One-Piece Rail Guide for Fabric Awning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rail guides for fabric awnings, particularly those with two or more parts, are prone to breakage under heavy wind loads and have high manufacturing and assembly costs, with complex and labor-intensive installation processes.
Innovation Solution
A one-piece guide rail with a C-shaped guide chamber and an elastic holding element, featuring a spring arm and head part, allows for direct attachment to a building wall without additional fastening profiles, enabling easy assembly and replacement of components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a two-part or multi-part guide rail is used, then the guide rail can be assembled from separate components, but it shows increased susceptibility to breakage under heavy wind loads
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate guide rail components into a single one-piece guide rail structure. This eliminates the joints and connection points between multiple parts that would be vulnerable to breaking under wind loads, while still allowing the guide profile to be separately inserted and assembled into the completed guide rail system.
2Ease of manufacture
If a two-part or multi-part guide rail is used, then the guide rail can be manufactured in separate parts, but manufacturing and assembly costs are very expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The guide rail structure is merged into a single one-piece component that can be manufactured more efficiently, reducing the number of manufacturing steps and assembly operations required. This simplification lowers both manufacturing and assembly costs despite maintaining the ability to separately assemble the guide profile.
3Ease of operation
If the guide profile is pushed into the guide rail on the front side at a longitudinal end, then the guide profile can be inserted, but for longer guide rails the frictional resistance increases greatly making insertion difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The guide profile is pre-assembled with the damping elements already attached in the correct positions before insertion into the guide rail. This preliminary preparation ensures proper alignment and reduces insertion resistance, allowing even long guide profiles to be easily inserted without requiring complex assembly procedures.
4Ease of operation
If the guide profile is pushed into the guide rail at a longitudinal end, then the guide profile can be inserted, but the damping elements attached to the profile may be damaged by tilting of the profile in the guide rail
Solution Approach 1:
The damping elements are pre-attached to the guide profile in their final operational positions before the guide profile is inserted into the guide rail. This preliminary assembly ensures that the damping elements are properly positioned and protected during insertion, preventing damage that would occur if the profile tilted during the insertion process.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides enhanced durability, simplified assembly, and reduced costs by allowing the guide profile and elastic holding element to be inserted through a front opening, ensuring stable and secure holding of the awning fabric under various wind conditions.
Implementation Method 1
at least one elastic holding element (5, 5') held in the guide rail (1) for supporting the guide profile (3). The retaining element is designed as an independent, one-piece and profile-shaped component and has a damping part (6, 6') with a spring arm (7, 7').
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~4
Figure 3
AI summary
The present invention relates to a rail guide for a fabric awning comprising a one-piece guide rail (1) as a support element, a guide profile (3) arranged in the guide rail (1) for receiving a keder arranged longitudinally on the awning fabric, and at least one elastic retaining element (5, 5') held in the guide rail (1) for supporting the guide profile (3).