Batten Spacer Stack for Roman Shades Without Fabric Distension
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Solution Overview
Problem
Roman window shade systems with rigid battens become distended when opened, leading to an aesthetically displeasing appearance and difficulty in manipulation, and may absorb condensation from windows, causing the assembly to shift.
Innovation Solution
Batten spacers are configured to stack vertically along the back side of the shade fabric, maintaining battens in a vertical arrangement and preventing distension, by engaging each other to form a semi-rigid or rigid spine, which can be coupled to the shade assembly via clips or directly to the battens.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If rigid battens are used to form folds in the shade fabric, then the structural strength is improved, but the aesthetic appearance deteriorates when the shade is opened due to distension
Solution Approach 1:
A batten spacer is introduced as an intermediary component between the batten and the shade fabric. The spacer maintains the batten in a straight configuration when the shade is opened, preventing distension while preserving the structural support function. The spacer acts as a mediator that decouples the structural role of the batten from the aesthetic distortion problem.
2Ease of operation
If the shade assembly is compressed backwards to the opened position, then the operational ease is improved, but the alignment with the window deteriorates and condensation issues arise
Solution Approach 1:
The batten spacer serves as a positioning intermediary that guides the batten along a predetermined path during opening. This ensures the shade assembly opens smoothly backwards while maintaining proper alignment with the window frame, preventing both misalignment and condensation absorption issues.
3Volume of moving object
If the batten is drawn into a distended configuration, then the volume occupied is reduced, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to difficulty in manipulation and release
Solution Approach 1:
The batten spacer acts as a mechanical intermediary that guides the batten through a controlled folding path. This reduces the volume occupied when opened while maintaining ease of manipulation by preventing the batten from becoming tangled or stuck in distorted configurations.
Data Source
AI summary
In one aspect, a shade assembly may generally include a shade fabric having a front side and a back side. The shade assembly may also include two or more batten spacers, with each batten spacer being coupled to the shade fabric at spaced apart locations along a vertical length of the fabric. Moreover, the batten spacers may be substantially aligned with one another horizontally along the back side of the shade fabric. When the shade fabric is moved to an opened position, the batten spacers may be configured to vertically engage one another to form a vertical spacer stack along the back side of the shade fabric.