Color Variable Window Covering

The present invention is related to a louvered covering system, and more particularly, to a louvered covering system which allows facile changes to the color appearance of the system.

Louvered window coverings have been used extensively for decorative coverings of windows, doors and the like. It has long been a practice to color coordinate the louvers in such systems with the building or room decor. However, because of the tremendous number of colors and different shades of colors used in contemporary styling, if a color covering other than paint is employed on the louvers a very large inventory of such coverings must be maintained in order to make available a suitable variety of colors. This limitation has retarded the use of color coordinated louver assemblies. In addition, when it becomes desirable to change the decorative requirements, i.e., the color of the louvered system, it is necessary either to replace the louvers themselves or paint the louvered system. As a result of the costs and time involved in making such changes, the coloring of such a system is infrequently altered.

It would be highly desirable to provide a window covering with the functional advantages of a louvered system which could be offered in a very wide range of colors without having to maintain a correspondingly large supply of colored louvered coverings. It would also be desirable to provide a window covering the color of which could be readily altered to facilitate redecorating.

Briefly, the present invention relates to a louvered covering system wherein the louvers can be colored with one or more of a wide variety of colors and hues without having to maintain a corresponding variety of colored louvered coverings. The louvered covering system also allows great flexibility in changing the color thereof and the decorative effect of the system. To accomplish this flexibility, louvers are provided with flanges running along each elongated edge thereof. The flanges extend inwardly to form a very wide, low locking channel capable of receiving one or more of such colored transparent sheets in a superimposed relationship, which sheets present the color of the louver. By varying the colors of the sheets and overlapping relationships, a great number of differently colored louver systems can be presented with a relatively small number of sheets. Using only two sheets in a superimposed relationship the possible color combinations vary as the square of the number of colored sheets available.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a louvered covering system which utilizes superimposed translucent sheets of different colors to selectively display a wide variety of colors with a minimum number of such sheets.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a louvered covering system, the color of which can be readily and economically varied.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a louvered covering system illustrating the use of vertical louvers.

FIG. 2 is a detailed plan view of a louver of the present invention partially broken away for clarity.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional end view taken along lines 3--3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the louver having two second translucent sheets held therein to present a different color.

Turning now in detail to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a louvered covering system including vertical louvers 10 associated with a louver support system 12 of a conventional design. Conventional louver support systems commonly include a wide, flat, hooking member which cooperates with a slot to both hang the vertical louver 10 and effect some control over its orientation about a vertical axis. Such an attachment means may include a slot 14 such as that seen in FIG. 2.

Turning to the details of each louver, the louver is seen in the drawings to include an elongated panel 16 which is most conveniently of a plastic material. Along each elongate edge of the panel 16 is a flange 18 and 20. The flanges each extend inwardly on the same side of the panel to form a narrow low locking channel 22. This channel is capable of receiving a colored transparent sheet 24 therein or, alternatively, a plurality of differently colored transparent sheets in a superimposed relationship to define the color of the louver. The sheet or sheets are held in place within the locking channel 22 by means of a rivet 23 or other suitable fastening member which extends through both the sheets and the panel. Alternatively, these sheets can be held within the locking channel by the pressure of the ends 27 thereof pressing against the longitudinal edges 25 of the sheets. The former method, however, has found to be more suitable when disposing the louvers in a vertical position due to the increased holding ability of the rivet, particularly when only a single sheet is being held by the panel.

By way of example, the sheet 24 is yellow in color and when held within the locking channel of the louver gives a louver a yellow appearance. To change the color of the louvering system, the colored sheet carried by each of the louvers in the system could merely be replaced with a louver of the desired new color. However, such an approach would require a large inventory of differently colored sheets to provide a wide variety of differently colored systems. It has been found that by constructing the sheets of a transparent or translucent material and superimposing differently colored sheets upon one another, different colors as well as variations of different colors can be obtained. As the possible color combinations of a louver and consequently of a covering system increases as the square of the number of differently colored sheets, a great variety of colors can be developed through a small number of different sheets. By merely maintaining a supply of transparent sheets in 20 different colors, a combination of 400 colors can be obtained. It should also be noted that transparent sheets which are cloudy or translucent could also be employed. Returning to the above example, while the color yellow is obtained through the use of a transparent sheet 24, if a second sheet 26 were disposed over the yellow sheet 24, a third color would appear. If sheet 26 were red, the louver would then appear to be colored orange.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the louver is opaque and preferably colored white to avoid alteration of the colors in the transparent or translucent sheets. However, if desired, differently colored louvers could be employed to obtain varying color effects. It should also be noted that a striped effect could be obtained if desired by selective positioning of portions of a differently colored translucent sheet either under or over the first sheet 24. In this manner, a great variety of colors, shades of colors and patterns can be obtained to coordinate a louvered window or door covering with a surrounding decor without the need for a correspondingly large supply of colored covering sheets.

Various changes and modifications may be made in carrying out the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Insofar as these changes and modifications are within the purview of the appended claims, they are to be considered as part of the invention.