VERTICALLY-MOVING ROLLER CURTAIN FOR WINDOWS IN GENERAL AND PARTICULARLY FOR RAIL PASSENGER-CAR WINDOWS

RIDEAU DE FENETRE SUR ROULEAU A DEPLACEMENT VERTICAL, DESTINE EN PARTICULIER AUX FENETRES D'UN COMPARTIMENT POUR PASSAGERS DE TRAIN

English Abstract

Electromechanical or manual vertically-moving roller
curtain for windows in general consisting of a curtain
(1) made of thin and flexible material, wrapped around a
self-winding upper roller (2) and having its lower edge
fastened to a rigid horizontal crossbar (4) connected, in
its turn, by links (5), to sliders (6) equipped with
matching internal thread, consisting of vertical worm
screws (7) provided with matching thread meshing with the
internal threads of the sliders (6), a geared motor (8)
or a crank driving the worm screws (7) through the driven
shaft (9) and through bevel gear pairs (10), and
including a surrounding frame (11, 17) consisting of
vertical and horizontal section bars connected by linkage
(14, 15, 16) so that when the motor (8) or the crank is
driven, a rotation is imparted to the worm screws (7)
which, through sliders (6), vertically move the lower
edge of the curtain (1) which is moved upwards and
downwards thus winding and unwinding on the upper roller
(2).

French Abstract

Rideau de fenêtre sur rouleau à déplacement vertical électromécanique ou manuel. Il est constitué, d'une manière générale, d'un rideau (1) de tissu mince et souple, enroulé autour d'un rouleau supérieur (2) à enroulement automatique et dont le bord inférieur est rattaché à une barre horizontale rigide (4) reliée à son tour par des pièces de liaison (5) à des glissières (6) comportant un filetage interne et des vis sans fin (7) dont le filetage correspond au filetage interne des glissières (6), d'un moteur à engrenage (8) ou d'une manivelle servant à entraîner les vis sans fin (7) par l'intermédiaire d'un arbre (9) et d'une paire d'engrenages coniques (10), et entouré d'un cadre (11, 17) constitué de barres de section verticales et horizontales reliées par une tringlerie (14, 15, 16) permettant, lorsqu'on actionne le moteur (8) ou la manivelle, d'imprimer un mouvement de rotation aux vis sans fin (7) qui déplacent verticalement, au moyen des glissières (6), le bord inférieur du rideau (1) en le faisant monter et descendre et en l'enroulant et en le déroulant de cette manière autour du rouleau supérieur (2).

Claims

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C L A I M S
1°) Electromechanical or manual vertically-moving roller
curtain for windows in general and particularly for rail
passenger-car windows and transport means in general
characterized in that it includes:
- a thin curtain (1) in flexible material, wound onto an
upper rotatin roller (2) provided with self-winding
axial spring (3),
- a horizontal crossbar (4) in rigid material fixed in
any way to the lower edge of curtain (1),
- sliders (6) with internal matching thread connected to
both ends of the crossbar (4) by means of links (5),
- vertical worm screws (7) with matching thread meshing
with the internal threads of the above sliders (6),
- a geared motor (8) or a manual crank operating the
worm screws (7) by means of the driven shaft (9) and of
bevel gear pairs (10),
- a frame (11, 17) consisting of vertical and horizontal
section bars connected by links (14, 15,16),
so that by operating the motor (8) or the manual crank,
a rotating movement is imparted to the worm screws (7)
which, by means of sliders (6), vertically move the
lower edge of the curtain (1) which is moved downwards
thus covering the window (19) or upwards thus uncovering
the window and rewinding on the upper roller (2).
2°) Vertically-moving roller curtain as described in
claim 1, characterized in that the lead angle (.beta.) to
the horizontal plane of the worm screw (7) and of
sliders (6) is such as to

