Electric blinds

Abstract

To provide an electric blind capable of reducing standby power consumption of the electric blind in which a light receiving part capable of receiving a remote control signal is embedded.SOLUTION: An electric blind 100 is to open and close slats 110 by driving a motor 122, which is provided with: a light receiving part 170 embedded to allow a remote control signal driving a motor 122 to be received; and a dip switch 180 switchable between a first state supplying power to the light receiving part 170 and a second state supplying no power. This configuration is capable of reducing standby power consumption of the electric blind in which the light receiving part capable of receiving the remote control signal.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric blind. [Background technology]

[0002] A conventional electric blind is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-156029 (Patent Document 1). This document discloses an electric blind in which a light-receiving unit (light-receiving section) including a light-receiving element that receives signals from a remote control is installed inside a side bracket that supports a winding pipe, and the light-receiving direction of the light-receiving element is variable.

[0003] This allows remote control operation without reducing light receiving sensitivity by changing the light receiving direction of the light receiving element depending on the situation. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-156029 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Incidentally, it is known that conventional electric blinds such as those disclosed in Patent Document 1 consume standby power even when waiting to receive a remote control signal because the light receiving unit is built into the blind body. Therefore, even for electric blinds with a built-in light receiving unit, there is a demand for reducing standby power consumption when remote control signal reception is not required.

[0006] The present invention was made in consideration of these problems, and its purpose is to provide an electric blind that can reduce standby power consumption of an electric blind that has a built-in light-receiving unit that can receive remote control signals. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electric blind that opens and closes a shading material by driving a motor, characterized in that it comprises a light receiving unit built in so as to be able to receive a remote control signal that drives the motor, and a switching unit that can switch between a first state in which power is supplied to the light receiving unit and a second state in which power is not supplied.

[0008] This configuration makes it possible to switch between a state in which power is supplied to the light-receiving unit built into the electric blind (first state) and a state in which power is not supplied (second state). Therefore, when it is no longer necessary for the built-in light-receiving unit to receive remote control signals, the state can be switched so that power is not supplied to the light-receiving unit. This makes it possible to reduce standby power consumption of electric blinds that have a built-in light-receiving unit that can receive remote control signals. Examples of cases where it is not necessary for the light receiving unit to receive the remote control signal include when an external receiver capable of receiving the remote control signal is installed, or when multiple electric blinds are connected together so that they can be operated collectively using the remote control signal received by the light receiving units of the other blinds.

[0009] The present invention can be applied in various ways. For example, the present invention may further include side caps provided at the left and right ends of a head box that supports a shielding material in a suspended state, the side caps containing the light receiving unit so that the light receiving unit can receive the remote control signal, and the switching unit can be operated from outside the side caps to switch between the first state and the second state. According to this configuration, in a structure in which the light receiving unit is built into the side caps, the switching unit can be operated from outside the side caps to easily switch between the first state and the second state.

[0010] In addition, a side cap cover may be provided that is detachable from the side cap and covers the side surface of the side cap so that the switching portion is not exposed. With this configuration, the switching portion is not exposed from the side cap, which improves the design.

[0011] The side cap cover may have a detachable member that is detachable from the side cap, and a cover member that is attached to the detachable member. With this configuration, it is possible to further improve the design.

[0012] The side cap cover may have an opening that allows the switching unit to be operated from outside the side cap cover when attached to the side cap. With this configuration, it is possible to easily switch between the first state and the second state even after the side cap cover is attached to the side cap.

[0013] Furthermore, according to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electric blind that incorporates a light receiving unit capable of receiving a remote control signal for driving a motor, and drives the motor to open and close a shading material, and that includes a control unit that accepts settings related to switching between a first state in which power is supplied to the light receiving unit and a second state in which power is not supplied, and that, when the control unit accepts the settings, controls switching between the first state and the second state based on the settings.

[0014] According to this configuration, the control unit can be configured by software, and the light receiving unit 170 can be switched between the first state and the second state by switching by the software. By controlling the switching by such software, it is possible to obtain the same effect as that of the first aspect. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an electric blind that has a built-in light receiving unit that can receive remote control signals and that can reduce standby power consumption. Other effects of the present invention will be described in the detailed description of the invention below. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view of an electric blind 100 according to the present embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one end of the head box 120 as viewed from the front side. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one end of the head box 120 as viewed from the rear side. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of one end of the head box, seen from the front, with the side cap 140, the detachable member 151, and the cover member 152 separated. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the side cap 140 as seen from the rear side. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the side cap 140 as seen from the back side. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which a side cap cover 150 is removed from a side cap 140. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the light receiving unit 170. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a line set 128. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a front view showing a state in which the electric blinds 100 are connected together. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functional configurations are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0018] (First embodiment) A first embodiment of the present invention will be described. First, the configuration of an electric blind 100 will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3. Fig. 1 is a front view of the electric blind 100 of this embodiment. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one end of the head box 120 as seen from the front side. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one end of the head box 120 as seen from the rear side.

