ES2378637T3 - Roller shutter with a drive means and a drive element in the form of a toothed belt - Google Patents

Abstract

Roller blind (1) comprising an upper element (2) including a roller bar (24), and a blind body (5) that includes a plurality of slats (51), said blind body being adapted to be rolled and unwound from the winding bar, the roller blind further comprising a drive device (10) that includes drive means and a drive element (11, 11 "), characterized by the fact that the drive element for winding and unwinding the Blind body (5) is a belt (11, 11 ") and comprises a first set of coupling means, and by the fact that the actuating means (101, 102, 102") comprise a second set of means of coupling that interacts with the first set of coupling means of said belt in or within the upper element (2), and by the fact that substantially all the slats (51) are connected to said belt (11, 11 ').

Description

Roller blind with a drive means and a drive element in the form of a toothed belt.

[0001] The present invention relates to a rolling shutter comprising a top element that includes a rolling bar and a blind body consisting of a series of slats, said blind body being designed to be rolled up and unwound from a rolling bar, the roller blind further comprising a drive device that includes drive means and a drive element.

[0002] This type of roller shutter is generally used to cover an opening of a construction structure, more often for the opening of window light admission, but also of doors and other construction openings. Roller blinds are installed to extend substantially vertically in a building facade, such as in a roof window placed obliquely installed on an inclined surface of the roof, or as a cover that extends horizontally for openings on horizontal surfaces . When the opening is not covered, the shutter body is normally rolled up in a winding bar located at the top of the roller shutter. Winding of the blind body can be carried out either by means of a deflection spring in the winding bar or by means of a drive motor. The unrolling of vertical blinds can normally be carried out in such a way that the blind body moves through gravity in the direction of the lower part of the opening while simultaneous and successive unrolling of the slats from the winding bar occurs. . However, unwinding can lead to some problems, especially at the beginning of the unwinding operation where only a few slats have been unwound from the roller and thus form part of the unwinding force. This is also applicable in roof windows where the friction between the slat ends and the lateral guide means can be so great that it exceeds the gravity component in the unrolling direction.

[0003] The unrolling of the blind body in roller blinds, in which the gravity effect is not present or not sufficient, can be carried out in several ways, depending for example, on the structure of the roller blind, in particular of the blind body. On some roller blinds, the slat body is mutually articulated by means of hinges in the form of flexible bands as is known from, among others, documents GB 2 246 805 and GB 2 113 749. The drive device that contributes to the movement of In addition, in these designs it also has a function consisting in keeping the blind body extended and, in the last document, it comprises, for example, a crank-shaped control device by means of which the slat body is extracted by overcoming the force of the spring driven roller. The unrolling of such a roller blind by pulling the blind body in this way is therefore well known and has the advantage that the hinged hinges are kept extended thus preventing the slats from being placed on the edge thereby blocking the movement.

[0004] However, such a method requires a fairly extensive rope arrangement that could be a considerable inconvenience due to the limited space at the place of incorporation that is the box with, for example, roller blinds for roof windows. In addition, the position of the drive mechanism and its control device is not always compatible with the need for a compact design of the roller blind.

[0005] The possibility of solving this problem has been proposed by means of a drive mechanism placed close to the roller and, so to speak, push the slats in the unrolling direction, of which examples of EP 0 145 628 are known , EP 0 317 461 and DE 40 00 908. However, such a solution requires that requirements be made to the design of the slats and / or that modifications have to be made to the slats themselves, which, in addition to an increase in the costs of production, implies that the existing roller blinds cannot, or only after considerable adjustments, dispose of said drive device if appropriate adjustments are made to them. Another drawback of this unwinding method is that a reliable transmission coupling depends largely on the position of the drive means of the drive device.

[0006] WO 98/19038 discloses a roller shutter comprising a motor shaft mounted in parallel with the winding bar and a drive means located on each side rail, and provided with carriers for the transmission coupling with the blind body , and that the carriers of the drive device are coupled to

the blind body in the intermediate spaces between the slats. Apparently, by using the intermediate spaces between the slats in this way and in combination with a special design of hinged hinges as flexible bands, the desired safe coupling between the carriers of the drive device and the length of unused slats is obtained. reinforcements that increase the price or insert elements, and at the same time a greater freedom of choice is obtained on the position of the drive device and an unblocked movement of the drive device.

[0007] However, in case it is not desired or not possible to interconnect the succession of slats at the adjacent front edges and at the rear side edges, other types of drive devices are used. This is, for example, the case of EP 56 650 A2, in which the drive element is a rope that is wound on a drum during the unwinding of the blind body. Therefore, this roller shutter has the same drawbacks as mentioned above, that is, the unwinding must take place by means of unwinding means provided independently, possibly at a distance from the upper element.

[0008] Similar considerations apply to the German utility model DE 299 14 094 U1, which discloses a roller blind with a horizontal arrangement. Here, the winding is carried out by means of a motorized winding bar located at one end of the opening that the roller shutter has to cover, while the unwinding is carried out by activating a drive element in the form of a chain or toothed belt located in a winding roller at the opposite end of the opening.

