Head rail-mounted actuator for window coverings

• US 5,907,227 A
• Filed: 05/21/1997
• Issued: 05/25/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Harmonic Design Inc.
• Original Assignee: Harmonic Design Inc.
• Inventors: Walker, Winston G., Domel, Douglas R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Masih, Karen
• Application Number:
  US08/861,207
• Time in Patent Office: 734 Days
• Field of Search: 318/480, 318/254, 318/16, 318/17, 160/168.1, 160/176.1
• US Class Current: 318/480
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/285 Means for actuating a rod (being tilt rod or lift rod)
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/6827 sensing light
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/307 Details of tilting bars and their operation
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/32 Operating, guiding, or securing devices therefor operation of tilting bars E06B9/307
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/364 Operating mechanisms therein
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/368 Driving means other than pulling cords
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/68 Operating devices or mechanisms, e.g. with electric drive
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 30/24 Structural elements or technologies for improving thermal insulation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 80/00 Architectural or constructional elements improving the thermal performance of buildings

Abstract

A mini-blind actuator has a motor and a housing that holds the motor and a dc battery. The rotor of the motor is coupled to the baton of the mini-blind for rotating the baton and thereby opening or closing the slats of the mini-blind. Alternatively, the rotor is coupled to the tilt rod of the blind to rotate the tilt rod and thereby open or close the slats of the mini-blind. A control signal generator generates a control signal for completing the electrical circuit between the battery and the motor. The control signal can be generated in response to a predetermined amount of daylight or in response to a user-generated remote command signal. The actuator can be used to rotate the slats of horizontal or vertical blinds, or the sections of a pleated shade. Or, the actuator can be used to rotate the hollow rotatable tube of a roll-up shade.

Claims

1. A window covering with actuator, comprising:

a vertical blind having a head rail, a horizontally-oriented rod rotatably mounted in the head rail and defining an axis of rotation, and a plurality of slats depending downwardly from the head rail generally orthogonal to the axis of rotation, wherein rotation of the rod about the axis of rotation causes rotation of the slats;

a sensor for detecting a light signal and generating a control signal in response thereto;

a coupling engageable with the rod to rotate the rod;

a reversible electric motor operably engaged with the coupling to move the coupling;

at least one dc battery electrically connected to the motor;

an electronic circuit electrically connected to the light sensor and the battery for processing the control signal from the light sensor to cause the at least one battery to energize the motor; and

a plurality of connectors, each being attached to a respective slat, each connector including a rod element surroundingly engaged with the rod, wherein rotation of the rod causes rotation of the rod element about the axis of rotation, each rod element being formed with a helical surface, each connector further including a respective slat element engaged with the helical surface of the respective rod element, the slat element being fixedly attached to a respective slat, such that rotation of the rod element about the axis of rotation causes rotation of the slat element.

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

a manually manipulable operating switch electrically connected to the electronic circuit for manipulation of the operating switch to generate the control signal.

3. The window covering with actuator of claim 1, further comprising:

a mode switch electrically connected to the electronic circuit, the mode switch having an "off" position, wherein the sensor is not enabled, an "open" position, wherein the motor is energized to open the window covering in response to the control signal, and a "shut" position, wherein the motor is energized to close the window covering in response to the control signal.

4. The window covering with actuator of claim 1, further comprising:

a manually manipulable adjuster defining a periphery extending beyond the head rail, so that a person can turn the adjuster, the adjuster including a metal strip; and

a metal tongue mounted on the rod such that the tongue contacts the metal strip to establish electrical contact therebetween to cause the electronic circuit to deenergize the motor when the rod is characterized by a predetermined angular position.

5. The window blind with actuator of claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit comprises an output amplifier for powering the motor.

6. The window blind with actuator of claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit comprises:

a pulse modulation circuit for processing the control signal.

7. The window blind with actuator of claim 6, wherein the pulse modulation circuit causes the motor to be energized only when the control signal has a pulse rate in a predetermined range.

8. The window blind with actuator of claim 7, wherein the predetermined electronic characteristic is a pulse rate of between about one thousand five hundred microseconds (1500 μ

s) and five thousand microseconds (5000 μ

s).

9. The window blind with actuator of claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit receives a first control signal to energize the motor to turn in a first direction, a second control signal to stop the motor, a third control signal to cause the motor to turn in a second direction, and a fourth control signal to stop the motor.

10. The window blind with actuator of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a daylight sensor, the control signal is a daylight signal, and the electronic circuit comprises:

a daylight control circuit for causing the motor to be energized a predetermined period after the sensor detects the light signal.

11. The window blind with actuator of claim 10, wherein the daylight control circuit includes a daylight disable switch having an "AUTO" position, wherein the daylight control circuit is enabled, and an "OFF" position, wherein the daylight control circuit is disabled.

12. The window blind with actuator of claim 11, wherein the daylight control circuit includes an edge detector for preventing operation of the motor until a predetermined period of time has elapsed after continuous reception of the daylight signal from the daylight sensor.

