EP3527741A1 - System for covering and shading a ground area - Google Patents
System for covering and shading a ground area Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP3527741A1 EP3527741A1 EP19157074.6A EP19157074A EP3527741A1 EP 3527741 A1 EP3527741 A1 EP 3527741A1 EP 19157074 A EP19157074 A EP 19157074A EP 3527741 A1 EP3527741 A1 EP 3527741A1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- cable
- shaft
- pair
- wound
- sheet element
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04F—FINISHING WORK ON BUILDINGS, e.g. STAIRS, FLOORS
- E04F10/00—Sunshades, e.g. Florentine blinds or jalousies; Outside screens; Awnings or baldachins
- E04F10/02—Sunshades, e.g. Florentine blinds or jalousies; Outside screens; Awnings or baldachins of flexible canopy materials, e.g. canvas ; Baldachins
- E04F10/06—Sunshades, e.g. Florentine blinds or jalousies; Outside screens; Awnings or baldachins of flexible canopy materials, e.g. canvas ; Baldachins comprising a roller-blind with means for holding the end away from a building
- E04F10/0644—Sunshades, e.g. Florentine blinds or jalousies; Outside screens; Awnings or baldachins of flexible canopy materials, e.g. canvas ; Baldachins comprising a roller-blind with means for holding the end away from a building with mechanisms for unrolling or balancing the blind
- E04F10/0655—Sunshades, e.g. Florentine blinds or jalousies; Outside screens; Awnings or baldachins of flexible canopy materials, e.g. canvas ; Baldachins comprising a roller-blind with means for holding the end away from a building with mechanisms for unrolling or balancing the blind acting on the movable end, e.g. front bar
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04F—FINISHING WORK ON BUILDINGS, e.g. STAIRS, FLOORS
- E04F10/00—Sunshades, e.g. Florentine blinds or jalousies; Outside screens; Awnings or baldachins
- E04F10/02—Sunshades, e.g. Florentine blinds or jalousies; Outside screens; Awnings or baldachins of flexible canopy materials, e.g. canvas ; Baldachins
- E04F10/06—Sunshades, e.g. Florentine blinds or jalousies; Outside screens; Awnings or baldachins of flexible canopy materials, e.g. canvas ; Baldachins comprising a roller-blind with means for holding the end away from a building
- E04F10/0666—Accessories
- E04F10/0681—Support posts for the movable end of the blind
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04H—BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL
- E04H15/00—Tents or canopies, in general
- E04H15/32—Parts, components, construction details, accessories, interior equipment, specially adapted for tents, e.g. guy-line equipment, skirts, thresholds
- E04H15/322—Stretching devices
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04H—BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL
- E04H15/00—Tents or canopies, in general
- E04H15/32—Parts, components, construction details, accessories, interior equipment, specially adapted for tents, e.g. guy-line equipment, skirts, thresholds
- E04H15/58—Closures; Awnings; Sunshades
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04F—FINISHING WORK ON BUILDINGS, e.g. STAIRS, FLOORS
- E04F10/00—Sunshades, e.g. Florentine blinds or jalousies; Outside screens; Awnings or baldachins
- E04F10/02—Sunshades, e.g. Florentine blinds or jalousies; Outside screens; Awnings or baldachins of flexible canopy materials, e.g. canvas ; Baldachins
- E04F10/06—Sunshades, e.g. Florentine blinds or jalousies; Outside screens; Awnings or baldachins of flexible canopy materials, e.g. canvas ; Baldachins comprising a roller-blind with means for holding the end away from a building
- E04F10/0644—Sunshades, e.g. Florentine blinds or jalousies; Outside screens; Awnings or baldachins of flexible canopy materials, e.g. canvas ; Baldachins comprising a roller-blind with means for holding the end away from a building with mechanisms for unrolling or balancing the blind
- E04F10/0648—Sunshades, e.g. Florentine blinds or jalousies; Outside screens; Awnings or baldachins of flexible canopy materials, e.g. canvas ; Baldachins comprising a roller-blind with means for holding the end away from a building with mechanisms for unrolling or balancing the blind acting on the roller tube
Definitions
- the present invention generally finds application in the field of outdoor covers and particularly relates to a system for covering and shading a ground area.
- these cover systems comprise a shaft rotating about a substantially horizontal axis supported by a first pair of bearing poles.
- the shaft is rotatably driven along the axis of rotation by driving means for winding and unwinding the flexible covering and shading sheet element.
- EP2765254 discloses a covering and shading system comprising a plurality of cables wound on respective pulleys for winding and unwinding a flexible sheet element.
- the sheet element is connected to elastic counteracting means which are adapted to constantly keep it under tension as it is being driven.
- the elastic means comprise a spring which is fitted in a box-like enclosure having one end connected to a bearing pole and another end connected to a pair of vertical-axis fixed pulleys.
- a first drawback of this arrangement is that the elastic counteracting means are exposed to the outside environment, and hence to the risk of damage or deterioration over time.
- EP2216460 discloses a covering and shading system comprising a flexible sheet element which is selectively wound on a rotating shaft by means of a plurality of cables connected to elastic counteracting means coaxially fitted in a bearing pole.
- the bearing pole comprises a hoist system interposed between the counteracting means and one of the cables for keeping the flexible sheet element under tension during winding and unwinding.
