MXPA97000304A - Improved sheet for an architectural cover and method for its manufacture - Google Patents

Abstract

A sheet (290) is designed for an architectural covering such as the one used in window openings, for vertical suspension to resist twisting along its length. The sheet (290) constructs in a tubular configuration and may have one or more internal hollow cells. The external configuration of the sheet can simulate an air fin or can have other related configurations. The sheets are preferably made of a material having dimensional stability or tendency to recover their original diagonal shape, i.e. the ability to resist stretching in a direction diagonal to the length or width of the material. A reinforcement strip can be inserted into an open end or blade to provide a positive and durable connection to suspend the blade from an operating system.

Description

IMPROVED SHEET FOR A ROOF AROOTTECTÓ COVER AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 5 Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to k covers for architectural openings and in a more particular with an improved blade that can be used in a vertical window blind, a door blind or other furniture of another type inside a house.

Description of Related Art 15 Vertical blinds have been known in the art for some time, a typical vertical blind has a lintel containing a carrier mechanism, a tilting rod and a plurality of leaves or slats verticals interconnected in an operative way. The carrier mechanism includes a plurality of suspension hooks for individually suspending the vertical sheets. The carrier mechanism engages the tilt rod so that when the tilt rod is rotated, the suspension hooks rotate around their axes REF: 23889 vertical which in turn turns the vertical leaves to which they are joined on the same axes. The leaves always hang from their upper edge with the suspension hooks which are visible in an undesirable way or require a gallery or valance to cover them. Vertical window shutter sheets are usually made from one or more than four different types of materials. These materials are cloth, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), aluminum and wood. The most common leaves? 10. They are made of cloth, PVC or a combination of cloth and PVC.

The fabric sheets offer a very nice and smooth appearance. The fabric adds quality to a sheet and provides a finished view. It also provides the designer with numerous design options regarding the type of fabric to be used for a particular room. The PVC sheets are plastic and therefore have a plastic appearance ^. harder. However, an advantage of PVC sheets is 9 your resistance. PVC sheets can be laminated or coated with fabric to provide PVC strength with the appearance of cloth. However, there are disadvantages with sheets made of cloth, PVC or combinations thereof. The sheets made only of fabric are thin and tend to twist along their length when they rotate from the upper edge. In addition they are substantially two-dimensional. Éfc PVC sheets also tend to twist along their length when they rotate from the top edge. PVC sheets are also usually thin, even though they can be molded to provide a three-dimensional appearance. This shape is often of curved cross section, for example, C-shaped or S-shaped, and the thickness of the sheet is about 3 mm (1/8 inch) or less. An additional thickness is too expensive for the market for window blinds.

There are several hybrids for vertical cloth sheets. Fabric sheets are often treated with a reinforcement to impart structural rigidity. The reinforcement eliminates the softness of the fabric but retains the appearance of the fabric. The fabric may be twisted, but less than the sheets of untreated fabric. Treated cloth sheets also tend to roll up or bend in direct sunlight If the reinforcement is not applied uniformly. Another hybrid, as mentioned previously, is a PVC sheet laminated with a cloth. Such a sheet has a resistance structural and a three-dimensional appearance provided by the PVC sheets, with the appearance of a sheet of cloth. In this case, the fabric also loses its craftsmanship or its soft condition. The common problems with laminated sheets of PVC / fabric is that, in the sunlight, the fabric can be bent and delaminated, there are increased assembly costs, the sheets are relatively heavy and when the fabric is only laminated on one side of the PVC, the reverse side is aesthetically unpleasant. Another design includes a core of PVC sheet that is loosely surrounded with fabric. 5 This provides a softer product with a fabric appearance, but it is very expensive and difficult to manufacture. Another approach is a PVC sheet with a groove along each edge so that a cloth insert • eC * can be placed along the faces of the PVC sheet. This solution is also expensive, does not prevent longitudinal twisting and the reverse face of the grooved edges lacks the appearance of the fabric. All of the vertical blades of the prior art produce a distinct, well-defined shadow in the adjacent sheet when the sheets close completely and overlap slightly in a window and are in direct sunlight. This shadow generates a ribbon effect on the surface of the closed vertical shutter resulting in objectionable aesthetics. 20 The leaves, most commonly referred to as slats, are found in Venetian blinds, as opposed to vertical blinds, they usually have different qualities in which they are placed horizontally instead of vertically. In fact, some slats that found in Venetian blinds are of construction ¡hollow. By way of example, U.S. Patent No. 2,169,873 for .D. Clark, Jr .; U.S. Patent No. 2,326,654 to Scipio S. Gentile; and U.S. Patent No. 623,832 assigned to Chr. Fabers Fabriker 5 discloses hollow slats for use in a Venetian blind. Since the leaves in the Venetian blinds are placed horizontally, they must be self-sustaining throughout their length. A self-sustaining strip is, by its nature, very rigid and therefore has a soft feel or appearance. The slats of a Venetian blind rotate on their horizontal longitudinal axis by means of conventional strap ladders on which they are supported. This method of support does not require transfer of energy from one end of the tape to the other, as in the vertical blinds. A leaf in a vertical blind is held from its upper edge and preferably rotates from its upper edge. Therefore, it is not necessary to be self-sustaining along its length. To rotate the blade of the vertical blind, energy must be transmitted from the top of the blade to the bottom so that the entire blade rotates. Uniform rotation along the length of the sheet has been a problem with the vertical sheets of the prior art.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a sheet for a vertical blind that is three-dimensional, has a soft feel or feel and does not rotate from top to bottom when rotates from the bottom, but rotates evenly, which hides the suspension hooks of the bearer mechanism, which diffuses the light passing through the shadow so that sharp cutting shadows are not formed They are different, and have a union incorporated in it for reinforcement when the blade is suspended from an operation system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The vertical sheet of the present invention is preferably of tubular configuration, so that ^^^ a three-dimensional condition and torsional stiffness is provided along its length. Preferably, cloth having diagonal dimensional stability is formed. The Diagonal dimensional stability means that the sheet fabric does not stretch when pulled diagonally in relation to the fabric machine. The direction of the fabric machine is defined as the dimension of the fabric that extends to the direction in which the fabric moves. through the machine in which it is manufactured. The longitudinal dimension ^ ifc of the sheet preferably extends in the machine direction of the fabric. Dimensionally stable fabrics diagonally allow the sheet to withstand a twisting moment along the length of the construction of the tubular sheet, thereby inhibiting longitudinal twisting. The fabrics which are not completely stable but at least have a tendency to recover their primitive diagonal dimensional form can also be used so that if they are stretched slightly to # 10 along a diagonal will return, in a short period of time, to its original orientation. The tubular sheet can be manufactured from fabrics manufactured tubularly, a single sheet of cloth that is folded on itself to define a hollow sheet or can manufacture multiple sheets of fabrics joined together to define a hollow sheet. The fabric can also be > _ Slotted along a fold line to provide a structural and / or aesthetic variety. A flexible layer can be laminated on the inner side of the sheet, that is, the side that will be inside the sheet. The flexible layer helps to warp the sheet fabric back from a flattened state that may occur during transport. It also helps to retain the three-dimensional condition of the leaf.

