U.S. patent application number 13/185629 was filed with the patent office on 2012-07-05 for window covering with cord shrouds.
This patent application is currently assigned to WHOLE SPACE INDUSTRIES LTD. Invention is credited to Tzong -Fu Lin.
Application Number | 20120168094 13/185629 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 45464202 |
Filed Date | 2012-07-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120168094 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lin; Tzong -Fu |
July 5, 2012 |
Window Covering with Cord Shrouds
Abstract
A window covering includes a first set of vertically spaced
apart connectors and a second set of vertically spaced apart
connectors. A first lift cord has a first portion extending from a
first rail and passing through or adjacent the connectors of the
first set of connectors and the second lift cord has a second
portion extending from the first rail and passing through or
adjacent the connectors of the second set of connectors. A first
cord shroud and a second cord shroud extend from the first rail to
a position adjacent to a bottom portion of window covering
material. The first cord shroud is attached to the first set of
connectors and the second cord shroud is attached to the second set
of connectors. The first portion passes through the first cord
shroud and the second portion passes through the second cord
shroud.
Inventors: |
Lin; Tzong -Fu; (Taipei,
TW) |
Assignee: |
WHOLE SPACE INDUSTRIES LTD
Taipei
TW
|
Family ID: |
45464202 |
Appl. No.: |
13/185629 |
Filed: |
July 19, 2011 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61428281 |
Dec 30, 2010 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
160/84.04 ;
160/340 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E06B 2009/2622 20130101;
E06B 9/384 20130101; E06B 9/262 20130101; E06B 9/382 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
160/84.04 ;
160/340 |
International
Class: |
A47H 23/04 20060101
A47H023/04; A47H 5/02 20060101 A47H005/02 |
Claims
1. A window covering comprising: a first rail; window covering
material adjacent the first rail, the window covering material
moveable from a retracted position to an extended position, the
window covering material having a top portion adjacent to the first
rail and a bottom portion opposite the top portion; a plurality of
connectors attached to the window covering material, the connectors
comprising a first set of vertically spaced apart connectors and a
second set of vertically spaced apart connectors, the second set of
connectors being parallel or substantially parallel to the first
set of connectors; a plurality of lift cords extending from the
first rail, the lift cords comprising a first lift cord and a
second lift cord, the first lift cord having a first portion
extending from the first rail and passing through or adjacent the
connectors of the first set of connectors and the second lift cord
having a second portion extending from the first rail and passing
through or adjacent the connectors of the second set of connectors;
a first cord shroud extending from the first rail to a position
adjacent to the bottom portion of the window covering material, the
first cord shroud attached to the first set of connectors; a second
cord shroud extending from the first rail to a position adjacent to
the bottom portion of the window covering material, the second cord
shroud attached to the second set of connectors; the first portion
of the first lift cord passing through and covered by the first
cord shroud; and the second portion of the second lift cord passing
through and covered by the second cord shroud.
2. The window covering of claim 1 wherein the first cord shroud is
comprised of a series of webs extending between spaced apart rungs
to define a generally tubular structure and the second cord shroud
is comprised of a series of webs extending between spaced apart
rungs to define a generally tubular structure.
3. The window covering of claim 1 wherein the first cord shroud is
attached to each of the connectors of the first set of connectors
and the second cord shroud is attached to each of the connectors of
the second set of connectors.
4. The window covering of claim 1 wherein the first cord shroud has
a first end and a second end opposite the first end and the second
cord shroud has a first end and a second end opposite the first
end, the first end of the first cord shroud attached to the first
rail and the first end of the second cord shroud attached to the
first rail.
5. The window covering of claim 4 wherein the second end of the
first cord shroud is attached to the bottom portion of the window
covering material and the second end of the second cord shroud is
attached to the bottom portion of the window covering material.
6. The window covering of claim 4 further comprising a bottom rail,
the second end of the first cord shroud being attached to the
bottom rail and the second end of the second cord shroud being
attached to the bottom rail.
