Facade Shading System with Retractable Guide Rail
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shading systems for modern, continuous glass facades are aesthetically undesirable and inefficient, as they protrude from the building and require multiple drives, weights, and complex electrical connections, leading to instability and susceptibility to errors.
Innovation Solution
A retractable shading system with a flexible, flat light protection that can be rolled up and down on a shaft, operated by a single drive motor, and guided laterally into or behind the facade, using a movable guide device and a common drive motor for the shaft and light protection, with a weighting element for gravity-assisted unrolling and a force sensor for torque detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If a retractable shading system is implemented to maintain seamless facade appearance, then aesthetic quality is improved, but device complexity increases due to requirements for multiple drives, weights, and complex electrical connections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into a single drive mechanism. The one-piece guide rail assembly integrates lateral guidance, retraction, and fabric guidance functions that would traditionally require separate components and drives. This merging reduces the number of drives and electrical connections while maintaining the retractable functionality needed for seamless facade appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide rail assembly serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides lateral guidance for the fabric, enables retraction into the facade, maintains fabric tension, and guides the fabric during deployment. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate mechanical components for each function, reducing overall system complexity while achieving the desired aesthetic appearance.
2Ease of operation
If multiple drives and weights are used to enable retraction and extension, then shading functionality is improved, but reliability decreases due to susceptibility to cable breakage and unthreading
Solution Approach 1:
By combining the guidance and retraction functions into a single integrated guide rail assembly, the patent eliminates multiple cable connections and electrical contacts that would be prone to breakage and unthreading. The single-drive mechanism reduces the number of moving parts and connection points, thereby improving reliability while maintaining operational capability.
3Stability of the object's composition
If guide rails are permanently protruding from the facade to provide lateral guidance, then lateral guidance stability is improved, but aesthetic quality deteriorates due to influence on facade appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The guide rail assembly is designed to be dynamic rather than static - it can retract into the facade when not in use and extend only when needed for shading operation. This dynamic capability allows the system to maintain lateral guidance stability during operation while preserving the seamless aesthetic appearance of the facade when the shading is deployed or retracted.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide rail assembly can be nested within the facade structure when retracted, similar to a nested doll configuration. This allows the lateral guidance mechanism to be hidden within the building envelope, maintaining the aesthetic appearance of the facade, while still being available for use when shading is required.
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 system provides efficient shading while maintaining a seamless facade appearance, reducing the need for multiple drives and weights, enhancing stability and reducing the risk of errors, while allowing for easy operation and control.
Implementation Method 1
A retractable shading system with a flexible, flat light protection that can be rolled up and down on a shaft, operated by a single drive motor, and guided laterally into or behind the facade, using a movable guide device and a common drive motor for the shaft and light protection, with a weighting element for gravity-assisted unrolling
Data Source
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AI summary
The shading system comprises a shaft (21), a flexible, planar light protector (22) which can be rolled up on the shaft (21) and is intended for covering a window surface (81), a drive motor for driving the shaft (21) and a movable guide device (48) which can be lowered in a facade (80) and is intended for laterally guiding the light protector (22) to be rolled out. The shading system further comprises a flexible traction element (22) which can be rolled up on a shaft (21) driven by a drive motor. The guide device (48) is operatively connected to the flexible traction element (22) in such a way that, when unrolling the traction element (22) from the shaft (21), it can be moved out of the facade (80) under the force of gravity and, when rolling up the traction element (22), it can be moved in behind the facade (80) through the tensile force of the traction element (22).