Motor Vehicle Blind With Articulated Guide Elements
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing blinds for storage compartments in motor vehicles face challenges in achieving a small radius of curvature in their guideways, leading to gaps and inefficiencies in closure.
Innovation Solution
The blind features articulated guide elements that pivot relative to each other, allowing slats to be longer than the spacing between guide elements, with slats positioned on the outer side of convexly curved sections and overlapping in straight sections to maintain a closed surface, enabling a small radius of curvature and preventing gaps during closure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the guideway has a small radius of curvature, then the blind can be compact and fit better in storage compartments, but gaps appear between slats in curved portions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the slats flexible rather than rigid. The slats are designed to bend and adapt their shape dynamically as they move through the curved guideway, allowing them to maintain contact and close gaps in curved portions while still achieving compact dimensions. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between compactness and closure integrity.
2Reliability
If slats are made longer to cover multiple guide elements, then closure effectiveness improves, but the complexity of articulation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into the slat structure itself. The slats are designed to perform multiple roles: they provide closure, articulate to follow curved paths, and adapt their shape dynamically. By combining these functions into a single integrated component rather than separate elements, the patent reduces overall system complexity while maintaining closure effectiveness.
3Volume of moving object
If guide elements are spaced closely to achieve small radius of curvature, then guideway compactness improves, but the number of articulation points increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the dynamics principle to reduce the number of articulation points. Instead of having rigid slats that require articulation at each guide element spacing, the slats are made flexible and can dynamically adapt to closely spaced guide elements through continuous deformation. This eliminates the need for discrete articulation points at each spacing location.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by transitioning from rigid to flexible slats. This material property change allows the slats to adapt to varying spacing between guide elements without requiring corresponding changes in the number of articulation points. The flexibility parameter enables the system to handle closely spaced guide elements more efficiently.
Data Source
AI summary
A blind for closing a storage compartment in a motor vehicle is provided. The blind has slats arranged on rod-shaped guide elements which are slidably guided in guideways. According to the invention, each slat covers two guide elements and is attached to one of the guide elements and rests on the other guide element. The invention enables slats to be long in a sliding direction of the blind while the guideways have a small radius of curvature.