权利要求：
1. A motorized drapery system, comprising:
a drive element;
the drive element extending a length between opposing ends;
the drive element formed of a twisted non-circular cross-sectional shape; and
a driver ring;
the driver ring having a holder;
the holder having a first open area and a second open area;
the first open area having a shape that corresponds to at least a portion of the non-circular cross-sectional shape of the drive element;
the second open area configured to receive the drive element to allow the driver ring to disengage from the drive element and move along the drive element without rotating;
a shade material;
the shade material operatively connected to the driver ring and supported by the driver ring;
wherein when the drive element rotates, the engagement between the non-circular cross-sectional shape of the drive element drives the driver ring along a length of the drive element thereby moving the shade material along the length of the drive element between an open position and a closed position.
2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:
a motor operatively connected to the drive element, wherein the motor is configured to rotate the drive element.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the drive element has a square or rectangular cross-sectional shape and the first open area has a square or rectangular shape enclosing three sides of the square or rectangular cross-sectional shape.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the drive element has a cross shaped cross-sectional shape and the first open area has a first pocket receiving a first area of the cross shaped cross-sectional shape, a second pocket receiving a second area of the cross shaped cross-sectional shape, and a third pocket receiving a third area of the cross shaped cross-sectional shape.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the drive element has a triangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, octagonal, diamond, trapezoidal, oval or parallelogram cross-sectional shape.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the drive element's twisted non-circular cross-sectional shape extends in a generally continuous manner across the length of the drive element between the opposing ends.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein the drive element includes a first section wherein the twisted non-circular cross-sectional shape rotates in a first rotational direction, and a second section wherein the twisted non-circular cross-sectional shape rotates in a second rotational direction, wherein the first rotational direction is opposite the second rotational direction.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the drive element includes a center section, wherein the drive element is not twisted at the center section.
9. The system of claim 1, wherein the drive element includes a center section, wherein at the center section the drive element transitions from twisting in a first rotational direction to twisting in a second rotational direction, wherein the first rotational direction is opposite the second rotational direction.
10. The system of claim 1, wherein the drive element is hollow.
11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a motor, wherein the motor is positioned within the drive element.
12. The system of claim 1, wherein the drive element has an axis of rotation and a motor has an axis of rotation, wherein the motor is operatively connected to the drive element such that the axis of rotation of the motor is in alignment with the axis of rotation of the drive element.
13. The system of claim 1, wherein the motorized drapery system is powered by one or more batteries electrically connected to a motor and motor controller.
14. The system of claim 1, further comprising:
a motor operatively connected to the drive element, a motor controller operatively connected to the motor, an antenna operatively connected to the motor controller, and a remote control wirelessly connected to antenna, wherein the motorized drapery system is configured to operate in response to signals transmitted by the remote control device.
15. The system of claim 1, further comprising:
end brackets adjacent the ends of the drive element.
16. The system of claim 1,
wherein the driver ring includes a feature that is configured to engage the drive element and is configured to move laterally along the length of the drive element.
17. The system of claim 1, further comprising:
a plurality of idler rings positioned around the drive element, wherein the plurality of idler rings are configured to slide along the length of the drive element.
18. The system of claim 1, further comprising:
a plurality of rings positioned around the drive element and a curtain connected to the plurality of rings.
19. The system of claim 1, wherein rotation of the drive element in a first rotational direction moves the shade material in a first lateral direction and wherein rotation of the drive element in a second rotational direction moves the shade material in a second lateral direction.
20. The system of claim 1, wherein the drive element is formed by a process selected from the group consisting of: twisting, machining, casting, extruding, printing and molding.
21. The system of claim 1, wherein a motor is positioned in a concentric manner with the drive element.
22. A motorized drapery system, comprising:
a rotating drive element having a twisted non-circular cross-sectional shape;
a shade material; and
a driver ring engaging the rotating drive element, the driver ring having an opening comprising a first open area receiving the rotating drive element and a second open area below the rotating drive element, the second open area being configured to receive the rotating drive element and allow the driver ring to move along the rotating drive element without rotating about the rotating drive element, the driver ring further including a connection member supporting the shade material.
23. The system of claim 22, wherein the drive element is formed by a process selected from the group consisting of: twisting, machining, casting, extruding, printing and molding.
