Window Shade Actuating System with Spring Drive and Arrester
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional window shades with longer operating cords pose safety risks for children and are inconvenient to use due to entanglement issues, affecting both appearance and operational efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A window shade actuating system with a shorter operating cord and a control module featuring a spring drive unit and arrester mechanism, allowing for easy operation by converting between locking and unlocking states to automate the raising and lowering of the shade.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If a longer operating cord is used to lower the window shade, then the window shade can cover greater vertical lengths, but the safety risk increases due to child strangle hazard and the operating cord may become entangled
Solution Approach 1:
The operating cord is divided into multiple segments or sections. The visible portion is kept short while the extended length is stored in a cord storage mechanism (such as a spring-loaded reel or telescopic housing). This segmentation allows the cord to provide sufficient length for operation without presenting a continuous long cord hazard to children.
Solution Approach 2:
An intermediary mechanism (cord storage device, spring reel, or telescopic housing) is introduced between the operating cord and the user. This intermediary manages the cord extension and retraction, providing the necessary operational length while concealing the hazardous portions when not in use.
2Length of stationary object
If a longer operating cord is used to lower the window shade, then the window shade can cover greater vertical lengths, but the operation becomes less convenient due to entanglement
Solution Approach 1:
The operating cord is divided into multiple segments or sections. The visible portion is kept short while the extended length is stored in a cord storage mechanism (such as a spring-loaded reel or telescopic housing). This segmentation allows the cord to provide sufficient length for operation without presenting a continuous long cord hazard to children.
Solution Approach 2:
An intermediary mechanism (cord storage device, spring reel, or telescopic housing) is introduced between the operating cord and the user. This intermediary manages the cord extension and retraction, providing the necessary operational length while concealing the hazardous portions when not in use.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the operating cord is maintained at a higher position to reduce safety risk, then child accessibility is reduced, but the operating cord still moves to a lower position when pulled
Solution Approach 1:
The operating cord system incorporates self-service features through the cord storage mechanism. When the cord is released, the spring mechanism automatically reels it back or the telescopic housing automatically retracts it, maintaining it at a safe elevated position without requiring active user intervention to reset the position.
Solution Approach 2:
The cord storage mechanism performs preliminary action by pre-positioning the cord at a safe elevated location and automatically resetting it after each use. The spring-loaded reel or telescopic housing is pre-charged to automatically retract the cord, preventing it from remaining in a hazardous lowered position.
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 provides a safer and more convenient operation by reducing the risk of child strangulation and entanglement, while allowing for easy adjustment and automatic raising of the window shade with a shorter cord length.
Implementation Method 1
a spring drive unit operable to urge the transmission axle to rotate in a first direction for raising a shading structure of the window shade
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3A~4B
Figure 5
AI summary
An actuating system (109) for a window shade (100) comprises a transmission axle (118), a spring drive unit (116) operable to urge the transmission axle to rotate in a first direction for raising a shading structure (104) of the window shade, and a control module (110) including an arrester (132) assembled around the transmission axle, and an operating cord (120) operatively connectable with the transmission axle. The arrester has a locking state in which the arrester acts against the spring drive unit to block a rotational displacement of the transmission axle in the first direction, and an unlocking state in which rotation of drive axle is allowed. The operating cord is operable to turn the arrester from the locking state to the unlocking state and to drive rotation of the transmission axle in a second direction opposite to the first direction for lowering the shading structure of the window shade.