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EP4204655A1 - Pleated curtain with retractable movement system - Google Patents

Pleated curtain with retractable movement system

Info

Publication number
EP4204655A1
EP4204655A1 EP20786318.4A EP20786318A EP4204655A1 EP 4204655 A1 EP4204655 A1 EP 4204655A1 EP 20786318 A EP20786318 A EP 20786318A EP 4204655 A1 EP4204655 A1 EP 4204655A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
curtain
fabric
rod
slat
pleated
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Pending
Application number
EP20786318.4A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Inventor
Sergio Marcantoni
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
DFM Srl
Original Assignee
Dfm Srl
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Dfm Srl filed Critical Dfm Srl
Publication of EP4204655A1 publication Critical patent/EP4204655A1/en
Pending legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E06—DOORS, WINDOWS, SHUTTERS, OR ROLLER BLINDS IN GENERAL; LADDERS
    • E06B—FIXED OR MOVABLE CLOSURES FOR OPENINGS IN BUILDINGS, VEHICLES, FENCES OR LIKE ENCLOSURES IN GENERAL, e.g. DOORS, WINDOWS, BLINDS, GATES
    • E06B9/00—Screening or protective devices for wall or similar openings, with or without operating or securing mechanisms; Closures of similar construction
    • E06B9/24—Screens or other constructions affording protection against light, especially against sunshine; Similar screens for privacy or appearance; Slat blinds
    • E06B9/26—Lamellar or like blinds, e.g. venetian blinds
    • E06B9/262—Lamellar or like blinds, e.g. venetian blinds with flexibly-interconnected horizontal or vertical strips; Concertina blinds, i.e. upwardly folding flexible screens
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E06—DOORS, WINDOWS, SHUTTERS, OR ROLLER BLINDS IN GENERAL; LADDERS
    • E06B—FIXED OR MOVABLE CLOSURES FOR OPENINGS IN BUILDINGS, VEHICLES, FENCES OR LIKE ENCLOSURES IN GENERAL, e.g. DOORS, WINDOWS, BLINDS, GATES
    • E06B9/00—Screening or protective devices for wall or similar openings, with or without operating or securing mechanisms; Closures of similar construction
    • E06B9/24—Screens or other constructions affording protection against light, especially against sunshine; Similar screens for privacy or appearance; Slat blinds
    • E06B9/26—Lamellar or like blinds, e.g. venetian blinds
    • E06B9/28—Lamellar or like blinds, e.g. venetian blinds with horizontal lamellae, e.g. non-liftable
    • E06B9/30—Lamellar or like blinds, e.g. venetian blinds with horizontal lamellae, e.g. non-liftable liftable
    • E06B9/32—Operating, guiding, or securing devices therefor
    • E06B9/326—Details of cords, e.g. buckles, drawing knobs
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E06—DOORS, WINDOWS, SHUTTERS, OR ROLLER BLINDS IN GENERAL; LADDERS
    • E06B—FIXED OR MOVABLE CLOSURES FOR OPENINGS IN BUILDINGS, VEHICLES, FENCES OR LIKE ENCLOSURES IN GENERAL, e.g. DOORS, WINDOWS, BLINDS, GATES
    • E06B9/00—Screening or protective devices for wall or similar openings, with or without operating or securing mechanisms; Closures of similar construction
    • E06B9/24—Screens or other constructions affording protection against light, especially against sunshine; Similar screens for privacy or appearance; Slat blinds
    • E06B9/26—Lamellar or like blinds, e.g. venetian blinds
    • E06B9/28—Lamellar or like blinds, e.g. venetian blinds with horizontal lamellae, e.g. non-liftable
    • E06B9/30—Lamellar or like blinds, e.g. venetian blinds with horizontal lamellae, e.g. non-liftable liftable
    • E06B9/32—Operating, guiding, or securing devices therefor
