Motorized Slatted Panel with Rotating and Sliding Slat Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing slatted panels used in lightweight constructions, such as pergolas and garden sheds, create a dark area when in use as roof elements, and existing solutions for making these areas clearer are either difficult to install or risk blade breakage and lack aesthetic integration.
Innovation Solution
A slatted panel design featuring a frame with motor-driven slats that rotate and slide, allowing for a sunroof configuration, with a control unit to manage safe operation and aesthetic integration of mechanical components, reducing installation time and risk of breakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If slats are positioned to close the frame (parallel to frame plane), then protection and privacy are improved, but light transmission and clarity are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The slats are designed to be rotatable between a closed position (parallel to frame plane for protection) and an open position (orthogonal to frame plane for light transmission). This dynamic reconfiguration allows the system to switch between protection and illumination modes, resolving the contradiction between these two requirements.
2Shape
If motor means are integrated within the frame, then aesthetic appearance is improved, but device complexity is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The motor means for rotating and sliding the slats are housed within cavities formed in the frame members. This nesting approach conceals the mechanical components within the aesthetic structure of the frame, maintaining visual appeal while accommodating the necessary motors and mechanisms.
3Adaptability or versatility
If slats are made to slide and rotate with motors, then functionality and adaptability are improved, but risk of breakage is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit is configured to prevent motor activation when slats are in vulnerable positions (retracted or closed). This preemptive control prevents breakage by avoiding operation under conditions that could cause damage, thus cushioning against potential failures before they occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit monitors the position of the slats and selectively enables or disables motor operation based on detected positions. This feedback mechanism ensures motors are only activated when slats are in safe positions, preventing breakage while maintaining full functionality when conditions are appropriate.
4Loss of time
If frame structure is used to house motors, then installation time is reduced, but manufacturing complexity is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The frame members are designed with dual functionality: they provide the structural support for the slats and simultaneously contain cavities to house the motor means. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components and simplifies assembly, reducing installation time while managing manufacturing complexity through integrated design.
Data Source
AI summary
Panel (2) comprising: - a frame (3), - a curtain formed by a plurality of slats (5) filling the frame (3), - drive means for rotating each slat (5) around its longitudinal pivot axis for moving the slats (5) between an open position, in which the average plane of the slats (5) extends orthogonally to the plane of the frame (3), and a closed position. Said panel further comprises drive means for sliding each slat (5) along a direction parallel to a longitudinal side (31) of the frame (3) between a retracted position of the curtain, in which the longitudinal pivot axes of the slats (5) in the open position are brought closer together, and a deployed position of the curtain (4) in which the longitudinal pivot axes of the slats (5) are moved apart.