U.S. patent application number 13/277549 was filed with the patent office on 2013-04-25 for awning adjustment device.
This patent application is currently assigned to DOMETIC LLC. The applicant listed for this patent is Roberto Gutierrez. Invention is credited to Roberto Gutierrez.
Application Number | 20130098562 13/277549 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 48135009 |
Filed Date | 2013-04-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130098562 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Gutierrez; Roberto |
April 25, 2013 |
AWNING ADJUSTMENT DEVICE
Abstract
An awning and a method of operating the awning are provided. The
awning includes a canopy, a roller and an adjustment tube. The
canopy includes a proximal edge. The canopy can be wound about the
roller with the proximal edge secured along the roller. The roller
includes a first longitudinal end and a second longitudinal end.
The adjustment tube includes a small base and a large base. The
adjustment tube is mounted around the roller near the second
longitudinal end so that the small base is nearer to the first
longitudinal end than the large base. The adjustment tube is
slidably movable along the roller so that the adjustment tube can
move toward or away from the first longitudinal end between an
innermost position and an outermost position. The adjustment tube
is located nearer to the second longitudinal end at the outermost
position than at the innermost position.
Inventors: |
Gutierrez; Roberto; (El
Paso, TX) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Gutierrez; Roberto |
El Paso |
TX |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
DOMETIC LLC
Elkhart
IN
|
Family ID: |
48135009 |
Appl. No.: |
13/277549 |
Filed: |
October 20, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
160/66 ;
160/405 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04F 10/06 20130101;
E04F 10/0666 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
160/66 ;
160/405 |
International
Class: |
E04F 10/06 20060101
E04F010/06 |
Claims
1. An awning including: a canopy including a proximal edge and
lateral edges; a roller about which the canopy can be wound with
the proximal edge secured along the roller, the roller including a
first longitudinal end and a second longitudinal end; and an
adjustment tube including a small base and a large base, an outer
dimension of the adjustment tube gradually increasing from the
small base to the large base, the adjustment tube mounted around
the roller near the second longitudinal end so that the small base
is nearer to the first longitudinal end than the large base, the
adjustment tube being slidably movable along the roller so that the
adjustment tube can move toward or away from the first longitudinal
end between an innermost position and an outermost position, the
adjustment tube located nearer to the second longitudinal end at
the outermost position than at the innermost position, one of the
lateral edges of the canopy capable of being wound around the
adjustment tube at least at one position between the innermost
position and the outermost position.
2. The awning of claim 1, the adjustment tube including a
cylindrical inner geometry.
3. The awning of claim 2, the inner geometry substantially matching
an outer dimension of the roller.
4. The awning of claim 1, the adjustment tube including a
frusto-conical outer geometry.
5. The awning of claim 1, the roller including a groove in which
the proximal edge can be secured.
6. The awning of claim 1, the adjustment tube further including a
slit into which the one of the lateral edges of the canopy extends
as the adjustment tube is slidably moved along the roller.
7. The awning of claim 6, the slit extending from the small base to
a slit end located at an intermediate point on the adjustment
tube.
8. The awning of claim 7, the one of the lateral edges of the
canopy configured to abut the slit end at the innermost position of
the adjustment tube.
9. The awning of claim 6, wherein the one of the lateral edges
extends into the slit at the outermost position of the tube.
10. The awning of claim 1, the one of the lateral edges of the
canopy capable of being wound around the adjustment tube at all
positions from the innermost position to the outermost
position.
11. A method of operating an awning, the awning including a canopy,
a roller and an adjustment tube, the canopy including a proximal
edge and lateral edges, the roller including a first longitudinal
end and a second longitudinal end, the adjustment tube including a
small base and a large base, an outer dimension of the adjustment
tube gradually increasing from the small base to the large base,
the adjustment tube mounted around the second longitudinal end so
that the small base is nearer to the first longitudinal end than
the large base, the method including the steps of: winding the
canopy about the roller so that one of the lateral edges near the
second longitudinal end is wound around a first portion of the
adjustment tube at which the outer dimension has a first value;
moving the adjustment tube along the roller between an innermost
position and an outermost position, the adjustment tube located
nearer to the second longitudinal end at the outermost position
than at the innermost position; and winding the canopy about the
roller so that the one of the lateral edges near the second
longitudinal end is wound around a second portion of the adjustment
tube at which the outer dimension has a second value.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the adjustment tube is slidably
moved along the roller.
13. The method of claim 11, the adjustment tube further including a
slit into which the one of the lateral edges of the canopy extends
as the adjustment tube is moved along the roller.
