Patent Publication Number: US-8967224-B2

Title: Shade construction

Description:
This application claims benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to the filing date of to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/178,618 as filed on May 15, 2009, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates generally to window coverings and more particularly to an improved insulating window covering and shade panel. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Moveable window coverings such as blinds, shades and the like are well known. One type of window covering is a cellular or honeycomb shade. This type of window covering typically comprises a shade panel constructed of woven or non-woven material formed into a plurality of contiguous horizontally extending open cells. Other window coverings comprise Roman shades, roller shades, natural shades and the like. These window coverings comprise a shade panel that extends from a head rail and is raised and lowered using various lift mechanisms. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The window covering may comprise a head rail that supports a shade panel and that is mounted to a wall, window frame, door or other architectural feature. A layer of film is used with the panel to provide a barrier to air flow and heat insulation. The film may be clear to allow light to penetrate the panel. The film allows the heat energy of the sun to pass through the panel while blocking cold air from passing through the panel. In one embodiment a polyester film is chemically adhered to the panel. The film may comprise a clear film, an energy film or a phase changing film. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective front view of an embodiment of a window covering with an embodiment of the shade panel. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective front view of an alternate embodiment of a window covering. 
         FIG. 3  is a partial perspective view of an embodiment of a shade panel. 
         FIG. 4  is a partial perspective view of another embodiment of a shade panel. 
         FIG. 5  is a partial perspective view of yet another embodiment of a shade panel. 
         FIG. 6  is a partial perspective view of still another embodiment of a shade panel. 
         FIG. 7  is a partial perspective view of yet an embodiment of a shade panel. 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective back view of an embodiment of a roller shade in accordance with the invention. 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective front view of an embodiment of a Roman shade in accordance with the invention. 
         FIGS. 10 and 12  are perspective front views of other embodiments of a roller shade in accordance with the invention. 
         FIGS. 11 and 13  are perspective front views of other embodiments of a Roman shade in accordance with the invention. 
         FIG. 14  is a schematic view of a method of making the shade panel. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of a window covering is shown generally at  1  in  FIG. 1  and includes a head rail  2  made of a rigid material such as aluminum, plastic, wood or the like. The head rail  2  is typically mounted to an architectural feature such as a window such that the window covering may selectively cover the feature. While the window covering  1  is typically used with a window, the window covering may be used with other architectural features such as a door, alcove or any other feature. The head rail  2  is typically secured to the architectural feature using releasable brackets such that the window covering may be removably mounted, although any mounting mechanism may be used. 
     Supported on the head rail  2  is a shade panel  6  comprising of a plurality of cells  8  that extend for the width of the panel. The panel  6  has an upper edge  6   a  that is disposed adjacent head rail  2  and a lower edge  6   b . The panel  6  may be made of a woven or non-woven fabric material that is constructed to form the substantially contiguous cells  8  where the cells have a polygonal cross-sectional shape and extend substantially parallel to the head rail  2 . Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 3 , each cell  8  is formed of a plurality of faces  8   a  that are joined at fold lines  8   b  such that the cell has a generally open interior and can collapse when the shade is retracted and expand when the shade is extended. While cells  8  having six faces are illustrated it is to be understood that the cells may have a fewer or greater number of faces and that the specific shape of the cells may vary. The cellular panel  6  may be created by any known method and is typically made by stitching, gluing, mechanically fastening or otherwise joining multiple pieces of the material together to form the cells. Moreover, while a single cell configuration is illustrated the shade of the invention may be configured as a double or triple cell shade. A double cell configuration has two layers of cells while a triple cell configuration has three layers of cells. 
     While the panel  6  is described as a cellular shade, the panel may be any type of shade product and may include any type of material that allows light energy to pass through the shade panel including woven or non-woven fabric, textiles, slats, natural fibers such as bamboo or grasses or paper, or the like. 
     Referring again to  FIG. 1 , a bottom rail  10  may be secured to the lower edge  6   b  of the panel  6  by adhesive, mechanical connection or other securing device. The bottom rail  10  may be formed of aluminum, wood or other rigid material. The bottom rail  10  adds weight to the panel  6  to assist in the lowering of the panel and maintains the shape of the panel. 
     The panel  6  is supported on head rail  2  by lift cords  12 . The lift cords  12  are connected to the bottom rail  10  and are used to raise and lower the lower edge  6   b  of the panel  6 . Typically the lift cords  12  extend through the cells  8  such that the lift cords are hidden from view. 
