AU5053500A - Fabric tension system - Google Patents

Description

50606 GEH:WZ P/00/011 AUSTRALIA Regulation 3.2 Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name of Applicant: A.C.N. 088 370 861 PTY LTD Actual Inventor(s): ANTONIUS CORNELIS DE MAAIJER Address for Service: COLLISON CO., 117 King William Street, Adelaide, S.A. 5000 Invention Title: FABRIC TENSION SYSTEM Details of Associated Provisional Applications: Application No PQ2053 dated 6 August 1999 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: the best method of performing it known to us: This invention relates to a fabric tension system, more particularly to a system for tensioning fabric which is used to shade or protect areas, and which fabric can be adjustable positioned and removed as desired.

Fabric is used extensively for providing weather protection for open areas, portions of buildings, protection of window area of buildings, protective areas adjacent buildings and to cover open areas of buildings, all of which have some mechanism for the positioning and withdrawal of the fabric either wholly or partially from the area. These may be awnings to extend from a building, or cover a portion of the whole of a frame so that selected areas are protected.

Usually the fabric used is to provide either total or partial blockout of the sun, while in most instances still permitting light to penetrate for illumination under the :fabric.

Examples of such uses of shade cloth are United States Patent Nos, 5,259,432 5,327,855 4,615,371 5,203,393 4,658,877 5,307,856 5,549,129 4,706,420 5,904,003 and 4,682,449.

Usually a cloth or membrane is attached to a drawbar (guided on both sides in/on a track or guide wire) which is pulled out by a cable or stays. Generally the cloth or membrane is pulled off an axle or roll which is mounted at the extremity of the system and is tensioned by means of mechanical springs, gas struts and the like. As the cloth or membrane is pulled out further and further tension has to be increased to the point where the cloth has to be supported from underneath o.o by permanently fixed rollers (usually over 3 metres projection to avoid sagging). Most all fabric tension systems are limited to 4-5 metres projection as the tension required to extend beyond that point is simply not practical.

It is an object of the invention to provide a fabric tensioning system which provides for an extended length of the fabric without the requirement of supporting rollers or stays.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an extended length of the fabric without the necessity of increased tension in the fabric.

Thus there is provided according to the invention a fabric tension system, said system including at least two storage means movable along parallel guides extending away from a stationary support, each storage means containing sheet material wound on a spring loaded roller, the free end from at least one storage means being attached to an adjacent storage means, drive means for extracting said sheet material from its respective storage means whereby when said sheet material is extracted the tension on each extracted sheet material is that provided by the spring loaded roller on which it is wound.

Preferably each storage means is a cassette, each said cassette having a roller on which the fabric is stored, and spring means on the roller to retumrn the fabric into the respective storage means on the reduction of tension in the fabric extending therefrom.

Preferably there is drive means to move the first cassette along guide means, and when the fabric in the first cassette is unwound, this fabric on further movement of the drive means draws the next cassette along the guide means.

Preferably each guide means is a track, rollers on the cassettes engaging the tracks.

In order to more fully define the invention reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which:- Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of the invention with the fabric being retracted, Figure 2 is a similar view with the fabric being partially extended, S. 20 Figure 3 is a cross sectional view of the cassettes in the retracted position of the fabric, and Figure 4 is a similar view with the fabric partially extended.

As an example only, the invention is now described in some detail in a simplest form as applied to a wall of a building, although it is to be realised that the fabric may be extended horizontally, at an angle to the support to which it is attached.

It may extend over curved surfaces, and also the two guides may be horizontal and vertically spaced so that the fabric may be extended horizontally along the surface of a wall, window or other structure which it is desired to protect.

To a wall or other structure 1 there are attached a pair of tracks 2 which extend, in this example, outwardly from the wall. The outer end of the tracks 2 are joined by a structural member 12 which in this example can include a rotatable shaft 3, the inner end of the tracks being attached to a structural member 7 mounted on the wall.

Slidably mounted in the tracks are a plurality of cassettes 4, 5, and 6, and as shown in the drawings each cassette contains a length of fabric 8(b) and 8(c) mounted on a spring loaded rollers 9(b) and 9(c) which when there is no tension on the fabric, maintain the fabric in the rolled position as shown in Figure 3. Pulleys 10 are attached to the shaft 3 which is driven by a motor (not shown). The cassette 4 is moved by a cord or the like attached to the cassette and wound on the pulleys 10, so that the cassette moves thus withdrawing the fabric.

