Abstract: A cellular structure is formed on a wheel from an elongated tubular structure. At least one longitudinal line of a slow cure adhesive is applied to the exterior surface of the elongated tubular material. Then the material is wrapped around a collector in a manner to cause the adhesive to be positioned between overlying surfaces of the elongated tubular material and to form a cellular structure on the collector. The cellular structure is cut from the collector before the adhesive has fully cured and is placed on a flat surface where the adhesive has fully cured.

Abstract: A machine for making collapsible cellular structures folds two fabric webs into a V-shape or C-shape, connects the webs together with strands of adhesive, applies glue lines and collects the webs on a wheel. A variable speed motor, a fabric drive system which enables glue to be applied when the fabric is not stretched and a lay-on wheel assembly with movable arm that directs the fabric onto the collector can be provided in the machine.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A winding device for a blind without pull cords is provided with a reel pivotal base and a cord-guiding base abutting against each other in the upper rail of a blind. A winding reel is axially assembled on the reel pivotal base, having its outer circumference formed with an oblique conical surface gradually shrinking from its first end to its second end to enable a linking cord to move forward automatically when the linking cord is wound on the winding reel. The cord-guiding base is provided with at least one push block at a location where the winding reel is pivotally rotated for guiding the linking cord to be wound side by side closely on the winding reel, preventing the linking cord from overlapping or wound irregularly after the linking cord is wound on the winding reel, enabling a blind to be collapsed or stretched smoothly.

Abstract: A cordless blind contains a lift mechanism, such as one or more spring motors, one or more cord collectors and a lock mechanism. An operator device such as a cord or wand is connected to the lift mechanism and is movable relative to the bottomrail. When the bottomrail is a selected distance from the headrail a portion of the cord or wand will move away from the bottomrail. The selected distance corresponds to the height of the bottomrail at which it is difficult for an operator to reach the bottomrail. The released cord or wand will enable the user to operate a lock mechanism in the bottomrail or move the bottomrail.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A cordless blind contains one or more spring motors, one or more cord collectors and a lock mechanism. The lock mechanism has a button or lever or two buttons or levers which when pressed and released will change the lock from a locked position, wherein the lift cords are restrained from being collected on or released from the cord collector, and has an unlocked position that allows the lift cords and cord collector to freely move when pressed again the button or lever will change the lock mechanism from the unlocked position to the locked position. A cord or wand may be connected to the button or lever. Then the operator can place the bottomrail or moving rail of the blind at any desired location between a fully raised position and a fully lowered position.

Abstract: A method for producing a cellular window covering product includes the steps of pleating a continuous length of material, bonding together opposing faces on one side of the product to form a series of enclosed cells, bonding together opposed faces on the other side of the product to form another series of enclosed cells, and removing creases from one side of the product to open one of the series of enclosed cells while the other series of enclosed cells remains intact and connected. The creases may be removed by abrading the material along the creases. The opposed faces may be bonded by applying a bead of adhesive to one of the faces and compressing the faces together. Also provided is a window covering having an expandable and collapsible body. The body has a number of strips of material that are creased in the center parallel to the long edges, which are joined together to form a tab. Each of the strips of material define an elongated cell bounded by the creased fold on one side and the tab on the other.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A headrail suitable for use with a roller shade or a blind of the type having at least two spaced apart lift cords has a roller attached to the headrail in a manner to permit rotation of the roller and prevent movement of the roller in a longitudinal direction. The outer surface of the roller is free of threads and other projections such that roller shade material can be wrapped about the roller. A plurality of cord collection spools are provided on the roller. The spools can be slid off one end of the roller and may be moveable in a longitudinal direction or fixed to the roller by a set screw or clamp. If fixed to the roller the cord collection spool has a conical shape and an attachment position for a lift cord that is offset in a transverse direction along the roller from the hole in the bottom of the headrail through which a lift cord passes onto the cord collection spool.

Abstract: In a method for making a window covering the user selects a first segment of cellular material in which there is a top cell having a top surface, at least one glue line on the top surface and a strip of fabric on the at least one glue line. The strip of fabric and at least a portion of the glue line are removed from the top surface of the top cell and a second glue line is applied to that top surface. A second segment of cellular material is place over the second glue line on the top surface of the top cell of the first segment. The glue line cures and bonds the second segment of cellular material to the first segment of cellular material. If the cellular material has tabbed cells the processes can be used to join the tabs of the two segments together.

