Combined multiple-glazed window and light-control assembly

• US 6,123,137 A
• Filed: 08/27/1998
• Issued: 09/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hunter Douglas Industries B.V. (Hunter Douglas N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Hunter Douglas International NV (Hunter Douglas N.V.)
• Inventors: Levert, Robert Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): Stodola, Daniel P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEV, BRUCE ALLEN
• Application Number:
  US09/141,494
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: 160/98, 160/107, 160/115, 160/174, 160/166 R, 160/168 R, 160/172, 160/176.1 R, 160/178 R, 160/310, 160/387, 160/DIG. 17, 49/64, 49/92.1
• US Class Current: 160/107
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/2452 moving independently
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/264 Combinations of lamellar blinds with roller shutters, screen windows, windows, or double panes; Lamellar blinds with special devices
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/386 Details of lamellae
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 160/17 Venetian blinds, motor driven

Abstract

A double-pane window having a light-control assembly within its peripheral frame. The light-control assembly has an upper section which is adapted to redirect light entering the window through the outside pane so that the light, exiting the window through the inside pane, is reflected upwardly against a ceiling surface of the interior of a room, on the wall of which the window is mounted and a lower section which is adapted to inhibit light entering the window through the outside pane from exiting the window through the inside pane. The lower section and optionally the upper section can each comprise a plurality of laterally-extending slats which can be pivoted about their laterally-extending axes to inhibit or redirect light entering the window. If desired, the slats of the lower section can be pivoted independently of the slats of the upper section. The slats of at least the upper section preferably have a transverse cross-section with a concave surface facing upwardly. It is also advantageous that the upper surface of these slats be highly reflective, and these slats can also be perforated or partially translucent.

Claims

1. A double-pane window comprising

a peripheral frame;

parallel outside and inside panes of glass mounted to said peripheral frame in spaced relation to each other; and

a light-control assembly mounted between said panes, said light-control assembly including

a horizontally extending intermediate bar dividing said light-control assembly into an upper section and a lower section;

a first adjustment means for adjusting said upper section; and

a second adjustment means for adjusting said lower section, whereby said lower section is adjustable independently of said upper section.

2. The double-pane window of claim 1, wherein said upper section comprises a first plurality of parallel, laterally-extending slats, and wherein said lower section comprises a second plurality of parallel, laterally-extending slats.

3. The double-pane window of claim 2, wherein each slat in said first plurality of slats has an upwardly-concave cross section, and further wherein each slat in said second plurality of slats has a downwardly-concave cross section.

4. The double-pane window of claim 3, wherein said second plurality of slats are interconnected to simultaneously pivot about their laterally-extending axes to redirect light entering said lower section.

5. The double-pane window of claim 4, wherein said first plurality of slats are interconnected to simultaneously pivot about their laterally-extending axes to redirect light entering said upper section, and further wherein said first plurality of slats are pivotable independently of said second plurality of slats.

6. The double-pane window of claim 2 or 5, further comprising

upper and lower transversely-extending tilt bars, each having lateral edges and transverse edges, wherein said upper tilt bar is at a top of said upper section and said lower tilt bar is at a top of said lower section, and wherein said first adjustment means comprises a first motor, said first motor engaging one of said lateral edges of said upper tilt bar, and said second adjustment means comprises a second motor, said second motor engaging one of said lateral edges of said lower tilt bar;

a first pair of parallel ladder cords connected to said transverse edges of said upper tilt bar and extending therebelow, said first plurality of slats being mounted to said first pair of parallel ladder cords, whereby said first plurality of slats are pivoted by activating said first motor; and

a second pair of parallel ladder cords connected to said transverse edges of said lower tilt bar and extending therebelow, said second plurality of slats being mounted to said second pair of parallel ladder cords, whereby said second plurality of slats are pivoted by activating said second motor.

7. The double-pane window of claim 6, wherein each of said motors is controlled by a microprocessor so that the slats of each section can be pivoted automatically to change the light passing through the window in response to at least one of changing light conditions and time.

8. The double-pane window of claims 4, wherein each of said first plurality of slats comprises a highly-reflective, upper surface.

9. The double-pane window of claim 4, wherein only said first plurality of slats are partially translucent.

10. The double-pane window of claim 9, wherein said first plurality of slats are perforated.

11. The double-pane window of claim 4, wherein at least one side of each slat in said first and second pluralities of slats has a surface with an emission coefficient lower than 0.5 for radiation with a wavelength larger than 1.5 micrometer.

12. The double-pane window of claim 11, wherein each of said surfaces has an emission coefficient lower than 0.3 for radiation with a wavelength larger than 1.5 micrometer.

13. The double-pane window of claim 1, wherein said lower section is suspended from said intermediate bar.

14. The double-pane window of claim 13, wherein said upper section has a top and a bottom, and wherein said lower section has a top and a bottom, and further wherein said bottom of said upper section and said top of said lower section are each pivotally connected to said intermediate bar.

15. The double-pane window of claim 13, wherein said peripheral frame has a top side, a bottom side, and lateral sides extending between said top and bottom sides, and wherein said intermediate bar has first and second lateral edges that are connected to opposite lateral sides of said frame.

16. The double-pane window of claim 15, wherein a motor, mounted in said frame, connects said first lateral edge of said intermediate bar to said frame.

17. The double-pane window of claim 16, wherein a T-shaped connector, mounted in said frame, connects said second lateral edge of said intermediate bar to said frame.

18. The double-pane window of claim 13, wherein the window is inclined so that one of said outside and inside panes is positioned at an orientation above the other, and wherein said upper and lower sections of said light-control assembly are attached to said intermediate bar at a location closer to said one, above-positioned pane than to said other pane.

19. The double-pane window of claim 18, wherein said upper and lower sections of said light-control assembly are attached to said top and bottom of said frame at locations closer to said one, above-positioned pane than to said other pane.

20. An inclined, double-pane window comprising a peripheral frame, substantially parallel spaced apart outside and inside panes of glass mounted to said frame, a light-control assembly mounted between said panes to control light passing through the window, said light-control assembly including:

i) an upper section effective to redirect the light entering the window through said outside pane, whereby the light exits the window through said inside pane;

ii) a lower section effective to inhibit the light entering the window through said outside pane from exiting the window through said inside pane; and

iii) a substantially horizontal, laterally-extending elongate intermediate bar, said lower section being suspended from said intermediate bar, wherein one of said outside and inside panes is positioned at an orientation above the other, and wherein said upper and lower sections of the light-control assembly are attached to said intermediate bar at a location closer to said one, above-positioned pane than to said other pane.

21. The window as claimed in claim 20, wherein said peripheral frame has at top side and a bottom side, and wherein the upper and lower sections of the light-control assembly are attached to the top and bottom sides of the frame at locations closer to said one, above-positioned pane than to said other pane.