- a first drawback of this arrangement is that the provision of the hoist increases complexity in the construction and maintenance on the entire system.
- the driving means comprise a winch which is installed on the bearing pole and can be entirely accessed by a user, who is thus exposed to the risk of contacting the tensioned cables of the system.
- a further drawback of these arrangements is that the elastic counteracting means must exert a very high pull force on the cables to keep the sheet element under constant tension over time.
- the technical problem addressed by the present invention is to provide a system for covering and shading a ground area that is able to wind and unwind a flexible sheet element to keep it under constant tension while ensuring user safety.
- the object of the present invention is to solve the aforementioned problem, by providing a system for covering and shading a ground area that is highly efficient and relatively cost-effective.
- a particular object of the present invention is to provide a system as described hereinbefore that can tension the flexible sheet element during winding and unwinding.
- Another particular object of the present invention is to provide a system as described hereinbefore that can afford totally safe user operation.
- Another object of the present invention is to provide a system as described hereinbefore that is able to protect the elastic counteracting means of the flexible sheet element from the outside environment.
- Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a covering and shading system as described hereinbefore, that can both reduce installation times and afford easy maintenance.
- a system for covering and shading a ground area as defined in claim 1 comprising a first pair of ground-anchored vertical bearing poles which are adapted to support a shaft rotating about a substantially horizontal axis, a second pair of ground-anchored vertical tensioning poles, on each side of the shaft, wherein each of the poles of the second pair is adapted to support a respective pulley.
- the system further comprises a flexible covering/shading sheet element which may be wound/unwound on the shaft between a fully unwound open end position and a fully wound closed end position, driving means adapted to promote controlled rotation of the shaft about the axis of rotation, a first cable transversely returned on the fixed-axis pulleys with opposite ends connected to the flexible sheet element, a second cable with a driving end interacting with the shaft and an opposite driven end adapted to longitudinally interact with the first cable, and a third cable having an upper end adapted to longitudinally interact with the first cable and the lower end connected to elastic counteracting means adapted to keep the flexible sheet element under tension while it is being wound and unwound.
- the driving means comprise a drum, which is rigidly joined to the shaft on which the driving end of the second cable is wound.
- the elastic counteracting means comprise a spring, which is housed in one of the bearing poles, to be entirely protected from the outside environment. Furthermore, the spring has an upper portion connected to the lower end of the third cable and a lower portion secured to the lower end of the bearing pole that houses it. The bearing pole that houses the spring has a respective pulley at its upper end for returning the third cable.
- the driving end of the second cable is wound on the drum in a direction substantially orthogonal to the ground from top to bottom and the driven end and the driving end of the second cable and the upper end the third cable are placed above the shaft and the flexible sheet element, to prevent any inadvertent contact and risk to users.
- This arrangement affords constant tensioning of the flexible sheet element while the latter is being wound and unwound.
- the particular position of the elastic counteracting means facilitates total protection from the outside environment and allows the operator to operate under totally safe conditions.
- a system 1 for covering and shading a ground area which is preferably adapted for use in outdoor areas such as gardens, swimming pools or awnings in civil and commercial environments or for other similar applications.
- the system 1 comprises at least one first pair of vertical bearing poles 2A, 2B with lower ends 3 anchored to the ground, which are adapted to support a shaft 4 rotating about a substantially horizontal axis X.
- the shaft 4 may be supported at a predetermined height from the ground which can be selectively varied by a user by appropriate adjustment means, not shown.
- the system 1 comprises at least one second pair of vertical tensioning poles 5A, 5B, which are anchored to the ground by their respective lower ends 6 and placed on each side of the shaft 4.
- each of the tensioning poles 5A, 5B of the second pair is adapted to support, at the upper end 7, a respective pulley 8A, 8B having a fixed axis Z, whose operation will be described below.
- the fixed axis of rotation Z of these pulleys 8A, 8B is substantially vertical.
- the system 1 comprises a flexible covering/shading sheet element 9 that can be wound/unwound on the shaft 4 between a fully unwound open end position and a fully wound closed end position.
- the flexible sheet element 9 may be a "sail"-type element and have a substantially rectangular shape with a pair of corners 10A, 10B attached to the longitudinal ends 12A, 12B of the shaft 4 and a pair of free corners 11A, 11B situated on each side of the shaft 4, each facing a tensioning pole 5A, 5B of the second pair of poles.
- the bearing poles 2A, 2B and the tensioning poles 5A, 5B may be moved toward or away from each other to increase or decrease the covered ground area.
- the shaft 4 comprises driving means 13 adapted to promote controlled rotation of the shaft 4 about the axis of rotation X to thereby unwind the flexible sheet element 9 and move the pair of free corners 11A, 11B closer to their respective tensioning poles 5A, 5B.
- the driving means 13 may be actuated to rotate the drive shaft 4 in the opposite direction to wind the sheet element 9 and move the pair of free corners 11A, 11B away from their respective tensioning poles 5A, 5B.
- the driving means 13 may be accommodated at a longitudinal end 12A of the rotating shaft 4 proximate to one of the bearing poles 2A and may comprise a drum 14 of well-known type which is rigidly joined to the shaft 4.
- the driving means 13 may comprise an electric motor coupled to the drum 14, and adapted to promote the rotation of the shaft 4 at a variable rotation speed, and means may be provided for remote control of the motor, not shown.
