677results about "Extensible doors/windows" patented technology

A control system for a vertically moveable covering for an architectural opening includes a uni-directional drive assembly that is operated with a single pull element such that upon pulling of the pull element, the covering can be raised in increments. A clutch / brake assembly selectively prevents the covering from dropping by gravity between pulling strokes on the pulling element, but a release of the brake allows the shade to drop by gravity from its retracted position to any degree of extension. A governor is further provided to regulate the rate at which the covering drops by gravity. A cord lift system which is operated by the main drive assembly and the clutch / brake assembly includes a rotatable and axially slidable spool about which a lift cord can be wound. The lift cord has one end anchored to the spool and its opposite end extended through a supporting bracket for the spool and downwardly through the covering where the opposite end is anchored to a bottom rail such that a wrapping of the lift cord about the spool lifts the bottom rail thereby causing the covering to be raised adjacent to the lift spool. The lift cord is tangentially fed to the lift spool and forced into an angular wrap on the spool while an outer shell spaced a small distance from the spool prevents multiple wraps so that the lift cord does not become tangled. A return spring biases the spool in one direction to facilitate a controlled movement of the covering from a retracted to an extended position.

A cord drive mechanism to convert linear motion to circular motion for use in coverings for architectural openings. Various controls are used to provide a braking force on the cord. Some of the embodiments incorporate a capstan.

A covering for window or doors includes a plurality of vanes mounted horizontally or vertically, the vanes being light in weight and longitudinally rigid. The vanes may be foam filled or may include a vane shell made from a polymer matrix, and in either case may optionally include a decorative fabric covering. In the hollow vane embodiment, the vane shell preferably includes a polymer matrix at least partially enveloping fibers, and in the most preferred embodiment is prepared from a fibrous batt including two different thermoplastic resin fibers, one having a lower melting point than the other. The vane shell is formed by thermally treating the batt to at least partially melt the lower melt fibers to at least partially envelope the higher melt fibers. Alternative embodiments of the invention described herein include the horizontal or vertical mounting of the foam core or hollow vanes, the attachment of sheer fabrics thereto, the use of ribbon or cord tilt control systems for the vanes, and other features which create door or window coverings providing light control, insulation, stacking to the side or top, and the capability for cordless operation when the vanes are used in a horizontal orientation.

An anchor for attaching a pull cord to a window covering comprises a connector for attaching the anchor to the covering, a holder for connecting the pull cord to the anchor, and a clamp for releasably holding the pull cord on the holder and wherein the holder and clamp comprise a plug and socket combination and the connector is on either the holder or the clamp.

A roman shade with liner has a headrail, a bottom bar spaced apart from and parallel to the headrail and both a face material and a liner extending from the headrail and attached to the bottom bar. A plurality of lift cords are attached to the bottom bar, pass through the gap between the liner and the face material and extend into the headrail. Each lift cord engages a set of tabs, rings or other one cord connectors attached to the inside surface of the face material. Preferably, each lift cord also engages cord connectors on the inside surface of the liner. The face material and the liner are each a material that will form loops that extend below the bottom bar as the bottom bar is raised. The face material and liner are sized and configured so that no loop of face material will extend beyond at least one loop of liner material. Consequently, the liner will block sunlight from the face material when the shade is fully raised or partially raised. The face material and liner preferably are attached to the headrail by inserts that are removable from the headrail. A line of magnets may be provided along each side edge of the liner with a lift cord positioned behind each line of magnets.

A motorized venetian blind system for covering a window of a space comprising a blind drive unit having two motors to provide for independent control of a position of a bottom rail via a lift cord and a tilt angle of a plurality of slats of the blind system. The blind drive unit has a headrail with a side panel and at least one of the motors is between between the side panel and the lift cord. The blind drive unit also has a spring-wrap brake. The blind drive unit is operable to adjust the position of the bottom rail to a preset position, and to adjust the tilt angle of the slats to a preset angle in response to receiving a single digital message (e.g., a preset command).

The present invention provides for retractable coverings for architectural openings utilizing a control system having a single operating element allowing a user to move a retractable covering between extended and retracted positions by imparting a repetitive motion to the operating element. The control system may include an input assembly, a transmission, and an output assembly cooperatively engaging to convert linear movement of the operating element into rotational movement of a head roller in the required direction to provide movement of the covering in the desired direction and distance. The input assembly may convert linear movement of the operating element into rotational movement imparted to the transmission. The input assembly may also engage the transmission to effect the direction of rotational output from the transmission. The transmission imparts rotational movement to the output assembly, which interfaces with the head roller to rotate the head roller and to provide a braking feature.

