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An energy saving shade system for residential dwelling windows having dimensions that vary within a range of frame widths and a range of frame heights, and including a pair of end caps, each being insertable in sealing relation against the top surface and one of the side surfaces of the frame. A pai

An energy saving shade system for residential dwelling windows having dimensions that vary within a range of frame widths and a range of frame heights, and including a pair of end caps, each being insertable in sealing relation against the top surface and one of the side surfaces of the frame. A pair of side rails, each having a cross-section to define channel openings of a depth equal to at least one half the range of frame widths are securable in sealing relation to respective side surfaces of the frame. A pair of shade supporting plates are receivable in the respective end caps, each of the shade supporting plates being laterally adjustable throughout approximately one half the range of frame widths. An impermeable, transparent shade and a thermal insulating shade of widths within the range of frame widths are wound on rollers mountable between the shade supporting plates, and extendible for the range of frame heights from the roller to the sill. Edge seals are provided in the channels of the respective side rails, for slidably engaging and retaining opposite sides of the respective shade members in spaced relation to a window pane and end seals are provided between the top and bottom of at least the transparent shade.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. An energy saving shade system for residential dwelling windows, each window having a window pane and a rectangular frame defined by top, side, and sill surfaces, the shade system being configured to be used with windows of various sizes and comprising: a pair of shade support

What is claimed is: 1. An energy saving shade system for residential dwelling windows, each window having a window pane and a rectangular frame defined by top, side, and sill surfaces, the shade system being configured to be used with windows of various sizes and comprising: a pair of shade supporting plates; at least one impermeable, transparent shade, the at least one transparent shade having a top portion connected to and windable on a roller mountable between the pair of shade supporting plates, and the at least one transparent shade including a bottom end extendible to accommodate a variety of window frame lengths; a pair of end caps, each end cap configured to be positioned in sealing relation against the top surface and one of the side surfaces of the frame, each end cap configured to receive one of the pair of shade supporting plates, a position of each of the shade supporting plates in its respective end cap being laterally adjustable to permit the shade system to accommodate a variety of window frame widths; a pair of side rails, each side rail including a base configured to be secured in sealing relation against a respective side surface of the frame, and each side rail having an adjustable length to permit the shade system to accommodate a variety of window frame lengths, each side rail further including at least two generally parallel walls projecting from the base to define at least one channel extending along the length of the side rail, the at least one channel having an opening opposite the base, the opening configured to receive an edge of the at least one transparent shade, wherein the side rails each have an E-shaped cross-section to provide the base securable in sealing relation to the respective side surfaces of the frame, a pair of generally parallel outer walls projecting from the base, and a central wall projecting from the base in generally parallel relation to and defining with the outer walls, inner and outer channels opening to face inwardly of the respective side surfaces of the frame, and wherein the central wall of each side rail has a bifurcated inner edge; a pair of side rail footers securable to the sill, each of the side rail footers and the respective side rails being telescopically adjustable through the range of frame heights, wherein each footer has an upstanding post receivable in the bifurcated edge of the central wall; a pair of edge seals, each edge seal being supported within the at least one channel of a respective side rail, each edge seal being configured to slidably engage and retain a side portion of the shade member in spaced relation to the window pane; a thermal insulating shade having top, bottom, and side edge portions, the top portion of the thermal insulating shade being connected to a second roller mountable between the shade supporting plates, and being wound on the second roller in a retracted condition, the bottom portion of the thermal insulating shade being extendable from the second roller to the sill surface of the window frame to position the thermal insulating shade in substantially parallel spaced relation to the transparent shade; means for sealing the transparent shade and the top surface of the window frame; and means for sealing the distal end of the transparent shade and the sill. 2. The shade system of claim 1 comprising a valance to extend between the end caps, the valance having a length sufficient to overlie at least a portion of the front walls of the end caps to accommodate a variety of window frame widths. 3. The shade system of claim 1, wherein the means for sealing the transparent shade and the top surface of the rectangular frame comprises a deep pile strip securable to the top surface of the frame and engageable with the wound top portion of the transparent shade. 4. The shade system of claim 1, wherein the transparent shade is drawn through the outer channel and the thermally insulating shade is drawn through the inner channel. 5. The shade system of claim 1, wherein each of the inner and outer channels has a channel depth in a direction parallel to the outer and central walls of the respective side rails, and a channel width normal to the channel depth, each of the channels having a guide portion extending from the base by at least one half the range of frame widths, and a sealing portion extending from the guide portion. 