Packaged bamboo shade and method of packaging bamboo shades
A shade of the type having a headrail, a panel of bamboo or faux bamboo slats attached to a headrail, at least one cord lock or spring motor and cord spool and lift cords connected to the panel and passing over a portion of the cord lock or the cord spool is packaged for trimming in a cut-down machine. In the preferred method, the panel is folded into a plurality of folds, the folds being located to create a cavity between the folds and the bottom surface of the headrail with the cord locks located in the cavity. Spacer material is positioned in the cavity in a manner so that there is spacer material adjacent to the side edges of the panel of slats. A band is wrapped around the shade to form a banded shade. The band is sized and positioned so that a portion of the panel adjacent each side edge is exposed. Then a wrapper is placed around the banded shade.
The invention relates a package for bamboo shades and faux bamboo shades to facilitate trimming of the shade to a custom width.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONConventional bamboo shades are made from a panel of slats that have been cut from bamboo plants treated and woven together. In some panels cylindrical rods or sticks are placed between each pair of slats. This panel is attached to a headrail and a lift mechanism forming a roll-up or roman shade. In some shades there is also a bottom rail attached to the panel.
Faux bamboo shades have been developed which are comprised of plastic slats, and optionally plastic rods, woven together in the same manner as the slats in real bamboo shades. This panel is attached to a headrail lift mechanism in the same way as a real bamboo shade.
Manufacturers of bamboo shades and faux bamboo shades have sold these products in rolls, rolling the panel much like a roller shade and then placing that rolled shade in a plastic bag or similar package. Bamboo shades and faux bamboo shades have also been packaged in boxes having a width 3 to 4 times greater than the depth. The shades are placed in the box by folding them back and forth as they are laid into the box.
Prior to the present invention, bamboo shades and faux bamboo shades, have been stocked and sold by retailers in standard sizes. A customer whose windows are not a standard size could obtain a bamboo shade or faux bamboo shade for those windows only by placing a special order for the shade. Then the retailer would provide the dimensions of the customer's windows to the factory to have a bamboo shade or faux bamboo shade custom made for the customer.
Many home centers carry standard sizes of venetian blinds which can be trimmed to have smaller widths using cut-down machines located in the store. Special packages have been developed for venetian blinds that are trimmed in cut-down machines. One example of such a package is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,793,073 to Tu. This package is a rectangular box having two open opposite ends. A venetian blind placed in this box extends outwardly from either open end, then removable caps are fitted onto the open ends of the box covering the ends of the venetian blind. This box would not be useful for bamboo shades because they could not be easily inserted into the box. One could fold the bamboo shade in a manner which has been done for packaging in rectangular boxes and then slide the shade into the open ended box, but the box would not sufficiently restrain the shade to enable it to be cut in a cut-down machine. Tu also discloses a cut-down machine which can be used to trim the venetian blind contained in his package. This guillotine cutter has one blade for cutting the slats and another blade for cutting the headrail and bottom rail. The blades move along an axis parallel to the lift cords. This type of cutting machine, which has separate openings for the headrail, slats and bottom rail, could not be used for a bamboo shade, unless the shade can be placed in a single opening. The only opening in Tu's cut-down machine which is large enough to potentially receive a bamboo shade is the opening for the slats. But that opening, as well as the openings in cut-down machines currently in use, is not sized or configured to handle a rolled up shade or blind. One may be able to place a bamboo shade or faux bamboo shade which has been packaged in a box in the slat opening of Tu's cut-down machine for trimming. But, if one attempts to cut a bamboo shade on this machine the edges of the shade would likely split, crack or chip during cutting because of the manner in which the shades have been packaged. The same problem will also be encountered if one attempts to use other cut-down machines that have been used for venetian blinds. As a result there is no cut-down program currently available for bamboo shades or faux bamboo shades.
There is a need for a package for bamboo shades and faux bamboo shades which would enable the shades to be cut-down in a retail store or home center to a custom width desired by a customer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONA shade of the type having a headrail, a panel of bamboo or faux bamboo slats attached to a headrail, and lift cords attached to the panel and either passing through at least one cord lock or used on a spool or axle attached to the headrail is packaged for trimming in a cut-down machine. The panel is folded into a plurality of folds. I prefer that the folds be located to create a space between the folds and bottom surface of the headrail, with the cord locks or spring motor and spools of a cordless shade located in the space. Spacer material is positioned in the cavity in a manner so that there is spacer material adjacent to the side edges of the panel of slats. If the shade has a valance, the valence is laid over the cavity and folds. A band is wrapped around the shade to form a banded shade. The band is sized and positioned so that a portion of the panel adjacent each side edge is exposed. Then a wrapper is placed around the banded shade.
