U.S. patent application number 10/366952 was filed with the patent office on 2004-08-19 for awning system for a recreational vehicle.
Invention is credited to Girard, Larry, Jelinek, Howard.
Application Number | 20040159407 10/366952 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32849848 |
Filed Date | 2004-08-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040159407 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Girard, Larry ; et
al. |
August 19, 2004 |
AWNING SYSTEM FOR A RECREATIONAL VEHICLE
Abstract
An automatic lateral arm awning system for a recreational
vehicle includes awning material having a first and a second end, a
roller secured to the material first end for wrapping said awning
material thereabout and a header secured to the material second
end. A frame is provided for enclosing the roller and awning
material and sealing with the header in order to prevent
wind-generated noise upon driving of the recreational vehicle. A
pair of spring loaded arms interconnecting the frame and said
header for urge the header away from the frame upon rotation of the
roller in one direction and an electric motor, disposed within the
roller, rotates the roller. The awning material unrolls from the
roller and extends outwardly from the frame upon rotation of the
roller in the one direction and wraps around said roller upon
rotation of the roller in an opposite direction. Awning material
stretch is accommodated in order to insure sealing between said
header and said frame.
Inventors: |
Girard, Larry; (Laguna
Niguel, CA) ; Jelinek, Howard; (Laguna Beach,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WALTER A. HACKLER, Ph.D.
LAW OFFICES
SUITE B
2372 S.E. BRISTOL
NEWPORT BEACH
CA
92660-0755
US
|
Family ID: |
32849848 |
Appl. No.: |
10/366952 |
Filed: |
February 14, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
160/66 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04F 10/0648 20130101;
E04F 10/0692 20130101; E04F 10/0618 20130101; E04F 10/0659
20130101; E04F 10/0685 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
160/066 |
International
Class: |
E04F 010/06 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An automatic lateral arm awning system for a recreational
vehicle, the system comprising: awning material having a first and
a second end; a roller secured to the material first end for
wrapping said awning material thereabout; a header secured to the
material second end; a frame for enclosing said roller and awning
material and sealing with said header in order to prevent wind
generated noise upon driving of said recreational vehicle; an
electric motor disposed within said roller for rotating said
roller, said awning material unrolling from said roller and
extending outwardly from said frame upon rotation of the roller in
said one direction and wrapping around said roller upon rotation of
the roller in an opposite direction; and means for accommodating
for awning material stretch in order to insure sealing between said
header and said frame.
2. The awning system according to claim 1 wherein said means for
accommodating awning stretch includes a control circuit for
determining motor current and stopping said electric motor upon an
increase in motor current greater than an operating current for
rotation of said roller in the opposite direction.
3. The awning system according to claim 2 wherein said control
circuit is configured for shutting off current to said electric
motor upon stalling of said electric motor.
4. An automatic lateral arm awning system for a recreational
vehicle, the system comprising: awning material having a first and
a second end; a roller secured to the material first end for
wrapping said awning material thereabout; a header secured to the
material second end; a frame for enclosing said roller and awning
material and sealing with said header in order to prevent wind
generated noise upon driving of said recreational vehicle; an
electric motor disposed within said roller for rotating said
roller, said awning material unrolling from said roller and
extending outwardly from said frame upon rotation of the roller in
one direction and wrapping around said roller upon rotation of the
roller in an opposite direction; and an electric motor control
circuit, disposed in a motor housing, for determining motor current
during operation of said electric motor and stopping rotation of
said roller upon sealing of said header with said frame.
5. The awning system according to claim 4 wherein said control
circuit is configured for shutting off current to said electric
motor upon stalling of said electric motor as said header seals
with said frame.
