EP1816277B1

EP1816277B1 - Awning with adjustable fixing

Info

Publication number: EP1816277B1
Application number: EP07101912A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Theodorus Bernardus Wolters; Maarten Thomas Dirkse
Original assignee: Lewens Sonnenschutz Systeme & Co KG GmbH
Current assignee: Lewens Sonnenschutz Systeme & Co KG GmbH
Priority date: 2006-02-07
Filing date: 2007-02-07
Publication date: 2009-05-13
Anticipated expiration: 2027-02-07
Also published as: NL1031101C2; DE602007001077D1; EP1816277A1; ATE431471T1

Abstract

Fold-out awning consisting of a casing (2) with a take-up roll for winding up and unwinding canvas, which canvas is connected to a front slat on the other side. Folding arms are present, being fixed to a folding arm support provided in the housing (2). The housing (2) is fixed on a wall or the like by means of a separate mounting plate or the like. In order to provide greater adjustability of the housing or casing relative to such a mounting plate (7) and also to obtain sufficient stability where the wall thicknesses of the housing or casing are lower, it is proposed that an auxiliary support (8) be fitted between the mounting plate (7) and the housing (2). A separate folding arm support is also preferably provided in the position of the auxiliary support, so that a sturdy connection can be obtained between auxiliary support and folding arm support when the housing or casing is accommodated between them. This rigid structure is then fixed on the mounting plate by means of pins and sockets, with some mutual movement being possible. This possibility of movement is present both in the longitudinal direction and in the transverse direction.

Description

The present invention relates to a fold-out awning. NL 7603397 discloses a structure in which the folding arm support comprises a C-section which can be fixed by means of a fixing plate on a wall or the like. The housing is accommodated so that it slides in the folding arm support. With this structure it is possible to move the position of the housing relative to the fixing, but it is not possible to change the position of the fixing relative to the folding arm supports.
DE 2331365 A1 discloses an awning also with a C-shaped folding arm support which can be slid relative to a fixing plate. By means of a number of dovetailed grooves, the folding arm support can be fitted in various positions relative to the fixing plate and slid relative to said fixing plate. The folding arm support is in the form of a complicated extruded section extending along the full length of the housing.
EP 0671525 A1 discloses a structure in which the folding arm support is fixed on the housing. At a distance from this fixing the housing is connected to an auxiliary support, which is connected by way of a hook system to a fixing plate which can be fixed on a wall. The fixing between housing and auxiliary support is such that rotation of the housing relative to the auxiliary support is possible.
US 5394921 shows an awning, in which the folding arm is connected to a folding arm support accommodating the box for the screen. This support is directly slide ably connected to a bracket.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a fold-out awning which can be fitted in a simple manner. The present invention furthermore aims to provide a fold-out awning which is relatively light, i.e. can be constructed with little material while, on the other hand, ensuring that sufficient strength is present in the structure to absorb the forces exerted upon the folding arms by the wall or other structure on which the awning is fixed.
This object is achieved in a fold-out awning of the type described above with the features of Claim 1.
According to the present invention, an auxiliary support is provided between the mounting plate and the casing or housing. This auxiliary support has a relatively limited extension and is of considerable strength. This means that forces from any folding arm support present can be transferred directly to the relatively rigid auxiliary support. Since the longitudinal extension of the auxiliary support, although limited, is greater than the longitudinal extension of the mounting plate, it is possible to provide some adjustability between the mounting plate and the auxiliary support. This adjustability can comprise 5 to approximately 15 centimetres, depending on the length of the arm and the load arising from said arm upon the arm support. This makes it possible to fit the mounting plate in the desired position on a part of a wall, after which it is always possible to provide the optimum position by correct positioning of the auxiliary support relative to the mounting plate. The fact that the folding arm support, if present, is no longer situated directly opposite the mounting plate is not important because any moment arising as a result can easily be taken over by the relatively strong auxiliary support.
According to the present invention, individual folding arm supports are employed, i.e. use is not made of a complicated and heavy section extending along the full length of the housing in order to absorb the forces. These folding arm supports are preferably designed in such a way that the forces entered in them are transferred directly to the auxiliary support. This can be achieved according to a particular embodiment in that the folding arm support is fixed directly on the auxiliary support. If desired, with direct engagement of the two parts the housing can be accommodated between them. In any case the object of this variant is to ensure that substantially no forces of the folding arm supports are guided via the housing to the fixing plate.
According to a particular embodiment of the present invention, the housing is in the form of an extruded section. This means that the housing can be manufactured cheaply and with low wall thickness and considerable strength.
According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the housing and the auxiliary support are provided with interacting position-determining means. The latter are preferably designed in such a way that the position in the longitudinal direction is not determined with them, while that in the transverse direction is determined with them. Longitudinal direction in this case means a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the housing or casing. These position-determining means can comprise a projecting lip and a corresponding groove.
The same type of structure can be present between the auxiliary support and the mounting plate. Here again, there will be a considerably possibility of longitudinal sliding.
According to a further particular embodiment of the present invention, there is also a slight possibility of transverse movement (perpendicular to the longitudinal axis) between the auxiliary support and mounting plate and between the auxiliary support and the housing. Such a movement can be 1 - 10 mm. This means that problem-free fitting is possible even in the case of slightly warped supports because of very uneven walls, and in the case of very large or joined awnings more than two supports can be used, even in the case of uneven walls. This contrasts with the mutual movement of the auxiliary support relative to the housing or mounting plate, which can amount to 5 to approximately 15 centimetres. Such a slight movement of a few millimetres is very little in relation to the abovementioned lateral movement along the longitudinal axis of the awning and lies within the scope of the definition given in Claim 1.
According to a further variant of the present invention, the dimension of the auxiliary support in the longitudinal direction is considerably greater than the longitudinal dimension of the mounting plate. This means that considerable adjustability can be obtained.
As already indicated, it is preferable if the folding arm support is fitted at the position of the mounting plate and according to the present invention, more particularly at the position of the auxiliary support. It is possible here by means of bolts and the like to fix the folding arm support securely on the auxiliary support, with the housing possibly wedged between them.
The invention also relates to an awning comprising an elongated housing, two folding arms fixed on the housing and a front slat fixed on the arms of the folding arms, to which slat canvas is fixed, a drum accommodated in the housing for receiving said canvas, and mounting members fitted on the housing for fixing on a wall or the like, said housing comprising a single part which is substantially C-shaped in cross section, said housing being at least 6 metres long, and mounting members being fitted on said housing in only two places.
More particularly, the mounting members are fitted on the housing near the fixing of the folding arms. It is preferable for the mounting members always to be situated approximately a quarter of the way along from the end of the housing. The housing is preferably an extruded part. By these further measures it is possible to fix a housing on a wall with only two fixings. This applies in particular to housings or awnings of greater length, in other words greater than 6 m. In the prior art housings were made up of different parts, so that said housings had a limited strength, which made it necessary in the case of larger awnings to provide a fixing at three or more points. An extremely slim structure is obtained according to the present invention. An extremely rigid housing is obtained through the use of extruded sections. As even distribution of the load as possible is achieved by fitting both the mounting members and the folding arms approximately one quarter of the way along from the ends of the housing.
The invention will be explained in greater detail below with reference to an exemplary embodiment shown in the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 shows in perspective a general view of a fold-out awning according to the invention;
Fig. 2 shows various components separated from each other according to the cross section II-II in Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 shows the various components of Fig. 2 in the fitted state; and
Fig. 4 shows in perspective a bottom view of the fixing of the awning.

