Sun Protection Device With Rigid Segmented Slats
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sun protection devices, such as roller shutters and sun blinds, face inefficiencies in material usage, production time, and structural complexity, leading to high production costs and potential deformation during rolling and unrolling processes.
Innovation Solution
A sun protection device featuring interconnected slats with articulated connections, where only the connections are movable, ensuring the slats remain rigid and dimensionally stable, eliminating the need for additional stabilizing elements and simplifying production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If closed tubular rods are used to form the fabric, then structural stability is improved, but material consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fabric is divided into multiple individual slats instead of using continuous tubular rods. Each slat is a separate component that can be manufactured independently and then connected to form the complete fabric structure, reducing overall material consumption while maintaining stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The connecting elements are integrated into the slat structure itself, with connection features built directly into the slat design. This nesting of connection functionality within the slats eliminates the need for separate stabilizing elements and reduces material usage.
2Ease of manufacture
If individual rods are manufactured and assembled separately, then manufacturing flexibility is improved, but production time increases
Solution Approach 1:
Connection features are pre-formed as integral parts of each slat during the slat manufacturing process. This preliminary preparation of connection elements eliminates the need for separate alignment and connection operations, significantly reducing assembly time while maintaining manufacturing flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The manufacturing process combines slat production and connection element formation into a single integrated operation. By merging these previously separate steps, the invention reduces the total number of manufacturing operations and eliminates intermediate handling, thereby reducing production time.
3Area of stationary object
If multiple corrugated sheets are arranged and connected to form wide structures, then structural width is improved, but connection complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wide fabric structure is segmented into multiple individual slats instead of connecting multiple corrugated sheets. This segmentation approach simplifies the overall structure by using standardized, identical slat components that are easier to connect than custom-shaped corrugated sheet assemblies.
Solution Approach 2:
All slats in the fabric are designed to be identical in shape, size, and connection features. This homogeneity allows for standardized manufacturing and simplifies assembly, as each slat connects to its neighbors in the same manner, eliminating the complexity of joining different corrugated sheet configurations.
4Stability of the object's composition
If stabilizing elements are attached to the back of corrugated sheets, then shape retention is improved, but material consumption and production cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilizing function is merged into the slat structure itself through integrated connection features and rigid slat design. This eliminates the need for separate stabilizing elements attached to the back of sheets, reducing material consumption while maintaining shape retention.
Solution Approach 2:
The stabilizing function is extracted from being a separate attached element and becomes an inherent property of the slat structure. By taking out the need for additional stabilizing components and embedding stability directly into the slat design, material consumption is reduced.
Data Source
Figure 1~3
AI summary
The sun protection device (1) has a sun protection hanging (2) rollable on a shaft (3). The sun protection hanging consists of an arrangement of disks connected behind one another in rolling direction by hinge connection. The disks have multiple arrangements of disk segments and are rigidly formed such that they retain their shape during rolling on the shaft. The disks are integrally formed and extend over the entire width of the sun protection hanging. The disks consist of plastic, aluminum or stainless steel.