초록 ▼

An expandable and contractable shade assembly includes a plurality of closed cell structures aligned vertically one above another with juncture lines defined between adjacent structures. A lift system is configured for vertically drawing the closed cell structures from the fully expanded configurati

An expandable and contractable shade assembly includes a plurality of closed cell structures aligned vertically one above another with juncture lines defined between adjacent structures. A lift system is configured for vertically drawing the closed cell structures from the fully expanded configuration into a fully contracted configuration, and includes a plurality of lift cords that are attached to back faces of the closed cell structures and lie along a vertical line of action rearward of the closed cell structures. In the fully contracted configuration of the shade assembly, the closed cell structures collapse into a flat profile and hang from the lift cords in a vertical and adjacently disposed orientation whereby upper edges of the collapsed closed cell structures are adjacent and oriented in an upward vertical direction, and bottom edges of the collapsed closed cell structures are adjacent and oriented in a downward vertical direction.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An expandable and contractable shade assembly, comprising: a plurality of closed cell structures disposed longitudinally along a width dimension of said shade assembly, said closed cell structures aligned vertically one above another with juncture lines defined between adjacent ones of said verti

1. An expandable and contractable shade assembly, comprising: a plurality of closed cell structures disposed longitudinally along a width dimension of said shade assembly, said closed cell structures aligned vertically one above another with juncture lines defined between adjacent ones of said vertically aligned closed cell structures;at a fully expanded configuration of said shade assembly, said closed cell structures having a cross-sectional profile such that a back face of said closed cell structures defined between said juncture lines has an essentially flat vertical profile opposite a front face of said closed cell structures;a lift system configured for vertically drawing said closed cell structures from said fully expanded configuration into a fully contracted configuration, said lift system comprising a plurality of lift cords that lie along a vertical line of action rearward of said back face of said closed cell structures;said lift cords engaged with said back face of each said closed cell structure only at an attachment location at about a mid-point of said back face between said juncture lines; andwherein in said fully contracted configuration of said shade assembly, each of said closed cell structures collapse into a flat profile, and said attachment locations with the lift cords causing each of the plurality of closed cell structures to hang from said lift cords in a vertical and adjacently disposed orientation thereby defining upper edges of each of said collapsed closed cell structures which are adjacent and oriented in an upward vertical direction and bottom edges of each of said collapsed closed cell structures which are adjacent and oriented in a downward vertical direction; andfurther comprising a headrail, said headrail comprising an internal channel into which said upper edges of each of said collapsed closed cell structures are drawn and maintained in their adjacent and vertically oriented configuration in said fully contracted configuration of said shade assembly. 2. The shade assembly as in claim 1, wherein said collapsed closed cell structures fold at a crease in said front face that defines said bottom edges, said crease defined at about a mid-point of said front face between said juncture lines. 3. The shade assembly as in claim 2, wherein said front face of said closed cell structures comprises a greater material length between said juncture lines than said back face, whereby in said expanded configuration of said shade assembly said front face droops below said juncture line of said closed cell structure with an immediately adjacent closed cell structure. 4. The shade assembly as in claim 1, further comprising a tab extending transversely from about at a mid-point of said back face of said closed cell structures at said attachment location of said lift cords, said lift cords engaging said tabs. 5. The shade assembly as in claim 4, wherein the tabs define holes through which the lift cords pass. 6. The shade assembly as in claim 4, wherein the tabs include an engagement device that engages the lift cords, the engagement device comprising a hook, a ring, or a loop. 7. The shade assembly as in claim 1, wherein the back faces include a crease that is located at about the mid-point of said back face between said juncture lines, the back faces further including holes positioned adjacent the creases through which the lift cords pass. 8. The shade assembly as in claim 1, wherein the back faces include a crease that is located at about the mid-point of said back face between said juncture lines, the back faces further including an engagement device located near the creases for engaging the lift cords, the engagement devices comprising hooks, rings or loops. 9. The shade assembly as in claim 4, wherein each said closed cell structure is formed by a single piece of flexible material joined at edges to define a closed cell, said joined edges defining said tab. 10. The shade assembly as in claim 1, wherein said front face of said closed cell structures is formed from a first material piece, and said back face of said closed cell structures is formed from a separate second material piece. 