Retractable shade for coverings for architectural openings

Abstract

A retractable cellular shade is illustrated in various embodiments to consist of a support structure that could assume numerous forms including cellular material, flexible sheets of material, tapes or ribbons, or flexible monofilaments or similar cords of natural or synthetic fibers with the support structure supporting a plurality of vanes or slats in various configurations and orientations. The movement of the vanes or slats is totally dependent upon movement of the support structure. The fabric so formed can be incorporated into a covering for architectural openings with the covering including a headrail with means for gathering the fabric material within the headrail.

1 . A fabric for use in a covering for a building structure comprising in combination: 
 a flexible vertically extending support structure in the form of a plurality of interconnected, transversely collapsible cells of quadrilateral transverse cross-section, and a plurality of parallel elongated vanes supported at spaced locations along said support structure, said vanes comprising semi-rigid slats secured to said support structure so as to form an acute angle with said support structure,    wherein movement of said vanes is totally dependant on movement of said support structure.    
     
     
         2 . A fabric for use in a covering for a building structure comprising in combination: 
 a flexible vertically extending support structure comprised of a plurality of interconnected, transversely collapsible cells of quadrilateral transverse cross-section, and a plurality of parallel elongated vanes supported at spaced locations along said support structure, said vanes being strips of flexible material,    wherein movement of said vanes is totally dependant on movement of said support structure.    
     
     
         3 . A fabric for use in a covering for a building structure comprising in combination: 
 a flexible vertically extending support structure comprised of a plurality of interconnected, transversely collapsible cells, and    a plurality of parallel elongated vanes supported at spaced locations along said support structure, said vanes being secured to said support structure at two locations where said cells are interconnected.    
     
     
         4 . The fabric of  claim 3  wherein said cells are hexagonal in transverse cross-section.  
     
     
         5 . A fabric for use in a covering for a building structure comprising in combination: 
 a flexible vertically extending support structure comprised of a plurality of interconnected, transversely collapsible cells, and    a plurality of parallel elongated vanes supported at spaced locations along said support structure, said vanes being formed from one continuous sheet of material connected to said cells at spaced locations along said support structure with each vane being defined between adjacent locations where the sheet of material is connected to the cells,    wherein movement of said vanes is totally dependant on movement of said support structure.    
     
     
         6 . The fabric of  claim 5  wherein said sheet of material is flexible.  
     
     
         7 . A fabric for use in a covering for a building structure comprising in combination: 
 a flexible vertically extending support structure comprised of a plurality of interconnected, transversely collapsible cells, and    a plurality of parallel elongated vanes formed from strips of flexible material, said vanes being supported at spaced locations along said support structure, with each of said cells being formed from the same strip of material as an associated vane and being integral therewith,    wherein movement of said vanes is totally dependant on movement of said support structure.    
     
     
         8 . A fabric for use in a covering for a building structure comprising in combination: 
 a flexible vertically extending support structure comprised of a plurality of interconnected, transversely collapsible cells, and    a plurality of parallel elongated vanes supported at spaced locations along said support structure, said vanes comprising semi-rigid slats secured to said support structure so as to form an acute angle with said support structure, wherein said cells are closed and movement of said vanes is totally dependant on movement of said support structure.    
     
     
         9 . A fabric for use in a covering for a building structure comprising in combination: 
 a flexible vertically extending support structure comprised of a plurality of interconnected, transversely collapsible open cells, and    a plurality of parallel elongated vanes supported at spaced locations along said support structure, said vanes comprising semi-rigid slats secured to said support structure so as to form an acute angle with said support structure,    wherein movement of said vanes is totally dependant on movement of said support structure.    
     
     
         10 . The fabric of  claim 9  wherein each of said vanes is secured to a cell.  
     
     
         11 . The fabric of  claim 10  wherein said vanes are secured to fewer than all of said cells.  
     
     
         12 . The fabric of  claim 10  wherein each of said cells is a strip of semi-rigid material having longitudinal fold lines defining a top wall, a bottom wall, a rear wall with upper and lower segments, said rear wall interconnecting said top and bottom walls and an open front.  
     
     
         13 . The fabric of  claim 12  further including a flap along said upper wall partially overlying said front of each cell.  
     
     
         14 . The fabric of  claim 13  wherein said slats are secured to said cells along said flap.  
     
     
         15 . A fabric for use in a covering for a building structure comprising in combination: 
 a flexible vertically extending support structure comprised of a pleated semi-rigid material defining forwardly/downwardly sloped segments and rearwardly/downwardly sloped segments, and    a plurality of parallel elongated vanes supported at spaced locations along said support structure, said vanes comprising semi-rigid slats secured to said support structure so as to form an acute angle with said support structure, said slats being secured to said forwardly/downwardly sloped segments.    
     
     
         16 . The fabric of  claim 15  wherein some of said slats are secured to said rearwardly/downwardly sloped segments.  
     
     
         17 . The fabric of  claim 15  or  16  wherein said slats are arcuate in transverse cross-section.  
     
     
         18 . A fabric for use in a covering for a building structure comprising in combination: 
 a flexible vertically extending support structure comprised of a plurality of cord ladders having a pair of riser cords interconnected by vertically spaced rungs, and    a plurality of parallel elongated vanes supported at spaced locations along said support structure, said vanes comprising semi-rigid slats secured to said support structure so as to form an acute angle with said support structure,    wherein movement of said vanes is totally dependant on movement of said support structure.    
     
     
         19 . The fabric of  claim 18  wherein said slats have a pair of spaced holes adjacent to one longitudinal edge thereof, said holes adapted to receive riser cords of a cord ladder such that the slat is supported by a rung adjacent to said spaced holes.  
     