The present invention provides for retractable coverings for architectural openings utilizing a control system having a single operating element allowing a user to move a retractable covering between extended and retracted positions by imparting a repetitive motion to the operating element. The control system may include an input assembly, a transmission, and an output assembly cooperatively engaging to convert linear movement of the operating element into rotational movement of a head roller in the required direction to provide movement of the covering in the desired direction and distance. The input assembly may convert linear movement of the operating element into rotational movement imparted to the transmission. The input assembly may also engage the transmission to effect the direction of rotational output from the transmission. The transmission imparts rotational movement to the output assembly, which interfaces with the head roller to rotate the head roller and to provide a braking feature.

A double-layer drape includes an upper beam and a composition of window curtain to link to the upper beam. The composition of window curtain includes an inner layer and an outward one; both layers are formed by different shade cloths. The outward layer is a previous-to-light curtain; whereas the inner layer comprises a plurality of opaque curtains. The inner layer curtains are connected to the previous-to-light curtain by up-and-down overlapping, in addition, the opaque curtains can be simultaneously folded upwards or hung over downwards through pulling operating cords by a user to achieve the indoor anti-dazzling or semi-opaque effects.

A covering for an architectural opening includes a head rail, a bottom rail with a take-up roller therein and an intermediate rail with both the intermediate rail and bottom rail suspended from the head rail, a fabric material interconnecting the intermediate rail with the bottom rail and being adapted to be wrapped around the roller in the bottom rail, said fabric including a pair of vertically oriented sheets that are horizontally spaced by a plurality of vertically spaced horizontal vanes with the vanes being movable between open and closed positions by opposite vertical movement of the sheets of material. In a first embodiment a first control system is provided for raising and lowering the bottom rail and a second control system for raising and lowering the intermediate rail as well as tilting the intermediate rail to effect an opening or closing of the vanes. In alternative embodiment, the bottom rail is controlled with a spring balanced system so that it remains in any position in which it is normally set.

A panel for use in a drop ceiling system, or with appropriate modification, a wall, wherein the ceiling system includes stringers and cross-members defining areas therebetween for support of the panels wherein the panels include at least one planar sheet of material secured to a reinforcement member having channels formed therein to extend in at least one direction relative to the sheet material. When more than one sheet of material is used, the sheets of material are disposed on opposite sides of the reinforcement member. The panels are flexible for easy insertion into the openings between the stringers and cross-members of the support system and are readily compressed into a thinner profile for shipping purposes.

A cordless retractable shade including an operating system for the shade that varies a biasing force of a spring to counterbalance the shade. The bottom rail of a retractable shade can be raised or lowered, and due to the operating system remains in any selected position of the covering between fully extended and fully retracted, without the use of operating cords. The system includes a method of negating and reversing the spring bias effect at a strategic position whereby the flexible vanes of the shade can be adjusted between open and closed.

Movable partition systems include a movable partition and an intumescent material positioned to seal a gap at a periphery of the partition. In some embodiments, masses of intumescent material may be shaped and positioned to expand toward one another, contact one another, and form a seal therebetween at a periphery of the partition when the movable partition is exposed to fire. A fire barrier may be provided by extending a partition along a track assembly, and heating an intumescent material to cause the intumescent material to expand, char, and form a seal extending along at least a portion of a periphery of the movable partition. Upon installing a movable partition, at least one mass of intumescent material may be positioned to seal at least a section of a gap at a periphery of the movable partition when the at least one mass of intumescent material is exposed to fire.

A motorized window treatment may provide a low-cost solution for controlling the amount of daylight entering a space through a window. The window treatment may include a covering material (e.g., a cellular shade fabric or a roller shade fabric), a drive assembly for raising and lowering the covering material, and a motor drive unit including a motor configured to drive the drive assembly to raise and lower the covering material. The motorized window treatment may comprise one or more battery packs configured to receive batteries for powering the motor drive unit. The batteries may be located out of view of a user of the motorized window treatment (e.g., in a headrail or in a battery compartment). The motorized window treatment may use various power-saving methods to lengthen the lifetime of the batteries, e.g., to reduce the motor speed to conserve additional battery power and extend the lifetime of the batteries.

A roll-up door assembly including a flexible curtain made of synthetic rubber or fabric, a curtain winding mechanism and two guide members which extend vertically on opposite sides of the doorway. Side edge sections of the curtain are movable in respective guide members. Each guide has inner and outer wall sections with each wall section having an inwardly projecting, longitudinal rib. The two ribs of each guide form an elongate slot that receives a side edge section of the curtain. Spaced-apart pairs of curtain lock members are mounted on and distributed along each side edge section of the curtain. The lock members of each pair are positioned opposite one another on front and rear surfaces of the curtain respectively. The combined thickness of each pair of lock members and the curtain exceeds the width of the elongate slot.

