The present disclosure relates to a device with a switching arrangement for operating an electrical driving means, in particular an electric motor, for moving a shading device, e.g. a roller shutter or window blind, for building openings. The present disclosure also relates to a method for operating the device.

Systems for controlling and operating shading devices on windows or doors of buildings, which are known from prior art, are produced e.g. either with an operator panel that is arranged beside the opening of the building on the wall and thus stationary or by way of an operator panel that is arranged inside a remote control and thus mobile, wherein the operator panels exhibit at least two or three key elements for input. The systems are designed in such a way that operating of the shading device by pulling or pushing up the shading device and thus direct touching of the device is avoided.

Alternatively, conventional systems for controlling and operating shading devices are provided on one end of a tilt rod, wherein a first end of the tilt rod that is produced preferably of a plastic is fixed in the area of a bracket or mount of the shading device, whereas the second end of the tilt rod, which is produced distally towards the first end, is connected to an easy-to-handle housing for the operator panel. In particular, so-called pressure switches or pressure buttons are used as key elements of the operator panel, which give an immediate feedback to the operator when closing the contact.

The prior art also includes systems with a tilt rod or a pull cord, each with a switching element or switching actuator produced inside the shading device.

For example, it is known to produce the tilt rod as a pull-pressure pipe with a pipe motor and a pressure switch or pressure button inside the pipe motor. Consequently, the pipe motor is switched by moving, in particular by pulling or pushing the tilt rod in the longitudinal direction, wherein a first end of the tilt rod is connected with the pressure switch or pressure button of the pipe motor, and the tilt rod is held in the hand on a second end produced distally towards the first end.

US 2018 106105 A1 describes motor drives for moving shading arrangements. One of the motorised drives exhibits a motor, a first switch to trigger the motor to retract the shading arrangement, a second switch to trigger the motor to extend the shading arrangement, and an actuator. The actuator is produced in such a way that, when rotating in a first direction, the first switch is activated, and when rotating in a second direction, the second switch is activated.

The systems for controlling and operating shading devices, which are known from prior art, exhibit complicated technical solutions, compared to shading devices also known and operated exclusively manually and mechanically, or key elements that are neither waterproof or dustproof, e.g. with four- wire electrical cable between driving means and input element, or solutions with a cord switch, which are unsafe especially for children, a disturbing operator panel that is arranged in the area of the building opening on the wall, an additional housing, in particular of a plastic, which is produced especially for PCBs and exhibits with small dimensions. The operation of the conventional systems can be very complicated.

Electrically driven systems known from prior art, in addition, require flowing of a standby current of up to 5 mA, e.g. to be able to check a switching state of the control unit. Similarly, systems with operating elements produced following a capacitive sensor principle, which are activated or deactivated by touching or wiping the operating element and which are known from prior art require a high standby current to be able to acquire the current switching state of the system within the range of milliseconds periodically. The systems to be operated with standby current exhibit an essentially shorter service life than systems to be operated without standby current.

The present disclosure provides a device for operating an electrical driving means, in particular an electric motor, for moving a shading device, with maximal service life and flexible or adaptable design. The device is to be easy to operate and easy to realise in terms of construction, also to be able to minimise the manufacturing costs, wherein the device is to comprise as few individual components as possible and is to be operated with minimal consumption of energy.

The task of the present disclosure is solved by way of a device according to the present disclosure, which exhibits a switching arrangement for operating an electrical driving means, in particular an electric motor, for moving a shading device, e.g. a roller shutter or window blind, for building openings. The device exhibits an operating element with a switching arrangement.

According to the conception of the present disclosure, the switching arrangement is produced with at least one magnet and at least one switching element integrated into the operating element. The at least one magnet is arranged in such a way that it is movable along the operating element in the direction of a longitudinal axis. The at least one switching element can be switched in a contactless manner by way of a magnetic field created by the at least one magnet.

