Remotely connected blind cutting center

• US 6,973,364 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2003
• Issued: 12/06/2005
• 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, Schwartz, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHECHTMAN, SEAN P
• Application Number:
  US10/378,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20040173075A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,009 Days
• Field of Search: 700/117, 700/174, 144/5, 144/360, 26/245
• US Class Current: 700/117
• CPC Class Codes: B23D 23/00 Machines or devices for shearing or cutting profiled stock hand-held devices B23D29/00
• CPC Class Codes: B23D 36/00 Control arrangements specially adapted for machines for shearing or similar cutting, or for sawing, stock which the latter is travelling otherwise than in the direction of the cut
• CPC Class Codes: B23D 45/003 for particular purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B23D 59/008 comprising computers
• 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 83/858 Indicates dimension of work being cut

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 for sizing a mini blind in a retail store, the apparatus comprising;

a housing with a support surface adapted to support a blind to be sized;

a blade disposed on the housing and at an end of the support surface and configured to cut a blind to a predetermined size;

a controller;

a sensor disposed in the housing remote from the controller and in communication with the controller, wherein the sensor gathers a first information regarding the performance or status of the sizing apparatus;

a communication device in communication with the controller;

wherein the controller receives the first information from the sensor, and the communication device receives the first information from the controller;

wherein the communication device communicates the first information to a remote terminal outside the retail store.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication device includes a modem.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication device includes an Ethernet card.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first information is configured to travel through a communication network.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the communication network includes the internet.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, further including a terminal at the remote site configured to receive the first information.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the terminal receives the first information in real time.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first information is communicated in real time.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first information communicated includes the performance of the blade.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, the apparatus further including an emergency stop button, wherein the first information being includes the status of the emergency stop button.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, the apparatus further including an emergency stop button, wherein the first information communicated includes the status of the emergency stop button.

11. An apparatus for sizing a mini blind in a retail store, the apparatus comprising:

a housing with a support surface adapted to support a blind to be sized;

a blade disposed on the housing and adjacent to the support surface and configured to cut a blind to a predetermined size;

a controller;

a sensor disposed in the housing remote from the controller and in communication with the controller, wherein the sensor gathers a first information regarding the performance or status of the sizing apparatus;

a communication device in communication with the controller; and

a terminal at a remote site;

wherein the controller receives the first information from the sensor, and the communication device receives the first information from the controller;

wherein the terminal receives and the first information from the communication device and displays the first information.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the communication device includes a modem.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the communication device includes an Ethernet card.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first information is configured to travel through a communication network.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the communication network includes the internet.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the terminal receives the first information in real time.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first information is communicated in real time.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first information communicated includes the performance of the blade.

20. A method of monitoring the performance of an apparatus for sizing a window covering in a retail store, the method comprising:

providing a housing with a support surface adapted to support the window covering to be sized;

providing a blade disposed on the housing and adjacent to the support surface and configured to cut the window covering to a predetermined size;

providing a controller;

providing a sensor disposed in the housing remote from the controller and in communication with the controller, wherein the sensor gathers a first information regarding the performance or status of the sizing apparatus;

providing a communication device in communication with the controller; and

providing a terminal at a remote site;

gathering a first information regarding the performance or status of the sizing apparatus by the sensor;

communicating the first information from the sensor to the controller and from the controller to the communication device;

communicating the first information to a terminal at a remote site for review.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising operating the blade to size the window covering.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising receiving the first information at the terminal and reviewing the first information.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising receiving the first information at the terminal and reviewing the first information.