Motorized Venetian Blind Tilt Control for Sunlight Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing motorized venetian blind systems require manual adjustment to tilt slats, and existing automated systems often rely on single motors that inefficiently adjust tilt by reversing direction, leading to slat misalignment and operational complexity.
Innovation Solution
A motorized blind system with a drive unit that can selectively tilt slats into multiple positions, including view, slanted, and privacy tilt positions, using a communication circuit and memory to schedule tilts based on predicted sun positions, and a method to configure the blind system's orientation using a mobile device to accurately align with the building facade.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single motor is used to control both lift and tilt functions, then device complexity is reduced, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to slat misalignment when the motor reverses direction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the control system into separate lift motor and tilt motor components. The lift motor controls the vertical movement of slats through lift cords, while the tilt motor independently controls the angular position of slats through tilt ladders. This segmentation eliminates the interference between lift and tilt operations that occurs in single-motor systems, ensuring precise slat alignment while maintaining functional integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces tilt ladders as intermediary components that connect the tilt motor to the slats. The tilt ladders transmit rotational motion from the tilt motor to the slats, enabling precise control of slat angle without affecting the lift mechanism. This intermediary mechanism resolves the conflict between simplified motor control and precise alignment requirements.
2Device complexity
If manual adjustment is required for tilt position, then device complexity is reduced, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements automated control systems including timeclocks and sensors that enable the blind system to adjust tilt positions automatically based on predetermined schedules or environmental conditions. The system serves itself by making autonomous decisions about when and how to adjust slat angles, eliminating the need for manual operation while maintaining simple mechanical structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical adjustment with motorized tilt mechanisms controlled by electronic systems. The tilt motor, driven by control circuits responsive to timeclock signals or sensor inputs, substitutes for manual cranking or pulling operations, significantly improving ease of operation while adding only moderate complexity to the device.
3Device complexity
If the motor reverses direction to adjust tilt, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability deteriorates due to frictional slip and slat misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent separates lift and tilt control into independent motor systems, eliminating the directional reversal problem inherent in single-motor designs. The tilt motor rotates in a single direction to adjust slat angles through the tilt ladder mechanism, avoiding the frictional slip and misalignment that occur when a single motor must reverse direction between lift and tilt operations.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using motor direction reversal to control different functions, the patent inverts the approach by using two motors with fixed rotation directions. The lift motor controls vertical position while the tilt motor controls angular position, both rotating in consistent directions. This inversion of the control strategy eliminates reliability issues associated with directional reversal.
4Ease of operation
If automated timeclock control is implemented, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements timeclock control systems that enable the blind system to automatically adjust tilt positions according to predetermined schedules based on sunrise, sunset, or specific time points. The timeclock mechanism stores control instructions and automatically executes them without user intervention, making the system serve itself and eliminating the need for manual operation while providing sophisticated automated functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
A blind system may control (e.g., automatically control) an amount of daylight entering a window on a façade of a building to prevent direct sunlight from shining into the building, while maximizing the amount of indirect sunlight in the building. The blind system may tilt one or more slats into a view tilt position in which the slats are horizontal, a slanted tilt position in which the slats may block direct sunlight from shining into the building, and a privacy tilt position in which the slats are vertical. The drive unit may tilt the slats according to a timeclock having the event times determined from a predicted position of the sun, such that the slats are tilted to the slanted tilt position when the predicted position of the sun indicates that direct sunlight is incident on the façade. A facing direction of the façade may be configured using a mobile device.