Retractable Screen Guide Track with Resilient Wings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Horizontally opening retractable screens face challenges with increased weight and width, leading to sagging door lintels that cause a loss of tension in the screen, as the upper guide track assembly is fixed to the lintel and drops with it, resulting in tension loss.
Innovation Solution
A U-shaped guide track assembly with an elongate attachment member, a screen retaining member having resilient wings that bias the screen vertically, and a method of assembly that compensates for sagging by maintaining tension through the guide channel's design, ensuring the screen remains taut and secure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the upper guide track assembly is fixed to the door lintel, then the screen can be securely mounted, but the screen loses tension when the lintel sags
Solution Approach 1:
The guide track assembly is made movable relative to the lintel through a sliding mechanism, allowing it to dynamically adjust its position as the lintel sags. This converts the fixed connection into a dynamic one that maintains screen tension despite lintel movement.
Solution Approach 2:
A sliding interface acts as an intermediary between the guide track assembly and the lintel, decoupling the screen tension maintenance function from the lintel position. This intermediary allows the track to move independently of the lintel while remaining securely mounted.
2Area of stationary object
If horizontally opening screens are made wider to extend across larger areas, then the coverage area increases, but the weight and size increase leading to lintel sagging
Solution Approach 1:
The screen system is segmented into the screen material, roller mechanism, and separate guide track assembly. This segmentation allows the heavy screen and roller to be supported by the building structure while the guide track independently manages screen tension and positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide track assembly is designed to move dynamically with lintel sag, allowing wider screens to be supported without requiring the lintel to bear the full weight. The sliding mechanism accommodates weight-induced deformations while maintaining operational functionality.
3Manufacturing precision
If the guide track assembly is made to compensate for lintel sag, then screen tension is maintained, but the complexity of the assembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guide track assembly uses its own weight and the natural sagging motion to drive the sliding mechanism, maintaining screen tension automatically without requiring external power or complex control systems. The system self-regulates as the lintel moves.
Solution Approach 2:
The sliding mechanism changes the positional parameter of the guide track assembly relative to the lintel, allowing automatic compensation for sag without complex mechanical adjustments. This simple parameter change achieves tension maintenance.
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 effectively maintains screen tension by allowing the guide track assembly to move with the sagging support while keeping the screen retaining member in a 'floating' position, minimizing tension loss and ensuring a neat and secure appearance.
Implementation Method 1
an elongate screen retaining member within the guide channel, wherein the elongate screen retaining member comprises; a body having a lower face with a longitudinal channel for receiving and retaining an upper edge of a retractable screen; a first substantially resilient wing and a second substantially resilient wing extending from respective first and second sides of the body and each first and second wing is biased towards an open position
Data Source
AI summary
An upper guide track assembly for a retractable screen is described. The assembly comprises a U shaped guide channel, a track attachment member for attaching the assembly to a support, a track outer member connectable to the attachment member and a screen retaining member within the guide channel. The retaining member receives and retains an upper edge of a screen. The retaining member has two resilient wings extending from either side of the body. Each wing is biased towards a position in which the distal end of each wing is away from the body. The wings are moveable against the bias to a retracted position. When the retaining member is retained in the guide channel, each wing is held in the retracted position against the bias. This allows an upper edge of a screen retained by the screen retaining member to be biased in the vertical direction.