    • E06B9/327—Guides for raisable lamellar blinds with horizontal lamellae
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E06—DOORS, WINDOWS, SHUTTERS, OR ROLLER BLINDS IN GENERAL; LADDERS
    • E06B—FIXED OR MOVABLE CLOSURES FOR OPENINGS IN BUILDINGS, VEHICLES, FENCES OR LIKE ENCLOSURES IN GENERAL, e.g. DOORS, WINDOWS, BLINDS, GATES
    • E06B9/00—Screening or protective devices for wall or similar openings, with or without operating or securing mechanisms; Closures of similar construction
    • E06B9/24—Screens or other constructions affording protection against light, especially against sunshine; Similar screens for privacy or appearance; Slat blinds
    • E06B9/26—Lamellar or like blinds, e.g. venetian blinds
    • E06B9/38—Other details
    • E06B9/384—Details of interconnection or interaction of tapes and lamellae
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E06—DOORS, WINDOWS, SHUTTERS, OR ROLLER BLINDS IN GENERAL; LADDERS
    • E06B—FIXED OR MOVABLE CLOSURES FOR OPENINGS IN BUILDINGS, VEHICLES, FENCES OR LIKE ENCLOSURES IN GENERAL, e.g. DOORS, WINDOWS, BLINDS, GATES
    • E06B9/00—Screening or protective devices for wall or similar openings, with or without operating or securing mechanisms; Closures of similar construction
    • E06B9/52—Devices affording protection against insects, e.g. fly screens; Mesh windows for other purposes
    • E06B9/522—Dimensionally adjustable fly screens
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E06—DOORS, WINDOWS, SHUTTERS, OR ROLLER BLINDS IN GENERAL; LADDERS
    • E06B—FIXED OR MOVABLE CLOSURES FOR OPENINGS IN BUILDINGS, VEHICLES, FENCES OR LIKE ENCLOSURES IN GENERAL, e.g. DOORS, WINDOWS, BLINDS, GATES
    • E06B9/00—Screening or protective devices for wall or similar openings, with or without operating or securing mechanisms; Closures of similar construction
    • E06B9/24—Screens or other constructions affording protection against light, especially against sunshine; Similar screens for privacy or appearance; Slat blinds
    • E06B2009/2423—Combinations of at least two screens
    • E06B2009/2441—Screens joined one below the other
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E06—DOORS, WINDOWS, SHUTTERS, OR ROLLER BLINDS IN GENERAL; LADDERS
    • E06B—FIXED OR MOVABLE CLOSURES FOR OPENINGS IN BUILDINGS, VEHICLES, FENCES OR LIKE ENCLOSURES IN GENERAL, e.g. DOORS, WINDOWS, BLINDS, GATES
    • E06B9/00—Screening or protective devices for wall or similar openings, with or without operating or securing mechanisms; Closures of similar construction
    • E06B9/24—Screens or other constructions affording protection against light, especially against sunshine; Similar screens for privacy or appearance; Slat blinds
    • E06B2009/2476—Solar cells
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E06—DOORS, WINDOWS, SHUTTERS, OR ROLLER BLINDS IN GENERAL; LADDERS
    • E06B—FIXED OR MOVABLE CLOSURES FOR OPENINGS IN BUILDINGS, VEHICLES, FENCES OR LIKE ENCLOSURES IN GENERAL, e.g. DOORS, WINDOWS, BLINDS, GATES
    • E06B9/00—Screening or protective devices for wall or similar openings, with or without operating or securing mechanisms; Closures of similar construction
    • E06B9/24—Screens or other constructions affording protection against light, especially against sunshine; Similar screens for privacy or appearance; Slat blinds
    • E06B9/26—Lamellar or like blinds, e.g. venetian blinds
    • E06B9/262—Lamellar or like blinds, e.g. venetian blinds with flexibly-interconnected horizontal or vertical strips; Concertina blinds, i.e. upwardly folding flexible screens
    • E06B2009/2625—Pleated screens, e.g. concertina- or accordion-like

