Adjustable Awning Roller Support for Variable Fabric Roll Diameters
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing awnings with a support surface for fabric rollers are ineffective when the fabric roll diameter changes due to varying extension lengths or material thickness, limiting their ability to provide reliable support.
Innovation Solution
The awning features an adjustable support surface that can be fixed at any point within an adjustment range, allowing it to adapt to different fabric roll diameters through mechanisms like threaded bolts, slides, and cam guides, ensuring optimal positioning and support of the fabric roller.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed support surface is used for the fabric roller, then the structure is simple, but the support surface can only effectively support a single fabric roll diameter and becomes ineffective when the diameter changes
Solution Approach 1:
The support surface is made adjustable within an adjustment range rather than being fixed, allowing it to adapt to different fabric roll diameters. The support surface can be positioned at different locations along the adjustment range to match varying roll diameters, transforming a static structure into a dynamic one that responds to changing conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The position parameter of the support surface is made variable within a defined adjustment range. By changing the position parameter of the support surface along the adjustment range, the system adapts to different fabric roll diameters, allowing the same support structure to handle varying roll sizes without requiring multiple fixed support surfaces.
2Adaptability or versatility
If an elastically pre-loaded support device with a compression spring is used, then the support device can automatically adapt to diameter changes, but the maximum supporting force is limited to the spring's compressive force
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic spring-based mechanical system is replaced with a gravity-based passive support system. Instead of using active elastic forces from compression springs, the invention uses the gravitational force of a weight to provide continuous support force, enabling larger and more consistent supporting forces without the limitations of spring compression.
Solution Approach 2:
A weight is introduced to provide a counterbalancing gravitational force that acts on the fabric roller through the support surface. This weight-based counterforce system replaces the spring-based elastic force, providing a more reliable and stronger supporting force that is not limited by material elasticity or compression constraints.
3Reliability
If the support surface position is fixed, then the structure is simple, but optimal positioning cannot be ensured for varying fabric roll diameters
Solution Approach 1:
The support surface position is transformed from a fixed parameter to a dynamic one that can be adjusted and fixed at multiple positions within an adjustment range. This allows the support surface to be optimally positioned for different fabric roll diameters, ensuring reliable support while maintaining a relatively simple adjustment mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The adjustment range is divided into multiple discrete positioning points or segments along the adjustment path. The support surface can be positioned at these segmented locations, each optimized for specific fabric roll diameters. This segmentation allows for reliable support across varying conditions while keeping the adjustment mechanism simpler than a fully continuous adjustment system.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an awning with a fabric roller (4) rotatably mounted about its axis, from which a shading element can be unwound, wherein the front end of the shading element in the extension direction is attached to an extendable extension profile (3), wherein the awning has at least one support surface (5) for supporting the fabric roller (4), wherein the support surface (5) is adjustable within an adjustment range and can be fixed at any point within the adjustment range.