Covering for an architectural opening having nested tubes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10641040-B2
Application number	US-201715615077-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 6, 2017
Priority date	Feb 13, 2015
Publication date	May 5, 2020
Grant date	May 5, 2020

Abstract

A covering for an architectural covering is provided. The covering may include a rotatable outer tube, a rotatable inner tube, a shade attached to the outer tube, and an operating element secured to the inner tube. The outer tube may define an elongated slot extending along a length of the outer tube and opening to an interior of the outer tube. The inner tube may be received within the outer tube. The shade may be retractable to and extendable from the outer tube. The operating element may extend through the elongated slot and may be retractable onto and extendable from the inner tube. The inner tube may rotate relative the outer tube to open and close the shade once the support sheet is in a fully extended position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lock mechanism arranged and configured to be used with an architectural-structure covering including a rotatable outer tube and a rotatable inner tube located at least partially within the outer tube, said lock mechanism selectively restricting rotation of the outer tube relative to the inner tube, said lock mechanism comprising:
a locking element located at least partially within the inner tube and operably associated with the outer tube, wherein said locking element is movable between a first position that permits rotation of the outer tube and a second position that restricts rotation of the outer tube; and
a limit nut configured to displace said locking element from said first position to said second position.

2. The lock mechanism of claim 1 , wherein said locking element is moved from the first position to the second position once a shade coupled to the outer tube reaches a fully extended position so that the outer tube is unaffected by continued rotation of the inner tube.

3. The lock mechanism of claim 1 , wherein said locking element is axially, slidably movable between said first and second positions.

4. The lock mechanism of claim 1 , wherein said lock mechanism is coupleable to an end cap of the architectural-structural covering.

5. The lock mechanism of claim 1 , further comprising:
a limit screw having a cavity therein for receiving at least a portion of said locking element; and
a biasing spring;
wherein said limit nut is threadedly engaged with, and travelable axially along, said limit screw.

6. The lock mechanism of claim 5 , wherein said biasing spring is configured to bias said locking element towards said first position.

7. The lock mechanism of claim 5 , wherein said limit screw, said limit nut, and said locking element are located within the inner tube.

8. The lock mechanism of claim 5 , wherein said limit screw includes an aperture extending from a periphery thereof into said cavity for receiving a corresponding protrusion of said locking element to substantially retain said locking element in said cavity.

9. The lock mechanism of claim 5 , wherein said locking element includes a main body having a recess for receiving at least a portion of said biasing spring.

10. The lock mechanism of claim 9 , wherein said recess includes an upwardly sloping ramp transitioning from a bottom wall of said recess towards an interior surface of said locking element.

11. The lock mechanism of claim 9 , wherein said recess includes a retention feature for securing said biasing spring at least partially within said recess.

12. The lock mechanism of claim 9 , wherein said biasing spring includes a first end and a second end, said second end abutting an end wall of said recess, said first end extending external to said recess.

13. The lock mechanism of claim 12 , wherein said first end of said biasing spring contacts an abutment feature within said cavity of said limit screw.

14. The lock mechanism of claim 5 , wherein said locking element includes an extension having an end portion for contacting said limit nut.

15. The lock mechanism of claim 14 , wherein said extension is thinner than said main body thereby defining a retention wall at an intersection of said extension and said main body.

16. The lock mechanism of claim 15 , wherein said limit screw includes an abutment wall for contacting said retention wall of said locking element to limit axial displacement of said locking element.

17. The lock mechanism of claim 16 , wherein said biasing spring is configured to bias said abutment wall of said limit screw into contact with said retention wall of said locking element.

18. The lock mechanism of claim 5 , further comprising:
an internal bushing; and
an outer bushing having a stop aperture therein, the stop aperture being adapted to receive a portion of said locking element.

19. The lock mechanism of claim 18 , wherein said locking element moves through said cavity to contact said stop aperture in said outer bushing in said second position to prevent rotation of said outer tube.

20. The lock mechanism of claim 18 , wherein said limit screw includes a threaded portion and an unthreaded portion.

21. The lock mechanism of claim 20 , wherein a lower limit stop for the shade is positioned at an intersection of said threaded and unthreaded portions, said cavity being positioned diametrically opposite to said lower limit stop.

22. The lock mechanism of claim 20 , wherein said cavity extends along said unthreaded portion of said limit screw to a terminal end of said limit screw, said cavity opening towards said outer bushing.

23. The lock mechanism of claim 20 , wherein said internal bushing is rotatably mounted on said unthreaded portion of said limit screw, said internal bushing contacting an inner surface of said inner tube so that said internal bushing rotates in unison with said inner tube about said unthreaded portion of said limit screw.

24. The lock mechanism of claim 23 , wherein said outer bushing is rotatably mounted on said internal bushing, said outer bushing contacting an inner surface of said outer tube so that said outer bushing rotates in unison with said outer tube about said internal bushing.

25. The lock mechanism of claim 18 , wherein said portion of said locking element is positioned at an end thereof, said portion being configured to be received within said stop aperture when said locking element is in said second position.

26. The lock mechanism of claim 25 , wherein insertion of said portion into said stop aperture prevents rotation of said outer bushing, thereby preventing rotation of said outer tube.

27. A method for retracting and extending an architectural-structural covering including a rotatable outer tube, a shade coupled to said outer tube, and a rotatable inner tube received within said outer tube; said method comprising:
rotating said inner and outer tubes in unison in a shade extension direction until said shade is in a fully extended position;
displacing a locking element from a first position to a second position to restrict rotation of the outer tube, said locking element moving from said first position to said second position once said shade reaches said fully extended position; and
rotating said inner tube relative to said outer tube in said shade extension direction to move operating elements with respect to said shade to open strips of material associated with said shade.

28. The method of claim 27 , further comprising:
rotating said inner tube in a shade retraction direction causing said operating elements to move with respect to said shade to close said strips of material;
displacing said locking element from said second position to said first position to enable rotation of said outer tube; and
rotating said inner and outer tubes in unison during retraction of said shade.

29. The method of claim 27 , wherein, when in said fully extended position, a limit nut contacts said locking element to displace said locking element to said second position.

30. The method of claim 29 , wherein, when in said second position, said locking element contacts an outer bushing for fixing a position of the outer tube so that continued rotation of said inner tube moves said inner tube relative to said outer tube.

31. The method of claim 30 , wher

Assignees

• Hunter Douglas

Inventors

• Holt Ronald
• Long Marcus
• Wisecup Stephen T

Classifications

• E06B2009/2452

  moving independently · CPC title

• E06B9/322

  Details of operating devices, e.g. pulleys, brakes, spring drums, drives ({operating devices E06B9/68} ; devices of general interest specially adapted or mounted for storing and repeatedly paying-out and re-storing lengths of material B65H75/34) · CPC title

• E06B9/44 Primary

  Rollers therefor; Fastening roller blinds to rollers · CPC title

• E06B9/34 Primary

  roller-type; {Roller shutters with adjustable lamellae} · CPC title

• E06B9/56

  Operating, guiding or securing devices or arrangements for roll-type closures; Spring drums; Tape drums; Counterweighting arrangements therefor (devices of general interest specially adapted or mounted for storing and repeatedly paying-out and re-storing lengths of material B65H75/34) · CPC title