Home owners and owners of historic buildings are constantly in search of a product to insulate their window space in order to prevent air infiltration, while retaining the original look of the windows. One of the products currently on the market is a clear plastic film which is attached to the inside or outside frame of the window. This film is stretched tightly across the window space by various methods to form an airtight seal, thereby forming an insulate layer about the window space. This product does not allow for removal on warmer days and can be damaged easily.
Blind type window insulative covers are available that attach to the window frame in order to seal the window space. There have been many variations of this concept. Some designs have used strips of Velcro, magnets or steel in combination with a magnetic strip. The strips are applied to the frame and the blind, where the strips are then interconnected to form a seal when the blind covers the window. The blinds of this type requires some care to properly place the blind, in order to form a proper seal to prevent air infiltration from the window space. This type is not aesthetically pleasing to the owner due to the strips being visible and detracting from the beauty of the window design. Other designs incorporate a frame or rail which attaches to the window frame to guide the blind and seal the window space. The frame or rail type design has not been very successful on the market due its complexity of installation and operation. Also, the frame or rail designs have not been aesthetically pleasing to the eye and are relatively expensive due to materials used.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an insulative window assembly that is easy to operate and attractive to the user.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds