Apparatus for fabricating a light control window covering
DCFirst Claim
1. A window covering comprising a first side comprised of a relatively translucent material, a second side comprised of a relatively translucent material and disposed substantially parallel to the first side, and a plurality of vanes extending between the sides,wherein the vanes are angularly controllable and change shape by relative movement of the first and second sides between a first position whereby the vanes are substantially planar and extend substantially parallel to the first and second sides, and a second open position whereby the vanes have smooth curving portions and are of generally S-shaped cross-sectional configuration.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A fabric light control window covering in which fabric vanes are adhesively bonded between two sheer fabric sheets such that relative movement between the sheer fabric sheets in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the fabric vanes changes the angle of the fabric vanes and, thus, controls the amount of light admitted through the shade. The vanes are bonded to the sheer fabric sheets in a manner which tends to bias the sheer fabric sheets together to the nonlight admitting position. Also, disclosed are methods and apparatus for manufacturing the above window covering. The method features linear application of adhesive to the vane material which provides for a uniform appearance in the finished product. A heat setting process and apparatus is disclosed in which the bonded layers of sheer fabrics and vanes are fed between belts over hot and cool surfaces, under uniform tension and pressure. This provides for heat setting of the layers of the window covering to a uniform temperature-size relationship without inducing wrinkles or distortion into the fabric during heat setting.
250 Citations
68 Claims
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1. A window covering comprising a first side comprised of a relatively translucent material, a second side comprised of a relatively translucent material and disposed substantially parallel to the first side, and a plurality of vanes extending between the sides,
wherein the vanes are angularly controllable and change shape by relative movement of the first and second sides between a first position whereby the vanes are substantially planar and extend substantially parallel to the first and second sides, and a second open position whereby the vanes have smooth curving portions and are of generally S-shaped cross-sectional configuration.
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40. A window covering comprising a first side comprised of relatively translucent material, a second side comprised of relatively translucent material and disposed substantially parallel to the first side, and a plurality of vanes extending between the sides, wherein the vanes are angularly controllable and are formed of relatively flexible material such that the vanes change cross-sectional shape upon relative movement of the first and second sides between a first closed position whereby the vanes are substantially planar and extend substantially parallel to the first and second sides and a second open position whereby the vanes have smoothly-curving portions and are of generally S-shaped cross-sectional configuration.
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41. A window covering comprising a first side comprised of a relatively translucent material, a second side comprised of a relatively translucent material disposed substantially parallel to the first side, and a plurality of vanes extending between the first and second sides, the vanes being angularly controllable by relative movement of the sides between a first closed position whereby the vanes are substantially parallel to the sides and a second open position whereby the vanes extend generally transverse to the first and second sides,
wherein the vanes are comprised of a relatively flexible material which changes shape upon relative movement of the sides from a substantially planar shape having a straight cross-section in the closed position to smoothly curving and having a generally S-shaped cross-section in the open position.
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42. A window covering comprising a first side comprised of relatively translucent material, a second side comprised of relatively translucent material and disposed substantially parallel to the first side, and a plurality of vanes extending between the sides, the vanes being angularly controllable by relative movement of the first and second sides between a first closed position whereby the vanes are substantially planar and extend substantially parallel to the first and second sides and a second open position whereby the vanes extend generally transverse to the first and second sides, wherein each vane has opposite faces with one face of each vane attached to the first side and the other face of each vane attached to the second side, the vanes forming smoothly curving portions so that the vanes are of generally S-shaped cross-sectional configuration when the vanes are in the second open position.
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43. A window covering comprising a first side comprised of a relatively translucent sheer material, a second side comprised of a relatively translucent sheer material and disposed substantially parallel to the first side, and a plurality of vanes extending between the sheer sides, the vanes being angularly controllable and change shape by relative movement of the sheer sides between a first closed position whereby the vanes are substantially planar and extend substantially parallel to the sheer sides effective to at least partially block transmission of light and a second open position whereby the vanes extend generally transversely to the sheer sides so as to allow the transmission of light between the vanes, wherein each vane has opposite faces with one face of each vane secured to the first sheer side and the other face of the vane secured to the other sheer side, the vanes forming smoothly curving portions so that the vanes are of generally S-shaped cross-sectional configuration when the vanes are in the second open position.
