Retractable Canopy Mounts with Bias Mechanisms
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Solution Overview
Problem
Retractable canopies are often laborious to assemble and require precision, making them inconvenient for users with non-standard structures or limited assembly experience.
Innovation Solution
A retractable canopy design featuring tracks, supports, and mounts with bias mechanisms and engagement members, such as wheels, that allow for easy assembly and adjustment, accommodating variations in structure dimensions and facilitating smooth operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If retractable canopies are constructed according to particular dimensions with fixed assembly requirements, then the structural stability is improved, but the ease of assembly and adaptability to different structures deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The canopy system is divided into modular components: track sections, support elements, and canopy panels that can be independently assembled and configured. This segmentation allows the structure to be built in manageable sections that can accommodate different overall dimensions while maintaining structural integrity through standardized connection points.
Solution Approach 2:
The track and support components are designed with universal features that allow them to serve multiple functions and accommodate various canopy configurations. The engagement members can interact with tracks in different arrangements, enabling the same basic components to work across different structure sizes and types without requiring custom-designed parts.
2Ease of operation
If retractable canopies require precise assembly and installation, then the smooth operation is improved, but the ease of assembly deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The engagement members are designed with self-aligning features that automatically position them correctly on the tracks during assembly. The bias mechanisms provide self-adjusting tension that ensures proper engagement without requiring precise manual positioning, allowing the system to self-correct minor assembly variations and maintain smooth operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The engagement members incorporate bias mechanisms that allow for parameter adjustments in engagement force and position. This enables the system to accommodate variations in assembly precision by dynamically adjusting engagement parameters, ensuring smooth operation even when initial assembly tolerances are not perfectly tight.
3Ease of operation
If the engagement member is resiliently forced away from the support, then the smooth movement along the track is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bias mechanism acts as a counterbalancing force system that compensates for friction and gravitational effects on the engagement member. By providing a resilient forcing mechanism that pushes the engagement member away from the support, the system counteracts resistive forces and enables smooth movement along the track without requiring complex motorized or actively controlled systems.
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 design simplifies the assembly and operation of retractable canopies, making them more user-friendly and adaptable to various structures, while ensuring smooth movement and stability.
Implementation Method 1
The bias mechanism resiliently forces the engagement member transversely away from the support
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the present disclosure provide retractable canopies, kits of parts for assembling retractable canopies, and methods for assembling and operating retractable canopies. The retractable canopies provide tracks extending in a longitudinal direction and transversely spaced apart. A support extends in a transverse direction between the tracks and is moveably coupled to the tracks via mounts to the tracks. The mounts include engagement members, such as wheels, to engage with the tracks. The engagement members may be biased transversely away from the support (e.g. toward the track), thereby permitting the engagement members to adjust their transverse positions relative to the support as the support moves along the track.