CA2376754A1

CA2376754A1 - Roll up room

Info

Publication number: CA2376754A1
Application number: CA 2376754
Authority: CA
Inventors: Ronald W.P. Amyotte
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-02-28
Filing date: 2002-02-28
Publication date: 2003-08-28

Abstract

A roll up room for attachment to the exterior wall of a building or recreational vehicle and capable of being rolled up against the building or on top of the recreational vehicle in minutes made of flexible material on an expanding frame will give the user the option of sun, shade, protection from insects, rain, wind and cool temperate temperatures. The room is opened by unrolling the said flexible material that is attached to the roller, said roller being attached to the building or recreational vehicle.
A bar of the said expandable frame is sealed inside the flexible material and is attached at each end to expandable supports that are attached to a lower part of the building or recreational vehicle and holds the material up to give a shade canopy, a retractable awning or the roof of the roll up room to which is attached the sides and front walls of the said room and rest on top of the said roof. The sides are then pulled down off the said roof and attached to the lower part of the building or recreational vehicle. When the sides are also attached to the ground, the sides become an anchor for the roof in times of heavier wind. The sides being made with a high percentage of screen mesh material allows the occupants to enjoy cool breezes while being protected from insects and rain. In the cooler temperature, heat can be conserved by closing the plastic windows which rest at both ends of the said room adjacent to the building or recreational vehicle and closes like a shower curtain over the said screen mesh material.

Description

DESCRIPTION
Background of the Invention The invention provides for a roll up room for attachment t:o a building, a vehicle, including a recreational vehicle, a fence or any other supporting upright structure, herein after called "structure." Flexible fabric is attached to a rotating shaft that is attached to said structure and unrolls outward to form a canopy which makes the roof of the room held by two telescoping arms attached to a lower part of the structure and connected to a bar at the outer most extension of the canopy while at the same time sufficient fabric unrolls in the opposite direction adjacent to the structure to close the: space between the roof and the rear wall and if necessary to form the rear wall. The invention may be used in this manner to provide shade or the side walls may be brought down from the roof of the canopy and attached to the structure and the ground or raised patio. The plastic transparent window is then opened like a shower curtain in warmer weather to allow breeze to come in through the screen mesh material and keep insects and light rain out. Additional pivotal and expanding bars are affixed to the said telescopic arms and said bar when necessary for additional support for larger rooms such as a pool enclosure. The room is rolled up by collapsing the telescoping arms, folding the sides onto the roof and pulling the remaining material onto the roof with a tie or rope from the rotating shaft connected to the lower part of the front wall and then rolled up onto the shaft. It only takes minutes to open or roll up a room.
Awning and canopies with screen rooms and plastic windows have long been in existence and is particularly prevalent in recreational vehicles and camping trailers. The canopy of a retractable awning on a recreational vehicle usually is attached to the extending bar as per patents C",A00520500 (as opposed to CA447960) so that it will form a tight bond with the exterior wall. Screen mesh material is sometimes added to the canopy to make up the side walls and thus an additional (screen) room like can be viewed at web site "http://www.sunsetter.com/accessories m900-m1000.asp" The side walls must be packaged and carried separately from the awning. The time to unpack, install, take down and repack the side walls makes it undesirable to use for short stays. Camper trailers that do not employ retractable awning in their make up of an add on room take even longer time to .set up and take down. This may be viewed at web site http://foldingtrailers.com/ft/features seriesft.jsp?series=grandtour and check "Canopy, Screen room and Deluxe Add-A-Room." The side walls do not in either case add to the strength or the wind resistance of the room.
When the side and front walls are anchored to the ground or raised patio and attached to the structure, they hold the canopy in place in stormy weather because it is all connected as one unit. The telescoping arms and bars hold the roof up and the sides hold the roof down.
Detailed Description of the Invention Figure 1 and 2, shows the front and side views of the room on a recreational vehicle, which can just as easily be attached to any upright structure. It is attached on top of the vehicle because as earlier stated, it is too wide a roll for transit. No 1 is the canopy attached to the rotating shaft 12 on top which is attached to a gear connected to a crank like many other awnings. 'Telescoping tubes 2 controlled by clamp with a wing nut 3 connect the exterior wall or the vehicle to the outer most bar 3A hidden under the canopy. The canopy is attached to screen mesh S and backdrop, 9A hidden from view and outlined with dashes in the drawing. This part of the backdrop 9A closes the gap between the top of the vehicle and the room and it is connected by ties to skirt 9 which covers the open space under the vehicle. The screen mesh material S
and the back of the canopy is attached to the back strip of the room 6 which is attached to the vehicle by clips 15. T'he screen mesh S is also attached to the bottom skirt 4 which is attached to the inner ground strip 5 and ties 14 which are used to anchor the room to the ground. After the room is fully opened and the sides pulled down, the room is rolled up by about one revolution to bring the backdrop 9A and back strip 6 together and for a tight seal, while giving added strength to the connection of the room to the rotating shaft.
Figure 3 shows the room in a position ready to be rolled up. The telescoping bars 2 were collapsed and this collapsed the room to the front. The sides A
and B were then placed on top of the canopy and the remaining portion C was pulled up onto the canopy by a tie 18 which is connected to a grabber 17 and a eye hook in the rotating shaft 12.
Figure 4 shows a tie 20 holding a transparent plastic window 21 which covers the screen mesh and becomes a window to help keep out the cool breezes.
The window is affixed with grommets 22 which the tie runs through. The tie is held up by being tight affixed to the exterior wall and an eye hook 23 attached to the front bar. Small cup hooks 24 are also attached to the front bar to assist in holding up the window; however, the flap 25 is affixed with a seal 26 that hold the tie in place when the flap is closed. 'this system allow the plastic to back along the tie like a shower curtain, removing the tie from the cup hooks until the plastic has passed so the plastic can be moved easily to the back of the room for storage or against the screen mesh when a window is needed.
Figure 5 illustrates a larger room which has supporting pivotal bars 30 and 31 supporting and attached to the telescoping arms 2A, 2B and 2C. Number 1 is the canopy or roof. With telescoping supporting pivotal bars the front bar 3A may be much higher then the rotating shaft 12 which will greatly increase the use of the room when a upright structure of sufficient height is not available for support. An upright structure for support of the rotating shaft can be accomplished by the use of two or more metal plates with a cylinder attached, anchored to the ground or raised patio, into which are placed supporting bars which may or may not be telescopic.
Figure 6 illustrates the telescopic arms and supporting pivotal bars in storage.

Claims

ROLL UP ROOM

I CLAIM:

1) A Roll up Room for mounting to a wall comprising:
a) flexible walls attached to a flexible retractable awning with a roller assembly attached to a wall for such uses a patio enclosure, recreational vehicle or camper b) a pole inside a pole socket or inside the front of the canopy and attached to a pair of extendible arms which are attached to the wall c) fasteners on the back of the sides for attachment to the wall d) an eye hook in the middle of the roller with which to pull the front wall onto the canopy with the aid of a cord attached to the bottom of the front wall e) a system for moving the sides onto the canopy for ease in retracting or rolling up the entire room f) a method with anchors and stops for controlling the rise of the side areas so that rain water will create a through in the canopy and enable run off with a atop so that the canopy will not collapse into the building.
g) a cord supported by Velcro the frame holding a flexible curtain with eyelet holes for ease in opening and closing the curtain and retracting it with the room.