CA1212895A

CA1212895A - Screening apparatus

Info

Publication number: CA1212895A
Application number: CA000426004A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Willi Rademacher
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-04-17
Filing date: 1983-04-15
Publication date: 1986-10-21
Also published as: ES521419A0; EP0092118B1; ES8407145A1; DE3214235C2; DE3366528D1; DE3214235A1; AU554663B2; EP0092118A1; ATE22593T1; AU1343183A

Abstract

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to apparatus for operating a roller shutter system of the type comprising a flexible or segmented shutter which is wound upon a roller and an operating strip wound about the roller (or a reel attached thereto) for raising and lowering the shutter. The invention provides a compact self-contained drive apparatus which can easily be applied to existing manually operated systems or incorporated in new systems during manufacture.
The apparatus comprises a chassis having mounted thereon a counter-reel for the operating strap of the roller shutter; a low-power electric motor having integral high stepdown-ratio reduction gears for rotatably driving the counter-reel; switch means for activating the motor by selectively connecting it to a power supply; a central control unit and timer for the motor; and a control and display panel for the central control unit and timer facing outwardly from said chassis to permit access to said panel by an operator when said apparatus is installed in a wall opening or the like.

Description

This invention relates to apparatus for operatin~ a roller shutter system of the type comprising a flexible or seKmented shutter which is wound upon a roller and an operating strap wound about the roller (or a reel attached thereto) for raisin~ and lowering the shutter.
Roller shutter systems of this general type are widely used for windows and other openings and are usually designed for manual operation. The strap is maintained under a certain amount of tension by having its free end secured to a sprin~-loaded counter-reel and th~ shutter is then raised or lowered by pulline on the strap in the corresponding direction. Thus, when the shutter is to be raised, the strap is pulled downwardly, causin~ the roller to rotate and wind up the shutter. The counter-reel takss up the strap slack. The rounter-reel is normally housed in a box located in a wall opening adjacent the window, and the strap enters the box throu~h a feed slot fitted with a ~uide roller and a stop device which serves to grip the strap and thus hold the shutter in any desired positlon. ~he dimensions of the box are usually standardized to permit them to be interchan~ed as desired.
Motorized shutter systems are also available but are generally not interchangeable with the mechanism of e~isting manually operated shutters.
Older motorized systems have the motor located beneath the shutter (for example, in a basement or cell~r) and drive the roller through a system of cables. More modern systems have a motor or motors located in the housing for the roller or in the roller itself. A further type of system has the motor o~eratin~ upon the counter-reel for ~he s~rap and one example of such a system is de6cribed in a 1968 broch~re entitled "Selve-Elektroantriebe" issued by Ernst Selve, which is a m~nufacturer of motorized shutter systems. The motor directly en~a~es the counter-reel and has a power rating of approximately 200 watts and is desi~ned for a.c. malns supply operation.
These systems have all enjoyed limited success in the mar~etplace, because they are unduly bulky, have hi~h power cons~mption and do not enable the economical conversion of existin~ manually operated systems.
An object of the present inYention is therefore to provide a compact self-contained drive apparstus which can easily be applied to existing manually operated systems or incorporated in new systems during msnu~acture.
The apparatus according to my invention comprises a chassis haYing mounted thereon: -PAT 9640-1 ~

8 counter-reel for the operatirl~ strap of the roller shutter;
A low-power electric motor having integral high stepdown-ratio reduction ~ears for rotatably driving the counter-reel;
switch means for activating the motor by selectively connecting it to a power supply;
a central control unit and timer for the motor; and a control and display panel for the central control unit and timer facing outwardly from said chassis to permit access to said panel by an operator when said apparatus is installed in a wall op0ning or the like.
Preferably the motor operates with direct current and has a power rating of from 5 watts to 10 watts. Conveniently, a rechargeable battery is provided for the motor and solar cells can be mounted upon the window, for example, to provide a source of chargine current for the battery.
In a further preferred embodiment, sensing ~eans are provided to sense the tension on the strap and provide signals r~presentative thereof to the central control unit. The control unit accordingly varies the speed of the motor to provide smooth operation by maintaining essenti~lly constant tension on the strap.
I have found that high-stepdown ratio reduction gearing enables the use of a low-powered motor of compsct size, which enables the chassis to be so dimensioned as to be interchangeable with the counter-reel boxes of conventional manually operated systems without enlargin~ or modifying the e%isting opening in the wall. Also, the use of such hi~h-stepdown ratio reduction gearin~ obviates the necessity for the hi~h-power motors which have hithertofore been considered essential.
A compact direct-current ~otor is preferably used, which enables the chassis to be so dimensioned that exchange with counter-resl bo~es of conventional manually operated screening upparatus is possible without, for e~ample, having to enlarge the e~iating opening in the masonry of the building. Practicsl e~periments have shown that a no~inal power rating of S
to 10 W, preferably 6 to 8 W, is suffici0nt for the motor.
As stated above, it is yet another feature of the invention to provide the chassis ~ith a battery for the mains-independent supply of ~he motor. A
direct connection of the motor to the mains in certain cases via a transformer and/or a rectifier can, of course, be ef~ected very economically in new ! -- 2 --~z~

