Pleated Roller Shade for Thin Fabric Flat Hanging and Compact Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Thin and flexible fabrics, such as silk, are not suitable for traditional roller shades as they do not hang flat and roll evenly, and prior art solutions require additional space for storage when fully open, limiting their application in spaces with limited side clearance.
Innovation Solution
A motorized roller shade system with a pleating bar that folds the fabric into folds as it wraps around the roller tube, using a weighting element at the bottom edge and a serpentine path defined by T-shaped pleating elements to maintain a neat, flat appearance and minimize storage space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If thin and flexible fabrics are used in traditional roller shades, then the soft look and feel is improved, but the fabric cannot hang flat and roll evenly
Solution Approach 1:
A pleating bar is introduced as an intermediary component between the roller tube and the thin fabric. The pleating bar includes a fabric-receiving opening that guides the fabric and multiple pleating elements (such as rods or bars) that actively fold the fabric into pleats. This intermediary structure provides the mechanical support needed for thin fabrics to hang flat and roll evenly while preserving their soft appearance and tactile properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The pleating bar changes the physical state of the fabric by transforming it from a flat, unsupported state to a pleated, structured state. The pleating elements create regular folds that alter the fabric's spatial configuration, enabling thin materials to maintain their shape during both extended and retracted positions without requiring lamination to stiff backing.
2Adaptability or versatility
If prior art draperies are used to cover windows, then the window can be covered, but additional space is required on the sides of the window for storage
Solution Approach 1:
The roller shade system transitions the fabric storage from horizontal side placement to vertical winding around a roller tube. When the shade is fully open, the fabric wraps around the cylindrical roller tube in a vertical dimension, eliminating the need for horizontal side space. The pleating bar ensures the fabric folds neatly during this vertical wrapping process, allowing compact storage within the window frame area.
3Reliability
If lamination is applied to thin fabrics for roller shades, then the fabric can be wound about a roller tube, but the fabric loses its soft look and feel
Solution Approach 1:
The pleating bar serves as a mediator that provides mechanical support to thin fabrics without requiring lamination to stiff backing. The fabric-receiving opening and pleating elements create structural integrity through folding, allowing the fabric to be wound evenly on the roller tube while maintaining its inherent softness and flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes the natural flexibility and thin film properties of the fabric itself, enhanced by the pleating structure, rather than adding stiff backing layers through lamination. The pleated configuration provides the necessary rigidity for even winding while preserving the fabric's soft characteristics.
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
Enables thin, flexible fabrics to be used in roller shades without losing their soft look and feel, while allowing for vertical movement and efficient storage without additional side space, ensuring the fabric hangs flat and wraps neatly around the roller tube.
Implementation Method 1
the shade fabric comprises a weighting element at the second fabric end, such that the shade fabric hangs from the roller tube
Implementation Method 2
the pleating bar is adapted to fold the shade fabric, such that the shade fabric is wrapped around the roller tube in folds as the roller tube rotates
Data Source
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AI summary
A pleated roller shade system allows a thin flexible shade fabric, such as, for example, silk, to be wrapped around a roller tube. The system comprises a pleating bar mounted parallel to the roller tube and having a fabric-receiving opening that defines, for example, a serpentine path. The shade fabric is received through the fabric-receiving opening and is folded by the pleating bar, such that the shade fabric is wrapped around the roller tube in folds as the roller tube rotates. The shade fabric is neatly wrapped around the roller tube (i.e., bunching of the shade fabric is avoided) and is stored out-of-sight when rolled up.