GB2295629A - Awning for umbrella or sunshade - Google Patents

Abstract

A demountable awning (20) for an umbrella (21) or sunshade utilises a series of depending awning panels (14) outwardly splayed around part of the umbrella canopy (12) circumference; each awning panel is supported by a pair of spaced tie cords (18) running through longitudinal pockets (19) defined by turned over side edge seams, with a spring-biassed mounting clip (15) at the upper end attached directly to the canopy fabric (12) and an elasticated tension tie loop (16) at the lower end secured to a ground engaging spike (17); the clip (15) being configured with a spring (31) attached to a tie cord (18) and splayed spring limbs (34, 36) on divergent outer surface profiles (35) on opposite side arms (27) supporting opposed jaws (26), to apply a progressively increased spring bias and thus clip jaw grip, with increased tie cord tension, up to a predetermined threshold loading at which the clip grip is reduced, in order to avoid overloading and tearing the canopy fabric 12. <IMAGE>

Description

Umbrella Awning This invention relates to awnings and is particularly concerned with an awning for use in conjunction with an umbrella- typically a rain protector - or parasol - typically a sun protector.

The term 'umbrella' is used generically to embrace any protective, shielding or covering purpose - whether against physical effects or conditions or for privacy.

Similarly, the term 'awning' is used to embrace a fabric drape deployed as a protective, shielding, covering or screening of desired profile, contour and orientation - and which may be inherently flexible or locally stiffened or braced.

Generally, it is commonplace to employ awnings as ancillary covers or shades, suspended from structures and tensioned by guy ropes and the like.

Thus, for say camping and outdoor leisure pursuits, fabric tents can be fitted with an overhead canopy and side wall extension, affording supplementary screening or protection from direct sun or rain, without total enclosure.

Equivalent awnings, with variable enclosure, can be provided in conjunction with rigidwalled caravans.

Similarly, for permanent structures or buildings, it is known to drape a fabric over a space frame and to secure the fabric to the frame with ties.

Umbrellas are themselves a form of self-contained, braced canopy, in which fabric is stretched across a series of frame elements mounted on a common support pillar to form a composite braced structure, with the frame elements stressed in bending by resisting the fabric tension.

Usually, the canopy can be collapsed when not required, by releasing a latch and folding a support frame.

Thus umbrellas and their canopies are a blend of lightness and attendant fragility, and stressed robustness to remain self-supporting and to resist ambient wind loads. Similar considerations apply to an awing for ancillary use with an umbrella.

As such, loads applied by any supplementary awning must not be so severe as to collapse the primary support structure of the umbrella. Moreover, the awning tension loads must not distort the fabric unduly or risk tearing the same.

Typically an umbrella is configured as a roof span, sometimes of adjustable height, inclination and orientation, and with a minimal border skirt - again to give overhead protection without side enclosure.

As such an umbrella offers less screening from the side than from above. Thus no privacy is afforded - and this is a particular disadvantage for, say, a beach location for sunbathing and changing clothes.

There have been diverse proposals for combining an umbrella with some form of awning to provide side protection.

Thus for example GB 2,222,942 teaches an illuminated hand-held umbrella with hanging rain-shield panels bearing insignia; GB 2,126,889 teaches an anglers umbrella with provision for suspending canvas sheets from the periphery; GB 2,038,620 teaches a skirted umbrella with provision at the periphery of the canopy for suspending a depending skirt; and GB 610,996 teaches a rudimentary umbrella with a translucent skirt attached to its periphery to form an enveloping shroud of variable depth to a user.

These are variously cumbersome arrangements, requiring special adaptation of the umbrella structure and canopy frame support. Merely, for example, adding hook profiles to the ends of the canopy radial arm supports, constitutes an eye level projection hazard to the user.

Umbrellas may be static, for example on a ground spike or weighted base, or portable with a handle for personal use. Static umbrellas are popular for outside restaurant tables and on the beach.

When exposed in outside use, the umbrella canopy forms a relatively large 'sail' catching the ambient wind.

Increasing the canopy size or attaching local canopy extensions can unbalance the umbrella, making it unwieldy for personal use, or unstable and liable to tip over.

Moreover, awning support loads applied directly to the canopy frame tend to distort the overall structure, since the individual frame is not itself able to flex unduly on its own account.

The present invention is concerned with an awning which can be mounted upon an existing umbrella, without special adaptation. Ease of mounting and de-mounting of individual awning panels facilitates changing the awning configuration and location, upon changing climatic conditions, for example moving the awning around the umbrella to reflect the prevailing sun shadow.

Thus some embodiments of the invention allow direct attachment of the awing to the umbrella canopy. Desirably, this attachment is through a mechanism which avoids distortion or overloading of the canopy.