24. A method of operating a motorized drapery system, the step method comprising:
providing a drive element having a twisted non-circular cross-sectional shape;
operatively connecting a curtain to the drive element using a plurality of rings;
closing the curtain by rotating the drive element in a first rotational direction;
opening the curtain by rotating the drive element in a second rotational direction, wherein the plurality of rings includes at least one driver ring having a first open area having a shape that corresponds to at least a portion of the twisted non-circular cross-sectional shape of the drive element and a second open area configured to receive the drive element to allow the driver ring to disengage from the drive element and move along the drive element without rotating.
25. The method of claim 24, wherein the drive element is formed by a process selected from the group consisting of: twisting, machining, casting, extruding, printing and molding.
26. The method of claim 24, wherein operation of the drive element is controlled by a remote control wirelessly connected to an antenna which is electrically connected to a motor controller which is electrically connected to a motor which is operatively connected to the drive element.
27. The method of claim 24, wherein the driver ring includes a feature that is configured to engage the drive element and is configured to move laterally along a length of the drive element.
28. The method of claim 24, wherein the plurality of rings include a plurality of idler rings wherein the plurality of idler rings are configured to slide along a length of the drive element.
29. A method of manufacturing a motorized drapery system, the method comprising:
providing a drive element extending a length between opposing ends, the drive element having a non-circular cross-sectional shape that is generally constant along the length of the drive element;
twisting a first section of the drive element in a first rotational direction thereby forming a drive element having a twisted non-circular cross-sectional shape; and
providing a driver ring having an opening with a first open area having a shape that corresponds to at least a portion of the non-circular cross-sectional shape of the drive element and a second open area configured to receive the drive element to allow the driver ring to disengage from the drive element and move along the drive element without rotating with respect to the drive element; and
providing a shade and attaching the shade to the driver ring.
30. The method of claim 29, further comprising:
the step of twisting a second section of the drive element in a second rotational direction, opposite the first rotational direction.
31. The method of claim 29, further comprising:
wherein the drive element is hollow.
32. The method of claim 29, wherein the drive element is formed by a process selected from the group consisting of: twisting, machining, casting, extruding, printing and molding.
33. A motorized drapery system, comprising:
a rotating drive element having a substantially non-circular cross-sectional shape;
a shade material; and
a driver ring engaging the rotating drive element;
the driver ring having a connection member supporting the shade material;
the driver ring having a holder;
the holder having a shape that corresponds to the non-circular cross-sectional shape of the drive element;
the holder having an opening comprising a first open area receiving the rotating drive element and a second open area below the rotating drive element, the second open area being configured to receive the rotating drive element and allow the driver ring to move along the rotating drive element without rotating about the rotating drive element, the driver ring further including a connection member configured to facilitate a connection to the shade material;
wherein when the drive element rotates, the engagement between the non-circular cross-sectional shape of the drive element drives the ring along a length of the drive element thereby moving the shade material along the rotating drive element.
34. The system of claim 33 wherein the drive element extends a length, wherein all or a portion of the length of the drive element is twisted.
35. A motorized drapery system, comprising:
a rotating drive element having a non-circular cross-sectional shape having a plurality of flat sides; and
a driver ring having a holder with flat sides engaging at least some of the flat sides of the plurality of flat sides of the rotating drive element;
the driver ring having a connection member connected to a curtain so that as the rotating drive element rotates the connection member translates in a direction parallel to the rotating drive element, the driver ring having an open area configured to receive the rotating drive element and allow the driver ring to move along the rotating drive element without having to rotate relative to the rotating drive element.
36. The system of claim 35 wherein the drive element extends a length, wherein all or a portion of the length of the drive element is twisted.
具体实施方式：
[0090]Referring to FIG. 1, a curtain assembly 20 according to one embodiment of the disclosure is shown. The curtain assembly 20 comprises a rotatable drive element 22 wherein a helical guide structure 24 is formed into the outer surface 26 of the drive element 22, a drive attachment element 36 having a corresponding structure 62 that communicates with the helical guide structure 24 to move the drive attachment element 36 axially along the drive element 22 when the drive element 22 is rotated and a rotation assembly 32 (not shown) for rotating the drive element 22. In some embodiments of the disclosure, the helical guide structure 24 is a helical groove 24 and the corresponding structure 62 is a tooth. While the helical guide structure 24 is shown in FIGS. 1-3 as a helical groove, the helical guide structure 24 is not limited to a groove. Similarly, the corresponding structure 36 discussed in the embodiments below is a tooth 62 but is not limited to being a tooth. In some embodiments, one or more curtain supports 67 supported by the rotatable drive element 22 can also be utilized to support the curtain. The drive attachment element 36, as shown in FIGS. 1-3 will be explained further below.
