EP0798442A1

EP0798442A1 - A sunshade

Info

Publication number: EP0798442A1
Application number: EP97200639A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jakob Van Wageningen
Original assignee: Mado Nederland BV
Current assignee: Mado Nederland BV
Priority date: 1996-03-29
Filing date: 1997-03-04
Publication date: 1997-10-01
Anticipated expiration: 2017-03-04
Also published as: ATE232574T1; DE69718955D1; EP0798442B1; DE69718955T2; NL1002740C2

Abstract

The invention relates to a sunshade comprising a frame accommodating a cloth roll (7), which is rotatable about an at least substantially horizontal axis of rotation. The sunshade furthermore comprises hinged arms (17), which are capable of pivoting movement with respect to the frame about pivot pins (15) extending parallel to the axis of rotation of said cloth roll. The hinged arms support a cloth beam (20) at their ends remote from said pivot pins, to which beam one end of a cloth (8) to be wound on and unwound from said cloth roll is attached. The hinged arms are coupled to slides (14) by means of pivot pins (15), which slides are movable along guides extending perpendicularly to the axis of rotation of the cloth roll. A tension spring (25) is connected to the cloth beam with one end and to a coupling piece (26) with its other end, which coupling piece is pivotably coupled to a slide by means of a further pivot pin (32) extending parallel to the pivot pins of the hinged arms. Said further pivot pin is located further away from the axis of rotation of the cloth roll than the pivot pins of the hinged arms.

