Abstract:
A vertical blind system includes a conventional vertical blind vane mechanism, a plurality of vertical blind vanes coupled to the vane mechanism, and a continuous blind vane cover, such as a white sheer fabric drapery material, removably mounted to several of the blind vanes with pairs of snap connectors connecting through holes near the top of each vane. This allows ready removal of the vane cover for washing, with ready replacement in the proper position after cleaning.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to the field of panel units having several vertical blind vanes. More particularly, the present invention relates to a cover in the nature of a curtain or drape removably mounted on an array of vertical blind vanes. 
     2. Background Art 
     A common covering system for a window is a vertical blind, having vertical vanes rotatable about vertical axes to an open or closed position. The covering system may further include a decorative cover mounted to the vertical blinds to thereby add esthetic qualities to the covering system. In some cases, the decorative cover may be removable from the blind vanes to enable a consumer to clean the removed decorative cover or to replace the removed decorative cover. A convenient mounting and dismounting of such removable decorative covers is therefore highly desired by consumers. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     While the actual nature of the present invention can only be determined with reference to the claims appended hereto, certain of its features of one embodiment of the invention can be described briefly. A vertical blind system includes a conventional vertical blind vane mechanism. The blind vane mechanism provides rotational movements of the vertical vanes about vertical axes. Mechanisms can be used which either also provide traversing movement to the blind vanes, or which do not. Several vertical blind vanes are coupled to the vane mechanism, and a continuous blind vane cover is removably mounted near the top of each vane with pairs of connectors connecting through holes or with snaps attaching from opposite sides of each vane. 
     No limitations are contemplated as to a particular embodiment of the blind vane mechanism employed in a vertical blind system of the present invention, and any conventional mechanism can be used, provided vanes are adapted for use with connectors near their tops for mounting the blind vane cover of the invention as claimed below. The present invention further contemplates that the vertical blind vanes and the blind vane covers can have any configuration, can have any suitable dimensions, can be made from any suitable material, and may or may not be decorative. Consequently, the illustrations and accompanying description herein of the preferred embodiments of blind vanes, and blind vane covers are given solely for purposes of describing the best mode of the present invention and are not meant to be limiting as to the scope of the present invention in any way. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a vertical blind system having several vertical blind vanes and a blind vane cover that can be conveniently mounted to and dismounted from the blind vanes. 
     Related objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a fragmented upper left front perspective view of open vertical blind vanes and a blind vane cover dismounted therefrom, as is readily removable using the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a fragmented upper left front perspective view of the blind vanes and cover of FIG. 1 mounted to the four (4) blind vanes of FIG. 1 in an open position. 
     FIG. 3 is a fragmented upper right rear perspective view of the blind vanes and cover of FIG. 1 mounted to the four (4) blind vanes of FIG. 1 in a closed position. 
     FIG. 4 is a fragmented top view of the blind vanes and cover of FIG. 1 mounted to the four (4) blind vanes of FIG. 1 in an open position. 
     FIG. 5 is a fragmented lower left front perspective view of the upper right portion of the blind system of the invention which incorporates the blind vanes and cover of FIGS. 1-4, illustrating the mechanism to rotate the vanes about a vertical axis. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the present invention, reference will now be made to the preferred embodiments of the present invention as illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the present invention is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications in the illustrated embodiments, and any further applications of the principles of the present invention as illustrated and described herein are contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the present invention relates. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 1-4, four (4) vertical blind vanes  12  in accordance with the present invention are shown detached from a blind vane mechanism  11  shown in FIG. 5, and a blind vane cover  13  in accordance with the present invention is shown. The blind vane cover is preferably a white sheer fabric material, but may alternatively be any other color sheer fabric material, or any other sheet, lace or other non-sheer fabric material. Each blind vane  12  has a hole  12   a  as best shown in FIG.  1 . Preferably, each blind vane  12  has one circular hole  12   a , but it could have more, for use with additional connectors. It is further preferred that holes  12   a  are located near the top of blind vanes  12 . While the holes  12   a  could be centered, they are preferably modestly offset from the vertical axis of rotation, so that the majority of the vanes  12  have the cover  13  wrapped about it, abutting it. While the hole is completely encircled, the hole could alternatively also be in a form of a notch, near the top of the blind vane. 