7. The window covering of claim 6 wherein the first cord shroud is
attached to each of the connectors of the first set of connectors
and the second cord shroud is attached to each of the connectors of
the second set of connectors.
8. The window covering of claim 1 wherein the first cord shroud is
comprised of a spiral structure defining an aperture through which
the first portion of the first lift cord passes, the spiral
structure being attached to the connectors by clips or being
attached to the window covering material, the spiral structure
being tight when the window covering material is retracted and
moving to define larger spaces between adjacent segments of the
spiral structure when the window covering material is moved from
the retracted position to the extended position.
9. The window covering of claim 1 wherein the first cord shroud is
directly attached to the window covering material and the second
cord shroud is directly attached to the window covering
material.
10. The window covering material of claim 9 wherein a plurality of
spaced apart loops directly attach the first cord shroud to the
window covering material and a plurality of spaced apart loops
directly attach the second cord shroud to the window covering
material.
12. The window covering of claim 1 wherein the first cord shroud
covers the connectors of the first set of connectors and the second
cord shroud covers the connectors of the second set of
connectors.
13. The window covering of claim 1 wherein the first cord shroud
encloses the connectors of the first set of connectors and the
second cord shroud encloses the connectors of the second set of
connectors.
14. The window covering of claim 1 wherein the first cord shroud
encloses the first portion of the first lift cord and the second
cord shroud encloses the second portion of the second lift
cord.
15. The window covering of claim 1 wherein the first cord shroud is
comprised of mesh material and the second cord shroud is comprised
of mesh material.
16. The window covering of claim 1 wherein the window covering
material is one of: woven fabric, non-woven fabric, interconnected
fabric segments, woven wood, woven grass, woven bamboo, and a
film.
17. The window covering of claim 1 wherein the window covering is a
Roman shade.
18. The window covering of claim 1 wherein the window covering
material has a front side and a rear side opposite the front side,
the first cord shroud and the second cord shroud being positioned
on or adjacent the rear side of the window covering material.
19. The window covering of claim 1 wherein loops attach the first
cord shroud to the connectors of the first set of connectors and
loops attach the second cord shroud to the connectors of the second
set of connectors.
20. The window covering of claim 1 wherein the connectors of the
first set of connectors are rings and the connectors of the second
set of connectors are rings.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional
Patent Application Ser. No. 61/428,281, which was filed on Dec. 30,
2010.
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to window coverings, such as
Roman shades or other types of shades.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] One popular type of window covering is known as a Roman
shade which may also be called a Roman blind, an Austrian shade, a
Balloon Shade, or a Soft Shade. This type of shade consists of a
panel or sheet of material attached along its top edge to a
headrail and gathered at spaced intervals to provide a series of
soft transverse folds across the face of the fabric. Consequently,
the typical Roman shade has a cascaded or softly pleated
appearance. Such Roman shades are usually constructed so that when
they are raised from an extended position, they gather from the
bottom in generally horizontal folds or pleats until the entire
shade resides near the top of the window covering in a retracted
position. Often, ballast members such as metal rods or metal bars
are positioned within pockets formed in the shade material to
provide weight to the shade to form the soft transverse folds. The
Roman shades are often operated by pulling on lift cords which pass
through rings or similar guides attached to the shade.
[0004] In other versions of Roman shades, such as a Roman shade
product sold under the AudraGuard name, the shades are operated by
pulling on a beaded looped cord of a loop cord drive. Actuation of
the loop cord drive causes a shaft or roller to rotate to wind or
unwind a plurality of lifting tapes that pass through metal clips
or loops attached to the rear face of the shade material and have a
terminal end attached to a bottom portion of the shade material.
The winding of the lifting tapes causes the shade material to be
raised, or retracted. The unwinding of the lifting tapes causes the
shade material to lower, or extend.
[0005] Cordless Roman Shades have at least one spring motor in the
headrail which is connected to spools on which the lift cords are
wound and unwound.
