Layered sheet and blackout curtain, and method for laterally shifting fabric

Abstract

To provide a curtain configured by layering a front fabric and a rear fabric, capable of adjusting light transmission and breathability.SOLUTION: A curtain is configured by layering curtain fabrics having patterns with density difference, by forming a highly translucent texture and a highly light-shielding texture in one fabric, the curtain enabling adjustment of the translucency and breathability by shifting the one front fabric 1 laterally by a certain width, where a wire rod 3 having a rotary shaft 17 extending in the longitudinal direction is interposed as means for shifting the front fabric 1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a laminated sheet having light-controlling and light-blocking functions, a light-blocking curtain constructed using said sheet, and a method for shifting the fabric laterally to control light. [Background technology]

[0002] Curtains and the like can be broadly divided into three types: "blinds," "roll screens," and "curtains." This invention primarily targets "curtains," which are hung on an upper rail and can be opened and closed by the movement of a curtain runner along the upper rail.

[0003] Although blinds and roller blinds can adjust the amount of light and ventilation, their structure leaves gaps at the top, bottom, and both ends, making them inferior in terms of light blocking, airtightness, soundproofing, and heat insulation. They also require mechanical mechanisms, making them expensive. They are also difficult to maintain as they cannot be washed, and they make noise when the wind blows against the window frame.

[0004] Curtains can cover the above drawbacks, but they have other drawbacks, such as not being able to adjust light or breathability, and being prone to trapping air and moisture, which can lead to the development of mold and mildew.

[0005] 2. Description of the Related Art Curtains and the like having a light-blocking function have been known in the past. For example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-059963 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-201802, a method of adjusting the overlapping degree of two pieces of fabric with different transmittance or density to control light is already known. However, the technique disclosed in the above document involves rolling up or tucking up the fabric, which limits the thickness of the fabric or the size of the fabric, and therefore it cannot be used for applications requiring high light blocking properties or large sizes.

[0006] Furthermore, in the roller blind described in Patent Publication No. 2021-059963, since only two pieces of cloth are placed side by side, there is some misalignment in the position of the pattern formed, and therefore fine patterns are not suitable for matching transparent and non-transparent patterns.For this reason, the "roll blind" described in the above document has design difficulties, as it requires alignment using a sensor, and even if the position is aligned once using the sensor, there is a distance between the two pieces of cloth, so if the angle of the light entering through the window changes, the light path through the aligned pattern will change, and the transparency will change over time.

[0007] Furthermore, in the case of the "horizontally pulled double curtain" described in JP 2000-201802, when an attempt is made to make the curtain light-transmitting, a gap is created at the bottom, but a pile of fabric is created at the top, resulting in a situation where the curtain blocks light.

[0008] As disclosed in JP 2021-059963 and JP 2023-111385, curtains with automatic dimming are known, but the roller blind described in JP 2021-059963 requires a device that rolls up the entire fabric, which tends to be somewhat large and expensive, and the technique described in the electric curtain rail system described in JP 2023-111385 automates the opening and closing of the curtain itself, and does not allow for dimming to change the transparency of the curtain.

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-059963 [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2000-201802 [Patent Document 3] Patent Publication No. 2023-111385 DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] As described above, there are problems with the light-blocking properties of curtains. The problem that the present invention aims to solve is these problems, and to provide a curtain that has excellent light-blocking properties, allows adjustment of light control and breathability, can be made in large sizes, can be given design features, and can be automatically light-controlled relatively easily. The present invention is not limited to curtains, but also provides a laminated sheet that can adjust the passage of light and air from outside to help the growth of plants such as vegetables and fruits, for applications that require light control and ventilation adjustment. Furthermore, a method is provided that allows fabric or sheets to be precisely shifted laterally when adjusting light. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The curtains of the present invention have two overlapping layers of fabric with patterns of different densities, one highly translucent and the other highly light-blocking. These two layers of fabric are connected using a wire (e.g., a wire-like part) with a rotating axis that extends vertically and has a rigid wave-like or rectangular wave shape. As the wire rotates, one of the fabrics shifts horizontally, changing the degree of overlap of the patterns, allowing light control and breathability to be adjusted.