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allow, in case of failure of the electromechanic system, for
easy and stable hand operation of the curtain (1).
3°) Vertically-moving roller curtain as described in claim
1, characterized in that the ratio of the bevel gears (10) is
such as to reduce the rotating speed impressed by the motor
(8) to worm screws (7).
4°) Vertically-moving roller curtain as described in claim
1, characterized in that the geared motor (8), the driven
shaft (9), and bevel gear pairs (10) are placed lower than
the worm screws (7).
5°) Vertically-moving roller curtain as described in claim
1, characterized in that the geared motor (8), driven shaft
(9), and bevel gear pairs (10) are placed higher than the
worm screws (7) the driven shaft (9) being lodged in the
shaft of the rewinding roller (2) and the bevel gear pairs
(10) being placed in the upper boxes (20) supporting the
roller (2).
6°) Vertically-moving roller curtain as described in claim
1, characterized in that its frame features vertical side
posts consisting, for example, of box-type section bars (11)
housing the worm screws (7) with relevant sliders (6), these
box-type sections (11) having a longitudinal slot (12) for
passage of the links (5) to the curtain (1) crossbar (4) while
these box-type sections (11) feature a channel section (13)
on their inwards facing side, with flanges bent inwards for
assembly of the frame.

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7°) Vertically-moving roller curtain as described in
claim 1, characterized in that its frame features
horizontal crossbars consisting, for example, of single
or double channel sections (17) with flanges bent
inwards for assembly of the frame.
8°) Vertically-moving roller curtain as described in
claims 4 and 5, characterized in that the links consist,
for example, by small plates (14) inserted in channel
sections (13, 17), provided with set screw (15) of a
plate (16) on the flanges of the channel section, thus
connecting the posts and crossbars of the frame.
9°) Vertically-moving roller curtain as described in
claim 1, characterized in that the geared motor (8) is
substituted by a manual crank.

Description

2201 658
.~ 1
Roller curtains fitted with vertical motion so as to cover
partially or totally the inside of ~ window or door-window
pane are commonly known.
Such roller curtains are used for house windows or
5 windows of rail passenger-cars, coaches, industrial
vehicles, watercraft and boats, etc. and generally feature a
panel of thin ~lexible material, such as fabric, plastic or
other suitable material, which, by sliding, partially or
totally covers the windowpane. Such panel is at present
operated by hand and features at its lower edge sliders,
guided by grooves located in the opposite internal sides of
the door or window frame.
Such arrangement has some drawbacks. A first drawback is
that these hand-operated roller curtains usually do not take
15 and maintain a stable position and autonomously vary their
coverage, especially in l;rain passe~ger-cars and vehicles
subject to strong vibrations. A second drawback is due to

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.~
the fact that during the operation, sometimes carried out
without great delicacy, the side guide sliders may get stuck
thus blocking the movement of the curtain or slip out of
their ways thus making the curtain useless, and making the
5 user uncomfortable and dissatisfied.
These well-known vertically-moving curtains may also be
electromechanically controlled, but in case of failure or
malfunctioning of this electromechanic drive, the curtain
cannot be operated manually and again becomes useless.
o It should be mentioned that there are also blinds consisting
of horizontal interconnected strips, with side guides and
electromechanic drive, these strips being stacked in the
upper area when the blind is open while they are distributed
on the window surface when the blind is closed. These strip
S blinds have the drawback that the failure of even one only
of the strip links blocks the blind and makes it useless.
It may also be observed that there are horizontally-moving
curtains with vertical folds but their great drawback is that,
particularly in rail passenger-cars, they tend to flap and
20 become tattered when used with open windows.
The invention in question presents a panel-type roller
curtain in thin and flexible material with
electromechaIlical or manual vertical movement, capable
of eliminating the drawbacks of the above mentioned known
25 curtains.
In the invention in question the curtain is operated at bo~h
lower ends by a system of sliders and corresponding worm