[0009] With this background, one objective is to create a roller blind with a simplified and more compact structure compared to the prior art roller blinds.

[0010] A roller blind as described in the introduction meets this and other objectives, which is further characterized by the fact that the actuating element that coils and unwinds the blind body is a belt and by comprising a first group of coupling means, and that the drive means comprise a second group of coupling means that interact with the first group of coupling means of said belt on or within the upper element, and that substantially all of the slats are connected to said belt.

[0011] This provides the advantage that complicated and elaborate drive elements and drive means are avoided. Reliable transmission of the drive motor torque to the belt is provided in the upper element. In addition, there is no need for the separate means to remove the blind body from its position of no screening.

[0012] As substantially all of the slats are connected to the belt, an especially reliable transmission is provided. Furthermore, by this arrangement, there is no need to provide interconnections between individual slats by separate means, which would necessarily cause the roller shutter to be more complicated, nor to provide any connection at all of some slats, which may result in an operation. Noisier and insecure.

[0013] In an embodiment that combines the advantages of a known mechanical solution and a compact appearance, said belt is a toothed belt and the first group of coupling means is formed by teeth of said toothed belt, and wherein the means of drives include a gearwheel and said second group of coupling means is formed by teeth of said gearwheel.

[0014] In an alternative embodiment, said belt consists of a plurality of openings and / or mutually spaced openings, said recesses and / or openings constitute said first group of coupling means, and wherein the drive means includes a wheel that it comprises a plurality of mutually spaced protuberances, said protuberances constituting said second group of coupling means. The fact of providing a belt with gaps / openings instead of with teeth, has made it possible to achieve an even more reliable mechanism to transmit the rotary movement of the drive motor of the winding bar to a movement of the belts on each side and, by So much of the blind body. Without limiting the theory, it is thought that this is due to the fact that the geometry of the belt with gaps / openings provides a stronger belt than that of a belt with teeth, that is, a belt less likely to deviate from the straight line forming curves or twisting along the belt path.

[0015] In a further advantageous development of said alternative embodiment, these gaps and / or belt openings are aligned along an axis that extends in a longitudinal direction of said belt, and where said wheel protuberances they are aligned along a line that extends along the circumference of said wheel. This provides a reliable transmission offering a secure coupling between the drive means and the drive element.

[0016] Alternatively, to increase the strength of the coupling and therefore the reliability of the transmission, said gaps and / or belt openings can be aligned in a staggered arrangement along two or more axes extending in the longitudinal direction of said belt. , and said wheel protuberances can be aligned in a correspondingly staggered arrangement along two or more lines that extend along the circumference of said wheel.

[0017] The drive means comprising a wheel with the second set of coupling means can be advantageously positioned within the upper element, thus providing an especially compact design of the roller blind.

[0018] The connection between the blind body and the drive element should ensure a safe transmission of the movement of the drive element to the blind body. Preferably, each blade comprises fixing means for fixing the blade to the belt.

[0019] In a structurally simple embodiment, the fixing means comprise a pin adapted to be received in a hole formed entirely with the strap.

[0020] The drive device can be placed arbitrarily in or inside the upper element of the roller shutter. In one embodiment, the first set of belt coupling means is positioned upwards with respect to the overall shielding plane, and where the drive means comprise an articulated wheel at a corresponding end of the upper element above the body of blind.

[0021] In another embodiment, the first set of belt coupling means is placed downwards with respect to the general shielding plane, and where the drive means comprise an articulated wheel at a corresponding end of the upper element below of the blind body.

[0022] In any of these embodiments, it is more convenient for the wheel or wheels to be located on the same side of the blind body than the axle that drives the wheels. Therefore, the two wheels can be connected to each other by means of an axis located at the top and / or bottom, respectively, of the blind body. Of course, it is possible to provide a drive means on each side of the blind body in the embodiment in which the drive member has a set of transmission means in the form of through openings.

[0023] In one embodiment, the roller blind could be provided with two side rails, where each of said rails comprises means for supporting the belt. Although the belt is capable of transforming the rotary movement of the roller bar drive motor into a translation movement, the support means improve the operability of the roller blind. This effect is subsequently improved in one embodiment, in which each side rail comprises means for guiding the belt and the blind body.

[0024] In another preferred development of these embodiments, said support means and / or guide means are provided as a plurality of extra flanges and / or rails. This makes it possible to maintain flexible production.

[0025] In the description of specific embodiments of the invention additional details are described and other advantages are set forth.

