Venetian Blind Stacking Unit Upright Positioning Guide

The patent introduces guide planes as intermediary elements between the uprights and the slats. These guide planes act as mediators that constrain the uprights' movement during folding, preventing them from rotating inward while still allowing the folding mechanism to operate. The guide planes are positioned to contact the uprights at specific points, guiding them to remain outside the slat stack without interfering with the essential folding action.

The patent extracts the constraint function from the folding mechanism itself and separates it into independent guide planes. Instead of making the folding mechanism complex with built-in constraints, the design removes the positioning function to separate guide elements that can be easily adjusted and maintained. This allows the folding mechanism to remain simple while achieving precise upright positioning through the external guide planes.

The patent applies local quality by providing guidance only at the specific locations where uprights need constraint during folding. The guide planes are positioned locally at the critical zones where uprights tend to rotate inward, rather than providing continuous or comprehensive constraints throughout the entire structure. This localized approach achieves positioning precision without requiring complex mechanisms throughout the entire device.

The patent segments the guidance function into multiple independent guide planes rather than using a single complex constraint mechanism. Each guide plane handles a specific aspect of upright positioning, and they can be independently adjusted or replaced. This segmentation reduces overall device complexity by breaking down the guidance function into simple, modular elements that are easier to manufacture and maintain.