SYSTEM FOR MOUNTING A ROLLABLE SCREEN

Abstract

A system for mounting a rollable screen, includes: a screen roll defining an end having a hollow tube; a coupling piece including: a neck element, having a sleeve adapted to be positioned in axial direction inside the tube. The contact surfaces included in the sleeve contact the tube, and recess surfaces in the sleeve define axial channels between the neck element and the tube; a transitional element fixedly connected to the neck element, one or multiple anchoring elements, adapted to fasten the neck element detachably to the tube. In an anchored state the anchoring elements are clamped inside the axial channels, with an even clamping along the axial direction.

Claims

1.-15. (canceled)

16. A system for mounting a rollable screen, comprising: a screen roll adapted to roll-up and unroll said screen through rotation about an axial direction, and comprising an end having a hollow tube; a coupling piece comprising: a neck element, comprising a sleeve adapted to be positioned in axial direction inside said tube, wherein contact surfaces comprised in said sleeve contact said tube, and wherein recess surfaces comprised in said sleeve define axial channels between said neck element and said tube; a transitional element fixedly connected to said neck element, adapted to support said screen roll during said rolling-up or unrolling, one or multiple anchoring elements, adapted to fasten said neck element detachably to said tube, wherein in an anchored state said anchoring elements are clamped inside said axial channels, with an even clamping along the axial direction.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein said neck element is adapted to be positioned in axial direction inside said tube and said neck element is hereby clamped in said tube through said contact surfaces.

18. The system according to claim 16, wherein at least in certain cross sections of said neck element, reinforcing material is present inside said sleeve, adapted to increase the radial stiffness of said neck element.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein said reinforcing material is continuous in axial direction, over a distance at least equal to the length of said recess surfaces measured in axial direction.

20. The system according to claim 18, wherein said reinforcing material consists of reinforcing ribs, which in said certain cross sections form a radial connection between said sleeve and a central element within said cross sections.

21. The system according to claim 20, wherein said radial connection is formed at least for a number of said reinforcing ribs between one of said recess surfaces and said central element or between one of said contact surfaces and said central element.

22. The system according to claim 16, wherein said recess surfaces are continuous in axial direction over a distance equal to the distance of said neck element measured in axial direction and said recess surfaces have substantially the same cross section over their entire length measured in axial direction.

23. The system according to claim 16, wherein said anchoring elements have a length at least equal to the length of said neck element measured in axial direction.

24. The system according to claim 16, wherein said anchoring elements have a profile, and in an anchored state a plastic deformation is present in said recess surfaces and/or in said tube corresponding to an imprint of said profile.

25. The system according to claim 24, wherein said anchoring elements comprise screw thread.

26. The system according to claim 16, wherein said system comprises at least two and at most four anchoring elements, and preferably three anchoring elements.

27. The system according to claim 16, wherein said neck element comprises contact ribs, which comprise said contact surfaces, and wherein said contact surfaces are elongated and are continuous in axial direction over a distance at least equal to the length of said recess surfaces measured in axial direction.

28. The system according to claim 16, wherein said recess surfaces and said contact surfaces are distributed over the circumference of said sleeve according to an alternating pattern of one or multiple of said recess surfaces and one or multiple of said contact surfaces.

29. The system according to claim 16, wherein said transitional element comprises a support surface adapted to contact in said anchored state a transverse end of said tube, and wherein said transitional element comprises one or multiple openings which in positioned state give access to said axial channels.

30. A method for mounting a rollable screen, comprising: providing a screen roll adapted to roll-up and unroll said screen through rotation about an axial direction, and comprising an end having a hollow tube; providing a coupling piece comprising: a neck element comprising a sleeve, and a transitional element fixedly connected to said neck element; providing one or multiple anchoring elements; positioning said sleeve in axial direction inside said tube, wherein contact surfaces comprised in said sleeve contact said tube, and wherein recess surfaces comprised in said sleeve define axial channels between said neck element and said tube; fastening said neck element detachably to said tube by means of said anchoring elements, wherein said anchoring elements are clamped inside said axial channels, with an even clamping along the axial direction; supporting said screen roll by means of said transitional element.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0053] FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of a system for mounting a roll up and roll down screen, according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0054] FIG. 2, FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 show the individual parts of the system shown in FIG. 1.

