# US 12,006,765 B2 · Window covering

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- Number: US 12,006,765 B2
- Document ID: US12006765B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/125,961
- Filed: 2020-12-17
- Published: 2021-06-24
- Granted: 2024-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2019-12-20
- Assignees: Nien Made Enterprise Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Nien Made Enterprise Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Chao-Hung Nien; Jui-Pin Jao; Chin-Chu Chiu; Ping-Yu Chu
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12006765B2

## 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)
- E06B 9/38: Other details
- H02K 11/21: Devices for sensing speed or position, or actuated thereby (specially adapted for machines having non-mechanical commutating devices H02K29/06, H02K29/14)
- H02K 11/33: Drive circuits, e.g. power electronics (H02K11/38 takes precedence)
- E06B 9/262: with flexibly-interconnected horizontal or vertical strips; Concertina blinds {, i.e. upwardly folding flexible screens}
- E06B 2009/2625: {Pleated screens, e.g. concertina- or accordion-like}
- E06B 2009/3222: {Cordless, i.e. user interface without cords}
- H02K 2207/03: Tubular motors, i.e. rotary motors mounted inside a tube, e.g. for blinds
- 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)
- H02K: DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES (dynamo-electric relays H01H53/00; conversion of DC or AC input power into surge output power {H03K3/53})

## Abstract

A window covering includes a headrail, a covering material located below the headrail, a rotating member connected to the covering material and provided in the headrail, a motor provided in the headrail and coupled to the rotating member, and a control device provided in the headrail and electrically connected to the motor. The headrail has a longitudinal direction. The rotating member is adapted to drive the covering material to expand or collapse. The motor drives the rotating member to rotate. When a moving speed of a lower end of the covering material decreases and such a situation lasts for a predetermined time, the control device controls the motor to stop operating. Whereby, no matter whether the covering material is fully expanded, fully collapsed, or encounters resistance somewhere in between, the motor can be stopped.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A window covering, comprising:
a headrail which has a longitudinal direction;
a covering material provided below the headrail;
a rotating member provided in the headrail and connected to the covering material, wherein the rotating member is adapted to drive the covering material to be raised or lowered;
a driving device provided in the headrail and coupled to the rotating member, wherein the driving device drives the rotating member to rotate;
a control device provided in the headrail and electrically connected to the driving device, wherein, when a moving speed of a lower end of the covering material decreases and such a situation lasts for a predetermined time, the control device controls the driving device to stop operating; and
a cord;
wherein the control device comprises a detecting module and a control module which is electrically connected to the detecting module; the detecting module is adapted to detect the moving speed of the lower end of the covering material; the control module controls the driving device to stop operating when the moving speed of the lower end of the covering material decreases and such a situation lasts for the predetermined time;
wherein the rotating member comprises a spool; an end of the cord is fixed to the spool, and the cord is adapted to wind around the spool; another end of the cord is connected to the lower end of the covering material; a length of a segment of the cord fully released from the spool by a driving of the driving device is greater than a length of the covering material when fully expanded; wherein, when the length of the segment of the cord released by the driving of the driving device equals the length of the expanded covering material, the cord is located at a predetermined position in the longitudinal direction of the headrail; when the moving speed of the lower end of the covering material decreases and such a situation lasts for the predetermined time, the length of the segment of the cord released by the driving of the driving device is greater than the length of the expanded covering material, and the cord shifts and leaves the predetermined position in the longitudinal direction of the headrail; once the detecting module detects that the cord shifts and leaves the predetermined position, the control module controls the driving device to stop operating;
wherein the detecting module comprises a switch and a restricting ring, and the switch is electrically connected to the control module; the switch has an operation rod; the cord passes through the restricting ring, wherein the restricting ring is movably provided, and is adapted to conditionally touch the operation rod of the switch; when the cord is located at the predetermined position, the cord drives the restricting ring to leave the operation rod; when the cord shifts and leaves the predetermined position, the restricting ring moves toward and eventually presses against the operation rod, whereby to make the switch a trigger, so that the control module controls the driving device to stop operating.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The window covering of claim 1, wherein the detecting module comprises an elastic member which is concurrently movable along with the restricting ring; when the cord is located at the predetermined position, the cord exerts a force to the restricting ring in a direction away from the operation rod of the switch, wherein the elastic member is adapted to accumulate an elasticity; when the cord shifts and leaves the predetermined position, the elasticity of the elastic member drives the restricting ring to move toward and eventually press against the operation rod, whereby to make the switch a trigger, so that the control module controls the driving device to stop operating.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The window covering of claim 2, wherein the detecting module comprises a fixing seat which is fixed at the headrail, and the elastic member is provided at the fixing seat.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The window covering of claim 3, wherein the elastic member is a torsion spring which comprises a winding portion and two extending arms connected to the winding portion; the winding portion forms the restricting ring; the fixing seat has a receiving hole and two slots, wherein the winding portion is located in the receiving hole; each of the extending arms has a bent section at an end thereof, wherein the bent section of each of the extending arms goes into one of the slots, respectively; each of the bent sections is movable in a longitudinal direction of the corresponding slot.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The window covering of claim 3, wherein the switch is provided at the fixing seat.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The window covering of claim 4, wherein the headrail has a cord hole at a bottom thereof; the cord passes through the cord hole, and the receiving hole is located above the cord hole.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The window covering of claim 1, wherein, after stopping the driving device, the control device further configures the driving device to rotate in a second rotating direction different from a first rotating direction which the driving device previously rotates in, and configures the lower end of the covering material to move in a second moving direction different from a first moving direction which the lower end previously moves in.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The window covering of claim 7, wherein the control device configures the driving device to rotate in the second rotating direction for moving the lower end of the covering material for a predetermined distance in the second moving direction.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The window covering of claim 7, wherein:
the switch either in a first state representing the cord is taut or in a second state representing the cord is loose,
wherein the control device configures the driving device to rotate in the second rotating direction for moving the lower end of the covering material in the second moving direction until the switch changes from the second state to the first state.