Definitions

  • the present invention relates in general to the field of curtains and in particular to pleated curtains. Specifically, the present invention relates to a type of movement system, manual or motorized, i.e. for closing and reopening the pleated curtain with respect to the rear window.
  • the invention further comprises the machinery for manufacturing the aforementioned object in a completely automated manner.
  • the classic pleated fabric, with ”V” folds is very elegant due to its composition, it is pleasant to the touch, but it has the defect of showing the holes (made in the fabric for the passage of the threads) and the threads themselves which are used to move the curtain where it is used.
  • the honeycomb fabric has the advantage of concealing the threads and holes made in the fabric, making the fabric more uniform to the eye; on the other hand, the defect is that of looking like ’’paper" and is very delicate to the touch, creating problems even for normal cleaning.
  • an object of the present invention is to allow the use of any type of material for manufacturing the pleated curtain, combining it with a movement system that is not visible from the preferred observation side, achieving a much higher aesthetic and finishing quality than the pleated curtains currently in use.
  • Some international patents have pleated curtains as their object, such as the Chinese patent CN108729834. It claims a pleated curtain capable of suppressing the loss of light generated by the hole passing through the lifting string.
  • a pleated curtain is provided, associated with a movement system which, on one side of the curtain, is completely invisible, effectively solving the above problems.
  • That of the present invention is included in a pair of fixed lateral guides. At least one pair of rods are installed inside said guides, either both sliding or one fixed and one sliding within said guides to allow opening and closing of the pleated curtain. At least one pair of threads connects the two rods to allow a controlled and uniform folding of all the pleats when the curtain is stored in a closed configuration, that is, in which it occupies as little space as possible in the proximity to the upper or lower end or bottom of the guides.
  • the curtain of the present invention is provided, in one embodiment, with at least one intermediate rod which embraces a pleating placed in a median position between the upper and lower rods. Said intermediate rod is irreversibly engaged with the median pleating, which will always be in the closed configuration, even when the curtain is generally in the open configuration.
  • the intermediate rod will affect the pleating only at the upper portion thereof, thus allowing the opening and closing thereof, depending on the position of the curtain.
  • a further alternative provides for the provision of a rigid insert glued at the upper portion of the median pleating in the point where the passage of each movement thread takes place.
  • the intermediate rod or the rigid inserts are constrained to the entire pleating or to the upper half thereof, by means of a common glue.
  • the intermediate rod protrudes slightly from the side of the passage of the threads and is therefore advantageously invisible from the preferred observation side of said curtain.
  • the intermediate rod or the rigid inserts and the possible pleating that the intermediate rod embraces are provided with at least one pair of through holes which allow the crossing of the plurality of threads which, necessarily, move said curtain in an ordered manner.
  • the threads and the intermediate rod, or the rigid inserts are completely invisible, contributing to a superior aesthetic result compared to common pleated curtains available on the market today.
  • the great aesthetic effect provided by the curtains of the present invention allows their application even in places other than windows, since they can also act as folding doors or as a sliding false ceiling.
  • the intermediate rod or the rigid inserts can be made of any rigid and transparent material.
  • the curtain may optionally comprise more than one intermediate rod and more movement threads configured as above, to make up for a considerable extension of the curtain itself.
  • a further advantage deriving from the interposition of these rigid rods between the folds of the curtain consists in the possibility of making considerably larger curtains, both in width and in height, which can be installed both vertically and horizontally without the fabric, towards the central part of the curtain, tending to fall down due to gravity.
  • the intermediate rods in fact, also act as a structural element.
  • said intermediate rods will be arranged at regular intervals, even more preferably every 10-20 pleats and, every 15 pleats in the preferred embodiment.
  • a particularly advantageous embodiment provides a first curtain consisting of a common mosquito net, a second curtain consisting of an attenuating fabric, which filters a part of the light, and a third completely blackout pleated curtain.
  • a significant variation of the present invention consists in the use of a photovoltaic fabric as fabric of the curtain itself.
  • this fabric will produce a certain amount of electrical energy starting from the sunlight that strikes it when the curtain is in an open configuration.
  • the electricity will be advantageously stored in a common battery integrated in the guides that make up the curtain.
  • the battery will be advantageously connected to at least one motor adapted to move the lower rod or all the rods to change the configuration of the curtain from open to closed or vice versa.
  • the curtain of the present invention can also include a motorized winder for the threads that move the rods. In the event that the winder is not also supported by the motorization of the lower rod, it will only be possible to close the curtain automatically, using the energy accumulated in the battery, while the opening will necessarily be manual.
  • the movement of the curtain can take place thanks to a common switch and/or a remote control .
  • curtain possible in the version made from photovoltaic fabric, include at least one photocell, installed in a predetermined point of the lateral guides, connected to a motor and/or motorized winder to cause the open configuration to be assumed when the window is hit by the sunlight and the closed configuration to be assumed when the window is in the shade.
