Patent Application
20190100923
Aspects of the embodiments relate to shades, and more particularly to systems, methods, and modes for securing shade material to a roller shade.
Roller shades are effective in screening windows, doors, or the like, to achieve privacy and thermal effects. A roller shade typically includes a rectangular shade material, such as fabric, attached at its top end to a cylindrical rotating tube, called a roller tube, and at an opposite bottom end to a hem bar. The shade material is wrapped around the roller tube. The roller tube is rotated, either manually or via an electric motor, in a first direction to roll down the shade material to cover a window and in a second direction to roll up the shade material to uncover the window.
Typically, the shade material is attached to the roller tube using double sided tape. However, it is difficult for an untrained user to replace the shade material if the shade material needs to be replaced for some reason, for example, due to damage or when the user wishes to change shade material color or design. Aside from peeling off the old shade material and replacing the tape, the installer has to ensure that the shade material is attached perfectly square to the tube. If the shade material is not square to the tube, the shade material will not roll up straight and will telescope left or right, causing the shade material to rub against the window frame. This leads to a crooked, wrinkled, and/or damaged shade.
To simplify changing the shade material, a spline or a strip may be used to secure the shade material within a channel in the roller tube. However, often such a solution requires the shade material and the strip to be slid into position from the end of the roller tube. This may cause the shade material to pucker and may damage the shade when trying to slide-in shade material of substantial width.
Another solution enables the strip to be snapped or pressed into the channel from the side of the roller tube. However, such channels are generally constructed with a large depth to enable the insertion and retention of the strip. Often the walls forming the channel, the retention strip, or a snap fastener, protrude beyond the outer diameter of the roller tube, creating a bump in the shade material when the shade material is rolled up on the roller tube, which causes unsightly impression or indent in the shade material when it is rolled down. In other designs, to keep the outer profile of the roller tube smooth, the strip retaining channel is buried deeper within the roller tube. This results in thicker, wider, and heavier roller tube, limits the space for the motor drive unit inside the roller tube, and in some designs offsets the motor drive unit from the center axis of the roller tube due to the variable thickness of the roller tube, which may cause improper or uneven operation. To decrease the depth of the channel, another solution offers a deformable strip, creating movable parts that are prone to breakage.
Accordingly, a need has arisen for a system for simplifying the process of securing shade material to a roller shade without causing damage to the shade material and while maintaining a small and substantially constant thickness and smooth profile of the roller tube.
It is an object of the embodiments to substantially solve at least the problems and/or disadvantages discussed above, and to provide at least one or more of the advantages described below.
It is therefore a general aspect of the embodiments to provide systems, methods, and modes for securing shade material to a roller shade that will obviate or minimize problems of the type previously described.
More particularly, the aspects of the embodiments provide a system for simplifying the process of securing the shade material to a roller shade without causing damage to the shade material and while maintaining a small and substantially constant thickness and smooth profile of the roller tube.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.
Further features and advantages of the aspects of the embodiments, as well as the structure and operation of the various embodiments, are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is noted that the aspects of the embodiments are not limited to the specific embodiments described herein. Such embodiments are presented herein for illustrative purposes only. Additional embodiments will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) based on the teachings contained herein.
According to an aspect of the embodiments a roller shade is provided comprising a shade material, a retaining member, and a roller tube. The roller tube comprises a substantially cylindrical outer surface and a channel recessed in the outer surface. The channel in the roller tube comprises an opening in the outer surface of the roller tube that extends between a first retaining lip and a second retaining lip and provides access into an interior cavity of the channel. The channel further comprises a bottom wall comprising a first bottom wall section opposite the first retaining lip and aligned along a first plane, and a second bottom wall section opposite the second retaining lip and aligned along a second plane offset from the first plane. The second retaining lip comprises an outer lip wall that extends from the outer surface of the roller tube to a tip of the second retaining lip and tapers towards the interior cavity, wherein the outer lip wall is aligned along the same first plane as the first bottom wall section. The retaining member secures the top end of the shade material within the interior cavity of the channel in the roller tube.