A fold-up awning is indicated by 1 in Fig. 1. This awning consists of a casing or housing 2, which is provided with an end plate 3 on both ends.
Since this awning has a relatively considerable width (length in the direction of axis 23), it is preferable not to fit the folding arms 4 close to the end plates 3, but more towards the centre of the awning, in order to prevent sagging of the front slat 5. The sunblind canvas is indicated by 6.
As can be seen from Figures 2-4, the housing 2 is fixed by means of a mounting plate 7. This mounting plate is provided with bolt holes for receiving through them bolts 18 for fixing on a wall part. Mounting plate 7, or auxiliary support 8, is fitted approximately a quarter of the way along the total length of the housing 2 from its corresponding end.
According to the present invention, provision is made for an auxiliary support 8, which must be placed between the mounting plate 7 and the housing 2. The auxiliary support 8 is preferably fitted in a position diametrically opposite folding arm support 9 in order to transfer directly the forces acting upon the folding arm support 9 to the auxiliary support. The correct position of auxiliary support 8 can be obtained by sliding along the outside boundary of the housing. The boundary surface between the auxiliary support and the housing is indicated by 22. The boundary surface 22 is provided with a projecting lip 12, which can be accommodated in a groove preferably extending along the full length of the housing 2.
A corresponding structure is present in the mounting plate 7, which is provided with a projection 10, which can interact with a groove 11 provided in the boundary surface 21 of the auxiliary support 8. The auxiliary support 8 may be in the form of an extruded section if desired. The same applies to the mounting plate 7 and housing 2. As can also be seen from Figure 4, the length - i.e. the dimension viewed in the direction of the longitudinal axis 23 of the housing - of the auxiliary support 8 is approximately twice to four times the length of the mounting plate. This makes it possible to fit the mounting plate in a number of different positions relative to the auxiliary support without this having an effect on the sturdiness of the structure. A nut or tapped strip can be accommodated in accommodation 27 of auxiliary support 8, which nut or tapped strip can slide, but cannot rotate in said socket. The strip or nut will interact with a diagrammatically indicated bolt 28.
It can be seen from the figures that a folding arm support 9 provided with threaded bores 16 and 17 is present. Bolts 14 and 15 respectively can be fitted in the bores. The awning is preferably assembled at the factory or at the dealer's premises. After the desired length has been determined, the folding arm support 9 is taken into the correct position. The auxiliary support 8 is then taken into a position directly opposite the folding arm support 9. The bolts 14 and 15 described above are tightened, so that the position of the folding arm support is established when the housing 2 is wedged between the auxiliary support and the folding arm support. The canvas case 31 is also fitted.
At the place of erection the mounting plates are fitted at a mutual distance which corresponds to the mutual distance between the folding arm supports 9. However, in certain circumstances it is not possible to meet this requirement exactly, which means that one or both mounting plates are fitted slightly staggered relative to the folding arm support.
According to the present invention, this is no problem, so long as full support of the auxiliary support 8 by means of the mounting plate 7 is possible. Since the auxiliary support 8 has a greater extension in the longitudinal direction than the mounting plate, such a mutual adjustment is possible.
After the mounting plates have been fitted, the housing 2 including the auxiliary support 8, can be placed on the mounting plates simply by tilting. A bolt 28 is subsequently fitted in the mounting plate, which bolt is brought into engagement with the nut provided in the accomodation 27. By tightening, the desired sturdy anchoring is obtained between auxiliary support and mounting plate, so that the screen is also prevented from being blown up by the wind. The much greater downward forces upon the arm are transmitted by way of folding arm support 9 and the relatively sturdy auxiliary support directly to the mounting plate by way of lip 10. The wall thickness of the housing 2 according to the present invention is not subjected to the load of forces acting upon the folding arm support.
It will be understood that in this way it is possible to achieve extremely fast and simply mounting, in the case of which the positioning of the mounting plates is not critical. Furthermore, the mounting plates can be produced in a relatively limited size, which improves the appearance of the awning structure and lowers material costs. The parts described above are preferably made of aluminium, and more particularly of extruded aluminium.
Apart from adjustability in the longitudinal direction, i.e. in the direction of the longitudinal axis 23, there is also a limited adjustability of the auxiliary support relative to the mounting plate 7. This adjustability is obtained by the fact that the dimension of the bolt socket 30 in the mounting plate 7 is greater than the dimension of the bolt used there. Such adjustability can comprise 1-10 mm. The adjustability in the longitudinal direction - i.e. parallel to the longitudinal axis 23 - of the auxiliary support relative to the mounting plate can comprise 5 to 15 cm.
Although the invention is described above with reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that numerous modifications can be made to it. In particular, it is possible to use the structures proposed here with other awnings or other awning structures which fold out. Further variants are obvious after the above, and lie within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