A two-part mounting device for attaching a free end of a guide cord of a window covering to a window frame. The device includes a base that can be secured to the frame and a holder which can be attached to the free end of the cord. The holder and the free end of the guide cord can be moved, relative to the base, in opposite directions, by sliding the holder in either one of the opposite directions while the holder and base remain engaged. The holder and base can also be disengaged by sliding the holder in one of the opposite directions. The device also includes a ratchet and pawl mechanism.

A fast-opening and fast-closing goods-handling door for allowing vehicles to pass therethrough includes a foldable or rollable flexible curtain, the edges of which are guided in respective slideways, and which are retained therein by means of retaining carriages guided by rails received in the slideways. The carriages are not able to leave the rails. The goods-handling door is further characterized in that it includes a coupling device for coupling the curtain to the carriages, and at least one stress-distribution device for distributing the stresses exerted on the edges of the curtain by the carriages when the door is subjected to detrimental forces.

A Roman shade includes a top box and a shade including a first layer and a second layer is connected to the top box. The first layer includes multiple pocket portions formed thereon and the pocket portions each are defined by folding a part upward to define a passage which extends transversely through the first layer. Multiple first holes and second holes are defined through the first layer. The pocket portion is located between the first and second holes. The second layer is located on a first side of the first layer and two control ropes each have a top end connected to the top box and a lower end of each control rope extends through the first hole from the first side of the first layer and passes over a second side of the first layer and then extends through the second hole in sequence.

The present invention provides for retractable coverings for architectural openings utilizing a control system having a single operating element allowing a user to move a retractable covering between extended and retracted positions by imparting a repetitive motion to the operating element. The control system may include an input assembly, a transmission, and an output assembly cooperatively engaging to convert linear movement of the operating element into rotational movement of a head roller in the required direction to provide movement of the covering in the desired direction and distance. The input assembly may convert linear movement of the operating element into rotational movement imparted to the transmission. The input assembly may also engage the transmission to effect the direction of rotational output from the transmission. The transmission imparts rotational movement to the output assembly, which interfaces with the head roller to rotate the head roller and to provide a braking feature.

A tabbed honeycomb structure or pleated panel is made from a stack of collapsed multi-cellular material. The stack is split at bond lines thereby forming the panels of pleated or honeycomb material having a joint tab on one face. The tabbed, honeycomb material is attached between a headrail and a bottomrail to form a window covering.

A fabric venetian window shade assembly including: a fabric venetian window shade including a pair of opposing first and second facings coupled by a plurality of vanes; an actuation system including: a roller configured to receive the fabric venetian window shade; a spring-loaded ratchet operatively coupled to the roller; a first weighted rail attached to a lower edge of the first facing; and a second weighted rail attached to a lower edge of the second facing, wherein the first weighted rail and the second weighted rail are separate.

A control module may be used for raising and lowering a window shade. This configuration allows a user to pull the operating cord a predetermined distance to raise the window shade, then release the operating cord until it has retracted, and then pull the operating cord another predetermined distance to raise the window shade again. A brake mechanism is operably connected to a brake release and configured to lock or unlock the drive axle. A clutch is adapted to be mounted on the axle for selectively engaging the cord drum to the axle. The cord drum may rotate independent of the drive axle when a clutch is disengaged from the drive axle. As a result, movement of the operating cord will not cause the window shade to raise while the clutch is disengaged. When the clutch is engaged with the drive axle, the cord drum and adapter sleeve may rotate together to drive the rotation of the drive axle for raising the window shade.

Several embodiments of a collapsible screen employing novel folding structures have many possible uses: window shade, room divider, decorative backdrop, wall hanging, and others. A disclosed method allows its user to design many embodiments of the screen. The method incorporates three modifiable sets or databases: a set (220) of patterns, a set (221) of criteria by which a possible embodiment is evaluated for practicability, and a set (222) of transformations which can be applied to the possible embodiment to improve it with respect to the criteria (221). The sets can change to reflect new assumptions, design characteristics, and hardware.

A window covering including a head rail, a bottom rail, a window covering material extending between the head rail and bottom rail, a first and second lift cords extending between the head rail and the bottom rail, a spring motor configured to bias the bottom rail toward the head rail, mounted in the bottom rail, and operatively coupled to the first and second lift cords, and a brake mounted in the bottom rail and configured to releasably couple to the first lift cord to prohibit the spring motor from taking up the first cord, prohibiting the bottom rail from being raised or lowered.