CORD DRIVE ASSEMBLY FOR AN ARCHITECTURAL COVERING WITH A BRAKING MEMBER AND ASSOCIATED BIASING ELEMENT

• US 20170198520A1
• Filed: 01/10/2017
• Published: 07/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hunter Douglas Incorporated (Hunter Douglas N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Hunter Douglas Incorporated (Hunter Douglas N.V.)
• Inventors: Anderson, Richard N., Foley, Patrick Eugene
• Granted Patent: US 10,641,037 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/2625 Pleated screens, e.g. concertina- or accordion-like
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/3222 Cordless, i.e. user interface without cords
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/262 with flexibly-interconnected horizontal or vertical strips; Concertina blinds , i.e. upwardly folding flexible screens
• 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

Abstract

A cord drive assembly for raising a covering relative to an architectural structure may include a housing and at least one cord drive component mounted for rotation within the housing. Additionally, in one embodiment, the cord drive assembly may include a biasing element installed relative to the housing such that the biasing element applies a biasing force against a braking member of the cord drive assembly that biases the braking member against the cord drive component to hinder rotation of the cord drive component relative to a second cord drive component positioned within the housing.

Claims

1. A cord drive assembly for raising a covering relative to an architectural structure, said cord drive comprising:

a housing;

a cord drive component mounted for rotation within said housing;

a braking member positioned on or within said housing and being configured to engage said cord drive component; and

a biasing element separate from said housing, said biasing element provided in operative association with said braking member such that said biasing element applies a biasing force against said braking member that biases said braking member against said cord drive component to at least partially hinder rotation of said cord drive component within said housing.

2. The cord drive assembly of claim 1, wherein:

said cord drive component is movable axially within said housing relative to an output member of said cord drive assembly between a first position and a second position;

said cord drive component is rotationally decoupled from said output member when said cord drive component is moved to the first position;

said cord drive component is rotationally coupled to said output member when said cord drive component is moved to said second position.

3. The cord drive assembly of claim 2, wherein:

said cord drive component corresponds to a first cord drive component; and

said cord drive assembly further comprises a second cord drive component configured to rotate relative to said first cord drive component when said first cord drive component is located at said first position such that a portion of said second cord drive component contacts a corresponding portion of said first cord drive component to push said first cord drive component axially from said first position to said second position.

4. The cord drive assembly of claim 2, wherein said braking member is configured to at least partially hinder rotation of said first cord drive component when said first cord drive component is located at said first position and said second cord drive component is rotating relative to said first cord drive component.

5. The cord drive assembly of claim 1, wherein said biasing element comprises a spring provided in operative association with said braking member.

6. The cord drive assembly of claim 5, wherein said spring comprises a first portion configured to be engaged against a portion of said braking member and a second portion configured to be engaged against a portion of said housing.

7. The cord drive assembly of claim 6, wherein said first portion is configured to be engaged against an outer surface of said braking member and said second portion is configured to be engaged against an inner surface of said housing.

8. The cord drive assembly of claim 6, wherein:

said first portion corresponds to a central portion of said spring; and

said second portion corresponds to opposed side portions of said spring.

9. The cord drive assembly of claim 1, wherein said braking member comprises a cantilevered arm extending within an opening defined through said housing.

10. The cord drive assembly of claim 9, wherein said cantilevered arm is formed integrally with said housing.

11. The cord drive assembly of claim 9, wherein:

said cantilevered arm extends between a proximal end and a distal end;

said proximal end is formed integrally with or coupled to said housing; and

said distal end extends within said opening defined by said housing.

12. The cord drive assembly of claim 11, wherein said biasing element is configured to bias said distal end of said cantilevered arm towards said cord drive component.

13. The cord drive assembly of claim 1, wherein said braking member corresponds to a braking component separate from said housing.

14. The cord drive assembly of claim 13, wherein said biasing element is installed between said housing and said braking component to bias said braking component against said cord drive component.

15. The cord drive assembly of claim 1, wherein said cantilevered arm is formed from a plastic material.

16. The cord drive assembly of claim 1, wherein the biasing force applied by said biasing element against said brake member is adjustable.

17. A cord drive assembly for raising a covering relative to an architectural structure, said cord drive comprising:

a housing defining an opening and including a cantilevered arm extending within said opening;

a cord drive component mounted for rotation within said housing; and

a spring provided in operative association with said cantilevered arm such that said spring applies a biasing force against said cantilevered arm that biases said cantilevered arm against said cord drive component to at least partially hinder rotation of said cord drive component within said housing.

18. The cord drive assembly of claim 17, wherein:

said cord drive component is movable axially within said housing relative to an output member of said cord drive assembly between a first position and a second position;

said cord drive component is rotationally decoupled from said output member when said cord drive component is moved to the first position;

said cord drive component is rotationally coupled to said output member when said cord drive component is moved to said second position.

19. The cord drive assembly of claim 18, wherein:

said cord drive component corresponds to a first cord drive component; and

said cord drive assembly further comprises a second cord drive component configured to rotate relative to said first cord drive component when said first cord drive component is located at said first position such that a portion of said second cord drive component contacts a corresponding portion of said first cord drive component to push said first cord drive component axially from said first position to said second position.

20. The cord drive assembly of claim 18, wherein said cantilevered arm is configured to at least partially hinder rotation of said first cord drive component when said first cord drive component is located at said first position and said second cord drive component is rotating relative to said first cord drive component.