Cordless Window Shade With Collapsible Shrouded Lift Cords
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing window shades, particularly Roman shades, pose a risk to children due to exposed cords that can entangle and cause strangulation, and existing safety arrangements do not adequately address the issue of cord durability and aesthetics.
Innovation Solution
A window shade design featuring a spring-loaded roller with collapsible shrouds that encase the cords, eliminating free-hanging cords and using cord guides to secure the cords to the shading material, preventing entanglement and ensuring the shade can be operated without manual cord manipulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a cord is used to raise and lower the shade, then the shade can be operated easily, but the exposed cord can entangle children and cause strangulation
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful cord is extracted from the front view of the shade by routing it through the rear face and enclosing it within a shroud, eliminating the entanglement hazard while preserving the lifting function through the cord guides
Solution Approach 2:
The cord is nested within the shroud structure, which provides a protective enclosure that prevents direct access to the cord while allowing the shade to be raised and lowered through the integrated cord guides
2Object-affected harmful factors
If cord covers are used to encase the cord, then the cord is protected from exposure, but the cord covers may wear and fail at attachment points
Solution Approach 1:
The shroud is designed as a dynamic structure that collapses and expands with shade movement, distributing stress away from fixed attachment points and preventing wear failure at stationary locations
Solution Approach 2:
The shroud material and structure are designed to change their physical state dynamically, transitioning from a collapsed state during retraction to an expanded state during deployment, which distributes mechanical stress and prevents localized wear
3Ease of operation
If the cord is disposed along an outer face of the shade, then the shade can be operated, but the cord attracts attention and poses safety risks
Solution Approach 1:
The cord routing is inverted from the conventional front-face disposition to a rear-face routing that passes through the shroud, making the cord invisible and inaccessible from the front while maintaining operational functionality through the cord guides
Data Source
AI summary
A window shade that reduces the risk of an individual becoming entangled in cords used to operate the shade includes a headrail adapted for horizontal mounting above a window, a shading material attached to the headrail, and at least one cord for raising and lowering the shading material. The cord is attached to a location adjacent a lower end of the material, and extends upward through cord guides toward the headrail. The cord is encased within a collapsible shroud attached to each cord guide. The shroud is adapted to longitudinally extend as the shading material is lowered toward a deployed position, and then longitudinally collapse as the shading material is raised toward a stowed position. The cord is secured to and is wound about a spool fixed to a spring-loaded roller. The roller provides tension on the cord that counterbalances the weight of the shade so that the shading material may be positioned at any desired level. The shade does not require a graspable cord or cords for operation.