[0055] FIG. 5 shows a system for mounting a roll up and roll down screen in assembled state, according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 6, including FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b). gives a rear and front view of this.

[0056] FIG. 7, including FIGS. 7(a) to 7(c), and FIG. 8 illustrate a method for mounting a roll up and roll down screen, according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0057] FIG. 9 illustrates the presence of plastic deformations in the screen roll and the coupling piece after demounting the coupling piece, in an embodiment of the invention.

[0058] FIG. 10 shows a system for mounting a roll up and roll down screen, according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 10 shows a different embodiment than the embodiment shown in the FIGS. 1 to 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0059] FIG. 1 to FIG. 9 illustrate a first possible embodiment of a system 100 according to the invention. The system 100 comprises a screen roll 200, a coupling piece 102 and anchoring elements 103.

[0060] In FIG. 2, the screen roll 200 is represented separately. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the screen roll 200 is cylindrical, having a smooth outer surface 203 and a hollow tube 101 at both ends. The screen roll 200 has a notch 202, adapted to attach to a screen fabric. Such a facility is for example described in BE1025413. By rotating the screen roll 200 about the axial direction 204, the screen is rolled up or rolled down. The radial direction 203 is also indicated in FIG. 2.

[0061] In FIG. 3, the coupling piece 102 is represented separately. The coupling piece 102 comprises a neck element 104 and a transitional element 105 fixedly connected to the neck element 104. In a mounted state, as shown in FIG. 5, the neck element 104 is located inside the hollow tube 101, while the transitional element 105 is located outside the screen roll 200. The transitional element 105 is adapted to support the screen roll 200 when rolling the screen up and down. FIG. 1 shows an axis 106 which is at the one end connected to the transitional element 105 and may at the other end be mounted in a bearing 107. The bearing 107 is for example attached to a housing. In the shown embodiments, the transitional element 105 comprises a conical portion 306. Such a conus shape is favorable for providing space at the side of a rolled screen fabric and is for example described in WO2017/195087.

[0062] The neck element 104 comprises a sleeve 300, adapted to be positioned inside the tube 101 in axial direction 204. In this embodiment, the sleeve 300 forms an outer wall of the neck element 104. The positioned state refers to the state in which the neck element 104 was disposed inside the hollow tube 101, as indicated in FIG. 7(b). The central axis of the neck element 104 is then according to the axial direction 204 of the screen roll 200, as is clear from FIG. 1 and FIG. 5. The central axis of the neck element 104 then defines the axial direction 204 of the neck element 104 as well, and a distance measured according to this axial direction 204 is defined as a length.

[0063] The sleeve of the neck element 104 comprises contact surfaces 302 and recess surfaces 301. In a positioned state, the contact surfaces 302 contact the inner wall of the tube 101. In the shown embodiment, the contact surfaces 302 comprise contact ribs, which clamp the neck element 104 inside the tube 101 in a positioned state. The contact ribs run in axial direction and extend over the length of the neck element 104. Between the contact ribs there is every time a zone of the sleeve 300 located where in a positioned state no contact is made with the hollow tube 101. Other embodiments of contact surfaces are however possible within the invention, for example contact ribs shorter than the length of the neck element 104 or having an interruption or contact surfaces extending between two recess surfaces 301.

[0064] In the shown embodiments, the recess surfaces 301 are implemented as recesses in the sleeve 300, which run continuous over the entire length of the neck element 104. In a cross section, the recess surfaces 301 are symmetrically distributed over the sleeve 300, with every time two contact surfaces 302 between two recess surfaces 301.

