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US 2013/0153161 A1Published application
Power assist module for roller shades
AssigneeHunter Douglas Inc.
InventorsSteven R. Haarer, Richard N. Anderson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A power assist module for use in roller tube driven products, such as roller shades. The module may be pre-wound prior to installation in a roller tube and retains its pre-wound condition, even after use, when removed from the roller tube.
Claims24
A power assist arrangement for a covering for an architectural opening, comprising:
- at least one independent power assist module including means for mounting inside a rotator tube, said independent power assist module including the following prior to being mounted inside the rotator tube:
- an elongated spring shaft having first and second ends;
- a drive plug mounted adjacent to one of said first and second ends of said spring shaft for rotation relative to said spring shaft;
- an elongated spring mounted over said spring shaft, said elongated spring having a first end fixed relative to said spring shaft and a second end fixed relative to said drive plug;
- and
- a prewinding mechanism including means for prewinding said spring relative to said spring shaft, including a threaded follower member mounted for rotation about an axis of rotation relative to said spring shaft;
- a threaded shaft member non-rotatably mounted relative to said spring shaft and threaded to said follower member;
- a first abutment surface on said threaded shaft member and a second abutment surface on said threaded follower member, said first and second abutment surfaces being located so as to abut each other and prevent relative rotation between said threaded shaft member and said threaded follower member when said threaded follower member has threaded a desired axial distance in a first direction relative to said threaded shaft member.
5 more elements
A stop arrangement for a covering for an architectural opening, comprising:
- a threaded shaft member defining a first abutment surface including means for selectively positioning said first abutment surface at various axial positions on said threaded shaft member;
- a threaded follower member mounted for threaded interaction with said threaded shaft member, said threaded follower member defining a second abutment surface, wherein one of said threaded shaft member and threaded follower member is mounted for non-rotation;
- and
- a covering mounted for movement in extended and retracted directions and functionally connected to one of said threaded shaft member and threaded follower member such that when said covering is moved in one of said extended and retracted directions across the architectural opening, one of said threaded shaft member and threaded follower member rotates relative to the other of said threaded shaft member and threaded follower member, causing one of said threaded shaft member and threaded follower member to move axially until said first abutment surface abuts said second abutment surface, which prevents further movement of said covering in said one direction.
1 more element
A method of providing power assist to a roller shade having a rotator tube, including the steps of:
- providing at least one independent power assist module having a drive plug and a spring with a preselected spring force;
- pre-winding said spring of the power assist module with the power assist module independently retaining its spring pre-wind;
- and then
- inserting the prewound power assist module into the rotator tube with the drive plug mounted for rotation with the rotator tube.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.