Wooden blind slats and method for making same

Details Wooden blind slats and method for making same Wooden blind slats and method for making same

1999-10-27

2001-11-27

Bray, W. Donald (Department: 3725)

Woodworking

Process

Securing

C144S329000, C144S346000, C144S380000, C428S106000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06321803

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a blind, and more particularly to wooden slats of the blind and a method for making the wooden slats of the blind.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Slats of conventional Venetian blinds are generally made of aluminum, plastic, or wood. Wooden blind slats are attractive to consumers even if they are relatively more expensive. Wooden blind slats are generally made of basswood and Ramin wood in view of the fibers of these woods being straight and resistant to deformation. Ramin wood is a product of the tropical rain forest in South East Asia. In light of the adverse impact on the environment of excessive cutting of the forest, products made or Ramin wood are banned in Europe and in the United States. Basswood is grown in a relatively small area and is therefore hard to obtain. Needless to say, blind slats made of basswood are very expensive.
The conventional method for making the wooden blind slats comprises a first step in which a tree trunk is cut into slices, with each having a width of 2 inches, one inch, or 0.5 inch. In other words, there are three specifications as far as the width of the slices is concerned. In addition to the width specifications, the thickness of the slices must be taken into consideration. For example, the thickness of the slices having the width of 2 inches must be no less than 3 mm, whereas the thickness of the slices having the width of 1 inch or 0.5 inch must be no less than 2.5 mm. In light of the thickness requirements, the material cost can not be effectively reduced.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a cost-effective method for making the blind slats which are small in dimension and resistant to deformation.
The method of the present invention comprises a first step in which a tree trunk is cut into slices of a rectangular shape. Each slice has smooth longitudinal surfaces and sides. Both longitudinal ends of the slices show annual rings of the tree trunk. A plurality of the slices are joined together by an adhesive under high pressure to form a rectangular board, which is then cut from one longitudinal end thereof in the direction perpendicular to the joining surface thereof into a plurality of blind slats of a predetermined thickness. The blind slats are covered with a coat and then dried by baking. Each blind slat has two grained longitudinal surfaces. The blind slats are smoothed prior to being covered with the coat.


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patent: 6098680 (2000-08-01), Nien

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