WO2011121370A2

WO2011121370A2 - Self-ventilated pergola

Info

Publication number: WO2011121370A2
Application number: PCT/GR2011/000014
Authority: WO
Inventors: Konstantinos Spiliopoulos
Original assignee: Cospico Aebe
Priority date: 2010-03-30
Filing date: 2011-03-30
Publication date: 2011-10-06
Also published as: GR20100100197A; WO2011121370A3

Abstract

Pergola constituted from a supporting structure comprising the necessary supporting pillars in the perimeter of the space being covered, beams of perimetrical connection of these supporting pillars and beams (4) whereupon the covering roof of the pergola is being fitted, said covering roof comprising an array of standardized louvers (1 ) being fitted within an array of sequential connectors (2) being fixedly mounted onto the beams (4). Each louver (1) is a planar lamina from aluminium or polycarbonate foil with a planar surface (la) bent at both extremities thereof to form a pair of reversely bent hook shaped ends ( 1b, 1c). Each connector (2) is constituted by a planar basement (2a) extending at a pair of parallel uniform lateral flanges (2b, 2c), which extend at ends (2b', 2c') forming recesses (5), wherein, during the assembly of the pergola, the hook shaped ends ( l b, l c) of each louver are being inserted and hooked within the recesses (5) of a pair of sequential connectors (2). The configuration of connectors (2) provides a capacity of free circulation of air and thereby ventilation of the space covered by the pergola.

Description

SELF- VENTILATED PERGOLA

THE FIELD OF THE ART

The invention is related to constructions employing standardised structural elements and more particularly it relates to a pergola, which is constituted from specially configured louvers made from aluminium or polycarbonate foils, said louvers being fitted onto an array of special connectors arranged along beams of the supporting structure of the self-ventilated pergola.

THE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A variety of pergola structures are known in the prior art, such structures comprising a supporting structure of pillars and beams made from wood, aluminium or iron elements in various suitable cross-sections and dimensions, and desirable configurations and colours. The known pergolas are covered with materials, such as textile, plastic, ceramic, glass, aluminium or sheet metal foils, reeds, etc. A considerable time is required for the installation of a pergola of the prior art and the cost of installation thereof is high and requires employment of skilled technicians.

These pergola structures of the prior art have the disadvantage that they constitute a tailor made structure intended for the coverage of a specific space and a damage that is located at a certain point, e.g. at the covering surface. cannot be repaired locally, but instead requires replacement of a large part or even of the total of such covering surface. Moreover the installation of a pergola, of the prior art is such that it will not allow handy dismantling thereof and possible re-usage of selected structural elements in other pergola structures.

Moreover the known pergolas have a principal object of providing shading in the space in which they are installed and fail to ensure the optimal conditions for a comfortable staying of individuals under the shade of the pergola, e.g. by providing an adequate ventilation from the covering structure. The structures of the prior art are generally closed roof structures and do not allow such advantageous ventilation.

Thus, the object of the present invention is to advantageously overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages and drawbacks of the prior art and to provide a pergola, that is assembled rapidly and with an absolutely controllable accuracy from standardised elements and it may be dismantled accordingly rapidly and handily if a need for repair of an accidental damage arises, allowing replacement of one or another of the standardised component parts thereof or even dismantling with a scope of using the standardised component parts for another pergola structure at another place. Another object of the invention is the use of the proposed standardised structural elements of construction of the pergola with a scope of decreasing the time and the cost of installation since the installation may be performed mainly by technicians of relatively low skills. An additional object of the present invention is to offer a pergola that provides for the natural ventilation of the covering roof thereof, this object being achieved by means of a special design of the louvers constituting the covering roof, that is such as to provide a continuous ventilation of the covered space with the exploitation of the natural principle of creation of an ascendant current of movement of hot air, as happens with a chimney, whilst at the same time of ensuring ventilation, the pergola provides complete shading and sealing, as well as protection from rain, snow and hail.

