Patent Publication Number: US-2018044978-A1

Title: Roman shade with magnetic members

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Fields of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a Roman shade, and more particularly, to a Roman shade with magnetic members which magnetically attracted to each other so as to organize the shade to be overlapped when the shade is folded. 
     2. Descriptions of Related Art 
     The conventional window curtains are generally controlled by control ropes which hang downward from the top box. The control ropes include potential risks, especially when kids play the control ropes which may warp the kids&#39; necks. Applicant developed several window curtains without control ropes, and were disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,150,302, and U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 14/927,417, 15/091,590 and 15/237,633. The window curtains have magnets which make the window curtains to be easily positioned when being folded. 
     However, the magnets are received in pockets of the curtain, and the pockets are sealed by way of sewing. The sewing takes time and causes visible seams which may not be straight and affect the aesthetic purposes. 
     The present invention intends to provide a Roman shade with magnetic members wherein the magnetic members are composed of a first part and a second part which is snapped to the first part. No sewing action needed to position the magnetic members. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a Roman shade and comprises a top rail having multiple hooks, and a shade connected to the top rail and including multiple slots. Multiple magnetic members connected to the slots of the shade. Each magnetic member includes a first part and a second part. The first part has a first magnet received therein. Two hooking members extend from the first side thereof. The second part includes a recess in which a second magnet is received. The second part includes two holes with which the hooking members of the first part are engaged. When the shade is folded upward section by section, the first magnets and the second magnets are magnetically attracted to each other. 
     Preferably, the first magnet is received in the first part by way of plastic injection molding. 
     Preferably, the first magnet is received in the first part by way of ultra-sonic welding. 
     Preferably, the first magnet is located between the two hooking members which are located along the axial direction of the shade. 
     Preferably, the first magnet is received in the first part by way of gluing. 
     Preferably, the shade has a handle on the lower portion thereof. 
     Preferably, the second magnet is received in the recess by way of plastic injection molding. 
     Preferably, the second magnet is received in the recess by way of ultra-sonic welding. 
     Preferably, the second magnet is received in the recess by way of gluing. 
     Preferably, each of the hooking members includes an inclined face. 
     The advantages of the present invention are that the Roman shade comprises multiple magnetic members, and each magnetic member includes a first part and a second part which is snapped to the first part to easily secure the magnetic member to the shade. The shade is folded section by section by attracting the magnetic members of each section. 
     The magnets are secured to the first and second parts by plastic injection molding, gluing or ultra-sonic welding. 
     The first parts each include two hooking members, and each second part includes two holes so that the first parts are easily connected to the second parts by engaging the hooking members with the holes. 
     The shade provides a handle or a pulling plate on the lower end thereof for convenience of operation to the shade. 
     The present invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view to show the Roman shade of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the first part, the second part and a portion of the shade of the Roman shade of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  shows that the first part and the second part are connected to each other, and secured to the shade of the Roman shade of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view to show the connection of first part, the second part and the shade of the Roman shade of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  shows that the Roman shade of the present invention is folded section by section; 
         FIG. 6  is a cross sectional view to show the magnetic members magnetically attracted to each other when the Roman shade of the present invention is folded section by section, and 
         FIG. 7  shows two Roman shade of the present invention are used side by side. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 6 , the Roman shade of the present invention comprises a top rail  10  having multiple hooks  11  which are used to hook the Roman shade on the top of the window. A shade  20  is connected to the top rail  10  and includes multiple slots  21  which are designed such that multiple magnetic members  30  are connected to the slots  21  of the shade  20 . 
     Each magnetic member  30  includes a first part  31  and a second part  32  which is to be connected to the second part  32  to secure the magnetic member  30  to the shade  20 . The first part  31  has a first magnet  311  received therein, and two hooking members  312  extend from the first side thereof. The first magnet  311  is received in the first part  31  by way of plastic injection molding, ultra-sonic welding or gluing. The first magnet  311  is located between the two hooking members  312  which are located along the axial direction of the shade  20 . Each of the hooking members  312  includes an inclined face. 
     The second part  32  includes a recess  321  in which a second magnet  322  is received. The second magnet  322  is received in the recess  321  by way of plastic injection molding, ultra-sonic welding or gluing. The second part  322  includes two holes  323  with which the hooking members  312  of the first part  31  are engaged. The inclined face of each hooking member  312  of the first part  31  is designed to be easily engaged with the hole  323  corresponding thereto. The shade  20  has a handle  22  or a pulling plate on the lower portion thereof so that the users can easily pull the shade  20 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , when hen the shade  20  is folded upward section by section, the first magnets  311  and the second magnets  322  are magnetically attracted to each other. 
     The positions of the magnetic members  30  are located symmetrically relative to the central axial line of the shade  20 . The number of the magnetic members  30  can be adjusted according to the width or length of the shade  20 . 
       FIG. 7  shows that shows that two Roman shade of the present invention are used side by side to cover a wider window or door. 
     While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.