Patent ID: 9677329
Date: 2017-06-13
CPC Classifications: B64C,E05F,E06B

Claim:
1. A manually operated override release mechanism for a motorized widow shade assembly having a motor, a pulley, and a shade fabric with a leading edge, the shade fabric having a first side disposed proximate to a user, and a second side, the shade fabric being disposed behind a pane, the pane being configured to prevent direct user access to the shade fabric, the shade fabric being coupled to the pulley and the motor so as to be movable between an opened position and a closed position by operation of the motor on the pulley coupled to the shade fabric, the override release mechanism comprising: an actuator configured to selectively couple and de-couple the motor from the pulley, the actuator being movable between a first position in which the motor is coupled to the pulley and a second position in which the motor is de-coupled from the pulley, the actuator having a biasing mechanism that biases the actuator in the first position, the actuator having a first side secured to a first end of a cable, and a second side, the cable having a second end connected to the motor, wherein the actuator, by control of tension to the cable, is configured to move the motor between an operating position, in which the motor is coupled to the pulley of the motorized window shade assembly, and a decoupled position in which the motor is decoupled from the pulley of the motorized window shade assembly, the motor being in the operating position when the actuator is in the first position and being in the decoupled position when the actuator is in the second position; and a tether attached at one end to the shade fabric proximate the leading edge, the tether being slidably engaged with the actuator and having a free end accessible by the user, the tether being arranged with respect to the actuator such that applying tension to the free end of the tether urges the actuator to the second position and causes decoupling of the motor from the pulley of the motorized window shade assembly, the decoupling of the motor permitting manual operation of the shade fabric by the user through extension of the tether, and the tether and the actuator being arranged such that reducing tension to the free end of the tether causes re-coupling of the motor to the pulley of the motorized window shade assembly to allow for motorized operation of the shade fabric in the operating position of the motor.