An additional object of the invention is to provide the herein proposed self- ventilated pergola constituted from specially configured louvers made from aluminium or polycarbonate foils, said louvers being fitted onto an array of special connectors arranged along beams of the supporting structure of the self- ventilated pergola, which, whilst ensuring the above-mentioned technical advantages, simultaneously offers an improved aesthetic supremacy against known tailor made constructions of pergolas of the prior art. Finally, an object of the invention is to provide, in combination with the abovementioned structural elements of louvers made from aluminium or polycarbonate foils and of special connectors, further standardised structural elements necessary for finalising a complete pergola structure, such as standardised elements of a gutter, a frontal and a rear covering panel, etc., so as to render this self-ventilated pergola suitable for a wide variety of possible applications, requirements and specifications of installations for covering spaces and providing shading therein.

These and other objects, further advantages and characteristics of the proposed pergola will become apparent in the detailed description of the in vention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The present invention will be fully disclosed to those skilled in the art by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which are depicted illustrative, preferred embodiments of the invention. Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a portion of the self-ventilated pergola according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 shows a perspective view and a cross sectional view of a typical louver of the proposed pergola made from an aluminium foil. Fig. 3 shows a perspective view and a cross sectional view of a typical louver of the proposed pergola made from a polycarbonate foil.

Fig. 4 shows a perspective view, a frontal view, a side view and a planar view of the metallic connector that is used for the anchorage of the louvers made from aluminium or polycarbonate foils of the invention.

Fig. 5 shows a perspective view, a side view and a planar view of a terminal edge metallic connector element that is employed for the anchorage of a first row of the louvers made from aluminium or polycarbonate sheets in the pergola of the invention. Figs. 6a-6e respectively show cross sectional views of a frontal gutter, a lateral covering panel, a sealing element, a decorative frame and a covering frame, such elements being selectively employed in the assembly of a typical self- ventilated pergo la of the inventi on.

Fig. 7 shows a perspective view or a portion of an assembly of the self- ventilated pergola according to the present invention.

Figs. 7a-7c show in a perspective view details of the assembly process of the self-ventilated pergola according to the present invention as shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 7d shows a side view of the portion of an assembly of the self-ventilated pergola according to the present invention shown in Fig. 7. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

By reference to the accompanying drawings we will hereinafter describe illustrative, preferred embodiments of the invention.

The self-ventilated pergola proposed in the present invention is adapted for being installed preferably in open outdoor spaces (balconies, verandas, terraces, patios, etc.) and the objective thereof is to provide shading of the area being covered, as well as protection from rain, snow, etc. The roof of the pergola comprises louvers 1 that have a special characteristic form of a planar sheet, that in accordance with an illustrative preferred embodiment of the invention can have a width of the order of 23 cm and a length which can vary in connection with the needs of each individual construction. It has been calculated that in order to provide effective protection of the structure from overloading the louvers with an excessive bending stress, a plurality of vertically oriented, appropriately spaced pillars in a direction perpendicular to the louvers is provided, wherein the spacing of consecutive pillars is selected to lie within a range of 1 -2 m, the expectancy of meteorological phenomena in the space of installation, such as winds, probability of snowfalls, etc., being taken into consideration for the choice of the appropriate spacing of the pillars in each particular case. According to an illustrative preferred embodiment of the invention, the louvers are being selected with a length that does not exceed 8 m if the louvers employed are made from an aluminium foil as depicted in Fig. 2 or the length of 12 m if the louvers employed are made from a polycarbonate foil as depicted in Fig. 3, the latter having an illustrative thickness of 6 mm.

Each louver 1 includes a planar surface la that is bent at both extremities of the cross section thereof, thereby forming a pair of reversely bent hook shaped ends lb, lc.

In correspondence with the abovementioned special characteristic configuration of louvers 1 in the roof of pergola, the appropriately shaped connector 2 depicted in Fig. 4 is employed, such connector 2 being constituted by a planar basement 2a extending at a pair of parallel uniform lateral flanges 2b, 2c. The basement 2a has a width that corresponds to the width of the beam 4 that constitutes a part of the supporting structure of the pergola; By way of example the basement 2a has a width of 4 cm and a length that can vary and according to the illustrative depicted embodiment of the invention is of the order of 20.5 cm . The lateral flanges commence from one end of the planar basement 2a, perpendicularly oriented at the basement 2a, their height progressively increasing up to a maximum reached at the other end of the basement wherein they are bent downwardly and inwardly thereby forming recesses 5 within which are being inserted during the assembly of the pergola the abovementioned hook ends l b, lc for the mounting of louvers 1. thereupon. As shown in Fig. 7, the assembly of a pergola with the proposed standardised structural elements of the invention is carried out by the following process:

