Roller Blind Rotary Drive With Planetary Gearing for Fast Cord-Free Operation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing roller blind systems pose a strangulation hazard due to cords or chains, and alternative handle-based systems are slow and inefficient, requiring excessive rotations to deploy or retract the blind fabric effectively.
Innovation Solution
A rotary drive system incorporating a handle that rotates a worm gear, which engages a bull gear and a planetary gear system, allowing the roller tube to rotate faster than the handle, minimizing strangulation risks and enhancing deployment/retraction speed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If cords or chains are used to rotate the roller tube, then the blind fabric can be deployed or retracted, but strangulation danger arises for small children and pets
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the cord or chain from the system entirely, extracting the harmful element while preserving the blind's operational function through an alternative handle-based mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a handle as an intermediary device between the user and the roller tube, replacing the dangerous cord/chain with a safe alternative that still enables blind deployment and retraction
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a handle or wand is used to operate the blind, then strangulation potential is eliminated, but a high number of rotations are required to wind or unwind the blind fabric
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the simple handle rotation mechanism with a compound gear system (worm gear, bull gear, and planetary gear system) that provides mechanical advantage, reducing the number of rotations needed while maintaining safety
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the rotational speed parameter through the gear system, allowing the roller tube to rotate faster than the handle, thereby reducing deployment time while eliminating strangulation hazards
3Object-affected harmful factors
If cords or chains are rigidly mounted to the window frame, then strangulation risk is minimized, but additional physical structures and installation costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the cord or chain mounting requirement entirely, eliminating the need for additional physical structures on the window frame by using a handle-based system
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system reduces the risk of strangulation by eliminating cords and chains while allowing for rapid and efficient operation of the roller blind, reducing the number of rotations needed to deploy or retract the fabric.
Implementation Method 1
a handle having a longitudinal axis and configured to attach to and cause rotation of a worm gear when said handle is rotated about said longitudinal axis; a bull gear configured to engage said worm gear such that rotation of said worm gear in a first longitudinal direction causes rotation of said bull gear in a first direction perpendicular to said first longitudinal direction
Implementation Method 2
a planetary gear drive system comprising a ring gear, a sun gear, a planetary gear carrier and a plurality of planetary gears, said bull gear configured to engage said planetary gear carrier such that rotation of said bull gear causes rotation of said planetary gear carrier along a common axis, said sun gear configured to engage the roller tube of the roller blind, wherein rotation of said worm gear causes a rotation of said bull gear which rotates said planetary gear carrier causing said planetary gears to impart rotational motion to said sun gear and rotation of the roller tube at a rate faster than the rotation of said worm gear
Data Source
AI summary
A rotary drive system for a roller blind. The drive system comprises a handle a worm gear, a bull gear, and a planetary gear drive system. The handle causes rotation of the worm gear, that engages the bull gear, that engages the planetary gear carrier of the planetary gear drive system. The sun gear of the planetary gear drive system is configured to engage the roller tube of the roller blind. Rotation of the worm gear causes a rotation of the bull gear which rotates the planetary gear carrier, causing the planetary gears to impart rotational motion to the sun gear and rotation of the roller tube at a rate faster than the rotation of the worm gear, said planetary gear carrier causing said planetary gears to impart rotational motion to said sun gear and rotation of the roller tube at a rate faster than the rotation of said worm gear.