Description of Curtains:
[0091]As shown in FIG. 1, the curtain 44 used is composed of a single continuous panel of fabric that moves back and forth across the drive element 22 to the deployed position (covering the window) and to the stored position (not covering the window 34). The curtain 44 may extend to the right to the deployed position (covering the window 34) and then gather to the left to the stored position, uncovering the window 34. This is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. For example, FIG. 1 shows that a curtain 44 extended to the right (deployed position) to cover the window 34 and FIG. 2 shows the curtain 44 gathered to the left (stored position) to uncover the window 34. In other embodiments, the curtain 44 may extend to the left to the deployed position (covering the window 34) and then gather to the right to the stored position (uncovering the window 34). For example, FIG. 3 shows a curtain assembly 20 wherein the curtain 44 is gathered to the right (stored position) to uncover the window 34. Although not shown, the curtain 44 in FIG. 3 would extend to the left to the deployed position to cover the window 34.
[0092]Again, although curtain is used to describe a preferred embodiment of the disclosure, other embodiments utilize other window coverings, such as verticals and draperies.
[0093]In some embodiments, the curtain 44 may be a center closing curtain 46. A center closing curtain 46 is composed of two fabric panels, a right panel 50 and a left panel 48 that meet in the center 42 of the window 34 to close and cover the window 34. FIG. 4 shows a curtain assembly 20 where a center closing curtain 46 is used and is in the deployed position. The window 34 is covered in this instance. For example, the right panel 50 extends to the left to the center of the window 42. The left panel 48 extends to the right to the center of the window 42.
Drive Element:
[0094]The curtain assembly 20 includes a drive element 22. FIGS. 5 and 6 show one embodiment of the drive element 22 in detail. A curtain 44 can be connected to the drive element 22 by one or more curtain supports 36 and 67 as explained below. Alternatively, at least a portion of the curtain can be supported by another structure adjacent to the rotatable drive element 22, such as a support guide (not shown).
[0095]The rotatable drive element 22 is designed to be installed above a window 34, or near the top of the window 34, similar to a traditional curtain rod. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, drive element 22 is mounted on axles 52 that are located and secured in the end brackets 54. The end brackets 54 are adapted for connection with, for example, a window frame, sash, or wall. The end brackets 54 may also include a rubber mounting disk 13, not shown, that is compressed, and, optionally, inserted into a finial 95 or other structure to create friction, when the drive element 22 is installed, to hold the drive element 22 firmly in place and minimize noise.
[0096]The drive element 22 may vary in size. For example, the drive element 22 may be the width of the window 34, narrower than the window 34, or wider than the window 34. The outer diameter 56 of the drive element 22 may similarly vary. In specific embodiments, the drive element has an outer diameter of the drive element that is 1 inch, 1¼ inches, 1½ inches, 2 inches, 1-2 inches, 1-1½ inches, 1½-2 inches, less than 1 inch, and/or greater than 2 inches. In some embodiments, the drive element 22 has a hollow portion that is sized to mount a motor 82 inside the hollow portion of the drive element 22 rather than mounting the motor 82 outside the drive element 22. Using the inside of the drive element 22 to conceal the motor 82 may give a more aesthetically pleasing design for a curtain assembly 20. Any number of materials, such as aluminum, other metals or alloys, plastics, wood. and ceramics, may be used to fabricate the drive element 22 provided the drive element 22 can support the weight of the curtain 44.
[0097]Although the FIGS. 5 and 6 show the outer surface of the drive element 22 as cylindrical in shape, the cross-sectional shape of the drive element 22 is not limited and may be non-circular. In an alternative embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, the rotatable drive element 22 may be tri-lobed.
Guide Structure:
[0098]The drive element 22 has at least one guide structure 24 formed, for example, on, or into, the outer surface 26 of the drive element 22. For convenience, as a preferred embodiment employs a one or more helical guide structure, it is understood that descriptions of embodiments of the disclosure having helical guide structures also applies to embodiments having guide structures with other patterns. A preferred guide structure 24 is a helical guide structure 24. Such a guide structure may be a groove in some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 7-9. The helical guide structure 24, however, is not limited to being a helical groove. For example, the guide structure 24 may be a ridge, protrusion, or other structure that can communicate with the corresponding structure of the drive attachment element to axially move the drive attachment element along the drive element when the drive element is rotated.