[0026] Next, the invention will be described in more detail by way of examples of the embodiments in reference to the schematic drawings, in which

Fig. 1 is an isometric view of a roller shutter in an embodiment of the invention, mounted on a window and in a first screening position, part of the blind body does not appear for reasons of clarity;

Fig. 2 is an isometric view of a roller blind in one of the embodiments of the invention, in a first screening position, part of the blind body does not appear for reasons of clarity;

Fig. 3 shows a view corresponding to Fig. 2, with parts of the roller shutter removed;

Fig. 4 shows, on a larger scale, a partial view of the roller shutter shown in Fig. 2, with parts of the roller shutter removed;

Fig. 5 a view corresponding to Fig. 4; with other parts of the roller shutter removed;

Figs. 6 to 9 show, on a larger scale, partial perspective views of the roller blind shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 10 is an isometric view of a detail of the roller blind shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 11 is an isometric view of a roller blind in an embodiment of the invention, mounted on a window and in a second shielding position, part of the blind body does not appear for reasons of clarity;

Fig. 12 is an isometric view of a roller blind in one of the embodiments of the invention, in a second shielding position, part of the blind body does not appear for reasons of clarity;

Fig. 13 shows a view corresponding to Fig. 12, with parts of the roller shutter removed;

Fig. 14 shows, on a larger scale, a partial view of the roller blind shown in Fig. 12, with parts of the roller blind removed;

Fig. 15 is a view corresponding to Fig. 14; with other parts of the roller shutter removed; Y

Figs. 16 to 19 show, on a larger scale, partial perspective views of the roller blind shown in Fig. 12;

Fig. 20 is an isometric view of a roller blind in a second embodiment of the invention, parts of the roller blind do not appear for reasons of clarity;

Figs. from 21 to 24 show partial perspective views of a roller blind according to the embodiment of Fig. 20, different parts of the roller blind do not appear for reasons of clarity;

Fig. 25 shows a perspective view of a detail of a third alternative embodiment of a roller blind according to the invention;

Fig. 26 is a plan view of the detail of Fig. 25;

Fig. 27 is a side view of the detail of Fig. 25;

Fig. 28 is a front view, on a larger scale, of the detail of Fig. 25 and

Figs. from 29 to 32 show views corresponding to Figs. from 25 to 28, respectively, is a fourth embodiment of the roller blind according to the invention.

Figs. 1 to 10 of the drawings show an embodiment of a roller blind generally designated as 1 in a first screening position. The roller blind 1 has an upper element 2 and two lateral rails 3 and 4 extending at right angles to the upper element 2. The blind body 5 includes a plurality of slats 51, of which some have been removed only for reasons of clarity

[0027] The roller shutter 1 is mounted on a window, for example, on a roof window adapted for installation on a sloping roof. The window includes in a manner known per se a window frame 6 and a window frame 7 enclosing a glass 8. The window frame 7 can be opened more frequently in relation to the window frame 6, namely connected by hinge to the window frame 6, for example, by a set of pivot hinges placed near a central axis of the window to allow the window frame 7 to pivot relative to the window frame 6, or by a more traditional hinge placed in The top of the window.

[0028] The opening to be covered is defined by the area that limits the upper element 2, the side rails 3, 4, and the lower part of the window. Thus, this opening essentially corresponds to the glass 8. In order to achieve the desired shielding, the blind body 5 is designed to move from a non-screening position to a shielding position, in which it covers the glass 8 and other parts of the window in greater

or lesser degree Each slat 51 extends longitudinally between two final edges and has first and second edges parallel to the longitudinal direction, that is, parallel to the upper element 2. The blind body 5 is adapted to be wound and unwound from the upper element 2 by means of a drive device, in the direction perpendicular to said longitudinal direction to a first shielding position. In the first screening position shown in Fig. 1, the shutter body 5 has been unwound to fully cover the opening and defines a general screening plane. In the unshielded position, in which the blind body 5 does not cover any or practically no part of the glass 8, the blind body 5 is possibly placed entirely in the upper element 2.

[0029] The upper element 2 is located in the upper part of the window and comprises in the embodiment shown an upper cover 21 and two outer side covers, of which the right side cover 22 is visible in Fig. 1. As described in greater detail below, the upper cover 21 and the outer side cover 22 serve to hide and protect the internal parts of the roller shutter 1, such as for example with the drive mechanisms for winding and unwinding of the blind body 5 and the slant 51. The terms "right" and "left" refer to the orientation shown in, for example, Fig. 1, and are used only for convenience.

[0030] The side rail 4 has a structure comprising parts that can move relative to each other. In Fig. 1, only a part of the outer side rail 41 is visible. The side rail 4 has a lower cover 40 at the bottom of the window. The side rails 3, 4 are connected to each other at the bottom of the roller shutter 1, namely, by a crossbar 35 connected to the bottom cover 40 of the side rail 4 and its equivalent bottom cover 30 of the side rail 3. The Crossbar 35 may be riveted, for example, to each lower cover 30, 40. Crossbar 35 (not shown in the detailed figures) also provides strength and strength. However, the crossbar 35 is not strictly necessary, since the side rails 3.4 themselves could provide sufficient force.

