Patent Application
20240410225
A window treatment may be mounted in front of one or more windows, for example to prevent sunlight from entering a space and/or to provide privacy. Window treatments may include, for example, roller shades, roman shades, venetian blinds, or draperies. A roller shade typically includes a flexible shade fabric wound onto a roller tube. Such a roller shade may include a weighted bottom bar (e.g., a hembar) located at a lower end of the shade fabric. The bottom bar may cause the shade fabric to hang in front of one or more windows that the roller shade is mounted in front of.
A window treatment may be motorized. For example, a motorized roller shade may include a motor drive unit that is coupled to the roller tube to provide for tube rotation. When operated, the motor drive unit may cause the roller tube to rotate, such that the lower end of the shade fabric is raised or lowered, for example along a vertical direction. The motor drive unit of a motorized window treatment (e.g., a roller shade) may be powered, for example, by an alternating-current (AC) source, a direct-current (DC) source, by one or more batteries, or any combination thereof.
In an example motorized roller shade, the motor drive unit and the roller tube may be retained within a housing that is mounted in front of one or more windows. Such a motorized roller shade may include a fascia that is configured to conceal components of the window treatment, such as the motor drive unit, the roller tube, and a portion of the flexible shade fabric. Such a fascia, which may alternatively be referred to as a valence, is typically made of a material such as plastic or metal, etc., which may contrast aesthetically with the shade fabric.
As described herein, an apparatus for use with a window treatment system may comprise a mounting bracket, a fascia, and a locking mechanism for locking the fascia to the mounting bracket. The window treatment system may comprise a window treatment assembly having a covering material that is operable between a raised position and a lowered position. The mounting bracket may be configured to support the window treatment assembly. The fascia may have an attachment structure for coupling the fascia to the mounting bracket. The attachment structure may extend from a rear surface of the fascia. The fascia may also have a locking member extending from the rear surface of the fascia. The locking mechanism may comprise a lever supported by the mounting bracket and configured to pivot with respect to the mounting bracket. The lever may comprise a first end having a locking tab and a second end having a contact surface. The locking mechanism may further comprise an actuation member configured to contact the contact surface at the second end of the lever. The actuation member may be configured to be driven in a first direction to cause the second end of the lever to move in the first direction and the first end of the lever to move in a second direction opposite the first direction to operate the locking mechanism into a locked position in which the locking tab is received in a recess of the locking member of the fascia. The actuation member may be further configured to move in the downward direction to operate the locking mechanism into an unlocked position in which the locking tab is not received in the recess of the locking member of the fascia.
The roller tube 112 may operate as a rotational element of the motorized window treatment system 100. The window treatment assembly 110 may be rotatably mounted (e.g., rotatably supported) by the mounting brackets 130. The mounting brackets 130 may extend from the structure to which the motorized window treatment 100 is mounted. The covering material 120 may be windingly attached to the roller tube 112, such that rotation of the roller tube 112 causes the covering material 120 to wind around or unwind from the roller tube 112. For example, rotation of the roller tube 112 may cause the covering material 120 to move between a raised position PRAISED (e.g., a fully-raised position and/or a fully-open position) and a lowered position PLOWERED (e.g., a fully-lowered position and/or a fully-closed position). The covering material 120 may include a first end (e.g., a top or upper end) that is coupled to the roller tube 112 and a second end (e.g., a bottom or lower end) that is coupled to a bottom bar 125 (e.g., a hembar). The bottom bar 125 may be configured, for example weighted, to cause the covering material 120 to hang vertically. Rotation of the roller tube 112 may cause the bottom bar 125 to move toward or away from the roller tube 112 between the raised position PRAISED and the lowered position PLOWERED.
The covering material 120 may be any suitable material, or form any combination of materials. For example, the covering material 120 may be “scrim,” woven cloth, non-woven material, light-control film, screen, and/or mesh. The motorized window treatment system 100 may comprise any type of window treatment. For example, the motorized window treatment system 100 may comprise a roller shade as illustrated, a soft sheer shade, a drapery, a cellular shade, a Roman shade, or a Venetian blind. As shown, the covering material 120 may be a material suitable for use as a shade fabric, and may be alternatively referred to as a flexible material. The covering material 120 is not limited to shade fabric. For example, in accordance with an alternative implementation of the motorized window treatment system 100 as a retractable projection screen, the covering material 120 may be a material suitable for displaying images projected onto the covering material.
As shown in
In some examples, a window treatment system (e.g., a motorized window treatment system) may comprise a fascia for covering a roller tube and/or mounting brackets of the window treatment system.
