AU771317B2 - Retractable awning - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

(A.

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT RETRACTABLE AWNING The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: RETRACTABLE AWNING FIELD OF INVENTION This invention relates generally to building structures and more particularly to a shade awning that is easily extended or retracted.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION With the increasing size of the hole in the ozone layer there is now a greater need than ever before for a simple adjustable sun shading device to protect people from the harmful effects of ultra-violet radiation.

There are a number of sun shading devices now available but none that offer the range of benefits of the present invention.

The major benefits are as follows: o Retractable Ability to adjust the amount of shade cast by the awning to suit the requirements of the users and the ability to retract the awning completely when not required.

Removable The awning fabric and rails can be quickly removed when not required. For instance during the winter months or for security 25 reasons at nights and weekends.

Attractive Smart clean lines, whether open or closed, that compliment modem building styles.

Low Technology A simple, robust system means less costly to buy and to maintain. Because of their simple modular nature awnings may be installed by trades people or competent home owners.

Alternative means of support The structural systems to support the awnings may be specifically designed to suit each awning application. This allows the shade canopy as a whole to be designed to coordinate and harmonise with adjacent structures and buildings.

Awnings may be supported in a horizontal or sloping position.

Awnings may be free standing or attached to buildings.

Choice of means of operation allows for a number of individual preferences and provides for installation of the device at any reasonable distance above the ground.

By installing in a sloping position the awning may provide rain as well as sun protection.

Alternative means of operation 40 o Waterproof Option The present invention incorporates, at least, the benefits listed above and provides protection from the sun and elements of the weather.

OUTLINE OF INVENTION The retractable awning comprises: t a) b) Two opposing, parallel single or double tracks attached to guides positioned some distance apart and supported by separate or unitary rafters or other structure.

A rectangular shaped panel of awning fabric of a comparable width to the separation distance between the guides with sleeves formed at regular intervals along its length that accommodate fabric support rails. The fabric support rails span across the full width of the sunshade fabric and engage with and slide along the tracks.

Preferably a means of mechanical restraint that can be applied to at least one of the outer-most fabric support rails so that the rectangular shaped sunshade fabric can be pulled at least moderately taught.

Any number of arrangements may be used for moving the front-most fabric support rail along the guides in order to extend or retract the awning fabric. Examples of four such arrangements are given below: 1) a manually operated push rod with one end shaped so as to engage effectively with the front-most fabric support rail, or 2) manually operated pull cords hanging down below the retractable awning and actuating the front-most fabric support rail by way of a simple system of pulleys or rollers, or 3) manually operated handles, pull cords or some other physical element attached to the front-most fabric support rail.

4) motor operated cords or wires actuating the front-most fabric support rail by way of a simple system of pulleys or rollers.

25 .o *oo.

000.

The retractable awning may be supported from above or below by a wide variety of means.

The method of support of the retractable awning is not part of this invention.

The awning fabric is extended by moving the front-most rail along the guides in a direction away from the remaining fabric support rails. This draws the remaining fabric and fabric support rails along the guides until the fabric is taut in the fully extended configuration.

Moving the front-most rail in the opposite direction will return the retractable awning to the retracted configuration. In this configuration the awning fabric hangs down between the closely spaced fabric support rails.

Alternatively the fabric and fabric support rails may be drawn along the guides to any partially extended position.

Preferably holdback mechanisms are provided to maintain the awning fabric in the fully retracted configuration.

Preferably straps are supplied to provide additional retention of the fabric, if desired, when the retractable awning is in the fully retracted configuration. These might be useful during stormy weather. Straps made from shock release (bungy) cord would be effective as they may be tensioned to provide convenient and secure retention of the furled fabric. The cords could be quite short (for example 250mm long) with a hook at each end. One hook to engage with the end frame member and the other with the front rail or front rail attachment.

The awning fabric and fabric support rails may be easily removed by removing the quick release fixings securing the rear most fabric support rail and then removing the fabric and rails from either the front or rear of the retractable awning. Alternatively, for the awning system shown in the second example (Figure 6) the awning and fabric support rails may be easily removed in the method as described in the body of the document (refer to figure 6 text).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 shows a general view of example one, being one example of a retractable sunshade according to this invention; Figure 2 shows a sectional view of one form of the fabric support rail engagement with track as pertinent to example one; Figure 2A shows one form of a long section view of the leading rail end assembly as pertinent to example one.

Figure 2B shows one form of a cross section view of the leading and trailing rail end assemblies when acted upon by the hand held push rod as pertinent to example one.

Figure 2C shows the above when not under the action of the hand held push rod.

Figure 3 shows a sectional view and elevation reference view of one form of the releasable catch as pertinent to example one; Figure 4 shows a perspective 'cut away' view of one form of holdback mechanism as pertinent to example one; Figure 5 is a perspective view of one form of the end of the front fabric support rail as pertinent to example one; Figure 6 shows a general view of example two, being one example of a retractable sunshade according to this invention; Figure 6A shows a part plan view of the front of the retractable sunshade as pertinent to example two; 25 Figure 7 shows a sectional view of one form of front rail assembly as pertinent to example two; Figure 8 shows a sectional view of one form of rear rail retainer assembly as pertinent to example two; Figure 8A shows the installation sequence of the above rear rail retainer assembly; Figure 9 shows an isometric view of one form of the corner configuration of the frame members as pertinent to example two; Figure 10 shows a sectional view of one form of intermediate rail end assembly as pertinent to example two; Figure 10 OA shows a cross section reference view of the above intermediate rail 35 assembly; _Figure 11 shows an exploded view of one form of the front rail end assembly as pertinent to example two; Figure 11A shows an isometric view of the above front rail end assembly; 4Figures 11B, 11C show mode of operation of the above front rail end assembly; Figure 12 shows an exploded view of one form of releasable catch assembly as pertinent to example two; Figure 12A shows an isometric view of the above releasable catch assembly.

