Flexible or portable closure – partition – or panel – Plural and/or with rigid closure – Plural strip – slat – or panel assemblies
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-11
2001-03-06
Johnson, Blair M. (Department: 3634)
Flexible or portable closure, partition, or panel
Plural and/or with rigid closure
Plural strip, slat, or panel assemblies
C160S115000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06196292
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates, in general, to a window treatment. In particular, the invention relates to shades, curtains, Venetian blinds, and other types of window treatments. More particularly the invention relates to window treatments that have separate and distinct window covering sections wherein each section is attachable to the preceding section. Each window covering section contains individual controls to lift and tilt the associated shades, curtains, or Venetian blinds.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The window treatment industry has changed over the years. Initially windows were covered with various types of materials to include cloth, wood, metal, and the like. If the viewing or sunlight through the window was desired, the window covering would normally be removed or drawn to a position that would unobstruct the view or sunlight. As the window treatment industry matured and consumer demand for convenience increased, various types of cords, curtain ties, and control mechanisms were developed to retain the window treatments in various positions to allow viewing or sunlight through the window.
A Venetian blind window treatment was developed as an alternative to simple material covering of a window. Generally, the Venetian blind comprises a head rail or housing, a bottom rail or housing, and a plurality of horizontal or vertical slats disposed intermediate the head rail and bottom rail. A pair of continuous ladder tape members or flexible slat support members would hold the slats in place. The ladder tape members, generally, are connected to the head rail and bottom rail. Each step of the ladder tape members contains one slat. A tilt control mechanism generally is provided and is connected to the ladder tape members. The tilt control mechanism allows a user to tilt the slats to a desired position. The Venetian blind window treatment may also have a lift control mechanism. The lift control mechanism has a lifting cord that traverses the head and rail, slats, and connects to the bottom rail. The lifting cord allows the user to lift or retract the Venetian blind to a desired position. All Venetian blind window treatments, prior to the present invention, provided the user with limited control of the amount of viewing area or sunlight associated with a given window. The user's choices were to positionally raise, lower, or tilt the Venetian blind. If the user's desire was to allow maximum sunlight to penetrate the window, he would have to physically remove the window treatment Venetian blind from the window fame. The user might also desire to remove a particular section of the Venetian blind and substitute a different section for special events like birthdays, Christmas, or Hanukkah. Once a Venetian blind window treatment is installed, it is impractical or difficult to remove or substitute an alternate blind for the installed blind.
Attempts, prior to the present invention, have been made to satisfy the user's desire to have easy to install, sectional, and replaceable Venetian blind window treatments. These attempts altered only the basic configuration of the above discussed Venetian blind window treatment. One such attempt provided the user with dual tilt control mechanism. The dual tilt control mechanism was generally mounted in the head rail and would control the tilt of the upper and lower slat sections of the Venetian blind window treatment. Another attempt added a second head rail spaced from the first head rail. The first and second head rails had there own separate tilt and lift control mechanism wherein the user could lift and tilt the slats associated with either the first or second tilt and control mechanism. Still further attempts were made to satisfy the user's desire for easy to install, sectional, and replaceable Venetian blind window treatments by substituting different configurations of slats made from balloon or bellows type material. These types of slats generally fan fold together producing an accordion effect clustered at either the head rail or the bottom rail. All of these attempts focused on manipulating the position of the slats relative to the fixture or head rail to which they were attached. Repositioning slats relative to the head rail does not remove slats from the Venetian blind window treatment. Adding separate controls for various sections of slats still does not aid in removing sections or replacing selected sections of the Venetian blind window treatment.
It would be desirable to have a window treatment that was easy to install, sectional, and replaceable. The window treatment would have a head rail, a bottom rail, and multiple detachable bridge rails. The detachable bridge rails would be intermediately disposed to the head and bottom rail. The detachable bridge rails would provide the needed detachability to remove or replace sections of the window treatment thereby satisfying the long felt but unresolved need of the user for easily installed, sectional, and replaceable Venetian blind window treatments.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Window treatment industries are well aware of the desires of consumers or users. Their livelihood depends on consumer satisfaction in the form of continuing or increased sales. Window treatments that satisfy the consumers need for easy to install, sectional, and replaceable will survive in the marketplace.
The present invention is a window treatment comprising a Venetian blind window covering. The Venetian blind window covering in one embodiment comprises two individual Venetian blinds that are joined together by a bridge rail or bridge housing. The bridge housing is divided into two sections “A” and “B” that are detachably secured together. The “A” section comprising a first bridge housing and a head rail or head housing and at least one slat disposed medially therebetween. The slat is supported on oppositely spaced ends by ladder tape members or flexible slat support members. The “A” section first bridge housing, head housing, and slat have individual and independent lift and tilt control mechanisms operatively mounted therein. The flexible slat support tape members are connected to the tilt control mechanism and facilitate the tilting of the slat. There is a continuous first lifting cord that traverses the lifting cord mechanism, head housing, slat, and then connects to the first bridge housing. The first lifting cord enables the user to lift the “A” section independent of the “B” section. The “B” section comprising a second bridge housing and a bottom rail or bottom housing and at least one slat disposed medially therebetween. The slat is supported on oppositely spaced ends by a second ladder tape member or flexible slat support tape members. The “B” section second bridge housing, bottom housing, and slat have individual and independent lift and tilt control mechanism operatively mounted therein. The second flexible slat support tape member is connected to the tilt control mechanism and facilities the tilting of the slat. There is a continuous second lifting cord that traverses the second lifting cord mechanism, second bridge housing, slat, and then connects to the bottom housing. The second lifting cord enables the user to lift the “B” section independent of the “A” section. The first and second bridge housings of sections “A” and “B” are formed to be mating housings i.e., the first bridge housing readily adjoins or mates with the second bridge housing in such a way as to form a secure but detachable union between the respective bridge housings.
The window treatment “B” section of this embodiment may, if desired, be readily removed and replaced with a “C” section containing all of the attributes of the “B” section plus additional features that are desired by the user. An example of a feature that would prompt the user to substitute a section “C” for a section “B” might be a Christmas scene that the user wishes to display. Naturally, a Christmas scene has special significance for a limited period of time and the user may not want a Christmas scene as a window treatment the entire
Johnson Blair M.
McComas Richard C.
Patent Focus, Inc.
LandOfFree
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