  • the movement of the curtain can be connected to a common home automation system that allows the user to operate the means for opening and closing the curtain according to his/her preferences, even remotely.
  • this consists of a slat preparation unit and a slat positioning unit on the respective curtain.
  • Such a plant is located downstream of a common pleating machine, already known in this industrial sector, responsible for folding and cutting the fabric that will make up the actual curtain.
  • the machine associated with the present invention therefore, has the function of cutting to size the slats that will constitute the intermediate rods and of positioning and binding them correctly on the fabric of the curtain.
  • the slat preparation unit consists of a. reel of the material constituting the slat itself, preferably but not limited to aluminum. From the reel, a motor drags the material through forming wheels. Subsequently, the material is directed into a circuit called in jargon "dancer” which has the function of guaranteeing a. reserve of material upstream of the machine to avoid that, at the end of the reel, the right tension of the material is missing to ensure correct processing thereof.
  • a gluing step follows in which a reel of double-sided adhesive is unrolled and the doublesided adhesive pressed against the material of the slat which is sliding due to the effect of a second drive motor. The film, now devoid of double-sided tape, is collected on a further dedicated waste reel.
  • the slat By passing through rollers driven by said second drive motor, the slat is first perforated by suitable pistons and subsequently cut to the predetermined size.
  • the preparation unit is mounted on a guide system which allows the transverse movement thereof with respect to the positioning unit.
  • the newly produced slat will then be gripped by a mechanical arm and positioned at the intended pleating. Thanks to the double-sided tape this will adhere firmly to the curtain, resulting in the above advantages.
  • the positioning unit is also mounted on movable guides and provided with a movement motor.
  • a software is advantageously adapted, by means of optical sensors, to guarantee the perfect positioning of the slat on the curtain.
  • said positioning unit is provided with a work surface on which the pleated fabric is spread thanks to gripping devices similar to tweezers.
  • FIGURE I show's a section of a window provided with the curtain 10 of the present invention provided according to the more complex embodiment envisaged, (a) and (b) are two alternative embodiments of the intermediate rod 14, while keeping the other features unchanged.
  • FIGURE 2 show's the front elevations of the aforesaid window.
  • Fig. 2(a) illustrates the view' from the outside
  • Fig. 2(b) represents the view from inside the room provided with the window.
  • FIGURE 3 schematically shows the production machine in its two main units: the preparation unit 40 and the positioning unit 50. Detailed description of the invention
  • FIG. 1 shows the curtain 10 object of the present invention, in section, mounted at a common window 20.
  • the fabric 12 with which the curtain 10 is made is of the photovoltaic type and consists of a certain number of pleats 12’ suitable for being folded and stretched to uncover or shield said window 20 from the internal side of the room that uses the curtain 10.
  • the two threads 16 which allow the orderly and controlled folding of the pleats, when the curtain is placed in the closed configuration, are connected to a fixed upper rod 13, pass through a pair of through holes 14’ made in an intermediate rod 14 and reach up to a lower rod 15 that is movable, that is, sliding inside the lateral guides 11 which support said curtain 10.
  • Said intermediate rod 14 is irreversibly engaged with the median pleat 12’ of the fabric 12, at the external side thereof, remaining invisible from the inside of the room.
  • the pair of holes 14’ is also invisible from the inside.
  • the preferred embodiment of the intermediate rod 14 is the one shown in Fig. 1(b ) or that in which the rod 14 affects only one side of a selected pleat. In this way, when the curtain 10 is in the open configuration, no irregularity of the fabric will be seen from the inside, which will be evenly distributed in all parts of the frame.
  • the intermediate rod 14 is made, automatically, by the preparation unit 50 of the machine shown in Fig. 3, which includes:
  • reel 51 preferably of aluminum
  • a driving motor 53 which extracts the aluminum slat from the reel 51 by passing it through forming rollers 52; a reserve circuit 54, commonly called “dancer”, which has the purpose of guaranteeing the necessary length of the slat to allow correct processing even when the reel 51 is finished,
  • a second driving motor 57 adapted to convey the slat, now coupled to the doublesided adhesive, towards
  • a cutting device 59 adapted to perform the separation of the slat upon reaching the linear length provided;
  • the positioning unit 40 is adapted to receive the fabric 12 of the curtain 10 on a work surface 41 and to spread the pleats 12’ thereof by means of tweezers or gripping devices 42 which arrange it in the open configuration.
  • a guide system 43 and a motor 44 cooperate for a suitable positioning of the positioning unit 40 with respect to the preparation unit 50, so that a mechanical arm can grasp the slat just prepared and position it at the intended pleat 12’ of the curtain 10.
  • the electrical energy produced by the photovoltaic fabric 12 is stored in a batery 30, integrated in the frame 11, which powers a motor 19 adapted to move said lower rod 15 to allow the configuration change of said curtain 10.
  • the set is completed by a photocell 17 installed in the point of the lateral guides 11 which is first struck by the sunlight during the day.
  • the curtain 10 will automatically assume the open configuration when the photocell 17 is hit by the light and then automatically assume the closed configuration when the sun stops illuminating the photocell 17.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Structural Engineering (AREA)
  • Architecture (AREA)
  • Civil Engineering (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Insects & Arthropods (AREA)
  • Pest Control & Pesticides (AREA)
  • Blinds (AREA)
  • Curtains And Furnishings For Windows Or Doors (AREA)