According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one switching element is produced as a reed contact with enclosed blade contacts. The movable blade contacts are produced preferably of a ferromagnetic material, allowing the switching elements to be actuated by the magnetic field occurring around the magnet. Alternatively, the switching element can also be produced as a hall sensor.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, the operating element exhibits the shape of a cylinder, in particular of a hollow cylinder, with a first end and a second end, the operating element is mounted on the first end, specifically fixed on the shading device. The second end aligned distally towards the first end can be produced as a free end of the cylinder shape. The operating element can be arranged in such a way that it is movable around the first end produced as a fixed point. The free, second end of the operating element is hence to be understood as an end on which the operating element is not additionally fixed in any way.

A further advantage of the present disclosure is that the magnet is produced in the shape of a hollow cylinder, in particular in the shape of a hollow circular cylinder, and with a pass-through opening. The operating element is arranged inside the pass-through opening of the magnet in such a way that the magnet encloses the operating element around its circumference at least partially and is movable in a direction of movement aligned in the direction of the longitudinal axis. The operating element and the magnet are aligned preferably coaxially to one another, wherein the magnet can be produced as a bar magnet or as a ring magnet.

The magnet is movable along the operating element, in particular infinitely, preferably between two end positions. The range of movement of the magnet is limited by the end positions.

According to a further advantageous embodiment of the present disclosure, the switching arrangement is produced with two switching elements, wherein a first switching element is arranged on a first end position and a second switching element on a second end position. According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one disc element is arranged on one of the end positions on the operating element, wherein one disc element can also be installed on each of the two end positions on the operating element. The disc elements exhibit preferably the shape of a circular ring disc or of a circular cylindrical ring disc with a preferably concentric pass-through opening.

The appropriate disc element is produced preferably of a ferromagnetic material to fix and attach the magnet on the appropriate end position of the range of movement. Thus, two ferromagnetic stops for static holding of the magnet in the first end position or second end position on the operating element can be produced.

The appropriate disc element exhibits preferably a coating that reduces or increases the ferromagnetic properties required for attaching the magnet. Alternatively, the appropriate coating can be produced on the magnet. The coating provides for easy, reliable and exact adjustment of haptic properties, in particular of the force required to lock in or lock out the magnet from the end position and thus the attraction force of the magnet on the disc element, wherein the dimensioning of the back-iron is in all cases independent of occurring surface tolerances or position tolerances.

A further preferred embodiment of the present disclosure is that the magnet is arranged inside, in particular fully integrated into a ball element, specifically inside a pass-through opening of the ball element, which is aligned in the direction of the longitudinal axis. The ball element is produced preferably as a ball segment with flat, plane poles for full-area contact of the ball element on the appropriate disc element. The operating element, the magnet, and the ball element are arranged preferably coaxially to one another.

According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one switching element is electrically connected to a plug-in connector for electrical connection to the control system of the electrical drive. The electrical connection between the switching element and the plug-in connector is intended preferably inside the rodlike, hollow-cylinder shaped operating element.

Furthermore, the switching arrangement can exhibit at least one illuminant that is integrated into the operating element, wherein the operating element is produced of a transparent plastic. A further embodiment of the present disclosure is henceforth that two illuminants are intended, wherein each switching element is assigned one illuminant, in particular for indicating the switching state of the switching element.

The task of the present disclosure is also solved by way of a method according to the present disclosure for operation of the device described above. With this method, a magnet is moved along an operating element in the direction of a longitudinal axis, wherein at least one switching element is switched in a contactless manner by way of a magnetic field produced by a magnet in such a way that e.g. an electrical driving means for moving a shading device, in particular an electric motor, is turned on or switched off.

After ending a drive operation, in particular with turning off the electrical driving means, e.g. by switching a switching element or after expiry of a specified time, the current flowing through the actuated switching element and, where appropriate, through the illuminant assigned to the switching element can be turned off or deactivated externally, thus providing for a minimal standby current of the driving means, wherein the current flowing through the switching element and the illuminant can be deactivated, for example, by switching an output of a control element in such a way that, in particular, an additionally integrated field effect transistor is turned off as an electronic switch and the current flow is interrupted.

Furthermore, a switching element that is not actuated can be turned on or activated without current flow. A new movement of the magnet along the operating element allows a further switching cycle.