Description

The invention relates to a sunshade comprising a frame accommodating a cloth roll, which is rotatable about an at least substantially horizontal axis of rotation, as well as hinged arms, which are capable of pivoting movement with respect to the frame about pivot axes extending parallel to the axis of rotation of said cloth roll and which support a cloth beam at their ends remote from said pivot axes, to which beam one end of a cloth to be wound on and unwound from said cloth roll is attached.
The object of the invention is to obtain a sunshade of the kind referred to above, wherein it can be ensured in a simple and effective manner that the hinged arms are prevented from moving undesirably in the open position of the sunshade.
According to the invention this can be achieved in that said sunshade is provided with at least one tension spring, which is connected to said cloth beam with a first end and to a coupling piece with the second end, which coupling piece is pivotably coupled to a further pivot axis extending parallel to the pivot axes of said hinged arms, said further pivot axis being located further away from the axis of rotation of the cloth roll than the pivot axes of said hinged arms.
When this construction is used it will become possible for the tension spring to act on the cloth beam and the hinged arms in an effective manner in the open position of the sunshade, in order to prevent undesirable pivoting of the hinged arms carrying the cloth beam about the pivot axes of the hinged arms. The pivot axes may be fixed in position, but they may also be jointly mounted on slides which are movable in a direction transversely to the axes of rotation.
The invention will be explained in more detail hereafter by means of an embodiment of the construction according to the invention diagrammatically illustrated in the accompanying Figures.
Figures 1a and 1b are diagrammatic side views of a sunshade according to the invention, said Figures connecting with each other as indicated by line A-A.
Figures 2a and 2b show one end of the sunshade, partially in elevational view and partially in sectional view, seen in the direction indicated by arrow A in Figure 1, whereby Figures 2a and 2b connect with each other as indicated by line B-B.
Figure 3 is a sectional view of a frame beam forming a guide.
Figure 4 is a view of a hinged arm.
Figure 5 is a sectional view of the hinged arm shown in Figure 4, seen along line VI-VI in Figure 4.
Figure 7 is a side view of a coupling piece.
Figure 8 is a view of Figure 7, seen in the direction indicated by arrow 8 in Figure 7.
Figure 9 is a side view corresponding with Figure 1b, wherein the hinged arm is shown in an open position of the sunshade.
The frame of the sunshade shown in the Figures comprises two vertically extending parallel frame beams 1 (only one of which is shown), which can be attached to for example the wall of a building by means of supports 2 or the like.
As is shown in Figure 3, a frame beam 1 comprises a centrally positioned web 3, with wings 4 being connected to the ends of said web. The facing ends of said wings define two diametrically opposite passages 5 on either side of web 3, as will be apparent from Figure 3.
A casing 6 is disposed between the upper ends of the frame beams 1, in which casing a cloth roll 7 is rotatably journalled about a horizontally extending axis of rotation in a manner known per se. Said cloth roll may be rotated about its axis of rotation by hand or by means of a motor, in a manner which is likewise known per se, for winding and/or unwinding a cloth 8.
Front plates 9 are secured to the ends of casing 6, as is shown in particular in in Figure 2a. Pin-shaped members 11 are secured to the side of said front plates 9 facing away from casing 6 by means of screws 10, said pin-shaped members being accommodated within corresponding holes provided in supporting plates 12, which are secured to the webs 3 of the frame beams 1. At least one of said pin-shaped members is locked in place in a respective supporting plate 12 by means of a locking screw 13.
As is shown in Figure 2a, supporting plate 12 is located on the left-hand side of web 3. In a similar manner a casing 6 may also be mounted on the right-hand side of web 3, if desired. The axes of rotation of the cloth rolls present in the casings 6, which are disposed in side-by-side relationship, may be coupled via a connecting shaft, which connecting shaft extends from a left-hand side of web 3 to the right-hand side of web 3 through hole 12'.
A slide or sliding piece 14 is capable of upward and downward movement in each of the frame beams. A guide roller 16 is connected to each slide 14, by means of a pin 15 extending parallel to the axis of rotation of the cloth roll, in such a manner as to be freely rotatable. As will be apparent from Figure 2b, a groove is circumferentially provided in guide roller 16, into which groove the facing ends of two wings 4 fit, so that guide roller 16 guides slide 14 with respect to the respective frame beam 1 during the upward and downward movement of said slide.
Furthermore a hinged arm 17 pivots about pin 15.
As will be apparent from Figures 4 - 6, hinged arm 17 is substantially constructed in the shape of a tubular section, which is near one end, in two walls extending parallel to each other, provided with holes 18 for passing pin 15 therethrough. The end of the hinged arm in which said holes 18 are formed is also provided with a slotted hole 19 in a wall part extending parallel to the central axis of holes 18, said slotted hole extending from the lower end of the respective hinged arm, in the longitudinal direction of said hinged arm, over part of the length thereof. The purpose of said slotted hole 19 will be explained in more detail hereafter.
A cloth beam 20 is provided between the ends of the two hinged arms 17 remote from the pivot pins 15. One end of cloth 8 is fixed to said cloth beam 20 in a usual manner.
One end of said cloth beam 20 is attached to one end of a hinged arm 17 by means of an L-shaped connecting piece 21. The leg of said connecting piece positioned within hinged arm 17 comprises a passage 22, through which a wire rope 23 extends. A clamping sleeve 24 is attached to the end of wire rope 23 projecting from the hinged arm 17, above connecting piece 21, seen in Figure 2b, which clamping sleeve prevents wire rope 23 from moving in downward direction, seen in Figure 2.
The end of a tension spring 25 present in the interior of hinged arm 17 is connected to the end of wire rope 23 projecting under connecting piece 21 in hinged arm 17. The other end of said tension spring 25 is coupled to a coupling piece 26 shown in more detail in Figures 7 and 8, which coupling piece extends through slot 19 in a respective hinged arm 17.
Said coupling piece comprises a slotted hole 27 near its upper end, which slotted hole is accessible from one side of the coupling piece via a transverse opening 28.
The lower end of spring 25 is hooked into said slotted hole 27, whilst said hole 27 furthermore accommodates a pin 29, on the ends of which discs 30 are provided for guiding said upper end of coupling piece 26 in the interior of hinged arm 17.
Said coupling piece comprises a hole 31 at its end remote from hole 27, said hole accommodating a pin 32 secured to slide 14, in such a manner that coupling piece 26 can pivot with respect to said slide about said pivot pin 32, which extends parallel to the aforesaid pivot pin 15. As will be apparent from Figures 1b and 2b thereby, said further pivot pin 32 for coupling piece 26 is positioned further away from the axis of rotation of the cloth roll than pivot pin 15 of hinged arm 17.
The coupling piece furthermore comprises a slotted hole 33 being open on one end and extending concentrically about the central axis of hole 31. Said slotted hole is intended for co-operation with a pin 34, which is attached to a stop member 35 secured to the web 3 of frame beam 1.
A connecting strip 36 extending upwards from the respective slide 14, parallel to web 3 in frame beam 1, is attached to each slide 14. The upper end of connecting strip 36 is attached to one end of a shaft 38 by means of a screw 37. The other end of shaft 38 is inserted into one end of a hollow shaft 39, which extends parallel to cloth beam 20. Said hollow shaft 39 and the end of shaft 38 which is inserted into said hollow shaft are thereby locked against movement with respect to each other by means of a spring clip 40, which is with its upper horizontal ridge (seen in Figure 1a) positioned in slotted holes provided in the two shafts 38 and 39, perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction thereof, and which engages round shaft 39 with both legs.
A U-shaped connecting piece 41 is provided between the end of hollow shaft 39 and the upper end of strip 36, and a roller 42, which is freely rotatable about shaft 38, is positioned between the parallel legs of said connecting piece. Roller 42 comprises a circumferential groove, which accommodates the opposite ends of two wings 4 of frame beam 1 for guiding the roller and the parts connected to roller 42 during the upward and downward movement of slide 14.
A tube 43 extending concentrically about hollow shaft 39 is provided on shaft 39 by means of connecting pieces 44. Said tube 43 functions to guide cloth 8, as will be apparent in particular from Figure 1a.
Furthermore another thick-walled tube 45 may be provided round hollow tube 39 in the interior of tube 43, in order to impart sufficient weight to the mechanism which is capable of upward and downward movement with respect to the two frame beams 1, which mechanism is made up of the two slides 14 which are slidably accommodated in the frame beams, the tubes 43 and 45 connected to said slides by means of connecting strips 36 extending within said frame beams and the parts associated therewith.
The operation of the above-described sunshade is as follows.
When cloth 8 is moved out from its retracted position by being unwound from cloth roll 7, slides 14 and the parts connected thereto will slide downward, guided by guide rollers 16 and 42 within frame beams 1, until slides 14 bear against stop members 35. Then the hinged arms will pivot about pivot pins 15 in the direction indicated by arrow B (Figure 1B) under the influence of the pulling force of springs 25. As will be apparent in particular from Figure 1b, tension springs 25 are to this end provided in such a manner that the longitudinal axes of the tension springs, and thus the forces exerted by said tension springs, will cross pivot pins 15 at the sides of pivot pins 15 turned towards the direction of movement. When hinged arms 17 pivot about pivot pins 15 towards the position shown in Figure 9, coupling pieces 26 will pivot about further pivot pins 32, whereby the ends of the coupling pieces to which tension springs 25 are coupled will start to move in a direction away from pivot pins 15, as it were. Pins 34 will be received in the slotted holes 33 provided in said coupling pieces upon pivoting of coupling pieces 26 about further pivot pins 32, as a result of which said guide pins 34 provide a guide for coupling pieces 26 whilst at the same time preventing undesirable movement of said coupling pieces.
The above-described movement of the connecting points of said tension springs 25 to the coupling pieces will cause the ends of each tension spring 25 to move towards each other, as a result of which the pulling force exerted by the tension spring slightly decreases, but on the other hand the connecting points of tension springs 25 to coupling pieces 26 will be positioned some distance below the pivot pins 15 of hinged arms 17, as a result of which the forces exerted by the tension springs result in a torque being exerted about the pivot pins 15 of hinged arms 17, which torque attempts to pivot said arms 17 in the direction indicated by arrow C in Figure 9, whilst keeping cloth 8 taut thereby.

