Abstract:
A roller shade is provided. In some embodiments, the roller shade may include: a roller assembly; an inner portion of the roller assembly having an attaching structure for attaching to a mount; an outer portion of the roller assembly located on the roller assembly radially outward from the inner portion; a slot in the outer portion; and an insert dimensioned to be slidably received into the slot along with a portion of a shade to thereby attach the shade to the roller assembly. A method of attaching a shade to a roller assembly may also be provided.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to roller shades. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus for attaching shade material to the roller assembly and counter balancing the roller assembly. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Roller shades or blinds have long been used as window coverings. The roller shades may be mounted to the top of windows or above the windows. The window shades may be pulled down over the window to block out unwanted light and/or to provide privacy. Often the roller in the roller shade assembly is spring loaded and may have a pawl or similar system so that the roller shade can be pulled down and stopped at a desired position. In order to roll the shade back up, the shade is slightly pulled down by user to disengage the pawl. Then, the spring system turns the roller thereby rolling the shade or blind material around the roller as the shade or blind retracts. Like anything that rotates on an axis, it may be desirable to balance the roller assembly as it rotates in order to avoid excessive noise, vibration, or other undesirable characteristics resulting from rotating an unbalanced object. Further, the higher the speed of rotation, the more a balanced roller will help to prevent undesirable vibration and noise. 
         [0003]    In addition to counter balancing or balancing the roller shade, another desired characteristic is to attach the shade material to the roller assembly. In many current roller assemblies, the shade material is flat and sheet-like. The shade is often simply glued into the roller assembly. While this may be effective in allowing the shade material to be attached to the roller assembly, it can also provide undesired characteristics. 
         [0004]    For example, it may be difficult to separate the shade material from the roller assembly. It may be desirable to separate the shade material from the roller assembly in order to clean the shade material, provide maintenance on the roller assembly or to switch out a shade material of one type of material to substitute another type of material. In prior art systems where shade material is simply glued to the roller, detaching and reattaching shade material to the roller assembly may be problematic and often not feasible. Thus, in some prior art systems, rather than removing the shade material from the roller assembly, different shade material is used or substituted by removing both the shade material and the roller assembly and replacing it with a second shade material attached to a second roller assembly. With respect to cleaning and maintenance of the shade material, this must be done carefully while the shade material is still attached to the roller assembly. 
         [0005]    In order to help solve or mitigate the draw backs of some of the prior art described above, it may be desirable to have a new apparatus or method in the field of shade material and roller assemblies. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The foregoing needs are met, to a great extent, by some embodiments of the present invention. Wherein in one aspect, an apparatus is provided that, in some embodiments, in order to reduce or mitigate some of the short comings or problems set forth above, a new method and apparatus for assembling a shade material is provided. 
         [0007]    In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a roller shade is provided. In some embodiments, the roller shade may include: a roller assembly; an inner portion of the roller assembly having an attaching structure for attaching to a mount; an outer portion of the roller assembly located on the roller assembly radially outward from the inner portion; a slot in the outer portion; and an insert dimensioned to be slidably received into the slot along with a portion of a shade to thereby attach the shade to the roller assembly. 
         [0008]    In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a method of attaching a shade to a roller assembly is provided. The method may include: forming an outer portion of the roller assembly with a sufficient thickness to support an attaching grove in the outer portion; forming an attaching groove in the outer portion; and providing an attaching insert dimensioned to slide along with a portion of a shade material into the slot to trap the shade material between the insert and the slot. 
         [0009]    In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, a roller shade may be provided. The roller shade may include: a roller assembly; an inner portion of the roller assembly having an attaching structure for attaching to a mount; an outer portion of the roller assembly located on the roller assembly radially outward from the inner portion; a means for receiving a counterbalance weight in the outer portion; and a removable means for counter balancing the roller assembly dimensioned to be slidably received into the receiving means. 
         [0010]    There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, certain embodiments of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof herein may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional embodiments of the invention that will be described below and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
         [0011]    In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of embodiments in addition to those described and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein, as well as the abstract, are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
         [0012]    As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a blind assembly  10  in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of a blind assembly as set forth in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is an end view of a roller assembly and blind material attached to the roller assembly. 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is a partial end view of the roller assembly and blind material. 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is a partial end view of another portion of the roller assembly and blind material. 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view showing different types of inserts that may be used in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 7  is an end view of a roller assembly in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0020]    The invention will now be described with reference to the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout. An embodiment in accordance with the present invention provides a method and apparatus for attaching blind or shade material to a roller assembly. Further, a method and apparatus is also shown and described that may be used to counter balance a roller assembly. 
