System for biasing fabric to gather in predetermined direction

Abstract

A system for biasing or encouraging a sheet of material to gather in one direction when one edge thereof is moved toward an opposite edge utilizes a plurality of cords, fibers or yarns which are secured to one face of the sheet of material so that the material always gathers toward the face on which the cords or fibers are provided.

1 . A fabric for a covering for an architectural opening wherein said covering includes a headrail, a bottom rail, lift cords extending from said headrail to said bottom rail, and a lift mechanism associated with said headrail to retract said lift cords into said headrail to lift said bottom rail toward said headrail when moving the covering between an extended and a retracted position, said fabric comprising a rear sheet of flexible material having a front face and a rear face adapted to hang in a substantially flat vertical plane when the covering is fully extended and a plurality of horizontally disposed strips of flexible material attached to said front face of said rear sheet along top and bottom edges of said strips whereby said strips form horizontally-extending loops, said top and bottom edges of said strips being intermittently attached to said rear sheet along parallel lines of attachment to define vertically aligned gaps in said lines of attachment through which said lift cords slidably pass, said rear sheet including a plurality of vertically spaced, horizontally disposed cords, fibers or yarns secured to said rear face thereof whereby when said covering is moved from an extended to a retracted position, said rear sheet will gather exclusively in a rearward direction. 
     
     
         2 . A fabric finding use in a covering for an architectural opening, said fabric having x and y dimensions, a flexible rear sheet with front and rear faces suspendable in a vertical plane so as to be substantially flat in said plane when fully extended, and a plurality of flexible strips of material having parallel longitudinal edges extending in said y-direction and being spaced from each other in the x-direction, said longitudinal edges being intermittently attached to said front face of said rear sheet to form loops off said front face, said rear sheet having opposed edges extending in said y-direction and being spaced from each other in said x-direction, said rear sheet including a plurality of parallel cords, fibers or yarns on said rear face extending in said y-direction and being spaced in said x-direction, whereby when one of said edges of said rear sheet is moved toward the other of said edges of said rear sheet, said rear sheet will gather exclusively in a rearward direction. 
     
     
         3 . A fabric which might find use in a covering for an architectural opening, said fabric including a flexible sheet of material with front and rear faces having x and y dimensions in a vertical plane so as to be substantially flat in said plane, said sheet having opposed edges extending in said x-direction and being spaced from each other in said y-direction and including a plurality of parallel cords, fibers or yarns on said rear face extending in said x-direction and being spaced in said y-direction, whereby when one of said edges is moved toward the other of said edges, said sheet will gather exclusively in a rearward direction. 
     
     
         4 . The fabric of  claim 1 ,  2  or  3  wherein said cords, fibers or yarns are spaced uniformally from each other. 
     
     
         5 . The fabric of  claim 1 ,  2  or  3  wherein said cords, fibers or yarns are randomly spaced from each other. 
     
     
         6 . The fabric of  claim 1 ,  2  or  3  wherein said cords, fibers or yarns are positioned in groupings of two or more cords, fibers or yarns with the groupings being of the same size. 
     
     
         7 . The fabric of  claim 1 ,  2  or  3  wherein said cords, fibers or yarns are positioned in grouping of two or more cords, fibers or yarns with the groupings being of different sizes. 
     
     
         8 . The fabric of  claim 1 ,  2  or  3  wherein said cords, fibers or yarns are contiguous with each other. 
     
     
         9 . The fabric of  claim 2  wherein said cords, fibers or yarns are spaced uniformally from each other. 
     
     
         10 . The fabric of  claim 2  wherein said cords, fibers or yarns are randomly spaced from each other. 
     
     
         11 . The fabric of  claim 2  wherein said cords, fibers or yarns are positioned in groupings of two or more cords, fibers or yarns with the groupings being of the same size. 
     
     
         12 . The fabric of  claim 2  wherein said cords, fibers or yarns are positioned in grouping of two or more cords, fibers or yarns with the groupings being of different sizes. 
     
     
         13 . The fabric of  claim 2  wherein said cords, fibers or yarns are contiguous with each other. 
     
     
         14 . The fabric of  claim 3  wherein said cords, fibers or yarns are spaced uniformally from each other. 
     
     
         15 . The fabric of  claim 3  wherein said cords, fibers or yarns are randomly spaced from each other. 
     
     
         16 . The fabric of  claim 3  wherein said cords, fibers or yarns are positioned in groupings of two or more cords, fibers or yarns with the groupings being of the same size. 
     
     
         17 . The fabric of  claim 3  wherein said cords, fibers or yarns are positioned in grouping of two or more cords, fibers or yarns with the groupings being of different sizes. 
     
     
         18 . The fabric of  claim 3  wherein said cords, fibers or yarns are contiguous with each other.