Method and apparatus for imparting a mansard shape to an awning

An apparatus for changing the aerodynamic properties of an awning canopy of the type which has a secured edge and a leading edge and which is stored in a rolled configuration and deployed by pulling said leading edge from a storage means, comprising:

• a ridge pole;
• a ridge pole support means for holding said ridge pole against the underside of said awning canopy after said awning canopy is deployed whereby the plane of the upper surface of said awning canopy is bifurcated into an upper plane extending from said storage means to said ridge pole and a lower plane extending from said ridge pole to said leading edge;
• means comprising an upper plane stabilizing strut positioned parallel to a side edge of said awning canopy and extending from the sidewall of the structure from which said awning canopy is deployed to the end of said ridge pole for positioning said ridge pole support means and thereby adjusting the relative areas of said upper and lower planes while maintaining the pitch of said upper plane constant;
• a lower plane stabilizing strut positioned parallel to a side edge of said awning canopy and extending from said ridge pole to the edge of said awning canopy furthest from the sidewall of the structure from which said awning canopy is deployed;
• and
• means for securing an end of said upper plane stabilizing strut and said lower plane stabilizing strut to a common end of said ridge pole.

A method for changing the aerodynamic properties of an awning canopy, including the steps of:

• positioning a ridge pole on the underside of said awning canopy parallel to the wall of the structure from which said awning canopy extends;
• bifurcating the plane of the upper surface of said awning canopy by applying an upward pressure to the underside of said awning canopy via said ridge pole;
• maintaining the deployment hardware of said awning canopy whereby said bifurcated plane results in first and second planes oriented at different angles wherein said first plane comprises the section of awning canopy between said ridge pole and the structure from which said awning canopy extends and said second plane extends from said ridge pole to the edge of said awning canopy opposite the edge connected to the wall of the structure from which said awning canopy extends;
• maintaining the position of said ridge pole via a brace and stabilizing struts extending from the wall of the structure from which said awning canopy extends such that the included angle of said second plane relative to the vertical is less than the included angle of said first plane relative to the vertical;
• positioning an upper plane stabilizing strut of said stabilizing struts parallel to a side edge of said awning canopy extending from the sidewall of the structure from which said awning canopy is deployed to the end of said ridge pole;
• positioning a lower plane stabilizing strut of said stabilizing struts parallel to a side edge of said awning canopy extending from said ridge pole to the edge of said awning canopy furthest from the sidewall of the structure from which said awning canopy is deployed;
• and securing an end of said upper plane stabilizing strut and said lower plane stabilizing strut to a common end of said ridge pole.