[0099]The helical groove 24 can extend along a portion of, or the entirety of, the drive element 22. In a preferred embodiment, the helical groove extends from one distal end portion, referred to as the motor end 58, to the opposing distal end portion, referred to as the bearings end 59, of the drive element 22. Alternatively, the helical guide structure 24 can begin and end at any desired point along the longitudinal axis of the drive element 22, and/or stop and start over various portions of the drive element, depending on the application. The length of the helical groove 24 is a factor in determining how far a curtain 44 will travel across the drive element, i.e., the entire length of the drive element 22 as opposed to some shorter section of the drive element 22. The angle of the helical groove determines how far the drive attachment element will move along the drive element for a given amount of rotation of the drive element.
[0100]In an embodiment, the helical groove 24 is formed in either a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction. FIG. 7 illustrates a drive element 22 having a counterclockwise helical groove 38. FIG. 8 illustrates a drive element 22 having a clockwise helical groove 40.
[0101]In one embodiment, the drive element 22 has two helical grooves 24, one formed in the clockwise direction and one formed in the counterclockwise direction. FIG. 9 illustrates a drive element 22 in which there are a counter clockwise helical groove 38 and a clockwise helical groove 40. In yet other embodiments, the drive element 22 may have four helical grooves, two clockwise helical grooves 38 and two counter clockwise helical grooves 40 as shown in FIGS. 22-24.
[0102]When two clockwise helical grooves 38 or two counter-clockwise helical grooves 40 are utilized, the two clockwise helical grooves 38, or the two counter-clockwise helical grooves 40 are preferably spaced approximately 180 degrees apart. Other spacings can also be utilized. The clockwise helical grooves 38 and the counterclockwise helical grooves 40 preferably form the same angle with the longitudinal axis. The profile of the helical grooves 38, 40 can be self-centering to allow the drive tooth 62 to traverse the intersection of the clockwise helical groove 38 and the counter clockwise helical groove 40 without binding. A beveled groove, which allows such self-centering, is shown in FIG. 17.
[0103]The helical grooves 24 may be formed by forming grooves into the outer surface 26 of the drive element 22 such that the grooves 24 are recessed from the outer surface 26 of the drive element 22. Alternatively, the helical guide structures 24 may be formed as one or more protrusions that project or bulge from the outer surface 26 of the drive element 22. The protrusions may be formed in a variety of manners, for example, by winding material around the outer surface 26 of the drive element 22, forming, e.g., extruding the drive element in a manner that creates indentations in and/or projections from the outer surface of the drive element, or forming the drive element so as to have an outer surface able to apply a force in the longitudinal direction to a structure 62 of the corresponding drive attachment element 36 when the corresponding structure is engaged with the structure 24 upon rotation of the drive element about the longitudinal axis.
[0104]In an alternative embodiment, a sleeve, or outer tube 63, having helical guide structure 24 and sized to fit around a portion of the drive element 22 may be used. In this case, the drive sleeve has at least one helical groove 24 in a clockwise or counter clockwise direction formed on the outer surface of the sleeve. The sleeve/outer tube can be interconnected to an inner tube 61, or other inner drive element 9 (e.g., rod), that is rotated so as to cause the rotation of the sleeve/outer tube. The inner drive element 9 can provide sufficient stiffness to keep the sleeve from bending too much along the longitudinal axis of the sleeve from the weight of the curtains, so that the sleeve need not be sufficiently stiff to keep from bending too much along the longitudinal axis of the sleeve from the weight of the curtains. The drive element 22, which then comprises the inner drive element 9 and the outer tube or sleeve, again translates the torque from the rotation assembly to axially movement of the curtain support 67 or drive attachment element 36 across the drive element 22. In an embodiment, the drive sleeve is secured to the inner drive element to form the drive element 22 such that the sleeve does not slide up or down the inner drive element or rotate around the inner drive element 9. It may also be desired to remove the sleeve from the inner drive element 9 and replace it with another sleeve. Using a drive sleeve has the advantage that the geometry of the helical groove 24 including its length may be easily changed by removing the sleeve and replacing it without fabricating a new drive element 22.