[0065] The recess surfaces 301 define in a positioned state axial channels 800 between the neck element 104 and the tube 101. These axial channels 800 are indicated in FIG. 6 and FIG. 8. The detail enlarged in FIG. 6, shows that in this embodiment, an axial channel 800 is not completely closed: the recess surface 301 and the inner wall of the tube 101 indeed define the axial channel 800, but at the level of the surfaces 600 of the sleeve 300 there is no contact with the tube 101, so that the axial channel 800 shows a limited opening at two locations. FIG. 6 and FIG. 8 also show that the axial channels 800 provide space for disposing the anchoring elements 103. It is clear from FIG. 8 that an anchoring element 103 is disposed through an opening 305 in the transitional element 105 in an axial channel 800.

[0066] In the shown embodiment, an axial channel 800 has a constant cross section over the length of the neck element 104. Other embodiments are however also possible, for example in which an axial channel widens or narrows in axial direction, or in which a cross section of an axial channel is completely closed, or in which an axial channel is not continuous over the entire length of the neck element 104.

[0067] FIG. 3 shows furthermore that the neck element 104 of the coupling piece 102 comprises reinforcing material 303, in this embodiment executed as reinforcing ribs 303. The reinforcing ribs 303 are also visible in FIG. 6(a), where a rear view is shown of a coupling piece 102 mounted on a tube 101. The reinforcing ribs 303 form a radial connection between the sleeve 300 and a central element 304. The central element 304 is in this embodiment an annular element centrally inside the neck element 104. The radial direction of the reinforcing ribs 303 is defined as the radial direction 203 of the screen roll 200, when the neck element 104 is positioned in the tube 101, see for example FIG. 5. Due to the presence of the reinforcing ribs 303, the radial stiffness of the neck element 104 increases with respect to a version of the neck element 104 which is completely hollow.

[0068] FIG. 6(a) shows that in this embodiment three of the reinforcing ribs 303 form a connection between a recess surface 301 and the central element 304, and six of the reinforcing ribs 303 form a connection between a connection surface 302 and the central element 304. One reinforcing rib 303 forms a connection between the recess 202 in the screen tube 200 and the central element 304. In the shown embodiment, the reinforcing ribs run over the length of the neck element 104. Other embodiments of reinforcing material are possible, for example a solid filling inside the sleeve 300, a thick wall of the neck element 104, or reinforcing material which is not continuous over the length of the neck element 104.

[0069] FIG. 3 shows furthermore that the transitional element 105 of the coupling pieces 102 comprises a support surface 307. In an anchored state, this support surface 307 contacts the transverse end of the tube 101, as is visible in FIG. 5. The friction occurring hereby causes an additional fixation of the coupling piece 102 to the tube 101.

[0070] The anchoring elements 103 are represented separately in FIG. 4. In this embodiment, the anchoring elements are screws 103, having thread disposed at their cylindrical outer surface. The screws 103 are screwed into the axial channels 800 after positioning the neck element 104. Access to the axial channels 800 is provided through the openings 305 in the transitional element 105. In this embodiment, the screws 103 are about as long as the length of the neck element 104, so that in an anchored state the entire length of an axial channel 800 is occupied by a screw 103. In general, in possible embodiments, the length of an anchoring element 103 is preferably larger than or equal to the length of the neck element 104. In this way, a large momentum may definitely be absorbed at the two extreme points of the neck element 104, which is at least equal to the momentum caused by force transfer from tube to bearing.

[0071] During the screwing movement for disposing a screw 103, the thread cuts into the material, for example plastic, of the tube 101 and the neck element 104. Thus, a plastic deformation occurs in the material of the tube 101 and the neck element 104, which is an imprint of the thread. In an anchored state, the screw 103 is at the one side clamped inside the axial channel 800, since the screw 103 has to make space for itself when being disposed. On the other hand, an additional anchoring is created because in an anchored state the thread hooks into the created imprint. The clamping of a screw 103 is even of the axial direction, considering the constant cross section of both the screw 103 and the axial channel 800. the imprints made by a screw 103 in the material of the tube 101 and the neck element 104 are visible after unscrewing a screw 103. FIG. 9 shows an imprint 901 in a recess surface 301 and an imprint 900 in the tube 101.

