Retractable Screen Roller Guide for Toothed Edge Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Horizontally opening retractable screens face issues with 'blow out' due to increased weight, where the screen's uneven rolling and sagging cause misalignment with guide tracks, leading to potential gaps and insect passage, as conventional zipper tape edges are unsuitable for this configuration.
Innovation Solution
A roller assembly with upper and lower toothed edges, featuring a guide arrangement and spacer to ensure the toothed edge is securely guided into the retaining channel, preventing pull-out and misalignment, using a guide member and end cap to define a passage with an exit aperture that aligns with the guide track, and a spacer to maintain alignment and prevent lateral movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If the screen width is increased for horizontally opening screens, then the screen area and viewing capacity are improved, but the screen weight increases causing blow out and misalignment with guide tracks
Solution Approach 1:
The screen edge is segmented into discrete zipper teeth rather than a continuous thickened edge. These individual teeth can be retained separately in the guide track channel, distributing the retention force and preventing blow out even as screen size and weight increase.
Solution Approach 2:
A guide arrangement with a guide passage and exit aperture is introduced as an intermediary mechanism between the roller and the guide track. This intermediary structure ensures proper alignment and guidance of the zipper teeth into the retaining channel, preventing misalignment caused by screen weight.
2Area of moving object
If the screen weight is increased to accommodate larger screens, then the screen area is improved, but the alignment with guide tracks deteriorates causing blow out
Solution Approach 1:
The guide arrangement acts as an intermediary alignment mechanism that compensates for misalignment caused by screen weight. The guide passage directs the zipper teeth at the correct angle, and the exit aperture ensures precise positioning into the retaining channel, maintaining alignment precision regardless of screen size.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide arrangement performs preliminary alignment of the zipper teeth before they enter the retaining channel. By pre-positioning and guiding the teeth through the guide passage, the system ensures proper alignment is achieved in advance, preventing blow out even with heavy screens.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional zipper tape edges are used in horizontally opening screens, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to uneven rolling and sagging causing misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The guide arrangement serves as a mediating structure that compensates for the inherent limitations of conventional zipper tape edges in horizontal screens. It ensures proper alignment and retention of the zipper teeth despite uneven rolling and sagging, maintaining reliability while keeping the manufacturing process simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters of the zipper tape by introducing a guided path with specific geometry (guide passage and exit aperture). This alters how the zipper teeth interact with the guide track, ensuring reliable retention even with conventional zipper tape construction.
Data Source
AI summary
A roller assembly for a horizontally opening retractable screen has a flexible screen with upper and lower toothed edges. Upper and lower guide tracks each have an elongate retaining channel in which an upper and lower edge of the flexible screen is received. The assembly comprises a roller onto which the flexible screen is rolled when the screen is open and from which the flexible screen is unrolled. A guide arrangement is associated with the lower end of the roller that guides the lower toothed edge of the screen into the elongate retaining channel of the lower guide track. The guide arrangement defines a guide passage having an exit aperture through which the lower toothed edge passes during unrolling that communicates with the lower guide track retaining channel, wherein the toothed edge is retained from being pulled out of the exit aperture as it passes therethrough.