13. The window blind with actuator of claim 5, wherein the output amplifier includes a plurality of power transistors, and the electronic circuit includes power conservation resistors to maintain the transistors off in the absence of a control signal.

14. The window blind with actuator of claim 1, wherein the coupling includes:

a limit switch electrically connected to the electronic circuit;

a main reduction gear coupled to the rod;

at least one rotatable travel limit reduction gear gearedly coupled to the main reduction gear;

an elongated motion translating element coupled to the travel limit reduction gear;

a first manually adjustable travel limiter threadably engaged with the elongated motion translating element for contacting the limit switch when the rod is in the open position to cause the electronic circuit to deenergized the motor; and

a second manually adjustable travel limiter threadably engaged with the elongated motion translating element for contacting the limit switch when the rod is in the position to cause the electronic circuit to deenergize the motor.

15. A device for moving an operator of a vertical blind window covering having slats to move the slats, comprising:

an actuator including an electric motor and a coupling operably engaged with the motor, wherein the coupling contacts the operator to prevent rotational relative motion between the coupling and the operator, a rotor of the motor being connected to the coupling for rotating the operator in either direction;

a source of electrical direct current (dc) power;

a control signal generator for generating a control signal to cause the source of electrical power to energize the motor to move the operator and thereby cause the slats to move; and

a plurality of connectors, each being attached to a respective slat, each connector including;

an operator element surroundingly engaged with the operator, wherein rotation of the operator causes rotation of the operator element about the axis of rotation, the operator element being formed with a helical surface; and

a slat element engaged with the helical surface of the operator element, the slat element being fixedly attached to a respective slat, such that rotation of the operator element about the axis of rotation causes rotation of the slat element.

16. The device of claim 15, further comprising:

an electronic circuit for processing the control signal and energizing the motor in response thereto; and

a manually manipulable operating switch electrically connected to the electronic circuit for manipulation of the operating switch to generate the control signal.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the control signal generator includes a sensor for detecting a light signal and generating the control signal in response thereto, and the device further comprises:

a mode switch electrically connected to the electronic circuit, the mode switch having an "off" position, wherein the sensor is not enabled, an "open" position, wherein the motor is energized to open the window covering in response to the control signal, and a "shut" position, wherein the motor is energized to close the window covering in response to the control signal.

18. The device of claim 17, further comprising:

a manually manipulable adjuster defining a periphery extending beyond the head rail, so that a person can turn the adjuster, the adjuster including a metal strip; and

a metal tongue mounted on the operator such that the tongue contacts the metal strip to establish electrical contact therebetween to cause the electronic circuit to deenergize the motor when the operator is characterized by a predetermined angular position.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the coupling includes:

a limit switch electrically connected to the electronic circuit;

a main reduction gear defining a channel, the operator being coupled to the main reduction gear coaxially with the channel;

at least one rotatable travel limit reduction gear gearedly coupled to the main reduction gear;

an elongated motion translating element coupled to the travel limit reduction gear;

a first manually adjustable travel limiter threadably engaged with the elongated motion translating element for contacting the limit switch when the operator is in the open position to cause the electronic circuit to deenergize the motor; and

a second manually adjustable travel limiter threadably engaged with the elongated motion translating element for contacting the limit switch when the operator is in the position to cause the electronic circuit to deenergize the motor.

20. The device of claim 15, wherein the control signal generator generates a first control signal to energize the motor to turn in a first direction, a second control signal to stop the motor, a third control signal to cause the motor to turn in a second direction, and a fourth control signal to stop the motor.

21. A powered vertical blind assembly, comprising:

a vertical blind including a head rail, a rod rotatably disposed therein, and a window covering including plural vertically-oriented slats engaged with the rod for moving the window covering between an open configuration and a closed configuration when the rod is rotated;

an electric motor disposed in the head rail;

a coupling operably engaged with the motor to engage the motor with the rod for rotating the rod;

at least one dc battery, the at least one battery being the sole source of energy associated with the window covering, the at least one battery being disposed in the head rail;

a control signal generator for generating a control signal; and

an electronic circuit electrically connected to the control signal generator and the battery, the electronic circuit having an energized state for processing the control signal to cause the at least one battery to energize the motor to move the rod, the electronic circuit also having an idle state in which the at least one battery is not caused to energize the motor.

22. The powered blind assembly of claim 21, wherein the control signal generator consumes less than 10^-5 amperes when the electronic circuit is in the idle state.

23. The powered blind assembly of claim 21, wherein the control signal generator includes a light sensor adapted to generate the control signal, wherein the light sensor consumes less than 10^-5 amperes in absence of the control signal.

24. The powered blind assembly of claim 21, further comprising at least a first travel limiter positioned to cause the motor to be deenergized when the window covering reaches a predetermined position.

25. The powered blind assembly of claim 21, wherein the electronic circuit includes a switch electrically connected to the sensor for receiving the control signal and activating the electronic circuit in response thereto to permit the circuit to cause the battery to energize the motor to rotate the rod, wherein the electronic circuit is at least periodically deactivated in the absence of the control signal.