Awnings Drip Guard Lateral Water Seepage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional awnings face issues with lateral water seepage due to small inclinations and wind, leading to dripping along the lateral surfaces, which compromises their performance and makes it difficult to arrange effective gutters for water collection.
Innovation Solution
A drip guard system for awnings that ensures rainwater is drained exclusively from the front, featuring a deformable tape with a rib and contoured plates with elastically deformable flaps and inclined surfaces to prevent lateral seepage, which is cost-effective and simple to implement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If rainwater drainage is performed laterally along the awning edges, then water can be drained from the awning surface, but water seeps laterally due to small inclinations and wind, causing dripping along the lateral surfaces and compromising awning performance
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the problematic lateral drainage function from the awning structure and relocates it to a dedicated drip guard component. The drip guard is a separate element that attaches to the awning's rear beam, taking out the drainage function from the main awning body and isolating it in a specialized component designed specifically for water collection and directional discharge.
Solution Approach 2:
The drip guard acts as an intermediary component between the awning sheet and the external environment. It mediates the water flow by intercepting rainwater that would otherwise seep laterally along the awning edges, and redirects it through a controlled path to the front drainage system, preventing direct lateral dripping.
2Productivity
If the awning sheet is stretched flat with front drainage, then water drainage efficiency is improved, but lateral seepage occurs due to small inclinations and wind affecting the sheet positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The drip guard provides beforehand cushioning by being pre-installed on the rear beam before rainwater can seep laterally. It creates a protective barrier that anticipates and prevents the harmful lateral flow path, cushioning the awning system against the effects of wind and small inclinations that would otherwise cause water to drip along the lateral surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention converts the potentially harmful lateral seepage into a beneficial front drainage flow. The drip guard intercepts water that would naturally flow laterally due to wind and inclination, and redirects it to flow toward the front of the awning where it can be collected by the gutter system, turning a problematic lateral flow into a useful front-directed flow.
3Ease of operation
If traditional lateral drainage systems are used, then water can be drained from the awning, but it is difficult to arrange effective gutters and the covered area cannot be used fully
Solution Approach 1:
The drip guard serves multiple functions: it acts as a lateral barrier to prevent seepage, a collection point for rainwater, and a directional guide that channels water to the front. This multi-functional component eliminates the need for complex lateral gutter arrangements while maximizing the usable covered area beneath the awning.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively prevents rainwater seepage along the lateral surfaces of awnings, optimizing their functionality and allowing for efficient water collection using front drainage, enhancing user experience and awning performance.
Implementation Method 1
comprise two elastically deformable flaps (13)... Each plate has at least one tooth which protrudes in the cantilevered portion beyond the lower flap (13)
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
A drip guard (1) for awnings (2), of the type comprising beams provided with longitudinal guides (3) for cross-members (4) for supporting an optionally continuous sheet (5), comprising at least one band (6), which protrudes upward from the sheet (5), and contoured plates (11), which have an upper portion (12) which is rigidly coupled to a respective beam and a lower portion which is substantially cantilevered and faces the sheet (5) proximate to the protruding band (6).