Cellular Shade Panel Creasing for Smooth Collapse and Expansion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional window shades with multiple cells require complex and costly processing steps, and the cells do not collapse and expand as desired, affecting thermal insulation and outer appearance.
Innovation Solution
A method of fabricating a shade panel by forming cells with a front and rear portion, stretching the panel to create a bend in the front portion, and pressing it against the rear portion to form a crease, which facilitates collapse and expansion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional processing steps are used to form cells with multiple transversal strips, then the cells can be formed with overlapping relation, but the processing steps become complex and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The shade panel is divided into multiple cells, each cell formed by a single continuous strip that is folded back on itself. This segmentation approach simplifies manufacturing by eliminating the need to handle and attach multiple separate transversal strips, while still achieving the desired cellular structure for thermal insulation
Solution Approach 2:
The method forms creases in the strip before final assembly by stretching the panel to create bends, then pressing the front portion against the rear portion to establish permanent fold lines. This preliminary action simplifies subsequent assembly steps and ensures proper cell formation without requiring complex real-time processing
2Ease of operation
If cells are formed without proper creases, then the manufacturing process is simpler, but the cells cannot collapse and expand as desired
Solution Approach 1:
The strip is stretched to create smooth bends and curved transitions in the front portion, which then form creases when pressed against the rear portion. These curved creases allow the cells to collapse and expand smoothly without sharp angles or rigid joints, improving operational flexibility
Solution Approach 2:
The crease acts as an intermediary element between the front and rear portions of each cell, providing a hinge-like mechanism that enables controlled collapse and expansion. The crease is formed by pressing the front portion against the rear portion, creating a permanent fold that serves as the articulation point for cell movement
3Device complexity
If the shade panel is not stretched to form bends, then the manufacturing process is simpler, but the cells cannot form proper creases for collapsing
Solution Approach 1:
The panel is stretched during manufacturing to pre-form bends in the front portion of each cell before final assembly. This preliminary shaping ensures that when the front portion is pressed against the rear portion, proper creases are created at the correct locations, eliminating the need for complex post-assembly adjustments
Solution Approach 2:
The stretching process changes the physical parameters of the strip by creating controlled bends and deformations in the front portion. These parameter changes (shape, curvature, position) are essential for forming the creases that enable cell collapse and expansion, while the stretching itself is a relatively simple manufacturing operation
Data Source
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AI summary
A method of fabricating a shade panel includes forming a shade panel including a plurality of cells, wherein each of the cells has a front portion and a rear portion opposite to each other, stretching the shade panel, wherein each of the cells includes a bend in the front portion that protrudes away from the rear portion when the shade panel is stretched, and pressing the front portion including the bend and the rear portion against each other to form a crease in the front portion of each of the cells.