[0031] Referring to Figs. 11-17, it can be seen that the roller blind according to the invention is a so-called adjustable roller blind, that is, a roller blind with at least some tiltable slats whose angle can be adjusted in relation to the overall shielding plane. Thus, the blind body 5 can move from its first shielding position shown in Fig. 1 to a second shielding position, in which the slats 51 are inclined on an axis parallel to the longitudinal direction thereof, of the first position of coverage to a second shielding position, in which each tilting slat forms an angle with the general plane of projection, cf. for example Fig. 11.

[0032] Particular embodiments of a tiltable roller blind are listed below:

A. A roller blind, where each slat extends in a longitudinal direction between two final edges and with a first and second lateral edges parallel to the longitudinal direction, and where at least some slats of said plurality of slats are inclined on an axis parallel to said longitudinal direction, moving from a first shielding position to a second shielding position, in which each tilting slat forms an angle with said general shielding plane. The present invention is advantageous in connection with adjustable roller blinds; however, such roller blinds can be provided with other types of drive elements.

B. A roller blind according to embodiment A, where the roller blind is also provided with two side rails, each side rail comprising at least one part that can be moved relative to the other parts of the side rail, and where the end edges of each strip include guide means adapted to be guided in the at least one movable part of the corresponding side rail. Since the side rails are easy to design and manufacture to allow for the accommodation and guidance of the guide means of the slats that interact with the side rails, a simple and reliable solution of providing tiltable slats is offered.

[0033] The mechanisms necessary to provide the tilting capacity of the slats are described in detail below. The description refers to one side to the roller blind 1; the opposite side is structured basically in the same way, but in an inverted way.

[0034] In relation now to Figs 1 to 17 of the drawings, it can be seen that in some figures, parts of the upper element 2 and the right side rail 4 have been removed to show the structure of some internal parts of the roller blind 1, that is, parts that are not visible, or only partially, in the mounted position or use position shown, for example, in Figs 1 and 11. In the upper element 2, the upper cover 21 and the External side cover 22 have been removed. In addition, an intermediate side cover (not shown) has been removed to expose an inner side cover 23. On the side rail 4, the outer part 41 of the side rail has been removed in Figs. 3 and 13 to expose the inner part 42 of the side rail Finally, the lower cover 40 has been removed to expose an intermediate lower cover 401.

[0035] As mentioned above, the roller shutter 1 has two side rails 3 and 4, and each side rail 3, 4 comprises at least one movable part in relation to the other parts of the side rail. In the embodiment shown, this is done by connecting the outer part of the side rail 41 and the inner part of the side rail 42 to each other by means of a series of connecting elements in the form of side rail couplings 45 which are connected in a manner pivotable to each part 41 and 42 of the side rail. Therefore, the movable part of the side rail, the outer part of the side rail 41, can be moved along a curved path relative to the other parts of the side rail, which is fixed to the inner part 42 of the rail lateral and other parts that will be described in more detail. As an alternative, the outer part of the side rail could be connected to the inner part of the side rail by means of a pin mounted on one part adapted to be guided in a path on the other part. Preferably, this path would be curved.

[0036] The mechanisms necessary to provide the slant tilt capacity are described in detail in the applicant's co-pending application filed on the same day as the priority date of the present application and whose contents are incorporated herein by reference. Simply put, the tilt mechanism shown in Figs. 8 and 9 is called 15 and is driven by a drive motor 16, whose torque is transferred to the tilt mechanism 15 on each side of the upper element 2. The tilt mechanisms 15 interact with their corresponding side rails 3, 4. Since each side rail comprises at least one part that can be moved relative to the other parts of the side rail, and that the final edges of each strip include guide means adapted to be guided in at least one mobile part of the corresponding side rail, the actuation of the inclination mechanisms means that the movable part of each lateral rail 3, 4 is raised with respect to the general shielding plane to incline the slats 51.

[0037] However, the fundamental principle of the present invention can be applied to roller blinds having both slant and non-tiltable slats.

[0038] In order to allow the blind body 5 to be wound and unwound, the end edge of each tiltable slat 51 includes fixing means for fixing the slat to a drive element of the winding and unwinding drive device in the first lateral edge of the slat and, in the second lateral edge, the guide means for establishing the connection with at least one movable part of the lateral rail are provided. The structure of the slats 51 may be of any appropriate type, and a detailed description of a preferred embodiment is given in the co-pending international application of the applicant, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0039] In relation specifically now to the large-scale perspective views of Figs. 6-9 and 16-17 of the embodiments shown, the blade 51 comprises a blade body 510 of a suitable material, for example, of aluminum or rolled or extruded steel, possibly filled with foam or other sound insulating material . Another alternative could be to make the slats of a composite material, manufactured by molding or in any other suitable way. A first end piece 511 is inserted into the end of the slat body 510, the first end piece 511 includes a pin 512 that acts as a fixing means for fixing each blade 51 to a belt-shaped drive element 11. In the represented embodiment, the fixation is achieved by creating several holes 111 in the belt 11, through which the pins 512 of the slats are introduced. The openings or receiving eyes of the plug could also be formed by two convergent vertical parts in the upper part, but without necessarily forming a closed structure. Otherwise, the reception opening of the plug in the same belt could be formed. A second end piece 513 is connected to a first end piece 511 and has guide means formed as a pin 514 adapted to be guided on the outer side of the mobile rail 42. Finally, the blade 51 has a sealing band 519 manufactured , for example, rubber on the second side edge. The sealing band 519 adjoins the rear slat 51 of the blind body 5, on the first side edge thereof, and its function is to provide a seal between the adjacent slats and also has a sound insulating effect. Although the slat end element is described as a relatively elaborate structure comprising first and second end pieces 511, 513, the possibility of a simpler element is also conceivable. In principle, the end of the blade could be formed with two protruding pins of different lengths.

