Combination window or door covering

Abstract

A combination window or door covering is disclosed. The window or door covering includes ladders suspended from a header rail and horizontal slats located on the rungs of the ladders. The ladders and slats are moved in a vertical direction by lift cords. A flexible planar shade includes horizontal spaced apart fold lines connected to the ladders. The shade is raised and lowered using the same lift cords that raise and lower the slats.

1 . A combination window or door covering comprising: 
 a) a header rail;    b) at least one flexible ladder suspended from the header rail, the at least one ladder comprising a plurality of rungs;    c) a plurality of slats, wherein each of the plurality of slats is supported by a corresponding rung of the at least one ladder;    d) a lift cord operatively connected to the ladder, the lift cord being adapted to vertically move the ladder; and    e) a planar flexible shade comprising a plurality of substantially horizontal spaced apart fold lines, wherein each of the fold lines is secured to the at least one ladder.    
     
     
         2 . The combination window or door covering of  claim 1 , wherein the shade is connected to the ladder only at the plurality of fold lines.  
     
     
         3 . The combination window or door covering of  claim 2 , wherein a portion of the shade between a pair adjacent fold lines is adapted to form a pleat when the shade is raised, wherein the shade comprises a plurality of pleats when raised, wherein each pleat locates at least partially behind an adjacent higher pleat.  
     
     
         4 . The combination window or door covering of  claim 3 , further comprising a plurality of spaced apart ladders, wherein each of the fold lines is connected to each of the plurality of ladders.  
     
     
         5 . The combination window or door covering of  claim 4 , further comprising a tilt mechanism connected to the plurality of ladders, wherein the tilt mechanism is adapted to tilt the slats.  
     
     
         6 . The combination window or door covering of  claim 6 , wherein each of the plurality of slats defines a route hole, wherein the lift cord passes through the route hole of each slat.  
     
     
         7 . The combination window or door covering of  claim 6 , further comprising a plurality of lift cords and a plurality of route holes in each of the slats, wherein the number of lift cords and route holes correspond to the plurality of ladders, wherein each lift cord and each ladder is secured to a heavier bottom slat.  
     
     
         8 . The combination window or door covering of  claim 3 , wherein at least one of the plurality of fold lines is defined by a portion of the shade pinched by a substantially horizontal spline located on an exterior face of the shade, the spline defining a rail along a longitudinal edge thereof.  
     
     
         9 . The combination window or door covering of  claim 8 , further comprising a plurality of clips connected to the rail, each of the clips defining a ring at a distal end thereof.  
     
     
         10 . The combination window or door covering of  claim 9 , further comprising an S-shaped connector connected to each clip, wherein a first end of the S-shaped connector is connected to the ring and a second end of the S-shaped connector is connected to the ladder.  
     
     
         11 . The combination window or door covering of  claim 10 , wherein the second end of the S-shaped connector is connected to a vertical cord portion of the ladder, the vertical cord portion being located between an upper rung and a lower rung of the ladder.  
     
     
         12 . The combination window or door covering of  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of fold lines is defined by a portion of the shade comprising a substantially horizontal envelope located on an interior face of the shade.  
     
     
         13 . The combination window or door covering of  claim 12 , further comprising a ring connector secured to a seam along the edge of the envelope, wherein a portion of the ladder passes through the ring.  
     
     
         14 . The combination window or door covering of  claim 13 , wherein a rod is located inside the envelope.  
     
     
         15 . The combination window or door covering of  claim 13 , wherein the portion of the ladder comprises a vertical cord portion, the vertical cord portion being located between an upper rung and a lower rung of the ladder.