[0072] FIG. 7 illustrates the steps when mounting the system 100 as shown in the previous figures. In step (a), a hollow tube 101, a coupling piece 102 and anchoring elements 103 are provided. Then the neck element 104 of the coupling piece 102 is positioned inside the tube 101. This results in the positioned state as represented in FIG. 7(b). Positioning occurs for example by tapping on the transitional element 105 using a hammer, wherein the neck element 104 slides gradually into the tube 101. Then, the anchoring elements 103, here screws 103, are disposed. In the shown embodiment, the screws 103 are screwed into the axial channels 800 by means of a screwing movement. This is also visible in FIG. 8. For example, a standard screwdriver is used. Access to the axial channels 800 is provided by the openings 305 in the transitional elements 105. The state obtained in FIG. 7(c) is the anchored state, where the coupling piece 102 is fixed to the screen tube 200.

[0073] This method results in a very simple mounting, which may be carried out by workers on site, and in which the even clamping of the anchoring elements 103 is created automatically. Moreover, the anchoring is detachable: by screwing the anchoring elements 103 back, the screws 103 are removed, and the coupling piece 102 may then be slid out of the screen roll 200. Imprints 900 and 901 respectively remain in the material of the tube 101 and the neck element 104, as shown in FIG. 9.

[0074] The anchored state, as shown in FIG. 7(c) is also depicted in FIG. 5 and Fi. 6. In this state, an optimal fixation of the coupling piece 102 to the screen tube 200 is obtained. This fixation is realized on the one hand by clamping of the contact surfaces 301 inside the tube 101, and on the other hand by clamping and anchoring of the screws 103 in the axial channels 800. Since clamping of the contact surfaces 301 and anchoring elements 103 is even over the axial direction, and the reinforcing ribs 303 ensure that pressures applied by the anchoring elements 103 are homogeneously distributed to the contact surfaces 104, the neck element 104 is optimally fixed over its entire length. This avoids that in time play occurs between the coupling piece 102 and the tube 101. Moreover, because of the combination of clamping through the contact surfaces 104 and anchoring through the anchoring elements 103, deformations of the tube 101 are avoided. Finally, the system is easily applicable in diverse types of screen rolls 200. Where necessary, the number of anchoring elements 103 or their diameter may be scaled with the roll diameter in function of the diameter of the screen roll 200.

[0075] In a test set-up, a solution according to the invention was compared to other solutions. More particularly, the number of cycles was measured from when noise is audible as a result of play occurring between the coupling piece 102 and the screen roll 200. One cycle corresponds to a moving up and down of the screen. The solution according to the invention relates to an embodiment as depicted in FIGS. 1 to 9. Herein three screw DIN 938 M8×90-A2 are used as anchoring elements 103. The length of the neck element 104 is preferably in the range of 0.8 to 1.2 times the outer diameter of the tube 101, in order to at the one hand obtain sufficient anchoring, and on the other hand limit the amount of material and also allow for narrow screens. In the test set-up, the length of the neck element 104 was about equal to the length of the anchoring elements 103. The coupling piece 102 was manufactured in PA (PolyAmide).