[0040] It should be noted that the term "belt" should be construed to include any type of element that has a suitable transverse geometry, preferably rectangular, that is more or less constant over the entire length of the belt. The constant transverse geometry obviously does not exclude that details such as fixing holes, openings, etc. can be included in the cross section. In addition, the belt is continuous so it is consistent, that is, unlike for example a chain, it does not contain a number of elements that must be connected to each other, for example in the form of links, or juxtaposed without any mutual connection between the elements, or only by a separate element. Finally, the belt has a relatively high degree of resistance to prevent it from folding in any direction, especially in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the belt. Specifically, it is observed that the outer edges of the belt are coherent, which is believed to increase its stiffness, that is, its resistance against folding.

[0041] The outer part of the side rail 41 includes a first flange 411 and a second flange 412 between which the slat guide means are placed so that the pin 514 of each blade 51 is contiguous and slides in the second 412 flange when the shutter body 5 is rolled or unwound. Eventually, the outer part 41 of the side rail has a path in the first flange 411 to receive a first extra rail 414.

[0042] The inner part 42 of the side rail includes a flange 421 to guide the belt 11. Another flange 422 forms a joint for the second flange 412 of the outer part of the side rail 41 in the first shielding position. In the embodiment shown, the inner part 42 of the side rail is substantially formed as an inverted U and has another flange 423 extending at a right angle to the flange 421 forming the belt holder

11. The inner part 42 of the side rail has a track 424 to receive a second extra rail 425. The first and second extra rails 414, 425 help the orientation of the slats 51. In addition, they help prevent light from entering the inside, when the extra rails overlap the blind body 5. Another important contribution of the extra rails 414, 425 is that they hold the blind body in position. This is especially important when tilting the blind body, since the slats will have a tendency to move towards the inclined position to an unwanted degree, if extra flanges and / or rails do not keep them in place. However, the extra rails hold the blind body also in a non-inclined position.

[0043] Finally, the side rail 4 comprises a mounting rail portion 43 for mounting the side rail in the window frame 6. For this purpose, the mounting rail portion 43 is provided with several holes 430 for receiving fixing means (not shown).

[0044] While the movable outer part 41 of the side rail is connected to the fixed inner part of the side rail 42 by means of connecting elements so as to allow the outer part 41 of the side rail to move relative to the inner part 42 of the side rail, the internal part 42 of the side rail is in turn fixedly connected to the mounting part 43 of the rail and to the upper element 2. This connection can be carried out in any suitable way.

[0045] In the lower part of the side rail 4, the belt 11 is passed under the intermediate lower cover 401. The two slats that are lower 51 are guided above the intermediate lower cover 401 and therefore below of the lower cover 40. In the embodiment shown, the two slats below are not tiltable, but are fixedly connected to each other along the opposite side edges. This mutual connection reinforces the entire roller shutter preventing it from suffering possible damage in case of a strong wind. These slats can also incorporate additional reinforcement compared to the remaining slats.

[0046] To activate the inclination, that is, the movement of the outer part 41 of the side rail in relation to the inner part 42 of the side rail in the embodiment shown and described, an inclination mechanism is provided

15. The tilt mechanism 15 is located in the upper element 2, and extends on both sides of the inner side cover 23 thereof as will be described in more detail. The tilt mechanism comprises a rack 151 connected to the movable part of the side rail, that is, to the outer side part 41 of the rail shown in the embodiment. To this end, the rack 151 has a protrusion 153 that includes a fixing part 154 for connecting it to the outer side part 41 of the rail, a gear wheel 155 adapted to roll by means of a drive motor 16, shown in Fig. 10 cooperates with an oblong serrated opening 152 of the rack 151. The drive motor 16 is separated from the motor of the drive device for the blind body and operates on an axis 17 common to each side rail 3 and 4. The drive motor 16 It is connected to axis 17 by means of a planetary gear (not shown in detail). In this way, a single motor 16 located in the upper element 2 provides a synchronous operation on both sides of the roller shutter 1. In addition, a self-supporting unit transfers a suitable torque to the cogwheel 155 that cooperates with the rack 151 by connecting to the shaft using a planetary gear. With the use of a planetary gear, it is possible to provide a simple solution to the desire to have a through axle while having only one motor. In Fig. 10, the winding bar 24 can also be seen, on which the slats 51 of the blind body 5 are wound.

