Device for covering a surface including interlocking means

A device (1) for covering a surface (3) comprising:

• (a) a substantially rectangular cover (10) having two longitudinal edges opposite one another and two transverse edges opposite one another, each longitudinal edge being equipped with a projecting bead (12) extending along said edge,
• (b) a drum (2) mounted on a mechanism for longitudinal translation along rails (6) placed one on each side of said surface (3), each rail (6) made up of a profile section having an opening (14) on a face thereof, said face comprising at least an adjacent flange (6a) situated on a side of each rail that is adjacent to the surface that is to be covered and partially closing said opening (14), said translation mechanism allowing rotation of and longitudinal translation of the drum in a first direction that causes the cover to be unrolled and deployed over the surface that is to be covered (3) and in a second direction that causes the cover to be rolled up and removed from said surface (3),
• (c) a deflection surface (13) provided on each side of the surface that is to be covered so as to guide and position said bead (12) of each edge of the cover to face the opening (14) in the corresponding rail (6) as the drum effects the translational movement in the first direction causing the cover to unroll,
• (d) a locking system for continuously locking the bead (12) of each longitudinal edge of the cover (10) in the opening (14) in the corresponding rail (6), said system configured to urge each bead (12) into the opening (14) of the corresponding rail (6) and wedge each bead (12) under the adjacent flange (6a) of the corresponding rail as the cover (10) is gradually unrolled and, as the drum effects the translational movement in the second direction, to release each bead to disengage from the adjacent flange (6a) of the corresponding rail as the cover is gradually rolled up,
• characterized in that the device additionally comprises a bead engagement shoe (50) slipped into each rail downstream of the deflection surfaces (13) in the first direction of translation, said engagement shoe comprising:
• (e) an upper portion (50X), situated outside of the rails and fixed to the mechanism for longitudinal translation so as to move along the rails with the drum, and
• (f) a lower portion (50Y), inserted in the opening (14) in the corresponding rail, the lower portion (50Y) comprising a lower base (51) having a planar portion that defines a recess (51R) that extends longitudinally along the lower base (51), the recess (51R) being widest near an upstream end of the lower base (51) and progressively narrowing toward a downstream end of the lower base (51), the recess of each engagement shoe (50) configured to guide each bead under the adjacent flange (6a) of the corresponding rail (6).