NL1023361C2 - Device for rolling up / unrolling a cloth. - Google Patents

Description

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Device for rolling up / unrolling a cloth.

The present invention relates to a device for rolling up / unrolling a cloth, comprising a frame construction with an upper fixed attachment for that cloth and a rotatable tube for receiving / delivering cloth, which can be moved to and from said attachment in said frame construction and a drive with drive motor for rotating said tube and guide means for displacing said tube, which drive motor is rigidly connected to said frame, between said drive motor and said tube a drive shaft rotatable by said drive motor is present on said drive shaft in the direction of the center line thereof movable and rotatable with respect to said frame, a transfer device connected to said tube is provided for transferring the rotational movement of said drive shaft to that tube, which transfer device comprises an electrically operable coupling which is transferable between a disconnected and a coupled state.

Such a device is described in the non-prepublished international patent application PCT / NL02 / 00792, and provides a roll-up system for fabric that works reliably, with which the start and end position can be accurately controlled and that for a long time, that is, many years can be effective without faltering. To that end, the device described therein has a drive motor which is rigidly connected to said frame. Between said drive motor and said tube there is a drive shaft rotatable by said drive motor, while on said drive shaft displaceable in the direction of the central axis thereof and rotatably relative to said frame there is provided a transfer device connected to said tube for transmitting the rotating movement of that drive shaft to that tube.

The improvement thus obtained is related to the fact that a vulnerable, difficult to assemble and expensive tubular motor no longer needs to be used. Instead, a simple motor fixed to the frame is used. Via possible transmissions, a drive shaft is provided which will be arranged vertically with vertically moving cloth. The transmission device described above moves up and down along this drive shaft in the vertical direction. This vertical movement is imposed by rolling up or rolling down cloth on the tube connected to the transfer device. This tube preferably extends perpendicular to the drive shaft.

The object of the invention is to improve the device according to the invention in such a way that a more flexible application and control becomes possible. This object is achieved in that the operating means comprise a control unit to which signals can be supplied with regard to environmental factors, such as temperature, light, humidity, wind strength, time and the like, and / or with regard to the condition of I the screen, such as the unrolled length and the like, for controlling the operating means.

I The curtain can be controlled automatically in the desired manner by means of the control unit. Thereby, both outside and inside the greenhouse can be taken into account.

Furthermore, the operating means may comprise memory means for storing data with regard to the position of the tube and / or the length of the unrolled cloth in dependence on values associated with the environmental factors and / or the condition. off the canvas.

By providing an (adjustable) coupling active in the transmission direction in the event of an overload, it is possible to limit the maximum torque per transmission device (adjustable max. Winding up force) and I limit this by means of continuous rotation of the drive shaft. of an adjustable stop (start / end) also to take effect. In both cases the coupling becomes active, as a result of which moment-limited uncoupling takes place of the roller tube relative to the drive shaft. The use of a braking characteristic in the drive line in combination with the adjustable slip coupling prevents uncontrolled unrolling of the roll-up tube in rolled-up position or in an intermediate position. Such a braking property can, for example, be realized with a worm wheel in the transmission device. However, it is also possible to provide the braking property in the drive motor, so that a relatively simple transmission in the transfer device will suffice.

For example, it can further be decided, for example, to close one of three superimposed tins, one or all of them, while the other is fully closed. It is also possible with the construction according to the present invention to periodically ensure that screens are fully closed by periodically moving the drive shaft, whereby a screen which may not be completely closed is still closed completely. This naturally also applies to opening.

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If the output shaft of the transfer device is rigidly coupled to the tube on which the cloth is received, in principle no guidance of the transfer device or support for receiving the torque is necessary. These forces can be absorbed through the tube. It is of course possible in other cases to guide the transmission independently along the frame of the greenhouse or the like.

The device for rolling up and unrolling cloths described above can also be used with a so-called twin screen, i.e. a tube on which two cloths lying on top of each other are rolled. One of these cloths is connected as described above to a fixed attachment above it while the other cloth has a weighted free end and extends downward.