[0105]The helical grooves 24 may also vary in angle and therefore, may differ in the amount of time (rotations of the drive element) that it takes to travel across the drive element 22. For example, a helical groove 24 with a larger angle, with respect to a plane through a cross-section of the drive element, may create a shorter path for the structure to travel and lead to a faster moving curtain 44 for a certain rotation speed of the drive element. In some embodiments, the angle of the helical grooves 24, with respect to a cross-sectional plane of the drive element, may vary along the drive element in the direction of the longitudinal axis 60 of the drive element 22 such that the curtain 44 may move at different speeds along the drive element 22, for a given rotational speed of the drive element, if desired. The angle of the helical groove 24, with respect to a cross-sectional plane of the drive element, varies from greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees, preferably varies from 10 degrees to 80 degrees, more preferably varies from 20 degrees to 70 degrees, even more preferably varies from 30 degrees to 60 degrees, and is most preferably 45 degrees.
Rotation Assembly:
[0106]The drive element 22 can be connected to a rotation assembly 33 for rotating the drive element 22, where the rotation of the drive element 22 moves the drive attachment element 36 along the drive element via the helical groove 24 of the drive element 22.
[0107]The rotation assembly 33 may be a pull cord 72 connected to the drive element 22 or a motor assembly 32. The drive element 22 may be rotated manually. For example, a pull cord 72 as shown in FIGS. 1-3 may be connected to the drive element 22 such that the drive element 22 can be manipulated manually to rotate when it is desired to deploy or store the curtain 44. The use of pull cords 72 is well known in the art.
[0108]A motor assembly 32 may be used to rotate the drive element 22. The motor 82 may be mounted either inside or outside the drive element 22. In one embodiment, the motor 82 is mounted inside the drive element 22 and generally concealed from plain view. Components including axles 52 and bearings 94 may also be located inside the rotatable drive element 22.
[0109]A slip ring 28 may be used to transfer current from the power supply external to the drive element 22 to the motor 82 in the drive element 22 as shown in FIG. 6. Alternatively, batteries 84 in a battery tube 86 may be used as shown in FIG. 5 to power the motor 82. The batteries 84 in the battery tube 86 may be in a spring loaded sleeve to assist with loading and unloading the batteries 84 from the battery tube. In some embodiments, a motor drive adapter 92 as shown in FIG. 6 may also be used to securely attach or connect the motor 82 to the drive element 22. In other embodiments, the motor housing fits tightly against the drive element 22 and turns the drive element 22 when the motor output shaft is held in end bracket 54 to prevent it from turning. FIG. 5 shows the interconnection of end caps 51, axles 52, bearings 94, bearing housings 57 (note the bearing housing 57 is shown on the motor end in FIG. 5, but the bearing housing 57 on the battery end is not shown), motor 82, and battery tube 86. FIG. 6 shows a slip ring 28, which is optional, and allows the circuit to be completed while rotating.
[0110]In a motorized operation, the user may push a button 98 on a remote control 96 to turn on the motor 82 to rotate the drive element 22 such that the curtain 44 moves across the drive element 22 between a stored position and a deployed position depending on the user's preference. The remote control 96 and button 98 are shown in FIGS. 1-3. In other embodiments, the motor 82 may respond to a signal from the remote control 96 that is initiated by a voice command to the remote control, which then causes the motor 82 to rotate the drive element 22.
[0111]The curtain assembly 20 may also include a remote control 96 having a control board that generates a signal when the user makes a selection on the remote control 96. The control board has a transmitter that can wirelessly communicate with a receiver that is remotely located from the transmitter. For example, the receiver may be located in the motor 82 in the drive element 22. The receiver receives the transmitted signal from the transmitter and transmits it to the motor 82, which will cause the motor 16 to turn on, rotate the drive element 22, and moves the curtain 44.
[0112]As the drive element rotates, either manually or by a motor 82, the curtain 44 is engaged on the drive element 22 and moves axially along the drive element 22 to either a deployed or stored position.
Curtain Support, Drive Attachment Element and Structure:
[0113]The curtain assembly 20 can include a drive attachment element 36 having a structure 62 that communicates with the guide structure 24 to move the drive attachment element 36 axially along the drive element 22 when the drive element 22 is rotated. The curtain assembly can also include one or more idler attachment elements 67 that interconnect with the drive element to support the window covering, e.g. curtain. In specific embodiments, the drive attachment element 36 has a corresponding feature 62 that is a tooth 62 as described below.