[0047] Comparing Figs. 4 and 14, it can be seen that following the actuation of the drive motor 16, the axle 17 has rotated the sprocket 155 in the oblong toothed opening 152 and, therefore, the outer part 41 of the side rail has moved up and in the direction of the upper element 2. During this movement, the rack 151 turns slightly clockwise, viewed from the outer side of the inner cover 23, and at the same time moves in the opposite direction to the bottom of the roller blind. Simultaneously, the outer part 41 of the side rail, the upper cover 21, the outer cover 22, the intermediate upper cover not shown, and the lower cover 40 are raised as a single unit. The effect on the shutter body 5 is shown more clearly in the figures from 15 to 17, that is, the movable outer part 41 of the side rail has raised the guide pins 514 of the slats 51 so that the slats 51 they are inclined on an axis that extends substantially in the longitudinal direction in the first lateral edge, that is, in the fixing pins 512 placed in the actuating element.

[0048] As an alternative to the inclination mechanism shown and described above, the inclination mechanism may comprise, for example, a linear actuator controlled in any suitable manner.

[0049] As for Figs. 18 to 20, the drive mechanisms for unwinding and winding the blind body 5 will be described in more detail.

[0050] As mentioned above, the roller shutter 1 comprises an upper element 2 and a blind body 5 that includes a plurality of slats 51. To allow the blind body 5 to be wound and unwound by means of a winding bar 24 positioned in the upper element 2, a generally designated drive device 10 is provided. The drive device includes a drive means and a drive element as shown in the embodiment, the drive element for winding and unwinding the blind body 5 is a belt and comprises a first set of coupling means, and the actuating means comprise a second set of coupling means that interacts with the first set of coupling means of said belt on or within the element upper 2. In the first and second embodiment, said belt is a toothed belt 11 and said first assembly of coupling means is formed by the teeth of said toothed belt, and the drive means includes a gearwheel and said second set of coupling means is formed by teeth of said gearwheel, that is, in the embodiment shown , the drive device comprises a toothed wheel 101, 102 and a toothed belt 11, respectively, on each side rail 3, 4. The slats 51 are connected to the drive element in the form of the toothed belt 11 and the drive means in shape of the sprocket 101, 102 interacting with the sprocket 11 in or inside the upper element 2. The sprocket 101, 102 is located within the upper element 2 and, therefore, is not visible when the upper cover 21 is placed. Each blade 51 comprises fixing means for fixing the blade to the toothed belt. In the embodiment shown, the fixing means comprise a pin 512 adapted to be received in a hole 111 formed entirely with the toothed belt 11. Other means for fixing the blade to the drive element are also conceivable, such as forming a toothed belt with a thickness such that a perforation can be formed in the belt itself. Perforations can also be formed in many suitable ways, including belt molding, separate fixing, etc. Generally, all those toothed belt designs that allow the belt to act as a transmitting element are conceivable, the transmitting element being the element of the driving device that transmits the movement to the blind body during winding and unwinding thereof. The length of the belt 11 corresponds at least to the length of the side rail 4 plus the length necessary for winding in the winding bar 24, so that all the slats are fixed to the belt. The belt can be tailored according to the specific size of the roller blind to accommodate the desired number of slats.

[0051] As shown in the first embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 19, the first means of coupling the belt, that is, in the specific embodiment, the plurality of teeth of the toothed belt 11 , is oriented upwards with respect to the general shielding plane, and the drive means comprising the second set of coupling means, that is, in the specific embodiment the plurality of teeth of each of the cogwheels 101, 102 are articulated at a corresponding end of the upper element 2 above the blind body 5.

[0052] Both sprockets 101, 102 can be connected to each other, as shown, by means of an axle 103 located on the shutter body 5. The sprockets 101, 102 can be operated independently, or a wheel can be driven and the torque is transferred to the axis 103. In the embodiment shown, each gearwheel 101, 102 is driven by a drive motor 105 located on the winding bar 2 via a transmission 104. The transmission 104 between the at least A cogwheel 101, 102 and the drive motor 105 may be provided by a belt drive or through a plurality of sprockets. Listed below are suitable embodiments for transmission:

M. A roller blind, where at least one of said wheels is driven by a drive motor located in the winding bar.

N. A roller blind according to the embodiment M, where the transmission between the at least one wheel and the drive motor is provided by a belt drive.

O. A roller blind according to the embodiment M, where the transmission between the at least one wheel and the drive motor is carried out by means of a plurality of cogwheels.

[0053] In the embodiment shown, the roller shutter 1 has, as said, two side rails 3 and 4. Each of said side rails 3, 4 comprises support means for the toothed belt.

