Vertical Awning Inlet Spring with Support Feet
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vertical awnings face challenges in maintaining elasticity and preventing damage due to the degradation of foam buffers and the limitations of previous spring elements, particularly in narrow guide rails, which require complex geometries and assembly methods.
Innovation Solution
A liner spring with inwardly protruding support feet that attach to the guide rail's wall sections, allowing for reliable buffering of tensile forces without complex geometry or assembly, and enabling expansion to accommodate temperature fluctuations between metal guide rails and plastic inlets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If foam buffers are used to provide elasticity between the inlet and lateral guide rail, then the inlet can be elastically supported with a certain amount of play, but the elasticity decreases after some time due to degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the long-lasting but degrading foam buffer with a liner spring that has a limited service life but maintains constant elasticity throughout its operational period. The liner spring is designed to be replaced when worn, avoiding the gradual degradation issue of foam buffers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameter from foam (viscoelastic, degrading over time) to spring steel (elastic, stable over time). This material substitution fundamentally alters the durability characteristics, providing consistent elastic properties throughout the spring's service life.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If plastic liner springs are used to replace foam buffers, then longer stability is achieved, but the spring tires after a certain time and tends to brittle fracture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material composition from plastic to spring steel, fundamentally altering the mechanical properties. Spring steel provides superior elasticity, fatigue resistance, and fracture toughness compared to plastic, eliminating the brittle fracture issue while maintaining long service life.
3Length of stationary object
If lateral guide rails are made narrower to reduce space, then the space available as spring travel is limited, but the spring must be designed to cushion the inlet with minimal spring travel
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the spring function into two distinct components: the liner spring that provides elastic cushioning and the support feet that provide structural attachment. This segmentation allows the spring to be optimized for elasticity while the support feet handle the structural requirements, simplifying the overall design for narrow applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The support feet act as an intermediary element between the liner spring and the guide rail. These support feet provide the necessary structural connection and distribution of forces, allowing the spring itself to be simplified and narrower while maintaining functional integrity.
4Length of stationary object
If liner springs are made slimmer to fit narrow guide rails, then space is saved, but complex adaptation of liner geometry and guide rail geometry is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent separates the spring body from the attachment mechanism. The liner spring maintains a simple, standardized geometry optimized for elasticity, while the support feet provide the necessary adaptation to the guide rail structure. This segmentation eliminates the need for complex geometric adaptations of the spring itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The support feet serve multiple functions: they provide structural attachment to the guide rail, distribute forces from the spring, and accommodate the narrow geometry requirement. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for complex spring geometry adaptations, as the support feet handle all structural requirements.
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
The solution provides sustained elasticity and prevents damage by supporting the awning fabric's tensile forces with a reliable spring mechanism, reducing the need for complex geometry and assembly, while allowing for expansion to manage temperature differences between materials.
Implementation Method 1
a spring section (5) connecting the fastening section (4) to the counter-holding section (6), which springs out from a relaxed state into a stretched state when the awning fabric exerts a tensile force
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~6
AI summary
The invention relates to an inlet spring (1; 31; 51) for resiliently supporting an inlet (2; 32; 52) in an inlet receiving channel (16) of a guide rail (3) of a vertical awning with an awning fabric which extends through a passage slot (12) of the respective inlet (2; 32; 52) at both of its side edges and is guided in the inlet (2; 32; 52) with a beaded edge and thereby exerts a fabric tensile force acting inwards in a transverse direction towards the awning fabric on the inlet (2; 32; 52), wherein the inlet spring (1; 31; 51) is suitable for exerting a counter-tensile force pulling outwards in a transverse direction on the inlet (2; 32; 52) against the fabric tensile force and comprises: a fastening section (4) for fastening the inlet spring (1; 31; 51) on the inlet (2; 32; 52), a counter-holding section (6) for supporting the inlet spring (1; 31;51) in the guide rail, and a spring section (5) which connects the fastening section (4) to the counter-support section (6) in a spring-loaded manner. The spring section (5) has an inlet-side end that connects to the fastening section (4) and an outer-side end that connects to the counter-support section (6), and is suitable for tensioning itself in response to the fabric tension force acting on the fastening section (4) when the counter-support section (6) is supported, by the inlet-side end traveling a spring path inwards in the transverse direction of the fabric from the outer end. The invention is characterized in that the counter-support section (6) has a number of support feet (7), each of which projects inwards in the transverse direction of the fabric in order to be supported there when the spring section (5) is tensioned. The invention also relates to a vertical awning equipped with such inlet springs.