Patent Application
20240225337
The present invention relates to a curtain apparatus, alternatively referred to as a curtain drive, and more particularly to a retrofittable curtain apparatus for use in automatically moving a curtain along a curtain track.
Motorised curtain tracks have long been considered a desired luxury item for their superior aesthetics and convenience. Presently, motorised curtain tracks on the market commonly operate using a belt driven mechanism and are made from specialty hardware separate from regular manually driven tracks. As such, their installation and maintenance require substantial additional training and expertise throughout the overall supply chain, resulting in much higher costs compared to traditional curtain tracks. The increased complexity and costs result in the general consumer very rarely considering the installation of motorised curtain tracks.
There have been previous attempts to provide the public with a more convenient system capable of providing motorised movement to a curtain along its curtain track. Prior art WO2021147156A1 discloses a battery-operated curtain apparatus, alternatively referred to as a curtain drive, or device, capable of being affixed to an existing manual curtain track. The prior art device traverses the existing track, pushing or pulling a curtain along the track and thereby providing a motorised operation of the curtain. However, existing devices of this form have significant design flaws leading to mild uptake among the general public.
The prior art devices do not sufficiently frictionally engage with existing curtain tracks, and so any additional torque is wasted, resulting in a drive wheel of the prior art devices slipping. In the prior art, a large internal motor is required to provide sufficient torque to the system. Alternatively, instead of a large motor, a high-speed motor in conjunction with a high gear reduction may be used, however, this produces a high-pitched whine during operation that is considered unpleasant.
If a large internal motor is used, the device would possess a large form factor incapable of use with wave-fold curtains. Wave-fold curtains are highly demanded by consumers for their perceived improved aesthetic quality. However, these prior art devices are too wide to be able to fit between folds of a wave-fold curtain, also referred to as a ripple fold or an S-fold curtain, thereby limiting its use on certain curtain types.
Furthermore, existing devices are often inconsistent with their distance traversed along a curtain track. Prior art devices typically traverse tracks through a wheel frictionally engaged with the track which translates torque from an internal motor into linear motion. However, when traversing tracks, slippage may occur between the wheel and track surface, which, if left unaccounted for, may accumulate an error in the position of the device on the track. This is often the case if a typical open-loop encoder is used to calculate the position of the device based upon a rotation of the internal motor.
To overcome this issue, prior art devices typically rely on placing physical stoppers at desired stopping locations on the track. When the device comes into contact with the physical stoppers, an embedded torque sensor detects the stoppage, often through a sharp increase in an internal motor driving current, to determine that a stopping point has been reached and to cease further traversal of the device along the track. However, this method often leads to an increased general wear and tear of the device, as contact with the stopper transmits deleterious forces through the device and its wheels. This may be acceptable in isolated incidents, but over thousands of cycles, repeated cyclical fatigue to the system would eventually lead to failure.
Furthermore, prior art devices often include unreliable or excessively difficult control methods. Common prior art methods involve pulling the device a certain distance along the track to initiate a movement of the motor. This is not as reliable because the motion is commonly detected by an encoder which must be in a low-power state to conserve battery power, resulting in the pull motion not being detected and requiring the user to repeat the action.
The present invention seeks to provide a retrofittable curtain apparatus capable of being fitted to a variety of curtain types that operates quietly and with sufficient torque, while remaining reliable in its operation and in its activation, thereby overcoming or ameliorating a problem of the prior art, or at least provide the public with a useful alternative.
According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a retrofittable curtain apparatus adapted to be attached to a curtain track comprising:
In an embodiment of the apparatus a vertical dimension is substantially greater than a horizontal dimension of the outer body.
In an embodiment of the apparatus the internal assembly comprises a plurality of vertically adjacent gears affixed to the internal motor;
In an embodiment the apparatus is attached to the curtain track between a pair of curtain carriers located on the track.
In an embodiment of the apparatus, the attachment assembly engages the apparatus to the curtain track through a clamping force.
In an embodiment the apparatus further comprises a plurality of switches located adjacent to a base of the outer body;
In an embodiment of the apparatus the attachment assembly comprises a plurality of wheels that engage the curtain track.
In an embodiment of the apparatus the attachment assembly comprises a plurality of latches;
In an embodiment the apparatus further comprises a plurality of pull tabs affixed to the plurality of latches;
In an embodiment the apparatus further comprises a magnetic field sensor;
In an embodiment the apparatus comprises an energy source to provide power to the internal motor;
In an embodiment of the apparatus an operation of the internal motor may be controlled through a wireless operation.
In an embodiment of the apparatus the driving wheel engages the curtain track vertically.
In an embodiment of the apparatus the driving wheel engages the curtain track horizontally.
