AU600371B2

AU600371B2 - Improved pergola

Info

Publication number: AU600371B2
Application number: AU18661/88A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Garry Baverstock
Original assignee: TECTO CORP Pty Ltd
Current assignee: TECTO Corp Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1987-07-03
Filing date: 1988-07-04
Publication date: 1990-08-09
Anticipated expiration: 2008-07-04
Also published as: AU1866188A

Description

8 600371 FORM COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (Original, Class Int. Class Application Number: PI 2882 Lodged: 3rd July, 1987.

Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: 00000 0 0ub o O 00 o so a OO 00000, o 0o 0 0 0 3 CO0 0 00 0 C 0 30r 0 0) i dlllscLumnt Coli FT, i V ailenmIents mrniade un nr 49 and icorrect I Priority: Related Art Name of Applicant: TECTO CORPORATION PTY. LIMITED Address of Applicant: 95 Canning Highway, South Perth, W.A. 6151.

Actual Tnventor: Gary Baverstock Address for Service: WATERMARK PATENT ATTORNEYS SUITE 18 159 ADELAIDE TERRACE PERTH, W.A. 6000.

Complete Specification for the invention entitled: IMPROVED PERGOLA

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The folloing statement is a full description this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us.

1.

p000 L2 1 -2- IMPROVED PERGOLA This invention relates to a pergola to provide effective control of the amount of sunlight passing through the pergola so as to provide a high degree of shade in the summer and a high degree of sunlight in the winter.

Pergolas are a well-known structure for the purpose of controlling the amount of sunlight permitted to enter the area covered by the pergola, and usually comprises a support structure mounted on columns or supported by a building or a 0 o 0 oo 0 10 combination of these, with a plurality of spaced slats So°0o arranged in a g- erally parallel substantially horizontal 0000 o o formation. CurrctiLly, the slats are normally made of timber 0 0 0 00o0 of a regular rectangular cross-section mounted with their 0 00 o 0 longer dimension vertical or slightly inclined to the o oooooo 15 vertical.

O O It is difficult to obtain the required degree of control of the passage of sunlight between s'ats of a plain 0 00 S00oo0 rectancular form. This is because in the summer, when the oo0o0 sun is high in the sky, the slats need to be of a 0 Oo significant height to provide the required high degree of o 0 o, shade, however, when the sun is low in the sky in the winter the degree of shade increases when it is desired for it to decrease. This situation is improved if the slats are inclined towards the direction of the sun, so that in the 0000 winter there is a lesser angle between the rays of the sun and the upstanding faces of the slats than there is in the summer. This contributes to increasing the degree of shade in the summer and increasing the degree of penetration of sunlight during the winter. However, with this type of structure, it is necessary to reduce the spacing between the slats with the resulting increase in the coat of the structure.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a pergola construction which will provide a more effective degree of control of the sunlight in both summer and winter and ,is co.at effective in regard to the amount of timber used in the slats, -L -i.

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-3- With this object in view, there is provided according to the present invention, a pergola having a support structure presenting at least two laterally spaced support members, and a plurality of elongated light control members extending between and supported by said support members in a horizontal spaced parallel relation, each light control member having two opposite longitudinal flat faces inclined to the horizontal at differing angles to converge in the upward direction when erected on the support members, 10 said light control members being arranged so the °O corresponding longitudinal flat faces thereof are parallel, o O the spacing of the light control members and the inclination of the said flat faces thereof being arranged so that at o oo noon at the summer solstice the pergola shades at least 15 of the area therebelow and at noon at the -inter solstice shades not more than 50% of said area.

In order to obtain thf; maximum efficiency, the sun 0 00 I°,to control members are preferably positioned so that they extend in a direction normal to the direction of the sun at.

0 o noon. Conveniently, the spacing of the light control jo o members and the respective inclination of the opposite flat faces thereof is such that at the winter solstice there is not more than 30% of the area shaded and/or at the summer P solstice there is up to 100% of the area shaded., measured at noon.

Conveniently, the slats are assembled to the support members so that the inclination to the horizontal of the lower of the two flat faces is greater than that of the upper flat face. The the upward convergence of the two flat faces on the light control members, results in a base face that i.s wider than the upper end face of the member, and when erected is substantially horizontal and of a sufficient width for convenient fixing of the light control members to the support structure, such as by nails or screws.

The converging flat faces provide better control of the passage of sunlight than would be achieved with a light control member wherein the opposite flat sides are parallel.

-i -4- This provides a compromise wherein there is a sufficient width in the base portiort for conventional fixing and yet the upper outer end af the light control member is comparatively narrow to provide the required improved degree of light control.

The invention will be more readily understood from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, In the drawings: 10 Figure 1 is a perspective view of portion of a typical pergola construction incorporating the present invention, Figure 2 is a perspective view of portion of one light control member as used in the pergola, Figure 3 is a diagram of the light transmission through the pergola.

The two support beams, B of which is shown at are located with their respective upper face 7 substantially horizontal and in the same plane. The beams are supported by suitable uprights or columns (not shown) or may be supported from an adjacent building or similar adjacent structure. The slats 10 extends between the beams with the base surface 12 of each slat respectively engaging the top surfaces 7 of the beams.

