U.S. patent application number 13/007980 was filed with the patent office on 2012-07-19 for adjustable all-season window awning/light shelf and operating mechanism therefor.
Invention is credited to Alexander Svirsky.
Application Number | 20120180957 13/007980 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46489872 |
Filed Date | 2012-07-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120180957 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Svirsky; Alexander |
July 19, 2012 |
Adjustable All-Season Window Awning/Light Shelf and Operating
Mechanism Therefor
Abstract
An adjustable window awning/light shelf includes a canopy
attached to support elements installed on both sides of the window.
The support elements are engaged with vertical drive screws
providing for the possibility of moving the canopy up and down.
Each drive screw is connected with a common drive shaft. During the
cooling season, when the window needs to be shaded, the canopy is
disposed at the top of the window. When shade is not required, the
canopy is brought down to the bottom of the window by rotating the
drive shaft, which in turn rotates the drive screws and moves the
support elements with the canopy down. When in the bottom position,
the awning performs as a light shelf, reflecting sunlight from its
top surface into the window and increasing the amount of sunlight
and solar heat entering the building through the window.
Inventors: |
Svirsky; Alexander; (AURORA,
CO) |
Family ID: |
46489872 |
Appl. No.: |
13/007980 |
Filed: |
January 17, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
160/59 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E06B 2009/2417 20130101;
E04F 10/005 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
160/59 |
International
Class: |
E04F 10/00 20060101
E04F010/00 |
Claims
1-6. (canceled)
7. An adjustable window awning/light shelf, said awning comprising:
a canopy positioned, when in an awning position, near a top part of
a window, comprising a top surface and a bottom surface and
inclined at a certain angle between said bottom surface and said
window; an operating mechanism to move said canopy down into a
light shelf position and back up into an awning position while
maintaining said top surface facing up and said bottom surface
facing down.
8. An adjustable window awning/light shelf of claim 7 additionally
comprising means to increase said angle when bringing said canopy
into a light shelf position and to decrease said angle when
bringing said canopy into an awning position.
9. An adjustable window awning/light shelf of claim 7, wherein said
canopy is rigidly attached to support elements and said operating
mechanism comprises vertical guides extending from top to bottom of
said window and means to move said support elements together with
said canopy along said vertical guides while maintaining said
angle.
10. An adjustable window awning/light shelf of claim 9, wherein
said vertical guides are drive screws, said support elements are
threaded and engaged with said drive screws, each of said drive
screws is connected via a transmission gear with a common drive
shaft, whereby rotating said drive shaft causes said drive screws
to rotate simultaneously and move said support elements along said
drive screws.
11. An adjustable window awning/light shelf of claim 7 additionally
comprising: top brackets and bottom brackets affixed to said
canopy; support arms, top ends of said support arms being attached
to said bottom brackets; top sliders, said top brackets being
attached to said top sliders; bottom sliders, bottom ends of said
support arms being attached to said bottom sliders.
12. An adjustable window awning/light shelf of claim 11, wherein
said operating mechanism comprises vertical guides extending from
top to bottom of said window and means to move said sliders along
said vertical guides.
13. An adjustable window awning/light shelf of claim 12, wherein
said vertical guides are drive screws, said top and bottom sliders
are threaded and engaged with said drive screws, each of said drive
screws is connected via a transmission gear with a common drive
shaft, whereby rotating said drive shaft causes said drive screws
to rotate simultaneously and move said sliders along said drive
screws.
14. An adjustable window awning/light shelf of claim 13, wherein
said top ends of said support arms are rotatably attached to said
bottom brackets, said top brackets are rotatably attached to said
top sliders, said bottom ends of said support arms are rotatably
attached to said bottom sliders, said drive screws are connected
with said drive shaft at their top ends and supported by bottom
supports at their bottom ends, said drive screws have bottom
sections adjacent to said bottom supports unthreaded, whereby
rotating said drive shaft causes said drive screws to rotate
simultaneously and move said top and bottom sliders down, said
bottom sliders to disengage from threads of said drive screws, upon
reaching said unthreaded bottom sections, and become stationary,
and said top sliders to continue their downward movement, which
causes said canopy to rotate and increase said angle to assume a
bottom light shelf position, and rotating said drive shaft in an
opposite direction causes said top sliders to move up, said canopy
to rotate and decrease said angle, said bottom sliders to reengage
with threads of said drive screws, said top and bottom sliders to
move simultaneously upward and said canopy to assume a top awning
position.
15. An adjustable window awning/light shelf of claim 14,
additionally comprising: downward movement stops limiting canopy
rotation during its downward movement to stop said canopy in a
desired light shelf position; upward movement stops limiting canopy
rotation during its upward movement to stop said canopy in a
desired awning position.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] Not Applicable
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not Applicable
REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM
LISTING COMPACT DISC APPENDIX
[0003] Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] This invention relates to window awnings and more
particularly to adjustable window awnings.