: ^^ In multiple sheet configurations, two or more sheets can be joined together with adhesive or by some other joining method to generate a tubular structure. In this type of configuration many different shapes can be obtained that result in joining lines that replace the folds that can be found in a sheet constructed with a single factory sheet. A main feature to avoid twisting in these arrangements and to provide the torsional rigidity of the blade is the diagonal dimensional stability or the tendency to recover its primitive form of the fabric. An advantage to this construction is that different materials can be used to build the tubular sheet for aesthetic purposes or other purposes. Another aspect of the invention is the ability to hide the mechanical components that are used to hang the leaves from the lintel of an operating system. This provides a more pleasant aesthetic appearance. To obtain this, a suspension plate is inserted into the open top end of each sheet and attaches to the top of the sheet. The suspension plate is preferably positioned so that the suspension hook extends from a carrier mechanism mounted on the lintel is substantially concealed within the hollow interior of the tubular sheet. Ideally, the suspension plate is placed so that the upper part of the leaf meets the lower part of the lintel or is almost abutting the lower part of the lintel when the leaf hangs on the suspension hook. The sheet may have a single hollow portion or cell, or it may consist of cells or multiple hollow portions.These portions or cells are defined by the manner in which the product is folded and constructed. As for costs, it will have a section hollow only, although multi-cell constructions also benefit. Another advantage of the invention is that the hollow sheet diffuses light in a unique manner. The shadow generated by the superposition of two leaves is diffused by the shape tubular sheet so that a shadow is not evident.

This results in a product with a much more subtle and pleasant appearance compared to the harsh shadows of the vertical sheets of the prior art. The thicker the tubular sheet, the more obvious this effect becomes.

The sheet can also be formed with reinforcements at the top end if the sheet is to be used on a vertical sheet cover. The reinforcement is in the form of a plastic insert placed on the hollow upper end of the sheet and the sides of the sheet are secured to the plastic insert so they close the end of the sheet while providing conditions * Positive and durable to an operation system. Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, the appended claims and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS # '10 Figure 1 is a front isometric view of a vertical window blind incorporating the tubular sheet of the present invention. Figure 2 is a fragmentary isometric view 15 of the upper end of the tubular sheet shown in Figure 1 showing a suspension plate attached to the sheet. Figure 3 is a fragmentary front elevation of a window blind incorporating the The tubular sheet of the present invention in the extended closed position illustrates how the suspension plates are concealed in the sheets.

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic horizontal section taken through the tubular sheet of Figure 2 illustrating the diffusion of light passing through the sheet. Figure 5 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken through several overlapping sheets of the type shown in Figure 2, in the extended closed position of a window blind. Figure 6 is a schematic isometric representation jk illustrating a method for forming the sheet shown in Figures 1 to 5. Figure 6A is a section taken along line 6A-6A of Figure 6. Figure 6B is a section taken along the line 6B-6B of Figure 6. 15 Figure 6C is a section taken along the line 6C-6C of Figure 6. The figure 6D is a section taken along line 6D-6D of Figure 6. Figure 7 is a section taken through 20 of a first alternative embodiment of the sheet. Figure 8 is an end view of a pre-folded sheet of material used to manufacture the tubular sheet of Figure 7. Figure 9 is a cross section of a folded sheet during the construction of the sheet of Figure 7 illustrating better the crease or groove that * shown in Figure 8. Figure 10 is an enlarged fragmentary section illustrating the relative size of the fold or groove. Figure 11 is an end view of a second alternative embodiment of the sheet. Figure 12 is an end view of a third alternative embodiment of the sheet. Figure 13 is an end view of a fourth Alternative Mode of the Sheet Figure 14 is an end view of a fifth alternative embodiment of the sheet. Figure 15 is an end view of a sixth alternative embodiment of the sheet. Figure 16 is an end view of a seventh alternative embodiment of the sheet, FIG. 17 is an end view of an eighth alternative embodiment of the sheet. Figure 18 is an end view of a ninth alternative embodiment of the sheet. Figure 19 is an end view of a tenth alternative embodiment of the sheet. Figure 20 is an end view of a tenth alternative embodiment of the sheet.

Figure 21-is an end view of a tenth * second alternative form of the sheet. Figure 22 is an end view of a tenth alternative embodiment of the sheet. Figure 23 is an end view of a fourteenth alternative embodiment of the sheet. Figure 24 is an end view of a fifteenth alternative embodiment of the sheet. r Figure 25 is an end view of a tenth sixth alternative form of the sheet. Figure 26 is a table comparing the index • At the moment of sheet twisting manufactured in accordance with the present invention with single layer and double layer flat sheets. Figure 27 is a graph that corresponds to the tabular information of Figure 26. Figure 28 is a table comparing tubular sheets made of fabrics with and without diagonal dimensional stability. Figure 29 is a graph that corresponds to the tabular information of Figure 28. Figure 30 is a fragmentary isometric view of a portion of the apparatus illustrated schematically in Figure 6 illustrating an apparatus and method for inserting reinforcements into the open top end of a leaf.

Figure 30A is a fragmentary isometric view of an alternative cutting mechanism to that shown in Figure 6. Figure 30B is a fragmentary isometric view 5 of another alternative cutting mechanism to that shown in Figure 6. Figure 31 is an isometric view fragmentary of the upper end of a vertical blade that incorporates a j reinforcement at the upper end for suspension of the blade.

Figure 32 is a fragmentary isometric view similar to that of Figure 31 showing an alternative system for reinforcing the upper end of a sheet. Figure 33 is a fragmentary top plan view of the apparatus shown in Figure 30. Figure 34 is a fragmentary left side elevation of the apparatus shown in Figure 30. ^^ Figure 35 is a fragmentary operational side elevation that is shown in Figure 30. Figure 36 is a fragmentary side elevation 20 similar to that of Figure 35 with the components in a different operating position. Figure 37 is a fragmentary side elevation similar to that of Figure 35 with the components in another additional operative position.

Figure 38 is an enlarged section taken along line 38-38 of Figure 34. Figure 39 is an enlarged section taken along line 39-39 of Figure 34. Figure 39A is a section similar to that of Figure 39 showing an alternative form of adhesive to that shown in Figure 39. Figure 40 is an enlarged fragmentary section j, which is taken along the line 40- 40 of the "10 figure 34. Figure 41 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken along line 41-41 of figure 34. Figure 42 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken along the line 42-42 of Figure 33. 15 Figure 43 is an enlarged side elevation of the upper end of a sheet before being cut by a die Fig. 43A is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of the upper end of a sheet before being cut by die, according to an alternative cutting mechanism shown in the figure 30B. Figure 44 is a fragmentary side elevation similar to that of Figure 43 showing the same portion 25 of the sheet after it has been cut by die.

Figure 44A is a fragmentary lateral elevation similar to that of Figure 44 showing the end portion of a sheet after it has been die cut with the cutter shown in FIG. figure 30B. Figure 45 is a section taken along line 45-45 of Figure 44.

DESCRIPCipw r > t! ATTACHED TO PREFERRED MODALITIES Referring first to Figure 1, a cover 30 is illustrated in the form of an architectural cover device incorporating the sheets 32 of the present invention. For the purposes of the present description, the cover 30 will normally be referred to as a vertical window blind, it is recognized that the cover can be used for other architectural purposes for example in doors or in other furniture in the interior of dwellings. The window blind includes in a general way a lintel 34 that can be suspended from a wall or ceiling adjacent to a window opening and an operation system (which is not shown in full) connected to the lintel and adapted to suspend a plurality of sheets 32 extending vertically ifc The operating system, which is not fully shown insofar as it does not form part of the present invention, preferably includes a plurality of carriers associated with each sheet 32 with the carriers operatively coupled with a tilt rod placed horizontally on the lintel so that the rotation of the tilt rod causes the carriers to rotate about their vertical axis. Such 'jg operating systems for sheet window coverings Verticals are well known in the art. A suspension plate 36 (FIG. 2), which is fixed internally to the upper end of a tubular sheet, is adapted to be releasably connected to an associated carrier. The suspension plate can be fixed on either side of the sheet. Preferably the suspension plate is attached to the sheet with a pressure sensitive adhesive, but it can be fixed in any other suitable manner, for example by ultrasound, so that it moves in unison with the associated sheet. The window blind 30 is operative for movement between extended and retracted positions, as well as open and closed positions. In the extended position shown in Figure 1, the sheets are evenly distributed through the window opening, while that the retracted position (not shown), the sheets are piled horizontally together adjacent to either or both sides of the window opening. The leaves are rotatable to move the blind between -as open and closed positions. In the open position shown in FIG. 1, the 5 sheets extend perpendicularly to the lintel, while in the closed position of FIGS. 3 and 5, they are preferably partially overlapped in a step-like contact relationship and which is extends Ét in substantially parallel relation to the lintel.

