Architectural opening coverings powered by rotary motors
AssigneeHunter Douglas Inc.
InventorsWendell Colson, Daniel Fogarty
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Example architectural opening coverings powered by rotary motors are described. An example architectural opening covering apparatus includes a rotatable member, a covering mounted to the rotatable member, a motor having a drive shaft which is capable of rotating the rotatable member in a first direction to raise the covering and in a second direction opposite the first direction to lower the covering, and a drive shaft coupling substantially preventing the motor from applying torque in the second direction.
Claims26
An architectural opening covering apparatus comprising:
- a rotatable member;
- a covering mounted to the rotatable member;
- a motor having a drive shaft structured to rotate the rotatable member in a first direction to raise the covering;
- a drive shaft coupling structured to substantially prevent the motor from applying torque to the rotatable member in a second direction opposite the first direction such that the covering lowers without the motor driving the rotatable member in the second direction;
- and
- a controller structured to energize the motor to rotate the rotatable member in the first direction to raise the covering and to energize the motor to allow the rotatable member to rotate in the second direction to lower the covering.
An architectural opening covering apparatus comprising:
- a rotatable driven shaft;
- a covering coupled to a lift cord attached to a lift spool mounted to the rotatable driven shaft;
- a motor structured to rotate a drive shaft in a first direction to raise the covering by rotating the lift spool;
- a controller configured to energize the motor to rotate the rotatable member in the first direction to raise the covering and to energize the motor to allow the rotatable member to rotate in a second direction to lower the covering;
- the lift spool structured to rotate in the second direction to lower the covering without the motor applying substantial torque to the lift spool in the second direction;
- and
- a drive shaft coupling structured to substantially prevent the motor from applying torque to the lift spool in the second direction.
An architectural opening covering apparatus comprising:
- a rotatable member;
- a covering mounted to the rotatable member;
- a motor having a drive shaft structured to rotate the rotatable member in a first direction to raise the covering and to allow the rotatable member to rotate in a second direction opposite the first direction to lower the covering without the motor applying torque to the rotatable member in the second direction;
- a controller configured to energize the motor to rotate the rotatable member in the first direction to raise the covering and to energize the motor to allow the rotatable member to rotate in the second direction to lower the covering;
- and
- a one-way roller bearing structured to impede the motor from applying the torque to the rotatable member in the second direction such that the covering lowers without the motor driving the rotatable member in the second direction when the motor operates in the second direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.