     The lift cords  12  extend into the head rail  2  and are connected to draw cords  16  that are manipulated by the user to raise and lower the panel  6 . Pulling on draw cord  16  causes lift cords  12  to raise the lower edge of panel  6 . Releasing the draw cord  16  allows the lower edge of the panel  6  to extend away from the head rail  2 . In some embodiments the lift cords  12  and draw cords  16  comprise a common element such that, for example, each lift cord  12  extends through the head rail to form draw cord  16 . The head rail  2  typically includes spools or other mechanisms over which the cords are wound and lock mechanisms for locking the blind panel  6  in the desired position. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2  a top down shade is shown mounted in window  15  having a similar construction to the window covering shown in  FIG. 1  where like reference numerals are used to identify like components previously described with reference to  FIG. 1 . For a top down shade a second pair of lift cords  19  may be secured to the upper edge  6   a , or to a top rail located at the upper edge  6   a  of the panel  6 , to raise and lower the upper edge  6   a  of the panel  6 . For top down shades a second draw cord  17  is connected to lift cords  19  such that pulling and releasing the second draw cord  17  raises and lowers the upper edge  6   a  of panel  6 . 
     The panel  6  may also be raised and lowered using a spring motor connected to the lift cords  12 . The spring motor may be located in the head rail  2  or bottom rail  10  and may include a spool connected to each of the lift cords  12  to wind and unwind the lift cords. The spools may be connected to a spring motor such that the spring motor assists in raising the shade panel when a user exerts a force on the shade panel and holds the shade panel in position when the user releases the shade panel. The lift cords  12  may also be raised and lowered by a motor such as an electrical motor that is controlled by the user to both raise and lower the shade panel. The motor may be remotely controlled. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , located inside of each cell  8  is a layer of film  30  that is used to provide a barrier to air flow. The film may be clear or transparent to allow light to penetrate the panel  6 . When the window covering is used on a window the clear film allows the heat and light of the sun to pass through the panel  6  while blocking cold air from the external environment from entering the room through panel  6 . The film  30  is applied to the inside surface of each of the faces  8   a  by adhesive  31  such that the entire interior, or substantially the entire interior, of each cell  8  is covered by the film layer. 
     In one embodiment film  30  is a polyester clear film. The film may comprise polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon or other light permeable film. Moreover, the film  30  does not need to be transparent if visible light passing through the film is not desired. In one embodiment any material that allows radiant light energy to pass through the panel may be used. Allowing radiant light energy to pass through the film allows the heat energy from sunlight to pass through the panel  6  such that solar heat gain from the “greenhouse” effect will warm the room in which the shade panel is used. The film  30  is air impermeable in that it provides a barrier to air flow to prevent conductive heat transfer through the window covering to provide an insulation layer over the window. The film may also include a phase changing film where the film changes color when light hits the film. 
     The film may be attached to the fabric of the panel  6  and the fabric with the film adhered thereto pleated into cellular blankets that are formed into the shade panel. The term fabric as used herein includes woven, non-woven textiles, slats, natural fibers such as bamboo, wood, grasses or paper, synthetic materials such as plastic or the like. Alternatively, the film layer may be inserted during formation of the cells or after the cells are created. The film may also be applied as a liquid directly to the fabric as a coating. In one embodiment a polyester clear film is chemically adhered to the cell fabric as shown in  FIG. 14 . During this process the film or fabric  201  goes through a bath or print roll  204  that applies liquid adhesive in a thin layer to one side thereof. The film or fabric  201  with the adhesive is brought together with the other layer of film or fabric  202  and pulled through a nip roller  206  and heater  208  to apply pressure and activate the adhesive. Web adhesive may also be used to attach the film to the shade panel. In the web adhesive process adhesive is spun into a thin web and sandwiched between the film and the fabric. The layers of material pass through an oven and nip roller to activate the adhesive. In these processes the film and panel form a layered material with the film adhered to the shade over substantially the entire surface of the shade panel. 
     The film may also be adhered or attached to only a portion of the shade panel. For example, the film may be attached to the shade panel only at the edges of the shade panel and film. Alternately, the film may be attached to the shade panel only at selected contact points. By attaching the film only at selected points the film is loose from the shade panel over the remaining portion of the window covering creating air gaps or pockets that provide insulating areas. 
