Vertical blind with fabric wrap

Details Vertical blind with fabric wrap Vertical blind with fabric wrap

2001-12-03

2004-01-13

Lev, Bruce A. (Department: 3634)

Flexible or portable closure, partition, or panel

Plural and/or with rigid closure

Diverse types

C160S084010, C160S16810V

Reexamination Certificate

active

06675858

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to vertical blinds of the type having a head rail and vertical blind slats suspended from the head rail and in particular to such a vertical blind having a fabric wrap arranged around the blind slats.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Blinds such as horizontal or “venetian” blinds, and also vertical blinds are well known. Both such blinds have slats which can be turned between open and closed positions. When closed, the interior space is not visible from the outside, thus ensuring privacy.
However, little or no exterior light can then penetrate the interior. When the slats are rotated open, light can enter, but much of the privacy is lost. Persons walking by outside can see some of the interior space by peering between the open slats. In recent years, a variation has been developed in which the blind slats are wrapped or shrouded in fabric. Usually, the fabric is a lightweight net or gauze sheer type of fabric. Such sheer fabric is designed to let the light pass through when the slats are open but it prevents viewing from outside the building, through the fabric. Thus, such fabric adds greater privacy to the blind enclosed area even when the blind is open. The fabric does not however prevent the slats from being rotated closed to exclude exterior light if that is desired.
Various different designs have been proposed, but most of them require special modification by the manufacturer, during fabrication of the blind. This means that either a store must carry a very large inventory of blinds, both with and without fabric blind wraps, or in the alternative the customer must place a special order and wait for delivery at a later date.
Many of these earlier designs were based on the principle of using two spaced apart panels of fabric, one panel being located on, and secured to one side or edge of the slats, and the other panel on the other side or edge of the slats.
The result was a series of rectangular tubes known as a “honeycomb” structure. This was relatively complex and expensive to make. It was not adaptable to combination with an existing blind consisting of plain slats, without a fabric wrap. Such a blind had to be manufactured specially, and was usually available only on order.
It has been found that this complex structure is substantially unnecessary to achieve the objective of increasing privacy while still permitting light to pass through the blind.
A single panel of fabric, wrapped around one side or edge only of each slat is now found to be entirely adequate for the purpose of privacy, and permits the passage of exterior light into the building. This single panel wrap fabric results in a much lower cost to the consumer. The end effect has an aesthetic appeal to the eye, being somewhat looser than the semi-rigid form of “honeycomb” structure, and has more of the appearance of an elegant shear drape, covering the blind slats, rather than a series of honeycomb box structures.
Preferably the blind wrap fabric should be capable of being attachable by the customer directly to a regular non-wrapped blind, or in some cases it may be attached to a regular non-wrapped blind by store service personnel at the time of purchase.
In this way, the regular non-wrapped blinds can be kept in stock in the retail store. If a customer requests a wrapped or shrouded blind then an existing in store blind can be fitted there and then with the fabric wrap, and supplied to the customer in a few minutes.
Preferably also the fabric wrap may be supplied as a kit, consisting of the fabric panel and system of attachments or clips by which the fabric panel can be easily attached as a retro fit, in some cases, to a blind which may have been purchased and installed some time earlier.
Preferably the fabric panel may even be capable of being removed and replaced if necessary. This also enables the store to carry fabric wrap kits for vertical blinds in a variety of shades, to give a customer a choice for selection, so as to match the blinds being purchased.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
With a view to achieving a solution to at least some of these problems, the invention provides a fabric wrapped vertical blind, of the type having a head rail and blind slats suspended therefrom by their ends, in which the slats can be moved along the head rail, drawing them to one side of the door or window, like a drape, and in which the slats, when drawn across the door or window, can be rotated between open or closed, positions, and having a fabric panel, and panel attachments on said blind slats, and said fabric panel being secured to said panel attachments and at least partially enfolding said blind slats.
The invention further seeks to provide such a fabric wrapped vertical blind, wherein said fabric panel is secured to said attachments by an upper edge of said panel, said panel being thereby suspended from said upper edge, in folds around said blind slats.
The invention further seeks to provide such a fabric wrapped vertical blind, wherein said attachments are secured to upper edges of said blind slats.
The invention further seeks to provide such a fabric wrapped vertical blind, wherein said attachments comprise clips secured to an upper edge of said blind slats, and friction fasteners incorporated in said clips, and complementary friction fasteners on said fabric panel.
The invention further seeks to provide such a fabric wrapped vertical blind, wherein said blind slats are carried on moveable trolleys moving in said head rail, and including suspension stems extending down from said trolleys and engaging respective said blind slats, and said attachments defining attachment body portions, and openings in said body portions through which said stems extend.
The invention further seeks to provide such a fabric wrapped vertical blind and wherein said attachments further include clips engaging said upper edges of said blind slats on either side of said opening.
The invention further seeks to provide such a fabric wrapped vertical blind, and including a reinforcing tape secured along an upper edge of said panel, and fasteners attached to said tape at spaced intervals therealong, said fasteners being interengageable with said attachments for securing said fabric panel as aforesaid.
The invention further seeks to provide such a fabric wrapped vertical blind, wherein said fabric panel is located on one side only of said blind slats, and partially enfolds each said blind slat.
The invention further seeks to provide such a fabric wrapped vertical blind, wherein said fabric panel is formed of light permeable material, whereby to permit passage of light from the exterior to the interior, while providing privacy from the exterior.
The invention further seeks to provide such a fabric wrapped vertical blind wherein said fabric panel defines a vertical edge and wherein said vertical edge is secured along the length of a said blind slat.
The invention further seeks to provide such a fabric wrapped vertical blind wherein flexible suspension filaments are secured to said upper edge of said fabric panel, being located in pairs between each said fold of said panel, said elements extending over the upper end of a respective said blind slat, and locating notches in said upper end of each said blind slat.
The invention further seeks to provide such a fabric wrapped vertical blind wherein said upper edge of said fabric panel, in each said fold, is sewn together, in two spaced apart locations defining a space therebetween.
The invention further seeks to provide such a fabric wrapped vertical blind including frictional fabric gripping clips, said clips being clipped over said upper edges of said folds and over said upper edges of said blind slats.
The invention further seeks to provide such a fabric wrapped vertical blind including fastening pins passing through said upper edges of respective said folds in said fabric panel, and engaging said upper edge of each respective said blind slat.
The invention further seeks to provide such a fabric wrapped vertical blind wh

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