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44. A window covering having a flexible fabric assembly comprising:
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a first side comprised of relatively translucent material; a second side comprised of relatively translucent material and disposed substantially parallel to said first side; and a plurality of vanes extending between the first and second sides, the sides of the window covering being movable between a first closed position whereby the vanes are substantially planar and extend substantially parallel to the first and second sides, and a second open po ition whereby the sides are moved apart and the vanes extend generally transverse tc the sides wherein the flexible fabric assembly is biased to the first closed position.
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45. A window covering comprising:
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(1) a front panel comprised of a relatively translucent material; (2) a back panel comprised of a relatively translucent material, the back panel configured and adapted to be substantially parallel to the front panel; and (3) a plurality of vanes extending between the front and back panels and angularly controllable by relative movement of the front and back panels between a first closed position whereby the panels are generally together and the vanes are substantially planar and substantially parallel to the front and back panels, and a second position wherein the panels are generally spaced a distance apart and the vanes extend generally transverse to the panels, wherein the vanes are configured and adapted to bias the front and back panels together to the first closed position. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48)
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- 54. An expandable cellular light control assembly comprised of a plurality of elongated cells for use in a window covering, the assembly having a front comprised of a relatively translucent material, a back comprised of a relatively translucent material and a plurality of vanes extending between the front and back, the assembly being formed such that the elongated cells are biased toward a collapsed position with the front, back and vanes being substantially parallel to each other and in overlapping relationship to form a generally flat sandwich of fabric.
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66. An expandable cellular light control fabric assembly for use in a window covering having a plurality of collapsible cells which control the transmission of light through the assembly, the assembly having a front generally flat planar panel comprised of a relatively translucent material, a back generally flat planar panel comprised of a relatively translucent material configured and adapted to substantially overlap and be substantially parallel to the front panel, and a plurality of vanes extending between the front and back panels, the shape of the cells being controllable by relative movement of the front and back panels between a collapsed position whereby the panels are generally together and the vanes are substantially planar and substantially parallel to the front and back panels and an expanded position whereby the panels are generally spaced a distance apart and the vanes extend generally transverse to the front and back panels and have smoothly-curving portions and a generally S-shaped cross-sectional configuration.
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67. An expandable cellular light control fabric assembly for use in a window covering comprising:
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a first side comprised of a relatively translucent sheer material; a second side comprised of a relatively translucent sheer material configured and adapted to substantially overlap and be substantially parallel to the first side, at least one of the sides being formed of a plurality of substantially parallel sheer strips; and a plurality of vanes comprised of relatively opaque material and extending between the first and second sides, the vanes being angularly controllable and change shape by relative movement of the first and second sides between a closed position whereby the sides are generally together and the vanes are substantially planar and substantially parallel to the first and second sides so as to effectively block the transmission of light through the assembly and an open position whereby the sides are generally spaced a distance apart and the vanes extend generally transverse to the front and back panels to allow the transmission of light through the assembly, the vanes having opposite faces with one face of each vane attached to one side and the other face of each vane attached to the other side wherein in the open position the vanes have smoothly-curving portions and a generally S-shaped cross-sectional configuration.
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68. An expandable cellular light control fabric assembly for use in a window covering, said assembly being comprised of a plurality of superimposed and interconnected cellular units with each unit comprising:
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a first side of a relatively translucent material having a bottom edge portion, a second side of a relatively translucent material having a bottom edge portion, said second side being disposed substantially parallel to said first side, and a vane interconnecting said first and second sides along said bottom edge portions, said vanes assuming a generally S-shaped configuration in cross-section when said first and second sides are spaced from each other.
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Specification