construction. Such connection may not be as convenient when modifying nn existin~ shutter system. In fact, studies have shown that th~ motor need only have relatively low power consumption for most situations, but in modifying existing systems, just the necessity of laying an electrical line is burdensome. If one starts with a nominal volta~e of 12 Volts, a battery with a maximum discharge current of 500 mA to l.SA (preferably of approximately 900 mA) meets the power requirements of the motors. A battery with such characteristics can be accommodated without difficulty on a chassis of standard counter-reel box dimensions. Chargin~ of the battery can be achieved by means of a power supply, and it is especially advantageous to use solar cells for charging the battery. Moreover, the battery can be provided as a plurality of individual battery cells which can easily be a commodated in the unused corners of the chassis. If solar cells are provided for charging the battery, it is ob~ious that these solar cells should be located in a place where they are e~posed to as much solar radiation as possibl~ - s~ch as on a window. The surprising realiz~tion that an adequQte long-term charging of the battery is achievable is due to the fact that chargin~ can take place over long periods of time with ~ery small chargin~ currents, sincs energy-consuming raising of the revolving shutters is normally required only once a day - i.e., in the morning.
It is a further fispect of the in~ention to provlde control of the motor.
Of course, it is possible to provide terminal switehes without difficulty on the revolving shutters themselves. However, it i5 preferred that the controls for the motor be arranged on tha chassis, so that it is self-~ontained and only one part need be installed, eschanged or modified. In this respect, it is desirable to provide a sensor element for sensing the tension of the strap in order to control the motor. If a guide roller is provided for the introduction of the strap onto the countsr-reel~ this guide roller can be part of the sensor element. A diminishing tension of the str~p indicates lowered shutters, whereas an increasing tension of the strap indicates complet~ly raised shutters. Another means o~ eontrolling the motor is by monitoring its power consumption, which increases or decreases in accordance with the strap tension.
Finally, it is possible to provide further control elements such as brightness sensors, timers or the like for controlling the motor. Via . ~

B~S

additional control UDits, the most varied functions can be accomplished. For example, by means of a brightness sensor, the position shutter can be adjusted according to the position of the sun, opened and closed depending on the time of day, and so forth. The timer permits the timed control of the motor, that is raising and lowering of the shutters is determined by selecting the steady-speed running time of the motor.
An especially sdvantageous aspect of the invention is the use of a central control unit for the motor. This control unit is located on the chassis and is operable via an operating panel. The microelectronic technology of today offers many and va~ied possibilities for the design of this control unit. For example, the control unit can have independently programmable memory and control functions in connection with a clock module, by means of which even long-term automatic rising and lowering of the shutters can be ~chieved.
Thus, in an extremely elegant manner, long-term absences from a residence or the like can be concealed, so that greater security against break-in is provided.
It is still another aspect of this invention to provide the stepdown gearinB with an automatic locking mechanism. Thus, when the motor is turned off, the shutters stay in position. With such a mechanism, manual operation of the shutters is not possible without proYiding means whereby the motor and possibly the gearing are releasable. S~ch release enables at least a limited independent rotation of the counter-reel, so that especially in the case of an em~rgency, manual operation of the shutters is possible. For manual operation, it is desirable that a temporarily o~ permanently activQ spring be provided to ensure a continuous take up of the strap on the counter-reel.
With respect to the releasing mechanism, the latter can be actusted into its releasing mode, for example, by a short stron~ tug on the belt ~trap, and renewed enga8ement of the motor (and the stepdown gearing) can be effected by another short tug on the belt strap.
A further important feature of this invention is to provide the chassis with dimensions corresponding as far BS possible with conventional counter-reel bo2es. To this end, an especially desirable aspect of the invention is the provision of the motor ~and in certain cases the stepdown gearing) w~thin the counter-reel. The counter-reel is prefer~bly hollow, so that the interior space is available for the motor and the stepdown gearîng.

