Curtain Assembly Safety Coupling Prevents Rail Disengagement
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In curtain arrangements for architectural openings, the existing systems face issues where the intermediate rail can become disengaged from guiding elements when actuated upwards, leading to over-compression of the curtain and overload on traction means, and there is a risk of the intermediate rail being undesirably entrained by the bottom rail, causing operational inefficiencies and potential damage.
Innovation Solution
A safety coupling is introduced between the actuating shafts, which connects them in a blocking position when the rails approach a minimum distance, allowing relative movement in the opposite direction and restricting further movement until the blocking position is reached, preventing excessive compression and entrainment by ensuring the rails maintain a predetermined minimum distance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the first movable rail is actuated upwards without restriction, then the curtain can be opened, but the intermediate rail becomes disengaged from guiding elements and the curtain is excessively compressed
Solution Approach 1:
The safety coupling is positioned to preemptively counteract the harmful effect before it occurs. When the first movable rail approaches its upper limit, the safety coupling engages to prevent the intermediate rail from being pulled upwards against the fixed rail, thereby avoiding disengagement from guiding elements and excessive curtain compression before these harmful conditions can develop.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety coupling acts as an intermediary mechanism between the first and second movable rails. It mediates their interaction by providing a blocking force that prevents the first movable rail from pulling the intermediate rail upwards, thus protecting the guiding engagement and preventing curtain over-compression while allowing normal operational movement.
2Device complexity
If the intermediate rail is allowed to move freely with the bottom rail, then operation is simple, but the intermediate rail is undesirably entrained causing operational inefficiencies
Solution Approach 1:
The actuation system is segmented into independent control for each movable rail. The safety coupling allows the first movable rail to be actuated independently without automatically entraining the intermediate rail, enabling selective operation of each rail according to actual needs and improving operational efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety coupling serves as an intermediary that decouples the movement of the first and second movable rails. It allows the first movable rail to move independently while preventing unwanted entrainment of the intermediate rail, thus maintaining operational simplicity while improving productivity through independent control.
3Volume of moving object
If the rails can approach each other closely, then the curtain packs efficiently, but the traction means become overloaded
Solution Approach 1:
The safety coupling performs a preliminary blocking action before the rails can approach to a critical distance that would cause overload. By preventing the first movable rail from pulling the intermediate rail upwards beyond a safe limit, it avoids creating excessive compression forces on the curtain and overload on the traction means while still allowing efficient curtain packing within safe parameters.
Data Source
AI summary
Curtain arrangement for an architectural opening such as a window or door opening, comprising a fixed track (2), a first movable track (4), a second movable track (6) between the fixed track (2) and the first movable track (4), and a first and a second actuating shaft (12, 12') arranged in or in the area of the fixed track (2), wherein a curtain (8) can be arranged between the first movable track (4) and the second movable track (6), and wherein the first actuating shaft (12) is operatively connected to the first movable track (4) and a rotation of the first actuating shaft (12) results in a movement of the first movable track (4), and wherein the second actuating shaft (12') is operatively connected to the second movable track (6) and a rotation of the second actuating shaft (12') results in a movement of the second movable track (6).wherein a safety coupling (40) is arranged between the first and second actuating shafts (12, 12'), which connects the actuating shafts (12, 12') to each other in a locking position with respect to a first relative direction of rotation, which corresponds to a decreasing mutual distance of the movable rails (4, 6), and the first movable rail (4) and the second movable rail (6) are located at a predetermined minimum distance from each other in this locking situation.