### Claim 10

A window covering, comprising:
a headrail which has a longitudinal direction;
a covering material provided below the headrail;
a rotating member provided in the headrail and connected to the covering material, wherein the rotating member is adapted to drive the covering material to be raised or lowered;
a driving device provided in the headrail and coupled to the rotating member, wherein the driving device drives the rotating member to rotate;
a control device provided in the headrail and electrically connected to the driving device, wherein, when a moving speed of a lower end of the covering material decreases and such a situation lasts for a predetermined time, the control device controls the driving device to stop operating; and
a cord;
wherein the control device comprises a detecting module and a control module which is electrically connected to the detecting module; the detecting module is adapted to detect the moving speed of the lower end of the covering material; the control module controls the driving device to stop operating when the moving speed of the lower end of the covering material decreases and such a situation lasts for the predetermined time;
wherein the rotating member comprises a spool; an end of the cord is fixed to the spool, and the cord is adapted to wind around the spool; another end of the cord is connected to the lower end of the covering material; wherein, when the cord is taut, the cord is located at a predetermined position in the longitudinal direction of the headrail; when the moving speed of the lower end of the covering material decreases and such a situation last for the predetermined time, the cord is loose, and the cord shifts and leaves the predetermined position in the longitudinal direction of the headrail; once the detecting module detects that the cord shifts and leaves the predetermined position, the control module controls the driving device to stop operating;
wherein the detecting module comprises a switch and a restricting ring, and the switch is electrically connected to the control module; the switch has an operation rod; the cord passes through the restricting ring, wherein the restricting ring is movably provided, and is adapted to conditionally touch the operation rod of the switch; when the cord is located at the predetermined position, the cord drives the restricting ring to leave the operation rod; when the cord shifts and leaves the predetermined position, the restricting ring moves toward and eventually presses against the operation rod, whereby to make the switch a trigger, so that the control module controls the driving device to stop operating.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The window covering of claim 10, wherein the detecting module comprises an elastic member which is concurrently movable along with the restricting ring; when the cord is located at the predetermined position, the cord exerts a force to the restricting ring in a direction away from the operation rod of the switch, wherein the elastic member is adapted to accumulate an elasticity; when the cord shifts and leaves the predetermined position, the elasticity of the elastic member drives the restricting ring to move toward and eventually press against the operation rod, whereby to make the switch a trigger, so that the control module controls the driving device to stop operating.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The window covering of claim 11, wherein the detecting module comprises a fixing seat which is fixed at the headrail, and the elastic member is provided at the fixing seat.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The window covering of claim 12, wherein the elastic member is a torsion spring which comprises a winding portion and two extending arms connected to the winding portion; the winding portion forms the restricting ring; the fixing seat has a receiving hole and two slots, wherein the winding portion is located in the receiving hole; each of the extending arms has a bent section at an end thereof, wherein the bent section of each of the extending arms goes into one of the slots, respectively; each of the bent sections is movable in a longitudinal direction of the corresponding slot.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The window covering of claim 12, wherein the switch is provided at the fixing seat.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The window covering of claim 13, wherein the headrail has a cord hole at a bottom thereof; the cord passes through the cord hole, and the receiving hole is located above the cord hole.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The window covering of claim 10, wherein, after stopping the driving device, the control device further configures the driving device to rotate in a second rotating direction different from a first rotating direction which the driving device previously rotates in, and configures the lower end of the covering material to move in a second moving direction different from a first moving direction which the lower end previously moves in.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The window covering of claim 16, wherein the control device configures the driving device to rotate in the second rotating direction for moving the lower end of the covering material for a predetermined distance in the second moving direction.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The window covering of claim 16, wherein:
the switch either in a first state representing the cord is taut or in a second state representing the cord is loose,
wherein the control device configures the driving device to rotate in the second rotating direction for moving the lower end of the covering material in the second moving direction until the switch changes from the second state to the first state.