With reference to Figure 2, a sheet 32 made in accordance with the present invention can be seen to consist of a single tape or strip of sheet material, preferably cloth, formed in an elongated tube in a manner that provides the rigidity of twisting moment of the blade along its length. Therefore, the sheet has an inner surface 38 and an outer surface 40. The material can be a single layer or a laminate. In the case of a laminate, the interior surface of the laminate will normally be functional and may not be aesthetically pleasing, while the outer surface of the laminate will normally be less functional and more aesthetically pleasing. The tubular construction of the sheet is pleasing both structurally with respect to sound and aesthetically pleasing.

The sheet 32 has two outwardly convex outer walls 42 and 44 of equal length defining a regular rounded curve along a folded side or front leaf section 46 of the sheet, and a substantially flat, relatively thin tail 48 , on the other side of the section 50 of the back sheet of the sheet, when the free edges 52 of the strip of material from which the sheet is made are placed next to each other. The free E-edges 52 of the strip are joined, for example with adhesive, along the joint line 54 extending the length of the sheet. A folded side 46 of the sheet is surrounded so as to simulate a rounded fold which is found in conventional draperies. The separation between the walls 42 and 44 of the sheet in the position in which are separated maximally, is designated by the letter "X" in Figure 2, is preferably in the range of 3 mm to 25 mm (1/8"to 1") for a sheet having a width of 9 cm (3.5") and a side 46 rounded towards tail part 50. This particular structure of the The sheet makes it possible to use various materials, many of which have inherent structural rigidity, but which can be inherently deviated to a certain extent to a flat orientation to generate a hollow tubular sheet suitable for use in a window cover vertical leaf. The availability of diverse materials generates a wide variety of choices of textures, colors and fabrics. The aesthetic attributes of the leaf design 32 are based on its three-dimensional condition, the hollow condition of the sheet, the tail 48 and the fact that they can be used in the construction of different materials. The three-dimensional condition of the sheet provides a smoother, less rough appearance on the window compared to the ^ - conventional vertical fabric sheets. The soft appearance is present in both the open and closed positions of the sheets. In addition, in the retracted position, the blind provides a curtain-like appearance. The hollow sheets 32 provide two significant functional advantages over vertical sheets of the prior art. The first is that the suspension plate 36 can be completely hidden inside the sheet, j-and as best seen in Figures 2 and 3. In the vertical sheets of the prior art, the mechanical components are visible and not very attractive. The second advantage of the The hollow sheet is that it diffuses the light in a way that decomposes the harsh shadows generated by the vertical sheets of the prior art. This diffusion is the result of two effects that are illustrated in figure 4. The first effect results from diffusion when direct light of the sun diffuses through the first wall 42 of the sheet of & so that a different shadow is not projected onto the second wall 44 of the sheet. The diffusion of the light is inherent to the fabric and is increased by the second wall of the tubular sheet. The second effect is the internal reflection 5 of sunlight within the interior of the tubular sheet. The inner surface 38 is white, and reflects the light. The reflected light is scattered over the whole surface of the sheet and therefore, instead of a defined shadow, at the point of superposition of two overlapping sheets, is the presents a diffuse or faint shadow. The relatively flat and thin tail 48 of the sheet 32 is adapted to overlap (Figure 5) an adjacent sheet when the window cover is in its extended closed position and, therefore, improves the closure of the sheet. shutter sheet. An improved closure of the leaves improves the overall appearance of the blind to provide privacy and control of light. It also results in a more attractive product because there is no unwanted light that dazzles through the spaces in the blind. HE will appreciate that if the shutter is in the open or closed position, a rounded surface of the sheet is oriented towards the interior of the building structure in which the sheet is mounted so that it presents a smooth appearance similar to that of conventional draperies. £ f Sheet 32 is made from a flexible material and works best if the material has diagonal dimensional stability. The diagonal dimensional stability is a feature of a fabric that substantially prevents the fabric from being stretched or shrinking along a diagonal line both in the machine direction of the fabric or in the transverse direction of the fabric. For purposes of the present disclosure, a fabric that is dimensionally stable diagonally is defined as a fabric that can be stretched no more than 10% along a 45 degree diagonal to the direction of the machine with the fabric when a force of 227 g (8 ounces) is applied between two points along this diagonal . As mentioned previously, it is preferably that in the that the longitudinal dimension of the sheet extends in the machine direction of the fabric. The diagonal dimensional stability is a factor in the ability of the sheets to resist twisting from the top to the bottom when they rotate from the top. The diagonal stable dimensionable features of the material facilitates torsional moment transfer along the length of the tubular sheet. The diagonal dimensional stability of the fabric, together with the hollow structure of the sheet, essentially avoids the longitudinal iß twist even when the sheet is easily bent by gravity if placed horizontally. Examples of materials that have diagonal dimensional stability are almost non-woven fabrics and some knitted fabrics. Fabrics are generally very stretchable when pulled diagonally though not beyond the understanding that a diagonally stable fabric diagonally can be created by rolling the fabric with a stabilizing nonwoven material of some kind, a film or by using large amounts of reinforcement. It is preferred, although it is not essential that the material provide a pleasant quality of transmitted light. The preferred material is white so that it provides a transmitted light that is of a nice white color and quality. The main variations exist in the quality of the sheet materials and it is difficult to judge the quality of the light in addition to the test variations with a panel or panel for the consumer. 20 The strength requirements for the material is that it is sufficiently rigid so that it does not bend easily and that it does not come off when subjected to abrasion. The requirement that the material not tear is especially relevant in positions where the sheet and is attached to the suspension plate 36. imt The material desirably also has a very pleasant feel. The touch of a fabric is the tactile qualities that include softness, firmness, elasticity, soft condition, fall and other qualities perceived by touch. A fabric with a pleasant touch condition can be used for the sheet insofar as it can be provided with diagonal dimensional stability since the fabric should not be treated with a reinforcement to transfer the torque when it is * 10 in a tubular configuration. A material that has proved to be satisfactory for the construction of a sheet is a non-woven fabric bonded by 90 grams / m2 acrylic bonded polyester yarn manufactured by Unitika Corporation with main offices in Japan. Another suitable material is an opaque knit fabric identified by style number 34184 and manufactured by ^ ^ Guilford Mills of North Carolina. Both fabrics provide a good balance of the characteristics described above.

In addition, knitted or woven fabrics can be laminated to a non-knitted or woven fabric of the type mentioned. Although it is preferred that the fabric be dimensionally stable diagonally, fabrics which tend to recover their primitive diagonal dimensional form can also be used. A fabric with such The tendency to recover its primitive shape may be mt slightly more stretchable along its diagonal than a fabric that is diagonally stable but will return to its original orientation for a relatively short period of time. For purposes of the present description, a tubular sheet made in accordance with the present invention and with a cloth having a tendency to recover its primitive diagonal dimensional shape, will return to its original orientation in less than ^ * two minutes when bending or twisting along its axis '"" 10 longitudinal 45 degrees from the top to the bottom and the blade has a length of 213 cm (84 inches) long and 8.9 cm (3.5 inches) wide. In other words, the fabric can have some degree of flexibility along its diagonals. As mentioned previously, the sheet 32 is made of a strip or strip of elongated material. The strip has a rectangular configuration so that it has the two longitudinally extending side edges indicated above. The strip is formed in a tube that generally simulates a wing profile. This tubular construction provides the blade 32 with torsional stiffness along its length which is increased by the use of a diagonally dimensionally stable fabric. The torsional rigidity resists the torsion shown by the leaves verticals of the prior art.