Abstract

Pleated curtain (10) with retractable movement system, comprising at least one intermediate rod (14) adapted to irreversibly engage with the external surface, i.e. facing the window (20), of a pleat (12') of the fabric (12) of the curtain (10), placed in an intermediate position between an upper rod (13) and a lower rod (15); said intermediate rod (14) protruding towards said window (20) and being provided with at least one pair of through holes (14') adapted to allow the crossing of said intermediate rod (14) by a corresponding pair of threads (16) adapted to mechanically connect said upper rod (13) with said lower rod (15) to allow controlled movement of the fabric (12) of said curtain (10) during the transition between the first closed configuration and the second open configuration.

Description

PLEATED CURTAIN WITH RETRACTABLE MOVEMENT SYSTEM
Description
Field of the invention
The present invention relates in general to the field of curtains and in particular to pleated curtains. Specifically, the present invention relates to a type of movement system, manual or motorized, i.e. for closing and reopening the pleated curtain with respect to the rear window. The invention further comprises the machinery for manufacturing the aforementioned object in a completely automated manner.
Prior art
Two types of pleated curtains are mainly known in the curtain technique, namely the classic pleated fabric, having a "V" section of its folds, and the one that is currently the most popular, that is the honeycomb fabric.
Each of these fabrics has particular advantages and features, appreciated by their respective customers, but also some drawbacks intrinsic in their very nature.
In fact, the classic pleated fabric, with ”V” folds, is very elegant due to its composition, it is pleasant to the touch, but it has the defect of showing the holes (made in the fabric for the passage of the threads) and the threads themselves which are used to move the curtain where it is used.
Conversely, the honeycomb fabric has the advantage of concealing the threads and holes made in the fabric, making the fabric more uniform to the eye; on the other hand, the defect is that of looking like ’’paper" and is very delicate to the touch, creating problems even for normal cleaning.
The honeycomb fabric also has the drawback of being more difficult to pack because, due to the effect of its chambers, it must expel all the air inside it, in order to close properly. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to allow the use of any type of material for manufacturing the pleated curtain, combining it with a movement system that is not visible from the preferred observation side, achieving a much higher aesthetic and finishing quality than the pleated curtains currently in use.
Some international patents have pleated curtains as their object, such as the Chinese patent CN108729834. It claims a pleated curtain capable of suppressing the loss of light generated by the hole passing through the lifting string.
Another patent, this time a U.S. patent, published with the number US2014284005, claims a complex system of sliding carriages for the movement of pleated curtains in an easy way for the user.
In none of the patents just briefly described, nor in the others currently in existence, does a movement system seem to have been claimed which is completely retractable for one of the two sides of the curtain, as in the present invention.
Consequently, there is no application on the market as regards industrial production machinery of such curtains, a sector which, to date, is still characterized by strong immobility and production processes with a significant component of work done by hand by operators.
Description of the invention
According to the present invention, a pleated curtain is provided, associated with a movement system which, on one side of the curtain, is completely invisible, effectively solving the above problems.
Like normal pleated curtains, that of the present invention is included in a pair of fixed lateral guides. At least one pair of rods are installed inside said guides, either both sliding or one fixed and one sliding within said guides to allow opening and closing of the pleated curtain. At least one pair of threads connects the two rods to allow a controlled and uniform folding of all the pleats when the curtain is stored in a closed configuration, that is, in which it occupies as little space as possible in the proximity to the upper or lower end or bottom of the guides.
Advantageously, in order to avoid viewing the two threads from the preferred viewing side of the curtain, when this is in the open configuration, that is, it is extended, the curtain of the present invention is provided, in one embodiment, with at least one intermediate rod which embraces a pleating placed in a median position between the upper and lower rods. Said intermediate rod is irreversibly engaged with the median pleating, which will always be in the closed configuration, even when the curtain is generally in the open configuration.
Alternatively, the intermediate rod will affect the pleating only at the upper portion thereof, thus allowing the opening and closing thereof, depending on the position of the curtain.
A further alternative provides for the provision of a rigid insert glued at the upper portion of the median pleating in the point where the passage of each movement thread takes place.
Advantageously, the intermediate rod or the rigid inserts are constrained to the entire pleating or to the upper half thereof, by means of a common glue.
The intermediate rod protrudes slightly from the side of the passage of the threads and is therefore advantageously invisible from the preferred observation side of said curtain. The intermediate rod or the rigid inserts and the possible pleating that the intermediate rod embraces are provided with at least one pair of through holes which allow the crossing of the plurality of threads which, necessarily, move said curtain in an ordered manner.