220~ 658
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screws, both worm screws being controlled by one single
electric geared motor through driving gears. At its upper
end the curtain is wrapped around a sel~-winding roller,
which automatically rewinds the curtain and applies a
- 5 pulling force which prevents flapping and tattering.
The worm screws and eorresponding sliders show threads
with high lead angle to the horizontal plane, so that the
curtain may be manually operated in case of failure of the
electromechanic driving mechanism, which in such case is
o dragged by hand.
The invention in question is illustrated in one exemplifying
implementation in the enclosed drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 shows a front view and partial section of the curtain
subject matter of this invention and relevant frame,
S Fig. 2 shows the cross section according to the X-X axis of
the curtain in Fig. 1,
F;g. 3 shows a magnified front view of the junction of the
section bars forming the curtain *ame,
Pig. 4 shows the longitudinal section of the frame according
20 to the Y-Y axis in Fig. 3,
Fig. S shows a cross section of the frame according to the
Z-Z axis in Fig. 3.
With reference to the above drawings, the thin panel-like
curtain 1 in flexible material such as fabric, plastic or other
2~ suitable material is wrapped around a rotating roller 2
fitted with axial spring 3 for self-winding. The upper edge
of the above mentioned curtain 1 is fixed to the self-

2201 658
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,~
windiIlg roller 2, while the lower edge is fastened, bymeans of stiches or seams, to a horizontal crossbar 4 of any
suitable shape, such as strip or rod, etc., in rigid material,
such as metal or hard plastic.
At each end of the above crossbar 4 are detachable links 5
c'onnected to the sliders 6, with internal matching thread,
meshing with vertical worm screws 7 with matching
threads. A geared motor 8 simultaneously drives the worm
screws 7 by means of a driven shaft 9 and bevel gear pairs
o 10 which may reduce the gear ratio.
Basically, by operating the geared motor 8 in either
direction, the worm screws 7 will rotate in one direction or
in the opposite one and cause raising or lowering of t~e
threaded sliders 6 which, connected to the lower crossbar
4, will push the lower edge of the curtain 1 up or down.
When curtain 1 is pulled down to cover the window 19, it
will unwind from the upper roller 2 overcoming the
opposing action of spring 3, while when it is pulled
upwards it will automatically wind on the roller 2 under the
20 action of the winding spring 3.
The matching threads of the worm screws 7 and of sliders 6
have a wide lead angle ,~ with respect to the transverse
horizontal plane, so that, in case of failure or
missing - of the electromechanic drive, the curtain
25 may be operated manually with reversible driven motion.
By such hand-operation, the elctromechanic system is

2201 658
~ 5
dragged and its inertial resistance keeps the curtain in the
chosen position.
It follows that, in accordance with the aims of this
invention, the sliding curtain gently opens and closes with
s balanced control without the possibility of getting stuck and
with stable positioning.
In the exemplifying solution described and illustrated in the
drawings the electromechanic control system is located in
the lower part of the window, but it is also possible,
lO according to this invention, to locate this control system in
the upper part of the window by placing the driven shaft 9
of the geared motor 8 inside the shaft of the self-winding
roller 2 and by locating the bevel gear pairs 10 in the upper
boxes 20 acting as supports for the self-winding roller 2.
15 The curtain as described above features a surrounding
frame which makes it particularly functional and well
structured. The side posts will preferably consist of box-
type sections 11 featuring a slot 12 facing inwards. Inside
each of the mentioned box-type sections 11 are placed a
20 worm screw 7 and relevant slider 6, while the slot 12
- allows passage and sliding of the link S connecting the
crossbar 4 of the curtain 1. The box-type section 11 has the
shape 13 of a channel section on one side, normally on the
inner side of the window, with inward facing flanges,
25 suitable to house one or more small plates 14 fitted with set
screws 15 of the external junction plate 16. The above
.

6 2201 658
.
fastening system with plate 16 connects the posts 11 to the
crossbars 17.
To secure the frames in site, the lower crossbar 17 may
llave the shape of a double channeI section, as shown by
way of example in Fig. 2.
The vertical 11 and horizontal framing sections 17 may of
course have different shapes, and also their connecting
system may be different.
The invention in question may also be used as an
o independent mosquito-net or in combination with the curtain
where such mosquito-net in thin and flexible net is wound
on the self-winding roller 2 and operated by the described
elctromechanic system.
Obviously the gea~d motor 8 can be substituted }~y ~ cra~k
15 so that the curtain is operated by h~nd.

Representative Drawing