# US 10,501,985 B2 · System and device for window covering > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,501,985 B2 - Document ID: US10501985B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/472,298 - Filed: 2017-03-29 - Published: 2017-10-12 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2016-04-06 - Assignees: Nien Made Enterprise Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Nien Made Enterprise Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Lin Chen; Keng-Hao Nien - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10501985B2 ## CPC - 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) - B65H 75/4434: {actuated by pulling on or imparting an inclination to the material} - B65H 75/4471: {Housing enclosing the reel} - B65H 75/4492: {Manual drives} - B65H 75/486: {Arrangements or adaptations of the spring motor} - E06B 9/303: with ladder-tape - E06B 9/307: Details of tilting bars and their operation - E06B 9/388: Details of bottom or upper slats or their attachment - E06B 2009/807: {Brakes preventing fast screen movement} - E06B: FIXED OR MOVABLE CLOSURES FOR OPENINGS IN BUILDINGS, VEHICLES, FENCES OR LIKE ENCLOSURES IN GENERAL, e.g. DOORS, WINDOWS, BLINDS, GATES (shades or blinds for greenhouses A01G9/22; curtains A47H; lids for car boots or bonnets B62D25/10; skylights E04B7/18; sunshades, awnings E04F10/00) - B65H: HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES ## Abstract A window covering system comprises a headrail, a bottom rail, a covering material, a control unit, and a first rotating unit, wherein the first rotating unit is configured to be driven to rotate in a first direction when the bottom rail descends to expand the covering material; and a locking device coiled to the first rotating unit, wherein the locking device provides a restriction force to the first rotating unit to restrict the first rotating unit from rotating in the first direction, as well as to restrict the bottom rail from descending; and an actuating device configured to operate with the control unit simultaneously; when the control unit drives the actuating device to push the locking device in order to reduce the restriction force provided by the locking device to the first rotating unit, the bottom rail descends to drive the first rotating unit to rotate in the first direction. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A window covering system, comprising: a headrail, a bottom rail, a covering material, and a control unit, wherein the covering material is positioned between the headrail and the bottom rail, and the control unit is positioned outside of the headrail; and a first rotating unit positioned within the headrail, wherein the first rotating unit is configured to be driven to rotate in a first direction when the bottom rail descends to expand the covering material; and a locking device coiled to the first rotating unit, wherein the locking device comprises a fixed end and a free end, and the fixed end is fixed relative to the headrail, and wherein the locking device is configured to provide a restriction force to the first rotating unit in order to restrict the first rotating unit from rotating in the first direction, as well as to restrict the bottom rail from descending; and an actuating device comprising a pushing part, which is positioned corresponding to the fixed end and configured to operate with the control unit simultaneously, wherein the control unit is configured to drive the pushing part of the actuating device to push the free end of the locking device to move in order to remove the rotation restriction to the first rotating unit by reducing the restriction force provided by the locking device to the first rotating unit; when the rotation restriction to the first rotating unit is removed, the bottom rail descends by gravity to drive the first rotating unit to rotate in the first direction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The window covering system according to claim 1, further comprising a second rotating unit positioned within the headrail, wherein the second rotating unit is configured to operate with the first rotating unit simultaneously; when the locking device restricts the first rotating unit from rotating in the first direction, the second rotating unit is restricted from rotating simultaneously; when the locking device removes the rotation restriction to the first rotating unit, the bottom rail descends to drive the second rotating unit to rotate, such that the second rotating unit drives the first rotating unit to rotate in the first direction. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The window covering system according to claim 2, the first rotating unit is coaxial to the second rotating unit, wherein the first rotating unit and the second rotating unit are configured to rotate simultaneously in the same direction. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2, 3) The window covering system according to claim 2 or 3, further comprising a lifting cord connected to the second rotating unit at one end and to the bottom rail at the other end, wherein the lifting cord is configured to be collected by or released from the second rotating unit when the second rotating unit rotates, thereby ascending the bottom rail to collect the covering material or descending the bottom rail to expand the covering material; when the control unit drives the pushing part of the actuating device to push the free end of the locking device to move in order to remove the rotation restriction to the first rotating unit, the bottom rail descends to drive the second rotating unit to rotate via the lifting cord, thereby releasing the lifting cord, and driving the first rotating unit to rotate in the first direction. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2, 3) The window covering system according to claim 2 or 3, further comprising a driving device comprising an elastic unit connected to the second rotating unit at one end; when the second rotating unit is driven to rotate by descending of the bottom rail, the elastic unit is wound upon the second rotating unit or released from the second rotating unit; when the control unit drives the pushing part of the actuating device to push the free end of the locking device to move in order to remove the rotation restriction to the first rotating unit, the bottom rail descends to drive the second rotating unit to rotate, thereby driving the first rotating unit to rotate in the first direction. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The window covering system according to claim 5, further comprising a winding device comprising at least one third rotating unit positioned within the headrail, wherein the at least one third rotating unit is configured to operate with the second rotating unit simultaneously; a lifting cord connected to the at least one third rotating unit at one end and to the bottom rail at the other end, wherein the lifting cord is configured to be collected by or released from the at least one third rotating unit when the at least one third rotating unit rotates, thereby ascending the bottom rail to collect the covering material or descending the bottom rail to expand the covering material; when the control unit drives the pushing part of the actuating device to push the free end of the locking device to move in order to remove the rotation restriction to the first rotating unit, the bottom rail descends to drive the at least one third rotating unit to rotate via the lifting cord, thereby driving the second rotating unit to rotate, which drives the first rotating unit to rotate in the first direction. