Architectural covering assembly with an end cap having a printed circuit board and an actuation member

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12018528-B2
Application number	US-202318299426-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 12, 2023
Priority date	Jul 1, 2015
Publication date	Jun 25, 2024
Grant date	Jun 25, 2024

Abstract

A static mitigation end cap, for an architectural covering is provided the covering may include a head rail having an end cap. The end cap may include housing extending along a longitudinal length of the head rail and defining a chamber, The end cap may include a printed circuit board received within the chamber arid configured to control a motor assembly operatively connected to the at least one end cap. The end cap may include an actuation member slidably coupled with the end cap for selective engagement with the printed circuit board.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An architectural covering assembly comprising:
an end cap that includes a housing and a side wall transverse to the housing;
a motor assembly;
a printed circuit board received within the housing of the end cap, wherein the printed circuit board is electrically coupled to the motor assembly, and wherein the electrical coupling includes wiring via an aperture of the end cap; and
an actuation member slidably received within the side wall of the end cap to engage the printed circuit board such that the printed circuit board controls an operation of the motor assembly.

2. The architectural covering of claim 1 , wherein:
the motor assembly includes a motor control component; and
the printed circuit board is electrically coupled to the motor control component.

3. The architectural covering of claim 1 , further comprising a head rail that is coupled to the end cap.

4. The architectural covering of claim 1 , wherein:
the end cap defines a channel; and
the actuation member is movable within the channel of the end cap to engage the printed circuit board.

5. The architectural covering of claim 1 , wherein:
the end cap includes an end cap outer surface;
the actuation member includes an actuation member outer surface; and
the end cap outer surface is flush with the actuation member outer surface.

6. The architectural covering of claim 1 , wherein the actuation member is biased away from the printed circuit board.

7. The architectural covering of claim 6 , wherein the actuation member is biased away from the printed circuit board by at least one of a weight of the actuation member or a switch operatively associated with the printed circuit board.

8. The architectural covering of claim 1 , wherein the actuation member includes a first end and a second end, the actuation member is received within the end cap such that a user force on the second end causes the first end to engage the printed circuit board.

9. The architectural covering of claim 8 , wherein the actuation member has a middle portion between the first end and the second end, the first end of the actuation member being wider than the middle portion.

10. The architectural covering of claim 9 , wherein the middle portion includes a reinforcing structure extending along the middle portion of the actuation member.

11. The architectural covering of claim 8 , wherein the second end includes a knurled end surface.

12. The architectural covering of claim 1 , further comprising a switch operatively associated with the printed circuit board, wherein the actuation member is movably received within the end cap to engage the switch such that the printed circuit board actuates the motor assembly.

13. The architectural covering of claim 12 , wherein the actuation member includes an end having an end surface and a pointed ridge extending from the end surface configured to engage with the switch.

14. The architectural covering of claim 1 , wherein the actuation member includes a main body and protrusions extending laterally from the main body.

15. The architectural covering of claim 14 , wherein:
the end cap includes tabs defining apertures in the end cap; and
the protrusions of the actuation member are received in the apertures to allow movement of the actuation member relative to the end cap in a first direction but inhibit movement of the actuation member relative to the end cap in a second, opposite direction.

16. The architectural covering of claim 1 , wherein the printed circuit board is frictionally engaged with the end cap.

17. The architectural covering of claim 1 , wherein:
the end cap includes a wall defining a port and a chamber extending from the port; and
the printed circuit board is received in the chamber and spaced from the port by a gap.

18. An architectural covering assembly comprising:
an end cap that includes a housing defining an enclosure, wherein the end cap defines an aperture and includes a side wall transverse to the housing;
a motor assembly;
a printed circuit board contained in the enclosure of the housing, wherein the printed circuit board is electrically coupled to the motor assembly, and wherein the electrical coupling includes wiring between the printed circuit board and the motor assembly via the aperture; and
an actuation member slidably received within the side wall of the end cap to engage the printed circuit board such that the printed circuit board actuates the motor assembly.

19. A method of using an architectural covering, the method comprising:
accessing the architectural covering that includes:
an end cap includes a housing and a side wall transverse to the housing;
a motor assembly;
a printed circuit board received within the housing of the end cap, wherein the printed circuit board is electrically coupled to the motor assembly, and wherein the electrical coupling includes wiring between the printed circuit board and the motor assembly via the end cap; and
an actuation member received within the side wall of the end cap; and

sliding the actuation member to engage the printed circuit board such that the printed circuit board controls an operation of the motor assembly.

20. An architectural covering assembly comprising:
an end cap;
a motor assembly;
a printed circuit board received within the end cap, wherein the printed circuit board is electrically coupled to the motor assembly;
an actuation member movably received within the end cap; and
a light source, wherein the actuation member is movably received within the end cap to engage the printed circuit board such that the printed circuit board causes control of the motor assembly and the light source.

Assignees

• Hunter Douglas

Inventors

• Holt Ronald
• Wisecup Stephen T

Classifications

• E06B9/68

  Operating devices or mechanisms, e.g. with electric drive · CPC title

• H01H2221/014

  Slide selector · CPC title

• H01H15/005

  adapted for connection with printed circuit boards · CPC title

• E06B2009/2627

  Cellular screens, e.g. box or honeycomb-like · CPC title

• E06B9/50

  Bearings specially adapted therefor · CPC title