~ - 4 --, ; ., Such design is realizable without difficulty with modern materials, since the counter-reel is not submitted to such mechanical loads that it has to have a solid construction. This design offers substantial space savings, since otherwise unused space is used for accommodation of the motor and, in certain cases, the stepdown gearing. This is possible only because the motor in this invention can be relatively small. Especially (but not exclusively) in the case of the last-mentioned embodiment of the invention, it is desirable that the motor and in certain cases the stepdown gearing be firmly ~onnected with the counter-reel, and the motor engages a central bearin~ that is firmly attached to the chassis directly or via the stepdown gearing, respectively, to drive the counter-reel. The motor and possibly the stepdown gearing therefore turn together with the ~ounter-reel, and the bearing axle - which is firmly ~ttached to the chassis - serves as a support for the rotating counter-reel.
Thus, an important aspect of the invention is the provision of complete motorized operation of the shutters through installation, exchange or modification of a single unit - i.e. the chassis which replaces the standard counter-reel bo~. Thus, great flexibility as to addi~ional features i8 ~ade possible - for example, the mains-independent unctioning of the apparatus using solar cells, which is of tremendous significance.
The invention will now be described further by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 illustrates schematically B roller shutter systcm embodying the present invention;
~igure 2 illustrates a detail of the apparatus shown in Fi~ure l; and Fi~ure 3 is a front view of an operating panel for the apparatus of Figures 1 and 2.
The roller shutter system 1 shown in Fig. 1 ass~ntially comprise3 segmented shutters 2; a roller box 3 disposed above a windows in the outer wall of a building; a roller 4 disposed in the roller bos 3 for rolling up the segmented shutters 2; a main strap reel 5, rotatably and coaxially mounted on the roller 4, for a strap 6 for operating the shutters 2; a counter-reel 7 for the strap 6; and 8 chassis 8 supporting the counter-r~el 7 for the ~trap 6.
When the counter-reel is driven to take up the strap 6, the shutters are raised and rolled up on the roller 4, as can be seen schematically in Fig. 1, and the strap 6 is rolled off from the main reel 5. The chassls 8 is located ,- ~ _ 5 _ in an opening in the wall of the buildin~ sdjacent the window and a feed slot 9 is provided for introduction of strap 6 into the roller bo~ 3. A feed opening 11 equipped with a guide roller 10 is provided for introduction of the strap 6 onto the counter-reel 7. A d.c. motor 12 with an inte~rsl stepdown ~earing 13 is provided for driving the counter-reel 7.
In Fi~. 2 it can be clearly seen that the counter-reel 7 is supported on a support bracket 14 that is firmly attached to the chassis 8. The motor 12 and the stepdown gearin~ 13 are releasable so that the counter-reel 7 can be turned more or less freely by hand. Thus, mnnual operation of the shutters is possible. Further, it can clearly be seen that the motor 12 and the stepdown ~earing 13 are arranged within the counter-reel 7 and are firmly attached to the counter-reel 7 and the motor 12 engages, via the stepdown ~earin~ 13, a central bearing axle 15 that is firmly secured to the chassis 8 via support bracket 14. The stepdown ~earing 13 is designed as a toothed ~ear train, so that the bearing a~le 15 also has an outer toot~in~. The bearin~ a~le 15 serves to a certain degree as a support for the rotary motion of the counter-reel 7. The connection of the motor 12 with the stepdown 8earing 13 is made via two be~el gears schematically shown in Fig. 2.
In Fig. 2 it is moreover schematically shown that a battery is provided on the chassis 8 for the mains-independent supply of the motor. This battery consists of threa bsttery cells 16a, 16b and 16c which are respectively arranged in the unused corners of the chassis 8. In the embodiment shown, the motor 12 has a power ratin~ of 6W associated with a nominal volta~e of 12V.
The b~ttery i6 designed for a ma~imum discharge current of 900 ~A. ~oreover, for charging the battery, solar cells 17 are provided. ~ig. 2 further shows a sensor element 18 which is provided for control of the motor 12 by sensing the tension o~ the strap 6. The guide roller 10 in this case forms a psrt of the sensor element 18 which further comprises sensin~ electronics 19. Other control elements, not shown in detail, sre provided for controllin~ the motor.
It is illustrRted in Fig. 2 that a central control unit 20 is provided for control of the motor 12. As is shown, this control unit 20 i9 constructed as a plu~-in module and comprises all the necessary functions for the control of the motor 12.
FiK. 3 shows an operatin~ panel 21 for the control unit 20, such panel being secured to the front of the chassis 8. Ne~t to a clock module 22, i - 6 -~

various operatin~ elements are provided - namely, a switch 23 for lowerin~ the shutters, a switch 24 for raising the shutters, a switch 25 for the optional stoppin~ of the shutters and a switch 26 for various program functions.
Furthermore, a connection 27 for remote control as well as a connection for an external power supply are provided.