     Blind vane cover  13  includes a plurality of folded panels  14  sequentially adjoined together. Each panel  14  has a left section  14   a  and a right section  14   b  as best shown in FIG. 4 defining a pocket  14   c  as best shown in FIG. 1 for receiving one of the blind vanes  12  as best shown in FIG.  4 . The present invention contemplates that panels  14  can have any configuration and dimensions, and can be made from any suitable material. The present invention further contemplates that the configuration, dimensions, and material for a particular panel  14  can vary from the configuration, dimensions, and material of one or more of the other panels  14 . It is preferred that all panels  14  have about the same configuration as blind vanes  12 , and that the dimensions of left sections  14   a  and right sections  14   b  of the panels  14  enable the majority of the blind vanes  12  to be within pockets  14   c  as best shown in FIG.  4 . It is further preferred that an upper end of panels  14  are folded over upon itself and stitched along its entire length to provide a hem  14   d , that a lower end of panels  14  are folded over upon itself and stitched along its entire length to provide a hem  14   e , and that the end panels have a free side folded over upon itself and stitched along at its upper and lower ends to define slots  14   f  as best shown in FIG. 4 to receive an end blind vane  12 . 
     Blind vane cover  13  includes a pair of complementary fasteners adjoined to the upper ends of opposite sides of each of the panels  14  to thereby removably mount blind vane cover  13  to blind vanes  12 , through holes  12   a . While various complementary fasteners may be selected, preferably the pairs of complementary fasteners are a female snap member  15   a  and a male snap member  15   b  as best shown in FIG.  1 . It is preferred that female snap members  15   a  are adjoined to left sections  14   a  along hem  14   d  and face pockets  14   c , and male snap members  15   b  are adjoined to right sections  14   b  along hem  14   d  and face pockets  14   c , with the snap members  15   a  and  15   b  being positioned to maintain a relatively close abutting wrap of the upper ends of panels  14  around vanes  12 , as best shown in FIG.  4 . 
     Blind vane cover  13  further includes tie tacks  16  adjoined to the lower ends of opposite sides of each of the panels  14  to thereby abut the lower ends of panels  14  around vanes  12  as best shown in FIG.  3 . Each tie tack  16  has a left end  16   a  extending through left sections  14   a  of panels  14 , a right end  16   b  extending through right sections  14   b  of panels  14 , and a band  16   c  adjoined to left end  16   a  and right end  16   b . Preferably, bands  16   c  abut an outer edge of vanes  12  as best shown in FIG.  4 . 
     There is shown the preferred single pair of snap members for each vane, offset from the center of vane rotation, where sheer fabric panels are used with conventional sized vanes. However, as an alternative example, for heavy fabric or large vanes, more than one snap pair may be used, with additional holes being added through the vanes for passage of the coupled snap pairs. It is preferred that male snap members  15   b  extend through holes  12   a  as best shown in FIG.  4 . It is to be appreciated that a person can readily grab the adjacent cover portions adjoining two consecutive panels  14  to pull the snap members  15   a  and  15   b  apart to thereby dismount blind vane cover  13  from blind vanes  12  and convert the FIG. 4 arrangement to the FIG. 1 dismounted form. By doing so, the cover can be readily laundered or repaired, and replaced by simply sliding vanes  12  within pockets  14   c  over tie tacks  16 , and re-snapping the snap members  15   a  and  15   b  through the holes  12   a.    
     Referring to FIG. 5, a representative portion of the vertical blind system  10  in accordance with the present invention is shown. Vertical blind system  10  includes blind vane mechanism  11 , blind vanes  12 , and blind vane cover  13 . The upper ends of blind vanes  12  are coupled to blind vane mechanism  11  via mounting members  11   a  to vertically and downwardly extend from blind vane mechanism  11 . Blind vane cover  13  is removably mounted to blind vanes  12  as previously described herein in connection with FIGS. 1-4. The vertical blind mechanism  11  allows rotation of the vertical vanes  12  about a vertical axis passing through the vanes  12  and their mounting members  11   a.    
     While the present invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that all changes and further modifications that come within the spirit of the present invention are desired to be protected.