[0114]The curtain assembly 20 of the present disclosure may include in some embodiments at least one drive attachment element 36 having a feature 62 that communicates with a helical guide structure 24 to move the drive attachment element 36 axially along the drive element 22 when the drive element 22 is rotated. The helical guide structure may be a helical groove 24 and the feature 62 may be a tooth. Referring to FIG. 1, one end, such as the motor end, of the curtain can be fixed 64 and the adjacent opposing end, such as the bearings end, of the curtain 66 can be attached to the drive attachment element 36. The feature 62 as a tooth is shown in FIGS. 10-12. FIG. 10 shows an enlarged perspective view of the drive attachment element 36. FIG. 11 is an enlarged side view of the drive attachment element 36 showing the drive tooth 62 according to one embodiment. FIG. 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the drive attachment element 36 showing the angle alpha (approximately 30 degrees) of the drive tooth 67. This angle alpha is the same angle as the helical groove makes with respect to a cross-sectional plane of the drive element.
[0115]As shown in FIGS. 10-12, the drive attachment element 36 can be ring-shaped and slides over the drive element 22. A different construction, however, may be used for the drive attachment element 36. As an example, the drive attachment element may have one or more additional structures 62, which may follow a corresponding one or more additional grooves, and/or one or more of the structures 62 can be located at a different rotational position with respect to the longitudinal axis of the drive element when the structure is mounted onto the drive element. The drive attachment element 36 is preferably provided with a slot 99 into which a traditional curtain hook 37 can be used to connect the end of the curtain to the drive attachment element 36. Curtain pins and curtain rings that are well known in the art to hang curtains may be used.
[0116]The structure 62 is designed to communicate with or engage the helical groove 24 of the drive element to move the drive attachment element 36 axially along the drive element, thereby moving the curtain. In one embodiment, the feature is a tooth formed on an angle on the inner surface of the body of the drive attachment element. The angle alpha of the drive tooth 62 is specifically designed to engage the helical groove on the drive element 22. In an embodiment, a design consideration is to maximize the amount of contact between the rotating drive element 22 and the drive attachment element 36 to move the weight of the curtain. The location of the tooth 62 with respect to the drive attachment element 36, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, are adjustable such that the angle the location of the tooth makes with respect to the drive element when the drive attachment element is interconnected to the drive element is adjustable. This adjustability allows the user of the curtain assembly to set the correct location of the drive attachment element(s) 36 in relationship to the axial position along the drive element for a particular rotational position of the drive element, as where the tooth is positioned and where the helical groove is located for a particular angular position of the drive element determines the axial position of the drive attachment element and, therefore, the axial position of the point of the curtain attached to the drive attachment element. In this way, if it is desired for a distal end of the curtain to reach the distal end of the drive element at a particular degree of rotation of the drive element (e.g., 720.degree., or 3600.degree.), then the relative rotational position of the tooth to the drive attachment element can be adjusted.
[0117]In some embodiments, the drive attachment element 36 has a first drive tooth 88 and a second drive tooth 90 as shown in FIGS. 13-16. Both the first drive tooth 88 and the second drive tooth 90 are configured to communicate with different helical grooves 24 of the drive element 22. The first drive tooth 88 and the second drive tooth 90 are positioned inside the drive attachment element 36 at the top and the bottom of the drive attachment element 36, respectively. FIGS. 15 and 16 show cross-sectional views of the top and the bottom of the drive attachment element 36 which show the angle alpha of the first drive tooth and the angle of the second drive tooth alpha. The angles alpha are both 45 degrees. The angles alpha of the first drive tooth 88 and the second drive tooth 90 are not limited to 45 degrees and are configured to communicate with the corresponding helical groove 24 of the drive element 22. In a preferred embodiment, also shown in FIGS. 22-26, there are four helical grooves 26. Two are clockwise spirals 38 and two are counter-clockwise 40.