Figures 13, 13A-13C show mode of operation of the above releasable catch assembly; Figure 14 shows a perspective view of one form of the push rod assembly as pertinent to example two.

METHOD OF PERFORMANCE To assist with the understanding of the invention reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings.

Figures 1 5 show one example (referred to as the first example) of the invention where the guides 3 are supported by separate rafters 2 or separate frame members. This example also illustrates one of the more simple forms of the invention which is suited to smaller sized awnings because of the greater friction generated between rail ends and track 4.

Figures 6 14 show another example (referred to as the second example) of the invention where the guides 3 also act as the rafters. This example is particularly suited to situations where provision of frame and awning system as one unit is required. This example illustrates, in general, a more complex form of the invention that would be suitable for larger awnings because of its more sophisticated rail ends and releasable catch mechanisms. An added advantage of this example is that the rafter/guide members 43 provide additional weather protection to the ends of the fabric support rails.

Fig 1 shows one example, illustrated in the partially extended configuration, of a retractable sunshade according to this invention. It illustrates the major components of the invention and indicates the location of key features such as the holdback mechanisms 10, bar magnets 9, fabric cut outs 7 and releasable catches 8.

As can be seen the releasable catches 8 are located at the front end of the retractable awning while the holdback mechanisms 10 are located near the rear. The fabric cut-outs 7 and bar magnets 9 are both situated at the front-most fabric support rail.

The rafters 2 and the end frame members 1 can be one of any number of shapes and materials such as aluminium channel section, steel right hollow section or timber rectangular section.

It would even be possible to have tensioned wires adjacent to or within the rafters that acted as guide/track for the awning rails. A timber rectangular section frame is illustrated.

The rafters 2 and the end frame members 1 may be omitted altogether in certain 25 circumstances where the guides 3 are adequately supported by some other means.

End frame members 1 may be omitted in certain circumstances where the guides 3 are securely held in place by the rafters 2.

The fabric support rails 5 are formed of a rigid material such as metal or plastic tubing. The ends of the fabric support rails 5 engage with the tracks 4 which are held in position by the guides 3.

The rear-most fabric support rail 5 would be fixed near the ends of the guides 3 to allow the 35 awning fabric 6 to be effectively pulled taut when the retractable awning is extended. The fixings would be a quick release type to allow easy removal of the awning fabric 6 and fabric support rails 5 when so desired. It would also be preferable that these fixings allow adjustment of the exact location of the rear-most fabric support rail 5. In this way any stretching of the awning fabric 6 can be compensated for by relocating the rear-most fabric 40 support rail to a position that continues to maintain tension on the fabric 5 when in the extended position. Furthermore the addition of pre-tensioning devices such as coil springs would help to maintain fabric tension when ambient weather conditions cause the fabric to expand.

Sleeves sewn into the awning fabric 6 at regular intervals retain the fabric support rails 5. In this way the fabric support rails 5 are able to both retain and support the awning fabric 6.

It is preferable that portions of the awning fabric 6 are removed near each end of the frontmost fabric support rail 5 to form the fabric cut outs 7. This would most conveniently allow for the engagement of the releasable catches 8 on the front-most fabric support rail 5 when the retractable awning is extended to the fully extended configuration and for the application of straps to provide additional retention of the fabric when the retractable awning is retracted to the fully retracted configuration.

It is preferable that all awning fabric edges are hemmed.

Fig 2 is a sectional view showing one form of engagement of the fabric support rail 5 with the track 4. In this form of engagement the fabric support rail 5 is provided with a slot 13 at each end to allow for a clearance fit over each track 4.

The track 4 would most conveniently take the form of a channel dimensioned in its internal width so as to fit tightly over the guide lug 12. It would be preferable that the material the track 4 is made of is dissimilar to the material the fabric support rails 5 are made from. In this way a quieter operation of the retractable awning is achieved and less noise is generated when the retractable awning is subject to very windy conditions.

The topmost surface 14 and the lowermost surface 15 of the track engages with the slotted end of the fabric support rail 5. In this way the track would hold the fabric support rail clear of the guide at all times.

In order that the holdback mechanism 10 does not interfere with the operation of the retractable awning it would be necessary for the track 4 to be formed to allow sufficient clearance between the topmost surface 14 of the track and the top most surface 16 of the guide.

The guides 3 would be manufactured from a rigid material such as metal or plastic, preferably in the form of a channel or similarly formed profile. One example is that which is illustrated and which takes the form of a channel shape with a thickening to one flange referred to as the guide lug 12. The guides 3 would be securely attached to the side frame members 2 or some 25 other structure by any effective means. The guides could equally well be installed on the underside of the frame member. This, perhaps, would be particularly useful when retrofitting the retractable awning to an existing pergola structure or the like.