[0019] As shown in Fig. 1, the electric blind 100 drives a motor 122 to open and close slats 110 (shielding materials), and includes a head box 120 that supports the slats 110 in a suspended state, and side caps 140 provided at the left and right ends of the head box 120. The side caps 140 are configured to house a front portion 141 that covers the interior of the side cap 140 from the front side, a bottom portion 142 that covers the bottom side, and a wire set 128 (see Fig. 9) that can supply power or transmit signals to electrical components, so that the wire set 128 can be routed to the rear and upper sides of the head box 120. Each component will be described below.

[0020] The slats 110 are shielding materials that close the opening. As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of slats 110 are supported in the vertical direction by ladder cords 111 hanging down from a head box 120. The slats 110 rotate by tilting the ladder cords 111. The slats 110 can be raised and lowered by lifting cords 113 that hang down from the head box 120 and are connected to bottom rails 112 that are arranged below the slats 110.

[0021] The head box 120 is fixed to a window frame, ceiling, or the like (not shown) via brackets BR. As shown in Fig. 1, the head box 120 contains a drum 121 to which the upper end of the ladder cord 111 is connected so as to be tiltable and to which the upper end of the lifting cord 113 is connected so as to be capable of being wound and unwound, a motor 122 that drives and rotates the drum 121, and a drive shaft 123 that transmits the driving force of the motor 122 to the drum 121.

[0022] Also provided within the head box 120 are a drive unit 124 that drives the motor 122, a control unit 125 that controls the drive of the drive unit 124, an encoder 126 that detects the direction and amount of rotation of the motor 122, a switching power supply 127 that converts AC power from a commercial power source into DC power and supplies it to drive the drive unit 124 and the control unit 125, and a wire set 128 (wiring) that connects a light receiving unit 170 that receives signals from a remote control RC to the control unit 125.

[0023] An upper limit limit 129 for detecting when the slats 110 are folded up to the upper limit is provided inside the head box 120. The tip of the upper limit limit 129 protrudes below the head box 120 and comes into contact with the upper limit limit 129 to detect when the slats 110 are folded up to the upper limit.

[0024] 1, a power cord 130 (wiring) for connecting to a commercial power source is led out from one end of the head box 120. The power cord 130 is connected to a switching power supply 127. The electrical components in this embodiment are made up of the motor 122, the drive unit 124, the control unit 125, the encoder 126, the switching power supply 127, and the upper limit 129.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 2, a side cap 140 is fitted and attached to one end of the head box 120. A side cap cover 150 is fitted to the side cap 140. As shown in FIG. 3, the side cap 140 and the side cap cover 150 form a rear guide portion 160 and an upper guide portion 162 at the rear and upper portions, which are openings through which the power cord 130 can be led out. In this embodiment, the power cord 130 is led out to the outside through the rear guide portion 160, but it may also be led out through the upper guide portion 162. As shown in FIG. 1, a light receiving portion 170 is provided at a lower corner on the front side of the side cap 140.

[0026] 1, an other-end side cap 190 is provided on the other end side of the head box 120. The other-end side cap 190 simply closes the other end of the head box 120, and may have the same configuration as the side cap 140 or a different configuration.

[0027] The side cap 140, which is a characteristic feature of this embodiment, will be described with reference to Figs. 4 to 7. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one end of the head box 120, with the side cap 140, detachable member 151, and cover member 152 separated, as viewed from the front. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the side cap 140, as viewed from the rear. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the side cap 140, as viewed from the back side. Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the side cap 140 with the side cap cover 150 removed.

[0028] (Side cap 140) The side cap 140 is fitted to one end of the head box 120. As shown in Fig. 4, the outer periphery of the side cap 140 is shaped to fit the end shape of the head box 120, and is detachable from the head box 120. The side cap 140 includes a front surface portion 141 that covers the interior of the side cap 140 from the front side, a bottom surface portion 142 that covers the bottom side, a top surface portion 143 that covers the upper side up to approximately the center position in the front-to-rear direction, and a side surface portion 144 that closes one end of the head box 120. The front surface portion 141, the bottom surface portion 142, and the top surface portion 143 have the same width in the left-to-right direction and are formed continuously.

