Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a method and device to motorize bladeset rotation angle of a shutter, and more particularly, to a method and device to motorize bladeset rotation angle of a shutter which can rotate the bladeset of the shutter to a required angle rapidly when using, and provide a better convenience of operation. 
         [0003]    2. Related Art 
         [0004]    With an increasing progress on science and technology, the hope of people to continuously pursuit an enhanced life quality has been achieved, and many necessities of daily life also come into being automatized. As shown in  FIGS. 1   a  and  1   b , a conventional shutter generally includes a frame  20  pivotally disposed on the edge of the window (not shown) and a plurality of blades  21   a  pivotally disposed on two sides of the frame  20  in horizontal parallel. Two ends of each of the blades  21   a  are inserted into the pivot holes (not shown) on the inner side of the frame  20  through a pivot piece  210  which can be rotated and has an appropriate damping (used for preventing the bladeset from rotating automatically due to its own weight). The intermediate section of each of the blades  21   a  facing the room is linked up with each other through a pull rod  22  via looped links, such that the angle of the whole bladeset  21  of the shutter is adjusted by pushing and pulling the pull rod  22  manually. 
         [0005]    However, the manual operation of adjusting the angle of the blade needs to be performed near the shutter. When a large number of shutters are required to be adjusted, they must be operated one by one, and also it is quite difficult to rotate each of the shutters to the required given angle correctly and nicely, thereby resulting in an inconvenience in operation and use. 
         [0006]    Substantially, the operation may be motorized by using a motor device. Such a motorized mechanism must be in capable of being operated forward and backward, and generally a small DC motor can be used and a cell is used as a power. For the angle control, it is substantially possible that multiple shutters are operated simultaneously by using a remote control signal, however, if starting forward and backward rotations and stopping are controlled only depending on visualization by an operator, one similar case that multiple shutters are incapable of being simultaneously adjusted to a common given angle during an manual operation still occurs. Further, for the motorized device, a user can still operate manually, thus a motorization design must meet such a requirement and should not result in a conflict or damage to the device. Therefore, the present invention is to achieve the convenience in use and operation and to achieve a motorization of the bladeset angle of the shutter by using simple and reliable device and method. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and device to motorize bladeset rotation angle of a shutter for overcoming the defect that the blade is incapable of being rapidly rotated to the required angle when the conventional shutter is used, and meanwhile meeting the requirement that the motorized device of the shutter also allows the user to adjust the bladeset manually. 
         [0008]    Accordingly, to achieve the aforementioned objects, the present invention provides a method to motorize bladeset rotation angle of a shutter, which allows the user to operate by taking a given target angle as an instruction. The method comprises resetting the bladeset of the shutter to an origin point position at first when an instruction of starting the target angle is received; and then rotating the bladeset of the shutter to a given target angle with respect to the origin point, and calculating a residual angle deviation to continuously rotate the bladeset to the given target angle -when an instruction of the given rotation angle is received again during the operation. A preferred embodiment of the present invention provides five kinds of instruction selections such as an upper origin point, 45 degrees, 90 degrees, 135 degrees and a lower origin point, such that the bladeset of the shutter automatically rotates to the required rotation angle only according to one instruction from the user. 
         [0009]    The present invention also provides a device to motorize bladeset rotation angle of a shutter, which comprises an input interface for inputting instructions; a sensor for sensing at least one origin point position of the bladeset, a driver for driving the bladeset to rotate, and a controller for calculating and controlling the operation of the driver according to the origin point position and the target angle, such that the bladeset is rotated to the required angle rapidly and accurately, thereby improving the convenience in use and operation. A moment restrictor is also provided in an embodiment of the present invention, such that only appropriate connecting moment is delivered between the driver and the bladeset, thus when the moment exceeds a preset range, the moment restrictor is departed from each other, thereby protecting the drive construction from being damaged and allowing the user to adjust the bladeset manually. 
         [0010]    The method and device to motorize bladeset rotation angle of the shutter according to the present invention enables the bladeset of the shutter to be rotated to the given angle under an instruction, and allows a remote control operation, and meanwhile controls the bladeset of multiple shutters to be rotated to the target angle. Furthermore, the present invention enables the bladeset of the shutter to seek the origin point wisely, controls the rotation to the target angle accordingly, and allows updating of the requirement for the target angle during the process, thereby saving the time and power consumption and considering both the motorized and manual operations. 