In an embodiment of the apparatus the motor is a worm drive motor.
In an embodiment of the curtain apparatus its width is less than 55 mm.
It should be noted that any one of the aspects mentioned above may include any of the features of any of the other aspects mentioned above and may include any of the features of any of the embodiments described below as appropriate.
Preferred features, embodiments and variations of the invention may be discerned from the following detailed description which provides sufficient information for those skilled in the art to perform the invention. The detailed description is not to be regarded as limiting the scope of the preceding summary of the invention in any way. The detailed description will make reference to a number of drawings as follows.
The following detailed description of the invention refers to the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings and the following description to refer to the same and like parts. Dimensions of certain parts shown in the drawings may have been modified and/or exaggerated for the purposes of clarity or illustration.
As used herein, any usage of terms that suggest an absolute orientation (e.g. “top”, “bottom”, “front”, “back”, “horizontal”, etc.) are for illustrative convenience and refer to the orientation shown in a particular figure. However, such terms are not to be construed in a limiting sense as it is contemplated that various components or embodiments may in practice be utilised in orientations that are the same, or different, than those described or shown.
The device 20 is adapted to be installed onto curtain track 10 with a curtain comprising a curtain fabric and curtain carriers located on the track 10. Curtains, curtain tracks, curtain fabrics and curtain carriers are commonly known in the art and their arrangement is not elaborated upon in this description. However, it is important to note that the device 20 is designed to be installed between curtain carriers located on the curtain track, the curtain carriers having a curtain fabric attached to them.
The base 22 may comprise a charging port 26 adapted to provide energy to an energy source such as a battery (not depicted) located within the motor body 24. Methods of construction and applications of energy sources and charging ports for electrical devices are commonly known in the art.
Referring to
The switches 28 may be actuated manually or may be actuated by pulling on the curtain attached to the track 10. When curtain fabric near the device is pulled in a direction, tension causes the fabric to become taut over the switch thereby actuating it. When the switch is actuated, a signal may be sent to a PCB board located within the device 20, thereby activating an internal motor to traverse the device 20 a distance along the curtain track 10. It should be noted that the device 20 is not to be limited to using switches 28 to activate traversal of along the curtain track 10, but other methods commonly known in the art may instead be used to activate the device 20, such as but not limited to a smartphone application or a remote control in wireless communication with the device. Wireless communication protocols commonly known in the art may be used to communicate with the device 10, and may include but are not limited to proprietary RF protocols, or industry standards such as Bluetooth®, Zigbee®, Wi-Fi®, and the like.
It should be noted that the switches 28a, 28b are located substantially adjacent to the base 22.
Located on opposite sides of the motor body 24 are latch assemblies 32 (also labelled 32a, 32b). The latch assemblies comprise metal tabs 36 (also labelled 36a, 36b) affixed to a draw latch 34 (also labelled 34a, 34b); the tabs 36a, 36b may be affixed onto the latches 34a, 34b through a biasing mechanism 40 such as but not limited to a torsion spring. The biasing mechanism exerts a bias force that must be overcome to either engage or disengage the latches, thereby preventing the latches from becoming loose during normal operation.
The tabs 36 are adapted to hook onto notches 38 (also labelled 38a, 38b) that protrude outwards from the body 22. Tabs 36 can be unhooked from the notches (not illustrated) for ready storage or disassembly.
Referring now to
The frame 44 can be shifted upwards or downwards in response to a manual force applied by a user, and/or to the tabs 36 pulling downwards on notch 38. In an embodiment, the frame 44 is secured to the body 24 through a plurality of screws 50 screwed into holes 52 located on the frame 44. In this embodiment, the screws 50 do not affix the frame 44 onto the body 24 in place, but rather still allow movement upwards and downwards. In an embodiment, the frame 44 may be secured to the body 24 through plastic slide rails 56; the rails allowing the frame 44 to shift upwards or downwards while retaining the frame 44 adjacent to the body 24.
When latches 32 are disengaged (
Referring to
The device 20 is typically positioned such that wheels 48a, 48b are positioned on an upper surface of bottom segments 16a, 16b. The frame 44 is positioned in the central aperture 17 of the track. To install the device 20 onto the track, latches 32 are engaged such that frame 44 and wheels 48a, 48b are pulled downwards. The wheels 48a, 48b contact an upper surface of the track bottom 16a, 16b clamping the track 10 and device 20 together. This clamping force allows the motor 20 to remain engaged with the track 10 without derailing or shifting during operation. The device 20 may be removed from track 10 by disengaging the latches 32, thereby alleviating the clamping force, allowing for ready removal of the device 20.
