Did You Know...
...that while attempting to develop a super strong glue, 3M employee Spencer Silver accidentally developed a glue that was so weak it would barely hold two pieces of paper together? However, his colleague Art Fry needed the glue. Fry sang with his church choir and marked the pages of his hymnal with small scraps of paper that often fell out. He used Silver's glue to hold the papers in place. Today we call this invention Post-it Notes.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8186413 | Control system for architectural coverings with reversible drive and single operating element A retractable covering for an architectural opening is reversibly driven through an input assembly, a transmission and an output assembly by a reciprocal operating cord that can be pulled down by an operator and will automatically retract while the covering is held ... | 05/29/2012 |
| 8020602 | System for operating top down/bottom up covering for architectural openings A control system for a top down/bottom up covering for an architectural opening includes a common drive shaft for raising and lowering a middle rail and a bottom rail between which a flexible shade material extends. A control element operates a spool lift system and... | 09/20/2011 |
| 7971624 | Retractable shade with collapsible vanes A retractable covering for architectural openings having collapsible vanes includes a head rail and support structure in the form of a sheet of material, monofilaments, tapes, ribbons, cords, or the like, supporting an upper edge of a plurality of vertically spaced,... | 07/05/2011 |
| 7938162 | Roller blind and assembly comprising a roller blind of this type and double glazing unit The invention relates to a roller blind having at least four layers. The outer layers form one sheet and the inner layers form one sheet. A cylindrical body is provided in the inner sheet. The outer sheet has a bending stiffness which is such that, at least at the l... | 05/10/2011 |
| 7828037 | Portal covering for controlled environments An apparatus for opening and closing a portal in a structure in which a curtain having elongated side portions is placed adjacent opposing sides of the portal. A first end of the curtain is attached to a first end of the portal. An opposite end of the curtain is upt... | 11/09/2010 |
| 7708047 | Cellular coverings for roll-up shades A cellular covering for a roll-up type shade assembly is described. According to one embodiment, the covering typically comprises a plurality of cells vertically disposed on a backing sheet. Each cell is configured to self-inflate when unrolled from a roller of the ... | 05/04/2010 |
| 7686060 | Retractable covering for architectural openings having a pair of flexible parallel sheets at least partially integrally connected with vanes A retractable covering in accordance with the present invention includes a head rail with a horizontally disposed roller and a pair of depending sheets from the roller which form part of a fabric which can be wrapped around the roller or unwrapped from the roller wh... | 03/30/2010 |
| 7637301 | Cellular coverings for roll-up shades A cellular covering for a roll-up type shade assembly is described. According to one embodiment, the covering typically comprises a plurality of cells vertically disposed on a backing sheet. Each cell is configured to self-inflate when unrolled from a roller of the ... | 12/29/2009 |
| 7617859 | Roll up covering for architectural openings having top down/bottom up capability A top down/bottom up covering for an architectural opening is disclosed in a roll-up configuration so the shade can be rolled about a roller in a head rail while having the ability to raise and lower top and bottom rails between which the shade material extends inde... | 11/17/2009 |
| 7588068 | Retractable shade with collapsible vanes A retractable cover for architectural openings having collapsible vanes includes a support structure in the form of a sheet of material, monofilaments, tapes, ribbons, cords, or the like, supporting an upper edge of a plurality of vertically spaced, horizontally ext... | 09/15/2009 |
| 7571756 | System for operating top down/bottom up covering for architectural openings A control system for a top down/bottom up covering for an architectural opening includes a common drive shaft for raising and lowering a middle rail and a bottom rail between which a flexible shade material extends. A control element operates a spool lift system and... | 08/11/2009 |
| 7549455 | Retractable shade with collapsible vanes A retractable covering for architectural openings having collapsible vanes includes a head rail and support structure in the form of a sheet of material, monofilaments, tapes, ribbons, cords, or the like, supporting an upper edge of a plurality of vertically spaced,... | 06/23/2009 |