- the driving means 13 may comprise alternative manual means including a crank, not shown, which can be selectively coupled to the drum 14 for operation in case of emergency and power outage.
- the driving means 13 may further comprise an automatically or manually operable limit-stop device when the flexible sheet element 9 is in a fully unwound and/or fully wound positions to turn off or stop the rotation of the rotating shaft 4.
- the covering and shading system 1 comprises a plurality of cables 15 which are designed to wind and unwind the flexible sheet element 9 in combination with the driving means 13.
- the system 1 comprises a first cable 16 that is transversely returned on the vertical fixed-axis pulleys 8A, 8B and having opposite ends 17A, 17B connected to the free corners 11A, 11B of the flexible sheet element 9.
- these fixed-axis pulleys 8A, 8B may be mounted to their respective tensioning poles 5A, 5B in a distal position with the interposition of a rigid or partially elastic tension wire 18.
- the covering/shading system 1 comprises a second cable 19 with one driven end 20A longitudinally interacting with the first cable 16 and one opposite driving end 20B interacting with the rotating shaft 4, wound on the drum 14.
- an intermediate portion 16' of the first cable 16 may have a substantially W-shaped profile and be wound around a pair of first movable pulleys 21A, 21B having a vertical axis Z, which are transversely aligned with each other.
- a second movable pulley 22 with a vertical axis Z may be interposed between the pair of first movable pulleys 21A, 21B in a longitudinally offset position relative to the latter and may be connected to the driven end 20a of the second cable 19.
- the first cable 16 is sequentially wound on a fixed-axis pulley 8A located on a tensioning pole 5A, a movable pulley 21A of the first pair, the second movable pulley 22, the other movable pulley 21B of the first pair and the other fixed-axis pulley 8B located on the other tensioning pole 5B.
- the drum 14 surrounds the respective driving end 20B of the second cable 19 to longitudinally move the driven end 20A interacting with the first cable 16 by means of the second movable pulley 22 toward a bearing pole 2A and as a result to transversely move the free corners 11A, 11B of the sheet element 9 toward the respective tensioning poles 5A, 5B.
- the system 1 comprises a third cable 23 having an upper end 24A adapted to longitudinally interact with the first cable 16 and connected to the pair of first movable pulleys 21A, 21B having a vertical axis Z via respective tension wires 25.
- the third cable 23 comprises a lower end 24B, opposite to the upper end 24A, which is connected to elastic counteracting means 26 adapted to keep the flexible sheet element 9 under tension while it is being wound and unwound.
- the elastic counteracting means 26 are housed in one of the bearing poles 2B and comprise a spring 27 which extends coaxial to the bearing pole 2B that houses it, so that the elastic means 26 will be entirely protected from the outside environment, as shown in the embodiment of the figures.
- the elastic means 26 may be selected from the group comprising springs, hydraulic pistons, swinging counterweights and bands made of polymeric material with elastic properties.
- the spring 27 may be selected from the group comprising helical springs, air springs, gas springs and magnetic springs.
- the spring 27 has an upper portion 27' directly connected to a lower end 24B of the third cable 23 and a lower portion 27" directly secured to the lower end 3 of the bearing pole 2B that houses it, with no interposed means for reducing the pull force, as best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 .
- the elastic counteracting means 26 may be fully extended when the flexible sheet element 9 is in the open end position and will be fully retracted when the element 9 is in the closed end position.
- This configuration facilitates easy and quick installation of the whole covering and shading system 1.
- the system 1 may comprise adjustment means, not shown, for manual or automatic adjustment of the pull force of the spring 27, which are located at the bearing pole 2B that houses the latter.
- the adjustment means may be totally accessible from the outside by the user and may be placed at the lower end 3 of the bearing pole 2B that houses the spring 27, preferably at the lower portion 27" thereof.
- the bearing pole 2B which houses the spring 27 may have, at its upper end 28, a respective pulley 29 having a fixed horizontal axis Y for returning the third cable 23.
- the fixed horizontal axis Y of this pulley 29 is substantially transverse to the axis of rotation X of the shaft 4.
- this pulley 29 interacts with the third cable 23 in an intermediate position between the movable pulleys 21A, 21B of the first pair and the spring 27 housed in the bearing pole 2B.
- this pulley 29 may be entirely inserted in its respective bearing pole 2B for the third cable 23 to form an angle of about 90° at the upper end 28 of the pole and to reduce the tensioning force that acts on the spring 27.
- the bearing pole 2A opposite to the one that houses the spring 27 comprises a respective pulley 30 having a fixed horizontal axis Y for returning the second cable 19, which is located above the driving means 13 and the drum 14.
- the driving end 20B of the second cable 19 which interacts with the rotating shaft 4 may be wound on the drum 14 in a direction substantially orthogonal to the ground from top to bottom.
- driven end 20A and the driving end 20B of the second cable 19 and the upper end 24A of the third cable 23 are placed above the shaft 4 and the flexible sheet element 9, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 .
- This particular configuration prevents any inadvertent contact and risk of injury to users.
- the fixed-axis pulley 30 which returns the second cable 19 may be mounted to its respective bearing pole 2A in a distal position with the interposition of a rigid or partially elastic tension wire 31.
- the second cable 19 also forms an angle of about 90° above the drum 14 to reduce the tensioning force that acts on the driving means 13.