The top end of the device 20 comprises a drive wheel 60 which engages with the bottom surface of the track bottom 16a, 16b when the device 20 is installed onto the track 10. The drive wheel 60 is motorised, providing a sufficient driving torque between to drive the device 20 along the track 10. It should be noted that the driving wheel 60 applies the driving force to the bottom surface of track bottoms 16a, 16b, whereas wheels 48 engage with the upper surface of the track bottoms 16a, 16b.
Referring to
The base 22 may be used as a ‘connector’ piece between two halves of the body 24a, 24b, holding the two halves together below the motor 62. The base 22 may connect the two halves using a plurality of screws or any other method commonly known in the art.
The device 20 may also comprise an internal microprocessor (not illustrated), such as but not limited to a PCB, used to provide and translate signal instructions to the motor 62. Also not illustrated is an energy source, such as but not limited to a battery, used to provide power to the motor 62. Microprocessors and energy sources are common in the art, as is their installation and method of operation.
The motor 62 may be but is not limited to a DC Worm Drive Motor. Those skilled in the art would appreciate that such motors are capable of producing high torque despite their small form-factors, with their small form factors advantageous for practical operation in tight spaces. The motor 60 may have an attached energy source (not depicted) such as a battery which provides an energy input into the motor to allow for operation.
An alternate embodiment of the curtain apparatus 220 is illustrated in
Referring to
In order to provide sufficient stability for the device 220 to remain on the track 100, as well as to provide sufficient torque to enable the device 220 to traverse the track 100, a clamping force is provided to drive wheel 240. In this embodiment, the drive wheel 240 engages with the track 100 horizontally. This horizontal configuration maximises a contact surface area between the wheel 240 and the track 100, thereby resulting in an increased frictional engagement.
Referring now to
A rotational force may be applied to the clamping assembly 242 through a shaft 252 located on the exterior of body 224. If a sufficient rotational force is applied to overcome the bias from torsion spring 246, this rotates a ratchet pawl 254 serving to lock the assembly 242 in place. The ratchet pawl 254 may be manually released with a release mechanism located on the ratchet pawl 254. This release mechanism extends outside the housing to a release location 258 located adjacent to the shaft 252, allowing the user to activate the mechanism from the external body, thereby alleviating the clamping force.
Referring now to
Referring now to
The device 220 may also comprise an encoder board (not pictured) comprising a pair of Hall effect sensors that produce a signal based on the position of a cylindrical magnet attached to the motor 264 shaft (not pictured). The use of Hall effect sensors and magnets in the operation of the device 220 will be detailed further in the description.
The signals from the Hall effect sensors may be used for closed loop speed control and also monitoring the position of the motor on the track. This position information may be used to supplement a limit control method of the device 220 by determining when the motor 264 is required to slow down when approaching the end of travel. Furthermore, the signals enable a coarse position feedback to be provided to an external smart home controller, for example, to indicate when a curtain is at 60% open.
The device 220 may also have an energy storage 262 such as but not limited to a battery pack to provide electrical energy to the device 220 and its components. Energy storage devices 262, their method of installation and operation are well known to those skilled in the art.
The device 220 may also comprise a bottom IO board 266 positioned under the mainboard 260 and battery 262 comprising a switch, a feedback LED, and a charging port. The switch and LED may combine to provide a programming functionality, such as but not limited to pairing with a remote controller. Such systems are well known in the art.
A preferred method of operation of the device 220 will now be described in detail herein.
The device 20 is first installed onto an existing curtain track 10 comprising a curtain attached to curtain carriers along the track. Curtain tracks, curtain carriers and curtains are known in the art and their operation is not further elaborated upon. The curtain track comprises a substantially U-shaped cross section.
The device 20 with disengaged latches is positioned between two curtain carriers, preferably between a terminal pair of curtain carriers along the track 10. Wheels 48a, 48b are positioned on an upper surface of bottom segments 16a, 16b, with frame 44 positioned in the central aperture 17 of the track. To install the device 20 onto the track, the tabs 36 are manually engaged with notches 38, then latches 32 are engaged such that frame 44 and wheels 48a, 48b are pulled downwards by the tabs 36. The wheels 48a, 48b contact an upper surface of the track bottom 16a, 16b clamping the track 10 and device 20 together. This clamping force allows the motor 20 to remain engaged with the track 10 without derailing or shifting during operation. The device 20 may be removed from track 10 by disengaging the latches 32, thereby alleviating the clamping force, allowing for ready removal of the device 20.