[0006] Most prior art Roman shades have window covering material
that is formed either of a sheet of a flexible material, such as a
fabric or film, a plurality of segments of material connected
together or woven wood. The material or interconnected segments are
typically provided with a plurality of horizontal folds at points
vertically spaced from one another to form folds when the shade is
raised. A common method for making a Roman shade is to sew or
attach at least two sets of rings or connectors along vertical
lines down the back of the fabric material as is shown, for
example, in U.S. Pat. No. 1,321,800. The spacing of the rings or
connectors affects the aesthetic effect of the shade and how the
window covering material may look when being raised or lowered.
Lift cords pass through the rings and each lift cord is attached to
a bottom rail or the lowermost fold. Opposite ends of the lift
cords are wound on a spool or shaft in the headrail. The spool or
shaft may be turned by a cord loop device or a spring motor to
raise and lower the shade. Alternatively, the lift cords may pass
through a cord lock and be moved by a user to turn the spool or
shaft.
[0007] The shade may also include spacer cords that pass through
the rings. The spacer cords are typically attached to the headrail
of the shade and the rings and are configured to help improve the
aesthetic effect of the shade when the window covering material is
raised or lowered. A liner may also be included in such shades.
Additionally, Roman shades may be configured as a top down bottom
up shade. Roman shades may also have other configurations, such as
the configurations disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. D473,743, D468,950,
and 7,624,784, 6,988,526, 6,662,845, and 5,787,951 and U.S. Patent
Application Publication Nos. 2008/0295975, 2008/0277074,
2007/0175593, 2006/0060308 and 2006/0157204.
[0008] On occasion, children have been able to get behind a lowered
Roman shade, pull a lift cord to form a loop and become entangled
in the loop. If the lift cord is around the child's neck and the
child falls, the cord could act as a noose and strangle the child.
Indeed, reports of such incidents have prompted at least one major
retailer to issue a recall of one product line of Roman shades and
the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has
issued a warning about the danger of child entanglement and hanging
from the cords in Roman shades. In addition the CPSC has issued
guidelines, rules and proposed rules that require window covering
manufacturers to make shades with inaccessible cords or to
construct the window covering product in a manner so that a child
cannot form a loop in the lift cord which is large enough, greater
than 8 inches in diameter, for a child's head to fit through the
loop.
[0009] There have also been incidents of child entanglements in
lift cords of venetian blinds and other types of window coverings.
As a result, the art has developed various types of child safety
devices that are intended to prevent deaths of children who become
entangled in lift cords. For instance, U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,318,251,
7,261,138, 7,225,850, 7,117,918, 7,086,446, 7,000,672, 6,948,546,
6,918,425, 6,860,312, 6,637,493, 6,484,787, 6,431,248, 5,630,458,
5,533,559 and 4,909,298 and U.S. Patent Application Publication
Nos. 2008/0110581, 2007/0023149 and 2006/0144526 disclose child
safety devices for blinds. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,495,883 and 5,613,540
discloses cord shrouds used on the front of a blind. Child safety
devices may be configured to keep the lift cords taught so that the
cords cannot be pulled away from the window covering material and
form a noose or release the cord from the shade when a child
becomes entangled in the shade. Most, if not all of the cord
release devices are not well suited for use on Roman shades.
Moreover, many conventional child safety devices for window
coverings are visible from the front of the shade and detract from
the aesthetic effect of the shade.
[0010] A new window covering is needed to replace or change a
conventional Roman shade design to help prevent the entanglement of
children within exposed cords.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] A window covering may include window covering material that
extends from a first rail. The window covering material is moveable
from a retracted position to an extended position. A plurality of
connectors is attached to the window covering material. The
connectors include a first column of vertically aligned connectors
and a second column of vertically aligned connectors. A first lift
cord extends from the first rail and through a cord shroud attached
to the connectors in a first column of vertically aligned
connectors. A second lift cord extends from the first rail and
through a second cord shroud attached to a second column of
vertically aligned connectors. Each shroud may be attached to the
connectors by loops that extend from the shroud such that one loop
encircles a connector in a column of vertically spaced connectors.
