Awning apparatus
OwnerZhun-An Mainventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An awning is provided that includes an extendable arm, a shelter member, and a joint. The extendable arm has an inner end coupled with a support and an outer end extendable away from the inner end. The shelter member has an outer portion coupled with the extendable arm support and disposed along the extendable arm. The joint has a mechanism responsive to an awning retraction force to raise outer portions of the extendable arms and an outer portion of the shelter member toward a horizontal orientation relative to a shade enhancing orientation.
Claims17
A method of retracting an awning, comprising:
- applying an initial force for retracting a shelter member of the awning, to gather the shelter member in a housing;
- delaying lifting of an outer end of the shelter member prior to disengagement of a limiter of a retraction joint;
- disengaging the limiter of the retraction joint by rotating the limiter from an engaged position to a disengaged position;
- applying a further force subsequent to the initial force to retract the shelter member and to continue to gather the shelter member in the housing;
- disengaging a downward facing bight from an upward facing surface of a projection of the retraction joint by pivoting the downward facing bight relative to the upward facing surface of the projection to provide a gap between the downward facing bight and the upward facing surface of the projection;
- and
- applying a final force to complete retracting the shelter member into the housing;
- wherein the initial force retracts the shelter member without lifting the outer end of the shelter member, the further force lifts the outer end of the shelter member while retracting the shelter member, and the final force retracts the awning into the housing without interference from the housing.
A method of retracting an awning, comprising:
- applying a force to retract a shelter member of the awning, the force comprising a horizontal force component and a vertical force component, the vertical force component being applied subsequent to the horizontal force component;
- disengaging a limiter of a retraction joint by rotating the limiter from an engaged position to a disengaged position;
- subsequent to disengaging the limiter, lifting a front support of the shelter member in a vertical direction via the vertical force component while retracting the shelter member via the horizontal force component;
- disengaging a downward facing bight from an upward facing surface of a projection of the retraction joint by pivoting the downward facing bight relative to the upward facing surface of the projection to provide a gap between the downward facing bight and the upward facing surface of the projection;
- and
- gathering the shelter member in a housing.
A method of retracting an awning, comprising:
- retracting a shelter member of the awning in a generally horizontal direction during an initial retraction period;
- disengaging a limiter of a retraction joint by rotating the limiter from an engaged position to a disengaged position;
- lifting a front support of the shelter member in a generally vertical direction, subsequent to the initial retraction period and disengaging the limiter, and while continuing to retract the shelter member in the generally horizontal direction during a second retraction period;
- disengaging a downward facing bight from an upward facing surface of a projection of the retraction joint by pivoting the downward facing bight relative to the upward facing surface of the projection to provide a gap between the downward facing bight and the upward facing surface of the projection;
- and
- gathering the shelter member into a housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.