Welded Sun Protection Roller Blind Guide Bands

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing sun blind systems for motor vehicles face challenges in manufacturing efficiency and operational performance due to suboptimal bonding methods between guide strips and the roller blind body, often requiring additional fasteners and coatings to manage friction and noise, which increase costs and complexity.

Innovation Solution

A sun blind system featuring guide rails with a C-shaped cross-section and plastic guide strips, where the roller blind body is welded to the guide strips using a narrow weld seam, minimizing friction, noise, and installation space, and eliminating the need for additional fasteners, with the guide rails made of metal and no internal coatings.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the roller blind body is glued to the guide strips, then the connection is simple to implement, but the curing time increases process time and there is a risk of creeping with adhesive connection

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of connectionVSAvoidcuring time
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the chemical bonding system (adhesive) with a mechanical bonding system (welding). The roller blind body made of thermoplastic material is welded directly to the guide strips, eliminating the need for adhesive curing time while providing a strong, creep-resistant connection. This substitution of bonding mechanism directly resolves the contradiction between ease of manufacture and time loss.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If the roller blind body is sewn to the guide strips, then the connection is durable, but a perforated guide band is necessary which increases complexity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnection durabilityVSAvoidguide strip structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the sewing mechanism with a welding mechanism. The thermoplastic roller blind body is welded to the guide strips, achieving durable connection without requiring perforations in the guide strips. This eliminates the need for complex perforated guide band structures while maintaining connection reliability through the direct weld bond.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Strength

If additional fasteners are used to attach the roller blind body to the guide strips, then the connection strength is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnection strengthVSAvoidnumber of fasteners
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the roller blind body and guide strips into a single integrated structure through welding. The thermoplastic material of the roller blind body is directly welded to the guide strips, creating a unified component that eliminates the need for separate fasteners. This merging achieves strong connection while reducing device complexity and manufacturing costs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Ease of operation

If the guide rails are made with internal coatings to reduce friction and noise, then the operational performance is improved, but the manufacturing complexity and costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefriction and noise reductionVSAvoidguide rail structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses homogeneous plastic material for both the guide rails and the guide strips. This material uniformity provides naturally low friction between sliding surfaces without requiring additional coatings or linings. The homogeneity of material composition achieves smooth operation and low noise while maintaining simple guide rail structure and reducing manufacturing complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #33Homogeneity

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 enables a sun blind with improved manufacturing efficiency, reduced energy consumption, lower noise, and enhanced load capacity, while maintaining flexibility and durability, allowing for a compact design and reduced production time without additional fasteners or coatings.

Implementation Method 1

The guide bands are welded to the body of the blind

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectWelding: Welding

Implementation Method 2

the plastic guide strips slide in the guide rails with little friction

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Data Source

PatentEP3544837B1Sun protection roller blind, sunroof system having said sun protection roller blind and method for fabrication of said sun protection roller blind
Publication Date: 2022.06.29 ROOF SYST GERMANY
  • EP3544837B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3544837B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3544837B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a sun-protection roller blind (16) for a motor vehicle, with a flat roller blind body (22) and two guide bands (24) which extend along two edges of the roller blind body (22), which sun-protection roller blind is characterized in that the guide bands (24) are composed of plastic, and the roller blind body (22) is welded to the guide bands (24). The invention furthermore relates to a sliding roof system with two guide rails (18) in which the guide bands (24) of such a sun-protection roller blind (16) are received. The invention finally relates to a method for producing such a sun-protection roller blind (16), in which the roller blind body (22) is thermally welded to the guide bands (24) by means of ultrasound or by means of a punch.