Motorized shutter assembly
AssigneeHunter Douglas Inc.
InventorDonald E. Fraser
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In one aspect, a shutter assembly includes a shutter frame and a plurality of louvers supported by the frame. The shutter assembly also includes a louver drive assembly and a motor positioned within the frame. The motor is configured to rotationally drive a drive shaft extending within the frame. Additionally, the shutter assembly includes a clutch assembly rotationally coupled between the drive shaft and the louver drive assembly. The clutch assembly is configured to disengage or decouple the drive shaft from the louver drive assembly when a torque transmitted through the clutch assembly exceeds a given torque threshold.
Claims21
1-20. (canceled)
A shutter assembly comprising:
- a shutter frame;
- a plurality of louvers supported by said shutter frame;
- a louver drive assembly positioned within said shutter frame, said louver drive assembly coupled to at least one driven louver of said plurality of louvers;
- a drive shaft extending within said shutter frame;
- and
- a clutch assembly coupled between said drive shaft and said louver drive assembly, said clutch assembly including an input clutch portion, an output clutch portion, and a coupling provided between said input and output clutch portions;
- wherein:
- a first portion of said coupling is configured to be selectively engaged with said input clutch portion and a second portion of said coupling is configured to be selectively engaged with said output clutch portion;
- and
- when a torque transmitted through said clutch assembly exceeds a torque threshold, one of said first portion or said second portion of said coupling is configured to disengage from a respective clutch portion of said input and output clutch portions to decouple said input clutch portion from said output clutch portion.
A shutter assembly comprising:
- a shutter frame;
- a plurality of louvers supported by said shutter frame;
- a louver drive assembly positioned within said shutter frame, said louver drive assembly coupled to at least one driven louver of said plurality of louvers;
- a drive shaft extending within said shutter frame;
- and
- a clutch assembly coupled between said drive shaft and said louver drive assembly, said clutch assembly including an input clutch portion, an output clutch portion, and a coupling provided between said input and output clutch portion;
- wherein:
- a first portion of said coupling is configured to be selectively engaged with said input clutch portion and a second portion of said coupling is configured to be selectively engaged with said output clutch portion;
- and
- when a torque transmitted through said clutch assembly exceeds a torque threshold:
- said first portion of said coupling is configured to disengage from said input clutch portion when a rotational direction of the torque is in a first direction;
- and
- said second portion of said coupling is configured to disengage from said output clutch portion when the rotational direction of the torque is in a second direction opposite the first direction.
A clutch assembly for use within a shutter, the shutter including a drive shaft and a louver drive assembly rotationally coupled to a plurality of louvers of the shutter, the clutch assembly comprising:
- a clutch housing;
- a clutch input portion configured to be at least partially received within said clutch housing, said clutch input portion being configured to rotationally engage the drive shaft;
- a clutch output portion configured to be at least partially received within said clutch housing, said clutch output portion being configured to rotationally engage a component of the louver drive assembly;
- a coupling provided between said input and output clutch portions;
- wherein:
- a first portion of said coupling is configured to be selectively engaged with said input clutch portion and a second portion of said coupling is configured to be selectively engaged with said output clutch portion;
- and
- when a torque transmitted through said clutch assembly exceeds a torque threshold, one of said first portion or said second portion of said coupling is configured to disengage from a respective clutch portion of said input and output clutch portions to decouple said input clutch portion from said output clutch portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.