The device according to the present disclosure for operating an electrical driving means, in particular an electric motor, for moving a shading device, with a minimum number of required components, in summary exhibits various further advantages: straightforward rod control with intuitive operation by way of a classic rod design without terminals and mechanical pressure switches or pressure buttons, sophisticated haptic properties thanks to the working principle of reluctance, no audible clicking during the switching process, operation of the contacts and switching elements without standby current consuming energy, which is decisive, in particular for battery-operated systems, and potential for an additional analog velocity control for the shading device, in particular by way of an analog hall sensor that acquires the position of the magnet before reaching the end position on the disc element, specifically before hitting on the disc element, and is evaluated by a control system of the driving means.

Further details, features and benefits of embodiments of the invention result from the following description of specimen embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The invention shall be explained in detail in one exemplary embodiment by reference to Figures 1 to 2.

Figure la shows a device with a switching arrangement for operating an electrical driving means in a lateral view and a top view;

Figure lb shows the device from Fig. la in a cross-sectional view of the lateral view;

Figure lc shows a circuit diagram of the switching arrangement of the device, and

Figure 2 shows individual components of the device in a perspective view.

Figs la and lb show a device 1 with a switching arrangement 9 for operating an electrical driving means, in particular an electric motor, in the assembled condition in a lateral view and a top view, as well as in a cross-sectional view of the lateral view. The driving means serves especially for moving a shading device, e.g. a roller shutter or window blind, with reference to building openings. Fig. 2 shows the individual components of the device 1 in a perspective view.

The device 1 includes a rodlike operating element 2 with a longitudinal axis 3 or symmetry axis. The operating element 2 is made preferably from a transparent thermoplastic material, in particular from polymethylmethacrylate, abbreviated PMMA and also known as acrylic or acrylic glass, exhibits the shape of a hollow cylinder. The hollow-cylinder shape extends preferably over the whole length of the operating element 2.

A first end of the operating element 2 is fixed in the area of a bracket or mount of the shading device that is not represented here. The second end of the operating element 2, in particular the hollow space formed by the hollow-cylinder shape and enclosed by the wall around the circumference, which is extended distally towards the first end, is sealed in a dustproof and waterproof manner by way of a closing element 4.

A first disc element 5 a is arranged in the area of the second end of the operating element 2, which in combination with the closing element 4 forms a lower termination of the operating element 2 in the vertical direction. In addition, the device 1 includes a second disc element 5b that is arranged in the direction of the longitudinal axis 3 with a distance from the first disc element 5a. As shown in Fig. la or lb, the direction of the longitudinal axis 3 corresponds to the vertical direction.

The disc elements 5 a and 5b are made of ferromagnetic material, and are used to limit an area of the operating element 2, in which a ball element 6 can be moved to and from along a movement direction 7 aligned in the direction of the longitudinal axis 3. In detail, the first disc element 5a limits a first, lower end position of the range of movement of the ball element 6, whereas the second disc element 5b limits a second, upper end position of the range of movement of the ball element 6.

The disc elements 5a, 5b are produced as circular cylindrical ring discs with a concentric, also circular cylindrical recess or pass-through opening 5a- 1, 5b- 1, similar to a washer. The operating element 2 is arranged inside of the pass-through opening 5a-l, 5b- 1 of the disc element 5 a, 5b in such a way that the disc element 5 a, 5b fully encloses the operating element 2.

The internal diameter of the pass-through opening 5a- 1, 5b- 1 of the disc element 5a, 5b corresponds to the outer diameter of the operating element 2 in the area of arrangement of the disc elements 5a, 5b. The disc elements 5a, 5b arranged on planes that are aligned parallel to each other and arranged vertically relative to the direction of the longitudinal axis 3 can have the same values of the outer diameters or internal diameters. The disc elements 5 a, 5b are arranged concentrically to the operating element 2 and fixed immovably on the operating element 2, in particular such that they cannot be moved in the direction of the longitudinal axis 3.

The ball element 6 is in the shape of a ball segment without ball caps arranged opposite one another in the direction of the longitudinal axis 3 of the operating element 2. The two plane surfaces of the ball segment are arranged on planes that are aligned parallel to each other and arranged vertically relative to the direction of the longitudinal axis 3 and have preferably the same surface area. Thus the plane surfaces of the ball segment 6 are aligned parallel to the planes of the disc elements 5a, 5b.

