Venetian type blinds having opposed lift cords

Claim 2

A venetian type blind comprising: a bottomrail; a plurality of slats above the bottomrail, each slat having an inside edge and an outside edge and at least two spaced apart outside slots on the outside edge and at least one inside slot on the inside edge positioned so that the at least one inside slot is not opposite either slot on the outside edge, the outside slots being laterally spaced apart from the at least one inside slot; a first ladder having opposite cord type rails and rungs extending therebetween, one rail positioned near one of the two inside slots and connected to the bottomrail; a first lift cord adjacent to the one rail of the first ladder, and connected to the bottomrail, and running through one outside slot, there being no lift cord adjacent the opposite rail of the first ladder; a second ladder having opposite cord type rails and rungs extending therebetween, one rail positioned near another of the outside slots and connected to the bottomrail; a second lift cord adjacent to one rail of the second ladder, and connected to the bottomrail, and running through the another of the outside slots, there being no lift cord adjacent the opposite rail of the second ladder; a third ladder having opposite cord type rails and rungs extending therebetween, one rail positioned near the at least one inside slot and connected to the bottomrail; a third lift cord adjacent to one rail of the third ladder, and connected to the bottomrail, and running through the at least one inside slot, there being no lift cord adjacent the opposite rail of the third ladder; a headrail above the bottomrail and the plurality of slats through which the lift cords pass; and a tilt mechanism attached to the headrail to which tilt mechanism at least the first, second and third ladders are attached wherein the tilt mechanism moves the rails of the ladders in opposite directions at the tilt mechanism and adjacent the slats when the blind is changed from an open position to a closed position.

Claim 3

The venetian blind of claim 1 wherein at least one of the lift cords is alternately laced with the rungs of the adjacent ladder.

Claim 4

The venetian blind of claim 1 wherein at least one of the lift cords passes through at least one rung of one of the ladders.

Claim 5

The venetian blind of claim 1 wherein the lift cords are connected to the tilt mechanism and the tilt mechanism moves rails of the ladders and the lift cords together at the tilt mechanism and adjacent the slats when the blind is changed from an open position to a closed position.

Claim 6

The venetian type blind of claim 1 wherein the lift cords have a diameter smaller than a diameter of the rails of the ladders.

Claim 7

The venetian type blind of claim 1 also comprising a tube lift attached to the headrail and to which the lift cords are connected.

Claim 8

The venetian type blind of claim 1 wherein the slots have a depth substantially equal to a diameter of the lift cords.

Claim 9

The venetian type blind of claim 1 also comprising at least one weight attached to at least one lift cord.

Claim 10

The venetian type blind of claim 1 also comprising a cord lock through which the lift cords pass.

Claim 11

The venetian type blind of claim 9 wherein the cord lock is always engaged unless the lift cords are being operated.

Claim 12

A venetian type blind comprised of: an inside bottomrail and an outside bottomrail spaced apart from and parallel to the inside bottomrail; a plurality of slats above the bottomrails, each slat having an inside edge and an outside edge and at least two spaced apart outside slots on the outside edge and at least one inside slot on the inside edge positioned so that the at least one inside slot is not opposite either slot on the outside edge, the outside slots being laterally spaced apart from the at least one inside slot; a first ladder having opposite cord type rails and rungs extending therebetween, one rail positioned near one of the two inside slots and connected to the bottomrails; a first lift cord adjacent to the one rail of the first ladder, and connected to the outside bottomrail, and running through one outside slot, there being no lift cord adjacent the opposite rail of the first ladder; a second ladder having opposite cord type rails and rungs extending therebetween, one rail positioned near another of the outside slots and connected to the bottomrails; a second lift cord adjacent to one rail of the second ladder, and connected to the outside bottomrail, and running through the another of the outside slots, there being no lift cord adjacent the opposite rail of the second ladder; a third ladder having opposite cord type rails and rungs extending therebetween, one rail positioned near the at least one inside slot and connected to the bottomrails; a third lift cord adjacent to one rail of the third ladder, and connected to the inside bottomrail, and running through the at least one inside slot, there being no lift cord adjacent the opposite rail of the third ladder; a headrail above the bottomrail and the plurality of slats through which the lift cords pass; and a tilt mechanism attached to the headrail to which tilt mechanism at least the first, second and third ladders are attached wherein the tilt mechanism moves the rails of the ladders in opposite directions at the tilt mechanism and adjacent the slats when the blind is changed from an open position to a closed position.

