Vehicle Sunshade Windup Shaft Rotation Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing sunshade devices for vehicle windows face issues with maintaining the biasing state of the biasing member due to detachment of anti-rotation ratchets from detent pockets during transportation or installation, leading to a loss of biasing force.

Innovation Solution

A sunshade device design featuring a windup shaft with a restricted portion that moves between a rotation restricting portion and a rotation releasing portion on the second support member, allowing the windup shaft to pivotally bias against the second support member, ensuring the biasing state is maintained by restricting or releasing rotation, without the need for additional anti-rotation members.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If anti-rotation ratchets are used to prevent windup shaft rotation relative to bearing element, then the biasing state of helical spring is maintained, but the anti-rotation ratchets may become detached from detent pockets due to external impact during transportation or installation, causing loss of biasing state

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebiasing state maintenanceVSAvoiddetachment of anti-rotation ratchets
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the anti-rotation ratchets and detent pockets from the bearing element and windup shaft, respectively. Instead, it uses a restricted portion on the windup shaft that engages with rotation restricting portions on the support members. This extraction eliminates the detachment problem while maintaining the biasing state through the restricted portion's engagement with the rotation restricting portions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a restricted portion on the windup shaft as an intermediary element that mediates between the windup shaft and support members. This restricted portion engages with rotation restricting portions formed by grooves or recesses on the support members, providing a reliable anti-rotation mechanism without the detachment issues of previous ratchet-based systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If additional anti-rotation members are added to prevent detachment, then reliability of biasing state is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebiasing state maintenanceVSAvoidnumber of anti-rotation components
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the anti-rotation function into the existing support member structure by forming rotation restricting portions (grooves or recesses) directly on the support members. The restricted portion on the windup shaft works in conjunction with these integrated features, eliminating the need for separate anti-rotation ratchets and detent pockets, thus reducing component count while maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Reliability

If windup shaft is prevented from rotating relative to bearing element, then biasing force is maintained, but the device requires additional anti-rotation mechanisms that may rattle or generate noise

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebiasing force maintenanceVSAvoidnoise from rattling components
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the ratchets and detent pockets that cause rattling noise. Instead, it uses a restricted portion on the windup shaft that engages with rotation restricting portions on the support members, creating a smoother engagement that eliminates the rattling sounds associated with traditional anti-rotation mechanisms while maintaining the necessary biasing force.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

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 configuration reliably maintains the biasing state of the biasing member, preventing detachment and ensuring consistent operation, while simplifying the mechanism and reducing the likelihood of external interference or noise from rattling.

Implementation Method 1

a biasing member configured to pivotally bias the windup shaft against the second support member in the windup direction of the sunshade

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

the windup shaft moves relative to the second support member in the longitudinal direction to restrict or release the rotation of the windup shaft

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMechanical constraint: Mechanical Force

Data Source

PatentEP2527174B1Sunshade device
Publication Date: 2017.08.16 ASHIMORI INDS CO LTD
  • EP2527174B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2527174B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2527174B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

Included are: a sunshade; a stay to which one edge of the sunshade is fixed; a windup shaft to which the other edge of the sunshade is fixed; a first support member supporting one end of the windup shaft to rotate relative thereto and move relative thereto in a longitudinal direction of the windup shaft, and mounted at a predetermined position of a vehicle; a second support member supporting the other end of the windup shaft to rotate relative thereto and move relative thereto in the longitudinal direction of the windup shaft, and mounted at another predetermined position of the vehicle; and a biasing member configured to pivotally bias the windup shaft against the second support member. The windup shaft includes a restricted portion at the other end thereof, and the second support member includes a rotation restricting portion and a rotation releasing portion formed to be adjacent to each other, the rotation restricting portion restricting the operation of the restricted portion so as not to allow the rotation of the windup shaft relative thereto, the rotation releasing portion releasing the operation of the restricted portion so as to allow the rotation of the windup shaft relative thereto.