Cantilevered Umbrella Arcuate Guide Track
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cantilevered umbrellas have limited adjustability, making them less effective in providing shade as the sun moves, leading to patron dissatisfaction and lost revenue, especially in dynamic outdoor settings like near swimming pools where shade arrangements need to be frequently adjusted.
Innovation Solution
A cantilevered umbrella assembly with an arcuate guide track that allows the canopy to slide along a curved path, enabling adjustable positioning to maintain effective shade throughout the day, combined with movable joints in the support column for further adjustment, ensuring consistent shade coverage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the umbrella canopy is fixed in position, then the structure is simple and stable, but the ability to adjust shade position is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by transforming the fixed umbrella canopy into a movable one. The canopy is attached to a carriage assembly that travels along an arcuate guide track, allowing the shade position to be dynamically adjusted throughout the day to follow the sun's movement. This dynamic configuration enables the umbrella to adapt to changing sunlight positions while maintaining structural stability through the constrained motion path provided by the guide track.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the umbrella system into distinct functional components: a stationary support column, a movable carriage assembly, and the canopy. This segmentation allows the canopy to be independently moved along the guide track without requiring the entire structure to be complex or movable. The carriage assembly acts as an intermediate mechanism that decouples the simplicity of the support structure from the adjustability of the shade position.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the umbrella structure is simplified, then manufacturing and installation are easier, but the ability to accommodate venue changes is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The dynamic carriage assembly allows the umbrella to easily adapt to venue changes by simply repositioning along the guide track. When venue requirements change (such as moving tables or lounging chairs), the canopy can be moved to new positions without requiring structural modifications or complex reconfiguration. The arcuate guide track provides a predetermined path that simplifies the adjustment process while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
3Reliability
If the canopy angle is limited, then the structure is more stable, but effectiveness in blocking sun at different positions is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by maintaining structural stability through a fixed support column and stable guide track, while achieving sun-blocking effectiveness through the dynamic repositioning of the canopy along the arcuate track. The carriage assembly enables the canopy to move to different positions where it can effectively block sunlight from various angles throughout the day, all while the overall structure remains stable and reliable.
Data Source
AI summary
A cantilevered umbrella assembly with an arcuate guide track comprises a support column, a cantilever arm attached to the support column, and an at least partially arcuate configured guide track attached to the cantilever arm that defines a sweep axis and a plane. The guide track defines a first free end, a second free end and an apex between the first end and the second end along the sweep axis. The sweep axis defines a first tangent to the sweep axis at the first end, a second tangent at the second end, and a third tangent at the apex, wherein a first line drawn perpendicularly to the first tangent and a second line drawn perpendicularly to the third tangent form a first included angle in the plane of the guide track that ranges from 10 to 45 degrees.