Spring Steel Strip Sun Screen Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sun protection systems for outdoor facilities like conservatory awnings and facade awnings require complex mechanisms and counter-pull systems, which are inefficient and prone to mechanical issues, especially when dealing with wind and precipitation forces.
Innovation Solution
A sun protection system utilizing windable curtains connected to spring steel strips guided in lateral chambers, with a direct drive mechanism acting on the strips in their stretched areas, eliminating the need for a separate winding shaft and counter-pull system, and incorporating a drop profile with cam disks for secure power transmission and automatic rolling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a driven winding shaft with complex bearing system is used, then the curtain can be wound up, but the mechanical complexity and effort increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the complex driven winding shaft with its bearing system from the awning mechanism. Instead, it uses a simple reel that rotates freely on a bearingless axis, taking out the unnecessary mechanical complexity while retaining the essential winding function.
Solution Approach 2:
The awning fabric itself serves the dual function of both shading material and winding element. The fabric is wrapped around the reel to perform the winding action, eliminating the need for separate winding mechanisms and reducing overall system complexity.
2Reliability
If a counter-pull system is implemented to manage wind and precipitation forces, then the awning can handle external loads, but the mechanical complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the counter-pull system entirely from the awning mechanism. The design relies on the inherent flexibility of the fabric and the rotational freedom of the reel to naturally accommodate wind and precipitation forces without requiring additional counterbalancing mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the mechanical parameters of the system by allowing the reel to rotate freely without fixed bearings or counter-pull mechanisms. This parameter change enables the system to adapt dynamically to external forces through controlled rotation rather than rigid mechanical resistance.
3Ease of operation
If the drop profile is driven by an electric motor through complex transmission, then precise control is achieved, but the mechanical effort and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The drop profile and awning fabric work together as a self-service system where the fabric wrapping around the reel automatically provides the mechanical advantage needed for controlled movement. The system uses its own structural elements rather than external transmission mechanisms to achieve precise control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex electric motor transmission systems with a simpler mechanical advantage system based on the reel's rotational mechanics and the fabric's wrapping geometry. This substitution eliminates the need for complex gear trains or belt drives while maintaining control precision.
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
This solution allows for reliable, efficient, and wind-stable operation with minimal mechanical effort, ensuring the curtain can be adjusted and rolled up automatically, providing effective shading and blackout capabilities without material gaps, suitable for large skylights and curved surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
the direct action of the drive on the spring steel strips, which are able to transmit forces in their longitudinal direction
Implementation Method 2
the spring steel strips have a curved cross section, which is a suitable measure to promote automatic rolling in a special way
Data Source
AI summary
A sun protection system (10) has a retractable curtain which is connected to spring steel bands (32) on both of its side flanks. These are movably guided in lateral guide rails (40) and are designed so that they automatically roll up together with the curtain when retracted. To improve ease of use, a drive is proposed which is coupled to both spring steel bands (32) and acts directly on them, with the drive (12) acting on the two spring steel bands (32) in their extended sections.