Nesting Stacking Grille for Compact Headroom Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional grilles or doors are not designed to be stored compactly in a retracted position, leading to increased header size requirements.
Innovation Solution
A compact nesting grille system comprising alpha and beta links that can be coiled about a shaft, allowing for a 14-foot-high grille to be stored in a 10.5-inch headroom, with a width of at least 26 feet and height of at least 14 feet, featuring a motor-driven mechanism to transition between extended and retracted states.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If conventional grilles are stored in a retracted state on the side or above the opening, then the closure can be stored, but the header size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The grille is designed with nested linkages where inner links are contained within outer links when in the retracted position. The alpha links and beta links are arranged concentrically, with the alpha link layer nested inside the beta link layer, allowing compact storage that minimizes header size while maintaining full grille functionality when extended
Solution Approach 2:
The grille transitions from a two-dimensional flat structure when extended to a three-dimensional coiled configuration when retracted. The links are arranged to coil about a central shaft, utilizing radial and axial dimensions to achieve compact storage. The beta links form an outer cylindrical configuration while alpha links form an inner cylindrical configuration, effectively using spatial dimensions to reduce storage footprint
Data Source
AI summary
In some embodiments, a nesting grille may include an alpha link having a top alpha link grommet, a beta link, and a plurality of cross members. In some embodiments, each of the plurality of cross members are coupled to at least one of the alpha link and the beta link. In one embodiment, the top alpha link grommet is configured to receive one of the plurality of cross members. In one embodiment, the grille is configured to be moveable between an extended state and a retracted state, the grille coiled about itself with the alpha link disposed inside of the beta link when the grille is in the retracted state.