Awning apparatus

An awning arm assembly comprising:

• an arm having an inner end and an outer end;
• and
• a joint comprising a single axle coupled with the arm and a hollow body disposed about the axle and configured to be coupled with another component of the awning assembly in a manner providing no relative movement between the hollow body and the other component of the assembly with which the hollow body is coupled, the joint also comprising a rolling guide journaled about an axis that is coupled in a fixed relation with the hollow body;
• wherein motion of the rolling guide is controlled by a contact surface of the joint and the hollow body is coupled with the axle such that when the arm moves relative to the other component the angle between the arm and the other component in each of two planes is adjusted such that the movement of the arm is in at least two directions about the single axle;
• wherein the rolling guide is a first rolling guide disposed at a first elevation of the joint and further comprising a second rolling guide disposed at a second elevation of the joint, the second elevation being disposed above the first elevation.

An awning arm joint, comprising:

• an arm end member comprising a first portion and a second portion;
• an axle coupled with the first portion and the second portion;
• a hollow body defining a channel disposed about the axle;
• a guide surface disposed adjacent to the axle or to the hollow body;
• and
• a rolling guide in contact with the guide surface;
• wherein as the arm joint unfolds from a folded state rolling contact between the rolling guide and the guide surface causes the hollow body to rotate about and tilt relative to the axle;
• wherein each of the first and second portions of the arm end member comprises a contact surface in sliding contact with corresponding surfaces of the hollow body such that as the awning arm joint unfolds from a folded state, the sliding contact surfaces cause the hollow body to rotate about and tilt relative to the axle;
• wherein the rolling contact between the rolling guide and the guide surface supports and guides the sliding contact between the hollow body and the contact surfaces through both the rotation and tilting of the hollow body relative to the axle.

An awning arm joint, comprising:

• an arm end member comprising a first portion and a second portion;
• an axle coupled with the first portion and the second portion;
• a hollow body defining a channel disposed about the axle;
• a guide surface disposed adjacent to the axle or to the hollow body;
• and
• a rolling guide in contact with the guide surface;
• wherein as the arm joint unfolds from a folded state rolling contact between the rolling guide and the guide surface causes the hollow body to rotate about and tilt relative to the axle;
• wherein the rolling guide comprises a first rolling guide and further comprising a second rolling guide, the guide surface comprises a first guide surface and further comprising a second guide surface, the first rolling guide being in contact with the first guide surface and the second rolling guide being in contact with the second guide surface.