6. An automatic lateral arm awning system for a recreational
vehicle, the system comprising: awning material having a first and
a second end; a roller secured to the material first end for
wrapping said awning material thereabout; a header secured to the
material second end; a frame for enclosing said roller and awning
material and sealing with said header in order to prevent wind
generated noise upon driving of said recreational vehicle; a pair
of spring loaded arms interconnecting said frame and said header
for urging said header away from said frame upon rotation of said
roller in one direction; an electric motor disposed within said
roller for rotating said roller, said awning material unrolling
from said roller and extending outwardly from said frame upon
rotation of the roller in said one direction and wrapping around
said roller upon rotation of the roller in an opposite direction;
and means for accommodating for awning material stretch in order to
insure sealing between said header and said frame, said means
including a control circuit for determining motor current and
stopping said electric motor upon an increase in motor current
greater than an operating current for rotation of said roller in
the opposite direction.
7. The awning system according to claim 1 wherein said control
circuit is configured for shutting off current to said electric
motor upon stalling of said electric motor.
8. A method for operating an automatic lateral arm awning system
for a recreational vehicle, the method comprising: providing awning
material having a first and a second end; securing a roller to the
material first end for wrapping said awning material thereabout;
securing header to the material second end; enclosing said roller
and awning material with a frame; sealing said frame with said
header in order to prevent wind generated noise upon driving of
said recreational vehicle; interconnecting said frame and said
header with a pair of spring loaded arms for urging said header
away from said frame upon rotation of said roller in one direction;
disposing an electric motor within said roller for rotating said
roller, said awning material unrolling from said roller and
extending outwardly from said frame upon rotation of the roller in
said one direction and wrapping around said roller upon rotation of
the roller in an opposite direction; and accommodating for awning
material stretch in order to insure sealing between said header and
said frame.
9. The method according to claim 8 wherein the step of
accommodating for awning material stretch includes determining
motor current and stopping said electric motor upon an increase in
motor current greater than an operating current for rotation of
said roller in the opposite direction.
10. The method according to claim 9 wherein the step of determining
motor current includes waiting for a period of time until the motor
reaches a steady running speed and sampling the motor current after
the waiting period.
11. The method according to claim 10 wherein the step of stopping
said electric motor includes stopping said electric motor upon
stalling of said electric motor.
Description
[0001] The present invention generally relates to self-storing
awning assemblies for recreational vehicles and is more
particularly directed to boxed awnings, including lateral arm
support awnings, which include a roller for automatically
retracting a awning into the box, or frame.
[0002] When closed, it is necessary that the box containing an
awning be sealed in order to prevent undesirable wind noise during
operation of the vehicle. It should be appreciated that if the
awning is not contained in the box or frame in a sealed manner, any
gaps occurring will act as an annoying source of sound when air
rushes past at speeds up to 70 mph. Further, undo stress may be
induced due to such wind buffeting thus being a source of potential
damage.
[0003] When new, such sealed awning boxes function properly,
however, during usage, the awning material typically stretches,
which causes a problem with regard to the system for extending and
retracting the awning. Typical fabric stretch amounts to 2-3% of
fabric length, or more, and this relates to up to 3 inches or more
for a 10 foot awning.
[0004] This problem is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,615,373. When
the awning stretches, typical control systems cannot accommodate
for the extra length of awning and consequently, the retraction of
the awning is stopped before the awning is entirely within the box
or frame and sealed therein to prevent any gaps.
[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 4,615,371 provides for adjustment of limit
switches so that a drive motor does not need to be shut off
prematurely.
[0006] Other systems include counters, or stepper motors, for
controlling the start and stop positions of the awning relative to
the box during the extension and retraction. These systems are not
amenable to accommodating for awning stretch.
[0007] The present invention provides for an automatic lateral arm
awning system for recreational vehicle which accommodates for
awning material stretch in order to insure sealing of the awning
within a frame in order to prevent wind generated noise during
movement of the recreational vehicle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] An automatic lateral arm awning system for a recreational
vehicle in accordance with the present invention generally includes
awning material having a first and a second end with a roller
secured to the material first end for wrapping the awning material
thereabout.
[0009] A header is provided and secured to the material second end
and a frame is provided for enclosing the roller and awning
material and sealing with the header in order to prevent wind
generated noise upon driving of the recreational vehicle.