[0012] The curtain of the present invention adjusts light by shifting two pieces of fabric sideways, but if two overlapping pieces of fabric are simply shifted sideways, a greater force is required due to friction, and the fabric may become fuzzy or worn out. In the present invention, the wire connecting the fabrics is first rotated 90°, causing the front fabric to be lifted by the wire, creating a gap between the two pieces of fabric, and then the wire is rotated another 90°, causing the front fabric to be overlaid on the back fabric with a shift of twice the radius of the wire's rotation, resulting in almost no resistance due to friction or damage to the fabric.

[0013] Furthermore, because the curtains of this invention use a wire to connect the two pieces of fabric, the overlapping pattern position is always the same, whether the two pieces are perfectly overlapping or are misaligned. This eliminates the pattern alignment error that occurs when the fabric is wound up on a roll, allowing for precise pattern design and resulting in highly stylish curtains.

[0014] As described above, the curtain of the present invention is made up of two overlapping pieces of fabric, but they are connected by wire so that they are integrated, and the two pieces of fabric remain perfectly overlapped except when rotated for dimming. Unlike roller blinds, transparency is not affected by the angle of light coming in through the window, and only one curtain rail is required.

[0015] In the present invention, the wire that connects the two pieces of curtain fabric is made of a rigid material such as metal or hard plastic, and has a rotation axis that extends vertically and has protrusions that are relatively evenly spaced and of a certain length in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis. The specific shape of the protrusions formed on the wire is not limited, but may be, for example, a wave or rectangular wave shape, and may be provided with hooks for connecting to the fabric as needed.

[0016] The two curtain fabrics and the wire are connected by placing the rotating shaft vertically between the two tightly stacked curtain fabrics so that the wire is not visible from the front side.The rotating shaft of the wire is connected to the back fabric, and the protrusion protruding at a right angle from the rotating shaft is connected to the front fabric. In this case, the wire is sewn on with thread or connected with a separate fabric loop, but if the wire is flexible, such as a corrugated or rectangular wave wire, it can also be connected by sewing directly to the curtain fabric.

[0017] The wire has a shape with protrusions at a constant length and at relatively equal intervals in the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis and is equipped with a hook for connecting to the fabric, and can be removed like a regular curtain hook when washing curtains. Furthermore, it is preferable that the wire material, such as a wave-shaped or rectangular wave-shaped material, directly connected to the curtain fabric is made of a shape memory alloy, so that even if the wire material is deformed, it can retain its shape by the heat of an iron after washing or by heat generated by electricity.

[0018] The connection between the two curtain fabrics and the wire depends on the pattern, weight and surface condition of the curtain fabric, but basically, if the connection is made about 20 to 30 cm from the top of the curtain, the bottom will hang down as the top is lifted, so there is no need to connect it all the way to the bottom of the curtain. Connecting only one wire is only possible if the curtain is small and stretchy. It is best to connect one wire to each side of the curtain, and depending on the curtain fabric, several more wires may be connected.

[0019] The width of the front fabric of the two overlapping curtain fabrics is preferably designed to be shorter by the length of the lateral shift, so that the width of the curtain does not change.

[0020] The means for rotating the wire is not limited, but a rotating handle or lever may be attached to the upper part of the wire near the connecting part with the curtain runner so that it can be operated manually. Preferably, the wire can be rotated by a motor, and if the motor is driven by various sensors such as a light sensor, the light can be automatically adjusted.

[0021] As described above, the driving mechanism for the automated dimming of the curtains of the present invention can be a device such as a small motor that rotates a wire rod about 20 to 30 cm long half a turn, and does not require a large-scale device, so simple automation can be achieved at low cost.

