Solar-powered, wireless, retrofittable, automatic controller for venetian blinds and similar window converings

A system for motorized operation of a venetian blind, said venetian blind having a headrail and a tilt-adjustment shaft, said headrail having a front wall, said tilt-adjustment shaft protruding from said headrail;

• said system including:
• a) an electromechanical rotary actuator, said actuator having an output member;
• b) coupling means for coupling said output member of said actuator to said tilt-adjustment shaft so that rotation of said output member causes said tilt-adjustment shaft to rotate;
• and
• c) attaching means for externally attaching said actuator to said headrail, said attaching means including:
• i) variable orienting means for varying the orientation of said actuator relative to said headrail, over a predetermined angular range, about a horizontal axis parallel to said front wall of said headrail, and
• ii) variable positioning means for varying the location of said actuator, relative to said headrail, within a predetermined portion of a vertical plane perpendicular to said front wall of said headrail.

A switching system to produce signals for control of an automatic window covering, said system for use with a control wand, said control wand having a major axis, said system including:

• a) an actuating body;
• b) rotary biasing means for rotatably biasing said actuating body, about an axis of rotation, to an initial angular position;
• c) first switching means for producing a first switching signal in response to a clockwise rotational displacement of said actuating body, about said axis of rotation, of less than one revolution relative to said initial angular position;
• d) second switching means for producing a second switching signal in response to a counterclockwise rotational displacement of said actuating body, about said axis of rotation, of less than one revolution relative to said initial angular position;
• e) supporting means for physically supporting said control wand with said major axis oriented vertically;
• f) coupling means for rotatably coupling said control wand to said actuating body, whereby:
• i) rotations of said control wand about said major axis are coupled to said actuating body;
• ii) said first switching signal is produced in response to a clockwise rotation of said control wand, about said major axis, of less than one revolution relative to an initial wand orientation;
• and
• iii) said second switching signal is produced in response to a counterclockwise rotation of said control wand, about said major axis, of less than one revolution relative to said initial wand orientation.

A switching system to produce signals for control of an automatic window covering, said system for use with a control wand, said control wand having a major axis, said system including:

• a) an actuating body, said actuating body including a reference point, the location of said reference point fixed with respect to said actuating body;
• b) first switching means for producing a first switching signal in response to rotation of said actuating body about an axis passing through said reference point;
• c) second switching means for producing a second switching signal in response to linear displacement of said reference point of said actuating body;
• d) supporting means for physically supporting said control wand with said major axis oriented vertically;
• and
• e) coupling means for coupling said control wand to said actuating body, whereby rotary and axial movements of said control wand are coupled to said actuating body, so that said first switching signal is produced in response to rotation of said control wand about said major axis, and said second switching signal is produced in response to vertical movement of said control wand along said major axis.

A solar-electric power supply for use with a window covering, said window covering mounted in proximity to a window, said window covering including a headrail and shading means, said headrail having a long dimension, said shading means suspended from said headrail, said power supply including:

• a) an electrical storage battery;
• b) a photovoltaic source;
• c) a support member, said support member comprising a continuous strip of material, said strip including a bend, said bend dividing said strip into an upper portion and a lower portion, said upper portion physically coupled to said battery, said lower portion physically coupled to said photovoltaic source;
• d) an electrical conductor, said conductor attached to said support member, said conductor electrically coupled to said battery and said photovoltaic source;
• and
• e) attaching means for attaching said support member to said headrail, with:
• i) said upper portion of said support member passing above said headrail,
• ii) said bend of said support member having an axis parallel to said long dimension of said headrail, said bend located between said headrail and a first plane containing said window,
• iii) said lower portion of said support member extending substantially downward from said upper portion, said lower portion located between said first plane and a second plane containing said shading means, and
• iv) said photovoltaic source located between said first plane and said second plane.

A photovoltaic source for use with a window, said source including:

• a) a support member, said member comprising a continuous strip of material, said member having a front side and a back side, said member including a first fold, a second fold, and a third fold;
• each of said folds parallel to a reference axis;
• said folds dividing said front side of said member into a first substantially planar region, a second substantially planar region, a third substantially planar region, and a fourth substantially planar region;
• said first fold forming the top of said first region and the bottom of said second region, said second fold forming the top of said second region and the bottom of said third region, and said third fold forming the top of said third region and the bottom of said fourth region;
• said first region having a first angle of inclination with respect to a reference plane, said second region being substantially parallel to said reference plane, and said fourth region being substantially parallel to said first region;
• b) a first photoactive surface, said first photoactive surface located on said first region;
• c) a second photoactive surface, said second photoactive surface located on said fourth region;
• whereby, when said member is positioned so that said front side of said member faces said window, said reference axis is horizontal, and said reference plane is parallel to said window, then said first photoactive surface and said fourth photoactive surface have said first angle of inclination with respect to said window.