The device can further comprise at least one further cloth with a further fixed upper attachment and a further rotatable tube which can be moved in and out of said attachment to and from said attachment for receiving / delivering dead person and a further one on said drive shaft in the direction of the axis thereof. transfer device connected to said tube movably and non-rotatably relative to said frame for transferring the rotational movement of said drive shaft to said further tube, which further transfer device is provided with a further coupling.

With the invention it is possible to operate a number of devices, for example superimposed, with a drive shaft. It is also possible with this invention to simultaneously control a plurality of devices located one above the other with a drive shaft that differ in height and / or required torque. These devices can be located between horizontal trusses of, for example, a greenhouse. Due to the coupling described above and operating means to be arranged for this, such as stops, it is possible, when the drive shaft rotates, to have each transfer device and thus each screen carry out precisely the correct displacement without overloading taking place. For example, it is possible to operate a large number of tubes on which cloth is wound with a single motor.

Moreover, with the single motor, at least one further drive shaft can be operated.

It is not only possible to drive vertically moving screens in this way, but also horizontally arranged screens. Thereby, the tube 1 on which the cloth is wound is held tight with the aid of counterweights or another (spring) mechanism. It is possible to operate both horizontal screens, vertical screens or angled screens simultaneously with a drive motor.

The invention also relates to a method for operating a device according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising the steps of: determining the value of an environmental factor such as temperature, light, humidity, wind strength, time and the like, selecting a position of the tube and / or the length of the unrolled cloth from that value (s), energizing the drive to rotate the tube in connection with rolling up or unrolling the cloth, energizing the operating means for slipping the slip coupling when the desired position of the tube, and / or the desired length of the unrolled cloth is reached.

This method also relates to energizing the further operating means for slipping the further slip coupling when the desired position of the further tube, and / or the desired length of the unrolled further cloth has been reached. The advantages of the invention apply especially if several screens are operated by one and the same drive. Thus, such screens can be operated in different ways, while only one drive is needed. This operation can take place, for example, on the basis of energy saving. For greenhouses, for example, drive pipes are often located on the inside of the facade, in its lower area. In such a case, for example, the lower screen can remain unrolled in order to prevent energy loss to the outside. The higher screens can, however, already be rolled up completely or partially, in order to allow as much light as possible to pass through. Such an operation may, depending on the measured outside temperature, time of day and the like, be pre-programmed in the control unit.

The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments shown in the drawing. In the drawing: Fig. 1 schematically shows a part of a greenhouse construction provided with the assembly as described in PCT / NLQ2 / 00792.

Fig. 2 shows a detail of the transfer device according to Fig. 1; Fig. 3 shows a cross section along the line ΙΠ-ΙΠ in Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 schematically shows a variant of the screen according to the invention.

Fig. 5 is a view of a device according to the invention; Fig. 6 is a top view, partly in section, of a transmission as used in the device according to Fig. 5, and along line VI-VI in Fig. 7; Fig. 7 is a front view, partially in section, of the transmission as shown in Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a side view of the transmission as a whole.

In Fig. 1 the device as described in PCT / NL02 / 00792 is indicated by 1.

The frame of the greenhouse is shown schematically with 2. It is quite possible to use a separate frame for the construction according to the invention, but this has not been found to be necessary with a greenhouse. A motor 3 is fixedly attached to the frame construction 2. The auxiliary shaft 4 is present and via a right-angle transmission 5 a drive shaft 6, which extends substantially vertically, is driven. This drive shaft 6 extends through transfer devices 7 and 8 with which tubes 9 and 10 are driven for moving screens 11 and 12, respectively. Stops 13 and 14 are present which can interact with the operating means 25 and 26 shown in Fig. 2, respectively. In Fig. 1, the above-mentioned screens 11 and 12 are drawn with a solid line to the right of the vertical profile 28. It will be understood that links thereof may also be present as indicated in part.