[0010] Arms interconnect the frame and the header and may be spring
loaded for urging the header away from the frame upon rotation of
the roller in one direction and an electric motor disposed within
the roller is provided for rotating the roller. The awning material
unrolls from the roller and extends outwardly from the frame upon
rotation of the roller in one direction and wraps around the roller
upon rotation of the roller in an opposite direction.
[0011] Importantly, means are provided for accommodating for awning
material stretch in order to insure sealing between the header and
the frame. This means includes a control circuit for determining
motor current and stopping the electric motor upon an increase in
motor current greater than an operating current for rotation of the
roller in the opposite direction.
[0012] The control circuit may be configured for shutting off
current to the electric motor upon stalling of the electric motor
or upon a preset increase in current draw. That is, the motor
control circuit determines the current during operation of the
electric motor and stops rotation of the roller upon sealing of the
header with the frame.
[0013] A method in accordance with the present invention for an
automatic lateral arm awning system for recreational vehicle
generally includes the steps of providing awning material having a
first and second end, securing a roller to the material first end
for wrapping around the awning material and securing a header to
the material second end.
[0014] Method further provides for enclosing the roller and awning
material with a frame and sealing the frame with the header in
order to prevent wind generated noise upon driving of the
recreational vehicle.
[0015] The frame and the header may be interconnected by a pair of
spring-loaded arms for urging the header away from the frame upon
rotation of the roller in one direction. The method further
includes disposing an electric motor within the roller for rotating
the roller.
[0016] In one embodiment, the method still further provides for
accommodating for awning material stretch in order to insure
sealing between the header and the frame by determining motor
current and stopping the electrical motor upon an increase in motor
current greater than an operating current for rotation of the
roller and during retraction of the awning.
[0017] More particularly, the step of determining motor current may
include waiting for a period of time until the motor reaches a
steady state running speed and thereafter sampling the motor
current after the waiting period. Alternatively, the step of
stopping the electric motor may include stopping the motor upon
stalling thereof due to increase loading during a sealing between
the header and the frame.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] A more complete understanding of the invention may be had by
reference to the following detailed description when taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0019] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the awning system in
accordance with the present invention as shown in a closed position
with an awning frame and header shown in a sealed arrangement in
order to prevent wind-generated noise;
[0020] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the awning system as shown
in FIG. 1 in an extended position;
[0021] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the awning system in
accordance with the present invention;
[0022] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a prior art awning system
which provides no accommodation for awning stretch during closure,
thus not providing an adequate seal between a header and a frame in
order to prevent wind generated noise;
[0023] FIG. 5 is a functional design of a canted circuit for
determining motor current and stopping the electric motor; key
elements are an external switch, power, current sensor (device for
measuring current), an adaptor current measurement and central
circuit, and a relay controlled by the micro controller.
[0024] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a control circuit for
determining motor current and stopping the electric motor; and
[0025] FIG. 7 is a plot of electric motor current versus time
during operation while retracting an awning.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0026] With reference to FIGS. 1-3, there is shown an automatic
lateral arm awning system 10 for a recreational vehicle 12 which
generally includes any suitable awning material 16 having a first
end 18 secured to a roller (See FIG. 3) and a second end 26 secured
to a header 28.
[0027] A frame is provided for enclosing the roller 22, and awning
material 16 wrapped thereabout, and sealing with the header 28, as
shown in FIG. 1, in order to prevent a wind generated noise upon
driving of the vehicle 12.
[0028] The frame 30 may be secured to an outside wall 34 or roof of
the vehicle 12 or in a conventional manner over a window 36 or,
alternatively along an entire length (not shown) of the
recreational vehicle 12. At least a pair of spring loaded arms 40,
42 are provided and interconnect the frame 30 and header 26 in a
conventional manner for urging the header 28 away from the frame 30
upon rotation of the roller in one direction as indicated by the
arrow 46 in FIG. 3 by an electric motor 50 disposed within the
roller 22. Upon rotation of the roller 22 in the direction of the
arrow 46, the awning material 16 unrolls from the roller 22 and
extends outwardly from the frame 30. Conversely, when the motor 50
rotates the roller 22 in the direction of the arrow 54, the awning
material 16 is wrapped around the roller 22. A hand crank 56 may
also be provided as an emergency means for rotating the roller 22
in the case of a power outage, as is conventional.
