Insulating shade assembly with removable cover

• US 4,610,292 A
• Filed: 05/15/1985
• Issued: 09/09/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Appropriate Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: Appropriate Technology Corporation
• Inventors: McLane, Allan Jr., Hausmann, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Britts, Ramon S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/734,290
• Time in Patent Office: 482 Days
• Field of Search: 160/23 R, 160/120, 160/121, 160/241
• US Class Current: 160/120
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/2452 moving independently
• 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 9/40 Roller blinds usable only as awnings E04F10/06

Abstract

An insulating window shade assembly includes a first roller carrying an insulating shade and a second roller carrying a cover fabric. The shade and cover fabric are supported in essentially face to face relationship, and their bottoms are secured together by a Velcro-type fastener. The cover fabric conceals the insulating shade, it may be removed from the shade for cleaning or may be changed and it may be adjusted for smoothness and to compensate for any stretching which occurs in the materials.

Claims

1. An insulating window shade assembly comprising:

a pair of spaced brackets adapted to be mounted on opposite top sides of the frame of a window to be insulated,

a first roller carrying insulating material disposed within the brackets for enabling said insulating material to be drawn over the inside of said window,

channels adapted to be mounted on the sides of the window for receiving the side edges of the insulating material to form a seal about its edges when the shade is drawn,

a second roller disposed within the brackets and carrying a cover fabric for enabling the cover fabric to be drawn from the second roller on the inside of the window, said cover fabric being disposed on the inside of the insulating material when the insulating material and cover fabric are drawn, said cover fabric being substantially the same width as the insulating material to be capable of covering the inside of the insulating material when both are drawn over the window,

a flange forming part of each of the channels for covering the side edges of the cover fabric when drawn over the window,

a batten secured to the bottom edge of the insulating material,

means detachably connecting the bottom edge of the cover fabric to the batten so that the insulating material and the cover fabric will move together when connected, the cover fabric being otherwise free of any direct connection with said insulating material so that the cover fabric may be detached from the batten to be removed or adjusted with respect to the insulating material, and

an idler roller disposed within the brackets immediately inwardly of the insulating material and about which the cover fabric extends, said idler roller supporting the cover fabric when drawn, very closely adjacent the insulating material.

2. An insulating window shade assembly as defined in claim 1 further characterized by

said second roller being biased to retract the cover fabric,

and a pull cord connected to the first roller of insulating material for retracting it, the connection between the bottom edges of the fabric and insulating material enabling the position of the insulating material to control the position of the cover fabric.

3. An insulating window shade assembly as defined in claim 1 further characterized by

an insulating strip connected at the top of the insulating material on the side thereof facing away from the window and adapted to lie squeezed between the idler roller and frame when the shade is drawn for sealing the insulating material against the top of the frame.

4. An insulating window shade assembly as defined in claim 3 further characterized by

said insulating strip being a foam-like material and disposed between the insulating material and fabric when they are drawn.

5. An insulating window shade assembly as defined in claim 1 further characterized by

a valance connected to the brackets and covering the rollers from the inside.

6. An insulating window shade assembly comprising:

bracket means adapted to be mounted on the frame of a window,

a first roller carrying an insulating shade and being disposed within the bracket means on the inside of the window, said shade being adapted to be drawn from the roller to cover the inside of the window and to be wound upon the roller to expose the window,

a second roller carrying a removable cover fabric on the inside of the shade and being supported by the bracket means, the second roller being spaced from and disposed independently of said first roller,

means disposed adjacent only the bottom edge of the insulating shade for connecting only the bottom edge of said cover fabric to the bottom only of the insulating shade so that the insulating shade and cover fabric may be drawn together over the inside of the window, said connecting means being readily openable so that the cover fabric may be removed from or adjusted with respect to the insulating shade, the cover fabric being otherwise free of any direct connection with said insulating shade,

guide means disposed adjacent the second roller and between the second roller and the insulating shade, said cover fabric passing over said guide means, for causing the cover fabric to hang closely adjacent the front of the insulating shade when the insulating shade is drawn over the window and when the insulating shade and cover fabric are connected together by said connecting means,

and means for continually tensioning the cover fabric when the insulating shade is drawn and when the cover fabric is connected thereto so that the cover fabric lies smoothly over the shade.

7. An insulating shade assembly as defined in claim 6 further characterized by:

a first strip of Velcro-type material fastened adjacent the bottom edge of the insulating shade,

and a second strip of mating Velcro-type material fastened adjacent the bottom edge of the cover fabric, the second strip being in confronting relation with said first strip when the cover fabric is drawn so that the bottom edge of the cover fabric is disposed adjacent the bottom edge of the insulating shade, the two Velcro-type strips permitting the cover fabric to be removed from and adjusted with respect to the insulating shade.

