Retractable awning with adjustable pitch
AssigneeAirxcel, Inc.
InventorScott Thompson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A retractable awning is provided with a canopy that is windable around a roller supported at its opposite ends by support arm assemblies that include an adjustable pitch arm linkage that is extendable in length to move the roller in a direction away from a ground surface and retractable in length to move the roller in a direction toward a ground surface. A lever that controls the locking of the adjustable pitch arm linkage at the desired length may be automatically locked during retraction of the adjustable awning from the deployed configuration to a folded storage configuration.
Claims20
A retractable awning for mounting on an upright support surface, said awning comprising:
- a roller having a first end and an opposite second end;
- a first support arm assembly for supporting the first end of the roller;
- a second support arm assembly for supporting the second end of the roller,
- wherein the first and second support arm assemblies are each constructed in a manner to allow them to move between a retracted storage configuration and an outwardly deployed configuration;
- wherein the first support arm assembly and the second support arm assembly each comprise an adjustable pitch arm linkage that is extendable in length to move the roller in a direction away from a ground surface and retractable in length to move the roller in a direction toward a ground surface;
- a canopy having a back end for attachment with the upright support surface and a front end attached to the roller, the roller being rotatable in one direction to cause said canopy to wind around the roller and being rotatable in an opposite direction to allow said canopy to unwind from the roller;
- and
- a lever associated with each adjustable pitch arm linkage that is movable between a locking position resisting extension and retraction in length of the adjustable pitch arm linkage and a released position allowing extension and retraction in length of the adjustable pitch arm linkage.
A retractable awning for mounting on an upright support surface, said awning comprising:
- a roller having a first end and an opposite second end;
- a first support arm assembly for supporting the first end of the roller;
- a second support arm assembly for supporting the second end of the roller,
- the first support arm assembly and the second support arm assembly each comprising:
- a front channel support arm;
- a back channel;
- a top mounting arm having opposite ends connected to the front channel support arm and the back channel by pivot pins,
- wherein the first support arm assembly and the second support arm assembly each comprise an adjustable pitch arm linkage that is extendable in length to move the roller in a direction away from a ground surface and retractable in length to move the roller in a direction toward a ground surface,
- wherein the first and second support arm assemblies are each constructed to allow the front channel support arm to fold against the back channel and unfold away from the back channel;
- a canopy having a back end for attachment with the upright support surface and a front end attached to the roller, the roller being rotatable in one direction to cause said canopy to wind around the roller and being rotatable in an opposite direction to allow said canopy to unwind from the roller;
- a gas strut having opposite ends connected to the top mounting arm and the back channel by pivot pins and operable to exert a biasing force against the top mounting arm to assist in unfolding the front channel support arm away from the back channel;
- and
- a lever associated with each adjustable pitch arm linkage that is movable between a locking position resisting extension and retraction in length of the adjustable pitch arm linkage and a released position allowing extension and retraction in length of the adjustable pitch arm linkage,
- wherein each lever is operable to be moved from the released position to the locking position by the folding of the front channel support arm against the back channel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.