Awning Housing Support Tube Console Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing awning arrangements face difficulties in achieving precise alignment and require high installation effort due to the lack of mutual connection between consoles, leading to impaired support and safety, and increased structural weight which complicates manual manipulation and assembly.

Innovation Solution

A support tube extending over all consoles, attached to the housing, facilitates alignment and serves as both a force transmission element and assembly aid, allowing the housing to be supported transversely on the tube, which is immersed in the rear channel of the housing, reducing the need for individual console alignment and enhancing assembly friendliness.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If consoles are mounted individually without mutual connection, then the housing can be directly engaged with rear holding elements, but exact alignment of consoles becomes difficult and support of the housing is impaired

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly complexityVSAvoidconsole alignment precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

A support tube is introduced as an intermediary element that connects multiple consoles together and provides a reference axis for alignment. The support tube serves as a mediator between the consoles and the housing, enabling precise alignment through its rigid structure that spans across all console mounting positions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The support tube performs multiple functions simultaneously: it structurally connects the consoles, provides an alignment reference, supports the housing weight, and serves as a mounting aid. This multi-functional element eliminates the need for separate alignment mechanisms while ensuring precise console positioning.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Strength

If the housing is designed to be self-supporting with box profile walls, then the housing can directly support itself on consoles, but the structural weight increases and manual manipulation becomes complicated

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehousing self-support capabilityVSAvoidhousing weight
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The self-support function is extracted from the housing walls and transferred to the support tube. The housing walls no longer need to be thick box profiles for structural support, as the support tube assumes this function. This allows the housing to be made lighter while maintaining structural integrity through the external support tube.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Weight of moving object

If the housing is made lighter with reduced wall thickness, then manual manipulation becomes easier, but the housing support strength and stability are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehousing weightVSAvoidhousing support stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Weight of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The support tube acts as an intermediary structural element that compensates for the reduced strength of the lighter housing walls. It provides the necessary support and stability that would otherwise require heavier housing construction, enabling the use of lighter materials while maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP2902564B1Awning
Publication Date: 2016.04.06 ERHARDT MARKISENBAU
  • EP2902564B1 patent drawingFigure 1~8
  • EP2902564B1 patent drawingFigure 3~5
  • EP2902564B1 patent drawingFigure 6~7

AI summary

In the case of an awning with a housing (3) accommodating a storage device for an awning fabric (6), a drop rail (5) connected to it via articulated arms (4) and holding the end of the awning fabric (6) facing away from the storage device, and several brackets (2) associated with the housing (3) and which can be attached to a load-bearing mounting surface (1) at lateral intervals, a high degree of ease of assembly can be achieved by the fact that the housing (3) can be received on the brackets (2) by means of a support tube (10) extending over all the brackets (2) and that the housing (3) has a rearwardly open channel (11) and supports (12) arranged therein, associated with the support tube (10), with which the housing (3) can be attached to the support tube (10) with a sliding direction running transversely to the longitudinal direction of the housing.wherein the support tube (10) together with the elements of the brackets (2) acting on it, dips into the rear channel (11) of the housing (3).