According to the invention an umbrella canopy comprises one or more fabric panels, a plurality of tensioner tie cords, extending through respective continuous longitudinal pockets formed - for example along the longitudinal edges - in a panel; a canopy clip at one end of each cord; an elasticated ground tie loop at the other end of each chord, whereby when the cords are stretched between the ground and the canopy, the or each awning panel is suspended therefrom and supported thereby between the canopy and the ground.

The span of individual awning panels may match that of an umbrella canopy segment.

Alternatively, a wider awning panel may be employed, with multiple support clips and tie cords with elastic tensioners.

Such an awning configuration may be used to carry decoration or information, for example promotional insignia, in either a self-contained message or one spread across adjacent panels.

Thus an array of such 'promotional' awnings constitute an advertising 'hoarding' repeating or developing a message.

A preferred fabric is a finely woven or knitted stretch material with slight elastic properties, some of which may be contributed by the characteristics of the yarn itself.

The larger the awning panel, and in particular, the longer from top to bottom, the more compliance available.

One or more co-operatively disposed panels or strips of the fabric collectively constitute the awning.

The fabric material is desirably translucent, for example semi-transparent - to allow daylight to penetrate and a certain 'see-through' quality, reducing the feeling of enclosure to the user within and the obstruction to the viewer from afar.

Such translucency may be achieved with a low density or loose woven mesh. Without undermining the wind protection afforded, the mesh can allow a limited bleed of air to permeate therethrough to cushion wind loading.

The individual panel configuration is preferably rhomboidal or trapezoidal - slightly wider at one (bottom) end than the other (top) end.

This allows a mounted configuration of the awning in which individual awning panels are sloped outward at the base - to form a larger peripheral span than that of the supporting umbrella canopy itself.

Conveniently, the canopy mounting attachment clip is configured to vary, and in particular to increase, its grip automatically with variations, in particular increases in tie cord tension.

This grip increase may be set to continue only up to a predetermined maximum threshold - at which the clip releases or slips its grip, in order to avoid fabric damage.

A particular clip construction employs a pair of opposed jaws surmounting mutually articulated legs between which a spring reacts, tending to splay the legs apart at close the jaws.

The mouth of the clip is desirably wide, in order to spread the gripping and tie tension load over a larger span of fabric and thereby to reduce the risk of fabric tearing.

The tie cord is attached to the spring itself - rather than the legs - so that, when the tie tension is increased, opposite ends of the spring are drawn together along a profiled outer ramp surface on the splayed legs, of progressively increasing divergent span, so increasing the spring distension and thus in turn the spring tension and clip grip - until a point is reached in which the spring falls into a recess or indent in the leg surfaces and the spring tension is released.

Conversely, relaxation of the tie tension allows the spring to revert to its original position.

The cord tension will fluctuate when the awning is exposed to the ambient wind and this fluctuation is accommodated by temporary stretching of the elasticated tie.

The tie may be fitted to either or both ends of the cord, but is conveniently fitted to the lower end only, as a continuous closed loop, facilitating its attachment to a ground or base mounting, such as ground penetration spike with a hooked end.

Thus overall between the ground support and the awning a cumulative resilience, compliance or 'give' is achieved - using the characteristics of the awning fabric itself.

The tie cord may be secured continuously to an awning panel, for example by stitching along a turned edge seam, or may be loose within a pocket in the panel, with the interference fit between the pocket and tie allowing the awning to stay with the cord and not slip down in use. Alternatively, the cord may be attached to the top and possibly also the bottom of the panel.

The invention also includes a combination of umbrella and awning set out in the immediately preceding paragraphs.

There now follows a description of some particular embodiments of the invention, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic and schematic drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows an awning deployed form an umbrella; Figure 2 shows an individual awning panel, for the awning of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a mounting clip for the awning panel of Figure 1; Figure 4 shows a ground mounting elasticated tensioner tie loop and ground spike for the awning panel of Figure 2; Figure 5 shows a detail of part of the mounting clip shown in Figure 3; and Figure 6 shows an enlarged view of the assembled mounting clip of Figures 3 and 5.

Referring to the drawings, an umbrella 21 is fitted with a depending awning 20 comprising a series of individual awning panels 14 suspended by clips 15 spaced along their upper edge and secured to the outer margin of the umbrella canopy 12.

Generally, an individual awning panel 14 is aligned with an umbrella canopy segment 12 and is disposed collectively with other panels 14 in a circumferentially spaced array - over a desired span of partial enclosure, according the to the degree of protection, screening or privacy desired by the user, but which the arrangement readily allows to be varied.