Claims

A sunshade comprising a frame accommodating a cloth roll, which is rotatable about an at least substantially horizontal axis of rotation, as well as hinged arms, which are capable of pivoting movement with respect to the frame about pivot axes extending parallel to the axis of rotation of said cloth roll and which support a cloth beam at their ends remote from said pivot axes, to which beam one end of a cloth to be wound on and unwound from said cloth roll is attached, characterized in that said sunshade is provided with at least one tension spring, which is connected to said cloth beam with a first end and to a coupling piece with the second end, which coupling piece is pivotably coupled to a further pivot axis extending parallel to the pivot axes of said hinged arms, said further pivot axis being located further away from the axis of rotation of the cloth roll than the pivot pins of said hinged arms.
A sunshade according to claim 1, characterized in that said hinged arms are coupled to slides by means of said pivot axes, which slides are movable along guides extending perpendicularly to the axis of rotation of said cloth roll, whereby also said coupling piece is connected to one of said slides by means of said pivot axis.
A sunshade according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a hinged arm accommodates a tension spring.
A sunshade according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said tension spring is disposed in such a manner that the longitudinal axis of said tension spring crosses the pivot axis of an associated hinged arm at some distance from the side of said pivot axis turned towards the direction of movement of the hinged arm.
A sunshade according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the end of said tension spring is coupled to one end of said coupling piece present within a hinged arm, whilst guide means for said coupling piece are provided on either side of said end of the coupling piece.
A sunshade according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said coupling piece comprises a slot extending concentrically about said further pivot pin, which slot co-operates with a guide pin attached to said frame.
A sunshade according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the slides, which are movable along said guides, are connected by coupling means to a guide beam for the cloth disposed between said cloth roll and said cloth beam, which guide beam is capable of upward and downward movement along with said slides.
A sunshade according to claim 6, characterized in that said slides are provided with guide rollers co-operating with said guides.
A sunshade according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that guide rollers are provided on the ends of said guide beam, which guide rollers co-operate with said guides.
A sunshade according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said guides are made up of the facing edges of wings of a frame beam, in which frame beam said slides can move up and down.
A sunshade according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said cloth roll is present within a casing, which is near both ends provided with at least two pin-shaped members extending parallel to said axis of rotation, which pin-shaped members are accommodated in holes provided in frame beams extending transversely to said axis of rotation.