8. An insulating shade assembly as defined in claim 7 further characterized by

said first strip carrying hook members along a portion of its surface.

9. An insulating shade assembly as defined in claim 8 further characterized by

clamping means engaging a portion of the first strip and the bottom of the insulated shade to hold them together,

the portion of the first strip engaged by the clamping means being free of hook members on its surface.

10. An insulating window shade assembly as defined in claim 7 further characterized by

sealing means carried by the shade adapted to be pushed against the window frame by the guide means when the shade is drawn to prevent the flow of air over the top of the first roller.

11. An insulating window shade assembly as defined in claim 7 further characterized by

a pull cord connected to the first roller for rolling up the insulating material on said first roller to expose the window.

12. An insulating window shade assembly as defined in claim 7 wherein said tensioning means comprises biasing means connected to the second roller for tensioning the cover fabric on the shade.

13. An insulating window shade assembly as defined in claim 11 further characterized by

a weight connected to the bottom of the shade to cause the shade to be drawn when the pull cord is released.

14. An insulating window shade assembly comprising:

a pair of spaced brackets adapted to be mounted on opposite top sides of the frame of a window to be insulated;

a first roller carrying insulating material disposed within the brackets for enabling said insulating material to be drawn over the inside of the window;

channels adapted to be mounted on the sides of the window for receiving the side edges of the insulating material to form a seal about its edges when the shade is drawn;

a second roller carrying a cover fabric and being disposed within the brackets, said cover fabric being adapted to be drawn from the second roller on the inside of the window, said cover fabric being disposed on the inside of the insulating material when the insulating material and cover fabric are drawn, said cover fabric being substantially the same width as the insulating material to be capable of covering the inside of the insulating material when both are drawn over the window;

a flange forming part of each of the channels for covering the side edges of the cover fabric when drawn over the window;

a batten secured to the bottom edge of the insulating material;

means for detachably connecting the bottom edge of the cover fabric to the batten so that the insulating material and the cover fabric may move together when connected;

said insulating material and said cover fabric being otherwise unconnected and being detachable from one another by said connecting means, said cover fabric being removable from or adjustable with respect to the insulating material when detached therefrom at said connecting means;

an idler roller disposed within the brackets immediately inwardly of the insulating material and about which the cover fabric extends, the idler roller supporting the cover fabric when drawn very closely adjacent the insulating material;

means connected to the second roller for biasing the second roller in a direction for winding up the cover fabric onto the second roller;

a weight connected to the batten urging said insulating material downwardly off said first roller, the total weight of the insulating material, batten and weight being greater than the retracting force of said biasing means to prevent the biasing means from retracting said cover fabric when the insulating material is drawn and the insulating material and cover fabric are connected by said connecting means; and

means connected to said first roller for winding up the insulating material onto said first roller.

15. An insulating window shade assembly comprising:

bracket means adapted to be mounted on the frame of a window;

a first roller carrying an insulating shade and being disposed within the bracket means on the inside of the window, said shade being adapted to be drawn from the roller to cover the inside of the window and to be wound upon the roller to expose the window;

a second roller carrying a removable cover fabric on the inside of the shade and being disposed within the bracket means, the second roller being disposed independently of the first roller;

a first strip of Velcro-type material, said first strip carrying hook members;

a second strip of Velcro-type material for mating with said first strip and being fastened adjacent the bottom edge of the cover fabric;

means clamping the first strip to the bottom edge of the insulating shade, a portion of the first strip engaged by said clamping means being free of hook members, said second strip being disposed adjacent to and in confronting relation with said first strip when said cover fabric is drawn so that the bottom edge of said cover fabric is closely adjacent the bottom edge of said insulating shade;

said insulating shade and said cover fabric being connected only at their bottom ends by mating of said first and second strips of Velcro-type material so that the insulating shade and cover fabric may be drawn together over the inside of the window, the cover fabric being removable from or adjustable with respect to the insulating shade by separating the first strip of Velcro-type material from the second strip of Velcro-type material;

guide means disposed adjacent the second roller and between the second roller and the insulating shade, said cover fabric passing over said guide means, causing the cover fabric to hang closely adjacent the front of the insulating shade when the insulating shade is drawn over the window and the insulating shade and cover fabric are connected together at their bottom edges; and

means for continually placing the cover fabric in tension when the insulating shade is drawn and the cover fabric is connected to the insulating shade so that the cover fabric lies smoothly over the shade.