U.S. patent application number 12/767556 was filed with the patent office on 2010-08-12 for device for automatically moving a curtain along a curtain rail.
This patent application is currently assigned to Rolf Edward Goelst. Invention is credited to Bart ter Braak.
Application Number | 20100200178 12/767556 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 19774357 |
Filed Date | 2010-08-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100200178 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
ter Braak; Bart |
August 12, 2010 |
DEVICE FOR AUTOMATICALLY MOVING A CURTAIN ALONG A CURTAIN RAIL
Abstract
A device for automatically moving a curtain along a curtain
rail, which device comprises driving means movable along the
curtain rail, the curtain being adapted to be coupled to the
driving means by way of coupling means, wherein the driving means
comprise a toothed belt (2). Preferably, the rail (1) is provided
with two toothed belt guide channels (1a, 1b) extending in
longitudinal direction of the rail, for the purpose of guiding the
toothed belt (2) along the rail (1), the device being provided,
adjacent at least a first end of the rail (1), with reversing means
(3) for reversing a part of the toothed belt (2) extending out of
the one guide channel (1a; 1b) and guiding it to the other guide
channel (1b; 1a).
Inventors: |
ter Braak; Bart; (Doorn,
NL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MERCHANT & GOULD PC
P.O. BOX 2903
MINNEAPOLIS
MN
55402-0903
US
|
Assignee: |
Rolf Edward Goelst
Ede
NL
|
Family ID: |
19774357 |
Appl. No.: |
12/767556 |
Filed: |
April 26, 2010 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
10309945 |
Dec 3, 2002 |
7703501 |
|
|
12767556 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
160/331 ;
160/341 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47H 1/04 20130101; A47H
5/0325 20130101; A47H 15/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
160/331 ;
160/341 |
International
Class: |
A47H 5/02 20060101
A47H005/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 3, 2001 |
NL |
1019467 |
Claims
1. A device for automatically moving a curtain along a curtain
rail, comprising: rotatable driving means movable along the curtain
rail, the curtain being adapted to be coupled to said driving means
by coupling means, the driving means comprise a toothed belt,
wherein the rail is provided with two toothed belt guide channels
extending in a longitudinal direction of the rail, for guiding the
toothed belt along the rail; the driving means provided with a
toothing, the driving means being disposed such that the toothing
of the driving means engages toothing of the toothed belt for
driving the toothed belt through rotation of the driving means;
reversing means adjacent at least a first end of the rail for
reversing a part of the toothed belt extending out of one guide
channel and guiding the toothed belt to the other guide channel,
wherein the reversing means comprise a reversing bearing along
which the toothed belt has been guided for a bearing-supported
reversal of the toothed belt, wherein the reversing bearing
comprises a bearing house in which at least the toothed part of the
driving means is rotatably disposed, the bearing house being
arranged to pass the toothed belt from the toothed belt guide
channels to the toothing of the driving means for the purpose of
said drive, wherein the bearing house is shaped such that the
driving means and inner walls of the bearing house facing the
driving means enclose a part of the toothed belt to be reversed,
substantially free from play.
2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the toothed belt after
assembly is substantially untensioned.
3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the bearing house is
provided with two passages for passing the toothed belt from the
toothed belt guide channel to the toothed part of the driving
means.
4. A device according to claim 1, wherein the bearing house and the
toothed driving means are manufactured substantially of
plastic.
5. A device according to claim 4, wherein that the bearing house
and the toothed driving means are manufactured by an injection
molding process.
6. A device according to claim 1, wherein that the bearing house
comprises a first bearing house part and a second bearing house
part connected with the first bearing house part.
7. A device according to claim 1, further comprising a control for
operating a motor.
