Retractable Garage Floor Screen for Ventilation and Privacy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing garage door screens are cumbersome to operate, pose tripping hazards, and are not designed to withstand vehicle weight, while also failing to provide adequate ventilation and privacy, and can allow unwanted animals and intruders to enter.
Innovation Solution
A garage door screen system with a main screen assembly embedded in a rectangular opening in the garage floor, featuring a cylindrical housing with a rolled extensible screen that can be raised to any desired height, secured with angled plates that can withstand vehicle weight and provide privacy, and a pivot assembly that attaches to the garage door for easy operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional garage door screen is used, then it provides basic screening function, but it is cumbersome to operate and poses tripping hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The screen assembly is designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing it to be raised and lowered as needed. The roller mechanism enables dynamic adjustment of the screen position, transforming it from a static barrier to an adaptable component that can be deployed only when required, thus improving ease of operation while maintaining simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The screen assembly is extracted from the traditional fixed door screen configuration and repositioned to rest on the garage floor when not in use. This extraction removes the tripping hazard associated with fixed screens extending into the garage space while preserving the screening function when deployed.
2Quantity of substance
If the garage door is left open for ventilation, then air flow is improved, but unwanted animals and intruders can enter
Solution Approach 1:
A flexible screen material is used to create a barrier that can be deployed across the garage door opening. This thin film structure allows air to pass through when raised (providing ventilation) while physically blocking unwanted animals and intruders when lowered, thus resolving the contradiction between air flow and security.
Solution Approach 2:
The screen is designed to be dynamically adjustable, allowing the user to raise it for maximum air flow when ventilation is needed, and lower it to block unwanted animals and intruders when security is the priority. This dynamic capability enables the system to adapt to different operational requirements.
3Loss of information
If privacy screening is provided, then visibility control is improved, but ventilation is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The screen material serves dual functions: when lowered, it provides privacy screening by blocking visual access to the garage interior; when raised, it allows air flow while maintaining the option for partial coverage. The flexibility of the material enables it to be positioned at various heights to balance privacy and ventilation needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic positioning capability allows users to adjust the screen height to achieve the desired balance between privacy and ventilation. By raising the screen, ventilation is maximized while still providing some visual barrier; by lowering it, privacy is enhanced. This dynamic adjustment resolves the fixed trade-off between visibility control and ventilation.
4Strength
If the screen is made durable to withstand vehicle weight, then strength is improved, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure for the screen is merged with the existing garage door track system. The track, already designed to bear the weight of the garage door itself, is utilized to support the screen assembly. This merging eliminates the need for separate heavy-duty support structures, achieving the required strength while maintaining structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The garage door track serves multiple functions: it guides the garage door during operation and simultaneously supports the screen assembly when deployed. This multi-functionality allows the existing structural element to handle both the garage door weight and the screen plus potential vehicle weight without adding additional complexity to the system.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for use with an overhead garage door includes an extensible screen that is provided in a screen assembly that is embedded within opening provided in a garage floor. A pair of horizontal and vertical recesses are provided on opposite sides of the opening to secure the screen assembly within the opening. The screen is wound on a spring-biased center roller disposed in a cylinder of the screen assembly. A top of the screen is secured to a strip. A pair of angled plates are disposed on opposite sides of the strip and are hingedly attached to the cylinder. When the garage door is lowered and extension of the screen is desired, a pair of pivot assemblies provided on the door bottom engage with the strip. As the door is raised, the strip and screen are extended from the screen assembly to cover an opening into the garage.