Details of the transfer device 7 and 8 are shown in Figs. 2 and 3. It is apparent therefrom that shaft 6 is provided with a slot 15 extending over its entire length. The transfer device consists of a box 17 which is slidable along its own drive (shaft 6) via a guide 29 (see Fig. 3). and the vertical T-profile 28 of the frame construction 2. If the output shaft of the transfer device is rigidly connected to tube 9 or 10, the above-described guide can be omitted. If the structure, and more particularly the shaft 6, is not arranged vertically, it must moreover be provided with a bearing at the lower end to maintain the non-vertical position.

In box 17 there is a self-braking gear transmission 30, 31 which drives shaft 19 which in turn is coupled to tube 10 (or 9). This self-braking property 10233 β1 may alternatively be provided in the drive motor 3, the possible reduction thereof or right-angle transmission 5. In the example shown, a simple single gear transmission is shown in box 17. However, it is possible to provide a multiple transfer with which a greater delay is obtained. An example of this is a planet-sun gear system. Moreover, it is possible to arrange such a transmission that the tubes 9 and 10 are (in the horizontal plane) at a considerable distance from the vertical drive shaft 6. This makes it possible to arrange the construction shown in the figures and more in particular the tubes 9 and 10 and the associated screen between the horizontal beams of the frame construction 2, thereby saving space.

In the example shown here, there is a sleeve 21 I above gear box 16 which, as can be seen from Fig. 3, is provided with a key-shaped protrusion 18 whereby sleeve I 21 is non-rotatable but slidable relative to drive shaft 6. Sleeve 21 is provided with an (adjustable) slip coupling 23 corresponding to toothing 24 mounted on gear bushing 16. By means of spring 22, toothing 23 is driven to toothing 24 so that the rotating movement applied to sleeve 21 can be transferred to gear box 16. However, if the load becomes too large, teeth 23 and 24 will move past each other and slip will occur. The moment of slip can be adjusted by adjusting the spring preload. It should be understood that slip or uncoupling can be achieved in a different way. The coupling I thus formed is indicated by 20. It will be understood that instead of the form-fitting coupling shown in the drawing, simple couplings acting exclusively on friction, such as (wet) plate couplings, can also be used.

Operating pins 25 and 26 are provided which act on lip 40 of disc 27.

When moving up or down, the pins 25 and 26, respectively, are brought into contact with stops 13 and 14 in the end position. As a result, they move inwards and, when rotating disc 27, lip 40 will come into contact with the corresponding control pin and therefore slip. When turning in a different direction of the drive shaft, disc 27 will first be able to make an (almost) complete revolution before lip 40 will touch the pin in question, but by making this (almost) complete revolution, case 17 is so far away from the relevant stop that the relevant control pin has been moved back again so that the movement can be carried out. Other mechanisms 7 can also be used for operating the coupling, whereby an outwardly projecting operating lever is operated by a stop arranged on the frame and the coupling is released. That is, constructions in which the coupling is actively decoupled and no slip state occurs.

Fig. 1-3 shows that when the motor 3 is rotated, drive shaft 6 is rotated.

As a result, the tubes 9, 10 are rotated, the screen 11, 12 being wound up or unwound until stop 13 or 14 is reached. At that moment the driving connection between drive shaft 6 and tube 9 and 10 is broken. That is, the end positions of tube 9 and 10 respectively are determined by the stops 13 and 14 and not by the termination of the rotation of the drive shaft 6. As a result, it is possible to switch a number of transfer devices one after the other on drive shaft 6. Moreover, provide safety. In the event of an overload, the coupling 20 described above will also function so that no damage occurs to the screens or drive. The coupling 20 also prevents further rotation of tubes 9 and 10 by means of the (adjustable) friction if tube 6 is brought to a standstill in a position between the two end positions.