The window treatment system 200 may include a window treatment assembly, which may be similar to the window treatment assembly 110 shown in
The roller tube of the window treatment assembly may operate as a rotational element of the window treatment system 200. The window treatment assembly may be rotatably mounted (e.g., rotatably supported) by the mounting brackets. The mounting brackets may extend from the structure to which the window treatment system 200 is mounted. The covering material 220 may be windingly attached to the roller tube, such that rotation of the roller tube causes the covering material 220 to wind around or unwind from the roller tube. For example, rotation of the roller tube may cause the covering material 220 to move between a raised position PRAISED (e.g., a fully-raised position and/or a fully-open position) and a lowered position PLOWERED (e.g., a fully-lowered position and/or a fully-closed position). The covering material 220 may include a first end (e.g., a top or upper end) that is coupled to the roller tube and a second end (e.g., a bottom or lower end) that is coupled to a bottom bar 225 (e.g., a hembar). The bottom bar 225 may be configured, for example weighted, to cause the covering material 220 to hang vertically. Rotation of the roller tube may cause the bottom bar 225 to move toward or away from the roller tube 212 between the raised position PRAISED and the lowered position PLOWERED.
As shown in
The fascia 250 (e.g., the wall 252) may be configured to be connected to (e.g., and hang from) the first mounting bracket 230 and the second mounting bracket. As shown in
The fascia 250 may comprise an attachment structure 270 extending from a rear surface 258 of the fascia 250 (e.g., opposite the front surface 257) at the top side 255 of the wall 252 (e.g., opposite the bottom side 256). The attachment structure 270 may be configured to be attached to an attachment tab 238 of the first mounting bracket 230. The attachment structure 270 may comprise an upper support 272 (e.g., a hook), a body 274, and a lower support 276 (e.g., a flange). The body 274 may extend between the upper support 272 and the lower support 276, such that the upper support 272 and the lower support 276 are at opposite ends of the body 274. The upper support 272 may be configured to sit on the attachment tab 238 (e.g., on a top side of the attachment tab) of the first mounting bracket 230. The lower support 276 may be configured to be positioned underneath the attachment tab 238 of the first mounting bracket 230 (e.g., underneath a bottom side of the attachment tab 238), such that the upper support 272 and the lower support 276 may cradle (e.g., hold) the attachment structure 270 against the attachment tab 238 (e.g., via friction hold). In some examples, the attachment structure 270 may not comprise the lower support 276. For example, the attachment structure 270 may extend the full length of the fascia 250. In some examples, the attachment structure 270 may only extend for a portion of the fascia 250 near the first mounting bracket 230 (e.g., at the first end 251 of the fascia 250), and the fascia 250 may comprise a second attachment structure (e.g., similar to the attachment structure 270) that extends for a portion of the fascia 250 near the second mounting bracket (e.g., at the second end 253 of the fascia 250).
The first mounting bracket 230 may also comprise an arm 239 positioned laterally below the attachment structure 255 and having a surface configured to abut against the rear surface 259 of the wall 252 of the fascia 250 when the attachment structure 255 is attached to the attachment tab 238. The arm 239 may assist in keeping the wall 252 of the fascia 250 vertically aligned (e.g., vertically straight).
The first mounting bracket 230 may further comprise a locking mechanism 280 configured to lock (e.g., detachably lock) the fascia 250 to the first mounting bracket 230 at a lower side of the first mounting bracket 230 (e.g., opposite the attachment tab 238) once the fascia 250 is attached to the attachment structure 255, for example. The locking mechanism 280 may be located at a lower front corner of the side wall 232 of the first mounting bracket 230. The locking mechanism may be positioned on the inner face 233 of the first mounting bracket 230.
The locking mechanism 280 may comprise a lever 281 having a body 282 configured to pivot about a pivot member 283. The lever 281 may be supported by the first mounting bracket 230 (e.g., via the pivot member 283, which may be attached to the first mounting bracket 230) and may be configured to pivot about the pivot member 283 with respect to the first mounting bracket 230. For example, the pivot member 283 may comprise a cylindrical body (e.g., a rivet) that extends from the side wall 232 of the first mounting bracket 230 (e.g., through an opening in the side wall 232) and an opening in the body 282 of the lever 281 to hold the body 282 adjacent to and possibly against the inner face 233 of the side wall 232 of the first mounting bracket 230. For example, the pivot member 283 may be integral with the first mounting bracket 230 or a separate part from the first mounting bracket 230. The lever 281 may comprise a locking tab 284a at a first end 285 of the body 282 and a contact surface 286a at a second end 287 of the body 282 (e.g., opposite the first end 285 of the body 282). The contact surface 286a may be on a wall 288a of the lever 281. For example, the wall 288a may extend approximately perpendicular to the body 282. For example, the body 282 may be oriented vertically and the wall 288a oriented horizontally (e.g., perpendicular to the body 282). The opening through which the pivot member 283 is received may be located on the body 282 between the first end 285 and the second end 287 (e.g., a fulcrum of the lever 281 may be located between the first end 285 and the second end 287, such that the lever 281 forms a first-class lever). The wall 288a may be, a horizontally-oriented surface that faces downward towards the gap 268 between the fascia 250 and the cover 260.