Each of the slats 10 have a pentagonal cross-section having two opposite longitudinal faces 14 and one face defining the base 12 which intersects the lower end of the face 15, and two opposite edge portions 16 and 17. The opposite faces 14 and 15 converge in the upward direction from the base 12 towards the edge 17. The narrow edge 17 is principally provided to avoid potential damage to the slat during trancportation and installation that would be likely to occur if the two faces 14 and 15 extended to meetc and form a shape edge. The face 16 extending between the base 12 and the upper inclined face 14 again prevents the possible damage to the slat that is likely to a sharp ~a -L ;I ~j -i

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edge at the junction of the base 12 and inclined face 14, and also provides a thickened area through which fastenings, Isuch as nails or screws, may pass to secure the slat to the underlying beam. Such a nail being shown diagramatically at 13 in Figure 2.

It will be appreciated that within the continent of Australia and in other locations within the southern hemisphere, the sun control members will be positioned with their longitudinal direction in a generally east/west disposition with the two flat surfaces converging upwardly towards the north. Where this form of construction was to be used in the northern hemisphere, the converging faces would be directed south.

It has been found that in pergolao for use in Australia, the longitudinal flat face 15 should be inclined at an angle in the range of 300 to 40 to the horizontal.

The opposite longitudinal flat face 14 should similarly be inclined to the horizontal at an angle of 180 to 280 to the horizontal. With a slat of a cross-section as above described, the spacing between the slats should be in the range of 50mm to 100mm.

The above range of angles in respect of the converging faces 14 and 15 are appropriate for use in Australia with the inclination of the faces being more steeply inclined in the southern regions as compared with northern regions. It will also be understood that the inclination of these surfaces is also related to the spacing between the sun control members, or slats, and the level of penetration of the sunlight required. In the area of Australia located between latitudes of about 300 to 370 south which includes the major cities of Sydney, Adelaide and Perth the surface 15 would be inclined at an angle of about 350 to the horizontal and the surface 14 at an angle of about 22-0, with the spacing of the slats about 80 mm.

The reference above to the spacing of the slats is the measurement taken in the horizontal direction between ii -6the vertical plane through the upper end of one slat and vertical plane through the lower end of the next slat, as indicated by the length L in Figure 3 of the drawings. Also shown in this figure are a pair of parallel lines S, at an angle of 810 to the horizontal representing the angle of the sun at noon at the summer solstice in Perth, Western Australia, and a similar pair of lines W representing the path of the sun at noon at the winter solstice in Perth.

From these lines, there is determined the extent of the 1, 0 shade provided by the arrangement of slats as shown which 1 .corresponds to the preferred arrangement for the city of Perth as referred to above. It will be appreciated that in the winter as a result of the low angle of the sun, the j sun's rays will be reflected from the surface 15 of the o 15 slats to pass downward between the slats to increase light and heat passing through the pergola.

The actual dimensions of the five sides of the o" cross-section of the slats is as listed below, with the O sides being identified by the reference numerals as appearing in Figure 2 of the drawings.

o Side Length in mm 12 26 14 15 43 16 9 17 The slats of the above configuration may conveniently be made from timber and assemled in the manner ce-drribed to provide an effective sunlight control pergola, 3, which can be readily constructed with a minimum of skill and at a comparatively low cost.

Claims

2. A pergola as claimed in claim i, wherein the light nrntrol members are arranged so said .,nverging faces extend in a direction generally at right angles to the direction of the sun at noon.
3. A pergola as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein at the winter solstice there is not more than 30% of said area
4. A pergola as claimed in claim i, 2 or D, wherein the lower one of said two converging flat faces of the sun control member is inclined to the horizontal at an angle between 300 and 400. A pergola as claimed in clairt i, 2, 3, or 4, wherein the upper one of said two converging flat faces of the sun control member is inclined to the horizontal at an angle between 180 to 280. 14 I -8-
6. A pergola as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pitch between the parallel sun control members is 50 mm to 100 mm.
7. A pergola as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the lower one of the two converging faces of the sun control member is inclined at a greater angle to the horizontal than the upper one of the two converging faces.
8. A pergola as claimed in claim wherein said lower face is inclined to the horizontal at an angle of 350.
9. A pergola as claimed in claim 7 or 8, wherein the upper face is inclined to the horizontal at an angle of
22-.o 2 A slat when used in a pergola according to claim 1 comprising an elongated member of uniform cross-section throughout the length thereof, said cross-section being an irregular pentagon having a base face to be disposed substantially horizontally when erected in a pergola, and two generally opposite faces that are inclined to said base face and converge upwardly; the lower one of said opposite faces being inclined at a greater angle to the hor.zontal than the upper one. 11. A slat when used in a pergola as claimed in claim made of timber. 12. A slat when used in a pergola as claimed in claim or 11, wherein the lower one of said two converging flat faces is inclined to the base face at an angle between 300 and 4\00 1 i I- I i -9- 13. A slat when used in a pergola as claimed in claim 11 or 12, wherein the upper one of said two converging flat faces is inclined to the base face at an angle between 180 to 280. 14. A slat when used in a pargola as claimed in claim 11 or 12, wherein the lower one of the two converging faces is inclined at a greater angle to the horizontal than the upper one of the two converging faces. 15. A slat when used in a pergola as claimed in claim 14, wherein said lower face is inclined to the horizontal at an angle of 350. 16. A slat when used in a pergola as claimed in claim 14 or 15, wherein the upper face is inclined to the horizontal at an angle of 220°. 0 04 l, DATED this 5th day of April, 1990. TECTO CORPORATION PTY. LIMITED 0 V L 0 WATERMARK PATENT ATTORNEYS SUITE 18 159 ADELAIDE TERRACE PERTH, W.A. 6000. s (V 1.22:140/C.C.