6. The shade system of claim 5, wherein the channel width of the guide portion is greater than the channel width of the sealing portion. 7. The shade system of claim 6, wherein each of the transparent shade and the thermal insulating shade includes a pair of guide blocks, one on each of opposite sides of the respective shades, the guide blocks having a width dimension greater than the channel width of the sealing portion of the respective inner and outer channels. 8. The shade system of claim 7, wherein the guide blocks are secured to opposite ends of a batten fixed to and extending across the bottom edge portion of the respective transparent and thermal insulating shades. 9. The shade system of claim 8, wherein the guide blocks each have a depth dimension and the guide portion of each of the inner and outer channels extends from the base by at least one half the range of frame widths plus the depth dimension of each guide block. 10. The shade system of claim 5, including deep pile sealing strips on opposite sides of the sealing portion of the respective channels. 11. The shade system of claim 1, including a pair of side rail footers securable to the sill, each of the side rail footers and the respective side rails being telescopically adjustable through the range of frame heights. 12. The shade system of claim 1, including a pair of springs, each for biasing one of the pair of shade supporting plates to a position spaced from a side wall of one of the pair of end caps. 13. The shade system of claim 12, wherein each of the pair of springs is fixed at opposite ends to a shade supporting plate and to an end caps, thereby to provide a pair of end cap/supporting plate units. 14. The shade system of claim 12, wherein each of the pair of springs includes conical spring-wire convolutions, thereby to be contractible to a width of one spring-wire convolution. 15. The shade system of claim 1, wherein side and top walls of each of the end caps includes a pressure sensitive adhesive for securing each of the end caps to the side and top surfaces of the frame. 16. The shade system of claim 1, wherein the base of each of the side rails includes a pressure sensitive adhesive for securing each of the side rails to the side surfaces of the frame. 17. The shade system of claim 1, wherein the means for sealing the distal end of the transparent shade and the sill comprises a foam strip secured to the bottom end of the transparent shade. 18. The shade system of claim 17, including a hem along the bottom end of the transparent shade, a batten in the hem, and a channel-shaped clip overlying the hem and the batten, the foam strip being adhesively secured to the channel-shaped clip. 19. The shade system of claim 1, wherein the transparent shade is treated with an ultraviolet inhibitor. 20. The shade system of claim 19, wherein the at least one transparent shade is a first transparent shade, and further including a second transparent shade treated with a reflective solar tint, the second transparent shade being storable between the supporting plates and being interchangeable with the first transparent shade. 21. The shade system of claim 1, wherein the transparent shade is a polyester film treated with an ultraviolet inhibitor and the thermal insulating shade includes bonded layers including a decorative inner layer, an insulating fabric, an air tight layer, and a light filtering outer layer. 22. The shade system of claim 21, wherein the at least one transparent shade is a first transparent shade, and further including a second transparent shade formed of a polyester film treated with a reflective solar tint, the second transparent shade being storable between the supporting plates with the first transparent shade and the thermal insulating shade, and being interchangeable with the first transparent shade. 23. A method of installing a shade system, comprising: providing a shade system comprising: a pair of shade supporting plates, at least one impermeable, transparent shade, the at least one transparent shade having a top portion connected to and windable on a roller mountable between the pair of shade supporting plates, and the at least one transparent shade including a bottom end extendible to accommodate a variety of window frame lengths, a pair of end caps, each end cap configured to be positioned in sealing relation against the top surface and one of the side surfaces of the frame, each end cap configured to receive one of the pair of shade supporting plates, a position of each of the shade supporting plates in its respective end cap being laterally adjustable to permit the shade system to accommodate a variety of window frame widths, a pair of side rails, each side rail including a base configured to be secured in sealing relation against a respective side surface of the frame, and each side rail having an adjustable length to permit the shade system to accommodate a variety of window frame lengths, each side rail further including at least two generally parallel walls projecting from the base to define at least one channel extending along the length of the side rail, the at least one channel having an opening opposite the base, the opening configured to receive an edge of the at least one transparent shade, a pair of edge seals, each edge seal being supported within the at least one channel of a respective side rail, each edge seal being configured to slidably engage and retain a side portion of the shade member in spaced relation to the window pane, means for sealing the transparent shade and the top surface of the window frame, and means for sealing the distal end of the transparent shade and the sill; pressing the end caps, each containing the shade supporting plate, into opposite upper corners of the window frame; inserting a side rail into an opening in a bottom of each of the end caps; adjusting a length of each side rail to fit the length of the window frame; mounting the roller supporting the transparent shade between the shade supporting plates, the shade supporting plates moving laterally to receive the roller and shade; drawing the bottom of the transparent shade downward toward the sill of the window frame such that sides of the shade travel through respective channels of the side rails; and sealing between the distal end of the transparent shade and the sill of the window frame.