherein the light source includes a plurality of light emitting diodes.

21. The window treatment of claim 18, wherein the light source is attached to the headrail such that when the headrail is coupled to the structure, the light source is located between the covering material and the window.

22. The window treatment of claim 18, wherein the light source is attached to the covering material.

23. The window treatment of claim 18, further comprising a bottom bar attached to the bottom end of the covering material, wherein the light source is attached to the bottom bar and spans across at least a portion of the bottom bar along the first direction.

24. The window treatment of claim 18, further comprising a motor operatively coupled to the covering material and a controller operatively coupled to the motor such that the controller is configured to drive the motor in response to a command to thereby move the covering material between the lowered position and the raised position.

25. The window treatment of claim 24, wherein the controller is operatively coupled to the light source such that the controller is configured to adjust an illumination level of the light source in response to a command.

26. The window treatment of claim 25, wherein the controller includes either a transceiver or a receiver that is configured to receive instructions from a remote control device.

27. The window treatment of claim 25, wherein the controller is configured to automatically adjust the illumination level of the light source based on time of day.

28. The window treatment of claim 25, wherein the controller includes at least one button that is configured to activate and deactivate the light source upon actuation of the at least one button.

29. The window treatment of claim 18, further comprising a light sensor operatively coupled to the light source, the light sensor being configured to detect a level of ambient light of the exterior space.

30. The window treatment of claim 29, wherein the light sensor is configured to adjust an illumination level of the light source in response to the level of ambient light of the exterior space.

31. The window treatment of claim 18, wherein the light source is configured to illuminate at least 51% of the second side of the covering material when the covering material is in the lowered position.

32. The window treatment of claim 31, wherein the light source is configured to illuminate at least 75% of the second side of the covering material when the covering material is in the lowered position.

33. The window treatment of claim 32, wherein the light source is configured to illuminate about 100% of the second side of the covering material when the covering material is in the lowered position.

34. A window treatment configured to selectively cover a window that separates an exterior space from an interior space, the window treatment comprising:

a roller tube that is elongate along a first direction and is configured to be rotatably coupled to a structure adjacent the window within the interior space;

a covering material having a top end and a bottom end that is spaced from the top end along a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction, the top end of the covering material being operatively attached to the roller tube such that the covering material is movable along the second direction between a raised position and a lowered position, the covering material further having a first side and a second side that is opposite the first side and faces the window when the roller tube is rotatably coupled to the structure; and

a light source configured to illuminate at least a majority of the second side of the covering material when the covering material is in the lowered position to thereby cause ambient light on the second side of the covering material to be greater than that on the first side of the covering material.

35. The window treatment of claim 34, wherein the light source includes a plurality of light emitting diodes.

36. The window treatment of claim 34, wherein the light source is attached to the covering material.

37. The window treatment of claim 34, further comprising a bottom bar attached to the bottom end of the covering material, wherein the light source is attached to the bottom bar and spans across at least a portion of the bottom bar along the first direction.

38. The window treatment of claim 34, wherein the light source is configured to be attached to the structure.

39. The window treatment of claim 34, further comprising a motor operatively coupled to the covering material and a controller operatively coupled to the motor such that the controller is configured to drive the motor in response to a command to thereby move the covering material between the lowered position and the raised position.

40. The window treatment of claim 39, wherein the controller is operatively coupled to the light source such that the controller is configured to adjust an illumination level of the light source in response to a command.

41. The window treatment of claim 40, wherein the controller includes either a transceiver or a receiver that is configured to receive instructions from a remote control device.

42. The window treatment of claim 40, wherein the controller is configured to automatically adjust the illumination level of the light source based on time of day.

43. The window treatment of claim 42, wherein the time of day is determined by an astronomic time clock.

44. The window treatment of claim 40, wherein the controller includes at least one button that is configured to activate and deactivate the light source upon actuation of the at least one button.

45. The window treatment of claim 34, further comprising a light sensor operatively coupled to the light source, the light sensor being configured to detect a level of ambient light of the exterior space.

46. The window treatment of claim 45, wherein the light sensor is configured to adjust an illumination level of the light source in response to the level of ambient light of the exterior space.

47. The window treatment of claim 34, wherein the light source is configured to illuminate at least 51% of the second side of the covering material when the covering material is in the lowered position.

48. The window treatment of claim 47, wherein the light source is configured to illuminate at least 75% of the second side of the covering material when the covering material is in the lowered position.

49. The window treatment of claim 48, wherein the light source is configured to illuminate about 100% of the second side of the covering material when the covering material is in the lowered position.

50. A method of adjusting the transparency of a covering material of a window treatment that covers a window, the window separating an interior space from an exterior space, the window treatment being mounted to a structure adjacent the window within the interior space such that the covering material has a first side and a second side that is opposite the first side and faces the window, the method comprising the steps of:

lowering the covering material from a raised position to a lowered position such that the covering material covers a substantial portion of the window, the covering material having a transparency such that during a time range after sunset and before sunrise visualization through the covering material from the exterior space is permitted;

adjusting an illumination level of a light source that is attached to the window treatment such that ambient light on the second side of the covering material is greater than that on the first side of the covering material; and

during the time range, causing visualization through the covering material from the exterior space to be impeded.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the adjusting step occurs automatically at sunset.