The ball element 6 similar to the disc elements 5a, 5b, defines a circular cylindrical recess or axial pass-through opening 6-1 that extends along the longitudinal axis 3 between the two plane surfaces of the ball segment. A concentric or axial slot is defined between the circumferential area of the pass-through opening 6-1, i.e. the inner surface of the ball element 6 and the outer diameter of the operating element 2.

A magnet 8, in particular a permanent magnet produced as a ring magnet, is arranged inside the slot intended between the circumferential area of the pass-through opening 6-1 of the ball element 6 and the outer diameter of the operating element 2. The magnet 8 is in the shape of a hollow cylinder, in particular of a straight hollow cylinder, with an axial pass-through opening 8-1. The pass-through opening 8-1 extends along the longitudinal axis 3 between two end faces of the magnet 8. The magnet 8 is arranged in such a way that it can be moved coaxially to the operating element 2 and on the operating element 2 in the movement direction 7, in particular in the direction of the longitudinal axis 3. The internal diameter of the pass-through opening 8-1 of the magnet 8 corresponds to the outer diameter of the operating element 2 in the area between the disc elements 5 a, 5b, plus a slot for moving the magnet 8 in the movement direction 7 along the operating element 2.

The magnet 8 is fully integrated into the ball element 6 within the pass-through opening 6-1 of the ball element 6. The outer diameter of the magnet 8 preferably shaped as a hollow circular cylinder, i.e. of the outer surface or lateral surface of the magnet 8, corresponds to the internal diameter of the circumferential surface of the pass-through opening 6-1 of the ball element 6, i.e. to the inner surface of the ball element 6. The inner surface of the ball element 6 and the lateral surface of the magnet 8 correspond to each other. The ball element 6 and the magnet 8 are connected to one another with a form fit or force fit on the inner surface or lateral surface, in particular via press-fitting, and form a coherent unit as a single-piece element.

The operating element 2, the magnet 8, and the ball element 6 are arranged to one another concentrically, in particular coaxially. With arrangement of the magnet 8 on the operating element 2 such that it is movable in the movement direction 7, the ball element 6 is also movable in the direction of the longitudinal axis 3 along the operating element 2, together with the magnet 8 between the first, lower end position of the range of movement and the second, upper end position of the range of movement.

With arrangement of the ball element 6 in the first, lower end position of the range of movement, as shown in Figs la and lb, a first, plane surface of the ball segment 6 can be in contact with the first disc element 5 a, whereas with arrangement of the ball element 6 in the second, upper end position of the range of movement can be in contact with a second, plane surface of the ball segment on the second disc element 5b. The ball element 6 is held in position due to the magnetic attraction forces between the ferromagnetic disc element 5 a, 5b and the magnet 8 produced as a permanent magnet. Of course, the magnet 8 could be formed from a plurality of smaller magnets to produce the same effect, that is, to provide a movable magnetic element on the operating element 2.

A switching arrangement is set inside the hollow space of the operating element 2, which is produced by the hollow-cylinder shape and fully enclosed by the wall, and between the disc elements 5 a, 5b in the direction of the longitudinal axis 3 and thus within the range of movement of the ball element 6 with the magnet 8. When moving the ball element 6 between the lower and upper end positions and between the upper and lower end positions, the switching arrangement 9 is swept over by the magnet 8.

Fig. lc shows a circuit diagram of the switching arrangement 9 of the device 1 in relation to the operating element 2 with the disc elements 5 a, 5b and the end positions of the ball element 6 with the magnet 8 in accordance with Figs la and lb.

The switching arrangement 9 includes a first switching element 10a and a second switching element 10b. The first switching element 10a is arranged in the area of the first, lower end position of the range of movement of the ball element 6, and the second switching element 10b is arranged in the area of the second, upper end position of the range of movement of the ball element 6.