The preferred method for producing the sheet 32 requires several steps which are illustrated schematically in Figures 6, 6A, 6B, 6C and 6D. The first stage is heat stabilization of the material used to manufacture the sheet if the material is a fabric. Some different fabric materials, such as paper or the like, even some fabrics, may be unsuitable for heat stabilization especially when they have not been subjected to shrinkage. When heat stabilization is used, it is used to prevent differential shrinkage of the blade which can cause the blade to sag. The heat stabilization must be performed while the web or strip 55 runs through a fabric straightening machine 57. A band 17.8 cm (7 inches) wide has been found adequate, but other material widths can be used. The fabric straightening machine may consist of a heat roller 59 and a cooling roller 61. The fabric straightening machine takes any inherent bend or curve, and runs it out of the untreated fabric before it is further processed. The fabric crimping machine 57 is desirable because the tubular sheet construction can amplify any curve present in the untreated fabric in a significant warped portion in the finished sheet. For example, if a roll of 17.8 cm (7 inches) wide WJ material? sheet is rolled and placed flat on the floor over a length of 15.2 meters (50 feet), the material can warp up to 6 millimeters (1/4 inch) over the entire length of 15.2 m (50 feet) when the warped material is produces on a sheet, the sheet may also have a 6 mm (1/4 inch) warped part over a length of 1. 8 meters (six feet). This amount of warping is usually unacceptable in the hedging industry No windows when aesthetics is of primary importance.

In fact, a warped part ma} Approximately 6 mm (1/4 inch) on a sheet that has a length of 213 cm (84") long or less is generally unacceptable The web 55 straightened afterwards is bent by a bender or former 63, as illustrated in figures 6, 6A, 6B, 6C and 6D by simultaneously lifting the side edges 65 of the band until they are placed next to each other. ^ if as the web advances through the folding or forming machine. The sides should rise simultaneously instead of folding one side over the other side because the sides tensions caused by bending will be uniform on both sides of the band. The folding is carried out by running the band through the folder or former that has an internal contoured wall that takes or captures the band and gently causes both sides of the band to move one towards the other. The side edges 65 finally? They are close to each other. The folding apparatus preferably has a central member or beam 67 which keeps the web folded down as it is bent at the sides of the web. Figures 6A-6D illustrate in cross-section the configuration of the inner wall 75 of the folder or former 63 and how it affects the web 55 as the fabric moves through the folder. It should be appreciated that? ßm the web inherently seeks to remain flat, or in In other words, it deviates somewhat to a flat orientation so that it will naturally follow the outline of the inner wall of the former. As can be seen in Figure 6A, the folder in a position upstream of its longitudinal center defines a channel in which the side edges 65 of the band rise slightly.

In Figure 6B, which is a cross-sectional view k downstream of Figure 6A, the channel is slightly narrower and the side edges 65 have been raised considerably. The lower portion of the band, at the longitudinal center of the band, has been folded on the rounded side 46. Figure 6C is a cross section near the downstream end of the folder and it will be noted that the channel is shaped generally similar to a narrow U and is even narrower than it is at its terminal downstream terminal jtjm shown in Figure 6D.

In addition, the lower end of the channel has a relatively narrow V-shaped section 77, which forms a very slight crease or fold on the rounded and bent side 46. He fold is not enough to bend a permanent curvature in the fibers of the fabric but only enough to deform the fabric so that its fold is slightly narrower than that which would be obtained without the ^^ light fold, and is flexible or elastic so that ~ 10 retains the deflection that drives the side walls 42 and 44 away from each other. The deflection of the side walls urges the tubular fabric band to expand and follow the contour of the interior wall 75 of the beam as it expands at the downstream end of the web. folder, as shown in Figure 6D. When the fabric is completely folded, two, belts or continuous belts 69 (Figure 6) traveling at the same speed adjacent to each other, can be used to fasten the fabric and pull the fabric through a applicator 71 of adhesive. The adhesive applicator can insert adhesive along the joint line 54 (figure 2) between the two walls 42 and 44 along the side edges 65. The lateral pressure of the two belts 69 can be used to close the walls in lines of adhesive to create a permanent bond. The preferred adhesive for this application is Bostik 7983 manufactured by * Bostik of Middleton, Massachusetts. Misalignments in forming the sheet, as described, can cause warped or warped sheets, so it is important to maintain proper alignment of the fabric web as it is folded and glued. It will be appreciated that the adhesive used to form the sheet does not have a roller in the functional characteristics of the sheet but rather y ^. it serves only to secure the sheet material itself. This can be obtained in other ways for example by sewing, stapling or by fastening. The folded and glued sheet in its tubular configuration can then be transferred to a cutting mechanism 73 (figure 6) to cut the band into lengths desired. One such mechanism is a conventional cutting guillotine which can be of the single rotation type guillotine that is separated from the tubular band so that the folded and bonded strip can run through it freely and only affects the sheet when a real cut is presented. The cutter of the single rotation type can produce a sheet 32 of any length. After the blade is cut to its length, it is preferably accelerated away from the cutting guillotine where a suspension plate 36 is incorporated into the blade. by means of ultrasound or adhesive, and then jMk is advanced and packaged for incorporation into a finished window blind product. Another advantage of the sheet 32 formed as shown in Figure 2 is that the sheet can be packed in a state almost completely collapsed, and the fabric in the rounded crease can cause the sheet to re-attach or to open until it is placed in a blind. The amount of new bond depends on the type of fabric used. A fabric ^^ flexible will open up more completely than a non-fabric flexible. A first alternative embodiment of the sheet of "the present invention is illustrated in Figure 7. The sheet 58 of Figure 7, in cross section, can be seen to have a flat short wall 60 and a long convex wall 62 outwardly. The structure also has a well defined permanent longitudinal fold 64 along the folded side mt-66, and a tail 68 along the other side in which the short wall and the long wall are adhesively bonded along of a union line 70 that extends to all, the length of the sheet. The advantage of this particular structure is that due to the fact that the sheet material is somewhat offset towards the planar orientation, the long wall 62 exerts a lateral deflection force on the short wall 60 and the fold 64, and along the line 70 so that the short wall is always deflected outwards and therefore remains flat. By way of • Further, the short wall prevents the long wall from extending outwardly beyond the width of the short wall, thus preventing the long wall from collapsing on itself. These deflection forces between the short and long walls help retain the structure and shape when hanging in a vertical orientation. The long convex wall 62 is also observed to be rounded off > ^ way that simila a rounded fold that is in conventional draperies. The separation between the walls 60 and 62 of the sheet in the position in which they are maximally separated, as described in the first embodiment, is designated by the letter "X" in Figure 7 and is preferably in the range of 3 mm (1/8") to 25.4 mm '(1") for a sheet that has a width of 8.9 cm (3.5" wide). ^ t The embodiment of Figure 7 is also preferably formed from an elongated web strip or strip. The permanent longitudinal fold 64 (figures 8, 9 and 10) is established in any conventional manner in the central region of the band. The location of the fold is in a region where the tubular sheet is bent, as shown in Figures 8, 9 and 10. There is no subsequent heat hardening of the fold, so that it can become permanent. In making the permanent crease, the fibers 4 of the cloth strip must be flattened without being cut. In the preferred embodiment of the ho, the flattening of the fibers is carried out over a width of at least twice the thickness of the cloth web, as best seen in Figures 9 and 10. A preferred thickness of the fabric would be approximately 267 μm (10-1 / 2 mils). To obtain such a fold, a shallow folding machine is used which has a contact area of at least. less twice the thickness of the fabric and that compresses the fabric to about half of its normal thickness. This fold width is preferred, but the sheet will work if the fold is narrower or wider. The desire for a permanent crease, as described, is better understood with reference to the figures 9 and 10. Figure 10 shows a cloth band at the fold point at 64, while Figure 9 shows that the - fold has similar appearance when the band is bent.