[0005] Window awnings are used to protect buildings, including
building interiors, from excessive gain of solar heat through
windows, and also as architectural elements to enhance aesthetic
appeal of building exteriors. Shading windows with awnings is one
of the most popular methods of increasing energy efficiency of
buildings. By lowering temperature inside the building during the
air conditioning season, awnings create savings in cooling energy.
According to a 2007 study by the University of Minnesota entitled
"Awnings in Residential Buildings," awnings may reduce consumption
of cooling energy by up to 69% and peak electricity demand by up to
49%, depending on the building location and some other factors.
[0006] During the heating season, however, window awnings may block
desirable passive gain of solar heat, partially offsetting energy
savings achieved during the cooling season. Therefore, to achieve
the highest energy savings, it is advisable to remove or retract
window awnings during the period when the building needs to be
heated. Because removing awnings for the winter season is
inconvenient and could be expensive, it is preferable to use
awnings that may be retracted or adjusted to allow desirable solar
heat to reach the building interior through windows.
[0007] Such retractable or adjustable window awnings are well known
in the industry and usually are made of fabric. A retractable
fabric awning is retracted by rolling the fabric up onto a roller
rotatably attached to the building. Even though retractable fabric
awnings have been in use for decades, they are not sufficiently
durable and require periodic replacement of the fabric. Fabric
colors are prone to fading, reducing the aesthetic appeal of such
awnings.
[0008] Also known are retractable or adjustable rigid awnings. An
example of such adjustable awnings is described in U.S. Pat. No.
2,791,009 to Wagner. It is a louver type awning where louvers are
operated by a link mechanism. Among the disadvantages of such
awning is the existence of an excessive number of movable parts
subject to weather elements, which makes it prone to malfunction.
Also, such awning cannot be retracted for the winter season and
therefore inevitably creates shade when it is not needed. A
collapsible rigid awning is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,202,363 to
Chang. It may be collapsed when shade is not required, however its
operating mechanism is complicated, consisting of many movable
parts subject to weather elements, and also is prone to
malfunction. In addition, when in the collapsed position, such
awning requires substantial additional side space approximately
equal to the length of its panels. Another type of retractable
rigid awnings is available on the market in the form of roll-up
awnings. Such awning consists of narrow aluminum strips connected
to each other with ropes or bands and is retracted by rolling these
strips up onto a roller, similarly to retractable fabric awnings.
This design does not allow for any side panels that may be desired,
has many small movable parts and requires constant tension to be
applied to the connecting ropes or bands to maintain the awning in
a taut condition, which reduces the awning's durability. An
adjustable sunshade is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,421,966 to
Braunstein, et al. The sunshade is adjustable only at the time of
its installation and creates shade during the heating season,
thereby greatly reducing any energy savings obtained during the
cooling season.
[0009] All the above mentioned known retractable or adjustable
window awnings provide no energy savings benefit during the heating
season. Even when retracted or adjusted to prevent or reduce
undesirable shading, they continue to age and deteriorate under the
influence of weather without providing any benefits.
[0010] An awning design that aims at providing an opportunity to
use the awning as both a shading device and a sunrays reflection
device that would aid in heating the interior of the building in
winter is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,309,981 to Briggs, et al. In
this design, the procedure to switch the awning function from
shading to heating is cumbersome and requires direct access to the
awning's canopy from the outside, but adjustment of the canopy's
angle of inclination, on the contrary, may only be made from the
inside of the building, which requires serious modifications of an
existing window. Another embodiment of the same invention also
allows canopy adjustment to be performed only from the inside
requiring extensive modifications of an existing window.
[0011] Another combination window awning and solar heat unit is
provided in U.S. Pat. No. 4,043,316 to Arent. In this combination
unit, the lower part of the window is continually closed during the
summer months, reducing the amount of daylight entering the
building. The awning may be adjusted only by direct manual access
from the outside. During winter, snow and ice will accumulate
behind the upper awning panel when it is rotated up into its
heating position. Neither of these last two inventions allows for
the entire process of changing the awning function between shading
and heating to be motorized.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] The present invention provides an adjustable window awning
that also may be used as a light shelf. The awning includes a
canopy attached to support elements on both sides of the window.
The support elements are threaded and engaged with vertical drive
screws providing for the possibility of moving the support elements
with the canopy up and down relative to the window. Each drive
screw is connected via a transmission gear with a common drive
shaft. During the cooling season, when the window needs to be
shaded, the canopy is disposed at the top of the window. When shade
is not required, the canopy is brought down to the bottom of the
window by rotating the drive shaft, which in turn rotates the drive
screws and moves the support elements with the canopy down. The top
surface of the canopy is made reflective, which increases the
amount of sunlight and associated solar heat entering the building
through the window by reflecting additional sunlight into the
window when the awning is in its bottom or intermediate position
and performs as a light shelf. Such reflective surface also
provides benefits during the summer time when the awning is in its
top position. It reflects sunlight from the awning to keep the air
between the awning and the window at a lower temperature.
