Motorized Device for Opening and Closing Curtains

Abstract

The disclosure provides a device for automatically opening and closing a pair of curtains that includes a rod with a longitudinal hollow space. The device also includes a first and second threaded shaft housed within the hollow space. First and second gears are attached to the first and second threaded shaft, respectively. The first and second gear intermesh, so that, when the first threaded shaft rotates in a first angular direction, the second threaded shaft rotates in an opposite second angular direction. The device also includes first and second threaded nuts, threaded onto the first and second threaded shafts. A motor is provided to rotate the first threaded shaft in the first angular direction and simultaneously rotate the second the shaft in the opposite second angular direction.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device for automatically opening and closing a pair of curtains comprising:
 a rod comprising a longitudinal hollow space and a midpoint where a leading edge of a first curtain of the pair of curtains and a leading edge of a second curtain of the pair of curtains meet when closed;   a first threaded shaft having a thread pitch and housed within the hollow space, the first threaded shaft extending from a point near one end of the curtain rod to a first point past the midpoint;   a second threaded shaft having the same or different thread pitch as the first threaded shaft and housed within the hollow space, the second threaded shaft extending from a point near an opposite end of the curtain rod to a second point past the midpoint;   a first gear attached to the first threaded shaft and configured to rotate axially with the first threaded shaft;   a second gear attached to the second threaded shaft and configured to rotate axially with the second threaded shaft, and wherein the first and second gear intermesh, whereby, when the first threaded shaft rotates in a first angular direction, the second threaded shaft rotates in an opposite second angular direction;   a first threaded nut, threaded onto the first threaded shaft and configured to translate in a first direction toward the midpoint as the first threaded shaft is rotated in the first angular direction and to translate in an opposite second direction away from the midpoint as the first threaded shaft is rotated in the second angular direction;   a second threaded nut, threaded onto the second threaded shaft and configured to translate in the first direction as the second threaded shaft is rotated in the first angular direction and to translate in the opposite second direction as the second threaded shaft is rotated in the second angular direction;   a first curtain linker attached to the first threaded nut and attached near the leading edge of the first curtain;   a second curtain linker attached to the second threaded nut and attached near the leading edge of the second curtain;   a motor configured to rotate the first threaded shaft in the first angular direction and simultaneously rotate the second the shaft in the opposite second angular direction;   whereby, the device operates to close the pair of curtains when the first threaded shaft is rotated in the first angular direction and to open the pair of curtains when the first threaded shaft is rotated in the opposite second angular direction.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the rod is a curtain rod, configured to support the pair of curtains. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the motor is disposed in the hollow space near the first end of the curtain rod. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the motor is linked to the first threaded shaft through a gear box. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the midpoint is located at a center point of the device. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a controller configured to selectively activate the motor to rotate the first shaft in the first angular direction, and to activate the motor to rotate the first shaft in the second angular direction. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein the controller is further configured to receive instructions wirelessly. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to receive instructions from a user's smart phone. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to receive instructions from a cloud service. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 7 , configured to respond to voice commands to open or close the curtains. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the controller is further configured to detect a first end point corresponding to the first and second curtain being fully closed and a second end point corresponding to the first and second curtain being fully opened. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a longitudinal slot in the rod, through which the first and second curtain linkers pass. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the rod is longitudinally expandable by telescoping one portion of the rod within another portion of the rod, whereby the device can be adapted to span different widths. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein the first gear is configured to be attached at different points along the first threaded shaft, and wherein the second gear is configured to be attached at different points along the second threaded shaft, in order to accommodate different widths. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 14 , wherein the first gear is configured to be attached at any point along the first threaded shaft and wherein the second gear is configured to be attached at any point along the second threaded shaft, in order to accommodate infinite width adjustment between a greatest width and a shortest width. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 14 , wherein the first and second threaded shafts, each include a longitudinal channel and the first and second gears are indexed in the respective channel. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein the first gear is indexed by a first tab protruding from an inside diameter of the first gear into the longitudinal slots in the first threaded shaft, and wherein the second gear is indexed by a second tab protruding from an inside diameter of the second gear into the longitudinal slot in the second threaded shaft. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 14 , wherein the first threaded nut is configured to allow the second threaded shaft to extend beyond it and wherein the second threaded nut is configured to allow the first threaded shaft to extend beyond it. 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 14 , wherein the first threaded nut has a first threaded hole that is threaded to mate with the first threaded shaft and a first nonthreaded hole with a diameter large enough to allow the second threaded shaft to freely pass therethrough, and wherein the second threaded nut has a second threaded hole that is threaded to mate with the second threaded rod and a second nonthreaded hole with a diameter large enough to allow the first threaded shaft to freely pass therethrough. 
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 18 , wherein the device can be expanded from its shortest length to its longest length that is at least  90 % longer than the shortest length. 
     
     
         21 . The device of  claim 1 , configured to open and close a first and second pair of curtains, and further comprising:
 a third threaded shaft having a thread pitch and housed within the hollow space, the third threaded shaft extending from a point near the one end of the curtain rod to a third point past the midpoint;   a fourth threaded shaft having the same or different thread pitch as the third threaded shaft and housed within the hollow space, the fourth threaded shaft extending from a point near the opposite end of the curtain rod to a fourth point past the midpoint;   a third gear attached to the third threaded shaft and configured to rotate axially with the third threaded shaft;   a fourth gear attached to the fourth threaded shaft and configured to rotate axially with the fourth threaded shaft, and wherein the third and fourth gear intermesh, whereby, when the third threaded shaft rotates in the first angular direction, the fourth threaded shaft rotates in the opposite second angular direction;   a third threaded nut, threaded onto the third threaded shaft and configured to translate in the first direction toward the midpoint as the third threaded shaft is rotated in the first angular direction and to translate in the opposite second direction away from the midpoint as the third threaded shaft is rotated in the second angular direction;   a fourth threaded nut, threaded onto the fourth threaded shaft and configured to translate in the first direction as the fourth threaded shaft is rotated in the first angular direction and to translate in the opposite second direction as the fourth threaded shaft is rotated in the second angular direction;   a third curtain linker attached to the fourth threaded nut and attached near the leading edge of the first curtain in the second pair of curtains;   a fourth curtain linker attached to the fourth threaded nut and attached near the leading edge of the second curtain in the second pair of curtains;   a second motor configured to rotate the third threaded shaft in the first angular direction and simultaneously rotate the fourth the shaft in the opposite second angular direction;   whereby, the device operates to close the first pair of curtains when the first threaded shaft is rotated by the motor in the first angular direction and to open the first pair of curtains when the first threaded shaft is rotated by the motor in the opposite second angular direction; and   whereby, the device operates to close the second pair of curtains when the third threaded shaft is rotated by the second motor in the first angular direction and to open the second pair of curtains when the first threaded shaft is rotated by the second motor in the opposite second angular direction.   
     
     
         22 . The device of  claim 21 , wherein the rod comprises a first slot, through which the first and second curtain linker pass, and a second slot, through which the third and fourth curtain linker pass.