11. Such support means and guide means are provided as follows:

[0054] As mentioned above, the outer part 41 of the side rail includes a first flange 411 and a second flange 412 between which the slat guide means are positioned so that the pin 514 of each blade 51 it is arranged contiguously and slides towards the second flange 412 when the blind body 5 is wound or unwound. Finally, the outer part 41 of the side rail has a path in the first flange 411 to receive a first extra rail 414.

[0055] In addition, the inner part 42 of the side rail includes a flange 421 to guide the toothed belt 11. Another flange 422 forms a joint for the second flange 412 of the outer part 41 of the side rail in the first shielding position. In the embodiment shown, the inner part 42 of the side rail is substantially inverted U-shaped and has an additional flange 423 extending at a right angle to the flange 421 forming the support for the toothed belt 11. The inner part 42 of the Side rail has a track 424 to receive a second extra rail 425. The first and second extra rail 414, 425 assist in the process of guiding the slats 51 and the toothed belt 11.

[0056] Although the flexibility of the toothed belt must be such that it can be wound with the slats 51 on the winding bar 2, it must, however, be able to resist the compressive force exerted on the toothed belt 11 by the means of actuation 101, 102 and of transmitting that force in a translational movement along the side rails. However, it may be necessary to support the toothed belt during the unwinding of the shutter body 5, since the compressive force can be so large in some cases that there is a risk that it will be greater than the resistance against deformation. In the embodiment shown, the toothed belt 11 is made of a plastic material that has the necessary requirements in terms of flexibility to allow its winding, and a hardness sufficient to resist the forces created by the coupling between the teeth and the means of drive, that is, toothed wheels 101, 102. An example of suitable material is polyurethane (PU), which has a weak friction surface suitable for the toothed belt to easily slide along the side rails. If deemed necessary and / or advantageous, there are complementary means to reduce friction. Of course, other materials that have the appropriate characteristics are conceivable. In addition, the perforations 111, formed integrally in the embodiment shown, are located at a distance from each other that corresponds to the distance between two successive slat front edges. In the embodiment, the perforations 111 are located on a side edge of the toothed belt 11 in order not to interfere with the coupling between the teeth of the toothed belt and the drive means.

[0057] Finally, the side rail 4 comprises a mounting rail portion 43 for mounting the side rail in the frame of the window 6. To this end, the mounting rail portion 43 has a series of holes 430 to receive the fixing means (not shown).

[0058] In the alternative embodiment shown in Figs. 20 to 24, the numerical references designating elements with an equal or analogous function, such as the elements in the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 10, they have the same reference numbers to which they have been added. In this embodiment, the first set of belt coupling means, that is, of the toothed belt 11 'is oriented downwards with respect to the general shielding plane, and the drive means comprising the sprockets 101' , 102 'are articulated at a corresponding end of the upper element 2' below the shutter body 5 '. In principle, other details correspond to those of the first embodiment represented in Figs. 1 to 19.

[0059] Other configurations of the toothed belt of the first and second embodiments are also contemplated. An alternative is to incorporate teeth on both sides of the belt. In this case, additional drive means could be provided to drive the toothed belt from both sides. This could involve even greater operability of the roller blind according to the invention.

[0060] Next, a third alternative embodiment and a fourth embodiment that constitutes a further development of the third embodiment will be described in reference to Figs. 25 to 32 of the drawings. Only features other than the first and second embodiments described above are described in detail. Other details may be the same or correspond to those of the first and second embodiments, or vary within the scope of the claims.

[0061] In relation to Fig. 25 which shows a perspective view of a detail of the alternative drive device, the belt 11 "has a large number of holes and / or openings 112 spaced apart from each other, said gaps and / or openings they constitute said first set of coupling means, and the drive means includes a wheel 102 "comprising a plurality of protrusions 113 spaced apart from each other, said protuberances constitute said second set of coupling means. In the embodiment shown, the gaps and / or openings 112 of the belt 11 "are aligned along an axis A extending in a longitudinal direction of the belt 11", and the protrusions 113 of the wheel 102 " they are aligned along a line B that extends along the circumference of said wheel.

[0062] The first set of coupling means may be through openings, that is, open to both sides of the belt, or be formed by blind or hollow holes with a bottom on one side of the belt. The holes and / or openings may be identical to each other, or include any combination of openings and through holes of varying depths along the length of the belt. The formation of gaps and / or openings of varying depth can be determined according to the need for coupling in individual applications of the roller blind or in different positions of the belt.

[0063] This design of the drive device constitutes a reliable transmission as in the first and the second embodiment, but which may even offer more advantages over the drive device described above. This applies in particular to the sound quality of the roller blind when in operation. Presumably, this is due to the great precision of the coupling between the protuberances of the wheel with the gaps and / or openings of the belt.

[0064] In the further development in Figs. 29 to 32 of the drawings, the gaps and / or openings 112 of the belt 11 "are aligned in a staggered arrangement along two or more axes A, A 'extending in a longitudinal direction of said belt 11", and said protrusions 113 of the wheel 102 "are aligned in a correspondingly staggered arrangement along two or more lines B, B 'that extend along the circumference of said wheel. This further development provides an even more reliable transmission of the transmission torque from the drive means to the drive element.

