Motorized roller shade or blind having an antenna and antenna cable connection

• US 8,960,260 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2011
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Watt Stopper Incorporated (Legrand SA)
• Original Assignee: Homerun Holdings Corporation
• Inventors: Anderson, Craig Peter, Garcia, Ben L., Kirkland, Matthew Warren
• Primary Examiner(s): PUROL, DAVID M
• Application Number:
  US13/286,542
• Publication Number:
  US 20130105095A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,211 Days
• Field of Search: 160/310, 160/311, 160/1, 160/7, 160/9, 160/188, 160/189
• US Class Current: 160/310
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/6809 Control
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/40 Roller blinds usable only as awnings E04F10/06
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/50 Bearings specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/72 comprising an electric motor positioned inside the roller
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/22 by structural association with other equipment or articles
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/36 Structural form of radiating elements, e.g. cone, spiral, umbrella; Particular materials used therewithH01Q1/08, H01Q1/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/27 Spiral antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/42 with folded element, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of the operating wavelength

Abstract

A motorized roller shade includes a shade tube, including an outer surface upon which a shade is attached, an inner surface defining an inner cavity and two end portions, a motor/controller unit, disposed within the shade tube inner cavity and mechanically coupled to the shade tube inner surface, including a support shaft configured to attach to a mounting bracket, and a DC motor having an output shaft coupled to the support shaft such that the output shaft and the support shaft do not rotate when the support shaft is attached to the mounting bracket. A wireless receiver is coupled to the motor/controller unit to receive wireless signals and an antenna is arranged on or in at least one of the two end portions.

Claims

1. A motorized roller shade, comprising:

a shade tube, including an outer surface upon which a shade is attached, an inner surface defining an inner cavity and two end caps;

a motor/controller unit, disposed within the shade tube inner cavity and mechanically coupled to the shade tube inner surface, including a support shaft configured to attach to a mounting bracket;

a DC motor having an output shaft coupled to the support shaft such that the output shaft and the support shaft do not rotate when the support shaft is attached to the mounting bracket;

a power supply unit, electrically coupled to the motor/controller unit, disposed within the shade tube inner cavity and mechanically coupled to the shade tube inner surface;

a wireless transceiver operably coupled to the motor/controller unit to receive wireless signals;

a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) encompassed by an end cap; and

an antenna located on the PCB, the antenna having an approximately flat surface area that faces outward from the end cap.

2. The motorized roller shade according to claim 1, wherein the antenna comprises a fractal antenna.

3. The motorized roller shade according to claim 1, wherein the antenna comprises a von Koch design fractal antenna.

4. The motorized roller shade according to claim 1, wherein the antenna comprises a fourth iteration loop von Koch design fractal antenna.

5. The motorized roller shade according to claim 1, wherein the antenna comprises a fourth iteration loop von Koch design fractal antenna configured on or in a Printed Circuit Board (PCB).

6. The motorized roller shade according to claim 1, wherein the antenna comprises an antenna pattern comprising one of a semi-circle and a spiral configured on or in a Printed Circuit Board (PCB).

7. The motorized roller shade according to claim 1, wherein the antenna is configured on or in a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) that is arranged in at least one of the two end caps, a coaxial cable configured to electrically connect the antenna to the wireless transceiver.

8. The motorized roller shade according to claim 1, wherein the antenna is configured on or in a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) that is arranged in at least one of the two end caps, a coaxial cable soldered at a plurality of locations to the PCB, the coaxial cable is further configured to electrically connect the antenna to the wireless transceiver.

9. The motorized roller shade according to claim 1, further comprising, a coaxial cable that comprises a braid and a conductor soldered to the PCB, the coaxial cable is further configured to electrically connect the antenna to the wireless transceiver.

10. The motorized roller shade according to claim 1, further comprising, a coaxial cable that comprises a braid and a conductor soldered to the PCB, the coaxial cable is further configured to electrically connect the antenna to the wireless transceiver;

and wherein the antenna comprises a fourth iteration loop von Koch design fractal antenna.

11. A motorized roller shade, comprising:

a shade tube comprising an outer surface upon which a shade is attached, an inner surface defining an inner cavity and two end caps;

a motor/controller unit comprising a support shaft configured to attach to a mounting bracket;

a DC motor having an output shaft coupled to the support shaft;

a power supply unit, electrically coupled to the motor/controller unit, disposed within the shade tube inner cavity and mechanically coupled to the shade tube inner surface;

a wireless transceiver operably coupled to the motor/controller unit to receive wireless signals; and

an antenna within a space defined by one of the end caps and the antenna arranged externally on the motorized roller shade and a coupling that couples the antenna to said wireless transceiver,

wherein the antenna is configured on or in a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) that is arranged in at least one of the two end caps, wherein the coupling comprises a coaxial cable configured to electrically connect the antenna to the wireless transceiver.

12. The motorized roller shade according to claim 11, wherein the coupling comprises the coaxial cable soldered at a plurality of locations to the PCB, the coaxial cable is further configured to electrically connect the antenna to the wireless transceiver.

14. The motorized roller shade according to claim 12, wherein the coupling comprises a coaxial cable that comprises a braid and a conductor soldered to the PCB, and wherein the antenna comprises a fourth iteration loop von Koch design fractal antenna.

13. A motorized roller shade, comprising:

a shade tube comprising an outer surface upon which a shade is attached, an inner surface defining an inner cavity and two end caps;

a motor/controller unit comprising a support shaft configured to attach to a mounting bracket;

a DC motor having an output shaft coupled to the support shaft;

a power supply unit, electrically coupled to the motor/controller unit, disposed within the shade tube inner cavity and mechanically coupled to the shade tube inner surface;

a wireless transceiver operably coupled to the motor/controller unit to receive wireless signals; and

an antenna within a space defined by one of the end caps and the antenna arranged externally on the motorized roller shade and a coupling that couples the antenna to said wireless transceiver,

wherein the antenna is configured on or in a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) that is arranged in at least one of the two end caps, wherein the coupling comprises a coaxial cable that comprises a braid and a conductor operatively connected to the PCB, the coaxial cable is further configured to electrically connect the antenna to the wireless transceiver.

15. The motorized roller shade according to claim 13, wherein the antenna comprises a fractal antenna.

16. The motorized roller shade according to claim 13, wherein the antenna comprises a von Koch design fractal antenna.

17. The motorized roller shade according to claim 13, wherein the antenna comprises a fourth iteration loop von Koch design fractal antenna.

18. The motorized roller shade according to claim 13, wherein the antenna comprises a fourth iteration loop von Koch design fractal.

19. The motorized roller shade according to claim 13, wherein the antenna comprises an antenna pattern comprising one of a semi-circle and a spiral.