Motorized curtain driving device

Abstract

A device for opening and closing a curtain on a rod or rail includes a driven wheel coupled to a motor within a housing. The driven wheel protrudes from the housing in frictional engagement with the rod or rail. The device further includes a suspension assembly including a support member and one or more linkages. The support member is in sliding or rolling contact with the rod or rail. The linkages extend along an independent suspension axis and connect the support member to the housing to suspend the housing from the support member, allowing the device to traverse bumps in the rod or rail. The driven wheel is rotated by the motor to advance the device along the rod or rail for opening and closing the curtain. A curtain opening system may further include one or more sensor targets disposed on the rod or rail, and an encoder and a sensor operatively connected to a controller of the device for auto-calibration of position tracking.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device for opening and closing a curtain on a rod or rail, comprising:
 a driven wheel coupled to a motor within a housing and protruding from the housing in frictional engagement with the rod or rail; and   a suspension assembly comprising a support member in sliding or rolling contact with the rod or rail and a linkage extending along a suspension axis and connecting the support member to the housing to suspend the housing from the support member,   wherein the driven wheel is rotated by the motor to advance the device along the rod or rail for opening and closing the curtain with the housing suspended from the support member.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the support member is at least one of a slide member in sliding contact with the rod or rail, a roller member in rolling contact with the rod or rail, or a V-shaped member with two frustrum portions. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the support member comprises at least one or more of a support arm with terminal members configured to roll or slide along outer channels of an I-rail or a support arm with terminal members configured to roll or slide along an inner channel of a U-rail. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the linkage includes one or more springs that biases the housing to press the driven wheel against the rod or rail. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the linkage comprises a spring holder containing the one or more springs and connected to the housing, and an arm connected to the support member and detachably joined to the spring holder. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the linkage includes a locking mechanism with one or more detent positions to arrest movement of the linkage relative to the housing along the suspension axis. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein the suspension assembly is moveable between a first assembly position defined by the support member extended a first distance from the housing, and a second live position defined by the support member extend a second distance from the housing, the second distance less than the first distance, and wherein in the first assembly position the locking mechanism extends from the suspension assembly and engages with the housing to resist a force of the one or more springs, and in the live position the locking mechanism is positioned within the suspension assembly to allow the one or more springs to bias the housing to press the driven wheel against the rod or rail. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the suspension assembly is moveable between a first assembly position defined by the support member extended a first distance from the housing, and a second live position defined by the support member extended a second distance from the housing, the second distance less than the first distance. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the linkage comprises a first member extending from the support member to the housing along a first suspension axis at a first side of the driven wheel and a second member extending from the support member to the housing along a second suspension axis at a second side of the driven wheel. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 9 , wherein the first member includes a first plurality of springs and the second member includes a second plurality of springs, wherein the first plurality of springs and the second plurality of springs bias the housing to press the driven wheel against the rod or rail. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the linkage comprises a hinged portion configured to receive the rod or rail. 
     
     
         12 . A system for opening and closing a curtain on a rod or rail, comprising:
 a driven wheel coupled to a motor within a housing and in frictional engagement with the rod or rail, wherein the driven wheel is rotated by the motor to advance the system along the rod or rail for opening and closing the curtain;   a controller for the motor;   an encoder operatively connected to the controller, wherein the encoder tracks rotational movement of the driven wheel;   one or more sensor targets disposed on the rod or rail; and   a sensor operatively connected to the controller and configured to generate a signal indicating presence of each of the one or more sensor targets disposed on the rod or rail when the sensor is located in proximity to or in contact with the respective sensor target during the advance of the system along the rod or rail.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the encoder is a rotary encoder that generates output pulses based upon rotational movement of the driven wheel. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more sensor targets comprise a first marker and a second marker, wherein the controller is calibrated to store a first position of the first marker and a second position of the second marker, wherein the controller is configured to receive the signal indicating presence of each of the first marker and second marker and to identify a drift from the respective first position or second position during continuing operation of the system. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the controller is configured, in the event of identifying the drift from the respective first position or second position during continuing operation of the system, to recalibrate the respective first position or second position to compensate for the identified drift. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the sensor is a contact sensor connected to an electrical circuit, wherein each of the one or more sensor targets comprises a piece of electrically conductive material configured to cause a short circuit in the electrical circuit when the piece of electrically conductive material is in contact with the contact sensor. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the contact sensor comprises an electrically conductive material at a surface of the driven wheel. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the contact sensor comprises electrically conductive probes that travel with the system and touch the rod or rail at all times during the advance of the system along the rod or rail. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the sensor is a RFID sensor operatively connected to the controller, wherein each of the one or more sensor targets comprises an RFID tag. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 14 , further comprising a suspension assembly including a support member in sliding or rolling contact with the rod or rail and a linkage suspending the housing from the support member. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the controller receives a feedback from at least one of the motor or the encoder, and wherein the controller is further configured to use the feedback to determine each end of a maximum range of travel based on at least one of an increase in a current consumption of the motor, an increase in a torque generated, or a decrease in a speed at a given power level to determine the maximum range of travel along the rod or rail.