Architectural roller shade housing with adjustable battery compartment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11002071-B2
Application number	US-201916250164-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 17, 2019
Priority date	Mar 29, 2018
Publication date	May 11, 2021
Grant date	May 11, 2021

Abstract

A battery operated shade is provided adapted to adjustably cover a structural opening. The shade generally comprises a shade material extending from a top end to a bottom end and a motor drive unit operably connected to the top end of the shade material and adapted to raise and lower the shade material between an upper limit and a lower limit to adjustably cover and uncover the structural opening. The shade also comprises a shade housing adapted to at least partially conceal the motor drive unit, wherein the shade housing defines a bottom opening at a bottom of the shade housing from which the shade material exits the shade housing. The shade further comprises a battery compartment adapted to removably retain batteries for providing power to the motor drive unit. The battery compartment is attached to the shade housing proximate to the bottom opening below the motor drive unit. The battery compartment is adapted to swivel from a first position where the battery compartment is at least partially concealed by the shade housing, through the bottom opening, and to a second position where the battery compartment is positioned out of the shade housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A battery operated shade adapted to adjustably cover a structural opening comprising:
a shade material extending from a top end to a bottom end;
a motor drive unit operably connected to the top end of the shade material and adapted to raise and lower the shade material between an upper limit and a lower limit to adjustably cover and uncover the structural opening;
a shade housing adapted to at least partially conceal the motor drive unit, wherein the shade housing defines a bottom opening at a bottom of the shade housing from which the shade material exits the shade housing; and
a battery compartment adapted to removably retain batteries for providing power to the motor drive unit, wherein the battery compartment is attached to the shade housing proximate to the bottom opening below the motor drive unit, wherein the battery compartment is adapted to swivel from a first position where the battery compartment is at least partially concealed by the shade housing, through the bottom opening, and to a second position where the battery compartment is positioned out of the shade housing.

2. The battery operated shade of claim 1 , wherein the shade housing comprises a first housing portion adapted to retain the motor drive unit and a second housing portion adapted to retain the battery compartment below the motor drive unit.

3. The battery operated shade of claim 1 , wherein the shade housing comprises a front wall connected to a bottom wall that defines the bottom opening.

4. The battery operated shade of claim 1 , wherein the battery compartment comprises a longitudinal body extending from a first end to a second end.

5. The battery operated shade of claim 4 , wherein the battery compartment comprises a battery opening proximate to the second end that traversely extends through a side surface of the longitudinal body.

6. The battery operated shade of claim 5 , wherein the battery compartment comprises a door adapted to translate from a closed position where it closes the battery opening to an opened position where it exposes the battery opening.

7. The battery operated shade of claim 6 , wherein when the battery compartment is at the first position the door is at least partially concealed by the shade housing and is inaccessible, and wherein when the battery compartment is at the second position the door is accessible and positioned outside the shade housing.

8. The battery operated shade of claim 6 , wherein when the battery compartment is at the first position the door substantially faces a rear of the battery operated shade, and wherein when the battery compartment is at the second position the door substantially faces a front of the battery operated shade.

9. The battery operated shade of claim 6 , wherein the door is biased in a closed position such that after being translated to an opened position and let go, the door closes to the closed position.

10. The battery operated shade of claim 4 further comprising a pair of swing arms each extending from a proximal end to a distal end, wherein the proximate end of each of the swing arms is pivotally connected to the shade housing, wherein the pair of swing arms are adapted to retain the first and second ends of the battery compartment body, wherein the pair of swing arms are adapted to pivot with respect to the shade housing to swivel the battery compartment from the first position to the second position.

11. The battery operated shade of claim 10 , wherein when the battery compartment is at the first position, the distal ends of the pair of swing arms are swiveled in and positioned within the shade housing, and wherein when the battery compartment is at the second position, the distal ends of the pair of swing arms are swiveled out and positioned outside the shade housing.

12. The battery operated shade of claim 10 , wherein each of the first and second ends of the battery compartment are adapted to slide along the respective swing arms from its proximate end to its distal end.

13. The battery operated shade of claim 12 , wherein each of the swing arms comprises a longitudinal channel extending from about its proximal end to about its distal end, wherein each of the first end and the second end of the battery compartment comprises a nipple adapted to slide within the longitudinal channel in each of the swing arms.

14. The battery operated shade of claim 12 , wherein when the swing arms and thereby the battery compartment are in the first position, the first and second ends of the battery compartment are positioned proximate to the proximal ends of the swing arms; and wherein when the swing arms and thereby the battery compartment are in the second position, the first and second ends of the battery compartment are positioned proximate to the distal ends of the swing arms.

15. The battery operated shade of claim 1 , wherein the motor drive unit is adapted to determine whether power of the batteries in the battery compartment is below a minimum battery threshold and when determining that the battery power is below the minimum battery threshold to move the shade material to a battery replacement position.

16. The battery operated shade of claim 15 , wherein the battery replacement position comprises a position where the bottom end of the shade material is positioned at a predetermined distance below the bottom opening of the shade housing.

17. The battery operated shade of claim 15 , wherein the minimum battery threshold corresponds to a minimum runtime required to raise the shade material from the lower limit to the battery replacement position.

18. The battery operated shade of claim 15 , wherein after moving the shade material to the battery replacement position, the motor drive unit disables movement of the shade material until the batteries are replaced.

19. The battery operated shade of claim 15 further comprising a locking mechanism adapted to maintain the battery compartment retained in the first position, wherein the motor drive unit is further adapted to release the locking mechanism after moving the shade material to the battery replacement position such that the battery compartment can swivel to the second position.

20. The battery operated shade of claim 1 further comprising a release latch adapted to retain the battery compartment in the first position, wherein the release latch is adapted to be engaged to release the battery compartment such that it can swivel to the second position.

Assignees

• Crestron Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Campagna Michael
• Derk Jr Charles R
• Wisniewski Stan

Classifications

• E06B9/42 Primary

  Parts or details of roller blinds, e.g. suspension devices, blind boxes (brackets or adjustable mountings for roller blinds and drawable curtains A47H1/13) · CPC title

• E06B9/72

  comprising an electric motor positioned inside the roller · CPC title