A similar arrangement may be used for additional lift cords used on
a window shade.
[0012] In some embodiments, the shroud may be a ladder-like
structure having a series of webs extending between rungs. The webs
define openings through which a lift cord passes. The webs may be a
single thread or a series of threads. The webs are configured so
that there is an opening between adjacent webs through which the
lift cord passes. The webs may define a tubular structure such that
the openings are in a horizontal plane. Alternatively the webs may
define openings in a vertical plane like the rungs on a ladder.
[0013] In yet another embodiment the shroud is a spiral structure
that encircles a lift cord. Clips, loops or other connectors are
provided along the spiral of the spaced apart intervals for
attaching the spiral to the rings. The spiral may be a cord or
ribbon made from fabric shrouds or plastic.
[0014] In all of the embodiments the shroud allows the lift cord to
pass through the shroud when the shade is raised and lowered. But
the structure of the shroud prevents the lift cord from being
separated from the shroud because the shroud is attached to the
rings. A small child is not able to pull a lift cord or shroud away
from the window covering material. Consequently, the lift cord will
not form a loop that could pose a strangulation threat to a child.
Nor will the cord shroud form such a loop.
[0015] Embodiments of the window covering may include a cord lock
positioned in the first rail. Alternatively, the lift cords could
be connected to spools or a rotating shaft positioned in the first
rail. An actuation mechanism or lift cord control mechanism could
be connected to the spools or rotating shaft. For instance, the
lift cord control mechanism could be a spring motor, a spring motor
unit, a loop cord drive, or other lift cord control mechanism.
[0016] In some embodiments, the first rail may be a headrail and
the window covering may include a bottom rail connected to the
bottom edge of the window covering material or a terminal end of
each lift cord.
[0017] In one embodiment, a window covering includes a first rail
and window covering material adjacent the first rail. The window
covering material is moveable from a retracted position to an
extended position. A plurality of connectors are attached to the
window covering material. The connectors comprise a first set of
vertically spaced apart connectors and a second set of vertically
spaced apart connectors. The second set of connectors are parallel
or substantially parallel to the first set of connectors. A
plurality of lift cords extend from the first rail. The lift cords
may include a first lift cord and a second lift cord. The first
lift cord has a first portion extending from the first rail and
passing through or adjacent the connectors of the first set of
connectors and the second lift cord has a second portion extending
from the first rail and passing through or adjacent the connectors
of the second set of connectors. A first cord shroud extends from
the first rail to a position adjacent to the bottom portion of the
window covering material and is attached to the first set of
connectors. A second cord shroud extends from the first rail to a
position adjacent to the bottom portion of the window covering
material and is attached to the second set of connectors. The first
portion of the first lift cord passes through and is covered by the
first cord shroud and the second portion of the second lift cord
passes through and is covered by the second cord shroud.
[0018] In some embodiments of the window covering, the first cord
shroud is attached to each of the connectors of the first set of
connectors and the second cord shroud is attached to each of the
connectors of the second set of connectors.
[0019] The first end of the first cord shroud may be attached to
the first rail and the first end of the second cord shroud attached
to the first rail. The second ends of the first and second cord
shrouds may be attached to the bottom portion of the window
covering material or to a bottom rail attached to the window
covering material. It should be appreciated that the first rail may
be a headrail for some embodiments of the window covering.
[0020] Embodiments of the window covering may be configured as a
Roman shade. Alternative embodiments may be configured as blinds or
other types of shades.
[0021] The first cord shroud and the second cord shroud may be
positioned on or adjacent the rear side of the window covering
material. For instance, if the window covering is configured as a
Roman shade the first and second cord shrouds may be positioned on
the rear side of the window covering material.
[0022] The first and second set of connectors may be any of a
number of types of fasteners or connector devices. For instance,
the connectors of the first set of connectors can be rings and the
connectors of the second set of connectors can be rings. In some
embodiments, loops attach the first cord shroud to the connectors
of the first set of connectors and loops attach the second cord
shroud to the connectors of the second set of connectors. Of
course, other embodiments may utilize other fastening mechanisms
for attaching the connectors to the cord shrouds.
