U.S. patent application number 15/067251 was filed with the patent office on 2016-10-06 for protecting roof.
This patent application is currently assigned to GLATZ AG. The applicant listed for this patent is GLATZ AG. Invention is credited to GUSTAV ADOLF GLATZ, ERNST KAUFMANN.
Application Number | 20160289997 15/067251 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 55524222 |
Filed Date | 2016-10-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160289997 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
GLATZ; GUSTAV ADOLF ; et
al. |
October 6, 2016 |
PROTECTING ROOF
Abstract
In a protection roof, particularly a sun and weather protection
roof, it s aimed to ensure that the roof when not in use can be
packed together in a compact manner within the outline of the
opened roof by effecting a closing movement, whereby the fabric
sheet can be folded with parallel folding lines, and to furthermore
allow actuating the hinge also when the roof is in a folded state.
To this end, it is proposed that the support rod (22) is disposed
rotatably and slidably, but also lockably, within a mount (20)
comprising a hinge on the standing rod (4). Moreover, the
tensioning struts (26, 26a) are articulately attached pairwise with
one end thereof to a slide (28) and carry the flexible protecting
surface (32) at their outer end. Supporting struts (24, 24a) are
articulately attached to a central portion of the tensioning struts
(26, 26a) and to the ends (22a) of the support rod.
Inventors: |
GLATZ; GUSTAV ADOLF;
(FRAUENFELD, CH) ; KAUFMANN; ERNST; (MULLHEIM,
CH) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
GLATZ AG |
FRAUENFELD |
|
CH |
|
|
Assignee: |
GLATZ AG
FRAUENFELD
CH
|
Family ID: |
55524222 |
Appl. No.: |
15/067251 |
Filed: |
March 11, 2016 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45B 23/00 20130101;
A45B 2023/0093 20130101; E04H 15/26 20130101; A45B 2011/005
20130101; A45B 2023/0012 20130101; E04H 15/34 20130101; A45B 17/00
20130101 |
International
Class: |
E04H 15/26 20060101
E04H015/26; E04H 15/34 20060101 E04H015/34 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 13, 2015 |
DE |
202015001958.7 |
Claims
1. A protecting roof, particularly a sun and weather protecting
roof, with a standing rod, a flexible protecting surface and a
support rod and with tensioning struts and support struts which
each can swivel in two directions and which are operatable by
slides disposed on the support rod in a counteracting manner,
wherein the flexible protecting surface, which is attached to the
ends of the support rod, is configured to be opened and folded by
means of the slides, characterized in that the support rod is
disposed rotatably and slidably, but also lockably, within a mount
comprising a hinge on the standing rod, the tensioning struts are
articulately attached pairwise with one end thereof to a slide and
carry the flexible protecting surface at their outer end, and
supporting struts are articulately attached to a central portion of
the tensioning struts and to the ends of the support rod.
2. The protecting roof according to claim 1, characterized in that
the protecting surface comprises corners, the corners of the
protecting surface being rotatably mounted at the ends of the
tensioning struts, whereby a rotational motion between the corners
of the protecting surface and the tensioning struts is made
possible so as to allow folding and unfolding of the protecting
roof together with the tensioning struts.
3. The protecting roof according to claim 1, characterized in that
the support rod has guiding grooves for securing the slide against
rotation.
4. The protecting roof according to claim 3, characterized in that
the guiding grooves of the support rod are provided with stopper
pawls defining end positions of the slides.
5. The protecting roof according to one of claims 1, characterized
in that the slides comprise a tilting lever provided with a spring
and a claw which co-operates with a counter catch of the support
rod, thereby keeping the extended tensioning struts in their
position.
6. The protecting roof according to one of claims 1, characterized
in that the long tensioning struts are provided with spring-loaded
extensions for compensating tension.
7. The protecting roof according to one of claims 1, characterized
in that the outer ends of the long tensioning struts in the folded
position thereof are arranged in a recessed position relative to
the end of the support rod so as to avoid excessive stretching of
any parts of the protecting surface.
8. The protecting roof according to one of claims 1, characterized
in that the struts are provided with spreading springs or
spacers.
9. The protecting roof according to one of claims 1, characterized
in that the protecting surface comprises additional attachments to
the support rod at one or both sides of the adjusting hinge.
10. The protecting roof according to claim 8, characterized in that
the additional attachments are provided with a protection ring.
11. The protecting roof according to claim 2, characterized in that
the support rod has guiding grooves for securing the slide against
rotation.
