Vertical Awning Side Guide Rail Wind Stability Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vertical awnings lack sufficient wind stability and tend to flap or tear in gusts of wind due to inadequate attachment of the awning fabric, particularly when installed externally, and their appearance is not optimized.
Innovation Solution
A side guide rail design featuring a piping groove and a parallel fastening channel for attaching a fastening element, such as a cable or wire rope, to secure the guide rail to the building, combined with a fabric guide insert that provides flexibility and is concealed by the guide rail profile, allowing for easy assembly and varied material choices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the awning fabric is guided only by drop bar profile without side guide rails, then the device complexity is reduced, but the wind stability deteriorates causing flapping and tearing in gusts of wind
Solution Approach 1:
The guidance system is segmented into two independent components: drop bar profile for vertical movement and side guide rails for lateral positioning. This segmentation allows each component to specialize in one function, improving overall reliability without significantly increasing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution adds a lateral guidance dimension by introducing side guide rails that constrain movement in the horizontal plane, complementing the vertical guidance of the drop bar. This dimensional addition prevents flapping and tearing by restricting unwanted lateral movements during wind gusts.
2Reliability
If side guide rails are proposed with cable fastening through building penetration, then the wind stability is improved, but the appearance deteriorates due to visible fastening elements
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening function is extracted from the main guide rail structure and implemented through separate cable elements that can be routed through building penetrations. This separation allows the guide rail to maintain a clean, continuous appearance while the fastening cables handle the structural attachment function.
Solution Approach 2:
Cable fastening elements serve as intermediaries between the guide rail and building structure. These cables can be routed through building penetrations or conduits, hiding the fastening mechanism from view while maintaining structural stability. The intermediary cables transmit tensile forces without compromising the aesthetic appearance of the awning system.
3Device complexity
If a single integrated fastening structure is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the adaptability deteriorates limiting facade type options
Solution Approach 1:
The side guide rail system is designed with universal adaptability to accommodate multiple facade types through standardized mounting interfaces and flexible cable routing options. The same basic structure can be adapted to glass facades, masonry walls, or metal panels by adjusting fastening locations and methods, making the system multi-functional across different building types.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows parameter changes in fastening location, cable routing, and mounting configuration to adapt to different facade types. By variable the installation parameters rather than changing the fundamental structure, the system maintains simplicity while achieving versatility across diverse architectural applications.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a side guide rail for laterally guiding a curtain (6) of a vertical awning, with a piping groove (5) extending along the side guide rail, which is open towards the curtain (6) in order to receive a lateral piping (4) of the curtain (6), and with at least one fastening channel (11; 11a; 11b; 11c) penetrating the side guide rail parallel to the piping groove (5), through which at least one elongated fastening member (3) can be passed in order to fasten the side guide rail above and below the side guide rail on the building side.The lateral guide rail is characterized by a guide rail profile (1; 1a; 1b) in which an insert receiving groove is formed which extends along the guide rail profile (1) and is undercut on both sides, and by a fabric guide insert (2; 2a, 2b; 2c) which extends along the guide rail profile (1; 1a; 1b) in the insert receiving groove and on which the piping groove (5) facing the curtain (6) and support sections (9) are formed, with which the fabric guide insert (2; 2a, 2b; 2c) is supported against tension applied by the curtain (6) on an undercut (10) of the insert receiving groove.The at least one fastening channel (11; 11a; 11b; 11c) is delimited by vertical channel walls, which are either formed entirely on the guide rail profile (1b), or by a first channel wall section on the fabric guide insert (2; 2c) and a second channel wall section on the guide rail profile (1; 1a), or by a first channel wall section on the fabric guide insert (2a), a second channel wall section on the guide rail profile (1), and by one or more further channel wall sections on one or more further profiles (12) received in the insert receiving groove. The invention further relates to a vertical awning equipped with such lateral guide rails.