Abstract: A cord lock for window coverings has one or more cams adjacent a surface over which a one or more lift cords travel. The cams are spring biased to a locked position in which they press the lift cords against the surface. A cam lock with a release cord is provided which engages and moves the cams from a locked position to an unlocked position in which the lift cords are free to move through the cord lock. The cord lock is always in a locked position whenever neither the lift cords are being pulled to raise the blind nor the release cord is being pulled to lower the blind.

Abstract: A roll-up shade with cord capture has a headrail, a bottomrail, a panel of window covering material between the headrail and the bottomrail and a plurality of looped cords extending from the headrail down one side of the panel of window covering material, around the bottom edge, up an opposite side of the panel of window covering material and into the headrail such that movement of the looped cords into the headrail will cause the panel of window covering material to roll up and movement of the cords out of the headrail will cause the window covering material to unroll. A rod extends across one side of the panel of window covering material and captures the looped cords between the rod and the surface of the window covering material or in apertures through the rod or in apertures formed by clips or eyelets attached to the rod.

Abstract: A window covering system has a bracket rail with an elongated L-shaped body that extends across substantially the full width of a window. A plurality of brackets are attached to a headrail of a window covering and releasably attach the headrail to the bracket rail. Preferably, the brackets have a tab which engages the front edge of the bracket rail and an inverted U-shaped spring that engages the bottom edge of the bracket rail.

Abstract: A window covering has a transparent front face and optional transparent back face, either or both of which are formed from a series of spaced apart parallel threads, and a series of vanes attached to the faces. The parallel threads which form the front face and optional back face are spaced apart an amount which allows light to readily pass while providing a soft fabric like appearance. The vanes have a light filtering or light impeding property and may be opaque. The front and back longitudinal edges of each slat are respectively attached to the front face and any back face that is present. The resulting structure, when combined with a hardware system, is a light control blind. Movement of the vanes from a position perpendicular to the front face and any back face to a position generally parallel to the front controls the amount of light which is admitted through the window covering. An additional layer of fabric may be provided opposite the front face or the back face.

Abstract: A cord shroud for use in cooperation with a window shade assembly of the type having multiple lift cords or a cord loop extending from a headrail has two elongated flexible ribbons, each ribbon having a plurality of apertures sized to permit the lift cords to pass through the apertures. The first end of one ribbon is connected to the headrail or to a tube extending from the headrail. A gripper is attached to the second end of the first ribbon and attached to the first end of the second ribbon. The second end of the second ribbon can be attached to a tassel or a weight. The gripper has a passageway through which the lift cords pass and is constructed such that the cords can pass freely through the passageway when the gripper is in a relaxed condition. The gripper will grip a portion of the lift cords that is in the passageway when a force is applied to the gripper.

Abstract: A light controllable window covering has a transparent front face and a transparent back face, either or both of which are formed from a series of spaced apart parallel threads, and a series of opaque slats attached between the two faces. The parallel threads which form the front face and back face are spaced apart an amount which allows light to readily pass while providing a soft fabric like appearance. The slats are preferably knitted or woven fabric treated to have a given light impeding property. The front and back longitudinal edges of each slat are respectively attached to the front face and the back face. The resulting structure when combined with a hardware system is a light control honeycomb window covering. Movement of the light impeding slats from a position perpendicular to the front face and back face to a position generally parallel to the front and back face controls the amount of light which is admitted through the window covering.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A light controllable window covering has a transparent front face and a transparent back face, either or both of which are formed from a series of spaced apart parallel threads, and a series of opaque slats attached between the two faces. The parallel threads which form the front face and back face are spaced apart an amount which allows light to readily pass while providing a soft fabric like appearance. The slats are preferably knitted or woven fabric treated to have a given light impeding property. The front and back longitudinal edges of each slat are respectively attached to the front face and the back face. The resulting structure when combined with a hardware system is a light control honeycomb window covering. Movement of the light impeding slats from a position perpendicular to the front face and back face to a position generally parallel to the front and back face controls the amount of light which is admitted through the window covering.

Abstract: In a material structure formed by a plurality of interconnected cells, each cell has a front section and a rear section. These sections are configured to form a V-shape or C-shape and are positioned so that the free edges are opposite one another. A section of swirled strands is connected between one free edge of the front section and one free edge of the rear section. If desired a second section of swirled strands can be connected between the second edge of the front section and the second edge of the rear section to form a closed cell. The cells are connected to one another by an adhesive. The front section and the rear section may be either a woven, non-woven or knit fabric or a film. The same fabric or different fabrics can be used for the front section and the rear section. Air guns can be used to direct the strands between the webs when the cells are being formed.