Flexible or portable closure – partition – or panel – Plural strip – slat – or panel type – Venetian blind type
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-25
2001-03-20
Lev, Bruce A. (Department: 3634)
Flexible or portable closure, partition, or panel
Plural strip, slat, or panel type
Venetian blind type
C160S17610V, C160S178200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06202730
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of vertical blinds for covering window and door openings. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved vane carrier for positioning vertical blind vanes.
Blinds are drawn across openings to provide privacy, thermal insulation, and light sealing properties. For large openings, vertical vanes are drawn horizontally across the opening. The vertical vanes are hung from a top rail and hang downwardly due to gravity. When stored on one side of the opening, each vane is oriented perpendicular to the wall or opening. The vanes are drawn across the opening with a cord so that the vanes hand in the same orientation perpendicular to the opening. The vanes are then rotated with a baton, wand or cord operated mechanism to rotate each vane about a center axis so that the vanes are substantially parallel to the opening. In this position, the side edges of each vane overlaps adjacent vanes and the opening is concealed by the overlapping vanes.
Vane carriers located at the blind top are moveable along a rail track for transporting the vanes horizontally across the opening, and for permitting rotation of the vanes relative to the opening. The vane carriers are constructed to permit the attachment and detachment of the vertical vanes, and are typically formed with plastic or other light materials to reduce the overall blind weight. The vane carriers include a clip for insertion through an aperture in the upper vane end. The clip engages the vane aperture and holds the vane body as the vane is transported horizontally across the opening and is rotated about the vane axis relative to the opening.
The baton for rotating the vanes typically hangs vertically along one side of the blind. A gap typically exists between the baton and the adjacent end vane, and this gap permits light to filter through the blind. Although each interior vane is contacted by adjacent vanes on each side, the end vane closest to the baton only has contact with an adjacent vane on one side. The free vane edge is not contacted by an adjacent vane, and does not have the retaining force necessary to retain such vane parallel to the opening. Accordingly, gaps can exist between the end vane and the adjacent vane, thereby lessening the light sealing effectiveness of the entire blind.
For these reasons, a need exists for an improved blind capable of sealing gaps between the end vanes and an adjacent vane, and for sealing the gaps between the end vane and a baton operating the vanes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an improved apparatus for covering a window or door opening with vertical vanes to block light and air movement. The invention comprises a carrier body engaged with a blind head rail for horizontal and rotational movement relative to the head rail, and a clip attached to the carrier body for permitting the vane to move in a substantially translational direction relative to the clip. A wing can be attached to the carrier body or the clip for selectively contacting an end vane and for imparting a rotational force against the end vane.
In one embodiment of the invention, a head rail extends over the opening, and a plurality of vertically extending vanes are moveable in rotational and translational directions relative to the head rail. A control means rotates the vanes about the longitudinal axis for each vane, and a carrier body defines an interior space for retaining the end vane while permitting the end vane to translate relative to the carrier body.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2192002 (1940-02-01), Bond et al.
patent: 2996115 (1961-08-01), Klenz
patent: 4102381 (1978-07-01), Bratschi
patent: 4628981 (1986-12-01), Ciriaci
patent: 4648436 (1987-03-01), Oskam
patent: 4802522 (1989-02-01), Anderson
patent: 5257811 (1993-11-01), Biba
patent: 5316066 (1994-05-01), Rapp et al.
Atkinson Alan J.
Lev Bruce A.
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