[0029] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the side surface portion 144 is composed of a wire housing portion 144a that is recessed from a midpoint in the front-to-rear direction toward one end of the head box 120 to the rear end, and a protruding portion 144b that protrudes in a stepped manner from the front end of the wire housing portion 144a to the front end in a direction away from one end of the head box 120. As shown in Figure 5, a notch 144c that is cut downward from the upper end is formed at the boundary between the wire housing portion 144a and the protruding portion 144b. As shown in Figure 6, the notch 144c is also formed in a substantially L-shape at the rear end of the top surface portion 143. The power cord 130 is pulled out from inside the head box 120 through the notch 144c.

[0030] The wiring accommodating portion 144a can accommodate the wiring led out from inside the head box 120. Therefore, after the wiring is led out from the head box 120, it is temporarily accommodated in the side cap 140 and can be led out, for example, from the rear end of the side cap 140 without being exposed to the interior of the room, thereby improving the design. Furthermore, in order to lead out the wiring from the left and right ends of the head box 120 and route it, a "box cut" is not required to make the longitudinal size of the head box 120 smaller than the longitudinal size of the slat 110. As a result, it is possible to improve the design without impairing workability. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, two modular jacks 145-1 and 145-2 (wiring connection portions) are provided in the wiring accommodating portion 144a in the vertical direction, penetrating the wiring accommodating portion 144a.

[0031] As shown in Fig. 4, below modular jack 145-2 is provided a dip switch 180, which is a switching unit that allows switching between a first state in which power is supplied to light receiving unit 170 and a second state in which power is not supplied. By switching so that power is not supplied to light receiving unit 170, it is possible to reduce standby power consumption. Examples of situations in which reception of remote control signals by light receiving unit 170 is unnecessary include when an external receiver capable of receiving remote control signals is attached, or, as will be described later, when multiple electric blinds are connected together and can be operated collectively by remote control signals received by the light receiving units of the other blinds.

[0032] As shown in Fig. 6, the dip switch 180 is attached by a switch attachment portion 146 formed in the wiring housing portion 144a, penetrating the wiring housing portion 144a. The dip switch 180 is prevented from being exposed by a side cap cover 150 that covers the side surface of the side cap 140. Furthermore, the dip switch 180 can be operated from the outside through an opening 153 by removing a cover member 152 from a detachable member 151 of the side cap cover 150. In this way, the dip switch 180 can be switched between a first state and a second state from the outside of the side cap 140.

[0033] 5, the protruding portion 144b is disposed closer to the head box 120 so that a slight gap is formed between the front surface portion 141 and the side end portions of the bottom surface portion 142. As shown in FIG. 6, the light receiving unit 170 is disposed in front of the bottom surface portion 142 within the protruding portion 144b.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 7, the side cap 140 has fitting holes 144d for fitting with the side cap cover 150 at the upper rear part of the wiring accommodating portion 144a and at the upper and lower parts of the protruding portion 144b at approximately the center in the front-to-rear direction.

[0035] (Side Cap Cover 150) The side cap cover 150 is detachable from the side cap 140 and covers the side surface of the side cap 140. As shown in Fig. 4, the side cap cover 150 has a detachable member 151 that is detachable from the side cap 140, and a cover member 152 that is attached to the detachable member 151. The cover member 152 can be made of the same material as the cover member attached to the front of the head box 120 or the slats 110, for example.

[0036] 4, the detachable member 151 has an opening 153 formed at a position corresponding to the wiring housing portion 144a. The detachable member 151 also has a housing portion 154 into which the cover member 152 is slid and housed. The cover member 152 is a thin rectangular plate, and can close the opening 153 of the detachable member 151.

[0037] 7, the detachable member 151 has fitting claws 155 formed at positions corresponding to the three fitting holes 144d of the side cap 140. The detachable member 151 has an upper protrusion 156 formed thereon that protrudes upward from a midpoint in the front-rear direction to the rear end. The upper protrusion 156 is formed in a substantially L-shape by a surface 156a extending in the front-rear direction and a surface 156b extending in the left-right direction.

[0038] 6, when the detachable member 151 is attached to the side cap 140, the surface 156a extending in the front-rear direction is configured to be continuous with the upper surface of the side cap 140. The surface 156b extending in the left-right direction is configured to be in contact with the wire accommodating portion 144a. A fitting claw 155 that fits into a fitting hole 144d formed in the wire accommodating portion 144a of the side cap 140 is provided at the tip of the surface 156b extending in the left-right direction.

[0039] When the side cap 140 and the side cap cover 150 are attached, a rear guide portion 160, which is an opening through which wiring can be led out, is formed behind the side cap 140 and the side cap cover 150, as shown in Fig. 3. In addition, an upper guide portion 162, which is an opening through which wiring can be led out, is formed above the side cap 140 and the side cap cover 150. In this embodiment, the power cord 130 is led out from the rear guide portion 160. The power cord 130 led out from the rear guide portion 160 is led to the back side of the side cap 140 and is not exposed inside the room, which provides a good design.