8. A device for automatically moving a curtain along a curtain
rail, comprising: driving means movable along the curtain rail, the
curtain being adapted to be coupled to said driving means by
coupling means, the driving means comprise a toothed belt, wherein
the rail is provided with two toothed belt guide channels extending
in a longitudinal direction of the rail, for guiding the toothed
belt along the rail; with reversing means adjacent at least a first
end of the rail, for reversing a part of the toothed belt extending
out of one guide channel and guiding it to the other guide channel,
wherein the ends of the toothed belt are connected to each other
through a closure, such that the toothed belt is endless, wherein
the closure is provided with the coupling means for coupling the
curtain.
9. A device according to claim 8, wherein the closure is
detachable, wherein the toothed belt can be shortened.
10. A device according to claim 8, wherein the closure is provided
with injection molded clamping parts engaging the toothing of the
belt, fastened to each other by fastening means.
11. A device according to claim 8, wherein the coupling means are
arranged for detachably coupling the curtain to the toothed belt at
a plurality of positions.
12. A device for automatically moving a curtain along a curtain
rail comprising: driving means movable along the curtain rail,
wherein the driving means includes a toothed belt, the toothed belt
having two ends connected to each other through a closure such that
the toothed belt is endless, wherein the closure is detachable, the
closure being provided with first and second clamping parts,
wherein the first and the second clamping parts are each separately
mountable to one of the ends of the toothed belt and are
subsequently interconnectable so as to form the closure, wherein
the closure is provided with a first coupling hook configured for
coupling to a curtain.
13. A device according to claim 12, wherein the two ends of the
toothed belt are connectable to each other by a fastening
plate.
14. A device according to claim 12, wherein the first and second
clamping parts are injection molded.
15. A device according to claim 12, wherein: the first clamping
part is provided with an eye through which the toothed belt is
insertable, the first clamping part further comprises a separate
clamping lip having a wedge shaped part that is provided on one
side with a toothing which engage with the toothed belt, wherein
the eye of the first clamping part is constructed to be slid back
over the clamping lip to fixedly clamp the first clamping part onto
the toothed belt as a result of the wedge shape of the clamping
lip, the second clamping part being provided with an eye through
which the toothed belt is insertable, the second clamping part
further comprising a separate clamping lip which has a wedge shaped
part and is provided on one side with a toothing which engage with
the toothed belt, wherein the eye of the second clamping part is
constructed to be slid back over the clamping lip to fixedly clamp
the second clamping part onto the toothed belt as a result of the
wedge shape of the clamping lip.
16. A device according to claim 15, further comprising: a third
clamping part having an eye enclosing the toothed belt, such that
the third clamping part can be slid along the toothed belt, a
fourth clamping part having a toothed wedge-shaped clamping lip
which is wedge-shaped, wherein the third clamping part in a slid
back position is clampingly fixed onto the clamping lip of the
fourth clamping part as a result of the wedge shape of that
clamping lip, so that the third and fourth clamping parts are
connected at a desired position onto the toothed belt, and a second
coupling hook connectable to the third and the fourth clamping part
adapted for coupling a second curtain to the third and the fourth
clamping part.
17. A device for automatically moving a curtain along a curtain
rail, comprising a bearing housing for mounting to an end of an
automatic curtain rail, wherein the curtain rail has a first belt
guide channel and a second belt guide channel to guide a toothed
belt along the curtain rail, wherein the first and second belt
guide channel extend parallelly in a longitudinal direction,
wherein the bearing housing comprises a reversing bearing for
reversing the toothed belt and a first passage and second passage
for passing the toothed belt from the first belt guide channel via
the reversing bearing to the second belt guide channel of the
curtain rail, wherein the bearing housing has an inner wall surface
encompassing an arranged toothed belt at a distance smaller than
the height of teeth of the belt, such that the toothed belt remains
in toothed engagement with the reversing bearing.
Description
[0001] This application is a Continuation Application of Ser. No.
10/309,945, filed Dec. 3, 2002 in the United States, which claims
benefit of Ser. No. 10/19,467, filed Dec. 3, 2001 in The
Netherlands and which applications are incorporated herein by
reference. A claim of priority to all, to the extent appropriate is
made.
