Collapsible canopy with telescoping roof support structure

A canopy structure adapted to be stored in a collapsed state and erected in an expanded state on a generally horizontal support surface, comprising:

• an apex portion located on a vertical central axis above said support surface;
• a plurality of upright corner support members parallel to and equiangularly spaced around said central axis in parallel relation thereto, said corner support members each having a bottom end positionable on said support surface and a top end opposite said bottom end with said top ends being located in a common plane that is transverse to said central axis, said corner support members oriented in closely spaced relation alongside one another in the collapsed state and moveable outwardly from said central axis and apart from one another toward the expanded state and defining outer corner edges of a structural unit having a selected geometrical configuration in the expanded state;
• a plurality of roof support members having first ends pivotally connected on first pivot axes to said apex portion and extending radially outwardly from said central axis at equiangular locations to terminate at second ends, each said second end being pivotally connected on a second pivot axis to the top end of a respective corner support member, each said roof support member including a pair of telescoping sections moveable between a retracted state when the canopy unit is in the collapsed state and an extended state when said canopy unit is in the expanded state, whereby said roof support members and said corner support members which form the canopy unit may be folded about said first and second pivot axes into the collapsed state with said roof support members and said corner support members oriented in closely spaced relation to one another;
• a flexible covering sized to extend across and be supported by said roof support members to form a top for said canopy structure, said covering having perimeter edge portions extending between the top ends of adjacent ones of said corner support members;
• latch means associated with each said roof support member for releaseably retaining the extendable sections of each respective roof support member in the extended state to prevent folding of the canopy structure into the collapsed state;
• and
• constraining and support means acting against said outward force component for preventing relative movement of said corner support members outwardly apart from one another past the expanded state and for stabilizing said corner support members to maintain them in parallel relation to the central axis in the expanded state.

A canopy structure adapted to be folded and stored in a collapsed state and erected in an expanded state on a support surface, comprising:

• a plurality of upright corner support members each having a bottom end positionable on the support surface and a top end opposite the bottom end with said top ends being located in a common plane, said corner support members oriented alongside one another in parallel relation in the collapsed state and moveable outwardly apart from one another toward the expanded state wherein said corner support members are oriented generally vertically of said support surface;
• a plurality of roof support members pivotally connected to one another on first pivot axes at first ends thereof to define an apex portion located centrally of said canpy structure on a vertical central axis when the canopy structure is in the expanded state, said roof support members extending radially outwardly from said apex portion to terminate at second ends, each said second end pivotally connected on a second pivot axis to the top end of a respective corner support member, each said corner support member including an inner telescoping section pivotally connected to the apex portion and an outer telescoping section slideably receiving a respective inner telescoping section and pivotally connected to the top end of a respective corner post member, said inner telescoping sections moveable between a retracted state when the canopy structure is in the collapsed state and an extended state when said canopy structure is in the expanded state whereby said roof support members and said corner support members which form the canopy unit may be folded about said first and second pivot axes into the collapsed state with said roof support members and said corner support members oriented in closely spaced relation to one another, said roof support members sized such that said apex portion is located above said common plane with said roof support members with the roof support members oriented at an acute angle with respect to said common plane when said structural unit is in the expanded state;
• a slide bracket slideably mounted on each corner support member;
• a scissor assembly interconnecting adjacent ones of said corner support members, each respective scissor assembly oriented in a generally vertical plane and having one portion pivotally connected to the top of its associated corner support members and another portion pivotally connected to the slide brackets of its associated corner support members, said scissor assemblies operative to open when said corner support members move toward the expanded position and to close when said corner support members move toward the collapsed position;
• a flexible covering sized to extend across and be supported by said roof support members to form a top for said canopy structure, said covering having perimeter edge portions extending between the top ends of adjacent ones of said corner support members and a central peak portion exerting a downward force on said apex;
• and
• latch means on each said roof support means for releaseably retaining said inner and outer telescoping sections in the extended position whereby said canopy structure is maintained in the expanded position with said scissor assemblies are maintained open and under mechanical tension when the canopy structure is in the expanded position.