It is clear from this illustration that instead of gaining a sharp bending line that can tear when it is bent, the fold provides a soft fold that does not have a sharp fold line. This relatively broad, shallow crease helps the material retain its wing profile configuration on the blade by providing more than one divergent deflection on the sides or sections of the k band defined by the crease as those that exist with a crease more narrow. In Figure 11 a second alternative embodiment of the sheet of the present invention is illustrated. The sheet 74 of Figure 11 can be seen to be very similar to that of the first described embodiment of Figure 2, except that the longitudinal fold 76 is formed in the fold along the associated side 78 of the sheet. The fold 76 is preferably a shallow fold as the type 0 described in relation to the first alternative embodiment of Figure 7 and extends substantially along the front wing section in the longitudinal centerline of a band. of fabric from which the sheet is made. The side 80 of the sheet opposite the folded side 78 5 again forms a relatively thin and flat tail or a back sheet section 82 in which the two side edges 84 of the band are joined. To obtain a better joint, a sheet 86 (figure 12) of the configuration shown in figure 2 can be modified by adding a strip 88 of flexible material longitudinally along a fold 90 inside the sheet 86, as illustrated in a third alternative embodiment in Figure 12. Flexible tape 88 may be narrow or wide. An example of a flexible tape that is suitable for use on a sheet is a denim latex 6 pointer of 50 grams / m2 typical that is used in quilt-fillings and is found in most stores. fabrics The strips of elastic material can alternatively be attached to the fabric transverse to the longitudinal axis of the sheet. These strips, if a flexible polymer is used, will provide a resistance in transverse direction to the sheet and work to keep the sheet open, ^ u The fabrics used for the first, second and The third alternative embodiments of the preferred invention illustrated in Figures 7, 11 and 12, respectively, are the same as those described for the embodiment of Figure 2. Again, the most important attribute of the fabric is that it has stability or tendency to recover its way primitive, dimensional diagonal. Another important attribute of the fabric is that it has a good feel to the touch. A A particular fabric that works very well with these three modalities is a laminate of a woven or non-woven polyester. The methods for making leaves are substantially the same as for the manufacture of the sheet 32 of the first embodiment described. Figures 13 to 15 show the fourth, fifth and sixth alternative modes, respectively, of the sheet shown in Figure 11, but which is folded and folded differently. All of the three modes, preferably - again, are manufactured from the same fabric as the previously described modes. The sheet 98 shown in Figure 13 does not have a tail, the walls 100 and 102 are symmetrical with a fold 104 along the central region of the strip from which the sheet is formed and a line of junction 106 extends the full length of the sheet and is located between the side edge of a wall 100 and a flap 108 internally folded at the side edge of the other wall 102. The overall shape in .10 cross section of the sheet 98 It is obloid. An advantage of this design is that the joint area is hidden. Figure 14 depicts a sheet 110 having a tail 112 defined by the flat legs 114 joined along the edges of each wall 116 and 118, respectively. A junction line 120 extends the entire length of the sheet. The walls 116 and 118 are of equivalent width as the flat ends 114. The walls are also cambered and end substantially along the longitudinal center line of the band in three folds 122, 124 and 126 that extend longitudinally, which define an indentation 128 extending longitudinally. These folds deflect the leaf towards an open condition in which it would collapse. Figure 15 depicts a sheet 130 having a convex short wall 132 and a long convex wall 134. The short wall 132 is attached or otherwise fixed to the long wall 130 with a line of adhesive 136 extending the full length of the sheet in an intermediate position along the width of the long wall. from defining a single layer tail 138 along the free edge of the long wall. The opposite side edge of the sheet is bent with or without a fold to define a flap on the short wall identifying the position on the short wall in which it is attached to the long wall. This modality improves the closure of the sheet as the glue 138 establishes a greater overlap between the sheets when the sheets are in the closed position. Figures 16 to 19 show the seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth alternative modalities, respectively, of the sheet of the present invention. These modalities are made of multiple bands of material, instead of a single band. The modalities use, in their totality, a fabric with stability or tendency to recover its primitive diagonal form, all of them are of tubular structure, and have a similar appearance, in case it is not identical, of the modalities described above. The advantage of a type of multiple band structure is that it may be possible to use two bands of colors, textures or even different materials to generate a sheet. With bands of different materials, there may be a differential fc shrinkage between the two types of materials resulting in warping of the sheet. Therefore, a pre-shrinkage of the untreated web materials prior to the manufacture of the sheet is desirable. 5 The seventh modality shown in the figure 16 is a multi-band sheet 150 having a shape similar to the shape of the sheet shown in FIG. 7. This sheet is made of two individual strips of materials that are joined by lines of adhesive 152 which are extended to the entire length of the sheet to form a flat short wall 154 and a long convex wall 156 of the tubular sheet. The long wall 156 is folded longitudinally inwards, in a fold 158 adjacent a longitudinal edge to define a fin 160. The fin 5 160 is glued inwardly and is joined with the adhesive 152 to the short wall 154. The opposite edges of the walls 154 and 156 also join with the adhesive 152 to form a tail 162. The eighth alternative embodiment shown in Figure 17 represents a symmetrical multiple band sheet 164 having defined internal fins 166. by adjacent folds 168 on the opposite edges of walls 170 and 172 convex of equal length, of the band. The fins 166 are bonded with adhesive 174 extending the entire length of the sheet.