| 7401634 | Remote control operating system and support structure for a retractable covering for an architectural opening An improved retractable covering for an architectural opening includes an improved mounting bracket, an improved limit stop to prevent over-retraction and over-extension of the retractable covering, an improved battery pack mounting bracket for attaching a power sup... | 07/22/2008 |
| 7337024 | Flat panel display concealment and viewing apparatus and method An apparatus for concealing a display of the flat panel type, and for supporting and extending the display to a viewing position. The apparatus includes a display cover that operates between a concealed position and a revealed position, and a display support that op... | 02/26/2008 |
| 7331464 | Medical record keeping system A medical record keeping system includes a housing that has a bottom wall and peripheral wall that is attached to and extends upwardly from the housing. A cover is hingedly coupled to an upper edge of the peripheral wall for selectively opening or closing the bottom... | 02/19/2008 |
| 7316379 | Adjustable mounting bracket for flat panel display A mounting bracket apparatus for adjustably supporting a flat panel display from a wall. The mounting bracket includes a wall bracket, a display bracket and two traversing mounts. The traversing mounts are supportively disposed between the wall bracket and the displ... | 01/08/2008 |
| 7311131 | Rolling mechanism for window blind A rolling mechanism includes a base frame fastened to a top side of a window and having a coupling flange, a roller rotatably mounted below the base frame for stationary rotation and having a locating groove on its periphery, and at least one constraint member havin... | 12/25/2007 |
| 7299849 | Garage door, screen storing system The present invention provides a garage door screen storing system that is adapted for permanent mounting onto the exterior wall above a garage door. An aluminum steel cabinet with several advantages, including an electric moter being the power source that propels t... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7287811 | Assembly for covering an opening An assembly for covering an opening comprises a movable cover having a first flexible cover part that can be wound on or off a winding tube, a second rigid cover part attached to the first cover part at the end of latter remote from the winding tube and a third flex... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7287737 | Decorative cover frame assembly for selectively concealing a flat panel or high definition television display A cover frame assembly for use in conjunction with an existing flat panel display of a display device such as a high definition television. The cover frame assembly comprises an outer frame, and a one-way mirror attached within the outer frame. After mounting the fl... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7281561 | Multi-layered film window system A high R-rating window assembly storing multiple, reciprocating reflective flexible film layers in a sealed housing between rigid (e.g. glazed) layers. The glazed layers are separated on the order of 3 to 5-inches and are secured to low thermal conductivity framewor... | 10/16/2007 |
| 7274509 | Wall roll-up screen The device relates to a wall roll-up screen of which the upper and the lower are attached with the upper short rod and the lower short rod, respectively, wherein the screen is constituted to be rolled up when not in use and to be unrolled when used, by the lower sho... | 09/25/2007 |
| 7267156 | Blinds for adjusting illumination The present invention relates to a blind of a roll type comprising a blind sheet having alternate transparent and opaque parts and partly overlapped by folding, to easily and efficiently adjust room illumination. The blind comprises a upper-end support bar; a pair o... | 09/11/2007 |
| 7264687 | Apparatus and method for making fabric for coverings for architectural openings The present invention is an apparatus for forming a fabric for an architectural opening covering. The apparatus comprises a joining section, an accumulator, a cutting station, and a stacker. The joining section is configured to join together first, second, third and... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7240714 | System for suspending a free-hanging covering for an architectural opening A system for suspending a free-hanging shade material in an architectural opening includes a panel of shade material and brackets that can be mounted to the top edge of the framework around the architectural opening even when the top edge is not straight or horizont... | 07/10/2007 |
| 7240715 | Limit stop for coverings for architectural openings An indexed limit stop for mounting on the headrail of a covering for architectural openings is easily connected to the headrail in overlying relationship with shade material wrapped on a roller in the headrail and has two elements that are pivotally interconnected a... | 07/10/2007 |
