Automatically configurable blind cutting center

• US 7,810,418 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2003
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Dexter; Clark F.
• Application Number:
  US10/378,320
• Publication Number:
  US 20040173076A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,780 Days
• Field of Search: 833/66, 834/671, 834/68, 834/681, 834/682, 834/685, 834/686, 834/687, 833/68, 83/35, 83/36, 83196-198, 833/60, 833/65, 833/99, 834/00, 834/85, 834/87, 835/63, 835/64, 29/245, 144/5, 700/116, 700/117, 700/159, 700/160, 700/167, 700/169, 700/179
• US Class Current: 83/197
• CPC Class Codes: B23D 23/00 Machines or devices for shearing or cutting profiled stock hand-held devices B23D29/00
• CPC Class Codes: B23D 45/003 for particular purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 1/08 of the guillotine type
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 5/12 Fluid-pressure means
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 5/34 scanning being effected by a photosensitive device
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 7/28 for counting the number of cuts or measuring cut lenghts B26D5/24, B26D5/40 take precedence
• 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 83/04 Processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/408 Combined with another type tool of the class
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/525 Operation controlled by detector means responsive to work
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/535 Release of interlock controlled
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/538 Positioning of tool controlled
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/543 Sensing means responsive to work indicium or irregularity
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/626 Operation of member controlled by means responsive to position of element remote from member [e.g., interlock]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/858 Indicates dimension of work being cut
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/8748 Tool displaceable to inactive position [e.g., for work loading]

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. In combination, a selected mini blind with a corresponding mini blind identification identifying at least the style of the mini blind to be sized, and an apparatus for use in a retail store to size the width of the mini blind, the apparatus comprising:

a support surface adapted to support the mini blind to be sized;

a first cutter disposed adjacent the support surface and configured to size the width of the mini blind by cutting the width of the mini blind to a predetermined length;

a second cutter disposed adjacent the support surface and configured to size the width of the mini blind by cutting the width of the mini blind to a predetermined length; and

an input device operatively connected to the first cutter and to the second cutter, the input device configured to accept said mini blind identification, the first cutter being enabled and the second cutter being disabled based on the mini blind identification accepted by the input device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second cutter is a circular saw.

3. In combination, a selected window covering with a corresponding window covering identification identifying at least the style of the window covering to be sized, and an apparatus for use in a retail store to size the width of a window covering, the apparatus comprising:

a support surface adapted to support the window covering to be sized;

a first cutting station disposed adjacent the support surface, the first cutting station configured to size the width of the window covering by cutting the width of a first style of window covering to a predetermined length;

a second cutting station disposed adjacent the support surface, the second cutting station configured to size the width of the window covering by cutting the width of a second style of window covering to a predetermined length; and

an input device operatively connected to the first cutting station and to the second cutting station, said input device adapted to receive the window covering identification of the window covering to be sized, the window covering identification identifying at least the style of the window covering, the apparatus enabling one of the first and second cutting stations and disabling the other one of the first and second cutting stations based on the window covering identification received by the input device.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising an information storage device adapted to store an identification of the user.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising an information storage device adapted to store the time of each cut.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising an information storage device adapted to store the model of each window covering cut.

7. In combination, a selected window covering with a corresponding window covering identification identifying at least the style of the window covering to be sized, and an apparatus for use in a retail store to size the width of a window covering, the apparatus comprising:

a support surface adapted to support a window covering to be sized;

a first cutting station and a second cutting station each configured to size the width of the window covering by cutting the width of the window covering to a predetermined length, the first cutting station disposed adjacent the support surface and configured to size a first style of window covering, and the second cutting station disposed adjacent the support surface and configured to size a second style of window covering;

an input device adapted to receive the window covering identification of the window covering to be sized; and

a controller in electrical communication with the input device and with the first and second cutting stations, the controller adapted to receive the window covering identification and automatically signal the first and second cutting stations, wherein the apparatus enables the first cutting station and disables the second cutting station based on the window covering identification.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further including an information storage device adapted to store the time of each cut.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, further including an information storage device adapted to store the model of each window covering cut.

10. In combination, a selected window covering with a corresponding window covering identification identifying at least the style of the window covering to be sized, and an automatically configurable apparatus for use in a retail store to size the width of a window covering, the apparatus comprising:

a support surface adapted to support the window covering to be sized;

a first cutting station disposed adjacent the support surface and including a first die assembly, the first die assembly configured to size the width of the window covering by cutting the width of a first style of window covering to a predetermined length;

an input device adapted to receive a window covering identification of a selected window covering, the window covering identification identifying at least the style of the selected window covering; and

a controller in electrical communication with the input device and the first cutting station, the controller adapted to receive the window covering identification, the controller further configured to direct at least a portion of the first cutting station to move up or down based on the window covering identification such that the first die assembly is either proximate the support surface for performing a sizing operation if the style of the selected window covering corresponds to the first die assembly or removed from the support surface if the style of the selected window covering does not correspond to the first die assembly.

11. In combination, a selected mini blind with a corresponding mini blind identification identifying at least the style of the mini blind to be sized, and an apparatus for use in a retail store to size the width of the mini blind, the apparatus comprising:

a support surface adapted to support the mini blind to be sized;

a first cutter disposed adjacent the support surface and configured to size the width of the mini blind by cutting the width of the mini blind to a predetermined length;

a second cutter disposed adjacent the support surface and configured to size the width of the mini blind by cutting the width of the mini blind to a predetermined length; and

a controller operatively connected to the first cutter and to the second cutter, the controller receiving the mini blind identification from an input device and, in response to the mini blind identification, the controller enabling the one of the first cutter and the second cutter that is configured to cut a mini blind associated with the mini blind identification and disabling the other one of the first cutter and the second cutter thereby preventing the selected mini blind from being cut by an incorrect cutter.