Figure 18 depicts a multi-band sheet 176 in which a substantially flat cut wall 178 is contained within a long convex wall 180 having fins 182 directed inward along opposite side edges formed by the fold. The fins 182 have an inner surface facing the short wall and the short wall is attached to the inner surface of the fins 182 of the long wall with adhesive 184 extending the full length of the sheet. * 10 The tenth alternative embodiment illustrated in Fig. 19 shows a multiple band sheet 186 which is a variant of the sheet 176 shown in Fig. 18. The difference in the sheet 186 and the sheet 176 described in Fig. 18 is an additional set of lines 188 of adhesive extending to the entire length of the sheet which joins the long wall 190 with the wall 192 cuts along a length of "Portion of the long wall adjacent the fins 182 so that the short wall joins the long wall on both faces of the short wall. Figures 20 to 23 depict multiple cell modalities of the sheet of the present invention. These sheets can include two or more cells, but it is still desirable that the fabric has stability or tendency to recover its primitive diagonal dimensional form to optimize the proper operation. A cell splitter can be manufactured from the same material or from different materials. A cell splitter can be used both to create multiple cells or to provide blocking or obscuring features to the sheet product. The sheets can be manufactured using multiple bands or they can be manufactured using a single band and bending the band differently. When the cell divider is inserted between the sheet edges it helps to avoid collapse of the sheet, but it should not be inserted between the edges. By manufacturing the cell splitter from a material other than the body of the sheet, it can be used to increase the bending stiffness of the sheet by using a stiffener material or to improve other physical properties such as internal light or heat reflection. Figures 20 to 22 depict sheets of multiple cells that are folded differently but that are manufactured from a single band. In Figure 20, a sheet 202 constitutes a tenth alternative embodiment of the present invention that can be seen to be formed of a single ribbon of material having portions 204 and 206 of convex wall of equal length and a cell divider portion 208. flat The wall portion 204 and 206 define an external structure configured substantially the same as that of Figure 11. The cell divider portion 208 is flat and has a fin 210 on one edge, which JÉ | it is also a side edge of the web from which the sheet is made, bonded with adhesive 212 to the inner closed end of the sheet along the entire length of the sheet. The opposite edge of the dividing portion of cell 5, which is actually a fold line 214, is joined with adhesive 216 along a line of bond extending the full length in the sheet and securing or fixing the opposite edge of the cell divider portion at? Á two walls of the leaf. The wall 204 is defined between the another side edge of the sheet from which the sheet is made and a first fold fold line 218, while the second wall 206 is defined between the first fold line 218 and the second fold line 214. The cell splitter then, of course, is formed between the second fold line 214 and the fin 210. In figure 21 the tenth second £, is shown. alternative mode, which is also a sheet 220 of multiple cells or applied from a single band. The band is folded along two fold lines 222 and 224 longitudinals which are also separated from the opposite edges 226 and 228, respectively, of the band. However, the fold lines are separated from each other at a greater distance compared to the distance adjacent each edge of the band. The sheet 220 then It forms by folding the outermost sections 230 and 232 of the band (the sections between the fold lines and the outer edges of the band) in opposite directions so that they overlap on opposite sides of the intermediate portion 234 of the band. between the fold lines. The 5 opposite edges 226 and 228 of the web are then bonded or adhered with adhesive 236 to the intermediate portion 234 along the entire length of the sheet adjacent the longitudinal fold lines so as to form the sheet illustrated with a divisor 238 generally in the form of S. * 10 It will be appreciated that the divider 238 is longer than the wall defined by the outermost sections 230 and 232 and therefore biases the walls outward in the desired configuration. Figure 22 is an illustration of a tenth third alternative modality of. the invention and it can be seen that it has an external configuration similar to the embodiment of figure 17. The sheet 240 is a sheet of cells «Multiple, however, and manufactured from a band that has four longitudinal folds. The two folds 242 outer ones are slightly spaced inward from the longitudinal edges of the band so as to define short fins 244. Two inner longitudinal folds 246 are likewise separated from the outer folds 242, but the separation between the inner folds is smaller than the separation between the associated inner and outer ffa folds. The flaps 244 are folded inwardly and adhesively bonded 248 along the entire length of the sheet to the section of the band when the innermost folds 246 so as to form a sheet having 5 convex walls of equal length and a flat intermediate cell splitter 250. Figure 23 shows a fourteenth alternative embodiment of the sheet of the present invention, and the sheet - ^ 252 you can see that it is made of three bands that join joints with adhesive 254. Two outermost bands are of equal width and define convex outer walls 256 of the sheet. The outer walls 256 are interposed between a shorter band of the cell splitter 258 which is of planar configuration and the shorter band is attached to the outer walls with the adhesive 254 adjacent to the longitudinal edges of the strip and the walls along the entire length of the sheet. An advantage of the construction of multiple bands as illustrated in Figure 23 is that different fabrics can be used or films in the construction of the sheet. For example, the sheet may have as its cell splitter 258 a sheet of metallized polyester film that provides the product with darkening capabilities of the room. Because the walls 256 of the sheet are of equal width, it is say, they are symmetrical, the characteristics of material j different do not affect the folding of the sheet. Therefore, obscuring materials, insulating materials or materials can be added to reduce the sound to the construction of the sheet, without an adverse effect on the operation of the sheet. In figure 24 a fifteenth alternative embodiment of the invention is illustrated and it can be seen that it is made from two bands joined together with adhesive ^ 262 along the entire length of the sheet. The bands are joined so as to define a long convex wall 264 and a flat short wall 266 with relatively thin tabs 268 defined on the side edges of the bands where they are held together. The convex curvature of the long wall 264 advantageously tends to maintain the wall 266 short and flat. Figure 25 illustrates a sixteenth embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, a single band or ribbon of material is folded and folded at 272 substantially along the longitudinal center line, and the two halves of the web defined on both sides of the fold 272 are formed in S-shaped walls 274 and 276 which are interconnected and bonded with an adhesive along the adjacent side edges 278 and along the middle line 280 between each side edge 278 and the fold 272. A curved blade 282 that also has an S-shaped configuration is hereby formed, with • two cells 284 formed by folds. It will be appreciated that the shape of the sheet, the number of cells and the number of bands or tapes used for manufacturing a sheet may vary. However, the two most important characteristics that remain are the tubular construction, that is, that it is hollow in one or more of its cells, and that the sheet is preferably manufactured ^ M of a fabric or material that has dimensional stability diagonal even with materials that tend to recover their primitive diagonal dimensional form which also work satisfactorily. The separation between the outer walls and any of the alternative embodiments preferably is in the range of 3 mm to 25.4 mm in its maximum displacement. To illustrate the advantages obtained by producing sheets in a tubular configuration as described above and from materials having stability or tendency to recover their primitive diagonal dimensional form, figures 26 and 28 show the results of tests comparing typical conventional or standard sheets found in the art with those of the present invention. For the purposes of the tests from which the data are obtained, the leaves are cut to have jg- a length of 213 cm (84 inches) in length and 8.9 cm (3.5 inches) in width. The leaves are suspended from the top edge with clips located in the central part, 9.5 mm (3/8 inches) wide, and the 5 measurements are made to determine the force that must be applied to the opposite lower free edge of the sheet to twist the opposite or lower edge of the sheet through varying degrees. This force is mentioned herein as a torque index. The first test compares a sheet of the prior art type of single-layer and double-layer with a tubular sheet made according to figure 7 of the present invention, in which the sheets are all made of a non-woven fabric. bonded woven polyester yarn 15 acrylic 100 grams / m2 manufactured by Unitika Corporation of Japan. The results of the test are shown in the figure 26. The amount of force required for the edge < The lower P of the sheets through the designated number of degrees is recorded in the three tables in Figure 26. will note that the force required to rotate a single-layer, non-tubular fabric sheet, 45 degrees, for example, is about 1.5 grams. The force required to rotate a non-tubular, two-layer cloth sheet, 45 degrees is slightly greater than 1.5 grams. In In contrast, the force required to rotate a tubular sheet constructed in accordance with the present invention at 45 degrees is 59 grams, therefore a fairly improved strength of the torque obtained by a tubular sheet constructed in accordance with the invention is illustrated. 5 present invention. Figure 27 shows a graph that illustrates the comparative data that are established in figure 26. The advantages obtained from using material that has diagonal dimensional stability in relation to the material that does not have such stability is illustrated with the data presented in Figure 28. Figure 28 has two tables, one directed to the tubular sheet configured as shown in Figure 7, made of a woven fabric and specifically a woven bent polyester, whose fabric is not has stability or tendency to recover its diagonal primitive dimensional memory and a tubular sheet == .. configured in an identical way made of a fabric P knitted polyester that has diagonal dimensional stability. Both fabrics are of equal weight. When observing the tubular information in Figure 8, it will be appreciated that the force required to rotate a tubular sheet of woven fabric without stability or tendency to recover its 45 degree diagonal primitive dimensional form is a little less than 2 grams of force. On the other hand, The force required to rotate a knit-K tubular fabric sheet having 45 degree diagonal dimensional stability is 26 grams. Consequently, a noticeable difference in. the force to rotate the blade 45 degrees, which shows that materials that have diagonal dimensional stability are much more preferable for use in a blade. A graph showing the comparison between the knitted fabric having diagonal dimensional stability and a woven fabric which does not have such stability is shown in Fig. 29. It will be appreciated from the above information that the structural configuration of the sheet and the The fabric from which it is manufactured has significant support in the torsional strength of the blades or in the torsion or torsion, although the leaf torque index may have a variable importance for the manufacturer or the consumer, the applicant has found that the sheets What are desirable are those that have a torque index that exceeds 10 grams for 45 degrees of rotation when the sheets are 213 cm (84 inches) length and 8.9 cm (3.5 inches) wide. As an alternative to the suspension plate 36 shown in Figure 2, the upper part of the upper end of the sheet 290 can be closed, as shown in Figures 31 and 32, so that two walls 292 outside of the sheet are joined together with a plastic insert 294 interposed therebetween. An end forming apparatus 296 for forming the upper portion of a sheet 290, as illustrated in Figure 31, is shown in Figures 30 and 30A. 5 As can be seen in figure 30, a rail 298 having a groove 300 in the upper surface thereof is provided at the output end of the apparatus shown diagrammatically in FIG. 6 to guide a sheet 290 preformed and cut towards the end forming apparatus. A set of dies 302 is placed immediately adjacent the end of the guide rail 298 to cut the end of the sheet in a predetermined configuration and a system 304 is aligned for insertion of reinforcement tape with the set of dies and the guide rail for the purpose of selectively inserting a strip 306 of plastic material into the open top end of .la T leaf. The insertion system 304 includes a blade 308 having a longitudinal cavity therethrough which slidably receives the strip 306 of a piece plastic insert. The blade can be inserted into the open main end of the blade to facilitate the insertion of the plastic tape into the blade. The feed rollers 310 are part of the insertion system for advancing the plastic strip, which can be polycarbonate, through the blade. Adhesive applicators 312 are also provided to pre-apply a double-sided adhesive tape 314 to the plastic strip and remove the top layer of paper commonly used in such tapes before being applied. fed into the insertion system. The array set 302 is somewhat conventional and includes a pair of array blocks 316 with one having a cutter head 318 and an edge 320 < _ Cutter in a predetermined manner so as to cut the upper end of a sheet 10 as shown in Figure 31 in a manner to be explained later. This configuration for the upper end of the sheet has been found to be desirable in an architectural cover of the type described in the co-pending application.