     The film layer  30  may be attached to the fabric of the cell using a variety of techniques. In the embodiment of  FIG. 4 , the film layer  30  is also shown sewn to the fabric of the cell  8  using stitching  32 . The stitching  32  may be replaced by an adhesive where the adhesive is only applied to the edges of the film. In the embodiment of  FIG. 7  the film  30  may be left unattached from the cell fabric such that it is loosely contained in the interior of cells  8  and is allowed to “float” in the cell. In this embodiment the film may be formed as a separate individual tubes that are positioned in each of cells  8  and that extend for substantially the length of the cells. The film  30  may be applied to all sides of the cell, as shown in  FIG. 3 , or the film  30  may be applied to only one side of the cell as shown in  FIG. 5 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , the film is applied to faces  8   c  but is not applied to faces  8   d . The film may extend the entire height H of the cell  8  such that the film extends from the bottom of the cell to the top of the cell along a side of the cells. In this way a substantially continuous layer of film extends for the entire height of the shade panel  6 . The film  30  may extend directly between the top and bottom of the cell rather than following the shape of the cell faces as shown in  FIG. 6  such that the film extends from the bottom of the cell to the top of the cell and a continuous layer of film extends for the entire height of the shade panel  6 . The film may also cover the open ends of the cells. 
     Referring to  FIG. 8  an embodiment of a roller shade is shown comprising a flexible shade panel  82  formed in a roll  82   a  at its top end and having a free end  82   b  extending down from the roll. The free end can be grasped to wind or unwind the shade panel  82  to cover or uncover an architectural feature. The roll  82   a  is supported on a roller that includes a mechanism for winding and unwinding the shade on the roll and for holding the shade in a desired position as is known in the art. One side face  84  of panel  82  is covered with a layer of transparent film  81 . The film  81  may be attached to the shade panel  82  only at the edges  80  of the shade panel and film such as shown in  FIG. 8 . The film layer  81  may be attached along its edges  80  by adhesive or stitching. 
     The film may be attached to the back side of the panel such that the film layer faces the window and is hidden from view when the window covering is mounted on a window. Referring to  FIG. 12  the transparent film  100  may also be sandwiched between a first layer of panel  102  and a second layer of panel  104  such that the film layer  100  is hidden from view from both sides of the window covering. The transparent film may include any of the films previously disclosed herein and may be attached to the shade panel as previously described. 
     Referring to  FIG. 9  an embodiment of a shade is shown comprising a flexible shade panel  92  formed as a Roman shade. A Roman shade includes a plurality of panel sections  92   a  connected to one another at pleats or fold lines  94  such that when the panel is raised, the shade panel  92  folds at lines  96 . The sections  92   a  may be formed of one piece of material or they may be individual pieces of material connected at fold lines  96 . The free end  92   b  of the panel  92  may be raised and lowered by lift cords  96  to cover or uncover an architectural feature as is known in the art. One side face  60   b  of shade panel  60  is covered with a layer of transparent film  68 . The film  91  may be attached to the shade panel  92  only at selected contact points  85  as shown in  FIG. 9 . The film is connected to the panel  92  along the fold lines  95  such that pockets  97  are created between the film layer  91  and panel  92 . The transparent film may include any of the films previously disclosed herein and may be attached to the shade panel as previously described. Referring to  FIG. 13  an alternate embodiment of a Roman shade panel  110  is shown having a film layer  112  attached to the back of the panel  110  such that the film layer  112  follows the shape of the panel  110 . The film layer  112  may be attached to the panel  110  using adhesive. 
       FIG. 11  shows another embodiment of a Roman shade panel  120 . A film layer  122  is attached to the back side of the shade panel  120 . The film layer  120  comprises a first ply  124  attached to the panel  120  at selected points. The first ply  124  is connected to the panel  120  along the fold lines  125 . The film layer comprises a second ply  128  attached to the first ply along the fold lines such that an insulating pocket  129  is formed between the two plys.  FIG. 12  shows another embodiment of a shade panel  130 . A film layer  132  is attached to the back side of the shade panel  130 . The film layer  132  comprises a first ply  134  attached to the panel  130  at selected points. The first ply  134  is connected to the panel  130  along lines that extend across the panel  130  such as by adhesive. The film layer  132  comprises a second ply  138  attached to the first ply  134  along the lines such that an insulating pocket  136  is formed between the two plys. 
     Specific embodiments of an invention are described herein. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the invention has other applications in other environments. In fact, many embodiments and implementations are possible. The following claims are in no way intended to limit the scope of the invention to the specific embodiments described above.