The locking mechanism 280 may further comprise an actuation member, such as a screw 290, which may extend through an opening 291 in an extension 292 of the first mounting bracket 230. For example, the screw 290 may be threaded. The extension 292 may extend from the side wall 232 of the first mounting bracket 230 at an angle (e.g., approximately) 90° with respect to the side wall 232, such that the screw 290 may be configured to move in an upward direction as the screw 290 is turned in a first rotational direction (e.g., as the screw 290 is tightened) and in a downward direction as the screw 290 is turned in a second rotational direction that is opposite the first rotational direction (e.g., as the screw 290 is loosened). For example, the opening 291 (
The fascia 250 may comprise a locking member 294 configured to engage with the locking tab 284a of the lever 281 of the locking mechanism 280. The locking member 294 may comprise an arm 295 that extends from the rear surface 258 of the wall 252 of the fascia 250 (e.g., away from the rear surface 258 of the wall 252 of the fascia 250). The locking member 294 may comprise a flange 296 that extends from the arm 295, such that the arm 295, the flange 296, and the rear surface 258 of the wall 252 of the fascia 250 form a recess 297. The flange 296 may extend upward and may be perpendicular to the arm 295.
The locking mechanism 280 may be operable between a locked position (e.g., as shown in
When the locking mechanism 280 is in the unlocked position, the body 282 of the lever 281 may be tilted (e.g., with the first end 285 up and the second end 287 down), such that the locking tab 284a of the lever 281 is not received in the recess 297 of the locking member 294. When the locking tab 284a is not located in the recess 297 of the locking member 294, the fascia 250 may be decoupled (e.g., removed) from the first mounting bracket 230. The locking mechanism 280 may be adjusted from the unlocked position to the locking position by turning the screw 290 in the first rotational direction to cause the locking tab 284a to be received in the recess 297 of the locking member 294. The locking mechanism 280 may be adjusted from the locking position to the unlocked position by turning the screw 290 in the second rotational direction to cause the locking tab 284a to be removed from the recess 297 of the locking member 294.
The locking mechanism 280 may further comprise a spring member, such as a spring arm 289a of the lever 281, which may be configured to operate (e.g., automatically operate) the locking mechanism 280 into the unlocked position when the screw 290 is loosened, such that the fascia 250 may be decoupled from the first mounting bracket 230. The spring arm 289a may extend from the wall 288a of the lever 281 and may contact the abutment tab 298 of the first mounting bracket 230 to bias (e.g., automatically bias) the locking mechanism 280 (e.g., the lever 281 of the locking mechanism 280) into the unlocked position (e.g., to tilt the lever 281) when the screw 290 is loosened (e.g., as shown in
As previously mentioned, the second mounting bracket may be a mirror image of the first mounting bracket 230. The second mounting bracket may comprise a locking mechanism that may be similar to and a mirror image of the locking mechanism 280 of the first mounting bracket 230. The lever 281 may be designed such that the lever 281 may be used on the first mounting bracket 230 at the first end 251 of the fascia 250 and on the second mounting bracket at the second end 253 of the fascia 250. For example, the lever 281 may comprise a second locking tab 284b at the first end 285 of the body 282, a second contact surface 286b defined by a second wall 288b at the second end 287 of the body 282, and a second spring arm 289b. For example, the locking member 294 on the rear surface 258 of the fascia 250 may extend the full length of the fascia 250, such that the locking mechanism on the second mounting bracket (e.g., at the second end 253 of the fascia) may be configured to engage with the locking member 294. In some examples, the locking member 294 may only extend for a portion of the fascia 250 near the first mounting bracket 230 (e.g., at the first end 251 of the fascia 250), and the fascia 250 may comprise a second locking member (e.g., similar to the locking member 294) that extends for a portion of the fascia 250 near the second mounting bracket (e.g., at the second end 253 of the fascia 250).
Although features and elements may be described herein in particular combinations, each feature or element may be used alone or in any combination with the other features and elements. While this disclosure has been described in terms of certain embodiments and generally associated methods, alterations and permutations of the embodiments and methods will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the above description of example embodiments does not constrain this disclosure. Other changes, substitutions, and alterations are also possible without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/506,739, filed on Jun. 7, 2023, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63506739 | Jun 2023 | US |