[0065] In both the third and fourth embodiments, the connection of the drive means with other parts of the roller shutter, in particular other elements of the drive device and guide means for guiding the belt, can be the same as described in the first embodiment of Figs. 1 to 19, or vary as described in any of the possible variations indicated in the description and / or in the claims.

[0066] Finally, the roller blind according to the invention has been described as being intended to be installed within the framework of a roof window that can be opened for installation on a sloping roof. However, the invention can also be applied with other types of windows and in other positions. For example, the roller blind can be mounted on the frame of a window, or on the frame or frame of a fixed window, that is, it cannot be opened, or on a window for installation on the facade of a building.

[0067] The invention should not be considered as limited to the described embodiments. Various modifications and combinations of the embodiments will be apparent to the person skilled in the art.

Claims (16)

one.

Roller blind (1) comprising an upper element (2) including a roller bar (24), and a blind body (5) that includes a plurality of slats (51), said blind body being adapted to be rolled and unwound from the winding bar, the roller blind further comprising a drive device (10) that includes drive means and a drive element (11, 11 "), characterized by the fact that the drive element for winding and unwinding the Blind body (5) is a belt (11, 11 ") and comprises a first set of coupling means, and by the fact that the actuating means (101, 102, 102") comprise a second set of means of coupling that interacts with the first set of coupling means of said belt in or within the upper element (2), and by the fact that substantially all the slats (51) are connected to said belt (11, 11 ').

2.

Roller blind (1) according to claim 1, wherein said belt is a toothed belt (11) and said first set of coupling means is constituted by teeth of said toothed belt, and wherein the drive means (101, 102) includes a cogwheel and said second set of coupling means is constituted by teeth of said cogwheel.

3.

Roller blind (1) according to claim 1, wherein said belt (11 ") comprises a plurality of gaps and / or openings spaced apart from each other (112), said gaps and / or openings constituting said first set of coupling means, and wherein the drive means includes a wheel (102 ") comprising a plurality of protrusions spaced apart from each other (113), said protuberances constituting said second set of coupling means.

Four.

Roller blind according to any of the preceding claims, wherein each slat extends longitudinally between two end edges and having a first and a second lateral edge parallel to the longitudinal direction, and where at least some slats of said plurality of slats are tiltable around of an axis parallel to said longitudinal direction from the first shielding position to a second shielding position, where each tilting slat forms an angle with said general shielding plane.

5.

Roller blind according to claim 4, wherein the roller blind is further provided with two lateral rails, each lateral rail comprising at least one part that can be moved relative to the other parts of the lateral rail, and where the final edges of each slat include guide means adapted to be guided in at least one mobile part of a respective side rail.

6.

Roller blind (1) according to claim 3, wherein said gaps and / or belt openings are aligned along an axis (A) extending in the longitudinal direction of said belt, and wherein said wheel protuberances are aligned along a line (B) that extends along the circumference of said wheel.

7.

Roller blind (1) according to claim 3, wherein said gaps and / or belt openings are aligned in a staggered arrangement along two or more axes (A, A ') extending in the longitudinal direction of said belt, and where said wheel protuberances (102 ") are aligned respectively in a staggered arrangement along two or more lines (B, B ') that extend along the circumference of said wheel.

8.

Roller blind according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the transmission means comprise a wheel (101, 102, 101 ', 102'; 102 ") comprising a second set of coupling means, said wheel being placed within the upper element.

9.

Roller blind according to any of the preceding claims, wherein each blade (51) comprises fixing means (512) for fixing the blade to the belt (11).

10.

Roller blind according to claim 9, wherein the fixing means comprise a pin (512) adapted to be received in a hole (111) formed entirely with the strap (11).

eleven.

Roller blind according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the first set of belt coupling means (11) is oriented upwards with respect to the general shielding plane, and wherein the actuating means comprise a wheel (101, 102, 102 ") provided with a second set of coupling means, said wheel being articulated at a corresponding end of the upper element (2) above the blind body (5).

12.

Roller blind according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the first set of belt coupling means (11 ') is oriented downwards with respect to the general shielding plane, and where the drive means comprises a wheel (101' , 102 '; 102 ") provided with a

second set of coupling means, said wheel being articulated at a corresponding end of the upper element (2 ') below the blind body (5').

13.

Roller blind according to claims 11 or 12, wherein both wheels (101, 102, 101 ', 102'; 102 ")

provided with said second set of coupling means are connected to each other by an axis 5 (103, 103 ') located at the top and / or bottom, respectively, of the blind body (5, 5'). 14. Roller blind according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the roller blind is also provided with two side rails (3, 4), and where each of said side rails comprises means for supporting the belt (11). 15. Roller blind according to claim 14, wherein each side rail comprises means for guiding the belt and the blind body. 16. Roller blind according to claims 14 or 15, wherein said support means and / or guide means are provided as a plurality of extra flanges and / or rails.