         [0021]      FIG. 1  illustrates a blind assembly  10  that may be used in accordance with some embodiments of the invention. The blind assembly  10  includes a header housing  12 , end caps  14  and a cover  16 . The end caps  14  may be attached to the header housing  12  via brackets  18 . The cover  16  may be attached to the end caps  14  by brackets that are hidden in the view of  FIG. 1  and contained within the blind assembly  10 . In other embodiments of the invention, other types of brackets or other attaching means may be used to attach the header housing  12 , end caps  14  and the cover  16 . 
         [0022]      FIG. 2  is a perspective exploded view of the blind assembly  10  shown in  FIG. 1 . As shown, in  FIG. 2 , the blind assembly  10  includes the header housing  12 , the end caps  14  and the cover  16 . A roller assembly  20  is located within the header housing  12 , the end caps  14  and the cover  16 . Normally, the blind material  22  or shade material  22  is wrapped around the roller assembly  20 . However, in the exploded view in  FIG. 2 , the blind material  22  or shade material  22  is shown wrapped around itself forming a roll but is not wrapped around the roller assembly  20  to better illustrate the roller assembly  20 . 
         [0023]    The blind or shade material  22  is terminated at one end by a rail  24 . The rail  24  has larger diameter than the blind or shade material  22  and allows a user to grasp the rail  24  as a handle. In other embodiments of the invention, a pull cord may be attached to the blind material  22 . The blind material  22  as shown in  FIG. 2  has a hole  26  or void contained within it. Normally, the roller assembly  20  is located in the void  26 , as the blind material  22  is normally wrapped around the roller assembly  20 . 
         [0024]    The roller assembly  20  includes an axle  28  located at about the center of rotation for the roller assembly  20  and the blind material  22 . The axle  28  fits into a bracket  30  located on or near one or both end caps  14 . In some embodiments the brackets  30  may be attached to a wall or other structure above a window to which the blind assembly  10  may also be attached. The roller bracket  30  permits the axle  28  to rotate while securing the roller assembly  20  and blind material within the blind assembly  10 . 
         [0025]      FIG. 3  is a an end view of the roller assembly  20  and blind material  22 .  FIGS. 4 and 5  are enlarged, partial end views of part of the roller assembly  20  and blind material  22 . The following description will be made with reference characters that may be found in one or more of  FIGS. 3-5 . 
         [0026]    The roller assembly  20  includes an inner roller assembly  32  and an outer roller assembly  34 . The inner roller assembly  32  includes the axle  28 . 
         [0027]    In some embodiments of the invention, the axle  28  may extend all the way through the inner roller assembly  32  to project out at both ends of the inner roller assembly  32 . 
         [0028]    In other embodiments of the invention, the axle  28  may be a pair of trunnions that project out of either end of the inner roller assembly  32  without extending through the inner roller assembly  32 . 
         [0029]    It would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the inner roller assembly  32  may contain a spring mechanism and pawl mechanism or other mechanism to allow the roller assembly  20  to be stopped in various positions as is commonly known in the roller shade art. A description of these assemblies will not be described here as they are well known. 
         [0030]    The outer roller assembly  34  may include various curved surfaces  36 . These curved surfaces  36  may define voids or slots  38 . The voids or slots  38  may extend along the length of the outer roller assembly  34  and provide a space for an attaching insert  40  to be slide into the void or slot  38 . 
         [0031]    Attaching the blind material  22  to the roller assembly  20  is accomplished in some embodiments of the invention and as best shown in  FIG. 4 . Part of the blind material  22  may be wrapped partially around the attaching insert  40 . The attaching insert  40  and the blind material  22  are slid into the void or slot  38 , thus trapping part of the blind material  22  between the attaching insert  40  and the outer roller assembly  34 . 