The end pin 11 would be located near the end of the fabric support rail 5 preferably so as to allow a generous tolerance between it and the guide lug 12. It would be permanently attached to the bottom of the fabric support rail 5. The guide lug 12 would prevent lateral disengagement of the end pin and therefore the fabric support rail 5 during normal operation of the retractable awning.

35 It is preferable that for the front rail the end pins are replaced with small roller wheels 1 la similar to those utilized in example 2 so that a smoother, more friction free, retracting and S extending operation is obtained.

The form of engagement illustrated has the advantage of being simple and therefore 40 inexpensive to manufacture. It would also be robust and require little or no maintenance.

Additionally it would provide ample lateral tolerance with regard to the mounting of the guides on the rafters 2 or any other structural support. This last consideration is especially important with regard to the site mounting of the guides. This is because it is generally more difficult to achieve dimensional accuracy on site than it is in a factory.

Fig 3 is a sectional view and elevation reference view of the releasable catch 8 with the fabric not shown for clarity. It will be appreciated that any number of releasable mechanisms could be used to retain and release the front-most fabric support rail Included in which would be a braking system as shown in figures 2A,2B and 2C utilizing a front rail assembly formed from two individual rails.

Illustrated is one form of releasable catch chosen because, it is believed, it is simple and effective. For those examples where there are no end frame members for the attachment of the releasable catch it would be possible to adapt the release mounting catch so that it could be mounted directly onto the end of the rafter member.

The hook bar 17 would be manufactured from a rigid material such as plastic or metal and would be formed with a notch like cut out 23 to the top edge to effectively engage with and retain the fabric support rail Opposing holes would be drilled in the mounting bracket lugs 24 to receive the axle bolt 19 which would in turn hold the hook bar 17 pivotally in position. A spacer 20 would be fitted onto the axle bolt 19 to confine the lateral displacement of the hook bar 17 in relation to the mounting bolt lugs 24. The mounting bracket 26 would be securely attached to the end frame member 1 or guide 3 by any effective means.

A torsion spring 21 mounted centrally over the axle bolt 19 would be set up so as to exert a constant rotational pressure on the hook bar 17. In its position of repose this rotational pressure is countered by the opposing action of the hook bar stop Returning to the hook bar 17. The hook bar is depressed by the action of the front-most fabric rail 5 passing over the hook raking edge 22. When the front-most fabric support rail passes beyond the hook raking edge 22 the action of the torsion spring raises the hook bar 17 to its former position thereby retaining the front-most fabric support rail 5 in the hook bar notch like cut out 23. This effectively retains the retractable awning in the fully extended configuration until the front-most fabric support rail 5 is released by pulling down on the hook bar cord 18.

In another form of the invention the awning could be retained in the extended position by 25 utilizing a dual rail front rail assembly with rail ends equipped to provide braking action against the tracks similar to that shown in example two. This method is illustrated in figures 2A,2B and 2C.

Figure 2A shows one form of a long section view of the leading rail end assembly. A leading rail end roller 71 rotates about the leading rail end axle 72 which in turn is permanently held in place by the leading rail end housing 73. Washers and retaining nuts are as shown and described for example two. The other components shown and labelled in this figure are as for figure two.

35 Figure 2B shows one form of a cross section view of the leading and trailing rail end assemblies when under the action of the hand held push rod. The leading rail end roller 71 is Sshown pressed against the underside of the track 4 by the action of the hand held push rod 91 pushing on the leading rail 45. It is this action that moves the front rail assembly 41 along the •tracks (in this illustration the movement is forward along the tracks). The front rail joiner 51 40 (shown dotted) permanently connects the leading rail 45 and the trailing rail 46 and holds them a certain, prescribed distance apart. The front rail joiner 51 and attachments would be similar to that shown in figure 7 example two). Also shown in this figure is the small roller wheel 11 a attached to the end of the trailing rail 46.

Figure 2C shows the figure 2B components 'at rest' with the hand held push rod 91 withdrawn. The hand held push rod 91 has been withdrawn allowing the leading rail to fall under the action of gravity and thereby cause the front rail assembly 41 to rotate about the fulcrum 13a until this rotation is prevented by the slot lower rear surface 14a. this causes a 'jamming' or braking effect of the front rail assembly 41 against the track 4. It should be noted that the longer the front rail joiner the greater the 'lever arm' and therefore the greater the braking effect.

Fig 5 shows the bar magnet 32 located in the end of the front-most fabric support rail and Fig 4 shows the holdback mechanism 10 located near the rear of the retractable awning and sited to suit the fully retracted configuration. These items together illustrate one form of a device that is able to retain the retractable awning in the fully retracted configuration with sufficient strength to resist the action of moderate winds or accidental bumping and with sufficient strength to resist the effect of gravity when the retractable awning is installed in a moderately sloping position. Application of reasonable force by any means will be sufficient to release the holdback device.

One advantage of the form of holdback device illustrated is that additional such holdback devices may be placed at any other locations along the guides. For instance this would be useful for sloping applications of the retractable awning where it was desired to maintain partially extended configurations.

Fig 5 shows the end of the front-most fabric support rail in perspective view with the fabric not shown for clarity. A bar magnet 32 of medium to high strength is secured in position in the top portion of the front-most fabric support rail 5 so that the bar magnet bottom face 34 is held level with the slot top face 35. Securing of the bar magnet 32 to the packer 33 to the body of the front-most fabric support rail 5 is by suitable structural adhesive or suitable structural adhesive tape.

