Automotive Window Shade Retraction Using a Silicone Cord Spring
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing window shades for automotive vehicles are complex, heavy, and costly due to numerous components, requiring extensive labor for assembly and adaptation to different vehicle models, with a need for reduced weight, ease of assembly, and improved durability while maintaining robustness and appearance.
Innovation Solution
A window shade design featuring a roll tube with a silicone cord acting as a spring mechanism for easy retraction, a center bearing for support, and axles with orifices and grooves to facilitate assembly and rotational biasing, reducing the number of components and manufacturing time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional metal spring mechanisms and multiple components are used in window shades, then the shade provides robustness and durability, but the weight increases and manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional metal spring mechanisms with a silicone cord that acts as a spring mechanism. The silicone cord provides the necessary rotational biasing force to retract the shade panel while being significantly lighter than metal springs. This substitution maintains the functional requirement of automatic retraction while dramatically reducing the overall weight of the window shade assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameter from metal to silicone, transforming the physical properties of the spring mechanism. The silicone cord exhibits elastic properties that enable it to function as a spring while having much lower density and weight. This parameter change allows the system to maintain mechanical functionality while achieving weight reduction goals.
2Reliability
If traditional metal spring mechanisms and multiple components are used in window shades, then the shade provides robustness and durability, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The silicone cord spring mechanism eliminates the need for complex metal spring assemblies, multiple brackets, clips, and tabs. This simplification reduces the number of manufacturing steps, assembly operations, and quality control checkpoints, thereby lowering manufacturing costs while maintaining the essential retraction function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple separate components (springs, brackets, clips, tabs) into a single integrated silicone cord mechanism. This merging reduces the total component count and simplifies the assembly process, leading to lower manufacturing costs and easier installation.
3Strength
If traditional metal spring mechanisms and multiple components are used in window shades, then the shade provides structural integrity, but the assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple discrete components into a single silicone cord assembly that provides both structural support and spring functionality. This integration reduces the number of parts that need to be handled, aligned, and secured during assembly, dramatically simplifying the installation process while maintaining the necessary structural integrity for shade retraction.
Solution Approach 2:
The silicone cord serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as the spring mechanism for retraction, provides structural support for the rolling operation, and eliminates the need for separate mounting brackets and clips. This multi-functionality reduces the overall system complexity and simplifies both assembly and installation.
4Reliability
If traditional metal spring mechanisms and multiple components are used in window shades, then the shade provides reliable retraction, but the number of components increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the spring mechanism, mounting brackets, clips, and tabs into a single silicone cord assembly. This consolidation maintains the reliable retraction function while reducing the component count from dozens of separate parts to just a few key elements, simplifying both the product design and the assembly process.
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 results in a lighter, easier-to-assemble, and cost-effective window shade with enhanced durability and appearance, utilizing a silicone cord for rotational biasing to simplify the retraction mechanism and reduce weight, while maintaining robustness and ease of installation.
Implementation Method 1
a cord arranged within the roll tube... a silicone cord acting as a spring mechanism for easy retraction
Data Source
AI summary
A window shade for use in an automotive vehicle. The window shade includes a roll tube having a shade panel fixed to the roll tube at one end thereof. The window shade also includes a center bearing arranged within the roll tube. The window shade also includes an end bearing arranged at each end of the tube. The window shade also includes a cord arranged over the center bearing and within the roll tube. The window shade also has an axle arranged in each end thereof with the cord passing through an orifice and wrapped around the end of each axle within the interior of the roll tube.