EP0621390A2 - Electronic driving means for electrically operated blinds, shutters, awnings, curtains, garage doors and similar devices - Google Patents

Abstract

An electronic blind drive is proposed for controlling blinds, roller shutters, awnings, curtains, garage doors and similar devices, having central evaluation electronics (1) which, on the input side, receives drive signals from a local control device (2) by means of manual control elements such as switches or keys, and/or from an optional infrared control device (3) by means of wire-free transmitted infrared command signals and/or a branch input element (4), and, on the output side, drives a load, especially a blind motor (14), via a load stage (6), the branch input element (4) receiving drive commands from an external command transmitter (17). <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to an electronic blind control for controlling electrically powered blinds, shutters, awnings, curtains, garage doors and similar devices in a building. If the term "blind control" is used here, it can also be a "shutter control", "awning control", "curtain control" or "garage door control", without this being explicitly mentioned.

Remote blind switches are known which can be operated by mechanical blind buttons (local operation) or can be operated centrally from control centers. However, it is disadvantageous that two separate devices (remote blind switch and blind push button) must be installed even for simple manual local control of blinds. Subsequent expansion, for example for infrared remote control, is costly because additional devices have to be installed and connected to the existing devices.

The invention has for its object to provide an electronic blind control for controlling electrically powered blinds, shutters, awnings, curtains, garage doors and similar devices that are universal for manual on-site operation, wireless infrared remote control, group control, and control via an external command transmitter, e.g. a control center or a sensor.

This task is solved by an electronic blind control for the control of electrically driven blinds, roller shutters, awnings, curtains, garage doors and similar devices, which has a central evaluation electronics that control signals of an on-site operation on the input side by means of manual operating elements such as switches or buttons and / or an optional Receives infrared control using wirelessly transmitted infrared command signals and / or an extension input element and controls a consumer, in particular a Venetian blind motor, on the output side via a load stage, the extension input element receiving control commands from an external command generator. Instead of a Venetian blind motor, a roller shutter motor, awning motor, curtain drive or garage door drive can of course also be controlled without this being expressly mentioned.

The advantages that can be achieved with the invention are, in particular, that the blind control, due to its high level of electronic integration, is suitable for installation in a standard flush-mounted box. It is no longer necessary to develop, manufacture, stock and use various different blind controls, depending on whether the blind operation is to be carried out manually, remotely by infrared commands or group-controlled via an external command transmitter. A single blind control covers all applications from. This results in cost advantages in the production of spare parts stock and in use. It is possible to initially only provide a simple, manually operable local control of the blinds in a building. Without any modifications, it can be implemented at a later date without high costs to allow additional operation using infrared remote controls. It is only necessary to purchase the infrared transmitter required for this and to replace the purely manual control elements with manually and remotely operated control elements with the infrared controls. If, at a later point in time, group-controlled operation is to be carried out, for example, using an external command transmitter, only the corresponding signal lines to the external command transmitter are to be connected; the blind control itself remains unchanged. Several blinds, roller shutters, awnings and curtains can be linked via the extension terminals of their assigned blind controls, whereby central, higher-level controls of these devices can be carried out without much additional effort. For example, time switches and sensors that switch depending on the position of the sun, daylight or wind can be used as external command transmitters.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are characterized in the subclaims.

Figur 1

den prinzipiellen Aufbau einer elektronischen Jalousieansteuerung,

Figur 2 bis 4

verschiedene Installationsbeispiele für die elektronische Jalousieansteuerung.

The invention is explained below with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawing. Show it:

Figure 1

the basic structure of an electronic blind control,

Figure 2 to 4

Various installation examples for the electronic blind control.

In Figure 1, the basic structure of an electronic blind control is shown. The electronic blind control 8 has central evaluation electronics 1 (processor) to which an on-site control 2, an optional infrared control 3, an extension input element 4 and a slat control unit 5 are connected on the input side and which controls a load stage 6 on the output side. A power supply unit 7 is used to supply power to the individual components 1 to 6.

As can be seen, the electronic blind control has a plurality of connection terminals, for example two power supply connection terminals 9, 10, two blind motor connection terminals 12, 13 and two extension connection terminals 15, 16. The power supply connection terminals 9, 10 lead to the power supply unit 7 and are provided with connection lines N (neutral conductor) and L (phase conductor) of a power supply stage 11 connected. The blind motor connection terminals 12, 13 lead to the load stage 6 and are connected to the blind motor 14 or generally to the consumer to be controlled. The Venetian blind motor 14 is also connected to connecting lines N (neutral conductor) and PE (protective conductor) of the energy supply stage 11.