-:When the motor drives the first cassette will be moved unwinding the fabric which is anchored on the second cassette 5, and when the fabric in the first :..":cassette has been unwound against the tension of its spring, continued movement of the first cassette will pull the second cassette along the tracks.

Although only three movable cassettes are shown, it is to be realised the invention can include lesser or a greater number, these being dictated by the area to be covered.

When it is desired to retract the fabric, the drive motor is reversed and the spring loaded rollers will roll up the fabric and in so doing will move the cassettes back the position shown in Figure 3.

The ends of the cassettes are provided with rollers to run in the tracks so that they move freely along the tracks.

In an alternative form of the invention the motor, shaft and pulleys are mounted in the structural member 7, and an endless belt, chain or the like passes around pulley 10 and idler pulleys in the member at the end of the tracks. The first cassette 4 is moved by the belt or chain to extend the fabric and also move the cassette back to retract the fabric.

In a further embodiment of the invention, not shown, instead of all the cassettes moving, the first cassette is anchored on the fixture such as a wall. The cassette has its opening facing away from the wall, the fabric extending through opening and is attached to the casing of the adjacent cassette, Similarly, this second cassette has its opening facing away from the wall and the fabric in this second cassette is attached to a further cassette. This is repeated depending upon the area t be covered. The last cassette in the series also has its opening facing away from the wall and in this instance the end of its fabric can be attached to a rod or the like, the ends of the rod preferably having rollers to roll is the same tracks as the rollers on the cassettes. The ends of the rod are each attached to the drive means by flexible tension members, the rod being of sufficient strength and rigidity to maintain the tension of the fabric of the last cassette.

Thus in this embodiment the operation is the same except that the cassettes face in the opposite direction, and the end of the fabric of the last cassette is attached to a rod or he like which is less conspicuous that the cassette of the first embodiment.

.The invention can be applied to many situations where shade or protection is required, even to provide protection against a vertical wall or structure with the cassettes running in vertically spaced tracks at the top and bottom of the structure to be protected.

Thus it can be seen that the cassettes provide the lateral support to the fabric, and the tension on the fabric over its entire length is only the tension provided by each spring roller for that length of fabric between each roller and the next cassette.

Although one form of the invention has been described in some detail the invention is not to be limited thereto but can include variations and modifications falling within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims (8)

1. A fabric tension system, said system including at least two storage means movable along parallel guides extending away from a stationary support, each storage means containing sheet material wound on a spring loaded roller, the free end from at least one storage means being attached to an adjacent storage means, drive means for extracting said sheet material from its respective storage means whereby when said sheet material is extracted the tension on each extracted sheet material is that provided by the spring loaded roller on which it is wound. 10

2. The fabric tension system as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the storage means is a cassette containing the spring loaded roller on which the sheet material is wound, a first of the cassettes having its sheet material attached to the stationary support, the remaining cassettes having the free end of the sheet material attached to the next adjacent cassette towards the stationary 15 support.

3. The fabric tensions system as defined in claim 3 wherein the drive means is attached to the cassette remotest from the stationary support, whereby on operation of the drive means, the said remotest cassette is moved along the guides its sheet material unrolling from the cassette, and on the sheet material being unwound, the sheet material of the remotest cassette draws the next adjacent cassette along the guides withdrawing the sheet material in that next adjacent cassette, the process being repeated depending upon the number of cassettes or the distance the drive means moves the remotest cassette along the guide means.

4. The fabric tension system as defined in any one of the preceding claims wherein the guide means are tracks, and each of the cassettes have friction reducing means engaging in the tracks, such as rollers.

A fabric tension system as defined in any one of the preceding claims wherein the outer ends of the guide means are joined by a cross member, the cross member including the drive means such as a pulley at the end of each guide member, each said pulley driving a flexible tension member connected to the outermost cassette.

6. The fabric tension system as defined in claim 5 wherein the pulleys are driven by an electric motor mounted either at the structural member or the cross member.

7. The fabric tension system as defined in claim 1 wherein each of the storage means is a cassette, the sheet material of a first cassette nearest the stationary support being attached to the support, and the fabric from a second cassette adjacent the said first cassette being attached to said first cassette with :10 the sheet material of the third and additional cassettes being attached to the next adjacent t cassette nearer the stationary support.

8. Th fabric tension system as defined in claim 7 wherein the drive means includes a flexible tension member attached to the outermost cassette. A fabric tension system substantially as hereinbefore described with 15 reference to the accompanying drawings *Oi* Dated this 4th day of August 2000 A.C.N. 088 370 861 PTY LTD By their Patent Attomeys, COLLISON CO.