Advantageously, when the curtain of the present invention is in the open configuration, from the preferred observation side, the threads and the intermediate rod, or the rigid inserts, are completely invisible, contributing to a superior aesthetic result compared to common pleated curtains available on the market today.
The great aesthetic effect provided by the curtains of the present invention allows their application even in places other than windows, since they can also act as folding doors or as a sliding false ceiling.
To avoid the intermediate rod or the rigid inserts from still being visible due to the shadow they generate towards the opposite side of the curtain, they can be made of any rigid and transparent material.
Therefore, from the side opposite to the observation one, at least two threads will be visible starting from the upper rod, crossing the intermediate rod or the rigid inserts at said through holes, and reaching up to the lower rod without crossing all the pleats as it was done in the past.
The curtain may optionally comprise more than one intermediate rod and more movement threads configured as above, to make up for a considerable extension of the curtain itself.
A further advantage deriving from the interposition of these rigid rods between the folds of the curtain, consists in the possibility of making considerably larger curtains, both in width and in height, which can be installed both vertically and horizontally without the fabric, towards the central part of the curtain, tending to fall down due to gravity. The intermediate rods, in fact, also act as a structural element.
Preferably, said intermediate rods will be arranged at regular intervals, even more preferably every 10-20 pleats and, every 15 pleats in the preferred embodiment.
Other advantageous embodiments made possible by the innovative configuration of the curtain allow the installation, inside the same lateral guides, of a plurality of fabric packets, each of which is moved by its own pair of sliding rods.
By way of non-limiting example, a particularly advantageous embodiment provides a first curtain consisting of a common mosquito net, a second curtain consisting of an attenuating fabric, which filters a part of the light, and a third completely blackout pleated curtain.
A significant variation of the present invention consists in the use of a photovoltaic fabric as fabric of the curtain itself.
Advantageously, this fabric will produce a certain amount of electrical energy starting from the sunlight that strikes it when the curtain is in an open configuration. The electricity will be advantageously stored in a common battery integrated in the guides that make up the curtain. In turn, the battery will be advantageously connected to at least one motor adapted to move the lower rod or all the rods to change the configuration of the curtain from open to closed or vice versa. In addition to or as an alternative to the motor, the curtain of the present invention can also include a motorized winder for the threads that move the rods. In the event that the winder is not also supported by the motorization of the lower rod, it will only be possible to close the curtain automatically, using the energy accumulated in the battery, while the opening will necessarily be manual.
The movement of the curtain can take place thanks to a common switch and/or a remote control .
Other very advantageous features of the curtain, possible in the version made from photovoltaic fabric, include at least one photocell, installed in a predetermined point of the lateral guides, connected to a motor and/or motorized winder to cause the open configuration to be assumed when the window is hit by the sunlight and the closed configuration to be assumed when the window is in the shade.
Preferably and advantageously, the movement of the curtain can be connected to a common home automation system that allows the user to operate the means for opening and closing the curtain according to his/her preferences, even remotely.
Regarding the machine for manufacturing of the aforementioned curtain, regardless of its embodiment, this consists of a slat preparation unit and a slat positioning unit on the respective curtain.
Such a plant is located downstream of a common pleating machine, already known in this industrial sector, responsible for folding and cutting the fabric that will make up the actual curtain.
The machine associated with the present invention, therefore, has the function of cutting to size the slats that will constitute the intermediate rods and of positioning and binding them correctly on the fabric of the curtain.
The slat preparation unit consists of a. reel of the material constituting the slat itself, preferably but not limited to aluminum. From the reel, a motor drags the material through forming wheels. Subsequently, the material is directed into a circuit called in jargon "dancer” which has the function of guaranteeing a. reserve of material upstream of the machine to avoid that, at the end of the reel, the right tension of the material is missing to ensure correct processing thereof. A gluing step follows in which a reel of double-sided adhesive is unrolled and the doublesided adhesive pressed against the material of the slat which is sliding due to the effect of a second drive motor. The film, now devoid of double-sided tape, is collected on a further dedicated waste reel.
By passing through rollers driven by said second drive motor, the slat is first perforated by suitable pistons and subsequently cut to the predetermined size.
Advantageously, the preparation unit is mounted on a guide system which allows the transverse movement thereof with respect to the positioning unit.
