Patents Assigned to Somfy SAS
  • Patent number: 8760109
    Abstract: A method for operating a motorized solar protection home automation installation, comprising: an actuator intended to unfold and fold up a fabric, comprising a motor and a motor control module, and a panel of photovoltaic cells that is fixed or mobile under the effect of the actuator, intended to supply energy to recharge a reserve of electrical energy powering the actuator, the operating method comprising the following automatic steps: determination of a criterion for recharging the energy reserve, if the criterion is satisfied, displacement of the panel of photovoltaic cells or of the fabric to a recharging position in which the panel is exposed directly or by reflection to the solar rays to recharge the energy reserve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Somfy SAS
    Inventors: Pierre-Emmanuel Cavarec, Fabien Rousseau
  • Patent number: 8648814
    Abstract: Device (60; 100) for controlling home automation equipment (1a, 2a, 2b, 2c, 3a, 3b, 4a, 5a) of a building, comprising a display screen (101), in which the screen is assigned to the display of type icons (ITYP1, ITYP2, ITYP3, ITYP4, ITYP5), a type icon representing a set of home automation equipment of one and the same type, the screen also being assigned to the display of location icons (ILOC0, ILOC1, ILOC2, ILOC3, ILOC4, ILOC5), a location icon representing a set of home automation equipment installed in one and the same place in the building, which control device comprises a first selection or navigation means (103, 104, 105, 106) making it possible to position, in a reduced area (98) of the screen, either, a selected type icon or location icon, so as to display on the screen equipment icons (4, 5, 123, 123?, 125, 125?, 131, 131?) representative of the home automation equipment assigned to said selected type icon or location icon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Somfy SAS
    Inventors: Isabelle Duchene, Luc Marais, Jean-Noël Loiseau
  • Patent number: 8643322
    Abstract: A home automation actuator (100) comprising a motor (101) for maneuvering a mobile element in a building, a command receiver (108), a control unit (110), a single output converter (120), at least one switching member (104) intended to supply power to the motor, characterized in that the switching member and the input of a regulator (150) are directly connected to the output of the converter whereas the control unit and the command receiver are connected to the output of the regulator and that it comprises a control means (139) for controlling a first reduced level of the output voltage of the converter, which can be activated by the control unit, this first reduced level being lower than a minimum voltage for activating the switching member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Somfy SAS
    Inventors: Alain Tranchand, Bruno Lambersend
  • Patent number: 8624529
    Abstract: An automated control of a solar protection installation (INST), includes reflecting slats (B1, B2, B3) having parallel longitudinal axes, the slats having a face (F) provided with teeth (D) which flanks (F1), exposable to the light rays and called “useful” flanks, lie in parallel planes (P1, P2, P3, P4). The main direction of incidence (ASUN1; ASUN2) of the light rays on the slats is determined (CPU, CLK, ASUN) and a motor (MOT) is provided for tilting the slats at least substantially about their longitudinal axis. The slats are automatically tilted to orient the planes of the useful flanks depending on the main direction of incidence of the light rays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Somfy SAS
    Inventor: Serge Neuman
  • Patent number: 8612056
    Abstract: Method of configuring a home automation installation comprising a plurality of mobile screens driven by actuators identified by an identifier, the method comprising the following steps: a) a step of constructing a first list of identifiers of actuators of the installation, b) a step of locating all the locations of the screens that make up the part of the installation to be configured, c) a step of associating a list of possible actuator identifiers with each screen location, d) a step of transmitting a movement control command to each actuator of a group of actuators, e) a step of designating locations that correspond to a group of screens that have reacted to the control command, f) a step of updating the lists of possible actuator identifiers for each location, the steps d) to f) being reiterated as long as at least one list of possible actuator identifiers for a screen location comprises more than one actuator identifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Somfy SAS
    Inventors: Mattias Klasson, Samuel Spanberger, Tommy Carlsson, Christian Magnusson
  • Patent number: 8604736
    Abstract: Method of operating an actuator (1) for maneuvering a movable element (52), comprising a motor of asynchronous type or of brushless type or comprising a motor associated with a differential brake, and comprising a partially irreversible reduction gear, which comprises a step of establishing a measurement of an operating parameter of the actuator and a step of using this measurement to determine whether the actuator is driving the movable element or whether the actuator is being driven by the movable element, and then a step of implementing first logic for determining an end of travel or an obstacle, or a step of implementing second logic for determining an end of travel or an obstacle, depending on whether the actuator drives the movable element or the actuator is driven by the movable element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Somfy SAS