According to an embodiment, the first retaining lip may comprise a first inner lip wall and the second retaining lip comprises a second inner lip wall. The first inner lip wall may be longer than the second inner lip wall. According to a further embodiment, the channel may further comprise a first side wall laterally extending from a first end connected to the first retaining lip wall and a second end connected to the first bottom wall section, and a second side wall laterally extending and connected between the second retaining lip wall and the second bottom wall section. The first side wall may be connected to the first inner lip wall at an obtuse angle, and the first side wall may be connected to the first bottom wall section at an acute angle. According to an embodiment, the retaining member is inserted into the interior cavity along the first plane under the first retaining lip wall and over the outer lip wall and the first bottom wall, and rotated into place from being aligned with the first plane to being aligned with the second plane. The first side wall may be tapered away from the first inner lip wall such that as the retaining member is rotated the retaining member is translated towards the second side wall by the tapering of the first side wall. According to an embodiment, a distance between the second end of the first side wall and the tip of the second retaining lip is larger than a width of the retaining member, and a distance between the first end of the first side wall and the tip of the second retaining lip is smaller than the width of the retaining member. According to another embodiment, when the retaining member is secured within the interior cavity, a top end of the retaining member locks the shade material against the first inner lip wall of the first retaining lip, and a bottom end of the retaining member locks against the second bottom wall section of the channel.
According to an embodiment, to secure the retaining member in the cavity, a top end of the retaining member is wrapped by the top end of the shade material, the top end of the retaining member is inserted through the opening into the interior cavity of the channel along the first plane under the first retaining lip and over the outer lip wall and the first bottom wall section, the retaining member is rotated from being aligned with the first plane to being aligned with the second plane, and a bottom end of the retaining member is slid along the second plane until being positioned between the second retaining lip and the second bottom wall section.
According to an embodiment, the roller shade further comprises a ridge formed between the first bottom wall section and the second bottom wall section that protrudes into the interior cavity. According to another embodiment, the outer lip wall and the first bottom wall section of the cannel that rest on the first plane guide the retaining member into the channel. The opening may be smaller than a width of the retaining member such that the retaining member is retained within the channel by the first retaining lip and the second retaining lip.
According to an embodiment, the top end of the shade material is attached to a first side of the retaining member. The shade material may be attached to the retaining member via heat welding, stitching, adhesive, a thermoplastic layer, a film, or the like, or any combinations thereof. The shade material may be folded over a second side of the retaining member.
According to an embodiment, the channel does not protrude beyond the perimeter of the substantially cylindrical outer surface of the roller tube. The roller tube may comprise a substantially cylindrical wall comprising the substantially cylindrical outer surface and an inner cavity with a substantially cylindrical inner surface, wherein the channel is formed in the cylindrical wall of the roller tube such that it is substantially contained within the cylindrical wall and does not protrude beyond the perimeter of the substantially cylindrical outer surface or beyond the perimeter of the substantially cylindrical inner surface into the inner cavity of the roller tube. The cylindrical wall of the roller tube may comprise a substantially constant thickness such that the inner surface is substantially concentric with the outer surface.
According to another aspect of the embodiments, a channel for receiving a retaining member to secure shade material to a roller shade is provided. The channel comprises a first and second retaining lip sections that define an opening into the interior cavity of the channel, a first bottom wall section opposite the first retaining lip and aligned along a first plane, and a second bottom wall section opposite the second retaining lip and aligned along a second plane offset from the first plane. The second retaining lip may comprise an outer lip wall that tapers towards the interior cavity and is aligned along the same first plane as the first bottom wall section. The top end of the retaining member may be inserted through the opening and into the interior cavity along the first plane under the first retaining lip and over the outer lip wall and the first bottom wall section. The retaining member may then be rotated into place from being aligned with the first plane to being aligned with the second plane such that a bottom end of the retaining member is positioned between the second retaining lip and the second bottom wall section. As such, the retaining member secures a portion of the shade material within the interior cavity of the channel.
According to a further aspect of the embodiments, a method is provided for securing shade material to a roller shade. The roller shade comprises a channel having an opening between a first retaining lip and a second retaining lip, an interior cavity, a first bottom wall section opposite the first retaining lip and aligned along a first plane, and a second bottom wall section opposite the second retaining lip and aligned along a second plane offset from the first plane. The second retaining lip may comprise an outer lip wall that tapers towards the interior cavity and is aligned along the same first plane as the first bottom wall section. According to an embodiment, the method comprises the steps of: wrapping a top end of a retaining member with the shade material, inserting the top end of the retaining member through the opening into the interior cavity along the first plane under the first retaining lip and over the outer lip wall and the first bottom wall section, and rotating the retaining member from being aligned with the first plane to being aligned with the second plane. According to an embodiment, the bottom end of the retaining member is slid along the second plane until being positioned between the second retaining lip and the second bottom wall section. According to an embodiment, the step of wrapping a top end of a retaining member with the shade material may comprise attaching the top end of the shade material to a first side of the retaining member, and folding the shade material over a second side of the retaining member.
