Vehicle Sunshade Assembly Buckle-Stiff Members Winding
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing sunshade assemblies face challenges in maintaining a sleek appearance and efficient operation due to increased sliding forces and limited space within the winding roller, which requires a stronger spring, but enlarging the roller reduces headroom.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating buckle-stiff members, such as strips or wires, to stabilize the sunscreen during winding, allowing the operating beam to push it tautly, reducing the spring's pulling force and enabling a smaller spring or motor, and potentially eliminating the spring altogether, while maintaining stability and preventing wrinkling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a stronger spring is used in the winding roller to handle increased sliding forces, then the reliability of winding up the sunscreen is improved, but the space within the winding roller increases which reduces headroom in the vehicle
Solution Approach 1:
The sunscreen is divided into segments by introducing buckle-stiff members (strips or wires) that create multiple stable sections along its length. These segments can be independently pushed and maintained taut, allowing the sunscreen to be wound up reliably without requiring a stronger spring, thus preserving headroom.
Solution Approach 2:
Buckle-stiff members are introduced as intermediary elements between the operating beam and the sunscreen material. These members transmit the pushing force from the operating beam to the sunscreen, maintaining tension and preventing wrinkles without requiring the winding roller spring to handle the full sliding forces.
2Productivity
If the spring is made stronger to increase pulling force, then the productivity of winding up is improved, but the device complexity increases due to larger spring and roller requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The buckle-stiff members are designed to dynamically change their structural state during operation. When pushed by the operating beam, they transition to a taut configuration that maintains sunscreen tension. This dynamic behavior enables fast winding without requiring a complex strong spring system.
Solution Approach 2:
The buckle-stiff members change their mechanical parameters (from buckled to taut state) in response to the operating beam's movement. This parameter change allows the system to achieve high winding productivity with a simpler, smaller spring and roller assembly.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the operating beam pulls the sunscreen to wind it up, then the sunscreen remains taut, but the pulling force required increases the spring strength and roller size
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of the operating beam pulling the sunscreen to maintain tautness, the invention inverts the approach: the buckle-stiff members are pushed by the operating beam to create taut sections. This inversion allows the sunscreen to be wound up while maintaining tension, but with a smaller roller and spring.
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 a more compact and efficient sunshade assembly with reduced operational noise and consistent speed, as the buckle-stiff members maintain the sunscreen's tension and facilitate easier winding without increasing the roller's size, thus preserving headroom.
Implementation Method 1
the members will remain stable and take the sunscreen along while being taut laterally and longitudinally
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3a~3b
AI summary
A roller blind sunshade assembly for a vehicle roof assembly comprises a flexible sunscreen (4) having at least a central part (4') and two opposed inwardly folded longitudinal edges (4") connected to the central part by means of folding lines (13). Two opposed longitudinal guides (6,7) retain therein and guide corresponding ones of the inwardly folded longitudinal edges (4"). The guides are provided with locking members (14) for engaging an outer end (17) of the inwardly folded longitudinal edges for preventing these edges from moving out of the longitudinal guides. At least two buckle-stiff members (18; 23) are provided, each substantially parallel to the longitudinal edge (4").The buckle-stiff members (18; 23) extend at least partly within the longitudinal guides (6, 7) along the whole length from the operating beam (8) to the winding shaft (5) in the fully unwound condition of the sunscreen (4).