Hypar Canopy Shade Structure for Wind-Resistant Portability
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing portable shade structures are unstable in wind and require significant construction or attachment to other structures, making them impractical for quick deployment and temporary use, while permanent structures are costly and time-consuming to install.
Innovation Solution
A portable, free-standing shade structure with a frame comprising interconnected pillars and cross members, and a sheet connected at varying heights to create an uneven planar surface that transfers wind forces, providing stability without the need for permanent anchoring or complex installations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If portable shade structures are made lightweight and easy to assemble, then they can be quickly deployed, but they become unstable in wind
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a diagonal bracing element that creates a three-dimensional triangular framework, transforming the two-dimensional rectangular frame into a stable 3D structure. This diagonal dimension provides structural rigidity and wind resistance while maintaining portability, as the bracing can be easily assembled and disassembled with the modular frame components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite construction by combining multiple materials: the frame uses aluminum or steel tubes for strength-to-weight ratio, the canopy utilizes polyester or vinyl fabric with UV protection, and the bracing incorporates high-tensile strength materials. This composite approach achieves both lightweight portability and wind stability through material properties.
2Reliability
If permanent shade structures are built with significant construction and anchoring, then they achieve wind stability, but they require significant time and cost to install
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the shade structure into modular segments: interchangeable canopy panels, separate frame sections, and independent bracing elements. This segmentation allows rapid assembly through simple connection mechanisms without requiring concrete anchoring or heavy construction equipment, achieving quick deployment while maintaining structural integrity and wind stability.
3Productivity
If portable shade structures are designed without permanent anchoring, then they can be quickly deployed, but they lack wind resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates pre-assembled diagonal bracing elements and tensioning mechanisms that are prepared in advance during manufacturing. These components are designed to be quickly installed to create preemptive structural reinforcement against wind loads, allowing the structure to resist wind forces before they act upon it, while maintaining rapid deployment capability.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides a portable, free-standing shade structure that is resistant to wind. The inventive shade structure can comprise a frame and a sheet, or canopy, that is connected to the frame under tension at two or more different heights to create an uneven, hypar conformation in the sheet. The uneven, hypar conformation of the sheet transfers wind force to the frame so as to press the frame against the surface upon which the shade structure rests, thereby making the inventive shade structure resistant to the movement, tipping, lift, and vibration that typically results when a portable shade structure is exposed to wind.