         [0011]    To have a further understanding of the objects, structures, characteristics, and functions of the present invention, the present invention is illustrated in detail accompanied by related embodiments and drawings a follows. 
         [0012]    Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below for illustration only, and which thus is not limitative of the present invention, and wherein: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1   a  is a schematic view of a bladeset of a shutter according to the prior art; 
           [0015]      FIG. 1   b  is a schematic view of a bladeset of a shutter in an operating condition according to the prior art; 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a schematic view of assembly of the device to motorize bladeset rotation angle of the shutter according to the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a schematic view of function of the device to motorize bladeset rotation angle of the shutter according to the present invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is an exploded schematic view of the body of the device to motorize bladeset rotation angle of the shutter according to the present invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a schematic view of local structures of a driver, a sensor, and a bladeset for rotation angle of the blades of the device to motorize bladeset rotation angle of the shutter according to the present invention; 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is a schematic view of input interface for rotation angle of the blade of the device to motorize bladeset rotation angle of the shutter according to the present invention; 
           [0021]      FIG. 7  is a schematic view of rotation angle of the blade of the method to motorize bladeset rotation angle of the shutter of the present invention; 
           [0022]      FIG. 8  is a schematic view of the flow of the method to motorize bladeset rotation angle of the shutter according to the present invention; 
           [0023]      FIG. 9   a  is a perspective view of the gear set and elastic damping means of the device to motorize bladeset rotation angle of the shutter according to the present invention; and 
           [0024]      FIG. 9   b  is an exploded view of the gear set and elastic damping means of the device to motorize bladeset rotation angle of the shutter according to the present invention; 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0025]    Please refer to  FIGS. 2 and 3  of schematic views of assembly and function of the present invention. As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the device  1  to motorize bladeset rotation angle of shutter of the present invention comprises a body  10  buried on one side of a frame  20  of the shutter, an output shaft  109  fitted with one end of one of the blades of the bladeset  21  through an end cover  212  for transmission. The body  10  can be controlled remotely with an input interface  61  by transmitting signals in a wired or wireless manner, and the wireless communication manner may be a radio frequency or an infrared signal manner. Here, each of the blades of bladeset is pivotally connected to a corresponding spindle hole of the frame  20  in a smoothly-rotatable manner, such that the output of the device  1  is controlled to be sufficient to drive the bladeset  21  to rotate. The shutter includes a pull rod  22  joining each of the blades of bladeset  21  together for a linked-up control, and allows a manual operation by the user. During a motorizing operation, a plurality of keys of the given target angle on the input interface  61 , for example an upper origin point key  610 , a first target angle (45 degrees) key  611  a second target angle (90 degrees) key  612 , a third target angle (135 degrees) key  613 , etc., is used for outputting an angle instruction to the body  10 , such that the bladeset  21  of the shutter automatically rotates to the required upper origin point U, the first target angle A, the second target angle B, the third target angle C, etc. 
         [0026]    Please refer to  FIG. 4  of an appearance and local exploded view of the body  10  of one embodiment of the present invention. The body  10  generally is a box buried and fixed in the frame of shutter (not shown), and an output shaft  109  is connected to an end cover  212  fitted with one end of one of the blades of bladeset  21  for transferring a rotary force. The power coming from a battery (not shown) in the body  10  is controlled to drive a motor  51  driven. A battery cover  101  may be taken off for replacing the battery. Generally, the body  10  of the device to motorize bladeset rotation angle of shutter of the present invention comprises a receiver (not shown), for example an infrared signal receiving circuit, for receiving a control instruction; a sense  40  for sensing at least one origin point position of the bladeset  21 , a driver  50  for driving the bladeset  21  to rotate, and a controller (which contains a microprocessor and a circuit) for calculating and controlling the operation of the driver  50  according to the origin point position. Here, the sensor  40  includes an actuating piece  41  connected to the output shaft  109  and a switch  42 , and the driver  50  includes a motor  51  and a reduction gear set (such as the gears  52 ,  53 ,  54 ,  55  described below), for driving the output shaft  109 . When the controller receives the instruction signal from the input interface, the driver  50  is controlled to determine the origin point position of the bladeset  21  by utilizing the sensor  40 , and then the bladeset  21  is further driven to the target angle. 