[0002] This invention relates to a device for automatically moving
a curtain along a curtain rail, which device comprises driving
means movable along the curtain rail, the curtain being adapted to
be coupled to the driving means by way of coupling means.
[0003] Such a device is known from the European patent application
EP 0 782 833 A1. With the known device, a curtain can be
automatically closed and opened. The curtain is coupled to the
driving means by way of coupling means, while the driving means are
moved by a drive such as an electric motor.
[0004] A drawback of the known device is that the driving means of
that device are designed as a flexible driving belt movable along
the curtain rail and provided with passages engageable by a gear
wheel of the electric motor. As a result of frequent use of such a
flexible belt, this belt may become elongated, which may hinder a
proper operation of the belt. Moreover, the life of such a flexible
driving belt is usually relatively short. Further, such a driving
belt may be under a considerable tension during use. This tension
can cause friction and/or deformation at, or of, for instance,
means holding and guiding the belt in a desired position. Such
deformation can take place in both a stationary condition and a
moving condition of the belt. Furthermore, assembling a device
provided with such a flexible belt is usually relatively difficult
because during assembly the belt is then often to be brought in
and/or around belt guiding means of the device under a particular
bias.
[0005] In practice, automatic curtain rail systems are marketed in
which the flexible driving belt comprises a fabric belt impregnated
with synthetic resin. Further, from practice a driving belt is
known which is designed as an extruded all-plastic belt strip. An
additional disadvantage of this all-plastic belt strip is that it
is relatively rigid and difficult to bend. As a consequence, it
takes relatively much energy, for instance, to cause this belt
strip to pass through a bend, which energy cannot be usefully
employed to cause the curtain to move. Moreover, the plastic belt
strip and plastic-impregnated fabric belt are typically subject to
creep, for instance when the belt is fitted under a bias and/or
during use of the belt under the influence of tensile forces
exerted on that belt. As a result of such creep, the bias mentioned
decreases and the length of the driving belt increases, which may
hinder a proper operation of the belt.
[0006] The object of the present invention is to eliminate the
disadvantages of the known device. In particular, the invention
contemplates a device in which the driving means are relatively
durable, while use of the driving means can cause only relatively
little wear on other parts of the device.
[0007] To that end, the device according to the invention is
characterized in that the driving means comprise a toothed
belt.
[0008] A toothed belt is inherently relatively wear-insensitive,
durable and strong. The toothed belt can be simply used in
substantially untensioned condition, so that the use thereof has
relatively little adverse effect in terms of wear on other parts of
the device. In fact, in that case, parts of the device along which
the toothed belt has been passed experience substantially none or
little of the force coming from the untensioned toothed belt during
a stationary condition of that belt, so that those parts, for
instance, do not deform, or hardly so, under the influence of such
a force. Also when the toothed belt is being moved by, for
instance, a drive, the toothed belt will exert substantially little
force on other parts of the device, which results in a relatively
low wear of the toothed belt itself and a low wear of parts of the
device guiding the toothed belt. It will be self-evident that
during operation the above-mentioned drive does exert a particular
driving force on the toothed belt for the purpose of moving the
belt and the coupling means coupled thereto and the curtain.
Another advantage of the toothed belt is that it hardly exhibits
any elongation under the influence of such a driving force. As a
result, the drive can effect a precise movement of the curtain via
the toothed belt. Moreover, a toothed belt is relatively easily
bendable in a plane of travel of the toothed belt. As a result, the
toothed belt can easily change its direction of travel, for
instance to pass through bends. An additional advantage of the
toothed belt is that assembly thereof is relatively simple because
it does not require the belt to be brought under any, or hardly
any, particular bias.
