Cabin Window Shade Cassette for Variable Light Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional darkening devices for aircraft cabin windows are inefficient in shading variable light and require a high mounting outlay, lacking simplicity and cost-effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
A device with a drive shaft and guide rails combined in a common mounting unit, featuring a flexible, thin-walled shading means that can be rolled up and unrolled, along with a pull-back device using a pretensionable spring for manual operation, allowing for adjustable shading and easy mounting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional plastic sliders are used in guide rails, then the device can be mounted, but the mounting outlay is relatively high and the shading effectiveness is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the drive shaft and guide rails into a single common mounting unit, reducing the number of separate components and simplifying the mounting process. This integration lowers the mounting outlay while maintaining the shading functionality through the unified structure that houses both the drive mechanism and guidance elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The shading means is designed as a flexible, thin-walled element that can be rolled up and unrolled. This flexible film approach allows for effective light shading while using minimal material, reducing both the complexity and cost of the shading component compared to rigid conventional alternatives.
2Volume of moving object
If a winding shaft is added to roll up and unroll the shading means, then the shading can be compacted, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The winding shaft is integrated with the drive shaft in such a way that the drive shaft's rotation automatically winds or unwinds the shading means through the winding shaft. This coupling of functions allows the shading to be compacted without adding a completely separate winding mechanism, thus limiting the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The drive shaft's rotational motion is utilized to automatically wind or unwind the shading means through the winding shaft, eliminating the need for a separate manual or independent winding mechanism. The system serves itself by converting the drive shaft's motion into the winding action, reducing additional complexity.
3Speed
If the winding shaft rotates at a different speed than the drive shaft, then the shading can be rolled up smoothly, but the mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The winding shaft is designed with a different diameter than the drive shaft, creating a variable speed ratio. This parameter change allows the winding shaft to rotate at a different speed than the drive shaft, enabling smooth rolling of the shading means. The speed difference is achieved through simple geometric design rather than complex speed control mechanisms.
4Ease of operation
If a pull-back device with pretensionable spring is added, then manual operation is enabled, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pull-back device utilizes a pretensionable spring that automatically returns the shading means to its initial position after manual operation. The spring is pre-loaded to provide the necessary restoring force, allowing the system to serve itself by automatically reversing the shading position without requiring additional complex actuation mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring is pretensioned beforehand to store the necessary energy for the pull-back operation. This preliminary action of loading the spring allows the pull-back device to function reliably with minimal complexity, as the energy requirement is pre-established rather than requiring complex real-time energy management.
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 provides a simple, cost-effective means to variably shade cabin window light, ensuring consistent rolling and unrolling speed and operation even in the event of a power failure, with multiple shading options and robust mounting.
Implementation Method 1
The winding shaft is expediently designed as a hollow shaft and, with the interconnection of an elastic resetting means, is held rotatably on a drive shaft
Implementation Method 2
The elastic resetting means can be a spring, preferably a torsion spring
Implementation Method 3
The first drive strap is expediently guided about a first strap pulley, which is fixedly connected to the drive shaft
Implementation Method 4
plastic sliders which are guided frictionally in guide rails
Data Source
AI summary
A device for darkening a cabin window, with a drive shaft (11) for moving a first shading member (6), which is guided in two guide rails (3, 4), for to and fro movement, wherein the drive shaft (11) and the guide rails (3, 4) are combined in a common mounting unit.