History of the Mini Blind
A mini blind is a type of non-vertical window blind made of long, narrow slats held together by string and located inside the window. Its slats are not as wide as venetian blind slats.2 A mini blind has more slats than a regular Venetian blind because its slats are narrow. The slats of mini discount blinds are less than half the width of regular Venetian window blinds. The slats are opened and closed by rotating a rod or by directly pulling a string. They are raised and lowered by pulling other strings.
Custom blinds made of narrow, light-weight horizontal wood slats, adjustable to admit or exclude light, were developed in 1794, and called Venetian discount blinds. The window blinds were often used instead of window curtains or shutters. In the 1840s, these custom blinds were held together by flat strips of cloth instead of by cords perhaps to shade the lift holes and like today they came in various colors.4 In 1966, a new pulley system was invented which afforded great improvement in the control mechanism. 5 Over time, narrower slats became more common, as they were easier to clean and they reduced glare at certain settings and their appearance was pleasing to many. In 1946 Henry Sonnenberg and Joe Hunter developed technology and equipment for the production of lightweight aluminum slats (50 mm) for Venetian discount blinds, and by 1979, 25 mm slats were popular.
