Patent ID: 6263944
Filing Date: 2001-07-24
Classification: E06B

Abstract:
A venetian type blind comprising:a bottomrail;a plurality of slats above the bottomrail, each slat having a first end and a second end and an inside edge and an outside edge, and each slat having at least a first slot on one of the outside edge and the inside edge proximate the first end of the slat, the first slots forming a first vertically arrayed set of slots, and a second slot on one of the inside edge and the outside edge proximate the second end of the slat and laterally spaced apart from the first slot, the second slots forming a second vertically arrayed set of slots;a first ladder positioned proximate the first ends of the slats having opposite cord type rails and rungs extending therebetween to support a slat, one of the rails being positioned near the first set of slots, both of said rails being connected to the bottomrail;a first pair of lift cords adjacent to the first ladder and connected to the bottomrails, one of the lift cords running through the first set of slots;a second ladder positioned proximate the second ends of the slats having opposite cord type rails and rungs extending therebetween to support a slat, one of the rails being positioned near the second set of slots, both of said rails being connected to the bottomrail;a second pair of lift cords adjacent to the second ladder and connected to the bottomrail, one of the lift cords running through the second set of slots;the rungs of each of the ladders extending horizontally between the cord type rails and each being aligned above one another;the first pair of lift cords being engaged with a plurality of the rungs of the first ladder and the second pair of lift cords being engaged with a plurality of the rungs of the second ladder, such that the rails of the ladders fold substantially in a plane parallel to the edges of the slats when the lift cords draw the slats together;a headrail above the bottomrail and the plurality of slats through which the lift cords pass; anda tilt mechanism attached to the headrail to which the first and second ladders are attached, such that when the blind is changed from an open position to a closed position the rails of each of the ladders will move relative to one another.