US 8,561,667 B1Granted

Window treatment with knuckle joint driver

AssigneeKenney Manufacturing Company

InventorsMichael Hanley, Leo E. LaBarre

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Abstract

A window treatment, in which a shade is raised and lowered, is comprised of a roller upon which shade material is reeled and unreeled. A wand drives a universal joint, preferably a uniquely configured knuckle joint, and the universal joint drives a flexible shaft which is connected to the roller. Special shaping of the parts and slots of the U shape links of mating knuckles enables smooth and positive universal joint operation. A user may pull down on the wand, to bend the flexible shaft and bring the knuckles into alignment, whereupon turning of the wand rotates the roller. When the wand is released the resilience of the flexible shaft helps lift the driven knuckle so it is parallel to the horizontal roller, and the drive roller moves to a home position which inhibits counter-rotation of the roller due to the weight of the shade.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A window treatment assembly having a shade which may be alternately raised and lowered, comprising:

a rotatable roller, for accumulating sheet material around its periphery, when horizontally mounted by support means to a structure;
sheet material connected to the roller, for being wound and unwound from the roller when the roller rotates, and for directly or indirectly changing the elevation of the shade relative to said structure;
and,
a drive assembly, connected to an end of the roller, comprised of:
a flexible shaft connected to the roller;
a universal joint having a length axis connected to the flexible shaft;
and,
a driver for rotating the universal joint, connected to the universal joint;
wherein the universal joint is comprised of a drive element and a driven element, the two elements pivotably mated to each other;
and,
wherein the flexible shaft, universal joint, and driver of said drive assembly are movable between a rest position and a drive position;
wherein, in the rest position the length axis of the drive element is at a sharp angle to the length axis of the driven element, and in the drive position the length axes of the drive element and driven element are more nearly aligned than they are in said rest position;
and, wherein said flexible shaft provides a resilient force within the drive assembly, to bias the drive assembly to the rest position.

10 more elements

A window treatment assembly having a shade which may be alternately raised and lowered, comprising:

a rotatable roller, for accumulating sheet material around its periphery, when horizontally mounted by support means to a structure;
sheet material connected to the roller, for being wound and unwound from the roller when the roller rotates, and for directly or indirectly changing the elevation of the shade relative to said structure;
and
a drive assembly, connected to an end of the roller, comprised of:
a flexible shaft, connected to the roller;
a universal joint, connected to the flexible shaft;
and,
a driver, for rotating the universal joint, connected to the universal joint;
wherein the universal joint is comprised of a drive knuckle and a driven knuckle mated to each other;
each knuckle having a length axis and comprising a body from which extends an engaged U shape link characterized by opposing side legs spaced apart to define a slot running along the length axis of the knuckle, and a head connecting ends of the legs which are furthest from the body;
and,
wherein the head of the drive knuckle is movably positioned within the slot of the mating driven knuckle, for lengthwise motion within the driven knuckle slot.

9 more elements

A window treatment assembly comprising:

a rotatable roller, for accumulating sheet material around its periphery, when horizontally mounted by support means to a structure associated with a window opening;
sheet material connected to the roller, being wound and unwound from the roller when the roller rotates, to selectively uncover and cover at least a portion of said window opening;
and,
a drive assembly, connected to an end of the roller, comprised of:
a flexible shaft connected to the roller;
a universal joint connected to the flexible shaft;
and,
a driver for rotating the universal joint, connected to the universal joint;
wherein, (a) the universal joint is comprised of a drive knuckle and a driven knuckle mated to each other;
each knuckle having a length axis and comprising (i) a body from which extends a U shape link engaged with the body, the U shape link characterized by opposing side legs spaced apart to define a slot running along the length axis of the knuckle, and (ii) a head connecting ends of the legs which are distant from the body;
and wherein the head of the drive knuckle is movably positioned within the slot of the mating driven knuckle;
and,
wherein, (b) the flexible shaft, universal joint, and driver of said drive assembly are movable between a rest position and a drive position;
wherein, in the rest position the length axis of the drive knuckle is at a sharp angle to the length axis of the driven knuckle, and in the drive position the length axes of the knuckles are more nearly aligned than they are in the rest position;
and,
wherein said flexible shaft provides a resilient force to the drive assembly, within bias the drive assembly to the rest position.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.