[0013] An object of the present invention is to provide a simple,
convenient and durable adjustable window awning that would reduce
gain of solar heat through windows during the cooling season and
may be moved out of the way and permit access of desirable solar
heat into the building during the heating season.
[0014] Another object of the present invention is to provide an
adjustable window awning that would increase gain of solar heat
through windows during the heating season to provide additional
energy savings.
[0015] A further object of the present invention is to provide an
adjustable window awning that may be used as a light shelf.
[0016] A further object of the present invention is to provide an
adjustable window awning that may be adjusted to shade a portion of
the window, while allowing desired sunlight to enter the building
through the window above and under the awning.
[0017] A further object of the present invention is to provide an
adjustable window awning that may be easily operated either from
inside or from outside of the building.
[0018] A further object of the present invention is to provide an
adjustable window awning that may be easily operated manually or by
power.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] Other advantages of the present invention will be apparent
to those skilled in the art from the following description of its
embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings
wherein:
[0020] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an adjustable window awning
constructed in accordance with the present invention in its top
position;
[0021] FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the adjustable window awning
in its bottom position;
[0022] FIG. 3 is an isometric view of an operating mechanism of the
awning of the present invention with the front panel removed;
[0023] FIG. 4 is a schematic of sunrays reflecting from the
inclined top surface of the awning's canopy;
[0024] FIG. 5 is a view of the awning stopped in an intermediate
position to block undesirable sunrays from a workstation;
[0025] FIG. 6 is a view of another embodiment of the present
invention where the awning with an adjustable canopy angle is in
its top position;
[0026] FIG. 7 is a view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 with the
awning in the intermediate bottom position;
[0027] FIG. 8 is a view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 with the
awning in the final bottom position;
[0028] FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a top slider connected with a
top panel bracket and a support arm connected with a bottom panel
bracket when the awning in the position shown in FIG. 7;
[0029] FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of both top and bottom sliders,
top and bottom panel brackets and a support arm when the awning is
in the position shown in FIG. 8;
[0030] FIG. 11 is schematic of sunrays reflecting from the top
surface of the awning's canopy into the window when the canopy is
disposed substantially perpendicularly to the window plane and
performs as a light shelf.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0031] Referring to the drawings, in particular to FIGS. 1 and 2,
where an adjustable window awning constructed in accordance with
the present invention is generally designated by a numeral 10, the
awning includes a canopy 20 supported by support elements 21. The
support elements 21 are engaged with drive screws 22 connected with
a housing 23 at the top and with bottom supports 24.
[0032] As shown in FIG. 3, each drive screw 22 is connected via a
transmission gear 25 with a drive shaft 26.
[0033] To lower the canopy 20 from its top position depicted in
FIG. 1 to its bottom position depicted in FIG. 2, the drive shaft
26 is rotated by using a manual drive gear or an electric motor
(not shown). Rotation of the drive shaft 26 causes the drive screws
22 to rotate simultaneously and move down the support elements 21
along with the canopy 20.
[0034] FIG. 4 shows sunrays reflecting from the canopy 20 into a
window, when the canopy is in its bottom position, thereby
increasing the amount of sunlight and solar heat entering the
building through the window.
[0035] FIG. 5 shows the awning, which may be stopped in any
intermediate position between its top and bottom positions,
adjusted so that it blocks undesirable sunrays from a workstation
while allowing desirable sunlight to enter the room through the
window above and under the canopy 20. At the same time, sunrays
blocked by the awning reflect from the canopy's top surface into
the window and partially compensate for the amount of daylight
blocked by the awning.
[0036] In order for the awning to be effective both as a shading
device during the cooling season and a sunlight reflective device,
or light shelf, during the heating season, its canopy 20 should be
inclined at a relatively large angle 47, for example 60 degrees, to
the window plane 27, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and also in FIG. 4
in solid lines. Otherwise, if the canopy is inclined at a lesser
angle, for example 45 degrees, sunrays will not reflect into the
window when the awning is in its bottom position, and will instead
reflect into the empty space in front of the window, as shown in
FIG. 4 in dashed lines.
