Emergency Retraction Mechanism for Sun Shade Systems
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sun protection systems with emergency gathering devices face issues such as manual spring tensioning, unattractive appearance, increased space requirements, risk of damage to venetian blind slats, and inefficient energy use due to oversized electric drives.
Innovation Solution
An electrical emergency gathering device that acts on the regular elevator belts, eliminating the need for manual tensioning and additional lifting elements, with a secondary drive that can be coupled to the primary drive via a differential gear or electric clutch, allowing controlled rapid curtain retraction and optional external signal activation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a spring assembly with manual tensioning is used for emergency retraction, then the blind can be raised quickly in emergency situations, but the system requires manual intervention and has unsightly appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical spring tensioning system with an electrical emergency retraction device. The electrical motor-driven winch system eliminates the need for manual spring tensioning while maintaining rapid blind retraction capability, thus resolving the contradiction between fast emergency response and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates an automatic activation mechanism that can trigger the emergency retraction without requiring manual intervention. The electrical system can be automatically activated through sensors or control systems, enabling the blind to raise itself quickly in emergency situations while eliminating the need for manual spring tensioning.
2Reliability
If a spring assembly cannot be integrated into the top rail, then emergency retraction is possible, but more installation space is required and appearance is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the electrical emergency retraction device with the existing top rail structure. The motor-driven winch system is incorporated into the top rail assembly, combining the emergency retraction function with the structural framework, thus reducing the need for additional installation space while maintaining the emergency function.
Solution Approach 2:
The top rail structure serves multiple functions: it provides structural support, houses the primary drive mechanism, and integrates the emergency retraction device. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate installation spaces for the spring assembly while maintaining emergency retraction capability.
3Speed
If additional lifting elements are added for emergency retraction, then rapid blind raising is enabled, but the system construction becomes more complex and straps become visible
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical emergency retraction device utilizes the existing lift belts and bearings for both normal operation and emergency retraction. The same lifting mechanism serves dual purposes, eliminating the need for separate emergency lifting elements and reducing overall system complexity while maintaining rapid blind raising capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the emergency retraction mechanism with the existing lift system components. The electrical motor drives the same winch mechanism that handles normal operation, combining both functions into a single integrated system rather than adding separate mechanical emergency lifting straps and elements.
4Device complexity
If the emergency retraction mechanism cannot rotate slats before retraction, then the mechanism remains simple, but damage risk to venetian blind slats increases
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical emergency retraction system incorporates a preliminary rotation phase where the slats are automatically tilted to the appropriate angle before the retraction begins. This preliminary action prepares the slats for safe retraction, preventing damage while maintaining a relatively simple overall mechanism by using the existing drive system to perform both rotation and retraction.
5Speed
If the electric drive is oversized for emergency retraction, then rapid blind raising is achieved, but manufacturing cost and energy supply requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic drive system where the electrical motor can operate at different power levels. During normal operation, the motor runs at standard power consumption, but during emergency retraction, the system activates additional power delivery capability. This dynamic operation allows rapid emergency response without requiring the motor to be continuously oversized, thus reducing overall energy supply requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The emergency retraction function is activated periodically or on-demand rather than requiring continuous high power delivery. The system maintains normal operational power levels and only delivers high power during the brief emergency retraction event, allowing the use of smaller, more energy-efficient motor while still achieving rapid blind raising when needed.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
The system has a hanging angled or gathered by a primary drive (14). An emergency gathering device (20) is regulated by an electrical secondary drive (22) e.g. electrical gear. The emergency gathering device enables catch up of the hanging in an emergency situation. The secondary drive is operated during releasing an accelerated catch up of the hanging by providing increased drive power or providing power additional to regulation drive power of the primary drive. The secondary drive is replaced to the primary drive during emergency catch up of the hanging.