Fig. 4 schematically depicts a so-called twin screen. A central tube 32 is present on which a double cloth is wound. This is indicated by 33 and 34. Cloth 33 extends upwards and is fixedly attached to the frame construction 2 such as the shanks 11 and 12. Cloth 34 is provided with a weighted end which is indicated by 35 that is free, i.e. possibly moving up and down via a guide by gravity. Tube 32 can be placed in place of tube 9 or 10. With this the same effect can be obtained.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 5-8, the device according to the invention is shown. The parts thereof corresponding to the embodiment of Figs. 1-4 are indicated by corresponding reference numerals. The motor 3 is now directly connected to the right-angle transmission 5, which in turn drives the substantially vertically extending drive shaft 6. The transmissions 7,8 each have an arm 40 which, in the lower position of the tubes 9,10, comes against the associated stop 14. The arm 40 can rotate around the pin 41, and thereby cause the lever 42 to tilt. This lever 42 has two lever parts 43, 44, each of which can optionally be brought into contact with one side of the cams 45 which are mounted on the part 46 of the slip clutch 23. This part 46 is via the slanted gears 1023361 I 47, 48 and the belt transmission 49, 50 connected to the axle stubs 56. The other part 51 of the slip clutch is non-rotatably connected to the drive shaft 6.

As soon as the arm 40 comes into contact with a stop 14, i.e. the lower position of the tubes 9,10 has been reached, one of the lever parts 43, 44 is moved downwards in such a way that the then closest cam 45 comes against that. The drive shaft 6 and the part 51 of the slip clutch rotate thereby, whereby that part 51 slips relative to the other part 46 of the slip clutch. However, the tube 9.10 l is then stationary, such that the cloth is not further unrolled or rolled up.

Such a slip action of the slip coupling can, however, not only be obtained when the arm 40 arrives against a stop 14. The arm 40 can also be operated at other positions of the tubes 9, 10 in height direction, namely by the I both solenoids 52, 53. As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, these solenoids 52, 53 operate a shaft 54 extending therebetween, which in turn is connected to the arm 40. By operating one or both of the solenoids 52, 53 , the shaft 54 and therewith the arm 40 is tilted. Thus, by delivering an electrical signal to the solenoids 52, 53, the tube 9.10 can be stopped at any desired height. The other tubes 9, 10 can thereby move further, or can also be stopped depending on the control program. The tubes 9, 10 are axially displaceable but non-rotatably connected to the shaft stubs 56 to compensate for expansion differences.

This control can be controlled by the control unit 55 as shown in Fig. 5. To this control unit 55 signals can be applied which relate to the outside environment or the external or internal environment of the greenhouse in which the device according to the invention is applied. This may concern temperature, humidity, wind direction, light and the like. Furthermore, signals can be added to the control unit 55 with regard to the position of the tubes 9, 10, the state of the transmissions, i.e. to what extent they are in the slipping or non-slipping state, and of such. On the basis of a pre-programmed control, the control unit can then control the motor 3 and also provide signals to the solenoids 52, 53. In this way the tubes 9, 10 can be adjusted at any desired height, independently of each other. be set. Accordingly, the sheets 11, 12 can therefore be unrolled or rolled up to any desired length, also independently of each other.

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With the present invention it is possible to operate different tubes for winding up, unwinding of a screen with a single motor, while variation in height and / or tolerances can nevertheless be compensated. Moreover, it is possible to couple different drive shafts to motor 2. In this way, considerable savings can be obtained, while the simple mechanical construction ensures a longer service life than with tubular motors. The variant described above, in which the screens can be moved horizontally, can be carried out in a particularly simple manner in the case of greenhouses by hanging on the gutters between the roof constructions of the greenhouses. It is also possible with a curved cap construction to connect a number of shafts 6 to each other via (cardanic) couplings and to always move a screen between them.

Although the invention has been described above with reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that numerous changes can be made which arise immediately after reading the above which are obvious to those skilled in the art and are within the scope of the appended claims. The drive shaft and / or the shafts can for instance be arranged in a non-vertical position, there are alternatives available in the prior art for obtaining an equal slip-coupling effect, and numerous possibilities and alternatives are conceivable for the use or non-use and 20 shaping the guide profile 28.