The newly produced slat will then be gripped by a mechanical arm and positioned at the intended pleating. Thanks to the double-sided tape this will adhere firmly to the curtain, resulting in the above advantages.
The positioning unit is also mounted on movable guides and provided with a movement motor. A software is advantageously adapted, by means of optical sensors, to guarantee the perfect positioning of the slat on the curtain.
In order to keep the curtain in position, said positioning unit is provided with a work surface on which the pleated fabric is spread thanks to gripping devices similar to tweezers.
The advantages offered by the present invention are clear in the light of the above description and will be even clearer from the accompanying figures and the related detailed description.
Description of the figures
The invention wall hereinafter be described in at least one preferred embodiment thereof by way of non-limiting example with the aid of the accompanying figures, in which:
- FIGURE I show's a section of a window provided with the curtain 10 of the present invention provided according to the more complex embodiment envisaged, (a) and (b) are two alternative embodiments of the intermediate rod 14, while keeping the other features unchanged.
- FIGURE 2 show's the front elevations of the aforesaid window. In particular, Fig. 2(a) illustrates the view' from the outside, while Fig. 2(b) represents the view from inside the room provided with the window.
- FIGURE 3 schematically shows the production machine in its two main units: the preparation unit 40 and the positioning unit 50. Detailed description of the invention
The present invention will now be described purely by way of non-limiting or binding example with the aid of the figures, which illustrate some embodiments relative to the present inventive concept.
With reference to FIG. 1 shows the curtain 10 object of the present invention, in section, mounted at a common window 20.
The fabric 12 with which the curtain 10 is made is of the photovoltaic type and consists of a certain number of pleats 12’ suitable for being folded and stretched to uncover or shield said window 20 from the internal side of the room that uses the curtain 10.
The two threads 16 which allow the orderly and controlled folding of the pleats, when the curtain is placed in the closed configuration, are connected to a fixed upper rod 13, pass through a pair of through holes 14’ made in an intermediate rod 14 and reach up to a lower rod 15 that is movable, that is, sliding inside the lateral guides 11 which support said curtain 10.
Said intermediate rod 14 is irreversibly engaged with the median pleat 12’ of the fabric 12, at the external side thereof, remaining invisible from the inside of the room. The pair of holes 14’ is also invisible from the inside.
The preferred embodiment of the intermediate rod 14 is the one shown in Fig. 1(b ) or that in which the rod 14 affects only one side of a selected pleat. In this way, when the curtain 10 is in the open configuration, no irregularity of the fabric will be seen from the inside, which will be evenly distributed in all parts of the frame.
The intermediate rod 14 is made, automatically, by the preparation unit 50 of the machine shown in Fig. 3, which includes:
- a reel 51 , preferably of aluminum;
- a driving motor 53 which extracts the aluminum slat from the reel 51 by passing it through forming rollers 52; a reserve circuit 54, commonly called "dancer", which has the purpose of guaranteeing the necessary length of the slat to allow correct processing even when the reel 51 is finished,
- a double-sided adhesive reel 55 and a scrap reel 56 of the double-sided adhesive tape which are adapted to cooperate with rollers to glue the double-sided adhesive on the entire slat included in said rollers, discarding the protective film of the same double-sided adhesive,
- a second driving motor 57, adapted to convey the slat, now coupled to the doublesided adhesive, towards
- a pair of pi stons 58 adapted to make the through holes 14’ in the positions provided by the design of the curtain 10;
- a cutting device 59 adapted to perform the separation of the slat upon reaching the linear length provided;
- a system of movable guides 60 for positioning the preparation unit 50 in the vicinity of the point of application of the slat so that it acts as intermediate rod 14 of the curtain 10.
The positioning unit 40, on the other hand, is adapted to receive the fabric 12 of the curtain 10 on a work surface 41 and to spread the pleats 12’ thereof by means of tweezers or gripping devices 42 which arrange it in the open configuration.
Also at this unit 40, a guide system 43 and a motor 44 cooperate for a suitable positioning of the positioning unit 40 with respect to the preparation unit 50, so that a mechanical arm can grasp the slat just prepared and position it at the intended pleat 12’ of the curtain 10.
In the preferred embodiment of the curtain 10, the electrical energy produced by the photovoltaic fabric 12 is stored in a batery 30, integrated in the frame 11, which powers a motor 19 adapted to move said lower rod 15 to allow the configuration change of said curtain 10. The set is completed by a photocell 17 installed in the point of the lateral guides 11 which is first struck by the sunlight during the day.
Thanks to these features, all self-powered by the electricity stored in the battery 30, the curtain 10 will automatically assume the open configuration when the photocell 17 is hit by the light and then automatically assume the closed configuration when the sun stops illuminating the photocell 17.
Finally, it is clear that modifications, additions or variants may be made to the invention described thus far which are obvious to a man skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of protection that is provided by the appended claims.