- the pair of first movable pulleys 21A, 21B connected to the third cable 23 and the second movable pulley 22 connected to the second cable 19 are placed at a predetermined distance from each other. Furthermore, the driving end 20B of the second cable 19 opposite to the second movable pulley 22 is only partially wound on the drum 14.
- the drum 14 winds the driving end 20B of the second cable 19, thereby causing the second movable pulley 22 to longitudinally move toward the bearing pole 2A opposite to the one that houses the spring 27.
- the translational movement of the latter will pull the first cable 16 and, as a result, will move the free transverse corners 11A, 11B of the flexible sheet element 9 connected to the ends 17A, 17B of the first cable 16 to move toward their respective tensioning pole 5A, 5B.
- the system fulfills the intended objects and particularly affords constant tensioning of the flexible sheet element during winding and unwinding, while ensuring user safety.
- the present invention may find application in industry, because it can be produced on an industrial scale in the construction and installation of tensile structures.
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Architecture (AREA)
- Civil Engineering (AREA)
- Structural Engineering (AREA)
- Operating, Guiding And Securing Of Roll- Type Closing Members (AREA)
- Tents Or Canopies (AREA)
- Road Signs Or Road Markings (AREA)
- Aerials With Secondary Devices (AREA)
Abstract
A covering and shading system (1) with a pair of bearing poles (2A, 2B) for supporting a shaft (4), a pair of tensioning poles (5A, 5B) for supporting pulleys (8A, 8B), a sheet element (9) adapted to be wound/unwound on the shaft (4), means (13) for rotating the drive shaft (4), a first cable (16) returned on the pulleys (8A, 8B) with ends (17A, 17B) connected to the element (9), a second cable (19) with one end (20B) interacting with the shaft (4) and one end (20A) interacting with the first cable (16), a third cable (23) with one end (24A) interacting with the first cable (16) and the opposite end (24B) connected to elastic counteracting means (26). The means (13) comprise a drum (14) on which the end (20B) is wound and the elastic means (26) are housed in one of the bearing poles (2B) and comprise a spring (27) which extends coaxial therewith to be protected from the outside environment. The spring (27) has a portion (27') connected to the end (24B) and a portion (27") secured to the lower end (3) of the pole (2B) which has a pulley (29) for returning the third cable (23). The end (20B) is wound on the drum (14) in an orthogonal direction from top to bottom and the ends (20A, 20B, 24A) are placed above the shaft (4) to avoid any contact and risk of injury to users.
Description
- The present invention generally finds application in the field of outdoor covers and particularly relates to a system for covering and shading a ground area.
- Systems have been long known in the field of outdoor covers, which are designed to wind and unwind a flexible sheet element for covering a ground area.
- Generally, these cover systems comprise a shaft rotating about a substantially horizontal axis supported by a first pair of bearing poles.
- Furthermore, the shaft is rotatably driven along the axis of rotation by driving means for winding and unwinding the flexible covering and shading sheet element.
- Nevertheless, these driving means have the drawback of being only configured for driving the flexible sheet element and cannot keep the it under tension while it is being driven.
- In an attempt to obviate this drawback covering and shading systems have been developed, which are adapted to constantly keep the flexible sheet element under tension while it is being wound and unwound.
-
EP2765254 discloses a covering and shading system comprising a plurality of cables wound on respective pulleys for winding and unwinding a flexible sheet element. - Furthermore, the sheet element is connected to elastic counteracting means which are adapted to constantly keep it under tension as it is being driven.
- In particular, the elastic means comprise a spring which is fitted in a box-like enclosure having one end connected to a bearing pole and another end connected to a pair of vertical-axis fixed pulleys.
- A first drawback of this arrangement is that the elastic counteracting means are exposed to the outside environment, and hence to the risk of damage or deterioration over time.
- Another drawback of this arrangement is that the counteracting means are placed in the upper end of the bearing pole and cannot be easily accessed by an operator.
-
EP2216460 discloses a covering and shading system comprising a flexible sheet element which is selectively wound on a rotating shaft by means of a plurality of cables connected to elastic counteracting means coaxially fitted in a bearing pole. - Furthermore, the bearing pole comprises a hoist system interposed between the counteracting means and one of the cables for keeping the flexible sheet element under tension during winding and unwinding.
- A first drawback of this arrangement is that the provision of the hoist increases complexity in the construction and maintenance on the entire system.
- Another drawback of this arrangement is that the driving means comprise a winch which is installed on the bearing pole and can be entirely accessed by a user, who is thus exposed to the risk of contacting the tensioned cables of the system.
- A further drawback of these arrangements is that the elastic counteracting means must exert a very high pull force on the cables to keep the sheet element under constant tension over time.
- In view of the prior art, the technical problem addressed by the present invention is to provide a system for covering and shading a ground area that is able to wind and unwind a flexible sheet element to keep it under constant tension while ensuring user safety.
- The object of the present invention is to solve the aforementioned problem, by providing a system for covering and shading a ground area that is highly efficient and relatively cost-effective.
- A particular object of the present invention is to provide a system as described hereinbefore that can tension the flexible sheet element during winding and unwinding.
- Another particular object of the present invention is to provide a system as described hereinbefore that can afford totally safe user operation.