[0022] In this way, curtains are made by overlapping front and back fabrics, each of which has a highly translucent and a highly light-blocking texture formed in a single piece of fabric and has a pattern with different densities, and by changing the overlapping position of the front and back fabrics, it is possible to adjust the amount of light entering the room and the air flowing into the room. Fabrics with this functionality can be used not only for curtains, but also as components for the roof and sides of greenhouses to create the optimal environment for growing vegetables, flowers, and other plants. Of course, the fabric in this case is not limited to a front fabric and a back fabric like a curtain, but can be made up of three or four fabrics or sheets layered together. [Effects of the Invention]

[0023] The curtains of the present invention are made by overlapping two pieces of fabric with patterns of different densities, one highly translucent and the other highly light-blocking, and by rotating the wire, one of the pieces of fabric shifts horizontally, changing the overlap of the patterns and adjusting the light control and breathability. The wire connecting the two pieces of fabric rotates, lifting the front piece of fabric and creating a gap between the two pieces of fabric, and as it rotates further, the pieces shift and overlap, so there is almost no resistance or damage to the fabric due to friction.

[0024] The curtain of the present invention has two pieces of fabric connected by a wire, so whether the two pieces of fabric are perfectly overlapped or are overlapped with a misalignment, the overlapping pattern position is always in the same position, resulting in a highly designed curtain. It is made up of two overlapping pieces of fabric, but they are connected by wire so they are integrated and the two pieces overlap perfectly except when rotating to adjust the light. Therefore, the transmittance is not affected by the angle of the light coming in through the window.

[0025] The fabric is moved by rotating the wire, but it can also be operated manually by attaching a rotating handle or lever to the connection point between the wire and the curtain runner at the top of the wire.The wire can also be configured to rotate with a motor, and if the motor is driven by a light sensor, automatic dimming will always be possible. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view of an embodiment of a curtain according to the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram showing a pattern of a curtain according to the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is a specific example of a wire material constituting a curtain according to the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a specific example showing the relationship between the two fabrics and wire materials that make up the curtain according to the present invention. [Figure 5] 1 is a specific example showing a connection example between the wire material and the curtain runner that constitute the curtain of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a curtain according to the present invention, in which 1 represents a front fabric, 2 represents a rear fabric, 3 represents a wire, 4 represents a gusset, 5 represents a motor, and 6 represents a liner. As shown in the figure, the curtain of the present invention is composed of two overlapping pieces of fabric, the front fabric 1 and the back fabric 2, which are connected and integrated by a wire 3 extending downward from the runner 6. The front fabric 1 and the rear fabric 2 are connected to each other and integrated, but are not completely fixed, and the front fabric 1 can slide laterally to the left and right as the wire 3 rotates.

[0028] If the front fabric 1 slides sideways and shifts position, the light and air passing through the curtain can be adjusted. In Figure 1, 7 indicates a dense weave and 8 indicates a loose weave. The front fabric 1 and the back fabric 2 have a pattern made up of various shapes and designs, and the pattern is made up of the dense weave 7 and the loose weave 8. Therefore, when the front fabric 1 shifts laterally, the degree of overlap with the back fabric 2 changes, and when the dense tissues 7 overlap, light and air are blocked, and conversely, when the sparse tissues 8 overlap, light and air can easily pass through. In this way, the curtain of the present invention can adjust the light control and breathability by sliding the front fabric 1 laterally.

[0029] Figure 2(a) is a specific example showing the pattern formed on the front fabric 1 and the back fabric 2. The pattern is formed by mixing a highly translucent texture (sparse texture 8) and a highly light-blocking texture (dense texture 7), and is designed so that when the patterns of the front fabric 1 and the back fabric 2 are overlapped and shifted by the length A, the pattern of the highly translucent texture disappears. Figure 2(a) shows an example of a simple striped pattern, but the same effect can be achieved with a more precise pattern, such as the one shown in Figure 2(b). We confirmed that when two of these patterns are overlaid on the monitor, the highly translucent tissue pattern disappears.