[0040] The light receiving unit 170 provided in the side cap 140 will be described with reference to Fig. 8 in addition to Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the light receiving unit 170. As shown in Fig. 8, the light receiving unit 170 is made up of two light receiving elements 171 and 172, a base 173 on one side of which the two light receiving elements 171 and 172 are provided at a predetermined angle, and a cover 174.

[0041] As shown in Fig. 6, the two light receiving elements 171, 172 and the base 173 are provided on the front side of the bottom surface 142 within the protruding portion 144b of the side cap 140. One light receiving element 171 faces forward of the side cap 140, and the other light receiving element 172 faces downward of the side cap 140. This can improve light receiving sensitivity. A connector 175 to which the wire set 128 is connected is provided on the other surface of the base 173.

[0042] The cover 174 is configured to be substantially L-shaped as shown in Fig. 8. The cover 174 is attached so as to straddle the front surface portion 141 and the bottom surface portion 142 of the side cap 140 and protrude from the side cap 140 as shown in Fig. 6.

[0043] The wire set 128 will be described with reference to Figure 9. The wire set 128 is divided into three parts. The first wire set 128a connects the control unit connector 200 connected to the control unit 125 to the modular jack connector 201 connected to the modular jacks 145-1 and 145-2. The second wire set 128b connects the control unit connector 200 to the light receiving unit connector 202 connected to the connector 175 of the base 173 of the light receiving unit 170. The third wire set 128c connects the DIP switch 180 to the control unit connector 200 and the light receiving unit connector 202.

[0044] The state in which two electric blinds 100-1, 100-2 are connected together will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a front view showing the state in which the electric blinds 100 are connected together. As shown in Fig. 10, the two electric blinds 100-1, 100-2 are arranged so that the side cap 140 of one electric blind 100-1 and the other end side cap 190 of the other electric blind 100-2 are adjacent to each other. The power cord 130 is led out from the rear guide portion 160 or upper guide portion 162 of the side cap 140, so it does not interfere with the other end side cap 190. This allows the two electric blinds 100-1, 100-2 to be arranged as close together as possible.

[0045] When two electric blinds 100-1 and 100-2 are connected in this manner, for example, the two electric blinds 100-1 and 100-2 can be operated simultaneously using a remote control signal received by the light receiving unit 170 of one of the electric blinds 100-1. In this case, the dip switch 180 of the other electric blind 100-2 can be set to the second state to prevent power from being supplied. This reduces standby power consumption of the other electric blind 100-2.

[0046] (Effects of the first embodiment) As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to switch between a state in which power is supplied to the light receiving unit 170 built into the motorized blind 100 (first state) and a state in which power is not supplied (second state). Therefore, when it is no longer necessary for the built-in light receiving unit 170 to receive a remote control signal, it is possible to switch so that power is not supplied to the light receiving unit 170. This makes it possible to reduce standby power consumption of the motorized blind 100 that has a built-in light receiving unit 170 that can receive a remote control signal.

[0047] Furthermore, in a structure in which the light receiving unit 170 is built into the side cap 140, it is possible to easily switch between the first state and the second state by operating the dip switch 180 from the outside of the side cap 140.

[0048] Furthermore, since the dip switch 180 is not exposed from the side cap 140, the design can be improved.

[0049] Furthermore, the side cap cover 150 has a detachable member 151 that can be attached to and detached from the side cap 140, and a cover member 152 that is attached to the detachable member 151, which allows for further improvement in design.

[0050] Since the side cap cover 150 is provided with an opening 153 through which the dip switch 180 can be operated, it is possible to easily switch between the first state and the second state even after the side cap cover 150 is attached to the side cap 140.

[0051] (Variation) When the control unit 125 receives a setting for switching between a first state in which power is supplied to the light receiving unit 170 and a second state in which power is not supplied, the control unit 125 can be provided with a control unit that controls switching between the first state and the second state based on this setting.

[0052] More specifically, for example, the electric blind 100 is provided with a setting button, and the user can operate the setting button to set whether the state is the first state or the second state. Then, when the control unit 125 receives a setting related to switching between the first state and the second state via the user's operation of the setting button, it controls switching between the first state and the second state based on the received setting.

[0053] With this configuration, the control unit can be configured by software, and the light receiving unit 170 can be switched between the first state and the second state by software switching. This type of software switching control can reduce standby power consumption of the motorized blind 100, which has a built-in light receiving unit 170 that can receive remote control signals.