| 7231953 | Rollup door with direct connected drive motor unit A flexible curtain rollup door includes a drum mounted on a door frame and drivenly connected to an electric right angle gear motor unit. The frame includes opposed channel shaped guide tracks for receiving opposed side edges of a door curtain. Spaced apart elastica... | 06/19/2007 |
| 7228797 | Cordless blind A cordless blind includes a headrail, a bottom rail suspended from the headrail by a first cord and a second cord, a wall covering disposed between the headrail and the bottom rail, and a drive actuator. The drive actuator includes a spring motor, a spool coupled to... | 06/12/2007 |
| 7207371 | Roller blind structure A novel roller blind structure includes a roller blind made up of a roller shaft, a side winder with a linkage member attached at both ends of the roller shaft respectively to be actuated by an operating member, and a pivoting post respectively protruding at the out... | 04/24/2007 |
| 7191816 | Retractable shade with collapsible vanes A retractable cover for architectural openings having collapsible vanes includes a support structure in the form of a sheet of material, monofilaments, tapes, ribbons, cords, or the like, supporting an upper edge of a plurality of vertically spaced, horizontally ext... | 03/20/2007 |
| 7185692 | Fabric blind slat for window blind A fabric blind slat for a window blind includes a base fabric made from an opaque knitted fabric, two coil units respectively coupled to and extended along two opposite edges of the base fabric, and two supporting sleeves respectively enclosed inside the two coil un... | 03/06/2007 |
| 7174940 | Roller blind structure A roller blind structure includes a roller shaft, a winding device with a linkage member attached at both ends of the roller shaft respectively to be actuated by an operating member for controlling the rolling or unrolling operation of a blind body. A pivoting rod i... | 02/13/2007 |
| 7159635 | Lift cord spool for coverings for architectural openings A spool forming part of a lift cord drum for a covering for an architectural opening has a generally cylindrical body about which the lift cord is adapted to be wrapped and a frustoconical end encouraging the wrapped cord to shift in a predetermined direction. A lon... | 01/09/2007 |
| 7159637 | Impactable bottom curtain for a rolling steel door To avoid repeated damage to a lower section of a metal roll-up door, the lower section is replaced by a more impactable curtain assembly. The curtain assembly is so readily scalable, horizontally and vertically, that much of it can be manufactured and field assemble... | 01/09/2007 |
| 7147029 | Remote control operating system and support structure for a retractable covering for an architectural opening An improved retractable covering for an architectural opening includes an improved mounting bracket, an improved limit stop to prevent over-retraction and over-extension of the retractable covering, an improved battery pack mounting bracket for attaching a power sup... | 12/12/2006 |
| 7131481 | Flexible curtain rollup door with combination stiffening struts and windlocks A flexible curtain rollup door includes a drum mounted on a door frame and drivenly connected to an electric right angle gear motor unit. The frame includes opposed channel shaped guide tracks for receiving opposed side edges of a door curtain. Spaced apart elastica... | 11/07/2006 |
| 7128126 | Control system for architectural coverings with reversible drive and single operating element The present invention provides for retractable coverings for architectural openings utilizing a control system having a single operating element allowing a user to move a retractable covering between extended and retracted positions by imparting a repetitive motion ... | 10/31/2006 |
| 7128121 | Fabric window blind A fabric window blind includes a head frame, a roller, an adjustment mechanism, slats, a bottom rail and a light-admitting shade. The roller is horizontally rotatably mounted inside the head frame. The adjustment mechanism has a control axle horizontally pivotally m... | 10/31/2006 |
| 7114276 | Inflatable projection screen An inflatable device that includes at least one display panel for displaying an image by a multimedia device positioned in and/or connected to the inflatable device. ... | 10/03/2006 |
| 7111659 | Retractable shade with collapsible vanes A retractable cover for architectural openings having collapsible vanes includes a support structure in the form of a sheet of material, monofilaments, tapes, ribbons, cords, or the like, supporting an upper edge of a plurality of vertically spaced, horizontally ext... | 09/26/2006 |