- Another object of the present invention is to provide a system as described hereinbefore that is able to protect the elastic counteracting means of the flexible sheet element from the outside environment.
- Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a covering and shading system as described hereinbefore, that can both reduce installation times and afford easy maintenance.
- These and other objects, as more clearly explained hereinafter, are fulfilled by a system for covering and shading a ground area as defined in
claim 1, such system comprising a first pair of ground-anchored vertical bearing poles which are adapted to support a shaft rotating about a substantially horizontal axis, a second pair of ground-anchored vertical tensioning poles, on each side of the shaft, wherein each of the poles of the second pair is adapted to support a respective pulley. - The system further comprises a flexible covering/shading sheet element which may be wound/unwound on the shaft between a fully unwound open end position and a fully wound closed end position, driving means adapted to promote controlled rotation of the shaft about the axis of rotation, a first cable transversely returned on the fixed-axis pulleys with opposite ends connected to the flexible sheet element, a second cable with a driving end interacting with the shaft and an opposite driven end adapted to longitudinally interact with the first cable, and a third cable having an upper end adapted to longitudinally interact with the first cable and the lower end connected to elastic counteracting means adapted to keep the flexible sheet element under tension while it is being wound and unwound.
- In addition, the driving means comprise a drum, which is rigidly joined to the shaft on which the driving end of the second cable is wound.
- In a peculiar aspect of the invention, the elastic counteracting means comprise a spring, which is housed in one of the bearing poles, to be entirely protected from the outside environment. Furthermore, the spring has an upper portion connected to the lower end of the third cable and a lower portion secured to the lower end of the bearing pole that houses it. The bearing pole that houses the spring has a respective pulley at its upper end for returning the third cable.
- Furthermore, the driving end of the second cable is wound on the drum in a direction substantially orthogonal to the ground from top to bottom and the driven end and the driving end of the second cable and the upper end the third cable are placed above the shaft and the flexible sheet element, to prevent any inadvertent contact and risk to users.
- This arrangement affords constant tensioning of the flexible sheet element while the latter is being wound and unwound.
- The particular position of the elastic counteracting means facilitates total protection from the outside environment and allows the operator to operate under totally safe conditions.
- In addition, all the moving parts are spaced away from the operator to prevent any risk of contact with the tensioned cables of the system.
- Advantageous embodiments of the invention are obtained in accordance with the dependent claims.
- Further features and advantages of the invention will be more apparent from the detailed description of a preferred, non-exclusive embodiment of a system for covering and shading a ground area, which is described as a non-limiting example with the help of the annexed drawings, in which:
-
FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective views of a covering and shading system of the invention according to first and second operating configurations respectively; -
FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the system ofFig. 1 ; -
FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view with a respective magnification of the system ofFig. 2 ; -
Figs. 5 and 6 show schematic top views of the system ofFig. 1 and Fig. 2 respectively. - Particularly referring to the figures, there is shown a
system 1 for covering and shading a ground area, which is preferably adapted for use in outdoor areas such as gardens, swimming pools or awnings in civil and commercial environments or for other similar applications. - As shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2 , thesystem 1 comprises at least one first pair ofvertical bearing poles lower ends 3 anchored to the ground, which are adapted to support a shaft 4 rotating about a substantially horizontal axis X. - The shaft 4 may be supported at a predetermined height from the ground which can be selectively varied by a user by appropriate adjustment means, not shown.
- Furthermore, the
system 1 comprises at least one second pair ofvertical tensioning poles lower ends 6 and placed on each side of the shaft 4. - In particular, each of the
tensioning poles upper end 7, arespective pulley - As best shown in
FIGS. 5 and 6 , the fixed axis of rotation Z of thesepulleys - As shown in the figures, the
system 1 comprises a flexible covering/shading sheet element 9 that can be wound/unwound on the shaft 4 between a fully unwound open end position and a fully wound closed end position. - The flexible sheet element 9 may be a "sail"-type element and have a substantially rectangular shape with a pair of
corners 10A, 10B attached to thelongitudinal ends tensioning pole - As is known per se, as the size of the flexible sheet element 9 changes, the
bearing poles tensioning poles - As is known per se, the shaft 4 comprises driving means 13 adapted to promote controlled rotation of the shaft 4 about the axis of rotation X to thereby unwind the flexible sheet element 9 and move the pair of free corners 11A, 11B closer to their
respective tensioning poles - Likewise, the driving means 13 may be actuated to rotate the drive shaft 4 in the opposite direction to wind the sheet element 9 and move the pair of free corners 11A, 11B away from their
respective tensioning poles - As shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2 , the driving means 13 may be accommodated at alongitudinal end 12A of the rotating shaft 4 proximate to one of thebearing poles 2A and may comprise adrum 14 of well-known type which is rigidly joined to the shaft 4. - Also, the driving means 13 may comprise an electric motor coupled to the
drum 14, and adapted to promote the rotation of the shaft 4 at a variable rotation speed, and means may be provided for remote control of the motor, not shown. - Alternatively, the driving means 13 may comprise alternative manual means including a crank, not shown, which can be selectively coupled to the
drum 14 for operation in case of emergency and power outage. - As is known per se, the driving means 13 may further comprise an automatically or manually operable limit-stop device when the flexible sheet element 9 is in a fully unwound and/or fully wound positions to turn off or stop the rotation of the rotating shaft 4.