[0023] Other details, objects, and advantages of the invention will
become apparent as the following description of certain present
preferred embodiments thereof and certain present preferred methods
of practicing the same proceeds.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0024] Present preferred embodiments of my window covering are
shown in the accompanying drawings and certain present preferred
methods of practicing the same are also illustrated therein.
[0025] FIG. 1 is a rear view of a first present preferred
embodiment of the window covering in a lowered or fully extended
position.
[0026] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the first present
preferred embodiment of the window covering shown in FIG. 1.
[0027] FIG. 3 is another enlarged view of a portion of the first
present preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1 which shows the
connection between the shroud and a ring.
[0028] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the first present preferred
embodiment shown in FIG. 1 showing the shroud and lift cord being
moved away from the window covering material.
[0029] FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of a portion of the first
present preferred embodiment of the window covering shown in FIG. 1
in a retracted position.
[0030] FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken through the cord shroud
shown in FIGS. 1 through 5.
[0031] FIG. 7 is a side view of a portion of a second present
preferred embodiment of a cord shroud that can be used.
[0032] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a portion of a third present
preferred embodiment of a cord shroud attached to the window
covering material.
[0033] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a portion of a fourth
presented preferred embodiment of a cord shroud which is attached
directly to the window covering material.
DESCRIPTION OF PRESENT PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0034] Referring to FIGS. 1-6, a window covering 1 configured as a
Roman shade includes window covering material 2 that is attached
between a headrail 3 and a bottom rail 4. The window covering
material may be composed of any of a number of different types of
material such as woven fabric, non-woven fabric, interconnected
fabric segments, woven wood, woven grass, woven bamboo, film, or
other material. The window covering material may be moveable from a
retracted position, or raised position, to an extended position, or
lowered position.
[0035] A lift cord control mechanism may be attached to the
headrail. The lift cord control mechanism may include a cord lock
(not shown) through which lift cords 10 pass. An operator may
manipulate the cords that extend from the cord lock and out near
the front of the window covering 1 to raise or lower the window
covering material.
[0036] In alternative embodiments, the lift cord control mechanism
may include a rotatable shaft. The lift cords may be wound and
unwound from the shaft via rotation of the shaft. The shaft may be
rotated by a loop cord drive connected to the shaft. A user could
then manipulate the loop cord of the loop cord drive to adjust the
position of the window covering.
[0037] As yet another alternative embodiment, the window covering
could include a lift cord control mechanism that includes a spring
motor or one or more spring motor units. The position of the window
covering could then be adjusted by a user pulling the window
covering material down or pushing the window covering material
slightly upwards to actuate the one or more spring motors.
[0038] Rings 5 are attached to the rear side of the window covering
material. The rings 5 may define a plurality of vertically aligned
columns of spaced apart rings. A cord shroud 6 is attached to each
column of rings by loops 12 or other connectors. One or more lift
cords 10 extend from the headrail 2. Each lift cord may pass
through the headrail 3 or be connected to a spool in the headrail.
The other terminal end of each lift cord 10 may be attached to the
window covering material adjacent to a bottom portion of the window
covering material 2. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a terminal
end of each lift cord 10 is attached to a bottom rail 4 attached to
the window covering material 2.
[0039] As seen in FIG. 5, the window covering material may form
generally transverse or horizontal folds 14 in the front side of
the window covering material when the window covering material is
raised. The formation of the folds may be created via connections
formed between rings 5 attached to the window covering material and
lift cord 6 that extend through the shrouds 6 attached to the rings
5. Weighted rods, bars, or other members (not shown) may also be
positioned in the window covering material 2 to help form the folds
14 when the window covering material is raised.