[0009] According to a further elaboration of the invention, the
rail is provided with two toothed belt guide channels extending in
the longitudinal direction of the rail, for the purpose of guiding
the toothed belt along the rail, while the device, at least
adjacent a first end of the rail, is provided with reversing means
for reversing a part of the toothed belt that extends out of one
guide channel and guiding it to the other guide channel.
[0010] Since the toothed belt is passed at the end of the rail from
one belt guide channel into the other by the reversing means, the
toothed belt can extend substantially wholly in the rail. As a
consequence, said first end of the rail can, for instance, be
positioned relatively close to an obstacle, such as a wall, during
assembly of the device. Since the toothed belt after assembly is
normally substantially untensioned, and is relatively easily
bendable, the reversing means sustain relatively little wear
resulting from the reversal of the toothed belt from one guide
channel to the other. Further, the toothed belt will inherently
offer relatively little bending resistance to said reversal, so
that the reversing means can effect this reversal easily, with
relatively little force. The reversing means can comprise, for
instance, a reversing bearing along which the toothed belt has been
passed for a bearing-supported reversal of the toothed belt. Since
the reversing bearing is intended to reverse a substantially
untensioned toothed belt, the bearing can be made of particularly
simple and cheap design, with relatively few parts moving during
use, specifically when compared with the bearings known from
practice, such as ball bearings, for bearing-supporting and
reversing driving means under tension.
[0011] According to a further elaboration, the device is provided
with a rotatable driving means provided with a toothing, which is
so disposed that the toothing of the driving means engages a
toothing of the toothed belt for the purpose of driving the toothed
belt through rotation of the driving means. This driving means can
effect a powerful drive of the toothed belt, to which end the
driving means may for instance be coupled to a motor. It is
advantageous when the reversing bearing comprises a bearing house
in which at least the toothed part of the driving means is
rotatably disposed, while the bearing house is arranged to pass the
toothed belt from the toothed belt guide channels to the toothing
of the driving means for the purpose of the drive referred to. The
reversing bearing can thus be made of very simple, cheap and
relatively light design, which is favorable with regard to the
price of the device. Moreover, the reversing bearing can in this
way be made relatively compact, which is advantageous from an
assembly point of view and is desirable in connection with esthetic
considerations. The end of the rail at which the reversing bearing
is situated can be mounted relatively close to, for instance, a
wall of a room in which the curtain is to be hung. As a
consequence, the curtain can extend virtually completely from wall
to wall in the room, while the reversing bearing can be concealed
from view. The bearing house is preferably manufactured
substantially from plastic. Also the toothed driving means is
preferably manufactured from plastic. The driving means may be
provided with two axle journals, which are bearing-supported in a
reversing bearing designed as a slide bearing. Plastic is cheap and
has been found capable of effecting a very good, low-friction
bearing of the toothed belt, which is advantageous in connection
with an additionally low wear of the toothed belt and the bearing
house.
[0012] According to an advantageous elaboration of the invention,
the bearing house is shaped such that the driving means and inner
walls of the bearing house facing that driving means enclose the
part of the toothed belt that is to be reversed, substantially free
from play.
[0013] Thus, the bearing house and the driving means can
bearing-support the toothed belt in a simple manner, whilst
avoiding the toothing of the toothed belt slipping along the
toothing of the driving means.
[0014] Preferably, the bearing house and/or the toothed driving
means is/are manufactured by means of an injection molding
process.
[0015] By injection molding the bearing house and the toothed
driving means, respectively, this part can be manufactured cheaply
and with high precision.
[0016] Further elaborations of the invention are described in the
subclaims.
[0017] The invention will presently be described with reference to
an exemplary embodiment from the drawing. In the drawing:
[0018] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment
of the invention;
[0019] FIGS. 2a-2c show a reversing bearing situated adjacent an
end of the rail and a drive of the exemplary embodiment represented
in FIG. 1;
[0020] FIGS. 3a-3f show a number of assembly steps of the assembly
of a toothed belt closure and a curtain coupling of the exemplary
embodiment represented in FIG. 1;
[0021] FIGS. 4a-4c show a number of assembly steps of the assembly
of an adjustable curtain coupling of the exemplary embodiment
represented in FIG. 1; and
[0022] FIG. 5 shows an exemplary embodiment of the invention,
provided with two curtain coupling hooks.