- The covering and
shading system 1 comprises a plurality ofcables 15 which are designed to wind and unwind the flexible sheet element 9 in combination with the driving means 13. - In particular, the
system 1 comprises afirst cable 16 that is transversely returned on the vertical fixed-axis pulleys opposite ends - Conveniently, these fixed-
axis pulleys respective tensioning poles elastic tension wire 18. - Furthermore, the covering/
shading system 1 comprises asecond cable 19 with one drivenend 20A longitudinally interacting with thefirst cable 16 and one opposite drivingend 20B interacting with the rotating shaft 4, wound on thedrum 14. - As shown in
FIGS. 1, 2 ,5 and 6 , an intermediate portion 16' of thefirst cable 16 may have a substantially W-shaped profile and be wound around a pair of firstmovable pulleys - A second
movable pulley 22 with a vertical axis Z may be interposed between the pair of firstmovable pulleys second cable 19. - Therefore, the
first cable 16 is sequentially wound on a fixed-axis pulley 8A located on atensioning pole 5A, amovable pulley 21A of the first pair, the secondmovable pulley 22, the othermovable pulley 21B of the first pair and the other fixed-axis pulley 8B located on theother tensioning pole 5B. - As the driving means 13 are actuated, the
drum 14 surrounds the respective drivingend 20B of thesecond cable 19 to longitudinally move the drivenend 20A interacting with thefirst cable 16 by means of the secondmovable pulley 22 toward abearing pole 2A and as a result to transversely move the free corners 11A, 11B of the sheet element 9 toward therespective tensioning poles - Furthermore, the
system 1 comprises athird cable 23 having anupper end 24A adapted to longitudinally interact with thefirst cable 16 and connected to the pair of firstmovable pulleys respective tension wires 25. - Advantageously, the
third cable 23 comprises alower end 24B, opposite to theupper end 24A, which is connected to elastic counteracting means 26 adapted to keep the flexible sheet element 9 under tension while it is being wound and unwound. - In a peculiar aspect of the invention, the elastic counteracting means 26 are housed in one of the bearing
poles 2B and comprise aspring 27 which extends coaxial to thebearing pole 2B that houses it, so that the elastic means 26 will be entirely protected from the outside environment, as shown in the embodiment of the figures. - Alternatively, the elastic means 26 may be selected from the group comprising springs, hydraulic pistons, swinging counterweights and bands made of polymeric material with elastic properties.
- Advantageously, the
spring 27 may be selected from the group comprising helical springs, air springs, gas springs and magnetic springs. - The
spring 27 has an upper portion 27' directly connected to alower end 24B of thethird cable 23 and alower portion 27" directly secured to thelower end 3 of thebearing pole 2B that houses it, with no interposed means for reducing the pull force, as best shown inFIGS. 3 and 4 . - Therefore, the elastic counteracting means 26 may be fully extended when the flexible sheet element 9 is in the open end position and will be fully retracted when the element 9 is in the closed end position.
- This configuration facilitates easy and quick installation of the whole covering and
shading system 1. - Advantageously, the
system 1 may comprise adjustment means, not shown, for manual or automatic adjustment of the pull force of thespring 27, which are located at thebearing pole 2B that houses the latter. - The adjustment means may be totally accessible from the outside by the user and may be placed at the
lower end 3 of thebearing pole 2B that houses thespring 27, preferably at thelower portion 27" thereof. - As shown in
FIGS, 3 to 6 , thebearing pole 2B which houses thespring 27 may have, at itsupper end 28, arespective pulley 29 having a fixed horizontal axis Y for returning thethird cable 23. - The fixed horizontal axis Y of this
pulley 29 is substantially transverse to the axis of rotation X of the shaft 4. - Therefore, this
pulley 29 interacts with thethird cable 23 in an intermediate position between themovable pulleys spring 27 housed in thebearing pole 2B. - Furthermore, this
pulley 29 may be entirely inserted in itsrespective bearing pole 2B for thethird cable 23 to form an angle of about 90° at theupper end 28 of the pole and to reduce the tensioning force that acts on thespring 27. - Likewise, as shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2 , thebearing pole 2A opposite to the one that houses thespring 27 comprises arespective pulley 30 having a fixed horizontal axis Y for returning thesecond cable 19, which is located above the driving means 13 and thedrum 14. - According to a further peculiar aspect of the invention, the driving
end 20B of thesecond cable 19 which interacts with the rotating shaft 4 may be wound on thedrum 14 in a direction substantially orthogonal to the ground from top to bottom. - Furthermore, the
driven end 20A and the drivingend 20B of thesecond cable 19 and theupper end 24A of thethird cable 23 are placed above the shaft 4 and the flexible sheet element 9, as shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 . - This particular configuration prevents any inadvertent contact and risk of injury to users.