Fig 4 shows one form of holdback mechanism in cutaway perspective view. The mechanism is shown exaggerated in the vertical axis for clarity.

Slotted fixing holes 29 are formed in the steel plate retainer 28. These allow adjustment of the longitudinal location of the steel plate retainer 28 when it is screw fixed to the top of the guide 3. In this way adjustment of the location of the holdback S* 25 mechanism can be made to accommodate fabrication tolerances and variations S. brought about by the stretching of the awning fabric 6.

The steel plate 27 is held by the steel plate retainer 28 so that lateral movement in three directions is restricted. Lateral movement in the remaining fourth direction is restricted by butting the steel plate retainer 28 against the track edge 30. Accordingly movement of the steel plate 27 is confined in all lateral directions. Vertical movement of the steel plate 27 is possible but it is confined by the top of the guide 3 °and the steel plate retainer underside 31.

35 The steel plate 27 is drawn up against the bar magnet 32 when it is brought into its close proximity. This produces a frictional and magnetic resistance between the two items. Accordingly, as one item is attached to the guide 3 and the other is attached to the front-most fabric support rail 5, the retractable awning is retained at the location of the holdback mechanism Figure 6 shows another example (referred to as example two) illustrated in the partially extended configuration, of a retractable sunshade according to this invention.

It illustrates such key features as rear rail retainer assemblies 36, frame corner cleats 37, rear rail 38, intermediate rails 39, intermediate rail end assemblies 40, front rail assembly 41, front rail end assemblies 42, awning fabric 6, end frame members 1, rafter/guide members 43, releasable catch assemblies 44, bottom track 4b and top track 4a.

As can be seen the releasable catch assemblies 44 are located at the front of the awning while the rear rail retainer assemblies 36 are located at the rear.

General details regarding fabric edges and fabric sleeves are as for example one.

For this example the end frame members 1 are folded or extruded metal, lipped channel sections and the rafter/guide members 43 are of a similar type and dimension.

Sectional view of these members are also shown in a number of the other figures.

The rear rail 38 would most conveniently be a metal tube of rectangular section the rectangular shape is an efficient structural shape capable of resisting the deflection imposed by the pull of the fabric with each end protruding to nearly touch the inside face of each rafter/guide member 43 in order to position it roughly centrally between each rafter/guide member 43. A sectional view of this rail is shown in figure 7.

The intermediate rails 39 would most conveniently be tubular in section. The materials and dimensions of the intermediate rails 39 may differ from those of the rear rail 38 as they are only required to bear their own weight and the weight of the adjacent fabric and are not required to resist the fabric tension when the awning is in the fully extended (tensioned) state. Other views of these rails are shown in figures 9 and 9A.

It will be noted that consideration has been given to the possibility that the awning may generate too much noise during windy weather. While a certain amount of subdued 'flapping' noise generated by fabric constructions is acceptable and may even be considered desirable during windy weather it is generally considered unacceptable if 'clanking' noises eminate from such constructions. The present invention employs two means of mitigating against this possibility: a) provision of fabric support rails that have sufficient weight to resist moderate wind uplift. This may be applied weight to each rail if necessary.

25 b) fabrication of rails and support tracks from different materials such as S" metal rails and plastic tracks so that when the two materials are brought into sudden contact a less strident noise is produce.

Also it should be noted that the awning fabric 6 and fabric support rails 38,39,41 may be easily removed, as one unit, from the awning frame by: a) front rail assembly 41 pushing 'in' the brake plate 78, lifting the ends of the trailing rail 46 slightly and skewing the front rail assembly 41 and withdrawing from frame.

b) intermediate rails 39 skewing rails and pulling each end free from the 35 frame.

c) rear rail 38 withdrawing the rear rail retainer assemblies 36 as shown in figure 8A, skewing the rear rail 38 and withdrawing from frame.

Figure 6A is a plan view showing one side of the front of example two in the fully 40 extended configuration. The front rail assembly 41 would preferably consist of two rails. A leading rail 45 and a trailing rail 46. The trailing rail 46 would most effectively be rectangular in section for reasons as noted above for the rear rail 38 and the leading rail 45 would most conveniently be circular in section to allow easy and effective engagement of the push rod cross piece 92. The lengths of the rails would be a little less than the inside frame dimension say 10mm to 15mm to allow adequate room for the installation of the trailing rail and leading rail end assemblies 47,48.

Attached to the trailing rail 46 is the trailing rail strike bar 50 which engages with the release catch hook-bar 17 and which extends beyond the releasable catch assemblies 44 on each side a sufficient distance so that it is held in position by the front rail joiners 51. A sectional view of a front rail joiner 51 is shown in figure 7. Also shown in the figure are the end frame member 1, the rafter/guide member 43, the fabric 6 and the frame corner cleat 37 is shown dotted.

Figure 7 shows a sectional view of one form of front rail assembly 41 as pertinent to example two. The view is taken at such a position along its length that the trailing rail strike bar 50 is also shown.

