Vehicle Window Shade Hook Mechanism for Safe Detachment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Retractable window shades in vehicles can become damaged when improperly attached, as they may become jammed or lodged in the vehicle body when the sliding door is opened, due to incomplete securement to hooks.

Innovation Solution

A specially designed hook mechanism with a tapered bottom portion and arcuate lip profile that applies a longitudinal force to an improperly attached retractable window shade, urging it to detach and retract safely into the door panel without damage, using a J-shaped profile and tapered lip to facilitate upward displacement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a retractable window shade is improperly attached to only one hook, then the shade can be easily installed, but the shade becomes damaged when the sliding door is opened due to jamming or lodging

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of installationVSAvoidreliability of shade operation

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The hook mechanism applies a preliminary anti-action force through its tapered bottom portion and arcuate lip profile. When the sliding door is opened and longitudinal force is applied to an improperly attached shade, the tapered bottom portion urges the shade toward the lip portion, which then applies an upward force to detach the shade from the hook before the shade can become jammed or lodged in the door body.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Solution Approach 2:

The hook mechanism converts the harmful longitudinal force applied to an improperly attached shade into a beneficial detachment action. The tapered bottom portion and arcuate lip profile are designed to transform the force that would normally cause damage into a controlled upward urging motion that safely detaches and retracts the shade into the door panel.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

2Reliability

If a retractable window shade is securely attached to multiple hooks, then the reliability of shade operation is improved, but the complexity of the attachment mechanism increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereliability of shade operationVSAvoidcomplexity of hook mechanism

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The hook mechanism employs local quality by concentrating the protective function in specific geometric features of the hook rather than distributing complexity throughout the entire attachment system. The tapered bottom portion and arcuate lip profile are localized features that provide the intelligent detachment function, while the rest of the hook maintains a simple, straightforward attachment geometry.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS8875775B2Hook for auto-release shade

Publication Date: 2014.11.04 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK

AI summary

A window shade of the present invention can include a retractable window shade housed in a door of a vehicle, the window shade operable to extend over a window of the vehicle to be secured with a plurality of hooks located above the window. These hooks are specially designed to allow an improperly attached retractable window shade to detach and retract upon the application of a longitudinal force applied to the improperly attached retractable window shade.