[0118]One issue with this type of helical pattern on center closing curtains is keeping the timing of the drive attachment elements and the helical groove such that the two curtains always meet in the center of the opening when the drive element is drive (rotated to the close position. This issue is further complicated by being able to cut down the length of the tube to fit smaller windows. If a quad-helix drive element (two clockwise and two counterclockwise helixes) is cut down to a length that is not a multiple of ½ the pitch of the helixes, the drive attachment elements of the right curtain and the left curtain (for a dual curtain assembly) may not meet in the middle of the drive element. See FIG. 26. The adjustable drive attachment element can allow the teeth to be repositioned inside the drive attachment element such that the drive attachment element can start from a different axial position along the drive element and end at the desired axial position in the center, or other desired axial position. This adjustment of the position of the tooth with respect to the drive attachment element can correct the offset caused by the odd length of the drive element, e.g., from cutting an end off, and allows the right curtain drive attachment element and the left attachment element to meet in the middle.
[0119]The gear teeth between the “Clicker” and “Gear Ring” parts of the adjustable drive attachment element, in a specific embodiment, do not allow the “Clicker” to rotate when it is on the tube. In this case, removing the adjustable drive attachment element from the drive element allows the user to adjust the “Clicker” manually by disengaging it from the Gear Ring. The outward force of the drive element on the Clicker's gear teeth essentially locks it into the Gear Ring. Specific embodiments allow the tooth to be repositioned about one inch in either direction. For a drive element where ½ the pitch length is two inches, rotating the tube 180 degrees before installing the adjustable drive attachment element changes the starting position by ½ pitch length, which will correct the adjustable drive attachment element's starting position to an acceptable degree. Although the structure 62 described in the embodiments above is a tooth, other embodiments for the structure 62 may be used as well.
Simple Attachment Elements
[0120]The curtain assembly 20 may further comprise a plurality of idle attachment elements 67 connected to the drive element 22 for sliding movement along the drive element 22. The remaining attachment points 68 of the curtain 34 that are not connected to the drive attachment element 36 can then be suspended from the drive element 22 using one or more idler attachment elements 67.
[0121]Referring to FIG. 1, the curtain has one fixed end 64 and an adjacent opposing end 66 that is connected to the drive attachment element 36. The remaining ends (or attachment points) of the curtain 68 are positioned between the fixed end 64 and the adjacent opposing end 66 that is connected to the drive attachment element 36. These remaining attachment points 68 may be suspended from the drive element 22 using a plurality of idler attachment elements 67. The idler attachment elements 67 are interconnected to the rotatable drive element 22 as shown in FIGS. 1-4. Such interconnection of idler attachment elements 67 can be such that the idler attachment element surrounds a portion of, or all of, the circumference of the cross-section of the drive element and hangs freely on the drive element. In other embodiments, the idler attachment elements can be also interconnected with a structure external to the drive element.
[0122]The idler attachment elements 67 may be shaped similar to the drive attachment element 36. In some embodiments, the idler attachment elements 67 may have a smooth bore to allow free movement along the drive element 22 as the curtain moves. In other embodiments, the idler attachment elements 67 may have a tooth to assist in the movement of the curtain across the drive element. In embodiments having a tooth, the drive element can have a region that frees the tooth when the simple attachment element reaches a certain axial region of the drive element, such as an end of the drive element, going one axial direction, and re-engages the tooth as the idler attachment element is pulled in the other axial direction out of the same axial direction.
[0123]As shown in FIGS. 1-4, the idler attachment elements 67 may be rings that slide over the drive element 22. The idler attachment elements 67 may be provided with a slot or a hole (not shown) into which a traditional curtain hook (or loop) 37 is used to attach the remaining attachment points 68 of the curtain 44 to the idler attachment element 67 as shown in FIGS. 4-6. Curtain pins and curtain rings that are well known in the art to hang curtains may be used.
Pull Rods and Programming:
[0124]In some embodiments, the drive attachment element 36 has a single tooth 62 and is a loose fit on the drive element 22. In these cases, the curtain assembly 20 can include a draw rod 70 connected to the drive attachment element 36 wherein the drive tooth 62 is disengaged from the guide structure 24 of the drive element 22 by applying force on the draw rod 70. The draw rod 70 may be an elongated rod or any other mechanism that is configured to allow the user to manually disengage the drive attachment element 36 from the guide structure 24. The draw rod can then be used to axially move the drive attachment element along the drive element.
[0125]The motor 82 for the curtain assembly 20 may be programmed from the factory with a preset number (integer or fractional) of drive element 22 revolutions to move the curtain axially across the drive element 22. There are a variety of reasons, however, why this preset number of revolutions may change. For example, the drive element 22 may be shortened (e.g., cut) to accommodate a narrower window 34 or the curtain has been manually moved with the draw rod 70 and not moved by the pull cord 72.
