Metal working – Venetian blind assembling
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-18
2001-09-18
Echols, P. W. (Department: 3726)
Metal working
Venetian blind assembling
C160S900000, C428S040100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06289563
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to window shades and more particularly pertains to the repair of vertical blind slats that are torn or broken at the blind slat connection point.
2. Description of Prior Art
The use of repair patches for vertical blind slats is known in the prior art. More specifically, repair patches for vertical blind slats previously devised and utilized for the purpose of repairing broken or torn vertical blind slat mounting holes are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstaning the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
The present invention is directed to improving devices for repairing broken or torn vertical blind slat mounting holes in a manner which is safe, secure, economical and aesthetically pleasing.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,770 to Block discloses a pressure sensitive reinforcement tape for a loose leaf sheet comprising a strip of plastic tape coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive and includes a plurality of holes configured for alignment with different standard mounting hole configurations and is sized to fit within the confines of the sheet.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,525,399 to Fields shows a perforated reinforcing strip for use with continuous forms having sprocket holes comprising a means for reinforcing the sprocket holes and alternatively additionally comprises means for reinforcing perforations found in said continuous forms; said article comprises a continuous pliable strip having self-adhesive located on one side and having a row of uniformly spaced holes along its length. The strip additionally has perforations which are transverse to the longitudinal axis of the strip and are located between every other hole on the strip.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,954,378 to Goodman describes a repair kit for shower curtains and the like consisting of a reinforcing means for repairing tears in plasticized sheet material for shower curtains and liners, bath curtains, and the like comprising an elastomeric material, manipulatable as a unit, for insertion through an aperture in the sheet material adjacent a tear for adhering to each side of the sheet material around the aperture to reinforce the sheet material.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,939 to Kitchen shows a repair patch that is square on the mounting end, that is attached to a broken vertical blind slat by pressure sensitive adhesive, but doesn't account for blind slats of various sizes, or rod attachment points of different sizes, or compensate for effects of extreme weather on the pressure sensitive adhesive used to support the weight of the blind slats.
None of the inventions disclosed above provide an adequate means for larger, heavier and thicker type vertical blinds; nor account for the effects of extreme heat, humidity, or cold on adhesive materials. None of the above inventions solely for repairing blind slats is widely known to the public or sold on a national level.
In this respect, the repair kit for vertical blind slats according to the present invention substantially decreases the conventional concepts and designs of the prior inventions, in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of repairing broken or torn vertical blind slat mounting holes, for slats of different widths, weights, and compensates for effects of extreme weather.
The present invention achieves its intended objects, and advantages through a new, useful, unobvious combination of methods steps and components with the use of a minimum number of functional parts and a reasonable cost to manufacture with readily available materials.
Objects and Advantages
Accordingly, besides the objects and advantages of the invention's process to repair vertical blind slat connection parts described in the present invention, several additional objects and advantages of my invention are:
a) Provide a new and improved repair kit for vertical blind slats which may be easily and efficiently manufactured.
b) Provide a blind slat repair kit that adjusts to blind slats of various widths and depths.
c) Provide a new and improved repair kit for vertical blind slats which provides in the apparati and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.
d) Provides for extreme heat, humidity, and cold weather effects on adhesive used on prior art blind slat repair kits.
e) Provides for slat to rod attachment points of different sizes.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to:
a) Provide a new and improved repair kit for vertical blind slats which will allow reuse of a broken slat thereby maintaining an exact color match with the other slats in the set.
b) Provide a new and improved repair kit for vertical blind slats which is unobtrusive when in use so as not to degrade the appearance of the vertical blind set.
c) Provide a new and improved repair kit for vertical blind slats that may be universally applied to a wide variety of different vertical blind sets thereby precluding the need to manufacture or inventory a large number of different repair patches.
d) Provide a vertical blind slat repair kit that won't cause a blind attachment connection clip to obtrude and cause the slat to hang at a different angle because of the non-tapered edge on the above mentioned prior art.
e) Provide an improved repair kit that supports the weight of a blind slat by a fastener or other suitable means that provides the same effect.
f) Can be used on various blind slats, and placed underneath fabric type blinds.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the invention. These objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the present invention. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or by modifying the invention within the scope of the disclosure.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved repair kit for vertical blind slats which can be used for repairing broken and torn vertical blind slat mounting holes. In this, the present invention substantially fills this need. As illustrated by the background art, efforts are obviously being made in an attempt to develop devices for repairing broken or torn vertical blind slat mounting holes. No prior effort, however, provides the benefits apparent with the present invention. Additionally, the prior art and commercial techniques do not suggest the inventive combination of component elements and features configured as disclosed and claimed herein.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3785451 (1974-01-01), McCord
patent: 4016977 (1977-04-01), Krautsack
patent: 4431325 (1984-02-01), Colby
patent: 4475579 (1984-10-01), Bassett
patent: 4525399 (1985-06-01), Fields
patent: 4718962 (1988-01-01), Goodwin
patent: 4954378 (1990-09-01), Goodman
patent: 5105870 (1992-04-01), Merjane
patent: 5180621 (1993-01-01), Heier et al.
patent: 5271447 (1993-12-01), Aronovich
patent: 5424107 (1995-06-01), Lee
patent: 5458939 (1995-10-01), Kitchen
patent: 5601899 (1997-02-01), Campbell
patent: 5718273 (1998-02-01), Best et al.
Blount Steven
Echols P. W.
Schmeiger Olson & Watts
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