US 7,240,716 B2Granted

System for coupling roller shade tubes

AssigneeLutron Electronics Co., Inc.

InventorsJoseph M. Nichols, Jr., Mark A. Walker

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A coupling assembly for a multiple-tube roller shade includes a support assembly for rotatably supporting and connecting adjacently located tube-end portions and a clutch mechanism providing relative rotation therebetween. The support assembly includes a tube-end fitting and a torque-transferring drive transfer member contacting the tube. The clutch mechanism includes first and second clutch members respectively engaged and separated in closed and opened positions. A pull bar is translatable within one of the shafts and is moved by a draw pin received in aligned openings of the second clutch member, the shaft and the pull bar. The shaft openings are elongated for movement of the second clutch member between the closed and opened positions. An adjustment member threadedly engages the tube-end fitting for vertical adjustment of the fitting with respect to a support panel. The tube-end fitting is secured to a bracket having elongated openings for horizontal adjustment.

Claims28

Dependent claims

A shade system comprising:

a plurality of elongated roller tubes each having opposite end portions, the roller tubes substantially aligned along a common axis of rotation and arranged to define at least one pair of adjacently located tube end portions, each of the roller tubes adapted for winding receipt of a flexible shade fabric, each of the flexible shade fabrics defining a bottom edge;
and
a clutch mechanism for each pair of adjacently located tube end portions, the clutch mechanism including first and second clutch members, the first clutch member operably engaging a first one of the tube end portions and the second clutch member operably engaging the adjacently located tube end portion for torque transfer therebetween;
the clutch members supported for relative movement with respect to each other between a closed clutch position in which the first and second clutch members engage each other for torque transfer therebetween and an opened clutch position in which the clutch members are disengaged from each other, the closed clutch position providing for simultaneous rotation of the associated tube end portions, the opened clutch position providing for relative rotation between the associated tube end portions, thereby providing for relative adjustment of the bottom edges of the associated flexible shade fabrics.

1 more element

A motorized shade system comprising:

a plurality of elongated roller tubes each having opposite end portions, the roller tubes substantially aligned along a common axis of rotation and arranged to define at least one pair of adjacently located tube end portions, each of the roller tubes adapted for winding receipt of a flexible shade fabric, each of the flexible shade fabrics defining a bottom edge;
a pair of support assemblies for each pair of tube end portions, each support assembly of the pair of support assemblies engaging one of the tube end portions of the associated pair of tube end portions and adapted to rotatably support the tube end portion, the support assemblies of the pair of support assemblies secured together to provide for simultaneous rotation of the roller tubes associated with the pair of tube end portions;
and
a clutch mechanism for each pair of tube end portions, the clutch mechanism received within an interior defined by a first one of the associated tube end portions, the clutch mechanism adapted for actuation to release the roller tube associated with the first one of the associated tube end portions for relative rotation with respect to the roller tube associated with the other one of the associated tube end portions, thereby providing for relative adjustment of the bottom edges of the associated flexible shade fabrics.

1 more element

A method for adjusting a second shade fabric relative to a first adjacent shade fabric, the first and second shade fabrics having bottom edges, the first and second shade fabrics connected to first and second roller tubes, respectively, for winding receipt of the shade fabrics, the roller tubes aligned along a common axis of rotation, the method comprising the steps of:

coupling the second roller tube to the first roller tube via a coupling mechanism such that when the coupling mechanism is in a closed position, the bottom edge of the second shade fabric is fixed in relation to the bottom edge of the first shade fabric and the roller tubes are operable to simultaneously rotate;
disengaging the coupling mechanism to place the coupling mechanism in an open position to allow for free rotation of the second roller tube;
rotating the second roller tube to adjust the position of the bottom edge of the second shade fabric relative to the bottom edge of the first shade fabric;
and
engaging the coupling mechanism to fix the bottom edge of the second shade fabric in relation to the bottom edge of the first shade fabric.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/361,900Filed 24 Feb 2006 · continuation
Priority: 23 Oct 2003
Published: US 2006/0137833 A129 Jun 2006
Granted: 10 Jul 2007
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

E06B 9/174
Parts or details of roller shutters, e.g. suspension devices, shutter boxes, wicket doors, ventilation openings: bearings specially adapted therefor
E06B 9/40
Screens or other constructions affording protection against light, especially against sunshine; Similar screens for privacy or appearance; Slat…
E04F 10/06
Of flexible canopy materials, e.g. canvas ; Baldachins: comprising a roller-blind with means for holding the end away from a building
E06B 2009/1746
Bearings specially adapted therefor: axial connection of rollers

Family

Application10/691,850Parent of this continuation · filed 23 Oct 2003
US 2006/0137833 A1Pre-grant publication · published 29 Jun 2006
US 7,051,782 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2005/0087313 A1Published application
US 7,240,716 B2This patent

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