Motorized window shade with ultraquiet motor drive and ESD protection
First Claim
1. A motorized roller shade assembly comprising:
- an elongated reelable shade capable of accumulating an electrostatic charge;
an elongated, electrically conductive roller secured to one end of said reelable shade and rotatable about a longitudinal axis for reeling and unreeling said shade;
an electrically non-conductive end cap coupled to a first end of said roller and in coaxial alignment with said longitudinal axis, said end cap defining an opening adapted to receive a drive shaft, said opening in coaxial alignment with said longitudinal axis;
an electric motor assembly having an output drive shaft received within said opening for rotating said roller to reel and to unreel said shade, an electronic motor controller for controlling said motor assembly, and a ground terminal adapted to be coupled to an external electrical ground, said output drive shaft in electrical communication with said ground terminal; and
an electrical conductor having a first portion thereof connected to said roller and a second portion thereof received within said opening in electrical communication with said output drive shaft in all angles of rotation thereof, said first and second portions connected by a middle portion, said first and second portions extending in substantially parallel relation to each other and substantially perpendicularly from opposite ends of said middle portion, whereby electrical charge on said roller is coupled to said shaft.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A motorized shade control system is described in which electrostatic charges, generated by a shade fabric being reeled on to and off of a roller are conducted to and grounded by the shaft of a remote drive motor. The drive motor is ultraquiet, and includes a worm gear drive and single-stage reduction gear assembly which delivers about 0.010 to 0.005 horsepower, with motor output shaft rotational velocity limited to no more than about 30RPM. The motor is mounted within a two-part housing and is clamped between elastomeric acoustic dampers connected between pedestals extending from opposite interior wall surfaces to opposite sides of the motor. An H-bridge drive circuit powers the motor under the control of a microprocessor which can be addressed by an infrared remote transmitter or by a wall mount control. Soft start and soft stop circuits are employed to further reduce noise.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A motorized roller shade assembly comprising:
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an elongated reelable shade capable of accumulating an electrostatic charge;
an elongated, electrically conductive roller secured to one end of said reelable shade and rotatable about a longitudinal axis for reeling and unreeling said shade;
an electrically non-conductive end cap coupled to a first end of said roller and in coaxial alignment with said longitudinal axis, said end cap defining an opening adapted to receive a drive shaft, said opening in coaxial alignment with said longitudinal axis;
an electric motor assembly having an output drive shaft received within said opening for rotating said roller to reel and to unreel said shade, an electronic motor controller for controlling said motor assembly, and a ground terminal adapted to be coupled to an external electrical ground, said output drive shaft in electrical communication with said ground terminal; and
an electrical conductor having a first portion thereof connected to said roller and a second portion thereof received within said opening in electrical communication with said output drive shaft in all angles of rotation thereof, said first and second portions connected by a middle portion, said first and second portions extending in substantially parallel relation to each other and substantially perpendicularly from opposite ends of said middle portion, whereby electrical charge on said roller is coupled to said shaft. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
first and second housing halves connectable to one another for enclosing said electric motor assembly and said control circuit, said output drive shaft extending through said first housing half; and
acoustic dampers clamped between said motor assembly and the interior surfaces of said first and second housing halves so that said electric motor assembly is supported within said first and second housing halves and motor assembly noise is reduced when said motor is operated.
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16. The motorized roller shade assembly of claim 6, which further includes:
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first and second housing halves connectable to one another for enclosing said electric motor assembly and said control circuit, said output drive shaft extending through said first housing half; and
acoustic dampers clamped between said motor assembly and the interior surfaces of said first and second housing halves for supporting said electric motor assembly within said first and second housing halves and for reducing motor assembly noise.
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17. The motorized roller shade assembly of claim 7, which further includes:
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first and second housing halves connectable to one another for enclosing said electric motor assembly and said control circuit, said output drive shaft extending through said first housing half; and
acoustic dampers clamped between said motor assembly and the interior surfaces of said first and second housing halves for supporting said electric motor assembly within said first and second housing halves and for reducing motor noise.
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18. The motorized roller shade assembly of claim 7, wherein said predetermined value is about 30 RPM.
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19. The motorized roller shade assembly of claim 7, wherein said predetermined value is about 22 RPM.
Specification