Retractable Vehicle Sunshade With Independent Front-Rear Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current hardtop and soft top systems for open roof four-wheel drive vehicles require the vehicle to stop in order to extend or retract, and they lack flexibility for occupants to independently control the roof opening and closing, especially between front and rear seats.
Innovation Solution
A retractable sunshade assembly that can be installed on the open roof of a four-wheel drive vehicle, featuring clamps, parallel support beams, and a sunshade panel, allowing for independent extension and retraction over front and rear seats while the vehicle is in motion, using a handle to actuate locking pins for customized sun shading.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a motorized retractable soft top or hardtop is used, then the roof can be extended or retracted, but the vehicle must stop to operate the top, causing inconvenience and travel delay
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the motorized mechanical system with a manual operation system. The sunshade panel is manually extended or retracted by pulling or pushing it along the support beams, eliminating the need for motors and the requirement to stop the vehicle for operation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a single hardtop or soft top is installed, then the roof can be covered, but all occupants must share the same opening/closing state, reducing flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the roof covering system into separate sunshade panels for different seating areas (front and rear seats). Each panel can be independently extended or retracted, allowing different occupants to have different preferences for sun shading without requiring a single unified system.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is a retractable sunshade assembly that can be connected to an open-top of a vehicle that has roll bars. The sunshade assembly includes one or more clamps, a pair of parallel support beams, and a sunshade panel. The one or more clamps fasten to roll bars on a driver side and on a passenger side, The pair of parallel support beams connect onto the clamps, such that the supports panels are horizontally aligned to the respective roll bars and parallel to each other. The sunshade panel is configured to connect to and span between the pair of support beams which serve as a guide for the sunshade panel to retract and extend within. A latch mechanism connected to a handle can be actuated to hold the sunshade panel in a desired location along the pair of support beams, enabling customized levels of sun shading.