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The window covering system according to claim 2, wherein the rotation axis of the first rotating unit is substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis of the second rotating unit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The window covering system according to claim 7, further comprising a first gear positioned coaxially to the rotation axis of the first rotating unit, and a second gear positioned coaxially to the rotation axis of the second rotating unit, wherein the first gear and the second gear are engaged by toothed engagement. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The window covering system according to claim 8, further comprising a one-way clutch connected to the first gear and positioned corresponding to the first rotating unit; when the first gear is driven by the second gear to rotate in the first direction, the first rotating unit is engaged to the first gear via the one-way clutch, thereby the first rotating unit and the first gear rotate in the first direction simultaneously; when the first gear is driven by the second gear to rotate in a direction opposite to the first direction, the first rotating unit is disengaged from the first gear via the one-way clutch, and the one-way clutch rotates solely relative to the first rotating unit, thereby the one-way clutch and the first gear rotate in the direction opposite to the first direction, and the first rotating unit is not rotating relative to the headrail. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The window covering system according to claim 9, further comprising a lifting cord connected to the second rotating unit at one end and to the bottom rail at the other end, wherein the lifting cord is configured to be collected by or released from the second rotating unit when the second rotating unit rotates, thereby ascending the bottom rail to collect the covering material or descending the bottom rail to expand the covering material; when the control unit drives the pushing part of the actuating device to push the free end of the locking device to move in order to remove the rotation restriction to the first rotating unit, the bottom rail descends to drive the second rotating unit to rotate via the lifting cord, thereby releasing the lifting cord, and driving the first rotating unit to rotate in the first direction. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The window covering system according to claim 9, further comprising a driving device comprising an elastic unit connected to the second rotating unit at one end; when the second rotating unit is driven to rotate by descending of the bottom rail, the elastic unit is wound upon the second rotating unit or released from the second rotating unit; when the control unit drives the pushing part of the actuating device to push the free end of the locking device to move in order to remove the rotation restriction to the first rotating unit, the bottom rail descends to drive the second rotating unit to rotate, thereby driving the first rotating unit to rotate in the first direction. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The window covering system according to claim 11, further comprising a winding device comprising at least one third rotating unit positioned within the headrail, wherein the at least one third rotating unit is configured to operate with the second rotating unit simultaneously; a lifting cord connected to the at least one third rotating unit at one end and to the bottom rail at the other end, wherein the lifting cord is configured to be collected by or released from the at least one third rotating unit when the at least one third rotating unit rotates, thereby ascending the bottom rail to collect the covering material or descending the bottom rail to expand the covering material; when the control unit drives the pushing part of the actuating device to push the free end of the locking device to move in order to remove the rotation restriction to the first rotating unit, the bottom rail descends to drive the at least one third rotating unit to rotate via the lifting cord, thereby driving the second rotating unit to rotate, which drives the first rotating unit to rotate in the first direction. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The window covering system according to claim 1, further comprising a rod connected to the control unit and the actuating device; when the control unit drives the rod to drive the pushing part of the actuating device to push the free end of the locking device to move in order to remove the rotation restriction to the first rotating unit, the bottom rail descends by gravity to drive the first rotating unit to rotate in the first direction to expand the covering material. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The window covering system according to claim 13, wherein the rod is coaxial to the actuating device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The window covering system according to claim 14, further comprising a tilting device connected between the control unit and the rod, wherein the tilting device comprises a worm gear and a worm wheel, wherein the worm wheel is connected to the rod for operating with the rod simultaneously, and the worm gear is connected to one end of the control unit for operating with the control unit simultaneously, and wherein the worm gear and the worm wheel are engaged by toothed engagement; when the worm gear is driven by the control unit to rotate, the worm wheel and the rod are configured to rotate. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The window covering system according to claim 15, further comprising at least one ladder, and the covering material comprises a plurality of slats which are horizontally arranged, wherein the plurality of slats are positioned one after another and spaced with each other along the axial direction of the at least one ladder; the tilting device further comprises at least one tilting wheel which is positioned to the rod and configured to operate with the rod simultaneously, and wherein one end of the at least one ladder is fixed to the at least one tilting wheel; when the rod is driven to rotate, the tilting wheel is driven to rotate by the rod, thereby the at least one ladder drives the plurality of slats to tilt in order to adjusting the angle of the plurality of slats, as well as the light blockage of the plurality of slats. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The window covering system according to claim 1, wherein the locking device is a restriction spring coiled to the first rotating unit and providing a restriction force to the first rotating unit in order to restrict the first rotating unit from rotating in the first direction and to restrict the bottom rail from descending; when the control unit drives the pushing part of the actuating device to push the free end of the locking device to move in order to remove the rotation restriction to the first rotating unit by increasing the diameter of the restriction spring, the bottom rail descends by gravity to drive the first rotating unit to rotate in the first direction.