[0040] The shroud 6 preferably is formed by a pair of spaced apart
rails 7 and threads which form webs 8 that extend between the rails
as can be seen most clearly in FIG. 6. The rails 7 are preferably
woven material and have a diameter of between 0.025 and 0.050
inches. At least one thread 8 is wrapped around or woven through
the rails 7 to define spaced apart webs extending between the
rails. Each web contains at least one thread extending back and
forth between the rails to define more than two substantially
parallel thread segments passing between the rails. The webs are
spaced apart so that between each pair of adjacent webs there is an
aperture through which a lift cord 10 passes. The webs may be
constructed to form a tubular structure having an aperture through
a horizontal cross section as shown in FIG. 6. Alternatively, the
webs may lie in a single vertical plane with apertures provided
between adjacent webs like a ladder. The apertures may be
approximately the same size as the webs. For example, the rails can
be spaced apart 0.175 inches and both the webs and apertures have a
height of 0.3 inches. The lift cords may be 0.030 inches in
diameter. This size of cord is conventionally used on Roman shades.
One could utilize lift cords of about 0.040 inches to about 0.080
inches in which case the size of the web and aperture should be
doubled in all directions. When the window covering is raised the
shroud will collapse to a stacked position such as is shown in FIG.
5.
[0041] Each shroud 6 has loops 12 or eyelets that extend from the
shroud and are attached to a ring 5. The loops may be adjustable
loops such as adjustable ties or zip ties. As another example, each
adjustable loop may have one end potion attached to another portion
of the loop to provide an adjustable sizing of the loop.
[0042] The attachment of the shroud to the successive rings 5 as
well as the spacing of the rings prevents the lift cord within the
shroud from being pulled sufficiently far from the window covering
material to form a loop that is large enough to be a strangulation
hazard to a child. Preferably, the spacing between immediately
adjacent rings of a vertical column of rings is between four and
eight inches or between ten and twenty centimeters. A small child
would not have the dexterity necessary to separate the lift cord
from the shroud for purposes of pulling the lift cord away from the
window covering material to form a noose or loop that may be a
strangulation threat to the child.
[0043] In alternative embodiments, shown in FIG. 7 shroud 17 is a
spiral structure that encircles the lift cord 10. Clips 16 are
provided in the spiral for attachment to the rings 5. The spiral
may be tight when the window covering is raised but have larger
spaces between adjacent segments when the window covering is
lowered.
[0044] Referring to FIG. 8, a third present preferred embodiment of
the cord shroud 20 is a tubular structure preferably made of a mesh
fabric which collapses easily. In this embodiment, the tubular
structure surrounds rings 5 which are attached either to the window
covering material or the cord shroud. The shroud may be attached to
the window covering material adjacent each ring or be attached to
the loop 22 which connects the ring to the fabric. In this
embodiment, the lift cord 10 passes through the ring 5.
[0045] In yet another present preferred embodiment showed in FIG. 9
a tubular shroud 24 is provided which is attached directly to the
window covering material. A loop 26 is provided at spaced apart
intervals within the shroud. The lift cord 10 passes through the
spaced apart loops. The shroud is preferably made of a mesh
material; however, other fabrics can be used. One could also design
the shroud to have rings formed in the fabric material of the
shroud at spaced apart intervals. A lift cord could pass through
these rings.
[0046] In all of the embodiments discussed above the width or
diameter of the shroud could be as small as 5 millimeters or a
large as a few inches.
[0047] It should be understood that changes may be made to address
different design objectives. For instance, rings 5 could be
replaced with other types of connectors to meet a desired design
objective. For instance, the rings could be adjustable zip ties,
adjustable ties or other attachment mechanisms. As another example,
the window covering material could be composed of any of a number
of different material options for shades or blinds. As yet another
example, the lift cords may differ from the cords shown herein and
may alternatively be tape, flexible elongated members, or other
lift cord structures.
[0048] While certain present preferred embodiments of the window
covering and certain embodiments of methods of practicing the same
have been shown and described, it is to be distinctly understood
that the invention is not limited thereto but may be otherwise
variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following
claims.
* * * * *