     
         20 . The fabric of  claim 19  further including slots in each slat associated with each of said holes, said slots connecting a hole through said one longitudinal edge of said slat to facilitate threading said riser cords through said holes.  
     
     
         21 . A fabric for use in a covering for a building structure comprising in combination: 
 a flexible vertically extending support structure, and a plurality of parallel elongated vanes supported at spaced locations along said support structure, said vanes comprising semi-rigid slats secured to said support structure so as to form an acute angle with said support structure,    wherein movement of said vanes is totally dependant on movement of said support structure.    
     
     
         22 . The fabric of  claim 5  wherein said fabric is vertically disposed.  
     
     
         23 . The fabric of  claim 5  wherein said fabric is horizontally disposed.  
     
     
         24 . The fabric of  claim 21  wherein said slats have a cross-sectional shape similar to half a tear drop.  
     
     
         25 . The fabric of  claim 21  wherein said slats have a cross-sectional shape similar to a W turned on its side.  
     
     
         26 . The fabric of  claim 21  wherein said slats have a cross-sectional shape similar to a V turned on its side.  
     
     
         27 . The fabric of  claim 21  further including a second fabric vertically aligned and connected to said first-described fabric.  
     
     
         28 . The fabric of  claim 27  wherein said second fabric comprises a roll-up shade.  
     
     
         29 . The fabric of  claim 27  wherein said second fabric comprises a plurality of transversely collapsible interconnected cells.  
     
     
         30 . The fabric of  claim 21  wherein said fabric is non-quadrangular in its vertical configuration.  
     
     
         31 . The fabric of  claim 30  wherein said fabric is triangular in its vertical configuration.  
     
     
         32 . The fabric of  claim 30  wherein said fabric is semi-circular in its vertical configuration.  
     
     
         33 . The fabric of  claim 32  further including a second fabric of semi-circular configuration and wherein said fabrics are positioned in adjacent but inverted relationship so as to be configured in their vertical configuration and in combination as a circle.  
     
     
         34 . In combination, the fabric of  claim 21  wherein said fabric has a top edge and a bottom edge, said bottom edge is fixed in position and said top edge is vertically movable, said top edge being semi-circular in configuration, and 
 a frame in an architectural opening in which said fabric is disposed, said frame having a semi-circular top edge conforming to the top edge of said fabric.    
     
     
         35 . A plurality of adjacent fabrics positioned in adjacent architectural openings in a building structure, each fabric comprising in combination: 
 a flexible vertically extending support structure and a plurality of parallel elongated vanes supported at spaced locations along said support structure, said vanes comprising semi-rigid slats secured to said support structure so as to form an acute angle with said support structure wherein movement of said vanes is totally dependant on movement of said support structure, each of said fabrics including a top edge and a bottom edge, one of said top and bottom edges being fixed in an associated architectural opening and the other of said edges being vertically movable, said other of said edges being alignable with the other edge of an adjacent fabric so as to form a continuous non-linear edge of the aggregate plurality of fabrics.    
     
     
         36 . In combination, the fabric of  claim 21  wherein the fabric has an upper edge and a lower edge, an upper movable rail connected to said upper edge and a lower movable rail connected to said lower edge, and 
 control means for independently vertically moving said upper and lower rails.    
     
     
         37 . A covering for an architectural opening comprising the fabric of claim  1 - 3 ,  5 ,  7 - 9 ,  15 ,  18 ,  21  or  35  and a control system for moving said fabric between extended and retracted positions relative to said architectural opening.  
     
     
         38 . The covering of  claim 37  wherein said fabric has upper and lower edges and said control system includes lift cords anchored to said bottom edge for lifting said bottom edge toward said upper edge when retracting said covering.  
     
     
         39 . The covering of  claim 37  wherein said control system includes cords anchored to said top edge for moving said top edge toward said bottom edge when retracting said covering.  
     
     
         40 . A covering for an architectural opening comprising the fabric of  claim 1 ,  15 ,  21  or  35 , said fabric having an upper edge, and a control system for moving said fabric between extended and retracted positions relative to said architectural opening, said control system including a roller secured to said upper edge around which said fabric can be wrapped when the covering is retracted.  
     
     
         41 . A covering for an architectural opening comprising in combination, 
 a collapsible fabric having an upper and lower edge, vertically extending fixed guide cords disposed in such architectural opening,    a movable rail secured to said upper or lower edge of said fabric, the other of said upper and lower edges being fixed in said architectural opening, and    wherein said guide cords are slidably and operatively connected to said rail such that said rail can be moved along said guide cords and remain in any selected position relative to said guide cords.    
     
     
         42 . A covering for an architectural opening comprising in combination: 
 a collapsible fabric having an upper edge and a lower edge,    vertically extending fixed guide cords disposed in said architectural opening,    upper and lower movable rails secured to said upper and lower edges of said fabric respectively, and    wherein said guide cords are slidably and operatively connected to said upper and lower movable rails such that said rails will remain in any selected position relative to said guide cords.    
     
     
         43 . The covering of  claim 41  or  42  further including an upper and lower fixed rail to which said guide cords are connected.  
     
     
         44 . The covering of  claim 43  wherein said movable and fixed rails are of identical construction.  
     
     
         45 . The covering of  claim 41  wherein said other of said upper and lower edges is fixed to one of said upper and lower fixed rails and said upper and lower fixed rails are secured to said architectural opening.  
     
     
         46 . A covering for an architectural opening comprising in combination, 
 a collapsible fabric having an upper and lower edge,    vertically extending guide cords suspended in said architectural opening,    a weighted bottom rail secured to said lower edge of said fabric, and    a movable upper rail secured to said upper edge of said fabric, said upper rail being slidably and operatively connected to said guide cords such that said upper rail can be moved along said guide cords and remain in any selected position relative to said guide cords.