Shade bracket with concealed wiring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current brackets and mounts for roller window shades are bulky and visible, detracting from the aesthetics of the shade system, and there is a need for improved assembly solutions for mounting motorized shades.
Innovation Solution
A system of fastening devices, including one-piece disk-shaped mounting brackets and two-piece 'invisible mount' fastening devices, that obscure electrical wires and mounting plates from view, allowing for aesthetically pleasing installation of roller window shades and motorized systems by hiding the mounting components within the bracket or shade structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If traditional brackets and mounts are used for roller window shades, then the mounting structure provides sufficient support and stability, but the brackets are bulky and visible which detracts from the aesthetics of the shade system
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting system is divided into separate functional components: a mounting plate for attachment to the support surface and a bracket for holding the shade roller. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the mounting plate can be minimized and concealed while the bracket provides the necessary support function.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting plate is positioned within or behind the bracket structure, creating a nested arrangement where the mounting hardware is concealed within the overall mounting assembly. This nesting hides the functional but aesthetically undesirable mounting plate while maintaining structural integrity.
2Shape
If electrical wires are routed through the bracket for motorized shades, then power can be delivered to the motor, but the wires become visible and detract from the aesthetic appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical wiring function is extracted from the visible bracket portion and routed through concealed pathways within the mounting plate or behind the bracket structure. This separates the aesthetic bracket component from the functional wiring pathway, allowing wires to be hidden while maintaining electrical connectivity.
Solution Approach 2:
A concealed wiring channel or conduit is introduced as an intermediary structure between the power source and the motor. This intermediary pathway allows electrical wires to pass through the mounting assembly internally, hiding them from external view while maintaining the necessary electrical connection.
3Shape
If the bracket is designed to conceal mounting plates and wires, then aesthetic appearance is improved, but the structural complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting plate and bracket are designed to work together as an integrated assembly, with the mounting plate fitting into a recess or cavity in the bracket. This merging creates a unified appearance where the concealed mounting components form a cohesive aesthetic unit rather than separate elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket is designed to serve multiple functions: providing structural support for the shade roller, concealing the mounting plate, and housing concealed wiring channels. This multi-functionality consolidates several requirements into a single component, reducing the overall number of parts despite increased complexity in each part.
Data Source
AI summary
A bracket is configured to be coupled to a support surface and configured to support a roller window shade assembly. The bracket comprises a side configured to bear against the support surface such that the bracket extends away from the support surface and is adjacent an end of the roller window shade assembly. A passage extends through the bracket from the side to an area of the bracket adjacent the roller window shade assembly. The passage is configured to receive electrical wire therethrough such that the electrical wire can pass from the support surface to the roller window shade assembly to power a motor of the roller window shade assembly, and the bracket is configured to obscure the electrical wire when the bracket is coupled to the support surface and supports the roller window shade assembly.