Cordless retractable roller shade for window coverings

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10907406-B2
Application number	US-201816042995-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 23, 2018
Priority date	Aug 26, 2011
Publication date	Feb 2, 2021
Grant date	Feb 2, 2021

Abstract

A cordless retractable shade including an operating system for the shade that varies a biasing force of a spring to counterbalance the shade. The bottom rail of a retractable shade can be raised or lowered, and due to the operating system remains in any selected position of the covering between fully extended and fully retracted, without the use of operating cords. The system includes a method of negating and reversing the spring bias effect at a strategic position whereby the flexible vanes of the shade can be adjusted between open and closed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A retractable shade comprising: a rotatable roller;
a shade material attached to said roller, wherein rotation of said rotatable roller in a first direction extends the shade material from the roller, and rotation of said rotatable roller in a second opposite direction retracts the shade material onto said roller; and
a biasing assembly associated with said roller to apply a biasing force to said roller in the second opposite direction to retract the shade material onto said roller, said biasing assembly including:
a non-rotatable shaft extending at least partially within said roller; a spring member including opposing first and second ends;
a fixed connector coupled to said first end of said spring member and said roller, said fixed connector axially fixed along a length of said roller during rotation of said roller; and
a movable connector coupled to said second end of said spring member, said movable connector mounted on said shaft and keyed to said roller such that rotation of said roller translates said movable connector along a length of said shaft to vary the biasing force provided by said biasing assembly to said roller,

wherein the fixed connector is axially repositionable with respect to said non-rotatable shaft to alter the biasing force provided in the second opposite direction by said biasing assembly to said roller.

2. The retractable shade of claim 1 , wherein said fixed connector is repositionable along a length of said roller without rotating the fixed connector with respect to said roller.

3. The retractable shade of claim 1 , wherein the biasing force provided by said biasing assembly is altered by altering the spring constant of said spring member.

4. The retractable shade of claim 1 , wherein said fixed connector has a longitudinally extending portion to secure the first end of the spring member, and an enlarged end portion, wherein the fixed connector is fixedly connected to the roller during rotation of said roller.

5. The retractable shade of claim 1 , wherein rotation of said roller moves said second end of said spring member longitudinally towards or away from said first end of said spring member to respectively shorten or lengthen said spring member to vary the biasing force provided by said biasing assembly to said roller.

6. The retractable shade of claim 1 , wherein the non-rotatable shaft has threads and the movable connector has threads corresponding to and configured to engage the threads on the non-rotatable shaft such that the moveable connector in response to rotation of said roller rotates with the roller and translates along a length of said shaft.

7. The retractable shade of claim 1 , wherein said fixed connector is keyed to the roller to rotate with the roller.

8. The retractable shade of claim 1 , further comprising an auxiliary tool configured to reposition said fixed connector within said roller.

9. The retractable shade of claim 1 , wherein said fixed connector includes a first member movable between a gripping position securing said fixed connector to said roller, and a release position releasing the engagement between said fixed connector and said roller.

10. The retractable shade according to claim 9 , wherein in said gripping position, said first member is wedged against an inner surface of said roller to fix said fixed connector to said roller.

11. The retractable shade of claim 10 , wherein said fixed connector further includes a second member biasing said first member towards said gripping position.

12. The retractable shade of claim 11 , further comprising an auxiliary tool including a plunger operable to engage said first member to move said first member towards said release position against the bias of said second member to reposition said fixed connector within said roller.

13. The retractable shade of claim 1 , wherein at an extended position of said shade material from said roller, mechanical interference between said moveable connector and said shaft restricts movement of said roller in a retraction direction to restrict retraction of said shade material; and
rotation of said roller to retract said shade material disengages the mechanical interference between said moveable connector and said shaft.

14. The retractable shade of claim 1 , wherein:
at an extended position of said shade material from said roller, mechanical interference between said first connection member and said shaft prevents movement of said roller in a retraction direction to prevent retraction of said shade material; and
rotation of said roller to retract said shade material disengages the mechanical interference between said first connection member and said shaft.

15. A retractable shade according to claim 1 , wherein the fixed connector comprises a multi-piece assembly, including:
an end anchor coupled to said first end of said spring member,
an end plug connected to one of the first and second ends of the rotatable roller, and a threaded rod threadably connecting said end anchor and said end plug,

wherein said fixed connector assembly is longitudinally fixed with respect to said roller during rotation of said roller and axially repositionable along a length of said roller without rotating the end anchor with respect to said roller to alter the biasing force provided in the second opposite direction by said biasing assembly to said roller.

16. A retractable shade comprising:
a rotatable roller having a first end and a second end;
a shade material attached to said roller, wherein rotation of said rotatable roller in a first direction extends the shade material from the roller, and rotation of said rotatable roller in a second opposite direction retracts the shade material onto said roller; and
a biasing assembly associated with said roller to apply a biasing force to said roller in the second opposite direction to retract the shade material onto said roller, said biasing assembly including:
a non-rotatable shaft extending at least partially within said roller; a spring member including opposing first and second ends;
a first connector assembly having an end anchor, a threaded rod and an end plug,

said end anchor coupled to said first end of said spring member, said end plug connected to one of the first and second ends of the rotatable roller, and said threaded rod threadably connecting said end anchor and said end plug, said first connector assembly longitudinally fixed with respect to said roller during rotation of said roller; and
a second connector coupled to said second end of said spring member, said second connector mounted on said shaft and keyed to said roller such that rotation of said

roller translates said second connector along a length of said shaft to vary the biasing force provided by said biasing assembly to said roller during rotation of said roller,
wherein said first connector is axially repositionable along a length of said roller without rotating the end anchor with respect to said roller to alter the spring constant of the spring member to alter the biasing force provided by said biasing assembly to said roller in the second opposite direction.

17. The retractable shade of claim 16 , wherein rotation of said roller moves said second end of said spring member longitudinally towards or away from said first end of said spring member to respectively shorten or lengthen said spring member to vary the biasing force provided by said biasing assembly to said roller.

18. A retractable shade comprising:
a rotatable roller and first and second opposi

Assignees

• Hunter Douglas

Inventors

• Smith Stephen P
• Smith Kent A
• Rhodes Galen B
• Winters Stephen M
• Faller Kenneth M

Classifications

• E06B9/262 Primary

  with flexibly-interconnected horizontal or vertical strips; Concertina blinds {, i.e. upwardly folding flexible screens} · CPC title

• E06B9/44

  Rollers therefor; Fastening roller blinds to rollers · CPC title

• E06B9/90

  for immobilising the closure member in various chosen positions · CPC title

• E06B9/40

  Roller blinds (usable only as awnings E04F10/06) · CPC title

• E06B9/322 Primary

  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