Flexible or portable closure – partition – or panel – Plural strip – slat – or panel type – Venetian blind type
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-05
2001-03-27
Purol, David M. (Department: 3634)
Flexible or portable closure, partition, or panel
Plural strip, slat, or panel type
Venetian blind type
C160S236000, C160S405000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06206077
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to louvered blinds. More specifically, the invention is a method and apparatus for making image ladened louvers as an advertisement medium or as window coverings with a discernible pattern of indicia.
2. Description of Related Art
The use of louvered vertical or horizontal blinds as a functional covering for a window or door or the like is well known. Often a need exists, or it is desirable, to decorate louvered vertical blinds, as evidenced by the art described below.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,049,038, issued to David L. Hyman et al. on Sep. 20, 1977 discusses this need regarding a vertical blind having flanged channels extending along the edges of each louver for insertion of a panel having a pattern to match a room decor. U.S. Pat. No. 5,101,876, issued to Helga M. Zak on Apr. 7, 1992 describes vertical blinds wherein each louver is surrounded by a sheath of an upholstery or wallpaper matched piece of fabric.
The coloring of vertical blinds is also often important. Thus, there is a need for a vertical blind having a carefully matched color scheme. This need is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,195,680, issued to David L. Hyman et al., on Apr. 1, 1980, for the use of interchangeable transparent colorized sheets with the blinds of Hyman '038, described above.
When a pattern is applied to a vertical blind, it is unstable and easily damaged. Thus, there is a need for a protective laminate that secures and protects a pattern applied to a vertical blind. This problem and need are discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,842,036, issued to Barry I. Goodman on Jun. 27, 1989 for a laminate for vertical blinds.
The aforementioned patents disclose inventions relating to general patterns and color schemes, such as typify wallpaper and upholstery, for use with vertical blinds. However, there is a need for vertical blinds which include a composite image which convey a message, particularly for commercial uses such as advertising. U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,220, issued to Kevin L. Hiller on Mar. 27, 1990 discusses this need and other problems associated with some of the previously recited patents in a patent for a removable tubular covering for the louvers in vertical blinds.
Though the need is recognized, none of the above inventions and patents describe the application of a single composite graphical image to a vertical blind. Likewise, none of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a method and apparatus for making image ladened louvers comprising a louver bracket support system from which a plurality of louvers, having substantially flat elongated panels with outer faces. The outer faces of the panels form a copy surface on which a composite image is adhered to and displayed, each outer face displaying a sub-part of the composite image such that the conglomeration of the plurality of louvers forms a continuous whole of the image with minimized transition loss between sub-parts of the composite image. Additionally, a method is included wherein a louver assembly is produced via the method the steps of (1) selecting a size of the louvers to fit a predetermined composite image location, (2) selecting a template corresponding in size to the selected size of the louvers, the template for temporarily securing the louvers, (3) securing the louvers within the template via a bracket assembly, (4) calculating the magnitude of a transition loss, the transition loss being the portion of the composite image in an unprintable region between the louvers, (5) determining the sub-parts of the composite image based on a size of the copy surface, the width of the louvers, and the magnitude of the transition loss, (6) selecting a method of adhering the sub-parts of the composite image to the copy surface, (7) adhering the image to the copy surface such that corresponding ones of the plurality of outer faces each display a sub-part of the composite image, and (8) smoothing the adhered composite image to reduce air-pockets and the like therbetween.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a method and apparatus for making an image ladened louver assembly for displaying at least one composite graphical image.
It is another object of the invention to provide a bracketing technique which duplicates a pre-selected composite image onto a plurality of louvers with minimized transition loss.
It is a further object of the invention to reduce air pockets between the copy surface and an applied composite image and its sub-parts which produces image distortion and image degradation over time.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in a method and apparatus for making imaged ladened louvers which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.
These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4049038 (1977-09-01), Hyman et al.
patent: 4195680 (1980-04-01), Hyman et al.
patent: 4842036 (1989-06-01), Goodman
patent: 4884352 (1989-12-01), Lipscomb
patent: 4911220 (1990-03-01), Hiller
patent: 5029413 (1991-07-01), Jovanovic
patent: 5101876 (1992-04-01), Zak
patent: 5105870 (1992-04-01), Merjane
patent: 5263529 (1993-11-01), Landis
patent: 5447758 (1995-09-01), Pelletier
patent: 5655589 (1997-08-01), Vartanian
patent: 6042912 (2000-03-01), Simoni
Litman Richard C.
Purol David M.
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