Series, deposited simultaneously with the present and entitled An Improved Fabric for an Architectural Covering and Method and Apparatus of w Manufacturing Same (Enhanced Fabric for an Architectural Cover and Method and Apparatus for Manufacturing Same), which is common cession with the present application and is incorporated herein by reference. The array blocks 316 are simultaneously moved toward and away from each other by a conventional array controller 32 to some extent, which has a drive shaft 324 for rotate a crank arm 326 and carry out the 4fc movement of the push and pull rollers 328 connected to the crank arm in diametrically opposite positions. A push and pull rod connects to one of the matrix blocks while the other 5 connects to the opposite matrix block. The selective rotation of the drive shaft therefore causes the blues to move towards each other when it is desired to cut off the end of an incoming sheet, or moving away from each other after a cutting operation. The matrix blocks * 10 also include, as seen in FIGS. 30, 33 and 34, a photoelectric sensor 330 for detecting the upper end of a sheet entering to carry out the termination of the forward movement of the sheet in a manner which is well known to those experts in the technique. The 304 system for plastic insertion is Jj ^ adapted to receive and process the elongated strip 306 of plastic with the strip that has been pretreated with a pair of double-sided strips of adhesive tape 314 on each side. The Two adhesive tape strips on each face are spaced a small amount from the longitudinal center of the plastic tape so as to define a space therebetween. Pairs of driven and stretched rollers 332 cooperate with a free roll 334 on each side of the strip plastic to remove the protective layer 336 of WM paper used in the double-sided adhesive tape. In other words, one side of the adhesive tape is pre-attached to the plastic strip 306 in a conventional manner, while the opposite or exposed side of the adhesive tape 5 has an upper layer 336 of release paper. The release paper superimposed on each side of the plastic strip initially rolls around the free roll 334 and returns between the holding and drawing rollers 332 which are selectively activated with the operation of the apparatus for peeling off the top layer of adhesive paper as desired. The plastic strip 306 is fed into the input end 338 of the strip insertion system 304 from the adhesive applicators 312 and protrudes through a main body 340 and blade 308 of the insertion system for insertion into the upper end Open Jfar of a sheet 290 aligned. The main body 340 of the insertion system has a sheath 342 constituted by a pair of flat plates 344 having aligned longitudinally slots 346 extending therethrough. The slots are in alignment with the space between the strips of adhesive tape on the plastic strip 306 placed within the sheath. Rollers 310 feeders are placed on opposite sides of the sheath and in alignment with slots 346 so as to operatively engage W and hold the plastic strip between them. At the output end 348 of the insertion system, the blade 308 protrudes from the sheath 342. However, the blade extends completely through the sheath. It has a pair of parallel plates 350 protruding from the outer end of the sheath and integral upper and lower guide rails 352 within the sheath, as best seen in Figures 40 and 41. The guide rails are continuous with the plates 350 and serve to guide the plastic guide 306 through the main body 340 of the plastic strip insertion system. The plates 350 at the exit end of the blade confine the tape so that the leading end of the strip is supplied to the die set 302. The main body of the plastic strip insertion system 304 includes a reciprocating base 354 or alternating movement, a slide rail 356 and support blocks 358. The support blocks are connected to a push and pull cylinder 360 at the input end 338 of the insertion system which is adapted to selectively advance and retract the insertion system in sequence with the other components of the apparatus. Before describing the operation of the apparatus, it should be appreciated that the cutter 73 shown in FIG. 6 can be replaced with a cutter 362 as shown in FIG. 30A which has a pair of rollers 364 and 364b spaced apart closely with each other. one of the rollers 364a having a cutting edge 366 insofar as the cutter 73 and the square hole punch 368 is adapted to cut a hole 370 square about the longitudinal centerline of a sheet 290 as the sheet is cut into predetermined lengths B within the apparatus shown in a manner diagrammatically in Figure 6. Accordingly, the leading or trailing end of the sheet approaches the set of dies 302, as shown in Figure 30, a hole 370 square has already been formed on the sheet. The operation sequence to form the end of a sheet is probably best illustrated in Figures 35-37, in Figure 35 the position of the machine is shown before any stage is performed. It will be appreciated that the insertion system 304 retracts completely away from the set of dies 302 and that the sheet 290 has not yet been introduced into the set of matrices. The initial step to form the upper end of the blade is the activation of the reciprocating cylinder 360 which advances the insertion system 304 forward until the exit end of the blade 308 of the strip 306 of plastic in it is placed between the blocks 316 W of the set of dies and slightly passing the head 318 cutter. The blade aligns longitudinally with the slot 300 in the upper part of the guide rail 298 so that it also lines up with an inlet sheet. A sheet 290 is then supplied between the die set blocks so that the open front end of the sheet is received on and mounted on the leading end of the blade so that not only the end of W? output of the blade but also the plastic strip that is retained on itself within the open upper end of the sheet. The reciprocating cylinder 360 is then retracted to pull the sheath and blade back so that it moves the blade from the confines of the blade. The feed rolls 310 of course have a continuous grip of the plastic strip and serve to keep the leading end of the plastic strip inside the open end " of the sheet. This position is shown in figure 37 and it will be appreciated that the plastic strip is now placed inside the open upper end of the sheet and between the blocks of matrix. The photoelectric sensor 330 and the matrix blocks 316 are positioned above the blade 308 so that they are capable of detecting the open upper end of a blade while the blade protrudes between the blocks of matrix. The photoelectric sensors cooperate with the drive rollers (not shown) for the blades, which advance the blades along the guide rail 298 and stop the blades with the square hole 370 therethrough, in alignment with the blades. a sample 372 (figure 5 42) in the cutting blade 320. The controller 322 of the die set is then activated to move the die blocks one towards the other so that the end of the sheet is cut off with the cutting blade 320 at = jj, the configuration shown in FIG. Figure 31. Since the square hole 370 in the sheet is aligned with the sample 372 in the cutting blade (figure 42), the upper end of the sheet is cut in a manner, which allows a tongue 374 formed in the plastic tape 306 to protrude from the end of the sheet. During the cutting operation, the tongue is also perforated to provide a transverse conduit 376 therethrough which facilitates Z ^ the attachment of the sheet to a suspension hook or other component (not shown) of an operating system for an architectural roof using the sheet. As an alternative for cutting a square hole in the sheet, in order to provide the tab exposed on the plastic strip at the end of the sheet, the sheet can simply be slid on the basis that it is perforated with a hole square and get the same results. With reference to Figures 30B, 43A and 44A, it will be noted that the cutter 362 has rollers 364A and 364B which can be modified to replace the square hole punch 368 with a straight edge punch which simply forms a slot at through 5 of the sheet in view of the square hole. Subsequently, when the die blocks are moved towards each other so that the end of the sheet is cut with the cutting blade 320 in the configuration as shown in Figure 31, the fabric tabs on both sides of the The plastic tab will be released, as shown in Fig. 44A, whereby the desired end of the sheet is obtained as shown in Fig. 31. The matrix blocks 316, simultaneously with the sheet end cutter, compress the sides of the sheet against the adhesive tape 314 on the plastic strip so that it adheres to the side walls of the sheet with the plastic insert 294 whereby the plastic insert is interposed between the walls 292 and closes the end of the sheet. Finally, the The array controller 322 can again be activated to retract the matrix blocks leaving the sheet free to be extracted by inverse movement of the drive rollers of the blocks which leaves the sheet formed desirably with the workpiece. insertion 294 of reinforcing plastic tOm fixed and protruding from the end of the sheet. The end of the sheet can also be formed as shown in Figure 32, in which the walls 292 of the sheet protrude upward and cover the plastic tab as indicated by number 378. This is simply carried out by not providing the square hole 370 on the blade as it is supplied in the apparatus? end trainer When producing the end of the sheet as is shown in Figure 32, instead of previously applying a pair of double-sided strips of adhesive tape 314 to each side of the plastic reinforcement strip, a single, relatively broad strip of an adhesive tape (not shown) can be used which covers the central region of the strip 306 of plastic so as to satisfactorily match the walls 292 of the sheet to the strip of ^ f plastic even along the protruding tongue 374. Although the feed rollers 310 in the insertion system 306 will be coupled with the adhesive tape, It has been found that by using surfaces with low coefficient of friction in the feed rollers, the system is not adversely affected. Although the present invention has been described in relation to a preferred embodiment thereof and several In the alternative embodiments, it will be understood that there may be many other modalities which are within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims. It is noted that in relation to this date, the best method known by the applicant to carry out the aforementioned invention, is that which is clear from the present description of the invention. Having described the invention as above, property is claimed as contained in the following:

