Motorized Roller Shade With Smart Hembar for Telescoping Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Motorized roller shades with non-level hembars experience telescoping, damage from obstacles, and slack winding issues, leading to aesthetically displeasing and potentially damaging operation.
Innovation Solution
A motorized window treatment with a smart hembar equipped with state sensing circuits and a control module that monitors and adjusts the hembar's position and movement, preventing telescoping and obstacles, and correcting slack winding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the hembar is not level with the roller tube, then the covering material may extend farther over one end of the roller tube, but this causes telescoping and damage to the covering material
Solution Approach 1:
The state sensing circuit continuously monitors the hembar's level position and provides feedback to the control module. When the hembar is detected to be non-level, the control module adjusts the motor operation to prevent telescoping, thereby protecting the covering material from damage while maintaining operational flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces pure mechanical level-indicating mechanisms with an electronic sensing system. The state sensing circuit uses electrical signals to detect hembar position, and the control module uses electronic control to adjust motor operation, eliminating the need for complex mechanical feedback mechanisms.
2Productivity
If the motor drive unit continues to lower the covering material when the hembar contacts an obstacle, then the motor can complete its full stroke, but this creates loose portions of covering material that are unaesthetically pleasing
Solution Approach 1:
The state sensing circuit detects when the hembar contacts an obstacle by monitoring changes in hembar position or tension. This feedback signal is sent to the control module, which then stops the motor operation prematurely to prevent creating loose, unaesthetic portions of the covering material, sacrificing complete motor stroke for material quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The control module is programmed with preliminary stopping criteria based on expected obstacle locations or hembar behavior patterns. Before the motor completes its full stroke, the system proactively stops operation when sensing conditions indicate potential material damage, preventing the aesthetic defect before it occurs.
3Ease of manufacture
If there is slack in the covering material near the roller tube, then the material can be easily installed, but the slack may be wound around the roller tube causing the hembar to get stuck
Solution Approach 1:
The state sensing circuit monitors the covering material tension and winding status in real-time. When slack is detected being wound around the roller tube, the system provides feedback to the control module, which adjusts motor operation to reverse or pause rotation, preventing the hembar from getting stuck while maintaining installation ease.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts motor rotation speed and direction based on real-time feedback from the state sensing circuit. When slack conditions are detected, the motor operation is modified on-the-fly to prevent winding issues, transforming a static installation problem into a dynamically managed operational parameter.
4Stability of the object's composition
If a loop of covering material is wrapped into the layers when the motor rotates the roller tube, then the material can be wound tightly, but the covering material and hembar drop rapidly causing a short jerk event
Solution Approach 1:
The state sensing circuit detects the formation of loops or irregularities in the material winding by monitoring tension variations or winding uniformity. When such conditions are detected, the system immediately provides feedback to stop or reverse motor operation, preventing the rapid dropping and short jerk events that would damage the material or mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system is programmed with preventive measures that activate before loops can cause damage. By monitoring material behavior during winding, the system prepares to interrupt motor operation in advance, cushioning against the potential harmful effects of loop formation before they can result in rapid material dropping or mechanical damage.
Data Source
AI summary
A motorized window treatment includes a motor drive unit having a motor and a covering material having a first end in a fixed position and a second end movable along a first axis. The covering material is configured to be extended along a first axis when the motor is operated in a first direction and retraced along the first axis when the motor is operated in a second direction. A hembar is coupled to the second end of the covering material. At least one state sensing circuit is coupled to the hembar and is configured to generate at least one first signal. A control circuit is configured to determine a present state of the hembar based on the at least one first signal. The motor drive unit is configured to control the motor when the present state of the hembar and an expected state of the hembar are different.