         [0027]      FIG. 5  shows a local structure of one embodiment of the driver  50 , the sensor  40 , and the bladeset  21  (represented by the end cover  212 ). The output shaft of the motor  51  is connected to a motor gear  52 , a big gear  53  is engaged with the motor gear  52 , a small gear  54  and the big gear  53  are set coaxially, which are connected with each other or have a moment restrictor, an output gear  55  is fixed to the output shaft  109 , and the above motor  51 , motor gear  52 , and coaxial gear set (including the big gear  53  and the small gear  54 ) and output shaft  109  together form the driver  50  disposed in the body  10 , such that the coaxial gear set (including the big gear  53  and the small gear  54 ) and the output shaft  109  may be positioned and rotated pivotally, and thereby the rotary force of the motor  51  is decreased in speed and increased in force and then transmitted to the output shaft  109 . The output shaft  109  forms a cross shaped (or another suitable shape) spindle hole  109   a  to transfer the rotary force in combination with a protrusion  212   a  corresponding to the end cover  212  of the blade. The motor  51  preferably is a stepping motor, by the driving pulse of which the rotation angle is controlled exactly. At least one actuating point is set on the output shaft  109 , and here two actuating protrusions  411 ,  412  respectively correspond to the upper origin point U and lower origin point D of the bladeset  21 . The actuating protrusions  411 ,  412  press a switch  42  for an actuation through a spring  413 , such that the switch  42  produces an ON signal when the output shaft  109  and the bladeset  21  are rotated to near the positions of upper, lower limits of a rotatable range of the blade (that is the upper origin point and the lower origin point), while produces an OFF signal when they are at other intermediate angles. The controller (not shown) controls the bladeset  21  to be rotated and positioned according to the signals, and once the controller determines that the bladeset  21  has reached the upper or lower origin point U or D, the blades are accordingly controlled to be rotated to other positioning angles A, B, C etc. The above spring  413  and switch  42  (fixed on a circuit board  62 ) are both fixed within the body  10 , and form the sensor  40  together with the actuating protrusions  411 ,  412 . 
         [0028]      FIG. 6  shows an embodiment of the input interface  61  of the present invention. The input interface preferably is a remote control, such that multiple shutters may be remotely controlled simultaneously with a radio frequency or an infrared signal. The input interface  61  is provided with a plurality of given target angle keys, for example the upper origin point key  610 , the first target angle key  611 , the second target angle key  612 , the third target angle key  613 , the lower origin key  614  and a stop key  615 . Accordingly, the user only needs to choose to press any one of the target angle keys  610 ,  611 ,  612 ,  613 , and  614  to send out the instruction signal, the device of the present invention automatically performs the angle control. During the performance, the user may change the target angle at any time or may press the stop key  615  to stop the rotation of the bladeset  21 . 
         [0029]    The control method of the present invention is illustrated by taking  FIG. 7  as an example;  FIG. 7  is a schematic view of the rotation angle of the bladeset  21 . For example, when starting from an initial point S 1 , the blade first rotates upwards until reaching the upper origin point U (the sensor is ON), and then the controller counts the angle (with time or in pulse number) inversely to rotate the blade to the target angle TI. During this period, for example being at the intermediate point M 1  before reaching the upper origin point U, even though the setting of the target angle is changed, the controller continues to perform an upward rotation to turn to the control of a new target angle after finding the upper origin point U (if the target angle is the upper origin point U or the lower origin point D, the rotation proceeds upwards, downwards to the end at any time). If the instruction of a new target angle is received when the upper origin point U is exceeded and an intermediate point M 2  is reached, the controller reckons a subsequent travel with the current position and continues to rotate the blade to the new target angle T 2 . For example, if again receiving the instruction of a new target angle at an intermediate point M 3  before T 2  is reached, the controller inversely rotates the blade to the new target angle T 3  since the position has been exceeded. Another example on control is that, the blade  21  originally stops at the lower origin point D, the sensor being ON, and when being restarted, the controller is incapable of determining whether the blade  21  is at the upper origin point U or at the lower origin point D (since the blade may be moved manually -by the user when it is stopped), so the controller still controls the blade to rotate upwards. The sensor  40  is checked at real time, and if it is found that the signal has changed from ON to OFF, it is known that the blade  21  is at the lower origin point D originally, and the blade can be controlled to rotate towards the target angle (that is the second target angle B) accordingly. 
