US 11,988,040 B2
System and method for reducing friction in a counterbalancing spring of a roller shade
Bruce Ryan Dahlgren, Jackson Heights, NY (US); and Michael Campagna, Woodcliff Lake, NJ (US)
Assigned to Crestron Electronics, Inc., Rockleigh, NJ (US)
Filed by Crestron Electronics, Inc., Rockleigh, NJ (US)
Filed on May 22, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/881,839.
Application 16/881,839 is a continuation in part of application No. 16/855,694, filed on Apr. 22, 2020, granted, now 11,613,926.
Application 16/855,694 is a continuation in part of application No. 15/872,467, filed on Jan. 16, 2018, granted, now 10,738,530.
Prior Publication US 2020/0284093 A1, Sep. 10, 2020
Int. Cl. E06B 9/62 (2006.01); E06B 9/42 (2006.01); E06B 9/72 (2006.01)
CPC E06B 9/72 (2013.01) [E06B 9/42 (2013.01); E06B 9/62 (2013.01); E06B 2009/725 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A roller shade comprising:
a roller tube;
a shade material attached to the roller tube; and
a shade drive unit at least partially disposed within the roller tube and comprising a drive assembly that rotates the roller tube to lower or raise the shade material between a rolled up position and a rolled down position, wherein the shade drive unit comprises:
a stationary spring carrier;
a rotating spring carrier operably connected to the roller tube and comprising a bore that traversely extends therethrough and a washer receiving cavity recessed into a terminal end of the rotating spring carrier and comprising washer retaining arms inwardly extending within the washer receiving cavity;
a counterbalancing spring connected to and longitudinally extending between the stationary spring carrier and the rotating spring carrier, wherein the spring comprises an active portion having a plurality of coils located between the stationary spring carrier and the rotating spring carrier;
an output mandrel comprising a first end operably connected to the drive assembly and a second terminal end that extends through the bore of the rotating spring carrier, wherein the output mandrel extends within the entire active portion of the spring between the stationary spring carrier and the rotating spring carrier, wherein during operation the drive assembly rotates the output mandrel and the rotating spring carrier with respect to the stationary spring carrier; and
a locking washer comprising locking arms outwardly extending therefrom, wherein the locking washer is inserted into the washer receiving cavity by aligning the locking arms with spaces between the washer retaining arms and rotating the washer until the locking arms are aligned with and below the washier retaining arms thereby longitudinally retaining the washer within the washer receiving cavity;
wherein the output mandrel comprises a determined length and the washer is biased against the second terminal end of the output mandrel thereby offsetting the stationary spring carrier from the rotating spring carrier to maintain the spring in a stretched state such that the plurality of coils at the active portion of the spring do not contact each other when the shade material is at the rolled down position.