The switching elements 10a, 10b are set as so-called reed switches or reed contacts with hermetically sealed blade contacts that are made of an iron-nickel alloy, for example. Due to the fact that the blade contacts are made of ferromagnetic materials, the switching elements 10a, 10b are actuated via the magnetic field occurring around the magnet 8. The alignment of the magnet is illustrated in Fig. 2 by way of the poles 'north pole N' and 'south pole S'.

The blade contacts aligned in the direction of the longitudinal axis 3 and the connecting wires can be melted into a thin-walled glass tube. The ferromagnetic blade contacts are moved by the externally acting axial magnetic field of the magnet 8. If a force acting on the blade contact by the magnetic field of the magnet 8 is greater than the spring force of the blade contact, the switching element 10a, 10b is closed. The switching element 10a, 10b is reopened due to the spring action of the blade contact by removing the magnet 8 and thus of the magnetic field from the switching element 10a, 10b, in particular by weakening the magnetic field below a certain field strength.

With arrangement of the ball element 6 in the first, lower end position, as shown in Figs la and lb, the first magnet 8 is pushed over the first switching element 10a. The first switching element 10a is closed, whereas the second switching element 10b is open due to the missing or at least significantly weakened magnetic field and the spring action of the blade contact. With arrangement of the ball element 6 in the second, upper end position, which is not represented here, the magnet 8 is pushed over the second switching element 10b so that the second switching element 10b is closed, whereas the first switching element 10a is open due to the missing or at least significantly weakened magnetic field and the spring action of the blade contact.

The first switching element 10a is assigned a first illuminant 11a, and the second switching element 10b is assigned a second illuminant lib to be able to display the switching state of the switching elements 10a, 10b. The operating element 2 is made of a transparent plastic, the light emitted by the illuminants 11a, lib is visible outside the operating element 2. The illuminants 11a, lib are produced preferably as light-emitting diodes, briefly called LED.

The first switching element 10a with the first illuminant 11a is arranged inside a first circuit, whereas the second switching element 10b with the second illuminant lib is arranged inside a second circuit. Thus, the switching arrangement 9 includes three conducting wires whose first ends are connected to a common plug-in connector 12. The first end of the operating element 2 of the plug-in connector 12 is fixed in the area of the bracket or mount of the shading device to be able to establish, in particular, an electrical connection to the control system of the drive of the shading device. The operating element 2 that, with the haptic ball element 6, is produced as a manually controlled device 1 for operating the electrical driving means of roller shutters or window blinds, produced as a motorised internal shading device with an operating element 2 produced as a tilt rod, hence exhibits sensors or switches that are integrated into the tilt rod and are switched by way of a magnet 8, in particular a ring magnet, that is movable along the tilt rod, the ring magnet enclosing the tilt rod is slid along the tilt rod between two fixed end positions so that switching signals are produced by way of a non-contact magnetic sensor system. The switching arrangement 9 produced with magnetic switches exhibits two contacts in the form of the switching elements 10a, 10b that are arranged in the area of the fixed end positions, which are operated without standby current, by activation of the opposite switching element 10a or 10b, the contact of the corresponding switching elements 10a, 10b is open, whereas the contact of the correspondingly other switching element 10a or 10b is closed.

The switching elements 10a, 10b can be arranged, together with the optionally produced illuminants 11a and lib, on a slim PCB of flexible material or a slim strip as a base plate.

The words ‘ comprises/comprising ’ and the words ‘having/including ’ when used herein with reference to the present disclosure are used to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof.

It is appreciated that certain features of the disclosure, which are, for clarity, described in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the disclosure which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable sub-combination.

The embodiments described above are provided by way of examples only, and various other modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the field without departing from the scope of the disclosure as defined herein.

List of reference symbols

1 Device

2 Operating element

3 Longitudinal axis

4 Closing element

5a First disc element

5b Second disc element

5a-l, 5b-l Pass-through opening of disc element 5a, 5b

6 Ball element

6-1 Pass-through opening of ball element 6

7 Direction of movement

8 Magnet

8-1 Pass-through opening of magnet 8

9 Switching arrangement

10a First switching element

10b Second switching element

11a First illuminant lib Second illuminant

12 Plug-in connector N North pole of magnet 8

S South pole of magnet 8