For the configuration chosen the front rail assembly 41 consists of two rails a leading rail 45 and a trailing rail 46 which are held a certain distance apart by front rail joiners 51. Two or more front rail joiners 51 would be required so that both the afore mentioned rails could be held in a substantially parallel configuration. The front rail joiners 51 would pass through appropriately located holes in all the components 6,45,46 and 50 and would most conveniently be threaded so as to not only allow the initial fabrication of the assembly but the subsequent adjustment of the distance between the leading rail 45 and the trailing rail 46. An eylet 63 would be installed at the location of the hole in the fabric 6 to prevent fraying of the fabric edges. The components 6,45,46 and 50 would be securely held in place by the respective actions of the threaded nuts 65 screwed up against the threaded keepers 57.

Figure 8 is a sectional view of one form of a rear rail retainer assembly 36 pertinent to example two which allows easy adjustment of the horizontal position of the rear rail 38 and tensions the awning fabric 6 when the awning is in the fully extended configuration.

A coil spring 55 is mounted over the shank of the rear rail retainer anchor bolt 52 and 2 is retained in position at one end by a washer 56 bearing against the head of the rear 25 rail retainer anchor bolt 52 and at the other end by the rear rail retainer anchor plate 53. The rear rail retainer anchor bolt 52 passes through centrally located holes in the rear rail retainer anchor plate 53 and the rear rail retainer face plate 54. Shoulders are formed in the rear rail retainer anchor plate 53 by rebating it top and bottom. This allows the outer most face of the plate to be proud of the outer faces of the end frame member 1 when it is located in position on the frame and is being pressed against the end frame member 1 by the action of the coil spring 55. To prevent the rear rail retainer assembly 36 slipping off the anchor plate shoulders 61 the rear rail retainer face plate 54 is permanently fixed to the rear rail retainer anchor plate 53. The rear rail retainer anchor bolt 52 is threaded from its end to at least part way along its length 35 62 and a rear rail retainer bolt nut 60 is installed on this threaded section. One way of securely fastening the nut 60 to the rear rail retainer anchor bolt 52 would be to locate the nut at the termination of the threaded portion 62 and to lock the threads of the nut against this termination. The threaded portion of the rear rail retainer anchor bolt 62 passes through an appropriately located hole in the rear rail 38 and a corresponding 40 hole in the fabric 6. An eylet 63 is installed at this location in the fabric to prevent fraying of the fabric edges. The threaded portion of the rear rail retainer anchor bolt 62 is finally engaged with the threaded keeper 57 which is housed in the rear rail 38.

Easy horizontal adjustment of the rear rail 38 is effected by rotating the rear rail retainer nut 60. This rotates the rear rail retainer anchor bolt 52 and in turn moves the threaded keeper 57 and rear rail 38 either towards or away from the rear rail retainer anchor plate 53. The direction of travel is dependant on the direction of rotation of the nut 60. Such adjustment is necessary to accommodate initial stretching of the fabric. When the awning is in the fully extended configuration the fabric tension is maintained by the action of the coil springs 55 pressing on the heads of the anchor bolts and thereby the rear rail anchor bolt 52 itself and the rear rail 38. Also in this way fabric tension is maintained even when ambient weather and temperature conditions cause the fabric to stretch.

Figure 8A shows the installation sequence of the above rear rail retainer assembly.

To engage the assembly the rear rail retainer anchor plate 53 and attached faceplate 54 are turned to a horizontal position and the rear rail retainer assembly 36 is inserted laterally into the end frame member so that the rear rail retainer anchor plate shoulders 61 align with the lipped channel portions 64 of the end frame member 1.

Rotating the anchor/face plate unit through ninety degrees engages it with the lipped channel portions 64 of the end frame member 1. Under normal circumstances the lipped channel portions 64 hold the rear rail retainer assembly 36 firmly in place and provide easy adjustment and automatic tensioning of the awning fabric as described above.

Figure 9 shows an isometric view of a the comer configuration of the frame members as pertinent to example two showing one form of connection between the end frame member 1 and the rafter/guide member 43.

Clearance holes to accommodate the corner cleat fixings 66 are located one in each corner of the frame corner cleat 37. Corresponding clearance holes are located in the ends of the frame members to receive the comer cleat fixings 66 and are positioned in such a way that the secured frame members are held slightly apart at the comer edges.

This creates an anti-capilliary gap between frame members and masks any slight imperfections in the alignment of the components. On the underside it also provides a drainage opening for the discharge of storm-water from the frame. The comer cleat fixings 66 would most conveniently take the form of substantial bolts with their corresponding nuts.

25 Figure 10 shows a sectional view of one form of intermediate rail end assembly engaged with the rafter/guide member 43 all as pertinent to example two.

Figure 10A shows a cross section reference view of the above intermediate rail assembly. For this example the rafter/guide members 43 are folded or extruded metal lipped channel sections. It is preferable that each of the lipped channel portions 64 is the same depth so that the structural performance of the side frame/guide member is uniform about the central axis and so that manufacturing and fabrication of the frame and frame fixing components remains as simple as possible. The lipped channel portions 64 need to be sufficient in depth to accommodate the frame corner cleats 37.

35 The overall depth and width of the rafter/guide member 43 is governed by: a) The maximum distance the rafter/guide member 43 is required to span.

Sb) Provision of adequate space at corners to accommodate corner cleat fixings 66.

c) Provision of adequate space inside the channel section to accommodate 40 the heads of bolts used to secure the awning frames to any supporting structure.

d) Provision of adequate space inside the channel to accommodate components 36,40,44.

