US 6,267,130 B1 · Assembly awning structure

Abstract

A lightweight awning frame having the flexibility of being easily lengthened or shortened by the addition or removal of extension pieces, which is easy and inexpensive to manufacture and mass produce, assemble and install, and package in a relatively compact cardboard box. The awning can be produced in various forms with common requirements of multiple bent pipes and non-welded, one piece engageable members wherein the ends of the pipes are inserted and securely engaged for the purpose of forming a semicircular half-dome shaped structure. Standard left and right end sections having a set of awning tubes can be formed into awning ribs by connection or the addition of extension members and support brackets connected at joints spacing the awning tubes apart in an array of awning ribs. One form of the side brackets has two receiving openings and a flange for securing individual tubes. An alternate form of side brackets is formed of specially configured plates which are notched to permit use of the extreme end of an exposed awning tube which may be placed in an eye bolt to secure the frame structure. Very long large commercial awnings can be produced without the need for welding or special transportation equipment or custom manufacturing facilities. They are disassemblable and may be moved or converted to a different length by the simple removal or addition of standard pieces. The frame may be covered with brightly colored and labeled materials to form an attractive awning.

Claims21

Dependent claims

In combination with an assemblable awning frame structure of the type having opposed, first and second wall attaching side brackets, each supporting an array of radially extending awning tubes, wherein a distal end of each awning tube in the first array is bent so as to extend horizontally toward a distal end of the corresponding opposed awning tube in the second array, the improvement comprising:

a first elongated support plate extending transversely across the distal ends of the awning tubes of the first array, with each distal end fastened thereto;
a second elongated support plate extending transversely across the distal ends of the awning tubes of the second array, with each distal end fastened thereto;
and
lateral awning tubes of a selected length extending horizontally from each awning tube distal end of the first array to the corresponding opposed awning tube distal end of the second array and fastened to the transverse support plates so as to provide an awning frame structure of a desired width.

1 more element

An awning frame kit, assemblable with fasteners to form a completed awning structure for mounting on a vertical wall surface, comprising:

a plurality of end section awning tubes, each having a mounting end and a distal end, the distal ends being bent to extend at a right angle from the mounting ends;
first and second wall attaching brackets configured to be placed in supported contact with a vertical wall surface, each bracket having an outwardly extending portion for respectively mounting radially extending first and second arrays of the end section awning tubes, the mounting being such that the distal ends of first end section awning tubes mounted on the first wall attaching bracket will be oriented to extend toward the respective distal ends of the second end section awning tubes mounted on the second wall attaching bracket;
a first elongated support plate to extend transversely across the distal ends of the first end section awning tubes, with means for fastening each distal ends of the first array thereto;
a second elongated support plate to extend transversely across the distal ends of the second end section awning tubes, with means for fastening each of the distal ends of the second array thereto;
lateral awning tubes of a selected length for extending horizontally from each end section awning tube distal end of the first array to the corresponding opposed end section awning tube distal end of the second array so as to provide an awning frame assembly of a desired width;
and
means for fastening the lateral awning tubes to the first and second support plates, so as to connect the lateral awning tubes to the respective distal ends.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Assembly awning structure

Life of this patent

Assembly awning structure

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21