Anti-vibration bracket for tubular motor

Abstract

A bracket includes a rigid member that can be fastened to a fixture such as a wall, and flexible elements depend downwardly from the rigid member and are engaged with a tubular motor assembly of a window covering, awning, projector screen, or the like, to couple the motor assembly to the fixture while attenuating the propagation of vibrations from the tubular motor assembly to the fixture. This reduces noise in the room. The flexible elements may be flexible strings, elastic strings, or coil springs and have horizontal stiffness coefficients much lower than the vertical stiffness coefficient.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates generally to motorized window coverings. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present assignee has provided several systems for either lowering or raising a window covering, or for moving the slats of a window covering between open and closed positions, under control of a hand-held remote or other control device. These systems include a motor that is coupled through gears to the window covering activation mechanism. When the motor is energized in response to a user command signal, the activation mechanism moves the window covering. [0003] As recognized herein, it is desirable to minimize the noise emitted by such systems during operations. As further recognized herein, most of the noise is due to vibrations of the head rail and / or tube in which the tubular motor is disposed, caused by vibrations of the motor. The present invention understands that these vibrations are transmitted to the surface (such as a dwelling wall) s...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0005] An electrical power-drive device includes a tubular motor assembly including a rotatable tube holding a motor therein. A motor bracket couples the tubular motor assembly to a fixture. The motor bracket includes a rigid member that can be fastened to the fixture, and plural flexible elements depending downwardly from the rigid member. The flexible elements are coupled to the tubular motor assembly to couple the tubular motor assembly to the fixture while attenuating propagation of vibrations from the tubular motor assembly to the fixture. These flexible elements are arranged in such a way that the horizontal stiffness is low compared to the vertical stiffness.

[0009] In another aspect, a powered assembly includes an object that can be moved between an open configuration and a closed configuration, a motor, and a rotating tube holding the motor and coupled to the object to move the object when the motor is energized. An idler bracket engages the tube with a fixture for supporting the tube. Also, a motor bracket is coupled to the motor and to the fixture for supporting the tube. One or both of the brackets substantially dampen noise propagating from the motor toward the fixture.

Problems solved by technology

As further recognized herein, most of the noise is due to vibrations of the head rail and / or tube in which the tubular motor is disposed, caused by vibrations of the motor.

Furthermore, during attachment of the bracket to the mounting surface, the soft material is compressed together, resulting in the relatively rigid connection sought to be avoided in the first place and limiting the freedom of movement of the system.

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