[0076] In the test set-up, over 10,000 cycles were performed using this embodiment of the invention before noise resulting from play was noticeable. Other solutions tested, which do not fall in the scope of the invention, are: [0077] (1) a fabric tube plug executes as the coupling piece 102 in previous figures, but without the recess surfaces 301, without the reinforcing ribs 303 and without the anchoring elements 103. The fabric tube plug was manufactured from PA (PolyAmide), and the fixation to the screen roll 200 was solely supported by clamping through contact ribs 302. A noise was measured herein from 0 to 3000 cycles, depending on the weather conditions. [0078] (2) The same design of fabric tube plug as the previous test, but executed in a different material, namely glass fiber reinforced PA. A noise was measured herein from 1800 cycles. [0079] (3) The same fabric tube plug as in test (1), but using a lubricant. Noise was measured herein from 0 to 3000 cycles, depending on the type of lubricant. [0080] (4) The same fabric tube plug as in test (1), but with addition of an adhesive between tube and plug. This anchoring is not detachable. Noise was measured herein from 6900 cycles. [0081] (5) The same fabric tube plug as in test (1), but with adding of recess surfaces and conic aluminum plugs having a helix as anchoring elements. The clamping is herein not even over the axial direction, and no reinforcing material is present. Noise was measured herein after 0 cycles. [0082] (6) The same fabric tube plug as in test (1), but with adding of recess surfaces and small adjusting screws as anchoring elements. There is no reinforcing material present, and the screws are shorter than the neck element 104. Noise was measured herein from 3000 cycles. [0083] (7) The same fabric tube plug as in test (1), but with adding of recess surfaces and large screws M8. The large screws were disposed in cavities for conic plugs. No reinforcing material is present. Noise was measured herein from 6000 cycles.

[0084] The above shows clearly that with the embodiment according to the invention, where play only occurs after more than 10,000 cycles, a more durable fixation is obtained.

[0085] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 9, use is made of screw as anchoring elements 103, clamped inside axial channels 800 having a constant cross section. However, other embodiments are also possible. For example, use is made of cylindrical elements without thread, which are clamped inside axial channels having constant cross section. In yet other embodiments, the anchoring elements and the axial channels have a cross section varying over the axial direction. Such an embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 10.

[0086] FIG. 10 shows a system 1000, comprising a screen roll 200, a coupling piece 1001 and anchoring elements 1002. In this embodiment, an anchoring element 1002 has the shape of a wedge, and no thread or other profile is present on the anchoring element 1002. FIG. 10 shows the positioned state, not the final anchored state.

[0087] An anchoring element 1002 is located inside an axial channel, of which the cross section increases in axial direction, from left to right on FIG. 10. This is realized by the presence of recess surfaces 1004 forming an inclined plane, as is visible in the figure. For spanning the wedge-shaped anchoring elements 1002, use is made of span screws 1003. The span screws 1005 are herein accessible through openings 1005 in the transitional element. By turning the screws 1005, for example by means of a screwdriver, the screw 1005 remains in the same position, while the wedge 1002 moves in axial direction, on FIG. 10 from left to right. The wedge 1002 is hereby clamped inside the axial channel. Since the shape of the wedges 1002 and the axial channels are matched, namely, both reduce in cross section from left to right in the figure, the anchoring elements 1002 are evenly clamped inside the axial channels.

[0088] Although the present invention was illustrated by means of specific embodiments, it will be clear for the person skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the details of the foregoing illustrative embodiments, and that the present invention may be executed with different modifications and adaptations without departing from the field of application of the invention. The present embodiments should therefore in all respects be considered as illustrative and not restrictive, wherein the field of application of the invention is described by attached claims and not by the foregoing description, and all modifications which fall within the meaning and scope of the claims are therefore included. In other words, it is understood to include all modifications, variations or equivalents falling within the are of application of the underlying basic principles and of which the essential attributes are claimed in this patent application. Moreover, the reader of this patent application will understand that the words “comprising” or “to comprise” do not exclude other elements or other steps, and that the word “a(n)” does not exclude plural. Possible references in the claims may not be understood as a limitation of the respective claims. The terms “first”, “second”, “third”, “a”, “b”, “c” and the like, when used in the description or in the claims, are used to distinguish between similar elements or steps and do not necessarily describe a successive or chronological order. The terms “top”, “bottom”, “over”, “under” and the like are used in the same way with respect to the description and do not refer necessarily to relative positions. It should be understood that these terms are mutually interchangeable under the right conditions and the embodiments of the invention are able to function according to the present invention in other orders or orientations than those described or illustrated in the above.