At first, the materials of manufacture of the supporting structure of the pergola are being selected, wherein the materials might be timber, aluminium, galvanised or stainless steel or other suitable material. The dimensions and the individual thicknesses, but also the specifications of dyeing of such elements of the supporting structure are determined through taking into consideration the conditions that prevail in the place wherein the installation will be located (e.g. coastal or mountainous region, region with strong winds, etc.). The supporting structure includes the necessary vertically oriented pillars arranged at the perimeter of the area to be covered, beams of perimetrical connection of those vertically oriented pillars and beams that run laterally across the covering surface of the pergola, perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the louvers and at the spacing selected within a range of 1 -2 m as mentioned herein above with a scope of providing an adequate resistance in bending stresses.

After the construction of the supporting structure, the placement of the metall ic connectors 2 is effected, a plurality of such connectors 2 being mounted along each one of the beams 4 with their basement 2a abutting on the surface of beam 4 (Figs. 7b and 7d). bolts 6 being employed passing through a pair of apertures 3 in each connector 2 (Fig. 4), the connectors being mounted in such a way that each one of them is the continuation of an adjacent one (Fig. 7d). A specially shaped terminal edge connector member 7 (Fig. 7a) is mounted at the edge of each beam 4 prior to the beginning of the array of sequential connectors 2 mounting onto the same beam 4. This initial terminal edge connector member 7 is analytically presented in Fig. 5 and is constituted by a metallic laminate which has an overall U shape with a leg 7a constituting the basement abutting onto beam 4 whereupon it is fixedly mounted with rivets 6 driven through a pair of apertures 3a of such basement 7a, whilst the other parallel leg 7b -is bent inwardly thereby creating a recess for the reception of the first initial louver 1 of the pergola. The connectors whereupon the louvers of the pergola are being fitted are preferably manufactured from galvanized steel that undergoes a special treatment and is given the appropriate form so that they may achieve on the one hand the dynamic support of the louvers made from aluminium or sheet-metal or polycarbonate foil and on the other hand the adequate ventilation of the space being covered by the pergola, since their design provides the advantage of allowing free circulation of air, but riot the intrusion of strong winds.

Following the placement of the initial connector member 7 and of the array of uniform sequential connectors 2 along parallel beams 4, the louvers 1 are sequentially fitted in the connectors 2 with the process that is portrayed in Fig. 7c, wherein at first, one hook shaped end lb of a louver 1 is fitted within the inwardly bent end 7c of the initial terminal edge connector member 7 and afterwards each louver 1 is being fitted with its hook shaped end lb inserted within a recess 5 formed by the inwardly bent ends 2b^", 2c^' of a connector 2, thereafter the body of the louver being pressed downwardly so that the other hook shaped end 1 c thereof may fit within the corresponding recess 5 formed by the inwardly bent ends 2b^', 2c^' of the immediately adjacent connector 2.

After completion of the installation of louvers 1, are installed also the individually required auxiliary elements that are portrayed in figures 6a-6e. More specifically, the required relative inclination followed during the placement of the louvers in combination with the unique design of these louvers allows the unhindered flow of rain waters, either freely to the surrounding space of the pergola or via the frontal gutter 8 that is illustratively shown in Fig. 6a and guides this water to a suitable drainage member. According to the requirements of each particular case, a variety of other standardised structural members might be employed, such as the lateral covering panel 9 (Fig. 6b), a sealing element 10 (Fig. 6c), a decorative frame 12 (Fig. 6d) and a covering frame 1 1 (Fig. 6e), such auxiliary elements being made from aluminium or from galvanised steel or stainless steel. These profiles are placed in accordance to requirements of each individual structure, or in order to use them for providing a further protection from wind or rain, or simply for aesthetic or practical reasons, e.g. for the incorporation of advertising panels in professional spaces. The thickness of the material of these special profiles depends on the structural study that precedes manufacture of each specific pergola structure.