    Inventors: Bernard Grehant, Alain Tranchand, Geoffroy Dumont D'ayot
  • Patent number: 8597157
    Abstract: This reduction gear of an electric actuator (1) for driving a home screen, the reduction gear comprises a reduction stage having a sun gear (42) meshing with at least one planet gear (46, 46?) rotating about a respective shaft (47) and positioned in a drum (45), the planet gear meshing with a stationary ring (48) to drive the drum (45) in rotation about an axis of rotation (X4). The reduction gear further comprises first guide means (43) serving both to guide the sun gear (42) in rotation and to guide the drum (45) in rotation about the axis of rotation (X4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Somfy SAS
    Inventor: Jerome Pezet
  • Publication number: 20130310984
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling a motor-driven mobile screen having adjustable slats by means of an electromechanical actuator in a building, the control being implemented from a control interface including at least one control button for extending the screen and an element for assisting in the movement for adjusting the slats. The invention also relates to a control interface for implementing the method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Publication date: November 21, 2013
    Applicant: Somfy SAS
    Inventor: Morgan Roux
  • Patent number: 8581163
    Abstract: An automated control method for a solar protection screen (SCR) installation (INST) comprising retroreflecting-type slats (B1, B2, B3) which can be inclined between two extreme inclinations, wherein, in the presence of direct solar radiation, the slats are inclined at a first intermediate inclination, equal to the maximum aperture inclination (AMAX) of the screen relative to a preferred direction, as long as an inclination threshold automatically controlled in relation to the height of the sun (ATH) remains less than the maximum aperture inclination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Somfy SAS
    Inventors: Bernard Grehant, Eric Lagarde
  • Patent number: 8564162
    Abstract: This electro-mechanical actuator is used to operate a curtain mounted to slide along an axis. It comprises a motor (24), a power supply unit (22) for powering the motor and a box (20), the motor (24) and the power supply unit (22) being received in a first housing (L1) that is internal to the box (20). The box (20) forms at least one second internal housing (L2, L?2), separated from the first internal housing by a wall (35, 43) of the box, and in which an electrical or electronic component (28, 50) of the actuator is received that is distinct from the motor (24) and from the power supply unit (22). A removable cover (33, 41) isolates the or each second housing (L2, L?2) from the outside of the box (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Somfy SAS
    Inventors: Olivier Charleux, Scot Cochran, Jean-Michel Perache, Rich Scharf
  • Publication number: 20130269885
    Abstract: Motorized operating device intended for operating a movable screen with a windable canvas of a window covering device or of a projection screen device, the motorized operating device being intended to be suspended by the canvas and including: a winding tube which is movable around a first axis and on which the canvas is intended to be wound, an actuator which is disposed at least in part in the tube, a first element for fixing a first end of the canvas to the winding tube, the weight of the operating device creating a canvas unwinding torque, wherein said operating device includes an element for compensating the unwinding torque which acts exclusively by interaction with gravity and/or with the canvas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Publication date: October 17, 2013
    Applicant: Somfy SAS
    Inventors: Pierre-Emmanuel Cavarec, Sebastien Lemaitre
  • Patent number: 8532132
    Abstract: The communication method applies to a home-automation installation comprising at least one sending element, a self-powered receiving element and an element for substituting for the receiving element. The method is such that, when the receiving element is in a sleep mode, the substitution element receives and records information sent by the sending element for the attention of the receiving element and such that, when the receiving element is no longer in sleep mode, the substitution element sends the information for the attention of the receiving element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Somfy SAS
    Inventors: Florent Pellarin, Barbara Augustin
  • Publication number: 20130222124
    Abstract: Method for configuring a home-automation installation comprising at least one first part of the home-automation installation, one second part of the home-automation installation and one configuration device: the first part of the home-automation installation comprising elements communicating over a first home-automation network, the first part having a first key, and the second part of the home-automation installation comprising elements communicating over a second home-automation network, the second part having a second key. The method comprises: a phase of transmitting the first key, from an element of the first installation part to the configuration device, a phase of defining a new key, a phase of transmitting the new key, from the configuration device to at least one element of the second installation part, a phase of recording the new key.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2013