Claims (30)

# CLAIMS

1. A sheet for an architectural cover, 5 in which a plurality of sheets are suspended, characterized in that the sheet comprises an elongated hollow body having a first second walls, the body is formed of a flexible material.

2. The sheet according to claim 1, characterized in that the flexible material is diagonally stable.

3. The sheet according to claim 1, characterized in that the flexible material has a tendency to recover its primitive diagonal and dimensional form.

4. The sheet according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sheet has a longitudinally extending fold.

5. The sheet according to claim 4, characterized in that the fold is formed As a fold, the fold is formed by compressing the flexible material over an area that is approximately twice the thickness of the flexible material.

6. The sheet according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the sheet is formed of an elongated strip of material having side edges that extend close together and in which the first and second walls are fixed together close to the side edges .

7. The sheet according to claim 4, 5 or 6, characterized in that at least one strip of reinforcing material is attached to the body in the hollow interior thereof along the fold.

8. The sheet according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the elongated tubular body, of a first and second interconnected strips of material forming the first and second walls, respectively, the first and second strips have lateral edges that extend longitudinally.

9. The sheet according to claim 8, characterized in that one side edge of the first strip is connected next to a side edge of the second strip, and each other side edge of the second strip is connected next to the other side edge of the second side. .

10. The sheet according to any preceding claim, characterized in that three longitudinally extending pleats formed in the elongated tubular body are formed, so as to define an indentation extending longitudinally on one side of the sheet.

11. The sheet according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the first and second walls are of equal width.

12. The sheet according to any of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the first wall is narrower than the second wall.

13. The sheet according to claim 12, characterized in that the first wall is substantially planar.

14. The sheet according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the flexible cell divider strip material extends into the hollow interior of the sheet, from one side of the sheet to the other, to divide the sheet into two cells.

15. The sheet according to claim 14, characterized in that the flexible cell dividing strip material is formed integrally with the flexible material of the first and second walls.

16. The sheet according to any of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the first and second walls are joined together intermediate the edge of the sheet, to form two separate cells.

17. The sheet according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the flexible material is a non-woven fabric.

18. The sheet according to any of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that the flexible material is a knitted or woven fabric.

19. The sheet according to any of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that the flexible material is a laminate that includes at least one layer having stability or tendency to recover its primitive diagonal dimensional shape.

20. The sheet according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the side edges of one of the walls are folded back on a wall to form fins extending longitudinally and in which the fins are fixed to the associated side edges of the wall. another wall.

21. The sheet according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that they additionally comprise a fixing member fixed to the interior of the hollow tubular body, which is joined to the inner face by at least one of the first and second walls.

22. The sheet according to claim 21, characterized in that the joining member comprises a strip interposed between and fixed to both walls. fm 23. A method for producing a sheet, according to claim 21 or 22, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: confining a strip of reinforcing material with 5 opposite faces in longitudinal alignment with the body of the sheet; advancing the open end of the body in surrounding relation to the strip; compress the walls of the body to join the strip 10 to the walls; and cut the strip so that it forms a reinforcement inside the end of the body.

24. The method according to claim 23, characterized in that the compression and cutting steps are carried out simultaneously.

25. The method according to claim 23 or 24, characterized in that the step 20 additional to pierce an opening through the end of the body after the strip has been placed therein. < 4. The method according to claim 25, characterized in that an opening is perforated in the body of a sheet in a separate position, but adjacent to the end thereof, before making the open end of the body in advance. surrounding relationship with the strip, whereby the additional step of perforating produces a tongue of the strip extending outwardly and of the body of the sheet. ÍC 27. The method according to claim 23, 24, 25 or 26 characterized in that the step of confining the strip is carried out by holding the strip with an inserter as the body is advanced in surrounding relation to the strip, then remove the inserter from 15 body while leaving the strip inside the body opening.

28. An architectural cover comprising an elongated rail member, a plurality of support 20 separated on the rail member and a plurality of sheets extending with their direction vertically downwardly, one of each of the sheet supports, the cover is characterized in that each sheet is constructed in accordance with any of the claims 25 l to 21. The architectural cover according to claim 28, characterized in that the flexible material of the sheet is a fabric having a machine direction along which it is formed, and a transverse direction extending perpendicular to the machine direction, characterized in that the machine direction of each sheet extends from the upper end to the lower end of the sheet.

30. A method for manufacturing a sheet for an architectural cover, the method is characterized in that it comprises feeding an elongated strip of flexible material from a supply thereof, in a forward feed direction, with one face thereof in contact with a trainer 15 formed into a channel, the inner contoured wall of the channel-shaped former has a substantially planar surface at the upstream end thereof and a U-shaped cross-section progressively and regularly deeper towards the downstream end thereof, the strip is fed between 20 the channel and an elongated central member extending longitudinally into the channel and placed in the center of the channel, the inner contoured wall of the channel thus bends the strip on itself and presses the edges of the strip together to join he throws it in a hollow sheet.