Greenhouse Screen Positioning Aid for Wire Misalignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing greenhouse shading devices face issues with unevenly spaced supporting wires causing misalignment of hooks, leading to uneven tension in umbrella materials and potential failure to attach, especially when wire distances are inconsistent or too large.

Innovation Solution

The introduction of positioning aids that can slide along the supporting wires and connect to holders, allowing for relative movement between the holder and the positioning aid, decoupling the umbrella from the wire system and compensating for misalignments, thus maintaining consistent tension and preventing repositioning.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If hooks are directly attached to support wires, then the structure is simple, but misalignment occurs when wire distances are uneven causing strain on umbrella material

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructure simplicityVSAvoidattachment reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

A positioning aid is introduced as an intermediary component between the support wire and the holder. The positioning aid slides along the support wire and connects to the holder, allowing it to compensate for misalignments when wire distances are uneven. This mediator absorbs the positional deviations, ensuring the holder remains properly aligned with the umbrella while the positioning aid adjusts its position on the wire.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The connection system is divided into separate functional components: the positioning aid that interfaces with the support wire, the holder that attaches to the umbrella, and the connecting mechanism between them. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently - the positioning aid handles wire alignment, while the holder ensures secure umbrella attachment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Area of stationary object

If support wire distances are increased, then the coverage area is larger, but hooks may not reach the wires or align properly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoverage areaVSAvoidalignment precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The positioning aid is designed with dynamic adjustment capability, allowing it to move along the support wire and adapt its position. When wire distances vary, the positioning aid slides to the appropriate location, maintaining proper alignment with the holder regardless of the distance between wires. This dynamic adjustment ensures consistent alignment precision across varying coverage areas.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Strength

If holders are firmly fixed to umbrellas, then attachment strength is high, but repositioning is difficult when misalignment occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveattachment strengthVSAvoidrepositioning ease
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The connection system is segmented into the positioning aid on the wire and the holder on the umbrella, connected through a sliding mechanism. This allows the holder to remain firmly attached to the umbrella while the positioning aid can slide along the wire to adjust for misalignments, providing both strong attachment and ease of repositioning.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

4Reliability

If positioning aids are added as separate components, then misalignment compensation is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvealignment compensationVSAvoidcomponent quantity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The positioning aid is designed as a multi-functional component that simultaneously: (1) slides along the support wire to accommodate varying wire distances, (2) compensates for misalignments between wires and holders, (3) provides a stable connection point for the holder, and (4) allows for easy assembly and disassembly. This consolidation of multiple functions into a single component minimizes the increase in device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP2543245B1Screen device for a greenhouse
Publication Date: 2014.12.17 NOVAVERT
  • EP2543245B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2543245B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP2543245B1 patent drawingFigure 4~8

AI summary

The invention relates to a screen device for a greenhouse (2) comprising a plurality of parallel, tensioned support wires (4) on which at least one screen (8) is suspended for shading and is displaceable along the longitudinal extent (6) of the support wires (4). For suspension, brackets (20) are arranged between the screen (8) and the support wires (4), which are fixedly connected to the screen (8) along the longitudinal extent of the support wires. Positioning aids (22) are arranged as separate components between the brackets (20) and the support wires (4). Each positioning aid is displaceably suspended on the support wires (4) along their longitudinal extent (6) and is connected to the brackets (20) in such a way as to allow relative movement between the brackets (20) and the positioning aids (22) towards and/or away from an adjacent support wire (4) and to prevent movement in the vertical direction.