12. The protecting roof according to one of claims 2, characterized
in that the slides comprise a tilting lever provided with a spring
and a claw which cooperates with a counter catch of the support
rod, thereby keeping the extended tensioning struts in their
position.
13. The protecting roof according to one of claims 3, characterized
in that the slides comprise a tilting lever provided with a spring
and a claw which cooperates with a counter catch of the support
rod, thereby keeping the extended tensioning struts in their
position.
14. The protecting roof according to one of claims 4, characterized
in that the slides comprise a tilting lever provided with a spring
and a claw which cooperates with a counter catch of the support
rod, thereby keeping the extended tensioning struts in their
position.
15. The protecting roof according to one of claims 2, characterized
in that the long tensioning struts are provided with spring-loaded
extensions for compensating tension.
16. The protecting roof according to one of claims 3, characterized
in that the long tensioning struts are provided with spring-loaded
extensions for compensating tension.
17. The protecting roof according to one of claims 4, characterized
in that the long tensioning struts are provided with spring-loaded
extensions for compensating tension.
18. The protecting roof according to one of claims 5, characterized
in that the long tensioning struts are provided with spring-loaded
extensions for compensating tension.
19. The protecting roof according to one of claims 2, characterized
in that the outer ends of the long tensioning struts in the folded
position thereof are arranged in a recessed position relative to
the end of the support rod so as to avoid excessive stretching of
any parts of the protecting surface.
20. The protecting roof according to one of claims 3, characterized
in that the outer ends of the long tensioning struts in the folded
position thereof are arranged in a recessed position relative to
the end of the support rod so as to avoid excessive stretching of
any parts of the protecting surface.
Description
[0001] This application claims priority from German application No.
DE 202015001958.7 filed on Mar. 13, 2015, the disclosure of which
is incorporated herein by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The invention relates to a protecting roof, particularly to
a protecting roof of a sun and weather protection device with a
flexible protecting surface and a support rod and with tensioning
and support struts that each can swivel in two directions.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] In addition to other parasol constructions, parasols
configured as a support rod with cross strut are known, for example
from CH 314813 (Albert Glatz), CH 395446 (Karl Strotz) and CH
501798 (Albert Glatz). The advantages of these sail-shaped parasols
are, amongst others, their rectangular shape and the adaptability
to the position of the sun. Disadvantageous are the complicated
mounting of the separate fabric sheets onto the support rod or the
overlapping of the folded fabric sheet with the main hinge. It is
also disadvantageous that for the adjustment of the roof to follow
the variable path of the sun it is necessary to release and fix
again a plurality of locking devices. Also disadvantageous is the
weakness of the clamping action and the resulting insufficient wind
stability. In U.S. Pat. No. 1,865,106 A there is described a
two-legged protecting roof for a tractor vehicle having a flexible
roof surface, which is framed in longitudinal direction by fixed
battens and in transversal direction by steel wire ropes. The
support rod at the roof center is bent at the ends of the roof to
form fixed support legs. The struts for the opening and closing of
the roof are disposed in a staggered height arrangement. The
support struts are bent transversely to the opening/closing
movement direction, at one side thereof in a sliding manner by
means of tension-spring loaded slides on the support rod, whereas
at the other side thereof the support struts are pivotably
connected with the vertical lateral support legs with a height
distance from the horizontal support rod. In U.S. Pat. No.
5,390,685 A the protecting roof having reinforcement lugs is
plugged onto terminal pins of the non-foldable, plug-assembled
support frame. The pins and lugs do not have a mutual rotatability
function. Due to their oblique orientation, the pins would lose
their holding force upon rotation thereof.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to
eliminate the above mentioned weak points of the prior art and,
accordingly, to provide a solution by means of which the roof when
not in use can be packed together in a compact manner within the
outline of the opened roof by effecting a closing movement, whereby
the fabric sheet can be folded with parallel folding lines, and
which further allows actuating the hinge also when the roof is in a
folded state. In particular, the protecting roof shall be adaptable
by re-positioning in an easy and simple is manner to match changing
situations due to the sun's movement and due to particular wind
situations, in contrast to U.S. Pat. No. 1,865,106 A.