According yet to a further aspect of the embodiments a roller shade is provided comprising a shade material, a retaining member, and a hem bar comprising an outer surface and a channel recessed in the outer surface. The channel comprises an opening in the outer surface of the hem bar that extends between a first retaining lip and a second retaining lip and provides access into an interior cavity of the channel. The channel also comprises a bottom wall comprising a first bottom wall section opposite the first retaining lip and aligned along a first plane, and a second bottom wall section opposite the second retaining lip and aligned along a second plane offset from the first plane. The channel further comprises an outer lip wall that extends from the outer surface of the hem bar to a tip of the second retaining lip and tapers towards the interior cavity. The outer lip wall may be aligned along the same first plane as the first bottom wall section. The retaining member secures the bottom end of the shade material within the interior cavity of the channel in the hem bar.
The above and other objects and features of the embodiments will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments with reference to the following figures. Different aspects of the embodiments are illustrated in reference figures of the drawings. It is intended that the embodiments and figures disclosed herein are to be considered to be illustrative rather than limiting. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the aspects of the embodiments. In the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.
The embodiments are described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of the inventive concept are shown. In the drawings, the size and relative sizes of layers and regions may be exaggerated for clarity. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. The embodiments may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the inventive concept to those skilled in the art. The scope of the embodiments is therefore defined by the appended claims. The detailed description that follows is written from the point of view of a control systems company, so it is to be understood that generally the concepts discussed herein are applicable to various subsystems and not limited to only a particular controlled device or class of devices.
Reference throughout the specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the embodiments. Thus, the appearance of the phrases “in one embodiment” on “in an embodiment” in various places throughout the specification is not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, the particular feature, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.
The following is a list of the major elements in the drawings in numerical order.
For 40 years Crestron Electronics, Inc. has been the world's leading manufacturer of advanced control and automation systems, innovating technology to simplify and enhance modern lifestyles and businesses. Crestron designs, manufactures, and offers for sale integrated solutions to control audio, video, computer, and environmental systems. In addition, the devices and systems offered by Crestron streamlines technology, improving the quality of life in commercial buildings, universities, hotels, hospitals, and homes, among other locations. Accordingly, the systems, methods, and modes of the aspects of the embodiments described herein can be manufactured by Crestron Electronics Inc., located in Rockleigh, N.J.
The different aspects of the embodiments described herein pertain to the context of roller shades, but is not limited thereto, except as may be set forth expressly in the appended claims. While the roller shade is described herein for covering a window, the roller shade may be used to cover doors, wall openings, or the like. The embodiments described herein may further be adapted in other types of window or door coverings, such as inverted rollers, Roman shades, Austrian shades, pleated shades, blinds, shutters, skylight shades, garage doors, or the like.
Referring to
Roller tube 101 is generally cylindrical in shape and laterally extends from a first end 108a to a second end 108b along longitudinal axis 111. The roller tube 101 may comprise an outer surface 122. The roller tube 101 may comprise one or more recessed channels 120 in the outer surface 122 of the roller tube 101 that extends from the first end 108a to the second end 108b of the roller tube 101 along longitudinal axis 111. For example, a single channel 120 may be used to retain a single layered shade material, while two channels 120 may be used to retain the double layered shade material 104 as shown in
The roller tube 101 may be connected to an idler assembly 105 at its first end 108a. The idler assembly 105 may comprise an idler pin 106 and an idler body 107. The idler body 107 may be rotatably connected about the idler pin 106 via ball bearings therein (not shown). It is inserted into the roller tube 101 and is operably connected to the roller tube 101 such that rotation of the idler body 107 also rotates the roller tube 101. The idler pin 106 may include a pin tip 113 disposed on the terminal end of the idler pin 106 to attach the roller shade 100 to the first mounting bracket 115a. In one embodiment, the idler body 107 may comprise similar configuration to the idler body having a counterbalancing assembly disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,631,425, issued on Apr. 25, 2017, and titled “Roller Shade with a Pretensioned Spring a Method for Pretensioning the Spring,” the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
According to one embodiment, the second send 108b of the roller tube 101 may comprise a similar idler assembly 105 having an idler pin connected to the second mounting bracket 115b. In another embodiment, idler pin 106 may extend from the first end 108a to the second end 108b of the roller tube 101 and be connected to the first and second mounting brackets 115a and 115b. The roller shade 100 may be rolled down (closed) and rolled up (opened) manually or semi-manually by pulling or tugging on the hem bar 101 or by pulling on a chain (not shown).