Claims

Claims leated curtain (10) with retractable movement system, consisting of a fabric (12), provided with a plurality of folds or pleats (12'), supported by a pair of lateral guides (11) inside which said curtain (10) can assume a first closed configuration, in which all the folds (12') are pressed together and compressed between an upper rod (13) and a lower rod (15) close to each other; said curtain (10) being able to assume a second open configuration, in which said folds (12') are extended and said lower rod (15) is located away from said upper rod (13), said curtain (10) being characterized in that it comprises at least one intermediate rod (14) able to engage irreversibly with the outer surface of at least half of a pleat (12') placed in an intermediate position between said upper rod (13) and said lower rod (15); said intermediate rod (14) projecting towards said outer side and being provided with at least a pair of through holes (14') projecting towards the same outer side of said curtain (10), adapted to allow the crossing by a corresponding pair of threads (16) adapted to mechanically connect said upper rod (13) with said lower rod (15) to allow the controlled movement of the fabric (12) of said curtain (10) during the transition between said first closed configuration and said second open configuration. Pleated curtain (10) with retractable movement system, according to the preceding claim 1, characterized in that said intermediate rod (14) embraces the outer surface of the totality of a pleat (12') which is always in the second closed configuration; said through holes (14') also affecting the pleat (12') engaged with said intermediate rod (14). Pleated curtain (10) with retractable movement system, according to any one of the preceding claims 1 or 2, characterized in that a plurality of pairs of lower upper rods (13-15) slide in said lateral guides (11); within each pair of rods (13-15) a different fabric (12) being included. Pleated curtain (10) with retractable movement system, according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said fabric (12) is of the photovoltaic type, or adapted to produce electrical energy starting from the solar energy that hits said fabric (12) when said curtain (10) is in the second open configuration and is impinged by sunlight. Pleated curtain (10) with retractable movement system, according to the preceding claim
4, characterized in that it comprises at least one battery (30) for storing the energy produced by said photovoltaic fabric (12), said battery (30) being integrated in the guides (11) of said curtain (10); battery (30) supplying a motor (19) adapted to move at least said lower rod (15) to allow the configuration of said curtain (10) to be changed. Pleated curtain (10) with retractable movement system, according to the preceding claim
5, characterized in that said battery (30) supplies a motorized winder (18) adapted to recall said threads (16) to modify the configuration of said curtain (10) from said open configuration to said closed configuration. Pleated curtain (10) with retractable movement system, according to the preceding claim
6, characterized in that said motor (19) and/or said motorized winder (18) are adapted to operate on pressure of a suitable switch or a remote control by a user. Pleated curtain (10) with retractable movement system, according to the preceding claim
7, characterized in that it also comprises at least one photocell (17), installed at a predetermined point of said lateral guides (11), connected to said motor (19) and/or said motorized winder (18) to cause the taking of the open configuration when a window (20) at which said curtain (10) is installed is impinged by the Sun and the taking of the closed configuration when said window (20) is in the shade. Pleated curtain (10) with retractable movement system, according to any one of the preceding claims 7 or 8, characterized in that it comprises a common connection system to a home automation system adapted to allow a user to remotely control the operation of said motor (19) and/or of said motorized winder (18). Machinery for manufacturing a pleated curtain (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, positioned downstream of a common pleating machine adapted to bend and cut said fabric (12) according to predetermined dimensions; said machine being characterized in that it comprises a preparation unit (50) and a positioning unit (40); said preparation unit (50) being adapted to make said intermediate rod (14) starting from a slat in any material sufficiently rigid to impart, structural support to the fabric (12) of the curtain (10), said preparation unit (50) comprising:
- a reel (51 ) of the material with which it is desired to make said intermediate rod (14), preferably aluminum;
- a driving motor (53) adapted to extract the slat from said reel (51) by passing it through a plurality of forming rollers (52);
- a reserve circuit (54) for conveying said slat along a path at least twice the length of said intermediate rod (14);
- a double-sided adhesive reel (55) and a scrap reel (56) of the double-sided adhesive tape which are adapted to cooperate with a plurality of rollers to glue the double-sided adhesive on the entire slat included in said rollers, discarding the protective film of the same double-sided adhesive and accumulating it in said scrap reel (56);
- a second driving motor (57), adapted to convey the slat, now coupled to the double-sided adhesive, towards
- a pair of pistons (58) adapted to make the through holes (14’) in the positions provided by the design of the curtain (10);
- a cutting device (59) adapted to perform the separation of the slat upon reaching the linear length provided for the intermediate rod (14); a system of movable guides (60) for positioning said preparation unit (50) in the vicinity of the point of application of the intermediate rod (14); said positioning unit (40) being adapted to receive the fabric (12) of the curtain (10) on a work surface (41) and to spread the pleats (12') thereof through a plurality of gripping devices (42) which arrange it in the open configuration; said positioning unit (40) also comprising a system of guides (43) and a motor (44) adapted to move said work surface (41) bringing the pleat (12') selected for engagement with said intermediate rod (14) in the vicinity of the outlet of said slat from said preparation unit (50). 11. Machinery for manufacturing a pleated curtain (10) according to the preceding claim 10, characterized in that it comprises a mechanical arm adapted to pick up said slat from said preparation unit (50) and position it at the provided pleat (12') of the fabric (12) lying on the surface (41) of said positioning unit (40); said mechanical arm being provided with optical readers for correct and precise positioning.
EP20786318.4A 2020-08-26 2020-08-26 Pleated curtain with retractable movement system Pending EP4204655A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/IB2020/057961 WO2022043735A1 (en) 2020-08-26 2020-08-26 Pleated curtain with retractable movement system

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EP4204655A1 true EP4204655A1 (en) 2023-07-05

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP20786318.4A Pending EP4204655A1 (en) 2020-08-26 2020-08-26 Pleated curtain with retractable movement system

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WO (1) WO2022043735A1 (en)

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE674059C (en) * 1937-09-15 1939-04-04 Ernst Flohr & Co G M B H Darkening device for windows
US20030106651A1 (en) * 2001-12-07 2003-06-12 Colson Wendell B. Shade incorporating spacer cords adhered to the shade with an adhesive
US9810020B2 (en) * 2011-03-11 2017-11-07 Lutron Electronics Co., Inc. Motorized window treatment
CN105121770B (en) * 2013-04-19 2018-04-24 立川窗饰工业株式会社 Insolation covering lifting gear

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