One can place the banded shade in a separate box and shrink wrap the assembly. The wrapped shade is placed in another box for shipment.
The shade may be corded as a roll-up shade or a roman shade. The panel of slats may also include sticks, jute, grasses, paper or other decorative material positioned between adjacent slats.
The ends of the shade can be placed in a cut-down machine so that the blade can trim the edge of the shade. Because the slats are held tightly together in the package the slats can be cut cleanly. I prefer that the cuts be made without removing the wrapper.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to
Referring to
The preferred steps in a present preferred method for packaging a bamboo shade are shown in
Referring to
As can be seen most clearly in
A present preferred cut-down machine 30 has a table or platen 32 on which the packaged bamboo shade 31 is placed. A circular saw whose blade 34 can be seen in
Although I have shown and described certain present preferred embodiments of my packaged bamboo shade and package for bamboo shades it should be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but may be variously embodied within the scope of the following claims.
Claims
1. A packaged shade comprising:
- a bamboo shade or faux bamboo shade having a headrail, a panel comprised of bamboo or faux bamboo slats, the panel having two side edges and attached to the headrail, at least one cord lock or spring motor and cord spool connected to the headrail, and lift cords attached to the panel and passing over a portion of the at least one cord lock or the cord spool, the panel being folded into a plurality of folds,
- spacer material positioned adjacent the at least one cord lock or spring motor and cord spool,
- a band wrapped around the shade to form a banded shade, the band sized and positioned so that a portion of the panel adjacent each side edge is exposed, and
- a wrapper surrounding the banded shade.
2. The packaged shade of claim 1 wherein the folds are located to create a cavity between the folds and the headrail with the at least one cord lock or spring motor and cord spool and the spacer material located in the cavity so that there is spacer material adjacent to the side edges.
3. The packaged shade of claim 1 also comprising a box in which the banded shade is placed.
4. The packaged shade of claim 3 wherein the wrapper also surrounds the box.
5. The packaged shade of claim 1 also comprising shade hardware positioned within the cavity.
6. The packaged shade of claim 1 also comprising a valance attached to the headrail.
7. The packaged shade of claim 2 also comprising a valance attached to the headrail and wherein the valance extends over the cavity and spacer material.
8. The packaged shade of claim 1 wherein the band is configured to have a first portion that extends from one side edge of the panel to the other side edge of the panel and a second portion having opposite second side edges which are spaced apart from the side edges of the panel such that portions of the panel between the side edges of the panel and the second side edges of the band are exposed.
9. The packaged shade of claim 1 wherein the wrapper is a clear plastic.
10. The packaged shade of claim 1 wherein the wrapper is a shrink wrap.
11. The packaged shade of claim 1 wherein the shade is a roman shade or a roll-up shade.
12. A method for packaging a bamboo shade or faux bamboo shade of the type having a headrail, a panel comprised of bamboo or faux bamboo slats, the panel having two side edges and attached to the headrail, at least one cord lock or spring motor and cord spool attached to the headrail, and lift cords connected to the panel and passing over a portion of the at least one cord lock or the cord spool comprising:
- folding the panel into a plurality of folds,
- placing spacer material adjacent the at least one cord lock or spring motor and cord spool,
- wrapping one of a band or an inner box around the shade to form a packed shade, the band sized and positioned so that a portion of the panel adjacent each side edge is exposed, and
- placing a wrapper around the packed shade.
13. The method of claim 12 where the panel is folded so that the folds are located to create a cavity between the folds and the headrail with the at least one cord lock or spring motor and cord spool located in the cavity, and the spacer material is placed in a manner so that there is spacer material adjacent to the side edges;
14. The method of claim 12 also comprising placing the banded shade in a box.
15. The method of claim 13 wherein the banded shade is placed into the box prior to placing a wrapper around the banded shade such that the wrapper also surrounds the box.
16. The method of claim 12 also comprising placing shade hardware in the cavity.
17. The method of claim 12 also comprising wrapping the lift cords and placing them in the cavity.
18. The method of claim 12 wherein there is a valance attached to the shade and also comprising positioning the valance to cover the cavity.
19. The method of claim 12 wherein the band is configured to have a first portion that extends beyond the side edges of the panel and a second portion that does not extend to the side edges of the panel also comprising folding the band in a manner so that the band forms a rectangular box such that portions of the panel adjacent each side edge of the panel are exposed.
20. The method of claim 12 wherein the wrapper is placed around the banded shade using a shrink wrap process.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 2, 2006
Publication Date: Aug 2, 2007
Inventor: Ming Nien (Changhua Hsien)
Application Number: 11/346,018
International Classification: B65D 85/00 (20060101);