Window Shade Actuating System with Independent Rail Limiting Mechanism

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Solution Overview

Problem

Window shades with independent bottom and intermediate rails often experience undesirable interactions due to lack of restricting mechanisms, leading to unintended movement and operation issues when the shade reaches its lowest position.

Innovation Solution

An actuating system with independent rotary axles for the bottom and intermediate rails, along with a limiting mechanism using sliding parts and a mount support, prevents undesirable interactions by controlling the movement of both rails and ensuring they stop at desired positions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If independent rotary axles are used to displace bottom rail and intermediate rail separately, then differential light transmission regions are achieved, but undesirable interaction between rails occurs during operation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedifferential light transmissionVSAvoidoperation stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

A limiting mechanism acts as an intermediary between the first and second rotary axles. This mechanism includes a support structure with first and second limiting members that respectively constrain the rotation ranges of the two axles, preventing them from interfering with each other's movement while allowing independent differential displacement for creating light transmission regions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system employs dynamic rotation control where the first rotary axle rotates in a first direction to lower the bottom rail and in a second direction to raise it, while the second rotary axle independently rotates to lower and raise the intermediate rail. The limiting mechanism dynamically adjusts the rotation ranges to prevent harmful interactions while maintaining operational flexibility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Device complexity

If no restricting mechanism is provided, then independent rail operation is simplified, but the window shade rises undesirably when reaching lowest position

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveactuating system simplicityVSAvoidposition control accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The limiting mechanism is pre-configured with first and second limiting members that establish rotation range limits before operation begins. These limiting members are positioned to prevent over-travel of the rotary axles, ensuring that the bottom rail and intermediate rail stop at appropriate positions and preventing the window shade from rising undesirably when reaching the lowest position

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS11639631B2Window shade and actuating system thereof

Publication Date: 2023.05.02 TEH YOR CO LTD

AI summary

An actuating system for a window shade includes a first rotary axle rotatable for displacing a bottom part, a second rotary axle rotatable for displacing an intermediate rail, and a limiting mechanism including a first and a second sliding part respectively linked movably to the first and second rotary axle. The first sliding part slides in a first direction when the first rotary axle rotates for lowering the bottom part and in a second direction when the first rotary axle rotates for raising the bottom part. The second sliding part slides in the first direction when the second rotary axle rotates for lowering the intermediate rail and in the second direction when the second rotary axle rotates for raising the intermediate rail. The first sliding part is prevented from sliding in the second direction via a contact between the first sliding part and the second sliding part.