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Claims (18)

Device (1) for rolling up / unrolling a cloth (11, 12, 33, 34), comprising a frame construction (2) with an upper fixed fastening for that cloth and a movable in that frame construction to and from said fastening rotatable tube (9, 10, 32) for receiving / dispensing cloth and a drive with drive motor (3) for rotating said tube and guide means for displacing said tube (9, 10, 32), which drive motor (2) is rigid connected to said frame, between said drive motor (2) and said tube (9, 10, 32) a drive shaft (6) rotatable by said drive motor is present, movable on said drive shaft (6) in the direction of its axis and non-rotatable relative to that frame, a transfer device connected to said tube is provided for transferring the rotational movement of said drive shaft to that tube, which transfer device comprises an electrically operable coupling that is transferable between a disconnected and a head a pelted condition, characterized in that the operating means comprise a control unit (55) to which signals can be supplied with regard to environmental factors, such as temperature, light, humidity, wind strength, time and the like, and / or with regard to the condition of the cloth , such as the unrolled length and the like, for controlling the operating means. 20 Device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the operating means comprise memory means for storing data with regard to the position of the tube and / or the length of the unrolled cloth in dependence on values associated with the environmental factors and / or with the condition of the canvas. 25 Device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the coupling (20) is a slip coupling, and the operating means are designed for causing the slip coupling to be transferred into the uncoupled state by slipping. Device according to claim 3, wherein the slip coupling (20) can be made to slip in both directions of rotation. %) Device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the slip coupling (20) comprises at least two slip coupling parts (46, 51) where a slip coupling part (51) cooperates with the drive shaft (6) and the other slip coupling part (46) cooperates with the tube (9) 10. and comprises at least one stop part (45), which stop part (45) can be brought into cooperation with the operating means for slipping the slip clutch (20). Device as claimed in claims 4 and 5, wherein the operating means comprise a blocking means (43, 44) which, viewed in the circumferential direction of the slip coupling 10 (20), can optionally be brought into cooperation with the opposite sides of the stop part ( 45). 7. Device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the blocking means comprises a double lever with two mutually connected lever parts (43, 44) which can in each case be brought into engagement with one of the sides of the stop part (45). Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein also mechanical operating means (14, 40) are provided for decoupling / coupling the coupling (20). 20 Device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the mechanical operating means comprise an arm (40) and a stop (14) connected to the frame for operating the arm (40). Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the operating means comprise at least one solenoid (52, 53), servomotor with screw spindle and the like. The device of claims 9 and 10, wherein the at least one solenoid (52, 53) engages the arm (40). The device of claim 11, wherein two solenoids (52, 53) are provided for operating the arm (40) in opposite directions. 1 0233 ti I 12 Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, comprising at least one further cloth with a further fixed upper attachment and a further rotatable tube (9, 10, 32) movable in said frame construction to and from said attachment for receiving / delivering cloth as well as a further transfer device connected to said drive tube and movable on said drive shaft in the direction of the axis thereof for transferring the rotational movement of said drive shaft to said further tube, transmission device is provided with a further coupling. I 10 Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the transfer device has at least one rotatable shaft stub (56), and the tube (9, 10) is axially displaceable and non-rotatably connected to the shaft stub (56). Method for operating a device according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising the steps of: - determining the value of an environmental factor such as temperature, light, humidity, wind strength, time and the like, - based on that value (n) selecting a position of the tube (9, 10) I and / or the length of the unrolled cloth, - energizing the drive for rotating the tube (9, 10) I in connection with the rolling up or unrolling the cloth, energizing the operating means for slipping the slip coupling when the desired position of the tube and / or the desired length of the rolled cloth is reached. 16. Method according to claim 15 for operating the device according to claim 13, comprising the steps of energizing the further operating means for slipping the further slip coupling (20) when the desired position of the further tube, and / or the desired length of the unrolled further cloth has been reached. t The method of claim 16, wherein the times of energizing the various operating means differ. 18. Method as claimed in any of the claims 15-17 for operating an apparatus according to claims 5-7, comprising the step of having the desired position of the tube and / or the desired unrolled length of the cloth after reaching rotating the drive shaft (6) in the opposite direction to eliminate the cooperation between the operating means and the stop member (45). 1 Π? 3 3 ft 1