[0029] Unfortunately, over time, the awning material 16 stretches.
In doing so, the length of the extended awning between the frame 30
and the header 28 increases. As hereinabove noted, this increase
can be up to 3 inches or more. This increase length is not
accommodated by prior art systems 62, see FIG. 4. That is, in the
prior art system 62 the header 64 does not fully close against the
frame 66 due to control limitations on a retracting motor (not
shown), resulting in a gap 68 between the frame 66 and the header
64, which generates unwanted wind noise during movement of the
recreational vehicle 12, particularly at high speeds, i.e., above
50 miles per hour. This gap 68 may be up to about 3 inches for a
10-foot awning extension from the vehicle 12 with only between 2 to
3 percent of fabric length along the extension.
[0030] The present invention provides for an electric motor control
circuit 76, shown in a functional design in FIG. 5 and schematic
form in FIG. 6, which is preferably disposed within a motor housing
78, see FIG. 3. The circuit 76 is effective for determining motor
current during operation of the electric motor 5 and stopping
rotation of the roller 22 upon sealing of the header 28 with the
frame 30. Thus, the circuit provides a means for accommodating for
an awning material stretch in order to insure sealing between the
header 28 and the frame 30.
[0031] The electrical current characteristics of the motor 50 for
the system 10, which may be varying in length between 8-21 feet is
shown in FIG. 7. The actual current draw is a function of motor
load profile, motor rating, and voltage source supply. However, the
current draw profiles during operation similar are regardless of
the parameters. As shown upon start up, the current as illustrated
by the line 82 in FIG. 7 jumps and then maintains a relatively
steady state current draw during retraction of the awning material
16 until closure, or sealing, between the header 28 and the frame
30, at which time a rapid increase in current illustrated by the
line segment 84.
[0032] A circuit 76 detects the increase in motor current greater
than the operating current 82 for rotation of the roller 22 and
stops the motor 50 by turning off the current thereto.
[0033] Alternatively, the circuit may detect a stalling of the
motor 50 adaptively by sensoring substantial increase in current
indicated by the segment 88 and turn off power to the motor 50.
That is, when the awning material 16 has been fully retracted the
motor 50 stalls resulting in a rapidly increasing current draw
illustrated by the line 88. The circuit 76 acts as a current slope
detector, looking for the change in current, which may use a RAZtec
B150 Hall effect sensor. Once the change in current change over
time has been detected, a relay is opened breaking the path to the
motor.
[0034] Preferably, the circuit 76 acts as a three state processor,
namely start up, sample and stop motor 50. During the start up
state, the circuit 76 waits in the order of one second before
sampling the current. This allows the motor 50 to reach a steady
state running speed indicated by the line 82 and insures that the
circuit 76 will not trip on the start up current. During the sample
state, the circuit 76 samples the current and runs an algorithm to
determine that the stalled state has been reach. If the motor is
stalled, the processor circuit 76 opens a relay and stops the motor
50. They relay remains open unless the awning is extended and then
retracted.
[0035] The circuit 76, after start, samples the current every
millisecond. Several samples are averaged to form one short term
average. The average rise time for the stall current is between
100-250 milliseconds and the difference between the run current and
the stall current ranges from 25% to 55% depending upon the motor,
low and supply voltage.
[0036] Although there has been hereinabove described a specific
awning system for a recreational vehicle in accordance with the
present invention for the purpose of illustrating the manner in
which the invention may be used to advantage, it should be
appreciated that the invention is not limited thereto. That is, the
present invention may suitably comprise, consist of, or consist
essentially of the recited elements. Further, the invention
illustratively disclosed herein suitably may be practiced in the
absence of any element, which is not specifically disclose herein.
Accordingly, any and all modifications, variations or equivalent
arrangements which may occur to those skilled in the art, should be
considered to be within the scope of the present invention as
defined in the appended claims.
* * * * *