With the device 20 successfully installed onto the track 10, the user may then command the device to travel along the track 10 by pulling a fabric of the curtain such that switches 28 become actuated. For example, relative to one in-use orientation, if the user wishes for curtains to traverse left across the track 10, they may pull the curtain to the left such that the right switch 28b becomes engaged. The engaged switch instructs the motor 62 to begin operation until it reaches a predetermined stopping location. When the motor 62 is in operation, the entire device 20 traverses across the track 10, thereby pushing an adjacent curtain carrier, and therefore the curtain, along with it, presenting the user with a convenient, easily installed, and low maintenance motorised curtain.
The device 20 may have stored a limit position on the microprocessor or PCB 260 which instructs the internal motor 62 to discontinue operation upon travelling to the predetermined limit position. The device 20 may determine when the limit position is reached through measurement of information such as but not limited to distance travelled, number of motor rotations, a predetermined time, and the like.
The track 10 may also comprise track stops 70 which aid in stopping the device 20 at a desired location along the track 10.
In an embodiment, track stops 70 may be constructed from a rigid material such as but not limited to rubber, plastic, steel and the like, and is intended to restrict traversal of the device 20 beyond a desired location on the track 10. Upon contact with stopper 70, a torque sensor embedded within the device 20 identifies the obstruction, typically manifested by a sharp increase in the motor driving current. Subsequently, this detection prompts the motor 62 to suspend its operation, halting the movement of the device 20 until additional input is received to resume traversal along the track. Systems and methods for torque sensing, as well as the communication of such information to instruct a motor to discontinue operation are commonly known to those skilled in the art.
In another embodiment, track stops 70 may take the form of strategically placed magnets at desired stopping locations. The device 20 may comprise a plurality of Hall effect sensors (not depicted) or other method known in the art for detecting a magnetic field emitted by magnets 70. Designed to respond to a predetermined magnitude of the magnetic field corresponding to a desired stopping location, the Hall effect sensors would communicate with an internal PCB to instruct the internal motor 62 to discontinue operation. Therefore, the device 20 comes to a stop without any frictional damage incurred from contacting physical stoppers. These limit magnets 70 serve as an absolute limiting means on the position of the device 220 to alleviate any accumulated drift from continuous use.
In this embodiment, the Hall effect sensors may be positioned on a limit sensing board 268 positioned directly under drive wheel 240.
The stored limit position may be recalibrated each time that the Hall effect sensors are triggered, thereby eliminating any accumulative errors in the stored limit position of the system. This allows the motor to slow down as desired when approaching its limit position, rather than suddenly stopping upon the Hall effect sensors being triggered.
It should be noted that although track stops 70 are described with reference to a particular embodiment of the device, the track stops 70 are not to be limited to this particular embodiment of the device, but may be applied to the first described embodiment of the device 20 or other the second embodiment 220 or embodiments as would be obvious to a person skilled in the art.
The reader will now appreciate the advantages of present invention which provides an easily installed curtain apparatus capable of being retrofitted onto existing curtain tracks.
The present invention boasts a compact form factor resulting from a linear arrangement of gears connected to the internal motor. This streamlined design allows it to be discreetly fitted within the folds of a wave fold curtain, enabling a harmonious integration without compromising aesthetics.
The internal motor efficiently translates any rotational output into a linear motion without experiencing a significant loss of torque. This achievement is attributed to the clamping force applied between the invention and existing curtain tracks, ensuring robust performance. The device's capacity to move heavier curtains and maintain its position on the curtain track through numerous cycles demonstrates an improved reliability of the device.
Installation and removal are simplified by an attachment assembly that easily clamps onto existing curtain tracks. This process requires no specialized tools or expertise, presenting the user with a more convenient solution.
Furthermore, frictional impact damage from continuously coming into impact with a physical stopper is alleviated by the use of magnetic stoppers instead. As a result, the present invention has increased longevity and reduced wear and tear.
Activation of the device is user-friendly, requiring no external tools. Users can simply pull the curtain they wish to open or close to actuate a switch located on the device, thereby providing an intuitive and seamless experience to the user.
The present invention is also battery-operated and capable of being recharged. This eliminates the need to uninstall the curtain apparatus for power, streamlining maintenance and enhancing overall user convenience.
Further advantages and improvements may very well be made to the present invention without deviating from its scope. Although the invention has been shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognised that departure may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices and apparatus. Any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such prior art is widely known or forms part of the common general knowledge in this field.
In the present specification and claims (if any), the word “comprising” and its derivatives including “comprises” and “comprise” include each of the stated integers but does not exclude the inclusion of one or more further integers.
The drawings include the following integers.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023900044 | Jan 2023 | AU | national |
| 2023900194 | Jan 2023 | AU | national |
| 2023900195 | Jan 2023 | AU | national |
| 2023901038 | Apr 2023 | AU | national |
