Finger Guard Roller Blind Housing Flush Gap Design

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing finger protection devices for wing doors and windows fail to minimize the gap between the frame and sash, leaving a risk of finger entrapment, especially for small children, due to their design which creates a wider gap than the door or window opening, and has a high overall height that prevents effective alignment with the lower edge.

Innovation Solution

A finger protection device with a roller blind housing that has a receiving profile flush with the lower edge, allowing for a narrow gap and an optically smooth design, featuring end caps that are latched laterally and equipped with fastening pins for secure attachment without additional space, enabling the device to be mounted easily and securely.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the roller blind housing is designed with a conventional structure, then it provides basic finger protection, but the gap width remains too large allowing children's fingers to be trapped

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefinger protection effectivenessVSAvoidgap width
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the critical parameter of gap width by repositioning the roller blind housing lower on the frame and adjusting the web material tension, transforming the gap from a dangerous width that traps fingers to a safe narrow clearance that prevents entrapment while maintaining structural integrity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If the roller blind housing is positioned lower on the frame to reduce gap width, then finger protection improves, but the housing may interfere with floor clearance or require additional adjustment work

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefinger protection effectivenessVSAvoidinstallation ease
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The receiving profile is designed with a flush lower edge specifically at the critical location where the web material terminates, creating a localized smooth transition that eliminates the need for additional adjustment work or floor depressions while enabling the housing to be positioned low enough for effective protection

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Stability of the object's composition

If additional fastening means are added to secure end caps, then attachment stability improves, but the device complexity and installation space requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveend cap attachment stabilityVSAvoidfastening system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The lateral latching feature and fastening pin system are merged into an integrated attachment mechanism where the end caps engage the receiving profile through both lateral latching and parallel fastening profiles, achieving enhanced stability without adding separate complex fastening systems

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The fastening system utilizes a parallel profile arrangement where the fastening profile runs parallel to the receiving profile, moving the fastening action to a different spatial dimension (lateral area) rather than requiring additional space in the front area, thereby reducing overall device complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentEP3348775B1Finger guard on a closing edge leaf of a door or a window
Publication Date: 2020.09.09 ATHMER
  • EP3348775B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3

AI summary

A finger protection device is provided on a secondary closing edge of a door or window sash, consisting of a material strip (4) that can be extended from a roller blind housing (3) attached to a frame (1) or a sash (2), a fastening profile of the free end of the material strip (4) arranged on a gap (5) opposite the roller blind housing (3), and the roller blind housing (3) equipped as a longitudinal profile with a receiving profile (7) for the material strip (4), and end caps (8) closing this, which makes it possible to minimize the width of a bottom-side gap of a stretched material strip very significantly, which is achieved by arranging the receiving profile (7) of the roller blind housing (3) with a lower end face so close to a floor surface on a frame (1) or on a sash (2),that when the sash (2) is open, the lower edge (14) of the material strip (4) extended from the roller blind housing (3) is at least flush with the lower edge (12) of a sash (2) and a gap-free lower door gap (15) is created.