14. The method of claim 13, the slit extending from the small base
to a slit end located at an intermediate point on the adjustment
tube.
15. The method of claim 14, the one of the lateral edges of the
canopy configured to abut the slit end at the innermost position of
the adjustment tube.
16. The method of claim 13, wherein the one of the lateral edges
extends into the slit at the outermost position of the tube.
17. The method of claim 11, the one of the lateral edges of the
canopy capable of being wound around the adjustment tube at all
positions from the innermost position to the outermost
position.
18. The method of claim 11, the adjustment tube including a
cylindrical inner geometry substantially matching an outer
dimension of the roller.
19. The method of claim 11, the adjustment tube including a
frusto-conical outer geometry.
20. The method of claim 11, the roller including a groove in which
the proximal edge can be secured.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to awnings and,
more specifically, apparatus for adjusting a canopy on an
awning.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Often, a canopy of an awning is retracted and stored by
winding the canopy about a roller when the awning is not in use. A
problem that can occur when winding the canopy around the roller is
that the canopy becomes unevenly wound about the roller such that
the canopy is more tightly wound on one end of the roller compared
to the other end. This may occur because a motor only drives one
end of the roller, for example, and an unevenly wound canopy
hinders the aesthetics and proper functioning of the awning. Thus,
there is a need for apparatus and methods to resolve the uneven
winding of the canopy about the roller.
SUMMARY
[0003] In one example aspect, an awning includes a canopy, a roller
and an adjustment tube. The canopy includes a proximal edge and
lateral edges. The canopy can be wound about the roller with the
proximal edge secured along the roller. The roller includes a first
longitudinal end and a second longitudinal end. The adjustment tube
includes a small base and a large base. The adjustment tube is
mounted around the roller near the second longitudinal end so that
the small base is nearer to the first longitudinal end than the
large base. The adjustment tube is slidably movable along the
roller so that the adjustment tube can move toward or away from the
first longitudinal end between an innermost position and an
outermost position. The adjustment tube is located nearer to the
second longitudinal end at the outermost position than at the
innermost position. One of the lateral edges of the canopy is
capable of being wound around the adjustment tube at least at one
position of the adjustment tube between the innermost position and
the outermost position.
[0004] In another example aspect, the adjustment tube includes a
cylindrical inner geometry.
[0005] In yet another example aspect, the inner geometry
substantially matches an outer dimension of the roller.
[0006] In yet another example aspect, the adjustment tube includes
a frusto-conical outer geometry.
[0007] In yet another example aspect, the roller includes a groove
in which the proximal edge can be secured.
[0008] In yet another example aspect, the adjustment tube further
includes a slit into which one of the lateral edges of the canopy
extends as the adjustment tube is slidably moved along the
roller.
[0009] In yet another example aspect, the slit extends from the
small base to a slit end located at an intermediate point on the
adjustment tube.
[0010] In yet another example aspect, the one of the lateral edges
of the canopy is configured to abut the slit end at the innermost
position of the adjustment tube.
[0011] In yet another example aspect, the one of the lateral edges
of the canopy is capable of being wound around the adjustment tube
at all positions from the innermost position to the outermost
position.
[0012] In yet another example aspect, a method of operating an
awning is provided. The awning includes a canopy, a roller and an
adjustment tube. The canopy includes a proximal edge and lateral
edges. The roller includes a first longitudinal end and a second
longitudinal end. The adjustment tube includes a small base and a
large base. An outer dimension of the adjustment tube gradually
increases from the small base to the large base. The adjustment
tube is mounted around the second longitudinal end so that the
small base is nearer to the first longitudinal end than the large
base. The method includes the steps of winding the canopy about the
roller so that one of the lateral edges near the second
longitudinal end is wound around a first portion of the adjustment
tube at which the outer dimension has a first value, moving the
adjustment tube along the roller between an innermost position and
an outermost position, the adjustment tube located nearer to the
second longitudinal end at the outermost position than at the
innermost position, and winding the canopy about the roller so that
the one of the lateral edges near the second longitudinal end is
wound around a second portion of the adjustment tube at which the
outer dimension has a second value.
[0013] In yet another example aspect, the adjustment tube is
slidably moved along the roller.
[0014] In yet another example aspect, the adjustment tube further
includes a slit into which the one of the lateral edges of the
canopy extends as the adjustment tube is moved along the
roller.
[0015] In yet another example aspect, the slit extends from the
small base to a slit end located at an intermediate point on the
adjustment tube.