[0037] However, the awning would be more effective in its top
position, as a shading device, if inclined at a lesser angle, for
example 45 degrees, and more effective it its bottom position, as a
sunlight reflective device, if inclined at a greater angle, ideally
90 degrees, to the window plane 27. Such perpendicular disposition
would ensure the reflection of sunrays from the canopy's top
surface 45 into the window regardless of the sun's angle above the
horizon, as shown in FIG. 11. The awning would perform as an
exterior light shelf increasing desirable solar heat gain and
providing additional daylight during the winter season. In
practice, the angle of awning inclination would be slightly less
than 90 degrees, to provide for water drainage.
[0038] FIGS. 6-11 show another embodiment of the present invention
where the angle 47 of the awning canopy 30 inclination relative to
the window plane 27, i.e. the angle between the canopy's bottom
surface 46 and the window plane, changes from approximately 45
degrees in the top position to 90 degrees in the bottom
position.
[0039] This embodiment includes a canopy 30 supported by support
arms 31. Bottom ends of the support arms 31 are rotatably attached
to bottom sliders 32 engaged with drive screws 33. Top ends of the
support arms 31 are rotatably attached to bottom canopy brackets 34
affixed to the canopy 30. Top canopy brackets 35 are affixed to the
canopy 30 and rotatably attached to top sliders 36 engaged with the
drive screws 33.
[0040] To lower the canopy 30 from its top position depicted in
FIG. 6 to its bottom position depicted in FIG. 8, the drive shaft
26 is rotated by using a manual drive gear or an electric motor
(not shown). Rotation of the drive shaft 26 causes the drive screws
33 to rotate simultaneously and move down the sliders 32 and 36
along with the support arms 31 and canopy 30.
[0041] Bottom sections 39 of the drive screws 33 are unthreaded, as
shown in FIG. 6, over a length not less than the length of threads
inside the bottom sliders 32. When the bottom sliders 32 reach the
bottom supports 24, the bottom sliders disengage from the threads
of the drive screws 33. FIG. 7 shows the intermediate bottom
position of the awning when the bottom sliders 32 have reached the
bottom supports 24 and are disengaged from the threads of the drive
screws 33. Continued rotation of the drive screws 33 causes the top
sliders 36 to continue their movement down the drive screws 33
while the bottom sliders 32 remain stationary. The canopy 30
rotates around top pivots 41 installed in the top sliders 36 and
bottom pivots 42 installed in the bottom canopy brackets 34. The
angle 47 between the canopy's bottom surface 46 and the window
plane 27 increases. Such downward movement of the top sliders 36
continues until downward movement stops 37 attached to the bottom
canopy brackets 34 reach the surface of the support arms 31 as
shown in FIG. 10. At this point, the canopy 30 is disposed at an
angle of approximately 90 degrees to the window plane 27 as shown
in FIG. 8. It would be advisable to fix the bottom sliders 32 in
this position with releasable locks (not shown) to prevent their
movement under the influence of wind on the canopy 30. Such locks
are well known in the industry.
[0042] To raise the canopy 30 from its final bottom position
depicted in FIG. 8 to its top position depicted in FIG. 6, the
drive shaft 26 is rotated in the opposite direction. Such rotation
causes the top sliders 36 to move up the drive screws 33 pushing
the top canopy brackets 35. This causes the canopy 30 to rotate
around the top pivots 41 and bottom pivots 42. The bottom sliders
32 remain stationary until upward movement stops 38 attached to the
top sliders 36 reach the surface of the top canopy brackets 35 as
shown in FIG. 9.
[0043] At this point, the rotation of the canopy 30 around the
pivots 41 and 42 stops and the canopy continues to move up toward
the housing 23, retaining its angle of inclination relative to the
window plane 27 and pulling the support arms 31, which, in turn,
pull up the bottom sliders 32. The bottom sliders 32 reengage with
the threads of the drive screws 33 and both top and bottom sliders,
the canopy 30 and the support arms 31 continue moving up until the
canopy 30 reaches the housing 23.
[0044] It will be understood that this invention is not restricted
to the embodiments described and illustrated above. A different
mechanism may be employed to move the canopy between its top and
bottom positions, for example a mechanism located at the bottom of
the drive screws 22 or 33 or a mechanism employing a different
method of moving the canopy between its top and bottom positions,
such as a sliding motion mechanism as opposed to a screw drive.
Stopping the canopy at the desired angle of inclination may be
accomplished in a variety of different methods known in the
industry. The drive shaft 26 may be rotated manually, either from
the outside or from inside of the building, by using simple
transfer mechanisms well known in the industry. The drive shaft 26
may be rotated by using a remotely controlled electric motor, also
well known in the industry, which may be powered by solar panels.
The stops 37 and 38 may be replaced with other devices known in the
industry that would stop the canopy in its desired position during
its respective downward and upward movements. The canopy may have a
concave top surface shaped to maximize sunlight reflection into the
window. The drive screws 22 and 33 may be screened with enclosures
for aesthetic purposes. Any such modifications will remain within
the scope of the present invention.
* * * * *