- Conveniently, the fixed-
axis pulley 30 which returns thesecond cable 19 may be mounted to itsrespective bearing pole 2A in a distal position with the interposition of a rigid or partiallyelastic tension wire 31. - By this arrangement, the
second cable 19 also forms an angle of about 90° above thedrum 14 to reduce the tensioning force that acts on the driving means 13. - An operating sequence of the covering and shading system during winding/unwinding of the flexible sheet element 9 will be now described, with particular reference to
FIGS. 1 to 6 . - In particular, when the flexible sheet element 9 is in the closed end position and is entirely wound on the rotating shaft 4, the elastic counteracting means 26 are fully retracted, as shown in
FIGS. 1 ,3 and 5 . - In this operating state, the pair of first
movable pulleys third cable 23 and the secondmovable pulley 22 connected to thesecond cable 19 are placed at a predetermined distance from each other. Furthermore, the drivingend 20B of thesecond cable 19 opposite to the secondmovable pulley 22 is only partially wound on thedrum 14. - As the driving means 13 or the crank are actuated, the
drum 14 winds the drivingend 20B of thesecond cable 19, thereby causing the secondmovable pulley 22 to longitudinally move toward thebearing pole 2A opposite to the one that houses thespring 27. - Since the
first cable 16 is wound on the secondmovable pulley 22, the translational movement of the latter will pull thefirst cable 16 and, as a result, will move the free transverse corners 11A, 11B of the flexible sheet element 9 connected to theends first cable 16 to move toward theirrespective tensioning pole - While the second
movable pulley 22 moves, the pair ofmovable pulleys upper end 24A of thethird cable 23 will longitudinally move away from the secondmovable pulley 22, thereby causing the elastic counteracting means 26 to extend, as shown inFIG. 4 . - Therefore, while the
movable pulleys - When the sheet element 9 has to be returned to the closed end position, the longitudinal movement of the second
movable pulley 22 toward thepole 2B that houses thespring 27 will cause the release of the elastic means 26 toward thelower end 3, back to their retracted position. - It will be appreciated from the foregoing that the system fulfills the intended objects and particularly affords constant tensioning of the flexible sheet element during winding and unwinding, while ensuring user safety.
- All the details thereof may be replaced by other technically equivalent parts, and the materials may vary depending on different needs, without departure from the scope of the invention.
- While the system has been described with particular reference to the accompanying figures, the numerals referred to in the disclosure and claims are only used for the sake of a better intelligibility of the invention and shall not be intended to limit the claimed scope in any manner.
- The present invention may find application in industry, because it can be produced on an industrial scale in the construction and installation of tensile structures.
Claims (10)
- A system (1) for covering and shading a ground area, comprising:- at least one first pair of substantially vertical bearing poles (2A, 2B), which are anchored to the ground and adapted to support a shaft (4) rotating about a substantially horizontal axis (X);- at least a second pair of substantially vertical tensioning poles (5A, 5B), which are anchored to the ground on each side of said shaft (4), said tensioning poles (5A, 5B) being adapted to support respective pulleys (8A, 8B);- a flexible covering/shading sheet element (9) adapted to be wound/unwound on said shaft (4) between a fully unwound position and a fully wound position;- driving means (13) for promoting controlled rotation of said shaft (4) about said axis of rotation (X);- a first cable (16) transversely returned on said pulleys (8A, 8B) and having opposite ends (17A, 17B) connected to said flexible sheet element (9);- a second cable (19) with a driving end (20B) interacting with said shaft (4) and of the opposite driven end (20A) adapted to longitudinally interact with said first cable (16);- a third cable (23) with an upper end (24A) adapted to longitudinally interact with said first cable (16) and a lower end (24B) connected to elastic counteracting means (26) to keep said sheet element (9) under while it is being wound and unwound;wherein said driving means (13) comprise a drum (14), which is rigidly joined to said shaft (4) on which said driving end (20B) of said second cable (19) is wound;
characterized in that said elastic counteracting means (26) comprise a spring (27), which is housed in one of said bearing poles (2B) to be completely protected from the outside environment, said spring (27) having an upper portion (27') connected to said lower end (24B) of said third cable (23) and a lower portion (27") secured to the lower end (3) of the bearing pole (2B) that houses it, said bearing pole (2B) housing said spring (27) having at its upper end (28) a respective pulley (29) for returning said third cable (23), said driving end (20B) of said second cable (19) being wound on said drum (14) in a direction substantially orthogonal to the ground from top to bottom, said driven end (20A) and said driving end (20B) of said second cable (19) and said upper end (24A) of said third cable (23) being placed above said shaft (4) and said flexible sheet element (9), to prevent any inadvertent contact and risk to users. - System as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said spring (27) is selected from the group including helical springs, air springs, gas springs and magnetic springs.
- System as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the bearing pole (2A) opposite to the one that houses said spring (27) comprises a respective pulley (30) having a fixed horizontal axis (Y) for returning said second cable (19).
- System as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said flexible sheet element (9) comprises a substantially rectangular shape with a pair of corners (10A, 10B) attached to the longitudinal ends (12A, 12B) of said shaft (4) and a pair of free corners (11A, 11B) placed on each side of said shaft (4), said free corners (11A, 11B) facing said tensioning poles (5A, 5B).
- System as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said driving means (13) are housed at the longitudinal end (12A) of said shaft (4) opposite to said spring (27).
- System as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that an intermediate portion (16') of said first cable (16) has a substantially W-shaped profile and is wound around a pair of first transversely aligned movable pulleys (21A, 21B) having a vertical axis (Z), and a second movable pulley (22) having a vertical axis (Z) interposed between said first movable pulleys (21), and longitudinally offset from the latter, said second movable pulley (22) being connected to said driven end (20A) of said second cable (19).
- System as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said pair of first movable pulleys (21) having a vertical axis (Z) are connected to said upper end (24A) of said third cable (23) via respective tension wires (25).