According to another embodiment, the second end 108b of the roller tube 102 receives the roller shade drive unit 110. The roller shade drive unit 104 may comprise a motor control module 112 and a motor 114. The roller shade drive unit 104 may further comprise a drive wheel (not shown) that fits within the roller tube 101 and is connected to the output shaft of the motor 114 to rotate the roller tube 101. In operation, the roller shade 100 is rolled down and rolled up via the roller shade drive unit 110. Particularly, the motor 114 drives the drive wheel, which in turn engages and rotates the roller tube 101; and the roller tube 101 engages and rotates the idler body 107 with respect to the motor 114, while the motor 114 and motor control module 112 remain stationary. As a result, the shade material 104 may be lowered from an opened or rolled up position, when substantially the entire shade material 104 is wrapped about the roller tube 101, to a closed or rolled down position, when the shade material 104 is substantially unraveled. The motor control module 112 may comprise fully integrated electronics to control the motor 114, directing the operation of the motor, including its direction, speed, and position.
Referring to
The inner surface 204 of the roller tube 101 may comprise a plurality of inner channels 207 extending circumferentially therein along longitudinal axis 111. Inner channels 207 are used to mate with complementary projections formed on the idler assembly 105 and/or the roller shade drive unit 110, to enable the driving mechanism of the roller shade 100, such as the motor 114, to drive the roller tube 101.
At least one channel 120 extends in the outer surface 122 of the roller tube 101 from the first end 108a to the second end 108b of the roller tube 101 along longitudinal axis 111. For example, to receive the double layered shade material 104 shown in
Each channel 120 is configured to receive a retaining member 121. According to an embodiment, the retaining member 121 may comprise a strip or a spline with a substantially rectangular cross section. Although other shaped retaining member 121 may be utilized. The retaining member 121 may extend from a first end 127 to a second end 128 and may comprise a top end 125, a bottom end 126, a first side 123, and a second side 124. According to one embodiment, the retaining member 121 may comprise a flexible plastic tape material. Although in various embodiment, the retaining member 121 may comprise rubber, aluminum, stainless steel, resilient plastic, thermoplastic, fiberglass, or other materials known to those skilled in the art.
The channel 120 of the present embodiments comprises a novel shape that provides a plurality of benefits. It allows the retaining member 121 to be inserted into the channel 120 from the side of the roller tube 101, directly through the outer surface 122, as shown in
In addition, the channel 120 is formed in the cylindrical wall 201 of the roller tube 101 such that it is substantially contained within the cylindrical wall 201 and does not protrude beyond the perimeter of the substantially cylindrical outer surface 122 or beyond the perimeter of the substantially cylindrical inner surface 204 into the inner cavity 203 of the roller tube 101. Accordingly, the cylindrical wall 201 comprises a substantially smooth outer surface 122 and substantially constant thickness 205 such that the inner surface 204 is substantially concentric with the outer surface 122. This allows the driving mechanism of the roller shade 100, whether mechanical (e.g., a spring assembly) or electrical (i.e., a motor), to be centrally retained within the inner cavity 203 of the roller tube 101 without any encumbrances, and thereby ensures substantially equal weight distribution. In addition, when the shade material 104 is attached to the roller tube 101 and wrapped around the roller tube 101, no bump will be created in the shade material 104, thereby preventing unsightly impressions or indents in the shade material 104. Furthermore, the shade material 104 to tube attachment system described herein does not compromise the thickness 205 of the roller tube 101, allowing the thickness 205 of the roller tube 101, and thereby its weight, to be maintained small.
Referring to
The bottom wall 410 comprises a first bottom wall section 408 connected to a second bottom wall section 409 at a first angle 411, forming a ridge 412 therebetween, which protrudes into the interior cavity 403. First angle 411 may, for example, comprise an obtuse angle of about 160 degrees. As such, the first bottom wall section 408 may be aligned along a first plane 425 and the second bottom wall section 409 may be aligned along a second plane 424, offset from the first plane 425 at, for example, about 20 degrees.
