S&F Ref: 959736 AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Name and Address Ultimate Innovations Pty Ltd, of Applicant: 4 Chalmers Street, Port Macquarie, New South Wales, 2444, Australia Actual Inventor(s): Michael Steven Koch Address for Service: Spruson & Ferguson St Martins Tower Level 35 31 Market Street Sydney NSW 2000 (CCN 3710000177) Invention Title: An awning Associated Provisional Application Details: [33] Country: [31] Appl'n No(s): [32] Application Date: AU 2009903357 17 Jul 2009 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: 5845c(2833896_1) 1 AN AWNING Technical Field The present invention relates to awnings to be attached to vehicles. Background of the Invention Described in International Patent Application PCT/AU2004/000581 is an awning to be attached to a vehicle. The awning includes a base to extend longitudinally adjacent the side of the vehicle. Attached to one end of the base is a plurality of arms that move angularly about a generally upright axis between a folded position and a configuration at which the awning extends from the vehicle. Described in Patent Publications AU199671898, EP001 1041, DE3508851, DE3446769 and DE3827768 are a variety of foldable shelters. These shelters have the disadvantage that they are either not suitable for attachment to a vehicle or alternatively are complex and therefore cumbersome to operate and/or construct. Object of the Invention It is the object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate at least one of the above disadvantages. Summary of the Invention There is disclosed herein an awning to be fixed to a vehicle, the awning including: an elongated base having opposite first and second ends, and adapted to be fitted to a vehicle at an elevated position; a plurality of arms pivotally attached to the base for angular movement about a generally upright axis extending generally transverse of the base, said axis being adjacent said first end, each arm having a first end and a second end spaced longitudinally away from said axis, said arms being movable between a folded configuration located adjacent said base and an expanded configuration at which said arms extend away from said base; 2 a flexible sheet attached to the arms and to provide a cover for an area beneath the arms when the arms are in the expanded configuration; said base includes a longitudinally extending front face and longitudinally extending rear face, with said rear face having at least one longitudinally extending slot providing for attachment of the base to the vehicle; and including at least one fastening means located towards said second end of said arms from said first end of said arms and adapted in use to secure said arms to said base in the folded configuration. Preferably, said rear face includes two longitudinally extending slots, said two slots being generally parallel to each other and spaced apart providing for attachment of the base to the vehicle. Preferably, said front face has at least one longitudinally extending slot to which an edge portion of said sheet is attached to secure the sheet to said base. Preferably, the front face includes four slots, the slots being parallel to each other and spaced apart, said awning including a cover, said cover being secured to the base by attachment to at least one slot on the front face, the cover covering said arms and sheet. Preferably, said cover is formed of flexible sheet material. Preferably, each arm has a first end and a second end, with each first end of each arm being pivotally attached to said base, and said awning includes a socket portion adjacent the second end of said base and configured to engage the second end of each arm to secure the arms in the folded configuration. Preferably, said fastening means includes at least one strap.
2a Brief Description of the Drawings A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic side elevation of a vehicle to which there is attached an awning; 3 Figure 2 is a schematic front elevation of the vehicle and awning of Figure 1 with a cover of the awning removed; Figure 3 is a schematic isometric view of the vehicle and awning of Figure 1 with the awning in an expanded configuration; 5 Figure 4 is a schematic isometric view of an end portion of the awning of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a schematic isometric view of a rear portion of the awning of Figure 1; Figure 6 is an isometric view of a socket part of the awning of Figure 1; 10 Figure 7 is a schematic isometric view of a pivot base employed in the awning of Figure 1; Figure 8 is a schematic end view of the base of the awning of Figure 1; Figure 9 is a schematic isometric view of a pin employed with the pivot portion of Figure 7; and 15 Figure 10 is a schematic isometric view of a pivot part of arms of the awning of Figure 1. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment In the accompanying drawings there is schematically depicted a vehicle 10 to which there is attached an awning 11. The vehicle 10 has a rear 12, a roof 13 and a 20 longitudinal side 14. Overlaying the roof 13 is a roof rack assembly 15 that includes a plurality of supports 16 that secure the roof rack assembly 15 to the vehicle 10. Extending transversely across the roof 13 are bars 17 that engage supports 16 on both sides of the vehicle 10. The awning I I includes an elongated base 18 that extends longitudinally along 25 the side 14 but spaced above the roof 13. Typically the base 18 is an extruded aluminium section and includes a rear face 19 and a front face 20. The face 19 has a pair of longitudinally extending slots 21 that are generally parallel but transversely spaced. The slots 21 are provided to secure brackets 22 to the base 18, which brackets 22 are then in turn are secured to the bars 17. The brackets 22 are secured to the base 18 by means of 30 threaded fasteners 23. The threaded fasteners 23 include a bolt 24 with a head that is captively located within a respective one of the slots 21. By tensioning each of the bolts 24 by tightening the associated nut 25, the brackets 22 are secured in position. As the slots 21 extend longitudinally of the base 18, the brackets 22 can be adjacent in position 4 so as to be above a respective one of the bars 17. Typically two of the brackets 24 would be employed to secure the awning 11 to the roof rack assembly 15. The front face 20 has a first pair of slots 26 and a second pair of slots 27. The slots 26 and 27 are generally parallel and extend longitudinally of the base 18, with the 5 slots 27 being transversely spaced, and the slots 26 being transversely spaced. The base 18 has a first end 28 and a second end 29. Fixed to the first end 28 is a pivot part 30 while attached to the end 29 is a cap 31. Pivotally attached to the base 18 by means of the part 30 is a plurality of arms 32. The arms 32 are pivotally attached to the base 18 by the part 30 for angular io movement about a generally upright axis 33. The axis 33 extends generally transverse of the longitudinal direction of the base 18. Each arm 32 includes a pivot mounting 35 to which there is attached a tubular length 34 extending radially outward from the axis 33. The part 30 has a plurality of flanges 36, each providing an aperture 37, with the apertures 37 being aligned along the axis 33. Each mounting 35 has an eyelet 38 that is located is adjacent the flanges 36 so that a pivot pin 39 passing through the apertures 37 and the apertures 40 of the mountings 35, pivotally attaches each of the arms 32 to the part 30 and therefore the base 18. Each tubular length 34 receives within an end a projection 41 so as to secure each length 34 to a respective one of the mountings 35. Secured to the arms 32 is a flexible cover 42. An edge of the cover 42 is also 20 secured to the base 18. The arms 32 are movable from a folded configuration at to which they are located adjacent the base 18 and extend generally parallel thereto (as seen in Figure 4) and an expanded configuration as shown in Figure 3 at which the cover 42 provides a sheltered area adjacent the side 14 and rear 12 of the vehicle 10. Accordingly the arms 32 25 are angularly movable about the axis 33 between a folded configuration and an expanded configuration. It should further be appreciated that between each adjacent pair of mountings 35 there is located a respective one of the flanges 36. The cover 42 has a longitudinally extending bead 43 that is slidably received within one of the longitudinally extending slots 27. In this embodiment as the cover 11 is 30 located on the passenger side of the vehicle 10, the bead 42 is located in the upper slot 27 of the base 18 as illustrated in Figure 8. The bead 43 is captively located in the slot 27 and is slidable therealong during installation but captively located in the slot 27 by the part 30 and cap 31. Enclosing the arms 32 and cover 42, in the folded configuration is, an outer 35 cover 44. The outer cover 44 would have an upper longitudinally extending bead and a 5 lower longitudinally extending bead, with the beads of the outer cover 44 being slidably located in the slots 26 so as to be removable. As can be noted from Figures 4 and 7, the part 30 has slots 46 aligned with the slots 26, while the cap 31 has slots 47 also aligned with the slots 46 to provide for installation and removal of the outer cover 44. 5 The base 18 is provided with longitudinally extending cavities 48 that slidably receive projections 49 of the part 30 and longitudinally extending projections 50 of the cap 31 to secure the part 30 and the cap 31 to the base 18. Adjacent the end 28 is a socket part 51 that provides a plurality of sockets 52. Each socket 52 is adapted to engage a respective one of the arms 32 to retain the arms 32 1o in the folded configuration. The sockets 52 are separated by flanges 53 that are resiliently deformable so as to engage and release the arms 32. The part 51 also has a pair of projections 54 that engage a resilient strap 55 that aids in retaining the arms 32 in the folded configuration. The strap 55 is released to provide for pivoting of the arms to the expanded configuration. When removing and inserting the arms 32 with respect to the is sockets 52, the flanges 53 are resiliently deformed. The part 51 is secured to the face 20. In the expanded configuration the end arm extending generally parallel to the rear 12 is secured to the roof rack assembly 11 by an elongated flexible element (strap) 56. The element 56 is tensioned to thereby aid in tensioning the cover 42.