US 12,037,842 B2
Roll-up coverings for architectural openings and related methods, systems and devices
Wendell B. Colson, Weston, MA (US)
Assigned to HUNTER DOUGLAS INC., Pearl River, NY (US)
Filed by HUNTER DOUGLAS INC., Pearl River, NY (US)
Filed on Sep. 7, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/468,079.
Application 17/468,079 is a continuation of application No. 15/510,181, granted, now 11,156,031, previously published as PCT/US2015/049444, filed on Sep. 10, 2015.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/048,516, filed on Sep. 10, 2014.
Prior Publication US 2022/0018182 A1, Jan. 20, 2022
Int. Cl. E06B 9/264 (2006.01); E06B 9/262 (2006.01); E06B 9/303 (2006.01); E06B 9/34 (2006.01); E06B 9/382 (2006.01); E06B 9/40 (2006.01); E06B 9/384 (2006.01)
CPC E06B 9/264 (2013.01) [E06B 9/262 (2013.01); E06B 9/303 (2013.01); E06B 9/34 (2013.01); E06B 9/382 (2013.01); E06B 9/40 (2013.01); E06B 9/384 (2013.01)] 23 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A covering having a custom covering length and a custom covering width for an architectural opening, said covering comprising:
an outer support element having a first end, a second end opposite said first end, and a length extending between said first end and said second end of said outer support element that is selected to correspond to the custom covering length;
an inner support element disposed proximate to said outer support element, said inner support element having a first end, a second end opposite said first end, and a length extending between said first end and said second end of said inner support element that is selected to correspond to the custom covering length;
a plurality of horizontally-extending flexible slats, each horizontally-extending flexible slat having an inner longitudinal edge and an outer longitudinal edge defining a length of each flexible slat corresponding to the custom covering width, each of said plurality of horizontally-extending flexible slats extending length wise between and orthogonal to the respective lengths of said outer and inner support elements, coupled to said outer support element and said inner support element, and moveable by relative movement of at least one of the outer support element and the inner support element; and
a bottom-most, horizontal feature comprising at least one of a group consisting of a bottom rail, a bottom weight, a weighted bar, and combinations thereof, wherein the bottom-most, horizontal feature extends horizontally the same length as the plurality of horizontally-extending flexible slats, is of different construction than the plurality of horizontally-extending flexible slats, is coupled at the second respective end of at least one of the outer support element and the inner support element to be the bottom-most, horizontal feature of the covering when the covering is in an expanded configuration, and is configured to place weight on at least one of the outer support element and the inner support element,
wherein:
said outer support element, said inner support element, and said plurality of horizontally-extending flexible slats define a roll-up subassembly panel configured to be rolled up;
all adjacent horizontally-extending flexible slats are spaced at a desired custom, uniform, fixed distance along the length of the outer and inner support elements;
the bottom-most, horizontal feature is spaced from an adjacent bottom horizontally-extending flexible slat along at least one of the outer support element and the inner support element by the same custom, uniform, fixed distance that adjacent horizontally-extending flexible slats are spaced; and
said roll-up subassembly panel and said bottom-most, horizontal feature provides a custom subassembly having a custom subassembly length corresponding to the custom covering length and a custom subassembly width corresponding to the custom covering width.