[0054] The setting button may be configured such that, for example, a button corresponding to a first state and a button corresponding to a second state are provided, and the first state or the second state can be set depending on the button pressed by the user. Also, there may be only one setting button, and in this case, the first state or the second state can be set depending on the number of times or the duration of pressing (long pressing, etc.) the setting button is pressed by the user.

[0055] The second state in which power is not supplied may be set by remote control operation, and the first state in which power is supplied may be set by a button operation by the user.

[0056] While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such examples. It is clear that those skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications and alterations within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these modifications and alterations also fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0057] For example, in the above embodiment, the switching unit is the DIP switch 180, but the present invention is not limited to this example. Any design is possible as long as it is possible to switch between a first state in which power is supplied to the light receiving unit and a second state in which power is not supplied.

[0058] In the above embodiment, the DIP switch 180 is provided on the side cap 140, but the present invention is not limited to this example. The DIP switch 180 can be designed arbitrarily as long as it can be operated to switch between a first state in which power is supplied to the light receiving unit and a second state in which power is not supplied. For example, the DIP switch 180 may be provided at any position on the head box.

[0059] In the above embodiment, the side cap cover 150 is provided to cover the side surface of the side cap 140 so that the dip switch 180 is not exposed, but the present invention is not limited to this example. Any design is possible as long as it is possible to switch between a first state in which power is supplied to the light receiving unit and a second state in which power is not supplied. For example, the side cap cover may not be provided, and the dip switch may be exposed from the side surface of the side cap. Alternatively, the dip switch may be provided so as to be exposed from the side cap cover.

[0060] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the DIP switch 180 can be operated through the opening 153 of the side cap cover 150, but the present invention is not limited to this example. Any design is possible as long as it is possible to switch between a first state in which power is supplied to the light receiving unit and a second state in which power is not supplied. For example, the DIP switch 180 may be configured to be operated by removing the side cap cover.

[0061] The above-described embodiments, applications, modifications, etc. can be implemented in appropriate combinations. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 100 Electric Blinds 110 Slats (shielding material) 111 Ladder Code 112 bottom rail 113 Lifting cord 120 headbox 121 Drums 122 Motor 123 Drive shaft 124 Drive Unit 125 Control Unit 126 Encoder 127 Switching Power Supply 128 Wire set (wiring) 129 Upper Limit 130 Power cord (wiring) 140 Side Cap 141 Front part 142 Bottom part 143 Top part 144 Side part 144a Wiring storage section 144b Protruding part 144c Notch 144d fitting hole 145-1, 145-2 Modular jack (wiring connection part) 150 Side Cap Cover 151 Detachable member 152 Cover member 153 Opening 154 Storage section 155 Interlocking claw 156 Upper protrusion 156a Surface extending in the front-to-back direction 156b Surface extending in the left-right direction 160 Rear guide section 162 Upper guide section 170 Light receiving section 171 One of the photodetectors 172 the other light receiving element 173 Base 174 Cover 175 Connector 180 DIP switch (switching section) 190 Other end side cap 200 Control unit connector 201 Modular jack connector 202 Light receiving connector BR Bracket RC remote control

Claims

1. An electric blind that opens and closes a shielding material by driving a motor, a light receiving unit that is built in and capable of receiving a remote control signal that drives the motor; a switching unit that can switch between a first state in which power is supplied to the light receiving unit and a second state in which power is not supplied to the light receiving unit; An electric blind characterized by comprising:

2. The head box further includes side caps provided at the left and right ends of the head box that supports the shielding material in a suspended state, the side caps being housed inside the head box in a state in which the light receiving unit can receive the remote control signal, The electric blind according to claim 1, wherein the switching unit can be operated from outside the side cap to switch between the first state and the second state.

3. The electric blind according to claim 2, further comprising a side cap cover that is detachable from the side cap and covers the side surface of the side cap so that the switching portion is not exposed.

4. 4. The electric blind according to claim 3, wherein the side cap cover comprises a detachable member that is detachable from the side cap, and a cover member that is attached to the detachable member.

5. 5. The electric blind according to claim 3, wherein the side cap cover has an opening that allows operation of the switching unit from outside the side cap cover when the side cap cover is attached to the side cap.

6. An electric blind that has a built-in light receiving unit capable of receiving a remote control signal for driving a motor, and drives the motor to open and close a shielding material, a control unit that receives a setting for switching between a first state in which power is supplied to the light receiving unit and a second state in which power is not supplied to the light receiving unit; The electric blind, wherein the control unit, when receiving the setting, controls switching between the first state and the second state based on the setting.

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