The tie-back problem...

[Steve Morgan <steve@xxxxxxx>]

OK,

I've been thinking about the curtains with tie-backs problem and I
thought I'd share my thoughts with you lot...

Get rid of them. Instead, tie some small rings to the curtain lining at
tie-back height and thread through some cord, stitched to the lining at
the inner edge. Now, you can achieve that tied-back look by winding the
cord.

So, problem 2 is how to handle the winding. Ideally, some linkage using
a single curtain motor would be best whereby as the curtains open, it
stops at a fixed position and the motor continues to tighten the cord to
draw the lower sections back. I'm sure someone can figure out the
mechanics of that - I'm struggling to see how to make it work in
practice.

Alternatively (and more expensively), use an additional motor each side
just to wind the cord onto a spool. Unlike the main curtain motor, it
does not need to pull in both directions. Instead, it needs to pull back
and hold when the curtains are open and just relax the cord when the
curtains close. Rather than trying to co-ordinate the unwinding of the
cord with the drawing of the curtains, it might be easier to use some
kind of magnetic clutch. When the curtains are not being held back, the
clutch can be de-powered and the curtains allowed to relax into their
normal straight hang.

I'm in no position to try it out at the moment, but I'd love to hear
about it if someone did.

Cheers,
Steve


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