LIFT CURTAIN

Abstract: A roman blind has its guiding members (18) for the draw cords arranged with increasing space between the guiding members downwards. This makes the folds fall decoratively on each other when the blind is in its lifted position and the blind can be used as a window valance either single or with side curtains. The curtain has battens in channels (14, 15, 16, 17) sewn in the fabric and the guiding members (18) is attached to the blind at the battens.

Description: Lift curtain This invention relates to a roman blind with draw cords attached to the lower part of the blind and a plurality of guiding members for guiding the cords attached to the blind. Roman blinds are often hidden behind window valances when they are lifted since they are usually not very decorative in that position. In particular, this is true for blinds in heavy fabric. It is an object of the invention to provide a roman blind that is decorative also when fully lifted. The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings that show an embodiment of the invention. Figure 1 shows a roman blind seen from behind. Figure 2 shows on a larger scale and from the side the roman blind in figure 1 in its lifted position. Figure 3 shows on a still larger scale a detail of the roman blind shown in figures 1 and 2. The roman blind shown in the figures comprises a top rod 11 and a bottom rod 12. Each rod can be made of wood and consist of two semi-circular rods that are fixed together to clamp the fabric 13 between them. A number of channels (four in the shown embodiment of the invention) are sewn in the fabric and battens 14,15,16,17 are in the channels. In figure 3, such a channel is shown enlarged and it has a batten 14 in the form of a metal rod with a circular cross-section. The battens and the channels are referred to with the same reference numerals. In figure 3, an annular clip 18 is arranged to embrace the batten 14. A draw cord 19 extends through the clip 18 and the clip is thus a guiding element for guiding the draw cord. The clip is attached to the blind. In figure 1, the two draw cords of the blind are fixed to the lowest batten 17. They can be fixed to a clip similar to the clip 18 shown in figure 3. All the battens have clips 18 through which the draw cords run. The distance from batten 15 (channel 15) to batten 16 is greater than the distance from batten 14 to batten 15 and the distance from batten 16 to batten 17 increases the same amount in centimetres from the distance between the battens 15 and 16,. The fabric between the rod 11 and the batten 14 has been denoted by 25, the fabric between the battens 14 and 15 has been denoted by 26, the fabric between the battens 15 and 16 has been denoted by 27, the fabric between the battens 16 and 17 has been denoted by 28, and the fabric between the batten 17 and the bottom rod 12 has been denoted by 29. When lifting the blind by means of the draw lines 19,20, the blind will form folds as shown in figure 3 since the clips 18 will lift the battens. Due to the increasing length of the fabric parts 26,27,28, the folds will seem to be similar. The fabric part 25 seems to be in twice as long a fold since its length is shown twice as long as the length difference between other adjacent fabric parts. If it is desired to have all the folds look similar, the uppermost fabric part should have the same length as the difference between two other fabric parts. Without departure from the invention, all folds can also be such that they seem to have various lengths. Since the uppermost fold is the shortest one and each one of the underlying folds is longer than the nearest fold above it, the roman blind will have such a decorative appearance that it can be used instead of a window valance. The roman blind can be used alone or together with curtains at the sides of the window. The bottom fabric part 29 is shown having half the length of the fabric part 28 plus the same difference in length as between the other fabric parts, which makes this fabric part 29 appear to have the same length as the fold 28 above it although it is not folded.

Claims: Claims 1. A roman blind with draw cords (19,20) attached to the lower part of the blind and a plurality of guiding members (18) for guiding the cords attached to the blind, characterised in that the vertical distance between the guiding members (18) successively increases downwards along the blind. 2. A roman blind according to claim 1. characterised in that the guiding members (18) are attached to the blind in connection with transverse battens (14,15,16,17). 3. A roman blind according to claim 2. characterised in that the battens (14,15,16,17) are in the form of metal rods in channels in the blind. 4. A roman blind according to claim 3, characterised in that the guiding members (18) are clips (18) embracing the metal rods. 5. A roman blind according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the vertical distance between adjacent guiding members (18) increases with a constant length. 6. A roman blind according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the cords (19,20) are attached to the blind at a distance from the lower edge of the blind which is greater than half the distance between the two lowest guiding members.

Inventors: SCHOERLING STEFAN, SCHOERLING, STEFAN
Applicants: SCHOERLING STEFAN, SCHOERLING, STEFAN
Application year: 1999
Main classification: E06B9
IPC codes: A47H5, E06B9