[0030] For a pattern similar to that shown in Figure 2(a) (a stripe pattern approximately 2 cm wide), the shading performance was evaluated using JIS L 1055, the shading test method for curtains, and the breathability was evaluated using JIS L 1096, the fabric test method for woven and knitted fabrics, Method A. The results are shown in the table below. The highly translucent fabric is mesh-like, and when the light-blocking rate was measured centered on this fabric, it was 45.4%. The fabric with high light-blocking rate is dense, and when the light-blocking rate was measured centered on this fabric, it was 82.3%. The breathability of a single sheet was 501.3 cm3 / cm2·s. When two sheets were stacked exactly on top of each other, the light-blocking rate was 54.6% and the breathability was 369.5 cm3 / cm2·s, but when they were stacked with the stripe width offset, the light-blocking rate was 98.5% and the breathability was 1.7 cm3 / cm2·s. By shifting the patterns, it is possible to greatly change the light-blocking rate and breathability.

[0031] TIFF2025142496000002.tif39138

[0032] FIG. 3 shows a specific example of the wire 3, and the wire 3 shown in (a) has a smoothly curved waveform and a plurality of protrusions 18, 18 . . . protrudes from the rotation axis 17 to the left. This wire 3 is interposed between the front fabric 1 and the rear fabric 2 of the curtain, connecting and integrating both fabrics 1, 2, but the rotation shaft 17 and the bottoms 20, 20... of the convex portions 18, 18... are fastened to the rear fabric 2, and the tops 21, 21... of the convex portions 18, 18... are fastened to the front fabric 1. Here, the bottoms 20, 20... are located on an extension of the rotation shaft 17. Incidentally, when the wire 3 rotates around the rotation axis 17, the protrusions 18, 18... turn and each of the apexes 21, 21... moves on the circumference of a circle with a radius R.

[0033] In this way, if the wire 3 fixed to the front fabric 1 and the back fabric 2 and interposed between the two fabrics 1, 2 rotates around the rotation axis 17, the front fabric 1 will be displaced laterally. As shown in Figure 3(a), the protrusions 18, 18... located on the left side of the rotation shaft 17 stand up perpendicular to the paper surface when rotated by 90 degrees, and as a result, the front fabric 1 is lifted and a gap of distance R is formed between it and the back fabric 2. If it is rotated by another 90 degrees, each of the protrusions 18, 18... will be located on the right side of the rotation shaft 17, and the front fabric 1 will be displaced to the right by a distance 2R from its initial position. This 2R corresponds to the distance A shown in FIG.

[0034] The shape of the wire 3 is not limited to (a), but may be any of the shapes shown in Figs. 3(b), (c), and (d). It can also be a shape. A plurality of protrusions 18, 18... are also formed on these wires 3, and can be interposed between the front fabric 1 and the rear fabric 2 to connect the two fabrics 1, 2. The protrusions 18, 18 shown in Figures 3(c) and 3(d) form hooks 19a, 19b protruding from the rotary shaft 17, making it easier to pull out the wire 3 from the fabrics 1, 2 when washing the curtain.

[0035] Figure 4 shows a case where a wire 3 is placed between a front fabric 1 and a back fabric 2 to connect the two fabrics 1, 2. As shown in Figure 4(a), the wire 3 is attached to the back 10 of the front fabric 1 and the front 9 of the back fabric 2. In this case, the wire 3 is sewn with thread or connected with a separate fabric twill (hoop), but if the wire 3 is wavy and flexible, it can also be connected by sewing directly to the curtain fabric.