The on-site control 2 enables direct control of the blind motor 14 in the sense of an upward movement (command "open blind") or downward movement (command "close blind") of the blind driven by the blind motor 14 via control elements - in particular switches or buttons which can be operated by hand. The operating principle is based on a logical assignment between the operating surface to be operated and the direction of the blind, ie the upper half of the "Open blind" command and the lower half of the "Close blind" command are operated. The on-site control 2 contains the necessary control elements (switches, buttons) and converts the commands entered via these control elements into control signals for the evaluation electronics 1.

In an expanded embodiment with manually and remotely controllable operating elements, the blind motor 14 can also be controlled remotely and wirelessly via the infrared control 3. For this purpose, the infrared control unit 3 has an infrared receiver which receives the infrared command signals emitted by means of an external infrared transmitter. The infrared command signals obtained are converted with the aid of the infrared control 3 into corresponding control signals for the control electronics 1.

The blind motor 14 can also be controlled via external control commands which are fed to the electronic blind control 8 via the extension terminals 15, 16 and which are converted into corresponding control signals for the evaluation electronics 1 with the aid of the interference-free extension input element 4.

To operate a blind, it is often advantageous to specify and set an individual slat angle of the blind slats to prevent glare from the sun's rays falling into the room depending on the current position of the sun, but also to prevent the room from being darkened too much. If the blind control 8 is to be used to set the individual slat angles of the blind slats, the slat actuating unit 5 must be activated by a selector switch.

The load stage 6 controlled by the evaluation electronics 1 has relays or semiconductors in order to drive the blind motor 14 in the desired manner. The load stage 6, for example, applies voltage to the blind motor connection terminal 12 in order to drive the blind motor 14 in clockwise rotation and thus to open the blind. On the other hand, the load stage 6 acts on the blind motor connection terminal 13 with voltage in order to drive the blind motor 14 in the left-hand rotation and thus to close the blind. The internal load stage relays or semiconductor switches are interlocked against each other in order to prevent both blind motor connection terminals 12, 13 from being simultaneously energized due to incorrect operation or due to different control signals from on-site operation 2, infrared operation 3 and extension input element 4. A priority circuit for the selection of the suitable control signal when different and contradictory signals are present is described below.

From the above description it can be seen that the blind control is universally suitable both for simple manual operation by means of manual on-site operation and for comfortable remote control operation by means of infrared remote control. Likewise, the same electronic blind control can also be used from an external command transmitter, e.g. a control center, a timer or a sensor-controlled driving operation via the extension terminals 15, 16 possible. The subsequent expansion from one operation to another is always possible without any problems, inexpensively and without major intervention in the blind control itself. For remote control operation, the purely manual control elements are to be exchanged for manual and remote-controlled control elements with the infrared controls. Infrared transmitters are also necessary. For central operation, the extension terminals must also be connected to the lines to the control center or to the sensor provided for this purpose.

Various installation examples for the electronic blind control are shown in FIGS. 2 to 4. The simplest installation example is shown in Figure 2. There is only an electronic blind control 8 is provided, the power supply connection stick 9, 10 are connected to the neutral conductor N and the phase conductor L of the energy supply stage 11 and to its blind motor connecting terminals 12, 13 the blind motor 14 or a motor for actuating a roller shutter, an awning, a curtain, a garage door or a similar device is connected. Wiring of the extension terminals of the blind control 8 is not provided in this installation example, but can of course be retrofitted at a later time. The blind motor 14 can be controlled by on-site operation using manual controls (switches or buttons) and by infrared command signals.

FIG. 3 shows an installation example in which two electronic blind controls 8, 8 'are provided. The Venetian blind control 8 is in turn connected to the connecting lines L, N of the energy supply stage 11 via its energy supply connection terminals 9, 10 and controls the Venetian blind motor 14 on the output side via the Venetian blind motor connection terminals 12, 13. The further blind control 8 'is also connected to the connecting lines L, N of the energy supply stage 11 via its energy supply connection terminals 9', 10 'and controls the blind motor 14' on the output side via its blind motor connection terminals 12 ', 13'.

The extension terminals 15, 16 and 15 ', 16' of the blind controls 8 and 8 'are connected to extension outputs 18, 19 of an external command transmitter 17. The command transmitter 17 enables central control of both blind motors 14, 14 'in the same sense (group control). For example, both blind motors 14, 14 'move clockwise to open the blinds as soon as the extension output 18 of the command transmitter 17 applies voltage to the extension terminals 15, 15'. Conversely, both blind motors 14, 14 'move counterclockwise to close the blinds as soon as the extension output 19 of the command generator 17 applied to the extension terminals 16, 16 '.