- System as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said pair of fixed-axis pulleys (8A, 8B) are mounted to their respective tensioning poles (5A, 5B) with the interposition of a rigid or partially elastic tension wire (18).
- System as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said driving means (13) comprise an electric motor coupled to said drum (14), control means being provided for remote actuation of said motor.
- System as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that said driving means (13) comprise alternative manual means including a crank which is adapted be selectively coupled to said drum (14) for actuation thereof in case of emergency and power outage.
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
IT102018000002763A IT201800002763A1 (en) | 2018-02-16 | 2018-02-16 | COVERING AND SHADING SYSTEM OF A GROUND AREA |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP3527741A1 true EP3527741A1 (en) | 2019-08-21 |
Family
ID=62167690
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP19157074.6A Withdrawn EP3527741A1 (en) | 2018-02-16 | 2019-02-14 | System for covering and shading a ground area |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP3527741A1 (en) |
IT (1) | IT201800002763A1 (en) |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
DE102020133049A1 (en) | 2020-12-10 | 2022-06-15 | Warema Renkhoff Se | Sun protection system with clamping device |
EP4033047A1 (en) * | 2021-01-22 | 2022-07-27 | Warema Renkhoff SEd | Sunshade system with a traction system |
Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
DE10333407A1 (en) * | 2003-07-15 | 2005-02-10 | Herzog Gmbh & Co Kg | Flexible retractable awning or roof for covering open space has shaft used as winding spindle stretched between two posts and corners of triangular flexible sheets are held by spring-loaded cables |
EP2765254A1 (en) * | 2013-02-08 | 2014-08-13 | Alexander Hoekstra | Roller device for sun shades, awnings and the like |
WO2016181303A1 (en) * | 2015-05-13 | 2016-11-17 | Sailshadow S.R.L. | Shade sail |
-
2018
- 2018-02-16 IT IT102018000002763A patent/IT201800002763A1/en unknown
-
2019
- 2019-02-14 EP EP19157074.6A patent/EP3527741A1/en not_active Withdrawn
Patent Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
DE10333407A1 (en) * | 2003-07-15 | 2005-02-10 | Herzog Gmbh & Co Kg | Flexible retractable awning or roof for covering open space has shaft used as winding spindle stretched between two posts and corners of triangular flexible sheets are held by spring-loaded cables |
EP2765254A1 (en) * | 2013-02-08 | 2014-08-13 | Alexander Hoekstra | Roller device for sun shades, awnings and the like |
WO2016181303A1 (en) * | 2015-05-13 | 2016-11-17 | Sailshadow S.R.L. | Shade sail |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
DE102020133049A1 (en) | 2020-12-10 | 2022-06-15 | Warema Renkhoff Se | Sun protection system with clamping device |
EP4033047A1 (en) * | 2021-01-22 | 2022-07-27 | Warema Renkhoff SEd | Sunshade system with a traction system |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
IT201800002763A1 (en) | 2019-08-16 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
EP3527741A1 (en) | System for covering and shading a ground area | |
US10023443B2 (en) | Tower crane and method of mounting a wind turbine rotor blade | |
KR101229930B1 (en) | Apparatus for cable management synchronized with telescopic motion | |
US9371688B2 (en) | Motorized operating device intended for operating a movable screen with a windable canvas of a window covering device or a projection screen device | |
KR101762976B1 (en) | Winding device for covering wall openings or windows | |
AU2010224459B2 (en) | Level wind assembly for a winch drum including a tensioning arm | |
EP3294967B1 (en) | Shade sail | |
JP2012532260A5 (en) | ||
EP2480743B1 (en) | Adjustable counterbalance system for roller doors | |
US10822804B2 (en) | Retractable awning | |
US20120180714A1 (en) | Automatic retractable boat cover | |
KR102232771B1 (en) | Power cable handling apparatus | |
RU2563764C2 (en) | Winding device for stopping of holes in walls | |
JP6339414B2 (en) | Retractable tarp | |
RU2186443C1 (en) | Telescopic tower | |
KR102253069B1 (en) | Ocean obsservation to moving winch | |
EP0935048B1 (en) | Dual window covering with single operating means | |
JP7449365B2 (en) | inverted cable drive mast | |
US8225433B2 (en) | Apparatus for minimising entanglement and bunching of an elongate means | |
US20200164265A1 (en) | Sports field cover system | |
EP1334655B1 (en) | Device for winding a screen | |
KR100969129B1 (en) | Electromotive blind apparatus | |
US20120318907A1 (en) | Unwinding and/or winding device, particularly for awnings and the like | |
KR20210084190A (en) | Winding Machine for Instllation of Saftey Rope | |
JP2520352B2 (en) | Bird threatening device |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
PUAI | Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012 |
|
STAA | Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent |
Free format text: STATUS: THE APPLICATION HAS BEEN PUBLISHED |
|
AK | Designated contracting states |
Kind code of ref document: A1 Designated state(s): AL AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL PT RO RS SE SI SK SM TR |
|
AX | Request for extension of the european patent |
Extension state: BA ME |
|
STAA | Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent |
Free format text: STATUS: THE APPLICATION IS DEEMED TO BE WITHDRAWN |
|
18D | Application deemed to be withdrawn |
Effective date: 20200222 |