Folding Awning Spacer Device Prevents Fabric Gutter Contact
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Folding awnings experience excessive sagging of cloth sections during retraction and extension, leading to wear and aesthetic issues due to contact with rain gutters, and existing spacer devices exacerbate these problems with high spring force.
Innovation Solution
A spacer device that engages with a second guide to maintain support profiles at a predetermined distance, preventing cloth sections from contacting the rain gutter, and disengages only during the initial extension and final retraction to allow profile separation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the gutter is positioned very close to the fabric sections to ensure watertight seal, then rainwater drainage is improved, but the fabric sections rub against the gutter during retraction causing significant wear and dirt transfer
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces a new spatial dimension by adding a second guide rail positioned above the fabric sections, parallel to the first guide rail. The spacer device engages with both guide rails to maintain vertical spacing between support profiles, effectively moving the spacing function from a horizontal plane to a three-dimensional arrangement that prevents fabric-gutter contact while preserving the close gutter positioning for drainage
2Reliability
If the spacer device uses spring force to hold fabric sections in V-shaped configuration, then rainwater drainage on fabric top is improved, but the fabric sections drag along the rain gutter with relatively large spring force during retraction
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the spacing function from the spring-based spacer device and transfers it to the engagement between the spacer device and the second guide rail. The spring force is retained only for maintaining the V-shaped fabric configuration for drainage, while the actual spacing that prevents gutter contact is achieved through the guide rail engagement mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The second guide rail acts as an intermediary element that mediates between the spacer device and the support profiles. Instead of the spring force directly pushing the fabric away from the gutter, the guide rail provides a mechanical constraint that maintains the necessary spacing, reducing the force required
3Ease of operation
If support profiles are allowed to move freely during extension and retraction, then ease of operation is improved, but excessive sagging of fabric sections occurs leading to contact with rain gutter
Solution Approach 1:
The invention creates a dynamic system where the spacer device automatically engages with the second guide rail when support profiles are at the appropriate distance during extension, and disengages during retraction. This dynamic engagement provides stability when needed (preventing sagging during extension) while allowing free movement during retraction, achieving both ease of operation and fabric stability
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
A folding awning has several parallel support profiles, which are slidably guided in a first guide. A fabric section is arranged between adjacent support profiles. At least one of the support profiles is driven by a drive mechanism and can move along the first guide. A spacer device is arranged between adjacent support profiles, allowing the distance between them to change from a retracted position, where the support profiles lie directly next to each other, to an extended position, where the support profiles are spaced at a predetermined distance. The spacer device can engage with a second guide, and when engaged, it acts as a spacer, preventing any change in the distance between the adjacent support profiles.