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicant: Somfy SAS
    Inventor: Somfy SAS
  • Publication number: 20130226316
    Abstract: A home automation installation includes several sensors, several pieces of controlled home automation equipment, and a control unit communicating with the sensors and the controlled home automation equipment. To control this installation, it is provided to select a control scenario by the control unit for at least one parameterized sensor from among the sensors, at a current moment belonging to a periodic time range from among one or more time ranges associated with the parameterized sensor, and as a function of at least one current value of the signal coming from the parameterized sensor, then to send, by the control unit to at least one of the pieces of controlled home automation equipment, at least one order depending on the selected control scenario.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2013
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicant: Somfy SAS
    Inventor: Somfy SAS
  • Publication number: 20130194065
    Abstract: The communication method applies to a home-automation installation comprising at least one sending element, a self-powered receiving element and an element for substituting for the receiving element. The method is such that, when the receiving element is in a sleep mode, the substitution element receives and records information sent by the sending element for the attention of the receiving element and such that, when the receiving element is no longer in sleep mode, the substitution element sends the information for the attention of the receiving element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: Somfy SAS
    Inventor: Somfy SAS
  • Patent number: 8477010
    Abstract: Method for communicating information by infrared radiation between a control command transmitter for a motorized product for closure, privacy or solar protection in a building and a control command receiver, comprising the transmission of a communication frame including: a preamble signal consisting of the repetition of pulses of a first type, and a data signal, the data being translated into the form of pulses of a second type, wherein the preamble signal and the data signal are modulated at the same frequency and wherein the data signal is separated from the preamble signal by a signal-free period having a duration of greater than twice the maximum duration separating two successive pulses of the second type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Somfy SAS
    Inventors: Eric Cheron, Vyacheslav Baran, Herbert Rodas, Francis Valoteau
  • Patent number: 8468747
    Abstract: An actuator for opening and closing a closure including a motor, a sprocket rotated by the motor, and a chain driven by the sprocket and having a first end connected to the closure and a second end positioned within a casing. The actuator also includes a support mounted so as to reciprocally movable relative to the sprocket and having a guide through which a portion of the chain is movable so that the movement of the support is due to the chain being driven by the sprocket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Somfy SAS
    Inventors: Marco Mingardi, Eric Lagarde
  • Patent number: 8469171
    Abstract: A spring loaded brake for an actuator for driving a household screen includes a helical spring having radially extending end lugs, a friction piece including a friction surface against which the spring presses, an input piece which drives the spring in rotation in one direction to reduce a force of contact between the spring and the surface, an output piece which drives the spring in rotation in a direction to increase the force of contact between the spring and the surface and wherein the brake also includes two end stops which always rotate as one about an axis of the spring and each of which forms a stop to limit axial movement of the spring in opposite directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Somfy SAS
    Inventors: Eric Lagarde, Frédéric Negrello
  • Patent number: 8471571
    Abstract: Home electronic automation equipment to be controlled is selected from among several predefined groups of equipment, via capacitive sensors which are disposed next to one another on a control unit. A predefined group of equipment is selected by activating individual capacitive sensors. At least one additional group of equipment is selected via a predetermined sequence for activating several of the same capacitive sensors, of which at least two capacitive sensors are non-adjacent sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Somfy SAS
    Inventors: Isabelle Duchene, Jérôme Mathieu
  • Patent number: 8464776
    Abstract: Viscoelastic transmission device (100) for a mechanical connection between a shaft (4) of an actuator the axis (XX?) of which defines an axial direction, and a driving wheel (6) of a winding tube (5) of a blind, of a roller shutter or of a roll-up screen, which comprises a first component (10) that has an output profile that complements an input profile of a second component of the device, the first and the second components adhering to an intermediate component (30) made of viscoelastic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Somfy SAS
    Inventor: Sebastien Anthoine