Ladder operated covering with fixed vanes for architectural openings
View Patent ↗A covering for an architectural opening in the form of a Venetian blind includes a plurality of supporting ladders for horizontally disposed but vertically spaced slats with the ladders including vertically extending spaced guide cords and interconnecting rungs at vertically spaced locations along the guide cords. The rungs support associated slats in a horizontal orientation and the slats are connected to the rungs so that when the guide cords are shifted vertically relative to each other causing the rungs to tilt, the slats are positively moved between a horizontal disposition and a substantially vertical disposition in which a light blocking seal between the slats is established.
1. A covering for an architectural opening comprising in combination:
at least two ladders including vertically extending spaced elongated guide members and a plurality of rungs interconnecting the guide members at longitudinally spaced locations;
a control system for manipulating the ladders;
at least one substantially horizontally disposed tubular slat having continuous uninterrupted and imperforate top and bottom surfaces, said slat being supported on a rung of each of said ladders;
a connector system for securing only one of said top and bottom surfaces to the rung on which the associated slat is supported without penetrating the slat and without affecting the tubular configuration of the slat, said connector system engaging said only one of said top and bottom surfaces.
2. A covering for an architectural opening comprising in combination:
at least two ladders including vertically extending spaced elongated guide members and a plurality of rungs interconnecting the guide members at longitudinally spaced locations;
a control system for manipulating the ladders;
at least one substantially horizontally disposed slat having continuous uninterrupted and imperforate flat top and bottom surfaces, said slat being supported on a rung of each of said ladders;
a connector system for securing only one of said top and bottom surfaces to the rung on which the associated slat is supported without penetrating the slat and without affecting the configuration of the slat, said connector system engaging said only one of said top and bottom surfaces.
3. The covering of claim 1 wherein said top and bottom surfaces of said slat are arcuate.
4. The covering of claim 3 wherein both of said top and bottom surfaces are convex.
5. A covering for an architectural opening comprising in combination:
at least two ladders including vertically extending spaced elongated guide members and a plurality of rungs interconnecting the guide members at longitudinally spaced locations;
a control system for manipulating the ladders;
at least one substantially horizontally disposed slat having continuous uninterrupted and imperforate top and bottom surfaces, one of said top and bottom surfaces being convex and the other concave, said slat being supported on a rung of each of said ladders;
a connector system for securing only one of sold top and bottom surfaces to the rung on which the associated slat is supported without penetrating the slat and without affecting the configuration of the slat, said connector system engaging said only one of said top and bottom surfaces.
6. The covering of claim 1 , 2 , or 3 wherein said bottom surface of said slat is secured to the rung on which it is supported.
7. The covering of claim 1 , 2 , or 3 wherein said slat has longitudinal side edges.
8. The covering of claim 7 wherein said slat is secured to said rung at a location intermediate said longitudinal edges.
9. A covering for an architectural opening comprising in combination:
at least two ladders including vertically extending spaced elongated guide members and a plurality of rungs interconnecting the guide members at longitudinally spaced locations;
a control system for manipulating the ladders;
at least one substantially horizontally disposed wooden slat having continuous uninterrupted and imperforate top and bottom surfaces, said slat being supported on a rung of each of said ladders;
a connector system for securing only one of said top and bottom surfaces to the rung on which the associated slat is supported without penetrating the slat and without affecting the configuration of the slat, said connector system engaging said only one of said top and bottom surfaces.
10. The covering of claim 1 wherein said connector system is an adhesive.
11. The covering of claim 10 wherein said adhesive is in the form, of a bead.
12. The covering of claim 10 wherein said adhesive is clear.
13. The covering of claim 10 wherein said adhesive and slat are colored to match each other.
14. The covering of claim 10 wherein said adhesive is a thermoset.
15. The covering of claim 10 wherein said adhesive is a hot melt.
16. The adhesive of claim 10 wherein the adhesive substantially encapsulates a portion of a rung.
17. A covering for an architectural opening comprising:
a substantially horizontally-orientated head rail;
a plurality of substantially horizontally disposed slats, each slat of the plurality of slats having (i) top and bottom surfaces, (ii) opposing front and rear longitudinal edges, and (iii) a slat thickness; and
at least two ladder members depending from the head rail, each ladder member of the two or more ladder members including (i) two horizontally-spaced vertically-extending elongated guide members and (ii) a plurality of cross rungs, each cross rung having ends interconnected with the two guide members and a cross rung length that is at least as long as the distance between the front and rear longitudinal edges of the plurality of slats plus the thickness of the slat, each cross rung being attached to an associated slat of the plurality of slats by an adhesive material at an attachment location, the attachment location being located in-between the front and rear longitudinal edges on one of the top and bottom surfaces of the associated slat.
18. The covering of any one of claims 1 - 5 or 9 - 16 wherein said at least one slat has longitudinally extending edges and said attachment location is equidistant from said longitudinally extending edges.
19. The covering of claim 17 wherein said attachment location is equidistant from said longitudinal edges.
20. The covering of any one of claims 1 - 5 or 9 - 16 wherein there are two or more of said connector systems associated with said at least one slat.
21. The covering of claim 17 or 19 wherein there are two or more of said attachment locations associated with said at least one slat.
22. A covering for an architectural opening comprising in combination:
at least two ladders including vertically extending spaced elongated guide members and a plurality of rungs interconnecting the guide members at longitudinally spaced locations;
a control system for manipulating the ladders;
at least one substantially horizontally disposed slat having continuous uninterrupted and imperforate top and bottom surfaces, said slat being supported on a rung of each of said ladders;
a connector system for securing only one of said top and bottom surfaces to the rung on which the associated slat is supported without penetrating the slat and without affecting the configuration of The slat, said connector system comprising adhesive between an attachment location on a top or bottom surface of a slat and a rung which supports the slat.