[0126]Therefore, in an embodiment, the initial setup of the motor 82 is able to count the number of revolutions the drive element 22 makes to fully open and fully close the curtain 44. This setup may be accomplished by a setup routine in which a program button is pressed once on a remote control 96 to start the motor 82 moving the curtain 44 and then pressing the button a second time, either to stop the movement or after the movement has stopped, which stores the number of revolutions the curtain 44 has moved.
[0127]In a specific embodiment, the number of revolutions can be confirmed by pressing the program button a third time, which reverses the motor 82 and moves the curtain 44 in the opposite direction. Pressing the program button a fourth time, either to stop the curtain 44 or after the movement has stopped, can cause the number of counts to be compared, and set a new count in the memory to complete the set up routine. If the program button on the remote control 96 is not pressed the second time, the motor 82 can run until the preset count is reached, then shut off. Alternatively, the assembly can implement some sort of maximum axial distance detector or force detector, or clutch, such that the motor stops, or stops rotating the drive element, respectively, when a threshold force is encountered trying to move the drive attachment element.
[0128]If it is desired to automatically move the curtain after the curtain was manually moved, the user can press the program button twice on the remote control 96, which will cycle the curtain twice. This resynchronizes the curtain movement count by first moving the curtain to one distal end of the drive element followed by moving the curtain 44 to the opposite distal end of the drive section, i.e., two cycles.
[0129]When the curtain 44 is moved towards its fully deployed position, as shown in FIG. 1, the drive attachment element 36 is driven by the rotation of the helical groove 24 on the drive element 22 acting on the feature in the drive attachment element until the drive element 22 rotates a set number of revolutions and stops in the fully deployed position.
Center Closing Embodiments:
[0130]Referring to FIG. 4, a specific embodiment of the curtain assembly 20 is shown in which the curtain 44 used is a center closing curtain 46. As described above, a center closing curtain 46 is composed of two fabric panels, a right panel 50 and a left panel 48, which meet in the center of the window 42 to close and cover the window 34.
[0131]The center closing curtain 46 is in the deployed position and the window 34 is covered in FIG. 4. The drive element 22 has a clockwise helical groove 38 and a counter clockwise helical groove 40 formed on the outer surface 26 of the drive element 22. The clockwise helical groove 38 and counter clockwise helical groove 40 have the same angle and oppose each other to create the correct movement of the center closing curtain 46 when the drive element 22 rotates.
[0132]To accommodate a center closing curtain 46, the curtain assembly 20 has a left drive attachment element 74 and a right drive attachment element 76 as shown in FIG. 4. The left drive attachment element 74 is connected to the adjacent opposing end 66 of the left panel 48 and the right drive attachment element 76 is connected to adjacent opposing end 66 of the right panel 50. In other words, the left panel 48 has a fixed end 64 and an adjacent opposing end 66 that is connected to the left drive attachment element 74. The right panel 50 has a fixed end 64 and an adjacent opposing end 66 that is connected to the right drive attachment element 76. There may also be a left draw rod 78 and a right draw rod 80 attached to the left drive attachment element 74 and the right drive attachment element 76, respectively.
[0133]The tooth 62 of the right drive attachment element 76 can follow the counter-clockwise helical groove 40 and the tooth 62 of the left drive attachment element 74 can follow the clockwise helical groove 38, such that when the drive element is rotated in a first rotational direction the left panel 48 and right panel 50 both close and when the drive element is rotated in the opposite direction the left panel 48 and right panel 50 both open. In a specific embodiment, the drive element has only one or more clockwise helical grooves 24 on the left end of the drive element, on which the closed left panel 48 hangs, and the drive element has only one or more counter-clockwise helical grooves on the right end of the drive element, on which the closed right panel 50 hangs.
Dual Curtain:
[0134]Referring to FIGS. 27-30, a dual curtain assembly 1 is provided. The dual curtain assembly 1 comprises a rotatable drive element 22 wherein at least one helical structure 24 is formed on the outer surface 26 of the drive element 22; curtain drive elements 36A and 36B having a corresponding structure that communicates with the helical structure 24 to move the curtain supports axially along the drive element 22 when the drive element 22 is rotated