US 6,957,683 B2Granted

Spring drive system and window cover

OwnerAndrew J. Totiinventor

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Abstract

A spring drive system useful for window covers is disclosed, which comprises one or more coil spring drives or flat spring drives and the combination whose elements are selected from one or more of a group which includes (1) a band or cord transmission which provides varying ratio power transfer as the cover is opened and closed; (2) gear means comprising various gear sets which provide frictional holding force and fixed power transfer ratios; (3) a gear transmission which provides fixed ratio power transfer as the cover is opened or closed; (4) crank mechanisms; (5) brake mechanisms; and (6) recoiler mechanisms. The combination permits the spring drive force to be tailored to the weight and/or compression characteristics of an associated window cover such as a horizontal slat or pleated or box blind as the cover is opened and closed.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A cover system, comprising:

a base;
an extendible cover mounted to the base and having a free end depending from the base;
a rail mounted proximate the free end of the extendible cover;
pulley means mounted proximate the base for rotation;
and lift cord means wound around the pulley means and attached to the rail;
a spring drive system, comprising:
a spring drive comprising first spool means, second spool means, and a flat spiral spring mounted on and wound between the first and second spool means;
a cord transmission comprising first and second rotatable transmission shafts and a cord or band wrapped around the first and second transmission shafts for rotating the second transmission shaft at a rate that varies selectively relative to the rate of rotation of the first transmission shaft;
the first transmission shaft being operatively connected to the second spool means;
and the cord transmission thereby selectively varying the rotating speed of the second transmission shaft thereof relative to the rotating speed of the second spool means;
a gear transmission comprising a plurality of intermeshed gears, the gear transmission having a given ratio between two of the gears thereof;
a first of the two gears being operatively connected to the second transmission shaft and the second of the two gears being operatively connected to the pulley means, thereby applying the given ratio of the gear transmission between the cord transmission and the pulley means for altering the speed of the second gear and of the pulley means relative to the speed of the first gear and of the second transmission shaft;
the extendible cover thereby being supported by the spring drive system via the lift cord means and being oriented such that moving the rail back and forth retracts and extends the extendible cover along a path between open and closed positions, and whereby the associated supported weight of the extendible cover varies along said path;
the force of the spring drive, the ratio of the variable ratio cord transmission and the ratio of the gear transmission being selected for counterbalancing the varying supported weight of the extendible cover along said path;
and
the spring drive system maintaining the extendible cover at rest along said path.

13 more elements

A cover system, comprising:

a base;
an extendible cover mounted to the base and having a free end depending from the base;
a rail mounted proximate the free end of the extendible cover;
pulley means mounted proximate the base for rotation;
and lift cord means wound around the pulley means and attached to the rail;
a spring drive system, comprising:
a plurality of spring drives comprising first spool means, second spool means, and a plurality of flat spiral springs mounted on and wound between the first and second spool means;
a cord transmission comprising first and second rotatable transmission shafts and a cord or band wrapped around the first and second transmission shafts for rotating the second transmission shaft at a rate that varies selectively relative to the rate of rotation of the first transmission shaft;
the first transmission shaft being operatively connected to the second spool means;
and the cord transmission thereby selectively varying the rotating speed of the second transmission shaft thereof relative to the rotating speed of the second spool means;
a gear transmission comprising a plurality of intermeshed gears, the gear transmission having a given ratio between two of the gears thereof;
a first of the two gears being operatively connected to the second transmission shaft and the second of the two gears being operatively connected to the pulley means, thereby applying the given ratio of the gear transmission between the cord transmission and the pulley means for altering the speed of the second gear and of the pulley means relative to the speed of the first gear and of the second transmission shaft;
the extendible cover thereby being supported by the spring drive system via the lift cord means and being oriented such that moving the rail back and forth retracts and extends the extendible cover along a path between closed and open positions, and whereby the associated supported weight of the extendible cover varies along said path;
the force of the plurality of spring drives, the ratio of the variable ratio cord transmission and the ratio of the gear transmission being selected for counterbalancing the varying supported weight of the extendible cover along said path;
and
the spring drive system maintaining the extendible cover at rest along said path.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/608,716Filed 27 Jun 2003 · continuation
Priority: 4 Nov 1997
Published: US 2004/0129390 A18 Jul 2004
Granted: 25 Oct 2005
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

E06B 9/322
Operating, guiding, or securing devices therefor: details of operating devices, e.g. pulleys, brakes, spring drums, drives
E06B 9/32
Liftable: operating, guiding, or securing devices therefor
E06B 9/38
Lamellar or like blinds, e.g. venetian blinds: other details
E06B 9/60
Operating, guiding or securing devices or arrangements for roll-type closures; Spring drums; Tape drums; Counterweighting arrangements therefor:…

Family

Application08/963,774Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 4 Nov 1997
Application08/963,775Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 4 Nov 1997
Application08/989,142Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 11 Dec 1997
Application08/989,148Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 11 Dec 1997
Application09/229,595Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 13 Jan 1999
Application09/685,312Parent of this continuation · filed 10 Oct 2000
US 2004/0129390 A1Pre-grant publication · published 8 Jul 2004
US 6,648,050 B1Parent of this continuation
US 6,283,192 B1Parent of this continuation-in-part
Application09/685,312Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 6,293,329 B1Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 6,957,683 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.