MOTOR ARRANGEMENT FOR WINDOW COVERINGS

• US 20110265958A1
• Filed: 07/22/2009
• Published: 11/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hunter Douglas Incorporated (Hunter Douglas N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Hunter Douglas Incorporated (Hunter Douglas N.V.)
• Inventors: Skinner, Gary, Langille, Richard, Chermak, Philip
• Granted Patent: US 8,723,454 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 160/127
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/322 Details of operating devices, e.g. pulleys, brakes, spring drums, drives operating devices E06B9/68 ; devices of general interest specially adapted or mounted for storing and repeatedly paying-out and re-storing lengths of material B65H75/34
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/72 comprising an electric motor positioned inside the roller
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 5/74 controlling two or more ac dynamo-electric motors H02P5/46, H02P5/60 take precedence

Abstract

The present invention relates to an architectural window covering having a programmable electric motor. The programmable electric motor is housed within a roller for raising and lowenng the window covering, and includes dual stacked motors and light-transmitting control actuation buttons. In one embodiment an architectural window covering, composing a shade, a roller defining a bore coupled to the shade, and at least two motors axially aligned and electrically coupled in parallel and positioned at least partially in said bore and rotatably coupled to the roller is disclosed.

Claims

1. An architectural window covering, comprising:

a shade;

a roller defining a bore coupled to the shade; and

at least two motors axially aligned and electrically coupled in parallel and positioned at least partially in said bore and rotatably coupled to the roller.

2. The architectural window covering of claim 1, further comprising:

an elongated motor housing defining a cavity; and

wherein said at least two motors are positioned at least partially in said cavity of said motor housing, which is positioned at least partially in said bore and being rotatable relative to said roller.

3. The architectural window covering of claim 2, wherein the at least two motors each have a motor drive shaft and are physically coupled by a flexible connector that connects the motor drive shafts.

4. The architectural window covering of claim 3, wherein:

at least one of said two motors is positioned adjacent an end of said motor housing and is operably associated with an output shaft extending from said end of said motor housing; and

said output shaft operably engaging said roller to drive said roller relative to said motor housing.

5. The architectural window covering of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more light emitting diodes situated within the roller;

a light pipe member associated with each light emitting diode to transmit any light from said light emitting diode to a location visible to the user.

6. The architectural window covering of claim 5, further comprising:

a switch positioned in the bore of the roller; and

wherein at least one light pipe member is configured to be selectively and operably engaged with the switch.

7. The architectural window covering of claim 5, wherein the at least one light pipe member is made of lexan.

8. The architectural window covering of claim 1, further comprising damper material placed between at least one of said motors and a motor housing.

14. An architectural window covering as defined in claim 2, wherein:

a dampening member is positioned between at least one of said two motors and the motor housing to dampen the movement of the motor from the motor housing.

15. An architectural window covering as defined in claim 14, wherein:

at least one of the two motors is rotationally anchored to said motor housing by at least one tang, and the dampening member is positioned between the at least one tang and the motor housing.

16. An architectural window covering as defined in claim 14, wherein said dampening member radially centrally locates the at least one motor in the housing.

9. A motor assembly for an architectural window covering comprising a light pipe member for monitoring and altering the function of a motor in said motor assembly.

10. An architectural window covering, comprising:

a shade;

a roller defining a bore coupled to the shade; and

at least two motors axially aligned and electrically coupled in parallel and positioned at least partially in said bore and rotatably coupled to the roller;

a switch having at least one state and for at least partially controlling the operation of the roller, the switch positioned in said bore;

a light indicator positioned adjacent said switch and responsive to the state of said switch;

a light pipe member positioned adjacent switch and said light indicator for receiving light emitted therefrom and transmitting the emitted light to be visible by a user, said light pipe member having portion operably engaging the switch to allow operation thereof by the user.

11. An architectural window covering as defined in claim 10, wherein:

said light pipe member includes a user engagement end, a light receiving end, and a switch engagement end; and

wherein said light receiving end is adjacent the light indicator, said light switch engagement end is positioned adjacent the switch, and the user engagement end is positioned to be accessible to the user.

12. An architectural window covering as defined in claim 11, wherein:

said light received by the light receiving end is transmitted through the light pipe member to the user engagement end and is visible therethrough by the user.

13. An architectural window covering as defined in claim 12, wherein:

said light pipe is pivotally mounted in the bore.