Claim 13

A venetian type blind comprised of: an inside bottomrail and an outside bottomrail spaced apart from and parallel to the inside bottomrail; a plurality of slats above the bottomrails, each slat having an inside edge and an outside edge and at least two spaced apart outside slots on the outside edge and at least one inside slot on the inside edge positioned so that the at least one inside slot is not opposite either slot on the outside edge, the outside slots being laterally spaced apart from the at least one inside slot; a first ladder having opposite cord type rails and rungs extending therebetween, one rail positioned near one of the two inside slots and connected to the bottomrails; a first lift cord adjacent to the one rail of the first ladder, and connected to the outside bottomrail, and running through one outside slot, there being no lift cord adjacent the opposite rail of the first ladder; a second ladder having opposite cord type rails and rungs extending therebetween, one rail positioned near another of the outside slots and connected to the bottomrails; a second lift cord adjacent to one rail of the second ladder, and connected to the outside bottomrail, and running through the another of the outside slots, there being no lift cord adjacent the opposite rail of the second ladder; a third ladder having opposite cord type rails and rungs extending therebetween, one rail positioned near the at least one inside slot and connected to the bottomrails; a third lift cord adjacent to one rail of the third ladder, and connected to the inside bottomrail, and running through the at least one inside slot, there being no lift cord adjacent the opposite rail of the third ladder; a headrail above the bottomrail and the plurality of slats through which the lift cords pass; and a tilt mechanism attached to the headrail to which tilt mechanism at least the first, second and third ladders are attached wherein the tilt mechanism moves the rails of the ladders in opposite directions at the tilt mechanism and adjacent the slats when the blind is changed from an open position to a closed position.

Claim 14

A venetian type blind comprised of: a bottomrail; a plurality of slats above the bottomrail, each slat having an inside edge and an outside edge and at least two spaced apart outside slots on the outside edge and at least one inside slot on the inside edge positioned so that the at least one inside slot is not opposite either slot on the outside edge, the outside slots being laterally spaced apart from the at least one inside slot; a first ladder having opposite cord type rails and rungs extending therebetween, one rail positioned near one of the two inside slots and connected to the bottomrail; a first lift cord adjacent to the one rail of the first ladder, and connected to the bottomrail, and running through one outside slot, there being no lift cord adjacent the opposite rail of the first ladder; a second ladder having opposite cord type rails and rungs extending therebetween, one rail positioned near another of the outside slots and connected to the bottomrail; a second lift cord adjacent to one rail of the second ladder, and connected to the bottomrail, and running through the another of the outside slots, there being no lift cord adjacent the opposite rail of the second ladder; a third ladder having opposite cord type rails and rungs extending therebetween, one rail positioned near the at least one inside slot and connected to the bottomrail; a third lift cord adjacent to one rail of the third ladder, and connected to the bottomrail, and running through the at least one inside slots, there being no lift cord adjacent the opposite rail of the third ladder; a headrail above the bottomrail and the plurality of slats through which the lift cords pass; and a tilt mechanism attached to the headrail, the tilt mechanism comprised of: a first disk to which the rails of the first ladder are attached; a second disk to which the rails of the second ladder are attached; a third disc to which the rails of the third ladder are attached; an axle attached between the first disk, the second disk and the third disk; and means for rotating the axle and attached disks.

