Transverse Drive Unit for Venetian Blind Slat Stack
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shading devices for buildings, such as external venetian blinds, face challenges in achieving a compact design and high functional reliability due to space constraints and potential malfunctions caused by linear guides prone to tilting and dirt accumulation, which can lead to the slats getting caught in the drive unit.
Innovation Solution
The drive unit, including the electric motor and off switch, is arranged transversely next to the curtain, with the off switch protruding upwards, eliminating the need for a linear guide and allowing a compact, low-fault design by using a simple swivel bearing and a two-armed rocker as the transmission element.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the drive unit is arranged vertically above the curtain with a pressure switch and two-armed rocker, then the off switch can be actuated by the rocker, but the design requires a great deal of space in height causing the stack of slats to cover the upper area of the window
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional vertical arrangement by positioning the drive unit horizontally next to the curtain instead of vertically above it. The electric motor and off switch are reoriented so the off switch protrudes from the side rather than from above, allowing the two-armed rocker to actuate it from the side. This inversion resolves the height space problem while maintaining the rocker-actuated off switch functionality.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a height-adjustable Z-shaped bracket with linear guide is used to reach under the off switch and over the disk pack, then the transmission element can be positioned, but the linear guide is prone to tilting, dirt accumulation, and sluggishness leading to malfunctions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the problematic linear guide component from the system. By repositioning the off switch to protrude from the side of the motor housing, the transmission element can be directly mounted on the motor housing without requiring a height-adjustable bracket with linear guide. This removal of the linear guide eliminates the sources of malfunction (tilting, dirt accumulation, sluggishness) while the off switch remains accessible to the rocker.
3Area of stationary object
If the drive unit is arranged next to the curtain with compact design, then space efficiency is improved, but the off switch must be accessible to the rocker without interfering components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by selectively positioning the off switch to protrude from the side of the motor housing in the specific region where the rocker can access it. This localized positioning ensures the off switch remains accessible to the rocker's actuating element while the rest of the drive unit maintains a compact horizontal arrangement next to the curtain, eliminating the need for large vertical or horizontal clearance zones.
Data Source
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AI summary
In a device for shading a building opening, etc., in particular a venetian blind, with a curtain (3) consisting of parallel, one above the other, slats (1) and a lower end rail (2), wherein the slats (1) can be raised into a stack of slats and lowered by a number of lifting straps (6) acting on the end rail (2) and/or pivoted about an axis parallel to the longitudinal sides of the slats (1) by a number of tilting straps (7) acting on the longitudinal sides of the slats (1), and with a drive unit (9) containing a winding shaft (11) driven by an electric motor (10) for actuating the lifting straps (6) and/or the tilting straps (7), wherein the drive unit (9) is arranged transversely to the plane of the curtain next to the stack of slats and an on/off switch 14 is associated with the electric motor (11), which can be actuated by means of a transmission element (15) by which the curtain (3) is raised into a stack of slats. final position is approachingThis allows for a reliable, low-interference arrangement and a compact design by arranging the electric motor (10) of the drive unit (9) with an upward-facing off switch (14) and by designing the transmission element (15) as a two-armed rocker above it, one arm (16) of which covers the curtain (3) and the other arm (17) of which covers the off switch (14) of the electric motor (10).