11. The shade assembly as in claim 10, wherein said first material piece and said second material piece are joined at said juncture lines to define a closed cell. 12. The shade assembly as in claim 10, wherein said first material piece is common to a plurality of said closed cell structures such that a single material piece defines said front faces for multiple closed cell structures. 13. The shade assembly as in claim 12, wherein said second material piece is common to a plurality of said closed cell structures such that a single material piece defines said back faces for multiple closed cell structures. 14. The shade assembly as in claim 1, wherein the front face of the closed cell structures is formed from a single material piece and the back face of the closed cell structures is formed from two separate material pieces. 15. The shade assembly as in claim 1, wherein said internal channel comprises a cross-sectional profile that tapers from an open end of said internal channel to a closed end of said internal channel. 16. The shade assembly as in claim 15, wherein said internal channel is defined by front and back guide members, said back guide member angled towards said front guide member to define said tapered cross-sectional profile. 17. The shade assembly as in claim 16, wherein said internal channel has a width at said closed end that is at least as great as a thickness of said upper edges of said adjacent and vertically oriented collapsed closed cell structures. 18. The shade assembly as in claim 1, wherein the front face of the closed cell structures is longer than the back face of the closed cell structures causing the front face to have an outwardly billowing profile. 19. An expandable and contractable shade assembly, comprising: a plurality of closed cell structures disposed longitudinally along a width dimension of said shade assembly, said closed cell structures aligned vertically one above another with juncture lines defined between adjacent ones of said vertically aligned closed cell structures;at a fully expanded configuration of said shade assembly, said closed cell structures having a cross-sectional profile such that a back face of said closed cell structures defined between said juncture lines has an essentially flat vertical profile, and a front face of said closed cell structures defined at an opposite side of said juncture lines;a lift system configured for vertically drawing said closed cell structures from said fully expanded configuration into a fully contracted configuration, said lift system comprising a plurality of lift cords that lie along a vertical line of action rearward of said back face of said closed cell structures;said lift cords engaged with said back face of each said closed cell structure only at an attachment location at about a mid-point of en said back face between said juncture lines;wherein in said fully contracted configuration of said shade assembly, each of said closed cell structures collapse into a flat profile, and said attachment locations with the lift cords causing each of the plurality of closed cell structures to hang from said lift cords in a vertical and adjacently disposed orientation thereby defining upper edges of each of said collapsed closed cell structures which are adjacent and oriented in an upward vertical direction and bottom edges of each of said collapsed closed cell structures which are adjacent and oriented in a downward vertical direction;a head rail comprising a tapered internal channel into which said upper edges of each of said collapsed closed cell structures are drawn and maintained in their adjacent and vertically oriented configuration in said fully contracted configuration of said shade assembly. 20. The shade assembly as in claim 19, wherein said internal channel has a width at a closed end thereof that is at least as great as a thickness of said upper edges of said adjacent and vertically oriented collapsed closed cell structures. 21. The shade assembly as in claim 19, wherein said collapsed closed cell structures fold at a crease in said front face that defines said bottom edges, said crease defined at about the mid-point of said front face between said juncture lines. 22. The shade assembly as in claim 21, wherein said front face of said closed cell structures comprises a greater material length between said juncture lines than said back face, whereby in said expanded configuration of said shade assembly said front face droops below said juncture line of said closed cell structure with an immediately adjacent closed cell structure. 23. The shade assembly as in claim 19, further comprising a tab extending transversely from about at a mid-point of said back face of said closed cell structures at said attachment location of said lift cords, said lift cords running through said tabs. 24. The shade assembly as in claim 23, wherein each said closed cell structure is formed by a single piece of flexible material joined at edges to define a closed cell, said joined edges defining said tab. 25. The shade assembly as in claim 23, wherein said front face of said closed cell structures is formed from a first material piece, and said back face of said closed cell structures is formed from a separate second material piece, said tab defined by a folded section of said second material piece. 26. The shade assembly as in claim 25, wherein said first material piece and said second material piece are joined at said juncture lines to define a closed cell. 27. The shade assembly as in claim 25, wherein said first material piece is common to a plurality of said closed cell structures such that a single material piece defines said front faces for multiple closed cell structures. 28. The shade assembly as in claim 27, wherein said second material piece is common to a plurality of said closed cell structures such that a single material piece defines said back faces for multiple closed cell structures.