[0016] In yet another example aspect, the one of the lateral edges
of the canopy is configured to abut the slit end at the innermost
position of the adjustment tube.
[0017] In yet another example aspect, the one of the lateral edges
extends into the slit at the outermost position of the tube.
[0018] In yet another example aspect, the one of the lateral edges
of the canopy is capable of being wound around the adjustment tube
at all positions from the innermost position to the outermost
position.
[0019] In yet another example aspect, the adjustment tube includes
a cylindrical inner geometry substantially matching an outer
dimension of the roller.
[0020] In yet another example aspect, the adjustment tube includes
a frusto-conical outer geometry.
[0021] In yet another example aspect, the roller includes a groove
in which the proximal edge can be secured.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] These and other aspects are better understood when the
following detailed description is read with reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which:
[0023] FIG. 1 is a view of an example structure on which an example
embodiment of an awning is mounted;
[0024] FIG. 2 is a close-up view of an adjustment tube in an
isolated state;
[0025] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the adjustment tube on an
end of a roller of an awning in an outermost position; and
[0026] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the adjustment tube on an
end of the roller of an awning in an innermost position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0027] Examples will now be described more fully hereinafter with
reference to the accompanying drawings in which example embodiments
are shown. Whenever possible, the same reference numerals are used
throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.
However, aspects may be embodied in many different forms and should
not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth
herein.
[0028] Referring now to FIG. 1, an example embodiment of an awning
10 is shown. While the awning 10 is shown to be mounted to a
trailer 100 in this embodiment, the awning may be mounted to other
types of recreational vehicles, modes of transport (e.g., a boat),
residential structures (e.g., a house) or the like. Moreover, while
this example awning 10 is embodied with a particular set of arms
and joints, it is possible to configure the awning 10 with a
different set of arms and joints.
[0029] The awning 10 may include a set of support arms 12, a canopy
14 and a roller 16 among other features. The support arms 12 are
configured to enable the extension and refraction of the awning 10
such that the canopy 14 can be stretched out to provide shelter and
be withdrawn to remove the same. The support arms 12 can be
operable manually or automatically.
[0030] The canopy 14 may be rectangular in a fully stretched out
state and may have a proximal edge 18, a distal edge 20 and lateral
edges 22 where the proximal edge 18 is configured to be secured to
the roller 16. The roller 16 is located adjacent the structure
which the awning is part of (e.g., a trailer 100) and the distal
edge 20 is configured to extend away from the trailer 100 in this
embodiment although this configuration may vary in alternative
embodiments. The roller 16 may be elongate with longitudinal ends
24 and may be a cylindrical or tubular structure about which the
rectangular canopy 14 can be wound. The roller 16 may include a
groove 26 in which the proximal edge 18 of the canopy 14 may be
secured. The groove 26 may be formed on an outer surface of the
roller 16 extending longitudinally about the roller 16. The
proximal edge 18 of the canopy 14 may include a passage which may
be formed by folding the canopy 14 along the proximal edge 18 and
securing the folded portion to the canopy 14, such as by sewing.
The proximal edge 18 may be secured to the roller 16 by placing the
passage within the groove 26 and inserting a wire or rod like
element that substantially matches the dimension of the groove 26
through the passage.
[0031] A first longitudinal end 24a of the roller 16 may be
operatively connected to a driving element 28 (e.g., a motor) by
way of which the roller 16 can be turned in both rotational
directions. Once the proximal edge 18 of the canopy 14 is secured
to the roller 16, the rotation of the roller 16 can wind the canopy
14 about the roller or unwind the canopy 14 from a wound-up state.
The extension and retraction of the awning 10 may be actuated by
the driving element and the support arms 12 may move in response to
the winding/unwinding of the canopy 14.
[0032] As shown in FIGS. 3-4, near a second longitudinal end 24b of
the roller 16, an adjustment tube 32 is mounted around the roller
16 so as to surround or enclose the roller 16 and to be slidably
and telescopically movable in longitudinal directions along the
roller 16. The adjustment tube 32 may be made of materials
providing sufficient flexibility and rigidity such as plastic. As
shown in FIG. 2, the adjustment tube 32 includes a small base 34
and a large base 36 such that the value of the outer dimension of
the adjustment tube 32 (e.g., diameter) gradually increases from
the small base 34 to the large base 36. Thus, the adjustment tube
32 is tapered from the large base 36 to the small base 34. For
example, the adjustment tube 32 may be 2.70 inches in length and
have an outer diameter of 2.59 inches at the small base 34 and an
outer diameter of 2.88 inches at the large base 36. In one
embodiment, the adjustment tube 32 is frusto-conical and the outer
surface between the small base 34 and the large base 36 is flat.