Fold-out awning (1) comprising an elongated housing (2) with a longitudinal axis (23) for accommodating awning screen (6), two folding arm supports (9) situated at a distance from each other, to which folding arms (4) are to be fixed, two mounting plates (7) to be fitted at a distance from each other for fixing said housing on a wall or the like, and fitted between said housing (2) and said mounting plates (7) auxiliary supports (8) with a first surface (21) of the boundary corresponding to the boundary of said mounting plate, and a second surface (22) whose boundary corresponds to a boundary of said housing, wherein said housing (2), said folding arm support (9) and said auxiliary support (8) are substantially immovable relative to each other in the direction of said longitudinal axis (23) and said housing (2), said folding arm support (9) and said auxiliary support (8) are movable together relative to said mounting plates (7) in the direction of said longitudinal axis (23), wherein the length of the auxiliary support (8) is approximately twice to four times the length of the mounting plate (7).
Awning according to Claim 1, in which said folding arm support (9) is fixed directly on said auxiliary support (8).
Awning according to one of the preceding claims, in which said housing and said auxiliary support are provided with interacting position-determining means (12, 13).
Awning according to one of the preceding claims, in which said auxiliary support (8) and said mounting plate (7) are provided with position-determining means (11, 10).
Awning according to Claim 3 or 4, in which said auxiliary support (8) can be slid relative to said housing or said mounting plate in the longitudinal direction of said housing.
Awning according to one of Claims 3 - 5, in which said auxiliary support (8) is adjustable 1 - 10 mm relative to said housing or said mounting plate in a direction perpendicular to said longitudinal direction (23) of said housing.
Awning according to one of the preceding claims, in which the longitudinal extension of said auxiliary support is greater than the longitudinal extension of said mounting plate.
Awning according to one of the preceding claims, in which said housing comprises a socket for the front slat (5) of said awning.
Awning according to one of the preceding claims, in which said housing comprises arm supports (9) fitted therein.
Awning according to Claim 9, in which said arm support is connected to said auxiliary support.
Awning according to one of the preceding claims, in which said housing (2) comprises a single part which is substantially C-shaped in cross section, said housing (2) has a length of at least 6 metres, and mounting members (7, 8) are provided only at two places on said housing.
Awning according to Claim 11, in which said mounting members are provided on said housing near the fixing of said folding arms on said housing.
Awning according to Claim 12, in which said mounting members are provided approximately a quarter of the way along from the end of the housing.
Awning according to one of Claims 11 - 13, in which said housing comprises a single extruded part.