Modular motor for a window shade system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12509940-B2
Application number	US-202218086421-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2022
Priority date	Dec 23, 2021
Publication date	Dec 30, 2025
Grant date	Dec 30, 2025

Abstract

The system may include a motor releasably connected to a control module and the control module releasably connected to a drive module. The system may further include a joint releasably connecting the control module to the drive module, wherein the joint includes a floating gear. The method may include determining a motor shaft rotation of a motor shaft in a motor, determining a shade tube rotation of a shade tube that moves a window shade over a path, comparing the motor shaft rotation to the shade tube rotation, determining, based on the comparing, that the shade tube rotation is not equal to the motor shaft rotation and determining that an obstacle exists in the path of the window shade. The method may also include determining a change in at least one of current or torque in the motor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A modular system for controlling a window shade, the system comprising:
a drive module comprising a modular motor, a shaft and a drive wheel that is configured to drive a shade tube; a modular control module releasably connected to the drive module, wherein the modular control module comprises electronics that are compatible with the modular motor of the drive module; and a joint that releasably connects the modular control module and the drive module, wherein the joint is configured to fully separate the modular control module from the drive module, wherein the joint further comprises a joint adapter positioned over an encoder collar and the encoder collar is positioned over a floating gear, wherein internal teeth of the encoder collar interface with external teeth of the floating gear, wherein the encoder collar has more teeth than the floating gear such that the floating gear rotates more times for each rotation of the encoder collar, and wherein the floating gear rotates a spindle that in turn rotates a magnetic wheel that is sensed by a Hall effect sensor.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the joint includes an encoder assembly that comprises the encoder collar, the floating gear, the spindle, the magnet wheel and the Hall effect sensor.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the drive module further comprises at least one of motor gearing, a brake and a temperature sensor.

4 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a modular power source releasably connected to the drive module; a modular communication card releasably connected to the modular control module; a modular thermistor releasably connected to the modular motor; the modular motor releasably connected to the drive module; and a central bus releasably connected with the drive module, the modular motor, the modular control module, the modular power source, the modular communication card and the modular thermistor.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the floating gear in the joint releasably connects the modular control module to the drive module.

6 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a first encoder in the joint and a second encoder in the drive module.

7 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising an encoder in a hembar at the bottom of the window shade.

8 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising an encoder interfacing with the modular control module, wherein the encoder includes the floating gear, the magnetic wheel, the Hall effect sensor and the encoder collar.

9 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising an encoder that analyzes shade tube rotations.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the drive wheel is releasably connected to the shaft of the drive module.

11 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a first end of the drive module releasably connected to the modular control module, and a second end of the drive module releasably connected to a drive wheel.

12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the bus provides data for at least one of assembly, troubleshooting or status checking of components at least one of during production or during operation.

13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein a modular thermistor includes a first thermistor that is configured to monitor a first temperature of the modular motor and a second thermistor that is configured to monitor a second temperature of a pocket that houses the modular motor.

14 . The system of claim 1 , wherein a change in a temperature of a pocket that houses the modular motor causes a change from override mode to automated mode.

15 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising the modular control module interfacing with at least one of a fire system, egress system or building management system.

16 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising an accelerometer connected to at least one of the drive module, the modular motor or a head.

17 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the modular control module further comprises one or more of a DC power supply, a microprocessor for control, non-volatile memory for program storage, a non-volatile memory for data storage, volatile memory for in process calculations, a power sense and power hold circuit to store critical data when power is lost, a driver or relay for motor control, a current sensor for measuring and monitoring current draw of the modular motor, the modular thermistor for measuring temperature at or near the modular motor or pocket, an accelerometer for measuring x-y-z forces impacting the modular motor and operation of the modular motor, a motor connector, a power connector, a connector for a modular communication card, a head connector for user interface connections, and encoder assembly.

18 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the modular motor further comprises a modular power source that is configured to interface with the modular motor, and wherein the modular power source is configured to be replaced while retaining the modular motor.

Assignees

• Mechoshade Sys Llc

Inventors

• Hebeisen Stephen P
• Liarno Xi Ming
• Miroshnichenko Eugene

Classifications

• H02K11/215

  Magnetic effect devices, e.g. Hall-effect or magneto-resistive elements · CPC title

• E06B2009/6854

  sensing torque · CPC title

• E06B2009/6836

  sensing obstacle · CPC title

• H02K11/25 Primary

  Devices for sensing temperature, or actuated thereby · CPC title

• H02K2207/03

  Tubular motors, i.e. rotary motors mounted inside a tube, e.g. for blinds · CPC title