Adjustable expandable and collapsible shade

Claim 2

An adjustable shade comprising: a pleated expandable and collapsible main shade having upper and lower ends generally paralleling pleats in the main shade and side edges transverse to the pleats in the main shade, an elongated upper head rail and an elongated lower rail respectively attached to upper and lower ends of the main shade and extending generally parallel to pleats in the main shade, a pleated expandable and collapsible auxiliary shade having first and second ends generally paralleling pleats in the auxiliary shade and first and second side edges transverse to pleats in the auxiliary shade, means mounting first and second ends of the auxiliary shade on the lower rail with the first and second ends of the auxiliary shade in endwise aligned relation, means limiting expansion of the first side edge of the auxiliary shade such that the auxiliary shade extends downwardly in inverted fan configuration from the lower rail with the first side edge of the auxiliary shade at the center of the fan configuration, and lift cords attached to said lower rail and extending upwardly to said upper headrail for raising and lowering the lower rail, the auxiliary shade being raised and lowered with the lower rail.

Claim 3

An adjustable shade according to claim 1 wherein the lower rail has a lengthwise extending downwardly opening channel with opposed flanges, a stiffening member on first and second ends of the auxiliary shade and slidable in said channel for supporting said ends of the auxiliary shade on the lower rail.

Claim 4

An adjustable shade according to claim 1 wherein the auxiliary shade has one row of openings therethrough, adjacent said first side edge, said means for limiting expansion comprising cord means extending through said one row of openings for limiting expansion of the auxiliary shade at said first side edge thereof while permitting expansion of the auxiliary shade at the second side edge thereof.

Claim 5

An adjustable shade according to claim 2 wherein said means for limiting expansion of the auxiliary shade includes a row of openings through the auxiliary shade adjacent said first side edge thereof, and cord means extending through said row of openings.

Claim 6

An adjustable shade comprising: a pleated expandable and collapsible main shade having upper and lower ends generally paralling pleats in the main shade and side edges transverse to the pleats in the main shade, an elongated upper head rail and an elongated lower rail respectively attached to upper and lower ends of the main shade and extending generally parallel to pleats in the main shade, a pleated expandable and collapsible auxiliary shade comprising first and second auxiliary shade sections each having first and second ends generally paralleling pleats in the auxiliary shade and side edges transverse to pleats in the auxiliary shade, means mounting the first ends of the auxiliary shade sections on the lower rail with first side edges of the auxiliary shade sections in adjacent relation, lift cords attached to said lower rail and extending upwardly to said upper head-rail for raising and lowering the lower rail, the auxiliary shade being raised and lowered with the lower rail, means for limiting expansion and contraction of the first and second auxiliary shade sections at the adjacent first side edges of the auxiliary shade sections while permitting expansion and contraction of the first and second auxiliary shade sections along outer second side edges of the auxiliary shade sections, the second ends of the first and second shade sections being movable between a first position generally paralleling the lower rail and a second position extending downwardly in sidewise adjacent relation from the lower rail to form an inverted fan configuration.

Claim 7

An adjustable shade comprising: a pleated expandable and collapsible main shade having upper and lower ends generally paralling pleats in the main shade and side edges transverse to the pleats in the main shade, an elongated upper head rail and an elongated lower rail respectively attached to upper and lower ends of the main shade and extending generally parallel to pleats in the main shade, a pleated expandable and collapsible auxiliary shade comprising first and second auxiliary shade sections each having first and second ends generally paralleling pleats in the auxiliary shade and side edges transverse to pleats in the auxiliary shade, means mounting the first ends of the auxiliary shade sections on the lower rail with first side edges of the auxiliary shade sections in adjacent relation, lift cords attached to said lower rail and extending upwardly to said upper head-rail for raising and lowering the lower rail, the auxiliary shade being raised and lowered with the lower rail, means for limiting expansion and contraction of the first and second auxiliary shade sections at the adjacent first side edges of the auxiliary shade sections while permitting expansion and contraction of the first and second auxiliary shade sections along outer second side edges of the auxiliary shade sections, the second ends of the first and second shade sections being movable between a first position generally paralleling the lower rail and a second position extending downwardly in sidewise adjacent relation from the lower rail to form an inverted fan configuration.

Claim 8

An adjustable shade according to claim 5 wherein the first and second auxiliary shade sections have respective first and second rows of openings therethrough spaced a selected distance from the second side edge of the auxiliary shade section and first and second auxiliary shade operating cord means connected to the second end of the auxiliary shade sections and respectively extending through the first and second rows of openings in the auxiliary shade sections for controlling expansion and contraction of the auxiliary shade sections along the second edges of the auxiliary shade sections.

Claim 9

An adjustable shade according to claim 6 including auxiliary cord lock means on the lower rail for engaging the first and second auxiliary shade operating cords.

Claim 10

An adjustable shade according to claim 6 including auxiliary cord lock means on the head rail for engaging the first and second auxiliary shade operating cords.

Claim 11

An adjustable shade according to claim 5 including means for selectively holding the second ends of the first and second auxiliary shade sections in the first position.

Claim 12

An adjustable shade according to claim 5 including slats attached to the second ends of the first and second auxiliary shade sections, and hinge means interconnecting the slats, the hinge means including means for releasably retaining the slats in an endwise aligned position.