It should herein be noted that the description of the present invention was made by reference to merely illustrative embodiments in which it is not limited. Thus, any change or modification in the configuration, size, dimensions, materials and structural elements being used in the manufacture and assembly of the proposed pergola, as long as it does not constitute a new inventive step is considered part of the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. Pergola constituted from a supporting structure comprising the necessary supporting pillars in the perimeter of the space being covered, beams of perimetrical connection of said supporting pillars and beams (4) whereupon the covering roof of the pergola is being fitted, said covering roof of the pergola comprising an array of louvers (1) being fitted within an array of sequential connectors (2) being fixedly mounted onto said beams (4), characterized in that: each louver (1) of said array of louvers (1) includes a planar surface (la) that is bent at both extremities of the cross section thereof, thereby forming a pair of reversely bent hook shaped ends (lb, l c), and each connector (2) of said array of connectors (2) is constituted by a planar basement (2a) extending at a pair of parallel uniform lateral flanges (2b, 2c), said planar basement (2a) having a width that corresponds to the width of said beam (4), said lateral flanges (2 b, 2c) commencins, from one end of the planar basement (2a), perpendicularly oriented at the basement (2a), their height progressively increasing up to a maximum reached at the other end of the basement (2a) wherein they are bent downwardly and inwardly thereby forming ends (2b^', 2c ^') that create recesses (5), wherein, during the assembly of the pergola, said hook shaped ends (lb, lc) of each louver of said array of louvers (1) are being inserted and hooked within said recesses (5) of a pair of sequential connectors (2) thereby forming said covering roof of the pergola, wherein the configuration of said sequential connectors (2) provides a capacity of free circulation of air and thereby ventilation of the space covered by the pergola.

2. Pergola according to claim 1 , characterized in that said louvers (1) are manufactured from aluminium foils and have an active width of the order of 23 cm and a length extending up to 8 m.

3. Pergola according to claim 1 , characterized in that said louvers (1) are manufactured from polycarbonate foils and have an active width of the order of 23 cm and a length extending up to 12 m.

4. Pergola according to the above claim 1, characterized in that it further includes an initial terminal edge connector member (7) mounted at the beginning of the array of sequential connectors (2) onto said beam (4), said initial terminal edge connector member (7) being constituted by a metallic laminate having an overall U shape with a leg (7a) constituting the basement abutting onto said beam (4) and another parallel leg (7b) being bent inwardly thereby creating a recess (7c) for the reception, of the first louver of said array of louvers ( Γ) of the pergola.

5. Pergola according to the above claim 1 , characterized in that in accordance with the requirements of each particular case, a variety of other standardised auxiliary structural members is being employed in the pergola structure, including a frontal gutter profile member (8), a lateral covering panel (9), a sealing profile member (10), a decorative frame profile member (12) and a covering frame (1 1), said auxiliary structural members being made from aluminium or from galvanised steel or stainless steel.

6. Method of construction of a self- ventilated pergola including the following steps: construction of a supporting structure of the pergola including placement of a plurality of vertically oriented pillars arranged at the perimeter of the area to be covered, beams of perimetrical connection of said vertically oriented pillars and beams (4) that run laterally across the louvers that will be employed to form the covering surface of the pergola, perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of said louvers and at a spacing selected with a scope of providing an adequate resistance in bending stresses; placement of an array of sequential metallic connectors (2) along each one of said beams (4), the basement (2a) of each said connector (2) abutting on the surface of said beam (4) and !ixedly mounted thereupo with bolts (6) passing through a pair of apertures (3) of the basement (2a) of each connector (2), the connectors being mounted in such a way that each one of them is the continuation of an adjacent one, wherein an initial terminal edge connector member (7) is mounted at the edge of each beam (4) prior to the beginning of the array of sequential connectors (2), said terminal edge connector member (7) being fixed onto said beam (4) with bolts (6) passing through a pair of apertures (3 a) of the basement (7a) thereof; sequentially positioning and fitting said array of louvers (1) onto said array of sequential connectors (2) and terminal edge connector member (7) fixedly mounted onto said beams (4), wherein at first, one hook shaped end (lb) of a first louver (1) is fitted within a recess formed by the inwardly bent end (7c) of said terminal edge connector member (7) and afterwards each louver (1 ) is being fitted with its hook shaped end (lb) inserted within a recess (5) formed by the inwardly bent ends (2b^', 2c^') of a connector (2), thereafter the body of the louver being pressed downwardly so that the other hook shaped end ( l c) thereof may fit within the corresponding recess (5) formed by the inwardly bent ends (2b^', 2c^') of the immediately adjacent connector (2).