Motorized shutter assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10697232-B2
Application number	US-201916546487-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 21, 2019
Priority date	Dec 28, 2016
Publication date	Jun 30, 2020
Grant date	Jun 30, 2020

Abstract

In one aspect, a shutter assembly includes a shutter frame and a plurality of louvers supported by the frame. The shutter assembly also includes a louver drive assembly and a motor positioned within the frame. The motor is configured to rotationally drive a drive shaft extending within the frame. Additionally, the shutter assembly includes a clutch assembly rotationally coupled between the drive shaft and the louver drive assembly. The clutch assembly is configured to disengage or decouple the drive shaft from the louver drive assembly when a torque transmitted through the clutch assembly exceeds a given torque threshold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A shutter assembly comprising:
a shutter frame;
a plurality of louvers supported by said shutter frame;
a louver drive assembly positioned within said shutter frame, said louver drive assembly coupled to at least one driven louver of said plurality of louvers;
a drive shaft extending within said shutter frame; and
a clutch assembly coupled between said drive shaft and said louver drive assembly, said clutch assembly including an input clutch portion, an output clutch portion, and a coupling provided between said input and output clutch portions;
wherein:
a first portion of said coupling is configured to be selectively engaged with said input clutch portion and a second portion of said coupling is configured to be selectively engaged with said output clutch portion; and
when a torque transmitted through said clutch assembly exceeds a torque threshold, one of said first portion or said second portion of said coupling is configured to disengage from a respective clutch portion of said input and output clutch portions to decouple said input clutch portion from said output clutch portion.

2. The shutter assembly of claim 1 , wherein, when the torque transmitted through said clutch assembly is less than the torque threshold, said first and second portions of said coupling are engaged with said input and output clutch portions, respectively, to allow the torque to be transmitted between said input and output clutch portions.

3. The shutter assembly of claim 2 , further comprising a motor configured to rotationally drive said drive shaft.

4. The shutter assembly of claim 3 , wherein a minimum torque required to rotationally drive said plurality of louvers is less than the torque threshold such that the torque is transmitted between said input and output clutch portions when said motor is being operated to rotationally drive said drive shaft.

5. The shutter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the torque transmitted through said clutch assembly exceeds the torque threshold when said plurality of louvers are being manually rotated.

6. The shutter assembly of claim 1 , wherein said coupling comprises a clutch sleeve configured to be selectively engaged with said input and output clutch portions.

7. The shutter assembly of claim 1 , wherein said first portion of said coupling comprises a first clutch spring configured to be selectively engaged with a first support surface of said input clutch portion, and said second portion of said coupling comprises a second clutch spring configured to be selectively engaged with a second support surface of said output clutch portion.

8. The shutter assembly of claim 7 , wherein, when the torque transmitted through said clutch assembly exceeds the torque threshold:
said first clutch spring is configured to tighten around said first support surface and said second clutch spring is configured to loosen relative to said second support surface when the torque is transmitted through said clutch assembly in a first direction to allow said second clutch spring to slip relative to said output clutch portion; and
said first clutch spring is configured to loosen relative to said first support surface and said second clutch spring is configured to tighten around said second support surface when the torque is transmitted through said clutch assembly in an opposite, second direction to allow said first clutch spring to slip relative to said input clutch portion.

9. The shutter assembly of claim 1 , wherein said input clutch portion rotationally engages said drive shaft and said output clutch portion rotationally engages a component of said louver drive assembly.

10. A shutter assembly comprising:
a shutter frame;
a plurality of louvers supported by said shutter frame;
a louver drive assembly positioned within said shutter frame, said louver drive assembly coupled to at least one driven louver of said plurality of louvers;
a drive shaft extending within said shutter frame; and
a clutch assembly coupled between said drive shaft and said louver drive assembly, said clutch assembly including an input clutch portion, an output clutch portion, and a coupling provided between said input and output clutch portion;
wherein:
a first portion of said coupling is configured to be selectively engaged with said input clutch portion and a second portion of said coupling is configured to be selectively engaged with said output clutch portion; and
when a torque transmitted through said clutch assembly exceeds a torque threshold:
said first portion of said coupling is configured to disengage from said input clutch portion when a rotational direction of the torque is in a first direction; and
said second portion of said coupling is configured to disengage from said output clutch portion when the rotational direction of the torque is in a second direction opposite the first direction.

11. The shutter assembly of claim 10 , wherein, when the torque transmitted through said clutch assembly is less than the torque threshold, said first and second portions of said coupling are engaged with said input and output clutch portions, respectively, to allow the torque to be transmitted between said input and output clutch portions.

12. The shutter assembly of claim 11 , further comprising a motor configured to rotationally drive said drive shaft.

13. The shutter assembly of claim 12 , wherein a minimum torque required to rotationally drive said plurality of louvers is less than the torque threshold such that the torque is transmitted between said input and output clutch portions when said motor is being operated to rotationally drive said drive shaft.

14. The shutter assembly of claim 10 , wherein the torque transmitted through said clutch assembly exceeds the torque threshold when said plurality of louvers are being manually rotated.

15. The shutter assembly of claim 10 , wherein said first portion of said coupling comprises a first clutch spring configured to be selectively engaged with a first support surface of said input clutch portion, and said second portion of said coupling comprises a second clutch spring configured to be selectively engaged with a second support surface of said output clutch portion.

16. A clutch assembly for use within a shutter, the shutter including a drive shaft and a louver drive assembly rotationally coupled to a plurality of louvers of the shutter, the clutch assembly comprising:
a clutch housing;
a clutch input portion configured to be at least partially received within said clutch housing, said clutch input portion being configured to rotationally engage the drive shaft;
a clutch output portion configured to be at least partially received within said clutch housing, said clutch output portion being configured to rotationally engage a component of the louver drive assembly;
a coupling provided between said input and output clutch portions;
wherein:
a first portion of said coupling is configured to be selectively engaged with said input clutch portion and a second portion of said coupling is configured to be selectively engaged with said output clutch portion; and
when a torque transmitted through said clutch assembly exceeds a torque threshold, one of said first portion or said second portion of said coupling is configured to disengage from a respective clutch portion of said input and output clutch portions to decouple said input clutch portion from said output clutch portion.

17. The clutch assembly of claim 16 , wherein, when the torque transmitted through said clutch assembly is less than the torque threshold, said

Assignees

• Hunter Douglas

Inventors

• Fraser Donald E

Classifications

• E06B9/04

  of wing type, e.g. revolving or sliding {(trap doors; louvre doors or windows E06B7/08)} · CPC title

• E06B9/02

  Shutters, movable grilles, or other safety closing devices, e.g. against burglary (louvre windows or grilles E06B7/08; lamellar blinds E06B9/26) · CPC title

• E06B7/086 Primary

  interconnected for concurrent movement · CPC title

• E06B7/09 Primary

  mounted in movable wing, e.g. door · CPC title

• F16D7/022

  with a helical band or equivalent member co-operating with a cylindrical torque limiting coupling surface · CPC title