[0023] The figures show a device for moving a curtain along a
curtain rail. For clarity, the curtain is not represented in the
drawings. The device is provided with a curtain rail 1. As FIG. 1
shows, the rail 1 is provided with a central running surface which
is arranged to guide a number of sliders 24 in the longitudinal
direction of the rail 1. FIG. 2a shows that the rail 1 is further
provided with two toothed belt guide channels 1a, 1b extending
parallel to the central running surface 1c, for guiding a toothed
belt 2. This toothed belt 2 is connected in the rail 1 to a curtain
coupling hook 19 by means of coupling means 13-18, which are
represented in more detail in FIGS. 3a-3f. Opposite ends of the
rail 1 are provided with a first and a second reversing bearing 3
and 23, respectively, for the purpose of reversing the toothed belt
2. Further, the device is provided with a drive 20, for instance an
electric motor, for the purpose of driving the toothed belt 2. The
drive 20 is coupled to the first reversing bearing 3, which is
attached to the first end of the rail 1. In the present exemplary
embodiment, the drive 20 is a low-voltage motor, such as a 24V
motor, which further includes a control for operating the motor. To
the control, there can be coupled, for instance, a remote control,
such as a radiographic and/or infrared receiver, a computer, a
control of another device for automatically moving a curtain,
and/or the like, for the purpose of regulating control parameters,
such as, for instance, a curtain speed, curtain run-in/run-out
speed, a force to be exerted on the curtain, and like
parameters.
[0024] As FIGS. 2a-2c show, the toothed belt 2 has been passed
through the first reversing bearing 3 for reversing the toothed
belt 2. The toothed belt 2 is easily reversible because the toothed
belt 2 inherently offers relatively little bending resistance, at
least in the plane of travel of the toothed belt, which plane of
travel extends through the two toothed belt guide channels 1a, 1b.
The reversing bearing 3 is provided with a rotatable toothed
driving means 5 and a bearing house 4. The driving means is so
disposed within the toothed belt 2 that the toothing of the driving
means 5 engages an inwardly facing toothing of the toothed belt 2
for the purpose of driving the toothed belt 2 through rotation of
the driving means 5. The driving motor 20 is, at least during
assembly, coupled by means of a star key--tooth connection 21, 22
to the toothed driving means 5. FIGS. 2a-2c further show that at
least the toothed part of the driving means 5 is rotatably arranged
in the bearing house 4 during assembly of the device. The bearing
house 4 is provided with two passages 9, 10 for passing the toothed
belt 2 from the toothed belt guide channel 1a, 1b to the toothed
part of the driving means 5 for the purpose of the drive referred
to. The bearing house 4 in the exemplary embodiment shown is shaped
such that the driving means 5 and inner walls 6a, 6b of the bearing
house 4 facing that driving means 5 enclose the part of the toothed
belt to be reversed, substantially free from play.
[0025] FIGS. 2b and 2c show that the bearing house 4 comprises a
first bearing house part 7 and a second bearing house part 8,
connected with the first bearing house part 7. These parts 7, 8 can
be manufactured, for instance, by means of a plastic injection
molding process.
[0026] The toothed belt is preferably mounted in the rail 1 such
that the toothed belt 2 is substantially untensioned. As a result,
the toothed belt 2, in both stationary and moving condition, can
exert relatively little force on at least the reversing bearings 3,
23, which results in a relatively low wear and deformation of these
reversing bearings 3, 23.
[0027] The toothed belt 2 is closed in itself through a closure 12.