However, the outer surface between the small base 34 and the large
base 36 may also be curved, stepped or the like. Moreover, it may
be possible for the outer surface of the adjustment tube 32 to be
flat along one axial portion and to have an alternative
configuration (e.g., curved, stepped, etc.) along another axial
portion while the outer dimension gradually increases between the
small base 34 and the large base 36. Thus, the values of the outer
dimension of the adjustment tube 32 may change in a continuously
variable or may be discrete.
[0033] While the outer geometry of the adjustment tube 32 is
frusto-conical, the inner geometry is cylindrical and substantially
matches the outer geometry of the roller 16 so that a sufficient
degree of friction exists between an inner surface of the
adjustment tube 32 and an outer surface of the roller 16 to keep
the adjustment tube 32 in place once an operator has slid the
adjustment tube 32 to a given position along the roller 16 but also
allowing for sliding movement of the adjustment tube 32 respect to
the roller 16. For example, the inner diameter of the adjustment
tube 32 may be kept constant at 2.49 inches from the small base 34
to the large base 36. The adjustment tube 32 is mounted on the
roller 16 so that the small base 34 is nearer to the first
longitudinal end 24a than the large base 36.
[0034] As further shown in FIG. 2, the adjustment tube 32 includes
a slit 38 which extends from the small base 34 to an intermediate
point 40 between the small base 34 and the large base 36. The slit
38 terminates at a slit end 42 defining an innermost position 44 of
the adjustment tube 32 at which the small base 34 of the adjustment
tube 32 is nearest to the first longitudinal end 24a and at which
the lateral edge 22 abuts the slit end 42. As shown in FIGS. 3-4,
the canopy 14 may extend into the slit 38 and remain therein
throughout movement of the adjustment tube 32 from the outermost
position 46 to the innermost position 44. The position of the
adjustment tube 32 at which the lateral edge 22 of the canopy 14 is
closest to the slit end 42 may define the innermost position 44.
The adjustment tube 32 may be at an outermost position 46 at which
the large base 36 of the adjustment tube 32 is nearest to the
second longitudinal end 24b and where the large base 36 of the
adjustment tube 32 is stopped by an end feature of the awning 10
(e.g., an end cap) which is omitted from FIGS. 3-4 for clarity of
illustration.
[0035] In this embodiment, the lateral edge 22 of the canopy 14 is
wound around the adjustment tube 32 at all positions from the
innermost position 44 to the outermost position 46 of the
adjustment tube 32. However, the lateral edge 22 of the canopy 14
need not extend into the slit 38 when the adjustment tube 32 is at
the outermost position 46. In case the lateral edge 22 of the
canopy 14 cannot be wound around the adjustment tube 32 at the
outermost position 46, the lateral edge 22 of the canopy 14 is
simply wound around the roller 16. However, at least at one
position of the adjustment tube 32 between the outermost position
46 and the innermost position 44, the lateral edge 22 of the canopy
14 can be wound around the adjustment tube 32 and the adjustment
tube 32 will continue to be wound about the adjustment tube 32 from
this position to the innermost position 44. Because the outer
dimension (e.g., the outer diameter) of the adjustment tube 32
increases as the adjustment tube 32 is moved toward the innermost
position 44, the lateral edge 22 of the canopy 14 can be entirely
wound about the adjustment tube 32 with fewer rotations of the
roller 16. The adjustability of the outer dimension on one
longitudinal end is helpful in overcoming the lag in rotation at
the non-driven, longitudinal end of the roller 16 which causes the
canopy 14 to be unevenly wound about the roller 16. The lag in
rotation at the non-driven, longitudinal end can be neutralized by
increasing the outer dimension of the adjustment tube 32 by a
sufficient amount which can be determined through trial and error.
Difference in the tightness of the fabric between the driven end
and the non-driven end is another condition that can be fixed by
the adjustment tube 32.
[0036] Once the final position of the adjustment tube 32 is
determined, the adjustment tube 32 may be secured at the factory or
during installation of the awning such as by the end user. The
adjustment tube 32 may be set in place using adhesive tape, blind
rivet, tek screw, glue or any suitable means.
[0037] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various
modifications and variations can be made without departing from the
spirit and scope of the claimed invention.
* * * * *