It should be noted that, in general, the greater the depth/width of the rafter/guide member 43 the greater its spanning capabilities.

Similarly the greater the thickness of the rafter/guide member 43 the greater are its spanning capabilities.

It is preferable that the end frame members 1 are of a similar size and material as the side frame/guide members 43. The end frame members are also illustrated in figures 8,12,13,13A,13B,13C.

Also indicated in this figure is a sectional view of one form of the top tracks 4a and the bottom tracks 4b. Correctly dimensioned the shaped tracks will fit tightly over the lip of the channel section and thereby remain securely in place. For the bottom track 4b the inverted shape also provides a convenient near vertical surface for the roller wheel to press against. An appropriate material for the tracks would be a semi rigid U.V. resistant plastic. Additionally the bottom track 4b should be of a low friction type so as to allow the easy movement of the slider pad 82 (shown in figure 11 B) along its surface.

The intermediate rail end axle 67 is retained securely by the end of the intermediate rail 39. The form of retention most conveniently being one of a tight frictional fit.

The protruding end of the axle 67 forms the spindle about which the intermediate rail end roller 68 revolves. The intermediate rail end roller 68 consists of a tyred circular tube with an inside diameter that is slightly greater than the protruding end of the axle 67 about which it revolves and an outside diameter approximately matching that of the intermediate rail 39.

Rigid washers 56 each end of the roller prevent the intermediate rail end roller 68 coming into direct contact with non revolving components either end of the roller.

The intermediate rail roller 68 and washers 56 are retained in position by the flexible washer 69 and in turn by the intermediate rail end bolt 70 which is installed in the end of the intermediate rail end axle 67. The form of installation most conveniently being a threaded connection. The flexible washer 69 has a diameter that is greater than the distance between the lipped channel portions 64 of the side frame/guide member 43 thereby requiring a manual lengthwise applied force to bring about the withdrawal of the intermediate rail end assembly 40. So that under normal operating conditions the 25 intermediate rail end rollers 68 and thereby the intermediate rails 39 themselves would be prevented from disengaging from the tracks 4a and 4b.

oo0 Another form of the intermediate rail end assembly would be a fixed non revolving °.end to the intermediate rail that would slide on a low friction track This system would be particularly appropriate for smaller awnings; the rails of which would be lighter and therefore would slide more freely on the track.

D

ooo0 Figure 11 shows an exploded view of one form of the front rail end assembly 42 as pertinent to example two.

35 Figure 11A shows an isometric view of the above front rail end assembly showing the leading rail end assembly 48 and the trailing rail end assembly 47.

As can be seen from the drawing the leading rail end roller 71 revolves axially on the leading rail end axle 72 which has one end inserted in the leading rail end axle 40 housing 73 which is in turn inserted in the end of the leading rail 45. Rigid washers 56 of a suitable size each end of the roller prevent the leading rail end roller coming into direct contact with non revolving components each end of the roller. The preferred forms of connections of the various components are as follows: a) Leading rail end axle 72 to leading rail end axle housing 73 threaded shaft to threaded housing locked in position by action of clamp nut sized to suit.

b) Leading rail end axle housing 73 to end of leading rail 45 tight frictional fit permanently maintained in position by pressure exerted on the leading rail end axle housing 73 by screw bolt 74 housed in a threaded hole at the end of leading rail c) Leading rail end roller 71 to leading rail end axle 72 lock-nut screwed onto the end of axle 72 to prevent roller sliding off axle.

Referring now to the trailing rail end assembly 47. The roller wheel 76 is most conveniently a proprietary nylon tyred, ball race bearing, roller wheel that is usually produced for sliding door applications that is unitary with a threaded shaft for connecting to, in this case, the roller wheel block 77.

It is pointed out that when the front rail assembly 41 is pushed along between the rafter/guide members 43 (not shown in this figure) it is the action of the roller wheels 76 that maintain the front rail assembly 48 at more or less a ninety degree angle to the rafter/guide members 43. The more this angle deviates from ninety degrees as the front rail assembly 48 is pushed along the side frame/guide members 43 the more the pressure on the roller wheels is increased. Therefore to avoid any possibility of 'jamming,' a roller wheel unit that performs well under at least moderate loading is required.

The roller wheel block 77 in its preferred form is machined from a rectangular block of aluminium or similar material to the shape shown in the figure. The larger end is sized so as to comfortably slide into the end of the trailing rail 46 which is, as previously described, a right hollow section tube and so as to provide sufficient distance between the topside of the block and the underside of the top flange of the trailing rail 46 to accommodate the back and forth sliding action of the brake plate 78 above. The smaller end is sized so that it is: a) sufficiently large enough to accommodate the threaded hole for the installation of the roller wheel 76 described above, b) sufficiently large enough to provide adequate strength to prevent the snapping off or bending of the roller wheel block 77 in service, c) not so large that disengagement (as described below) from the twillobrafter/guide member 43 is hindered or prevented.

