| Display for selling window coverings -> Monitor Keywords |
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Display for selling window coveringsRelated Patent Categories: Supports: Racks, Special Article, Stacked Articles, Card Or Sheet, Terraced PocketsDisplay for selling window coverings description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070170126, Display for selling window coverings. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The invention relates to the sale of window coverings of the type in which a window covering material extends from a headrail. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] There are a variety of window coverings in which a window covering material extends from a headrail and is raised and lowered by lift cords or drawn along a track by pull cords. One type of window covering is the venetian blind in which a series of horizontal slats are hung on two or more ladders that hang from a headrail. A similar product is the vertical blind in which a set of vertical slats are suspended from a track in the headrail. Most manufacturers offer slats for venetian blinds and vertical blinds in a variety of colors and materials including wood, vinyl, aluminum and composite materials. Another class of window covering contains a panel of fabric, woven woods or woven grasses hung on a headrail. Among these window coverings are pleated shades, cellular shades, roman shades and roll-up shades. In most of these shades the fabric panel is available in a number of colors and patterns, can be woven or non-woven and the weave can vary from sheer to tightly woven. [0003] Traditionally, window coverings have been sold in standard sizes by department stores, discount stores and home centers. They have also been sold by custom fabricators who come to the home or office, measure the windows and make blinds to fit. Some retailers have offered both standard products and custom blinds. In recent years some retailers have sold blinds based upon measurements provided by the customer. These retailers keep a limited inventory of blinds in standard sizes and popular colors. If the customer does not want a blind from the retailer's current inventory, the retailer may custom order the blind from the manufacturer using the customer's measurements. Several retailers now offer blinds through a cut down program. Under this program the store stocks a set of blinds in standard sizes and has a machine that will trim the width of the shade to fit the customer's measurements. The length is adjusted by cutting excess material from the bottom of the shade. [0004] Most retailers have a limited display of sample blinds and have sample books containing swatches of all the colors and kinds of window covering material that are available for a particular family of blinds. Sample books tend to be bulky and are cumbersome to transport. Nevertheless, many customers want to see the sample in the room where the window covering product will be installed before they will make a purchase decision. These customers must then borrow the sample book from the retailer. If the customer fails to return the book, the retailer must buy a new sample book. Many retailers buy several sample books to assure that one is always available for a customer. Pricing of window coverings is usually based upon the size of the blind. Size is determined by the width and length of the blind when the blind is in a closed position which corresponds to covering the entire window over which the blind is to be mounted. The retailer has a price book or set of price sheets for each type of window covering that is being offered for sale. The price books and price sheets are usually kept separate from the sample books. [0005] Those customers who wish to buy window coverings form a home center, department store or large discount store usually will first look at the window covering products on display. Upon finding a product in the display that is of interest, the customer must then look at a sample book to determine if the product is available in a color and style that pleases the customer. After selecting one or more styles, the customer usually will then want to know what the product costs. To obtain pricing information the customer must find a sales person who must then retrieve the applicable price sheet and determine the cost of each item of interest in the size specified by the customer and with all the options selected by the customer. Many times the customer will immediately decide that the price is too high and go elsewhere. The result is that both the customer and the salesperson have spent much time on a transaction that has not resulted in a purchase and sale. Consequently, there is a need for a display of window covering products and method of selling window coverings in which the customer can, without help from a sales person, determine the price and available options of a window covering product which will fit the potential buyer's window. [0006] There is also a need for a display of window covering products and method of selling window coverings in which product samples are available for the customer to easily select and take home with him or her. The samples should be easy to carry and inexpensive. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0007] We provide a method and display for selling window coverings in which we first establish a pricing table for each style of window covering. Style may be a type of window covering, such as a pleated shade, or may be a species of a type of product, such as a pleated shade with white on one side and a selected color on the other side. The prices are assigned according to the width and length of the window covering when the window covering is in a closed position. Then we provide a cabinet or other structure having two portions. The first portion displays at least one sample window covering that is representative of a style of window covering being offered for sale. Alternatively, that portion may contain color photographs of the products. This portion may be a window, a mock window or a wall. The second portion contains a plurality of swatch cards in a rack, drawers or other holder that is easily accessible to a customer. There is one swatch card corresponding to each color and style of windows coverings being offered for sale. Preferably, there are multiple copies of each swatch card. [0008] Each swatch card contains a sample of window covering material and the pricing table for the style of window covering to which the sample of window covering material applies. The swatch card will also contain other information applicable to the product. That information could be product name, product identification number, vendor name, vendor address, vendor telephone number, manufacturer information, window covering material name, window covering material color, window covering material identification number, any available choices of manner in which the window covering material is opened and closed, location of tilt control, location of lift control, shipping options, available discounts, available options, and whether the shape of the window covering in the closed position is rectangular, arch, circular or angled. The information could be presented as text or illustrations or a combination of text and illustrations. [0009] The window covering products being offered for sale can usually be divided into product families. Those product families could be pleated shades, cellular shades, single cell cellular shades, double cell cellular shades, roman shades, vertical blinds, vinyl vertical blinds, wood vertical blinds, composite vertical blinds, venetian blinds, vinyl venetian blinds, wood venetian blinds, composite venetian blinds, aluminum venetian blinds, 1'' venetian blinds, 11/2 venetian blinds, 2'' venetian blinds, and roll-up shades. We prefer that each swatch card contain the name of the product family in which the product falls. We further prefer to color code the cards so that all cards for products in a single family are the same color. The color may cover the entire card or be a band or other shape on the upper front portion of the card. [0010] When a customer sees the display he or she first looks at the sample blinds. Upon seeing a blind of interest the customer can look through the swatch cards for that type of window covering. From that group of swatch cards the customer can select the card or cards that have window covering materials in a color and texture that is appealing to him or her. At that point the customer can look at the pricing table to determine if the selected window covering is within his or her budget. If it is not, the customer can return the card to the display. The entire transaction does not require the assistance of a salesperson. If the selected product is priced at an amount that the customer is willing to pay, the customer can consult a sales person to place an order or can take the swatch card home with him or her and defer the purchase decision until after viewing the swatch of window covering material in the environment where the window covering will be installed. The retailer may make a modest charge for each card taken by the customer. This charge not only provides a reimbursement of the retailer's sample costs but also discourages the customer from taking swatch cards for products that he or she is not likely to buy. [0011] Other objects and advantages of our method and display for selling window coverings will become apparent from a description of certain present preferred embodiments thereof which are shown in the drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES [0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one present preferred embodiment of a display unit in accordance with the present invention. [0013] FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of one of the swatch card racks in the display unit shown in FIG. 1. [0014] FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of a present preferred embodiment of our swatch card. [0015] FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of a second preferred embodiment of our window swatch card. [0016] FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line V-V of FIG. 4. [0017] FIG. 6 is a rear elevational view of a third preferred embodiment of our swatch card. [0018] FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the swatch card of FIG. 3 with the window covering material pulled outward from the card. [0019] FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of a fourth preferred embodiment of our swatch card. [0020] FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along the line IX-IX in FIG. 8. Continue reading about Display for selling window coverings... Full patent description for Display for selling window coverings Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Display for selling window coverings patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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