Claim 13

An adjustable shade comprising, a pleated expandable and collapsible main shade having upper and lower ends generally paralleling pleats in the main shade and side edges transverse to pleats in the main shade, an elongated upper head rail attached to the upper end of the main shade, an elongated lower rail attached to the lower end of the main shade, pleated expandable and collapsible first and second auxiliary shade sections each having upper and lower ends generally paralleling pleats in the respective first and second auxiliary shade sections and first and second side edges extending transverse to pleats in the respective first and second auxiliary shade sections, means mounting the first and second auxiliary shade sections on the lower rail with the upper ends of the first and second auxiliary shade sections in endwise aligned relation, means for limiting expansion of the first and second auxiliary shade sections along the first side edges thereof while permitting expansion of the first and second auxiliary shade sections along the second side edges thereof into an inverted fan configuration, and lift cords attached to the lower rail and extending upwardly to the upper head rail for raising and lowering the lower rail.

Claim 14

An adjustable shade comprising, a pleated expandable and collapsible main shade having upper and lower ends generally paralleling pleats in the main shade and side edges transverse to pleats in the main shade, an elongated upper head rail attached to the upper end of the main shade, an elongated lower rail attached to the lower end of the main shade, pleated expandable and collapsible first and second auxiliary shade sections each having upper and lower ends generally paralleling pleats in the respective first and second auxiliary shade sections and first and second side edges extending transverse to pleats in the respective first and second auxiliary shade sections, means mounting the first and second auxiliary shade sections on the lower rail with the upper ends of the first and second auxiliary shade sections in endwise aligned relation, means for limiting expansion of the first and second auxiliary shade sections along the first side edges thereof while permitting expansion of the first and second auxiliary shade sections along the second side edges thereof into an inverted fan configuration, and lift cords attached to the lower rail and extending upwardly to the upper head rail for raising and lowering the lower rail.

Claim 15

An adjustable shade according to claim 11 wherein the first and second auxiliary shade sections have respective first and second rows of openings therethrough spaced a selected distance from the second side edge of the auxiliary shade section, and first and second auxiliary shade operating cord means connected to the lower ends of the first and second auxiliary shade sections and respectively extending through the first and second rows of openings in the auxiliary shade sections for adjustably controlling expansion and contraction of the auxiliary shade sections along the second edge of the auxiliary shade.

Claim 16

An adjustable shade according to claim 12 including auxiliary cord lock means on the lower rail for engaging the first and second auxiliary shade operating cords.

Claim 17

An adjustable shade according to claim 12 including auxiliary cord lock means on the head rail for engaging the first and second auxiliary shade operating cords.

Claim 18

An adjustable shade according to claim 11 including first and second slat means on the lower ends of the first and second auxiliary shade sections for stiffening the latter.

Claim 19

An adjustable shade according to claim 11 including a slat attached to the lower ends of each of the first and second auxiliary shade sections, hinge means interconnecting the slats for releasably retaining the slats in a position paralleling the lower rail.

Claim 20

An adjustable shade comprising, a pleated expandable and collapsible main shade having upper and lower ends generally paralleling pleats in the main shade and side edges transverse to pleats in the main shade, an elongated upper head rail attached to the upper end of the main shade, pleated expandable and collapsible first and second auxiliary shades each having upper and lower ends generally paralleling pleats in the respective first and second auxiliary shades and first and second side edges extending transverse to the pleats of the respective first and second auxiliary shades, the upper ends of the first and second auxiliary shades being integral with the lower end of the main shade and the first side edges of the first and second auxiliary shades being adjacent each other, means for limiting expansion and contraction of the first and second auxiliary shades along the first side edges thereof while permitting expansion of the first and second auxiliary shade sections along the second side edges thereof into an inverted fan configuration, and lift cords for raising and lowering the main shade.

Claim 21

An adjustable shade comprising, a pleated expandable and collapsible main shade having upper and lower ends generally paralleling pleats in the main shade and side edges transverse to pleats in the main shade, an elongated upper head rail attached to the upper end of the main shade, pleated expandable and collapsible first and second auxiliary shades each having upper and lower ends generally paralleling pleats in the respective first and second auxiliary shades and first and second side edges extending transverse to the pleats of the respective first and second auxiliary shades, the upper ends of the first and second auxiliary shades being integral with the lower end of the main shade and the first side edges of the first and second auxiliary shades being adjacent each other, means for limiting expansion and contraction of the first and second auxiliary shades along the first side edges thereof while permitting expansion of the first and second auxiliary shade sections along the second side edges thereof into an inverted fan configuration, and lift cords for raising and lowering the main shade.

Claim 22

An adjustable shade according to claim 17 including first and second slat means on the lower ends of the first and second auxiliary shades for stiffening the latter.

Claim 23

An adjustable shade according to claim 18 including hinge means interconnecting the first and second slat means.

Claim 24

An adjustable shade according to claim 19 including auxiliary shade operating cord means connected to said hinge means.

Claim 25

An adjustable shade according to claim 19 wherein the hinge means includes means for releasably retaining the slats in an endwise aligned position.