S* mIt will also be noted that there is an angled cut out to the bottom front section of the smaller sized end (also apparent in figure 1I1B,11 This is to ensure that the front edge of the roller wheel block 77 does not come into contact with the bottom track 4b S 30 (not shown in this figure) when the brake mechanism (as described below) is activated. Two threaded holes are located in the underside of the larger section of the roller wheel block 77 into which the two suitable sized screw bolts 74 are screwed in rder to securely fasten the roller wheel block 77 to the end of the trailing rail 46. As S can be seen the screw bolts 74 are inserted through an elongated slot located on the 35 bottom side of the end of the trailing rail 46. Engaged with the side frame/guide members 43 this allows adjustment of the lateral dimension between the roller wheel 76 and the side of the bottom track 4b. Typically this dimension is set to a millimetre or so to ensure that when the front rail assembly 41 is slid along the tracks 4a, 4b Sa) binding between the roller wheel 76 and the bottom track 4b is avoided, and b) that the front rail assembly 41 remains substantially at right angles to the tracks 4.

The brake plate 78 in its preferred form is fabricated from 1 to 2 millimeter thick stainless steel sheet cut to an appropriate width to ensure it will freely slide back and forth within the end of the trailing rail 46. It is held in the 'in' or 'out' position by pressure exerted to its top face by a suitably sized screw bolt 74 engaged in a threaded hole at the end of the trailing rail 46. Lateral movement 'in' or' out' of the brake plate 78 is limited by: a) brake plate stop 80 limiting the outwards movement or b) brake pad arm 81 limiting the inwards movement.

By removing the screw-bolt 74 altogether the brake plate 78 and brake-pad 79 may be withdrawn from the end of the trailing rail 46 as a single unit.

The slider pad 82 (shown only in figure 11 B, 11 C) in its preferred form is made from a relatively thin (about Imm), low friction material that is adhesive fixed to the bottom of the roller wheel block 77 adjacent to the roller wheel 76. It may be flat, or right angled as shown in the figures.

Figures 11B and 11 C show the mode of operation of the above front rail end assembly. In each view the front rail joiner 51, connecting the leading rail 45 and the trailing rail 46, is shown dashed. It should be pointed out that the front rail joiner 51 (shown in figure 7) can be any reasonable length although the preferred length would be in the range of about 20mm to 50mm. The greater the length the greater the lever action about the slider pad fulcrum point 83 and therefore the greater the braking effect of the brake pads on the top track 4a (see below).

In figure 11B the front rail assembly 41 is illustrated as being pushed forward along the rafter/guide members 43 by the hand held pushrod 94.

It will be noted that the action of pushing the front rail assembly 41 forward or backward along the rafter/guide members 43 requires a certain amount of upward pressure be applied as well as horizontal pressure. This upward pressure presses the leading rail end roller 71 against the top track 4a and ensures that the brake pad 79 is kept well clear of the top track 4a.

Figure 11C shows the hand held pushrod 94 withdrawn and the weight of the leading rail 45 causing the front rail assembly 41 to pivot about the slider pad fulcrum point 83 with the result that the brake pad 79 exerts an upward pressure on the top track 4a at that point. This pressure creates a definite frictional resistance between the surfaces of the two components and therefore creates a substantial 'braking' effect on the front 25 rail assembly 41. This equally applies of course if the front rail assembly 41 is being pushed back along the rails and the push rod is withdrawn.

Thus, in this way. the front rail assembly 41 can be positioned anywhere along the *length of the rafter/guide members 43 and under normal conditions will remain as so S 30 positioned.

Figure 12 shows an exploded view of one form of releasable catch assembly 44 as pertinent to example two. Figure 12A shows an isometric view of the above releasable catch assembly showing also a portion of the end frame member 1.

The hook-bar 17 which is preferably manufactured from a flat robust material such as aluminium or stainless steel is shaped as shown with a notch like cut out to the top edge (referred to as the hook bar notch 23) to effectively engage with and be retained by the trailing rail strike bar 50 and with a hole drilled on its flat side part way along S its length to receive the axle bolt 19. This hole would be located between the hookbar notch 23 and the central portion of the hook-bar such that the combined weight of the hook-bar plate 84 and the hook-bar arm 85 would be substantially greater than the weight of the remainder. This would ensure that, unimpeded, the hook-bar unit would always return to the horizontal position under the action of gravity.

The mounting bracket 26 would be formed from a short length of aluminium or similar material channel section. Opposing holes would be drilled in the mounting bracket lugs 24 to receive the axle bolt 19 which would, in turn, hold the hook-bar 17 pivotally in position. The axle bolt 19 would preferably be threaded to allow for its secure fixing to the mounting bracket lugs 24 with the installation of a threaded nut 65. Similarly a threaded lock nut 49 would be screwed onto the end of the axle bolt 19 to retain the hook-bar in place on the axle. Sufficient care is required in the tightening of the nut to ensure that the hook-bar unit remains freely rotatable on the axle bolt 19. Suitably sized rigid washers 56 would be installed on the axle bolt 19 to mitigate against frictional effects produced by the rotation of the hook-bar 17.

The hook-bar plate 84 would be permanently secured to the foot of the hook-bar 17 by rivetting or some other comparable means. Similarly the mounting bracket 26 would be permanently secured to the angle bracket 86 and the hook-bar stop would be permanently secured to the angle bracket 86. A threaded hole is located at one end of the hook-bar stop 25 for the installation of the hook-bar stop screw 87 which prevents the hook-bar 17 rotating downward beyond the horizontal position.

The angle bracket 86 is retained in position by the angle bracket bolt assemblies 88.