As FIG. 3 shows, this closure is provided with, preferably
injection molded, plastic clamping parts 13a, 13b, 14 engaging the
toothing of the belt 2 and attached to each other by means of
fastening means 15, 16, 17, 18. FIG. 3a shows a first step for
assembling the closure of the toothed belt 2, whereby a first
clamping part 13a is slipped onto the toothed belt 2 in the
direction of arrow L. Clamping part 13a is provided with an eye 11,
rectangular in cross section, through which the toothed belt 2 is
inserted. As FIG. 3b shows, next, a clamping lip 13b is placed on
the toothing of the toothed belt 2, which is represented with arrow
K. This clamping lip 13b comprises a wedge-shaped part provided on
one side with a toothing engaging the toothed belt 2. Then the
first clamping part 13a is slid back in the direction of arrow M,
thereby clamping itself fixedly onto the clamping lip 13b as a
result of the wedge shape of that clamping lip 13b. FIG. 3c shows
that, next, a first fastening body 15 is attached to the clamping
parts 13, which is indicated by means of arrow N. An opposite end
of the toothed belt 2 is provided with a second clamping part 14
and a fastening body 15 in the same manner as described with
reference to FIGS. 3a-3c. The two ends of the toothed belt 2 are
subsequently connected to each other by means of a fastening plate
16, screws 18 and a screw plate 17 via the fastening bodies 15,
which is represented in FIGS. 3d and 3e. FIGS. 3e and 3f further
show that the closure is provided with the above-mentioned curtain
coupling hook 19, to which a curtain can be coupled during use.
[0028] FIGS. 4a-4c represent a number of steps of the assembly of a
second curtain coupling hook 119, adjustable along the toothed belt
2. As FIG. 4a shows, the toothed belt 2 to that end is provided
with a third clamping part 113 which has a rectangular eye 111
enclosing the toothed belt 2, such that the clamping part 113 can
be slid along the toothed belt 2. Next, a fourth clamping part 114
with a toothed clamping lip 115 is placed on the toothing of the
toothed belt 2, which is indicated with arrows P. The toothed
clamping lip 115 of the fourth clamping part 114 is wedge-shaped.
As FIG. 4b shows, the third clamping part 113 is thereupon slid
back in the direction of arrow Q, thereby clamping itself fixedly
onto the clamping lip 115 of the fourth clamping part 114 as a
result of the wedge shape of that clamping lip 115. The third and
fourth clamping parts 113, 114 are each provided with a fastening
body 116. As is represented in FIG. 4c, the third and fourth
clamping parts 113, 114 can be attached to each other and to the
second curtain coupling hook 119 by means of a fastening plate 120,
screws 118 and a screw plate 117.
[0029] FIG. 5 shows a design of the device which is provided with
both the first coupling hook 19, connected to the curtain closure,
and the second coupling hook 119, adjustable along the curtain rail
1, so that two curtains can be driven with a single driving
system.
[0030] Since the toothed belt 2 inherently exhibits relatively
little elongation, the drive 20 can effect an accurate displacement
of the curtain via the toothed belt 2 during use. The elongation
referred to concerns both elastic stretch and plastic elongation.
Therefore the toothed belt 2, during use, can maintain
substantially a length by which the toothed belt fits into the
guide channels and the reversing bearings. As a result, a desired
smooth guidance of the toothed belt 2 along the guide channels and
reversing bearings can be maintained for a long period of use,
without that guidance being disturbed by an undesired plastic
elongation of the toothed belt. It will be clear that the invention
is not limited to the exemplary embodiment described, but that
various modifications are possible within the framework of the
invention as set forth in the following claims.
[0031] For instance, the second reversing bearing 23 can be
designed in the same manner as or in a different manner than the
first reversing bearing 3.
[0032] By virtue of the closure being of detachable design, the
toothed belt 2 can be shortened relatively easily and the position
of a curtain coupling hook fitted on the other toothed belt run can
be easily varied.
* * * * *