Claim 15

A venetian type blind comprised of: a bottomrail; a plurality of slats above the bottomrail, each slat having an inside edge and an outside edge and at least two spaced apart outside slots on the outside edge and at least one inside slot on the inside edge positioned so that the at least one inside slot is not opposite either slot on the outside edge, the outside slots being laterally spaced apart from the at least one inside slot; a first ladder having opposite cord type rails and rungs extending therebetween, one rail positioned near one of the two inside slots and connected to the bottomrail; a first lift cord adjacent to the one rail of the first ladder, and connected to the bottomrail, and running through one outside slot, there being no lift cord adjacent the opposite rail of the first ladder; a second ladder having opposite cord type rails and rungs extending therebetween, one rail positioned near another of the outside slots and connected to the bottomrail; a second lift cord adjacent to one rail of the second ladder, and connected to the bottomrail, and running through the another of the outside slots, there being no lift cord adjacent the opposite rail of the second ladder; a third ladder having opposite cord type rails and rungs extending therebetween, one rail positioned near the at least one inside slot and connected to the bottomrail; a third lift cord adjacent to one rail of the third ladder, and connected to the bottomrail, and running through the at least one inside slots, there being no lift cord adjacent the opposite rail of the third ladder; a headrail above the bottomrail and the plurality of slats through which the lift cords pass; and a tilt mechanism attached to the headrail, the tilt mechanism comprised of: a first disk to which the rails of the first ladder are attached; a second disk to which the rails of the second ladder are attached; a third disc to which the rails of the third ladder are attached; an axle attached between the first disk, the second disk and the third disk; and means for rotating the axle and attached disks.

Claim 16

The venetian type blind of claim 12, wherein at least one of the lift cords passes through at least one of the first disk and the second disk.

Claim 17

The venetian type blind of claim 12 wherein the means for rotating the axle and attached disks is a right angle drive.

Claim 18

A venetian type blind comprising: a bottomrail; a headrail above the bottomrail; an inside sheet of fabric extending between the headrail and the bottomrail; an outside sheet of fabric extending between the headrail and the bottomrail; a plurality of spaced apart, parallel vanes extending between the inside sheet of fabric and the outside sheet of fabric, each vane having an inside edge adjacent the inside sheet of fabric and an outside edge adjacent the outside sheet of fabric; at least one inside lift cord passing between the inside sheet of fabric and the inside edges of the vanes and running the headrail; at least a pair of spaced apart outside lift cords passing between the outside sheet of fabric and the outside edges of the vanes and running the headrail , the outside lift cords positioned so as not to be directly opposite any inside lift cord; a tilt mechanism attached to the headrail, the inside sheet of fabric and the outside sheet of fabric, wherein the tilt mechanism moves the inside sheet and the outside sheet in opposite directions when the blind is changed from an open position to a closed position.

Claim 19

A venetian type blind comprising: a bottomrail; a headrail above the bottomrail; an inside sheet of fabric extending between the headrail and the bottomrail; an outside sheet of fabric extending between the headrail and the bottomrail; a plurality of spaced apart, parallel vanes extending between the inside sheet of fabric and the outside sheet of fabric, each vane having an inside edge adjacent the inside sheet of fabric and an outside edge adjacent the outside sheet of fabric; at least one inside lift cord passing between the inside sheet of fabric and the inside edges of the vanes and running the headrail; at least a pair of spaced apart outside lift cords passing between the outside sheet of fabric and the outside edges of the vanes and running the headrail , the outside lift cords positioned so as not to be directly opposite any inside lift cord; a tilt mechanism attached to the headrail, the inside sheet of fabric and the outside sheet of fabric, wherein the tilt mechanism moves the inside sheet and the outside sheet in opposite directions when the blind is changed from an open position to a closed position.

Claim 20

The venetian type blind of claim 15 wherein the inside sheet of fabric and the outside sheet of fabric are translucent.

Claim 21

The venetian type blind of claim 15 wherein the vanes are opaque.