Cellular Shade Panel with Rollable Cell Structures Biased to Open
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cellular shades for architectural openings require vertical stacking for retraction, which damages cells and prevents them from opening fully, and they lack a compact, hidden storage solution.
Innovation Solution
A cellular shade system with a support tube and panel where cells are biased to open configurations, allowing for retraction around the tube, maintaining appearance and insulative properties, and providing both stacked and rolled storage options.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If cellular shades are retracted by vertical stacking, then the panel can be stored, but the cells are damaged and prevented from opening fully
Solution Approach 1:
The cellular shade system transitions from a static stacked configuration to a dynamic rolled configuration around a support tube. The cells are designed to dynamically collapse during retraction and automatically reopen during extension, allowing the system to adapt its state based on operational phase while maintaining cell functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of stacking cells vertically during retraction (conventional approach), the invention inverts the approach by rolling the entire panel around a support tube. This inversion allows cells to collapse flat during retraction and naturally spring open during extension, preserving their opening function while enabling compact storage.
2Ease of operation
If cellular shades are retracted by vertical stacking, then the panel can be stored, but the storage configuration is not compact or hidden
Solution Approach 1:
The cellular panel is nested around a support tube during retraction, with cells collapsing flat against the tube surface. This nesting configuration achieves compact storage by utilizing the cylindrical space of the support tube, significantly reducing the volume occupied compared to vertical stacking while maintaining easy operation through natural cell collapse and reopen mechanisms.
3Reliability
If cells are designed to open fully, then insulative properties are maintained, but the panel cannot be compactly stored
Solution Approach 1:
The cells exhibit dynamic behavior, maintaining their open insulative configuration during extended operation while automatically collapsing to a compact flat state during retraction. This dynamic transition allows the system to preserve insulative properties when needed while achieving compact storage when retracted, eliminating the trade-off between full opening capability and storability.
Data Source
AI summary
A covering for an architectural opening including a support tube and a panel operably connected to the support tube and configured to be wound around the support tube. The panel includes a support sheet and at least one cell operably connected to the support sheet. The at least one cell includes a vane material operably connected to a first side of the support sheet and a cell support member operably connected to the vane material and configured to support the vane material at a distance away from the support sheet when the panel is in an extended position with respect to the support tube.