Because the angle bracket 86, clamping plate 89 and locating plate 90 can be moved up and down between the lipped channel portions 64 of the end frame member 1 the position of the angle bracket 86 can be adjusted vertically before tightening the bolt assemblies 88. Horizontal positioning of the unit can be achieved by installation of packer material (not illustrated) between the inside vertical face of the angle bracket 86 and the end frame member 1. This method just described is to be preferred because it is simple and effective yet does not require any holes to be drilled in the end frame member 1.

Figures 13 to 13C show mode of operation of the above releasable catch assembly.

Figure 13 shows the front rail assembly 41 retained by the releasable catch assembly 44 with the hand held pushrod 94 about to begin the process of releasing the catch.

Note that in this position the leading rail 45 is in the downwards position with the brake applied (brake pad pressed against the top track) similar to that shown in figure lI1C.

Figure 13A shows the effect of the initial application of the hand held pushrod 94 The pushrod cross piece 92 pushes the leading rail 45 to the upwards position thereby releasing the action of the brake. This position is similar to that shown in figure 1 lB.

The pushrod end lugs 93 have pushed up on the hook-bar plate 84 thereby releasing the front rail assembly 41 from the releasable catch assembly 44.

Figure 13B shows that further pushing of the hand held pushrod 94 begins to move S" the front rail assembly 41 back along the rafter/guide members 43 and brings the push 35 rod end lugs 93 to the leading edge of the hook-bar plate 84.

Figure 13C shows that still further movement of the front rail assembly 41 has been achieved and the push rod end lugs 93 are now free of the hook-bar plate 84. This allows the hook-bar unit to return, by the action of gravity, to its 'at rest' horizontal 40 position.

*ooo The reverse operation is similar except this time the hook-bar 17 is depressed by the action of the trailing rail strike bar 50 moving along the hook raking edge 22 and returns to its horizontal 'at rest' position when the hook raking edge 22 is clear of the trailing rail strike bar 50. In the above explanation the push rod is, of course, activated by a human 'operator'.

It should be noted that for certain applications, especially those in sheltered locations the releasable catch assemblies 44 may not be required as the action of the brakes would be sufficient to retain the awning in the fully extended configuration.

Figure 14 shows one form of push rod assembly as pertinent to example 2. The push rod handle 91 which would preferably be an aluminium or plastic tube, would be permanently and securely fixed at right angles to the push rod cross piece 92 which would be curved in section so as to engage comfortably with the leading rail 45 and, like the push rod handle, preferably made of plastic or aluminium. Underneath each end of the push rod cross piece 92 the push rod end lugs 93 would be rigidly attached by any suitable means. The length of the end lugs would be similar to the length of the hook-bar plate 84 on which they bear and the length of the cross piece 92 would be comfortably less than the distance between the two releasable catch assemblies 44 so that the push rod end lugs 93 coincided and engaged with the hook-bar plates when the mechanism is operated (as illustrated in figures 13,13A,13B,13C).

It will be appreciated that as the invention is primarily intended for, although not limited to, outdoors application it would be desirable if all awning components were at least moderately durable and therefore able to withstand the effects of the weather.

This durability could be achieved through inherent qualities of the material itself (eg aluminium or stainless steel) or brought about by the application of an applied coating (eg powder-coating or galvanising).

It should also be noted that componentry nominated as being made from metal could, in most cases, be substituted with components made from structural plastic or the like.

Where materials for rigid components have not been nominated it is generally proposed that they should be metal.

It will be realised that certain variations of the present invention may be adopted without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the foregoing description.

o.oi o• o •o.

Claims (9)

1. A retractable awning comprising: a) Two opposing, essentially parallel single or double tracks attached to guides positioned some distance apart and supported by separate or unitary rafters or other structure; b) a rectangular shaped panel of fabric of a comparable width to the separation distance between the guides with sleeves formed at regular intervals along its length that accommodate full width fabric support rails, whose end assemblies engage with and slide along the tracks.

2. A retractable awning according to claim 1 wherein the previously recited rafters form two sides of a rectangular frame which has members similar, or the same, as the rafters forming it's remaining two sides.

3. A retractable awning according to claim 1 or 2 wherein a means of mechanical restraint can be applied to one or both of the outer-most fabric support rails to restrict the movement of such rail or rails along the tracks so that the fabric may be pulled, at least, moderately taught.

4. A retractable awning according to claim 1 or 2 or 3 wherein the end assemblies of the front rail unit are configured in such a way that a frictional resistance is produced between the trailing rail end assembly and the track whenever the leading rail end rollers are allowed to disengage from the track.

5. A retractable awning according to claim 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 wherein a hand held rod, is utilized to move the front-most fabric support rail along the guides so as to bring about the desired degree of extension or retraction. S

6. A retractable awning according to claim 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 wherein manually operated handles, pull cords or some other physical element directly or indirectly attached to the front- most fabric support rail, is utilized to move the front-most fabric support rail along the guides so as to bring about the desired degree of extension or retraction.

7. A retractable awning according to claim 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 wherein a manually operated pull cord or pull cords, acting via a system of pulleys or rollers, are utilized to move the front- most fabric support rail along the guides so as to bring about the desired degree of extension or retraction.

A retractable awning according to claim 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 wherein a motorised device actuates draw cords to move the front-most fabric support rail along the guides so as to bring about the desired degree of extension or retraction.

9. A retractable awning substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.