Foldable Canopy Overhanging Rod Support for Strength and Safe Folding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing foldable canopies with overhanging rods suffer from insufficient strength when the overhanging rods are extended, leading to potential damage during folding and unfolding processes.
Innovation Solution
A foldable canopy design that includes an overhanging rod connected to a canopy frame body with a cross rod, which enhances the strength of the overhanging rod in the unfolded state, and features a detachable connection mechanism to prevent damage during folding, allowing flexible unfolding and folding without forgetting to fold the rods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If the overhanging rod is extended to increase sunshade area, then the sunshade area is improved, but the strength of the overhanging rod becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The overhanging rod is divided into multiple segments that can be extended and collapsed. The rod includes a first rod body and a second rod body that can relative move to each other, allowing the sunshade area to be increased by extending the second rod body outward while maintaining manageable strength requirements through segmented construction
Solution Approach 2:
A support rod is introduced that connects the first rod body to the leg in the vertical dimension. This support rod provides additional structural reinforcement from a different spatial dimension, enhancing the overall strength of the overhanging rod assembly without reducing the horizontal sunshade area
2Strength
If the overhanging rod is made rigid to improve strength, then the strength is improved, but the ease of operation for folding and unfolding deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The overhanging rod employs a dynamic design where the second rod body can slide relative to the first rod body along the longitudinal direction. Connection components such as sliding grooves, connection blocks, and elastic cords enable the rod to transition between extended and collapsed states, providing both strength when extended and ease of operation when folding
Solution Approach 2:
An elastic cord connects the first rod body and second rod body to automatically pull the second rod body back into the first rod body when the overhanging rod needs to be collapsed. This self-service mechanism reduces the effort required for folding and ensures the rod returns to its compact state without manual intervention
3Ease of operation
If the overhanging rod is forgotten to be folded during canopy folding, then the ease of operation is improved by simplifying the folding process, but the reliability of the canopy structure deteriorates due to potential damage
Solution Approach 1:
The design incorporates beforehand cushioning through the telescopic structure and elastic cord mechanism. When the canopy is being folded, if the overhanging rod is forgotten to be folded, the elastic cord automatically pulls the second rod body back into the first rod body, preventing structural damage. This protective mechanism is built in advance to handle the potential error of forgetting to fold the rod
Data Source
AI summary
A foldable canopy is provided. The canopy includes a canopy frame body including a plurality of legs and a plurality of eave frames, each eave frame being connected between two adjacent legs. The canopy frame body further includes an overhanging rod having an unfolded state after the foldable canopy is unfolded; when the overhanging rod is in the unfolded state, an inner end portion of the overhanging rod being connected to the canopy frame body, an outer end portion of the overhanging rod being offset from the legs, and the overhanging rod being transverse to the legs. The canopy frame body further includes a cross rod having two ends being configured to be connected with one of the plurality of eave frames and the overhanging rod respectively, such that strength of the overhanging rod is enhanced when the overhanging rod of the foldable canopy is in the unfolded state.