The first side wall 406 may laterally extend between a first end 426 connected to the first inner lip wall 420 and a second end 427 connected to the first bottom wall section 408. The first side wall 406 may be connected to the first inner lip wall 420 at a second angle 418, which may comprise and obtuse angle of about 105 degrees. The first side wall 406 may be connected to the first bottom wall section 408 a third angle 419, which may comprise an acute angle of about 60 degrees. As such, the first side wall 406 may be tapered away from the first inner lip wall 420. First inner lip wall 420, first side wall 406, and first bottom wall section 408 may define a first retaining cavity 422.
The second side wall 407 may laterally extend between the second inner lip wall 421 and second bottom wall section 409. The second inner lip wall 421 may be substantially parallel to the second bottom wall section 409, or it may be slightly offset, for example, at about five degrees. The second inner lip wall 421, second side wall 407, and second bottom wall section 409 may define a second retaining cavity 423.
The second retaining lip 405 may comprise an outer lip wall 415 that extends from the outer surface 122 of the roller tube 101 to the tip 417 of the second retaining lip 405. The outer lip wall 415 is tapered away from the outer surface 122 towards the interior cavity 403. The outer lip wall 415 may, for example, be offset from the second inner lip wall 421 by about fifteen degrees. The lip wall 415 is further aligned along the same first plane 425 as the first bottom wall section 408.
After attaching the retaining member 121 to the shade material 104, the shade material 104 may be folded over the second side 124 of the retaining member 121, as shown in
As shown in
The retaining member 121 is then rotated about the ridge 412 from being aligned with the first plane 425 to being aligned with the second plane 424 where the first side 123 of the retaining member 121 abuts (indirectly through shade material 104) the second bottom wall section 409 as shown in
As shown in
Accordingly, the retaining member 121 is retained within the interior cavity 403 by the first retaining lip 404 and the second retaining lip 405. Because the opening 401 (
The shade material 104 may be removed from the roller tube 101 by sliding the retaining member 121 along the length of the channel 120 out of either the first end 108a or the second end 108b of the roller tube 101.
According to another embodiment, the shade material attachment embodiment discussed herein can also be included in a hem bar of a roller shade. Referring to
The bottom end 725 of the shade material 704 may be secured in the first channel 720 via a retaining member 723 in the same manner discussed above such that the hem bar 700 hangs down from the shade material 704 and is fully exposed.
In another embodiment, as shown in
The design of the channels 720 and 721 allows for a simple attachment of the hem bar 700 to a shade material 702, which can be done directly in the field to replace a damaged hem bar or fabric. The slim design of the channels 720 and 721 leave plenty of room within the hem bar 700 to retain components. For example, the hem bar 700 may comprise a hallow cavity 707 that may receive one or more weights, for example in the form of steel rods, to add extra weight to the hem bar 700. In other embodiments, batteries (not shown) may be included within the hem bar 700 to power the roller shade. According to an embodiment, as shown in
The disclosed embodiments provide a system, software, and a method for securing shade material to a roller shade. It should be understood that this description is not intended to limit the embodiments. On the contrary, the embodiments are intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, which are included in the spirit and scope of the embodiments as defined by the appended claims. Further, in the detailed description of the embodiments, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a comprehensive understanding of the claimed embodiments. However, one skilled in the art would understand that various embodiments may be practiced without such specific details.
Although the features and elements of aspects of the embodiments are described being in particular combinations, each feature or element can be used alone, without the other features and elements of the embodiments, or in various combinations with or without other features and elements disclosed herein.
This written description uses examples of the subject matter disclosed to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the same, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the subject matter is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims.
The above-described embodiments are intended to be illustrative in all respects, rather than restrictive, of the embodiments. Thus the embodiments are capable of many variations in detailed implementation that can be derived from the description contained herein by a person skilled in the art. No element, act, or instruction used in the description of the present application should be construed as critical or essential to the embodiments unless explicitly described as such. Also, as used herein, the article “a” is intended to include one or more items.
Additionally, the various methods described above are not meant to limit the aspects of the embodiments, or to suggest that the aspects of the embodiments should be implemented following the described methods. The purpose of the described methods is to facilitate the understanding of one or more aspects of the embodiments and to provide the reader with one or many possible implementations of the processed discussed herein. The steps performed during the described methods are not intended to completely describe the entire process but only to illustrate some of the aspects discussed above. It should be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the steps may be performed in a different order and that some steps may be eliminated or substituted.
All United States patents and applications, foreign patents, and publications discussed above are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
Alternate embodiments may be devised without departing from the spirit or the scope of the different aspects of the embodiments.