         [0032]    The voids or slots  38  may include channels  44  that are dimensioned to allow the protrusions  46  on the attaching insert  40  to slide along some of the blind material  22  into the channels  44 . The geometry of the channels  44  and the protrusions  46  allow the attaching insert  40  to be retained within the outer roller assembly  34 , and resist the centrifugal force generated by the outer roller assembly  34  is rotating. Because the attaching insert  40  can slide in and out of the voids or slots  38 , the attaching system shown in  FIGS. 3-5  allows blind material  22  to be selectively attached or detached to the roller assembly  20 . Thus, the blind material  22  can be removed for cleaning or be changed out for a different blind material as desired. One of ordinary skill in the art after reviewing this disclosure, would appreciate that in order to attach or remove the blind material  22  from the roller assembly  20 , the roller assembly  20  must be removed from the bracket  30  and the blind assembly  10 . The blind material  22  is removed from the roller assembly  20  for cleaning or replacement. Once the blind material  22  is installed back on the roller assembly  20 , the roller assembly  20 , the roller assembly  20  may be reinstalled back into the blind assembly  10 . 
         [0033]      FIG. 4  also shows that a gap  48  may be generated between the attaching insert  40  and the voids or slots  38  defined by the outer roller assembly  34 . The gap  48  may form where the blind material  22  is absent. It will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art after reviewing this disclosure that the voids or slots  38  will be dimensioned so that even with the attaching insert  40  and some of the blind material  22  located in the void or slot  38 , that the gap  38  may also be formed between the attaching insert  40  and blind material  22  as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0034]    The attaching insert  40  and the blind material  22  may be countersunk to a position below the rest of the outer roller assembly  34 . This countersinking may assist in reducing the likelihood of forming protrusions or other anomalies in the neatly rolled up blind material  22 . Keeping the blind material  22  in neat rolls may assist in allowing the roller shade assembly  20  to not vibrate, chatter or otherwise make noise as it is being manipulated. 
         [0035]    As shown in  FIGS. 3-5 , additional attaching inserts  40  may be present in the outer roller assembly  34  even if they are not providing the function of attaching the blind material  22  to the roller assembly  20 . Having multiple attaching inserts  40  will provide a user with various options of where to attach the blind material  22  to the roller assembly  20 . Further, attaching inserts  40  not used for attaching the blind material  20  to the roller assembly  20  may be added or removed to provide desired counterbalancing. In addition to using the attaching inserts  40  for the purpose of counterbalancing, weights or inserts  42  may also be placed within void  38  or slots  38  to counterbalance the roller assembly  20 . 
         [0036]    As shown in  FIG. 5 , the dynamic counter balance inserts or weights  42  may have a geometry that corresponds to the void or slot  38  in which they reside. These counter balance inserts  42  may be slid longitudinally into or removed out of the voids  38  in order to provide a desired amount of counterbalancing. 
         [0037]    In some embodiments of the invention, the outer wall assembly  34  may define several slots or voids  38  into which attaching inserts  40  or counterbalancing weights or inserts  42  may be placed to provide desired counterbalancing. In some embodiments of the invention, combinations of attaching inserts  40  and counterbalancing inserts  42  may be moved, removed or inserted in order to provide the desired amount of counterbalancing. 
         [0038]      FIG. 6  shows examples of various inserts  40  and  42  that may be inserted into the outer roller assembly  34  to provide various functions. The attaching inserts  40  perform an attaching function or to provide a counterbalancing function. The counterbalance insert  42  may perform a counterbalance function. Counterbalancing can also be achieved by additional removal of the attaching inserts  40  that are not used in the attaching function. As shown in  FIG. 6 , the inserts  42  may have a variety of cross-sectional geometries. The inserts  42  as shown in  FIG. 6  are meant to be exemplary and are in no way limiting. 
         [0039]      FIG. 7  shows a side view of a roller assembly in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. Similar to the embodiment described above, the embodiment shown in  FIG. 7  includes an inner roller assembly  32 , an axle  28  and an outer roller assembly  34 . The outer roller assembly  34  is sufficiently thick enough to be able to define void or slots  38  in addition to rounded voids  52 . The rounded slots  52  are located at various locations allowing a user to, by trial and error, place a rounded insert  42  into various slots  52  in order to find the best location for the counterbalancing insert  42  in order to left counterbalance the lower assembly  20 . 
         [0040]    As shown in  FIG. 7 , the roller assembly  20  also includes the attaching insert  40  and other counterbalancing inserts  42 . The roller material  22  is partially wrapped around the roller assembly  20  and partially extends down and is terminated with a rail  24 . 
         [0041]    The many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the detailed specification, and thus, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages of the invention which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and variations will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.