The lower end of each awning panel 14 is drawn away from the span of the umbrella canopy 12 by a pair of spaced elasticated tensioner tie loops 16, in turn secured to ground (penetration) spikes or pegs 17, as detailed in Figure 4.

The number and configuration of awning panels 14 is arranged so as to preserve the overall stability of the umbrella structure, consistent with the degree of screening desired.

In that regard, outward splaying of opposed panels 14 at the ground promotes bracing of the overall structure.

At the longitudinal side edges of the panels 14 are continuous pockets 19, conveniently formed by turning over and stitching a seam line, and in which are located tie cords attached at their upper end to the clip 15 and at their lower end to the elasticated tensioner tie loop 16. The tie cord 18 may be loose laid within the pocket 19 or may be attached locally, say at its ends, or at intervals along its length.

In practice - as shown in Figure 2 - the cord 18 may comprise a fabric tape, which when sewn into the pocket 19 forms an edge reinforcement, helping define and discipline the overall panel 14 contour.

Figure 3 shows a detail of a mounting clip 15, with a pair of opposed wide mouthed jaws 26 upon splayed legs 28 interengaged about a common pivot abutment 29 on one or both legs 28 and reacted between by a spring 31, shown more clearly in Figures 5 and 6.

Figure 4 shows an elasticated tie loop 16, which may comprise a proprietary elastic band, secured to the lower end of a tie chord or tape 18 and looped around the shank and underneath the enlarged head of a ground pin or peg 17.

Figure 5 shows on a larger scale one side of a mounting clip 15, which is generaliy symmetrical about a line through the clip axis from jaws 26 through the central pivot abutment 28. The outer surface of the leg 27 is profiled as an inclined ramp in relation to the clip axis, bounded by end shoulders 32, 33, and along which a turned end of the spring 31 may traverse.

Figure 6 shows the assembled clip 15, with the opposed jaws 26 and support legs 27 of two generally symmetrical halves in abutment and secured together by the opposed legs 34, 36 of an embracing folded wire spring 31.

The lower end 37 of the spring 31 is attached to the upper end of a tie cord 18, so that the spring body as a whole is pulled by mounting tension loads applied through the cord 18.

This provides initial cushioning against shock loads which might otherwise tend to pull the clip away from the canopy fabric 12, or risk tearing the same.

With increasing tie cord 18 loads, the spring 31 tends to move downwardly relative to the clip 15 and the opposed spring arms 34, 36 move along the relatively divergent ramp surface profiles 35 on the limbs 27, so that they are splayed outwardly against the spring tension, thereby increasing the reaction forces generated by the clip 15 and thus the gripping (or compression) loads between the jaws 26.

When the spring arms 34, 36 reach the respective ends of travel 33 of the ramp surfaces 35 of the limbs 27, further travel relative to the clip 15 is impeded thereby and further tie cord 18 pull is converted into a turning moment about the pivot 28 - which in turn tends to relieve and act against the spring 31 tension, easing the jaws 26 apart somewhat, and thus reducing the gripping force between the jaws 26.

Thus a form of load limiting is achieved, obviating excessive loads on the canopy fabric 12, which might otherwise overstretch or even tear it.

The abutments 33 also inhibit dislocation of the spring 31 from the clip 15.

Claims (7)

Claims

1. An awning (20) for an umbrella (21) comprising one or more individual awning panels (12), supported from spaced tie cords (18), received in longitudinal pockets (19) along panel side edges, a mounting clip (15) secured to one (upper) end of each cord, an elasticated tie loop (16) secured to the other (lower) end, and for attachment to a ground engaging spike (17), the clip being secured direct to the fabric of the umbrella canopy 12, the panels being disposed in an outwardly splayed array partially around the circumference of the canopy.

2. An awning as claimed in Claim 1, in which the mounting clip is configured to apply an increased grip upon the canopy fabric with increase tie cord tension.

3. An awning, substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.

4. An umbrella in combination with an awning as claimed in any of the preceding claims.

5. A mounting clip, for an awning as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 3, comprising a pair of opposed jaws (26) surmounting side arms (27) located on a common pivot abutment (28), a spring (31) with splayed limbs (34, 36) located on divergent outer surface profiles (35) on the arms (27), a tie cord (18) being attached to the spring (31), so that when pulled, the limbs (34, 36) travel the divergent surfaces (35) and are splayed more outwardly, increasing the spring tension applied to the jaws (26) and thus the clip (15) gripping action.

6. A mounting clip, as claimed in Claim 5, in which the divergent surfaces (35) have end shoulders (33) adjacent the pivot (28) for impeding the travel of the splayed limbs (34, 36) and thus limiting the increase in spring tension and jaw grip, further applied tie cord load tending to pivot apart the arms (27) and reduce the jaw grip.

7. A mounting clip, substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.