Mechanical switches or buttons, timers and sensor switches can generally be used as command generators 17. Furthermore, it is also possible to link to a bus system (control center) instead of a command generator 17. The sensor switches give commands depending on e.g. of sunlight, the position of the sun, dusk or wind.

In addition to the common control of the blind motors 14, 14 'via the external command transmitter 17, it is of course also possible in this installation example to individually and independently control each blind motor 14, 14' via the manual on-site controls or the infrared controls of both electronic blind controls 8, 8 '. to be controlled (individual control).

FIG. 4 shows an installation example which, on the one hand, is similar to the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 3 (see, for example, blind controls 8, 8 ', blind motors 14, 14'), but in which, on the other hand, the command transmitter 17 according to FIG. 3 has its own blind control 8 '' is replaced. The Venetian blind control 8 '' does not control its own Venetian blind motor, but is only used to control the two Venetian blind controls 8, 8 ', preferably by infrared remote control, in order to control both Venetian blind motors 14, 14' centrally and wirelessly in the same way.

For this purpose, the blind control 8 ″ is connected to the lines L, N of the energy supply stage 11 via its energy supply connection terminals 9 ″, 10 ″. The blind motor connection terminals 12 '', 13 '' of the blind control 8 '' are connected to the extension connection terminals 15, 16, 15 ', 16' the blind controls 8, 8 'connected. The central control of the blind motors 14, 14 'takes place via manual operating elements (switches or buttons), but preferably via the infrared control of the blind control 8'', i.e. there is a signal chain from the blind control 8''via its blind motor connection terminals 12'', 13 '' to the extension terminals 15, 16, 15 ', 16' of the blind controls 8, 8 '.

In addition to the higher-level control via the blind control 8 ″, it is of course also possible in the example according to FIG. 4 to control each blind or blind motor 14, 14 ′ individually via the assigned blind control 8, 8 ′ or via manual on-site operation or infrared operation.

As the installation examples according to FIGS. 3 and 4 in connection with the construction of the blind control according to FIG. 1 show, it is advantageous if a control command "open blind" supplied via an extension terminal has priority over all manually entered commands of the local control and all infrared command signals of the infrared control . The control command "Open blind" can e.g. be generated by an external wind sensor, because due to strong winds it is imperative to open the blinds for safety reasons to avoid damaging the blinds. This priority circuit is stored and is implemented by the central evaluation electronics 1 of the blind controls.

Furthermore, each blind movement (opening or closing) can advantageously be stopped instantly by manual operation on site, by an infrared remote control and by central operation via the extension terminals. A Venetian blind, for example, can be shut down remotely by manual operation on site via the Buttons can be stopped in a desired position. This priority circuit is also implemented by the central evaluation electronics 1 by means of stored priority patterns.

In order to simplify the operation of the blinds overall and to ensure permanent functionality, the evaluation electronics 1 monitors the time periods during which the blinds are in operation (opening or closing). The maximum time required for opening or closing a blind can be determined in advance and stored in the evaluation electronics 1. The electronic evaluation unit 1 now monitors the manual, remote-controlled or centrally specified time period for the operation of the blinds and automatically switches off the signals present at the blind connection terminals as soon as these signals are present longer than the maximum necessary and permissible. In this way, overloading of the blind motors is reliably prevented, i.e. It is avoided that the blind motors are energized, even though the blinds to be operated are already in the specified end position (open or closed).

Claims (6)

Electronic blind control for controlling blinds, roller shutters, awnings, curtains, garage doors and similar devices with central evaluation electronics (1), the control signals on the input side of on-site operation (2) using manual controls and / or an optional infrared operation (3) using wirelessly transmitted infrared command signals and / or an extension input element (4) receives and on the output side controls a load, in particular a blind motor (14) via a load stage (6), the extension input element (4) receiving control commands from an external command transmitter (17). Blind control according to claim 1, characterized in that the evaluation electronics (1) is connected to a slat actuating unit (5) which enables switching from blind operation to slat adjustment, so that the blind actuation (8) with a corresponding switch position via the load stage (6) is a suitable one Outputs control signal for a motor for slat adjustment. Blind control according to claim 1 and / or 2, characterized in that a power supply unit (7) serves to supply the evaluation electronics and the components (2 to 6) connected to it. Blind control according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the evaluation electronics (1) act on the load stage (6) according to the stored priority pattern if there are contradictory control signals from the local operator (2) and / or the infrared control (3) and / or the extension input element (4). Blind control according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that e.g. Manual switches or buttons, timers or sensors, in particular wind sensors, are used as external command transmitters (17). Blind control according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that a further blind control (8 '') is used as an external command transmitter (17), the central control commands being issued via the load stage (6) of the further blind control (8 '') .

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