Architectural structure covering having a speed regulating assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10900280-B2
Application number	US-201816115769-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 29, 2018
Priority date	Sep 20, 2017
Publication date	Jan 26, 2021
Grant date	Jan 26, 2021

Abstract

A speed regulating assembly for coupling to a roller tube for regulating a deployment speed of a covering of an architectural-structure covering is disclosed. The speed regulating assembly may include a detachable adapter for enabling a singular sized speed regulating device to be used regardless of the size of the roller tube. That is, by utilizing a detachable adapter for coupling to the roller tube, any change in the size of the roller tube only requires a different sized adapter. In addition, the speed regulating assembly may be configured so that during covering retraction, the speed regulating assembly is disengaged so that any input rotation from the roller tube is not transmitted to the speed regulating device. However, during covering deployment, the speed regulating assembly is engaged so that any input rotation from the roller tube is transmitted to the speed regulating device thereby regulating the speed of covering deployment.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A speed regulating assembly for use in an architectural-structure covering to couple to a roller tube to regulate a speed of a covering portion of the architectural-structure covering, said assembly comprising:
a speed regulating device;
an adapter arranged and configured to be coupled to the roller tube so that rotation of the roller tube is transmitted to said adapter, wherein said adapter is detachably coupleable to said speed regulating device so that said adapter can be selectively coupled and decoupled from said speed regulating device; and
a cam bushing for coupling to said adapter, said cam bushing being rotatably coupled to said adapter so that rotation of said adapter is transferred to said cam bushing.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said adapter includes a plurality of radially extending arms for coupling with an inner surface of the roller tube.

3. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an architectural-structure covering including:
a covering portion; and
a roller tube coupled to said covering portion for retracting and deploying said covering portion.

4. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said adapter is coupled to said cam bushing via a snap-fit connection.

5. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said cam bushing includes a plurality of splines extending outwardly therefrom for coupling to corresponding splines located on said adapter.

6. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said speed regulating assembly is arranged and configured so that when said adapter is rotated in a first direction, said assembly is in an activated configuration such that any input rotation to said adapter is transmitted to said speed regulating device; and when said adapter is rotated in a second direction, said assembly is in a deactivated configuration such that any input rotation to said adapter is not transmitted to said speed regulating device.

7. The assembly of claim 6 , further comprising a clutch element, said clutch element being rotationally coupled to said adapter via said cam bushing so that rotation of said adapter is transferred to said clutch element, said clutch element being selectively coupled to said speed regulating device so that rotation of said clutch element is transmitted to said speed regulating device when in said activated configuration.

8. The assembly of claim 7 , wherein, when in said deactivated configuration, said clutch element is rotationally disengaged with respect to said speed regulating device so that rotation of said clutch element is not transmitted to said speed regulating device.

9. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein said cam bushing includes a pair of axially extending cam members, wherein:
rotation of said cam bushing in said first direction causes said cam members to interact with said clutch element so that said clutch element is rotationally coupled to said speed regulating device; and
rotation of said cam bushing in said second direction causes said cam members to interact with said clutch element so that said clutch element is rotationally disengaged from said speed regulating device.

10. The assembly of claim 9 , wherein said clutch element includes:
a body including an outer surface, and first and second resilient arms each arm having a connected end, and a free end; and
a first pair of shoulders, and a second pair of shoulders formed on said outer surface of said body.

11. The assembly of claim 10 , further comprising a first housing, wherein:
when in said deactivated configuration, said cam members contact said second pair of shoulders formed on said body of said clutch element, said first and second resilient arms remaining in a non-expanded state and, as such, do not engage said first housing; and
when in said activated configuration, said cam members interact with said first and second resilient arms to force said first and second resilient arms outwards into engagement with said first housing so that rotation of said clutch member rotates said first housing.

12. The assembly of claim 11 , wherein said first and second resilient arms each include a barb located at said free end thereof, in said activated configuration, said barbs engaging projections formed on an inner surface of said first housing.

13. The assembly of claim 11 , wherein, when in said activated configuration, said cam members are positioned within gaps located between said outer surface and respective ones of first and second resilient arms causing said first and second resilient arms to expand radially outward, thereby increasing an effective outer diameter of said clutch element.

14. The assembly of claim 11 , further comprising a second housing, said first housing including a hollow interior cavity for receiving at least a portion of said second housing and at least a portion of said speed regulating device.

15. The assembly of claim 14 , wherein said first housing is rotationally coupled to said speed regulating device so that rotation of said first housing is transmitted to said speed regulating device.

16. The assembly of claim 14 , wherein said second housing includes a hollow interior cavity for receiving at least a portion of said speed regulating device therein, at least a portion of an inner surface of said interior cavity of said second housing including a plurality of gears for coupling with said speed regulating device.

17. The assembly of claim 14 , wherein said second housing includes a stem portion extending through an opening formed in said first housing, said stem portion receiving said clutch element and said cam bushing thereon.

18. The assembly of claim 14 , further comprising a central shaft for mounting said assembly within the roller tube, wherein said second housing is keyed to said central shaft so that said second housing is rotationally fixed with respect to said central shaft and said first housing.

19. A speed regulating assembly for use in an architectural-structure covering to couple to a roller tube for regulating a speed of a covering portion of the architectural-structure covering, said assembly comprising:
a tube-engaging element for coupling to the roller tube;
a speed regulating engaging element for coupling to a speed regulating device, said speed regulating engaging element including a clutch element rotationally coupled to said tube-engaging element;
wherein said speed regulating assembly has an activated configuration and a deactivated configuration,
in said activated configuration, said clutch element is rotationally coupled to said speed regulating device so that rotation of the roller tube in a first direction is transmitted to said clutch element via said tube-engaging element, rotation of said clutch element is transmitted to said speed regulating device so that rotation of said tube-engaging element is transferred to said speed regulating device; and
in said deactivated configuration, said clutch element is rotationally disengaged from said speed regulating device so that rotation of the roller tube in a second direction, opposite the first direction, is not transmitted to said speed regulating device so that rotation of said tube-engaging element is not transferred to said speed regulating device.

20. The assembly of claim 19 , wherein said tube-engaging element is an adapter, said adapter being arranged and configured to couple to the roller tube so that rotation of the roller tube is transmitted to said adapter.

21. The assembly of claim 20 , wherein said adapter is a detachable adapter so

Assignees

• Hunter Douglas

Inventors

• Smith Stephen P
• Faller Kenneth M

Classifications

• E06B9/72 Primary

  comprising an electric motor positioned inside the roller · CPC title

• E06B9/80 Primary

  Safety measures against dropping or unauthorised opening; Braking or immobilising devices; Devices for limiting unrolling (securing devices or arrangements for direct manual operation E06B9/78) · CPC title

• E06B9/84

  against dropping · CPC title

• E06B2009/802

  located in or close to shutter box · CPC title

• E06B9/88 Primary

  for limiting unrolling · CPC title