[0036] The front fabric 1 and back fabric 2 used are coated fabrics with a basis weight of 215 g / m 2 The curtain fabric is 100 cm wide and 178 cm long. Wires 3 are sewn to the top 30 cm of both ends of the curtain fabric, a few centimeters from the edge, as shown in Figure 4(b). When the ends of these two wires 3, 3 are pinched with a strong clamp to attach a lever 22 as shown in Figure 5(a) and then rotated 180° with both hands at the same time, the result is as shown in Figure 4(c). That is, the orientation of the protrusions 18, 18 formed on the wires 3 changes from the left side to the right side, and the front fabric 1 shifts to the right by a distance 2R(A).

[0037] When rotated 180° in the opposite direction, it returns to Figure 4(b). This operation was repeated several times, and it was confirmed that it returned to the same position. Furthermore, although fabrics 1 and 2 are 178 cm long and wire 3 is 30 cm long, it was confirmed that they followed and moved all the way to the hem. In this way, it was possible to shift the front fabric 1 even with a thick, long, heavy curtain fabric with high surface friction. In the present invention, the specific means for rotating the wire 3 is not limited, but it can be rotated by operating a lever 22 as shown in Figure 5(a), or by turning a rotary handle 23 as shown in (b).

[0038] FIG. 5(c) shows a case where the wire 3 is rotated by a stepping motor 13, and a one-touch coupler 14 is interposed between the stepping motor 13 and the wire 3. FIG. 5(d) shows another example in which the wire 3 is rotated by a motor equipped with a permanent magnet 16. In this case, a torque limiter is used to cut off the torque if it becomes excessively large.

[0039] Although the above description has been made with regard to curtains, the present invention is not limited to curtains with functions such as light control, and there are various other items other than curtains that require light control and ventilation adjustment. For example, sunlight and air are necessary for the growth of plants such as vegetables, fruits, and flowers. When these plants are cultivated in a greenhouse, the "overlapping sheet" according to the present invention can be placed on the roof or sides of the greenhouse. By sliding the front and rear sheets of the overlapping sheets, it is possible to adjust the amount of light and air passing through to create an optimal environment for plant growth. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1 Front fabric 2 Back fabric 3 wire rod 4 Chichi 5 motors 6 Liner 7 dense tissue 8. Loose tissue 9 table 10 Back 11 stitches 12 curtain runners 13 Stepping motor 14 One-touch coupler 15 Torque limiter 16 Permanent magnets 17 Rotation axis 18 Convex part 19 Hook 20 bottom 21 Top 22 Lever 23 Rotating Handle

Claims

1. This curtain is constructed by overlapping curtain fabrics with patterns of different densities, with a highly light-transmitting structure and a highly light-blocking structure formed in one piece of fabric, and is characterized in that the light-transmitting and breathability can be adjusted by shifting one of the fabrics horizontally by a certain width, and the fabrics are connected via a wire rod having a rotation axis extending vertically as a means for shifting the fabric.

2. 2. The curtain according to claim 1, wherein when one of the fabrics is shifted horizontally by a certain width and layered, the pattern becomes one of high density and the other of low density.

3. 3. The curtain according to claim 1, further comprising a lever for rotating the wire.

4. 3. The curtain according to claim 1, further comprising a motor for rotating the wire.

5. a thin sheet such as a fabric or film that can adjust the light that hits plants such as vegetables, fruits, and flowers in order to regulate the growth of the plants, the sheet having a transparency at least in part, the sheet being made by overlapping a plurality of sheets, the sheets being connected by a wire having a rotation axis extending in the vertical direction, the wire rotating around the rotation axis causing the overlapping sheets to shift in the horizontal direction, thereby changing the optical properties such as color, saturation, brightness, and pattern;

6. A method for lateral shifting of sheets, in which a plurality of thin sheets, at least partially transparent, are stacked on top of each other in order to change optical properties such as color, saturation, brightness, pattern, and breathability, and the degree of overlap of the sheets is shifted to change the optical properties and breathability, characterized in that a wire having a rotation axis extending vertically is interposed between the stacked sheets, and the wire rotates around the rotation axis, thereby shifting each of the stacked sheets horizontally.

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