         [0030]    The method to motorize the bladeset rotation angle of the shutter of the present invention is still illustrated by referring to  FIG. 8  which is a flow diagram. When receiving a start instruction which causes the blade to start from a stop state, the state of sensor in a current position is checked and recorded (step SI  0 ). The blade rotates upwards by a certain rotation angle (step S 20 ). The case on a change in the sensor is determined (step S 30 ). If the sensor  40  changes from ON to OFF, it represents that the blade originally is at the lower origin point, so a present angle equals to the lower origin point minus the rotation angle (step S 40 ), the rotation continues to be controlled accordingly. If the sensor remains OFF or has changed from OFF to ON just now, it represents that the upper origin point U has still not been reached (or been entered just now), the controller may continues to rotate the blade by a certain rotation angle for a re-determination, and when it is determined that the sensor remains ON, it represents that the blade now is at the upper origin point, and a present angle equals to the upper origin point (step S 50 ), and the blade may be rotated downwards to the target angle accordingly. During the operation, a difference between an up-to-date target angle and a present angel is viewed circularly (step S 60 ). If the present angle is larger than the target angle, the blade is rotated upwards, that is the blade is rotated upwards by a rotation angle and the rotation angle is subtracted from the present angle (step S 70 ). If the present angle is less than the target angle, the blade continues to be rotated downwards, that is the blade is rotated downwards by a rotation angle and the rotation angle is subtracted from the present angle (step S 80 ). If the difference equals to 0, the rotation is stopped. In this embodiment, the rotation angle modified each time is represented by 5 degrees, and practically other angle values may also be used for operation. 
         [0031]    In the present invention, the motor functions as a power which is slowed down by the reduction gear set, such that the output shaft generates a sufficient moment, correspondingly, when the pull rod or blade is rotated by manual operation, or a barrier is encountered or a dead point is reached during the blade rotation, an external force is input from the blade, which relatively drives an internal driver means to rotate instantly and rapidly, such that the driver means is easy to be damaged. Therefore, in the present invention, a moment restrictor is designed on the transmitting path between the transmitting shaft and the motor output shaft, such that the transmitting force detaches when the external force or load exceeds a preset value, and thereby avoiding the driver means from being damaged by the external force. In the embodiment as shown in  FIG. 5  of the present invention, an elastic damping structure is designed on the coaxial reduction gear, and as shown the perspective and exploded view of  FIGS. 9   a  and  9   b , the big, small gears  53 ,  54  are slidably arranged on the shaft rod  56 , and an elastic piece, for example colloidal silica or a rubber ring  59 , is clamped therebetween, which is firmly locked to an appropriate pressure by utilizing the shoulder region of one end of the shaft rod  56  or a snap ring  561  as well as a screw thread  562 , a washer  580  and dual lug nuts  581 ,  582  at the other end, and thereby generating an appropriate friction rotation moment. Thus a moment is set sufficient to be output from the inside to drive the blade to rotate, and is capable of protecting the internal driver means from being damaged by the undue moment input from the outside via an overload slip. The moment restrictor naturally may be designed between the output gear and the output shaft, or on the motor gear. 
         [0032]    The method and device to motorize bladeset rotation angle of the shutter of the present invention at least can achieve the following functions. 
         [0033]    1. The present invention enables the bladeset of the shutter to be rotated to the given angle under an instruction, and allows a remote control operation, and meanwhile controls the bladeset of multiple shutters to be rotated to the target angle; 
         [0034]    2. The present invention enables the bladeset of the shutter to seek the origin point wisely, controls the rotation to the target angle accordingly, and allows updating of the requirement for the target angle during the process, thereby saving the time and power consumption and considering both the motorized and manual operations. 
         [0035]    The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.

Technology Category: 0