~ - 7 -

Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE
IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. Apparatus for operating a roller shutter system comprising a segmented or flexible shutter wound upon a roller and an operating strap adapted to rotate said roller for raising and lowering said shutter, said apparatus comprising a chassis having mounted thereon:
a counter-reel having a free end of said strap remote from said roller secured thereto;
a low-power electric motor having integral high stepdown-ratio reduction gear means for rotatably driving said counter-reel;
switch means for activating said electric motor by selectively connecting said motor to a power supply;
a central control unit and timer for said motor; and a control and display panel for said central control unit and said timer facing outwardly from said chassis to permit access to said panel by an operator when said chassis is operatively installed in a wall opening or the like.

2. The combination of claim 1, further comprising one or more sensing elements electrically connected to said central control unit.

3. The combination of claim 2, wherein the or each said sensing element comprises a light sensor.

4. The combination of claim 1, wherein said central control unit is provided with independently programmable memory and control functions.

5. The combination of claim 1, wherein said electric motor is a direct-current motor.

6. The combination of claim 1, wherein said electric motor has a power rating of from 5 watts to 10 watts.

7. The combination of claim 6, wherein said motor has a power rating of from 6 watts to 8 watts.

8. The combination of claim 1, further comprising a rechargeable battery for supplying power to said electric motor.

9. The combination of claim 8, wherein said battery provides a total maximum discharge current of from 500 mA to 1.5A.

10. The combination of claim 9, wherein said battery provides a total maximum discharge current of about 900 mA.

11. The combination of claim 8, 9 or 10 wherein said battery is connected through said control unit to one or more solar cells for charging said battery.

12. The combination of claim 1, wherein sensing means are provided to sense the tension upon said strap, said sensing means being connected to said control unit to apply signals thereto representative of said tension and said control unit being connected to said motor to vary the speed of said motor in accordance with said signals from said sensing means.

13. The combination of claim 12, wherein a guide roller is provided for said strap, said guide roller forming part of said tension sensing means.

14. The combination of claim 1, wherein a monitoring device is provided to monitor the current consumption of said motor.

15. The combination of claim 1, wherein said electric motor and reduction gear means are removable as a unit.

16. The combination of claim 1, wherein said electric motor and reduction gear means are located within said counter-reel.

17. A roller shutter system of the type comprising a segmented or flexible shutter wound upon a roller, an operating strap adapted to rotate said roller for raising and lowering said shutter, and a chassis adapted for installation in a wall opening adjacent a window or the like to which said system is applied, said chassis having mounted thereon:
a counter-reel having a free end of said strap remote from said roller secured thereto;
a low-power electric motor having integral high stepdown-ratio reduction gear means for rotatably driving said counter-reel;
switch means for activating said electric motor by selectively connecting said motor to a power supply;
a central control unit and timer for said motor; and a control and display panel for said central control unit and said timer facing outwardly from said wall opening to permit access to said panel by an operator when said chassis is operatively installed in said opening.

18. The roller shutter system of claim 17, further comprising one or more sensing elements electrically connected to said central control unit.

19. The roller shutter system of claim 18, wherein the or each said sensing element comprises a light sensor.

20. The roller shutter system of claim 17, wherein said central control unit is provided with independently programmable memory and control functions.

21. The roller shutter system of claim 17, wherein said electric motor is a direct-current motor.

22. The roller shutter system of claim 13, wherein said electric motor has a power rating of from 5 watts to 10 watts.

23. The roller shutter system of claim 22, wherein said motor has a power rating of from 6 watts to 8 watts.

24. The roller shutter system of claim 17, further comprising a rechargeable battery for supplying power to said electric motor.

25. The roller shutter system of claim 24, wherein said batter provides a total maximum discharge current of from 500 mA to 1.5A.

26. The roller shutter system of claim 25, wherein said battery provides a total maximum discharge current of about 900 mA.

27. The roller shutter system of claim 25, 26 or 27 wherein said battery is connected through said control unit to one or more solar cells for charging said battery.

28. The roller shutter system of claim 17, wherein sensing means are provided to sense the tension upon said strap, said sensing means being connected to said control unit to apply signals thereto representative of said tension and said control unit being connected to said motor to vary the speed of said motor in accordance with said signals from said sensing means.

29. The roller shutter system of claim 28, wherein a guide roller is provided for said strap, said guide roller forming part of said tension sensing means.

30. The roller shutter system of claim 17, wherein a monitoring device is provided to monitor the current consumption of said motor.

31. The roller shutter system of claim 17, wherein said electric motor and reduction gear means are removable as a unit.

32. The roller shutter system of claim 17, wherein said electric motor and reduction gear means are located within said counter-reel.