[0005] Advantageously, the protecting surface comprises corners and
the corners of the protecting surface are rotatably mounted to the
strut ends. Advantageously, the support rod has guiding grooves for
securing the slides against rotation. Moreover, it is advantageous
if the guiding grooves of the support rod include stopper pawls
defining the end positions of the slides. It is also advantageous
to have the slides include a tilting lever provided with a pawl and
a spring, which lever cooperates with a counter catch at the
support rod to hold the extended tensioning struts in their
position. The long tensioning struts are advantageously provided
with spring loaded extensions having the purpose of compensating
tension. In order to prevent an excessive stretching of parts of
the protecting surface, the outer ends of the long tensioning
struts in their folded state can be arranged in a recessed position
relative to the ends of the support rod. For an improved
reliability handling the struts can be provided with expander
springs or spacers. In order to prevent the protecting surface from
bending, e.g. due to wind, it can be provided at one or both sides
thereof from the adjustment hinge with additional attachments to
the support rod. To avoid any impairment upon movement of the
support rod, the additional attachments can be provided with a
protection ring. The aforementioned elements as well as those
claimed and described in the following exemplary embodiments, to be
used according to the invention, are not subject to any particular
conditions by way of exclusion in terms of their size, shape, use
of material and technical design, with the result that the
selection criteria known in the respective field of application can
be used without restrictions.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] Further details, advantages and features of the object of
the present invention will become apparent from the following
description and the corresponding drawings, in which a protecting
roof according to the present invention are illustrated by way of
example. In the drawings there are shown in:
[0007] FIG. 1 a schematic view of a parasol with a protecting roof
according to a first embodiment of the present invention with the
universal hinge, in the folded state, without rendering of the
protecting roof;
[0008] FIG. 2 a view of the parasol according to FIG. 1, in the
opened state with rendering of the protecting roof;
[0009] FIG. 3 a view of the parasol according to FIG. 1, in the
folded state, with rendering of the protecting roof;
[0010] FIG. 4 a perspective view of the operating elements of the
parasol according to FIGS. 1 to 3; with a universal hinge according
to a preferred exemplary embodiment of the present invention as
central element, wherein the support rod as well as the standing
rod are oriented in a vertical direction;
[0011] FIG. 5 view, wherein the support rod as well as the standing
rod are oriented in a vertical direction;
[0012] FIG. 6 a perspective view of the universal hinge according
to FIG. 4, wherein the support rod is oriented in a direction
rotated by 90.degree. from the standing rod; and
[0013] FIG. 7 a view of the universal hinge according to FIG. 4 as
an exploded view, wherein the support rod as well as the standing
rod again are oriented in a vertical direction.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0014] The parasol shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 and denoted as a whole as
2 comprises a standing rod 4 which in the present exemplary
embodiment comprises two pipe parts 6 and 8 that are telescopically
sliding into each other and which can be locked and released with a
first attachment device 9 provided with a first clamping handle
10.
[0015] At the upper end of the upper pipe part 8 there is arranged
a mount 20 comprising a hinge, which in the example shown is a
universal hinge, according to a preferred exemplary embodiment of
the present invention. Moreover, the parasol of FIG. 1 comprises a
support rod 22 which is depicted for the case of a horizontal
orientation and which is also disposed at the universal hinge.
[0016] In FIG. 4 there is shown the universal hinge which receives,
on the one side, the standing rod 4, namely the upper pipe part 8
of the standing rod, and, on the other side, the support rod 22,
both of which are rotatable and the support rod 22 is slidable when
the clamping handle 40 is released, and both of which are locked
when the clamping handle 40 of the universal hinge is locked.
Basically the universal hinge of this exemplary embodiment
comprises four functions which are all enabled when the clamping
handle 40 is released and which all are prevented when the clamping
handle 40 is locked, namely, the rotatability of the standing rod 4
about the universal hinge, the slidability of the support rod 22 in
the universal hinge, the rotatability of the support rod 22 about
its own axis in the universal hinge and also the rotatability of
the support rod 22 about the standing rod 4. In the exemplary
embodiment this is realized by means of form-fitting indentations
in two rotating disks 42 and 44 in the locked state. In an
alternative exemplary embodiment--which is not shown
separately--the locking of the rotatability of the support rod 22
against the standing rod 4 is provided in a force-fitting manner
preferably by having the rotating disks 42 and 44 for adjusting the
angle between the standing rod 4 and the support rod 22 to be
conically shaped. In a further alternative exemplary
embodiment--which is not shown separately--the locking of the
rotatability of the support rod 22 against the standing rod 4 is
provided as a mixed form- and force-fitting type by having the
rotating disks 42 is and 44 configured with a roughened
surface.
[0017] Due to the fact that in the proposed embodiment the hinge is
configured with two hinge halves with closed gripper clamps and
with two toothed rotating disks 42, 44 or--in the above mentioned
alternative embodiment, with conical or roughened-surface rotating
disks, respectively--and further with clamping bolts 46 and a
clamping handle 40, all of the directions of movement can be fixed
and released again with a single clamping handle 40. The clamping
action is stronger and the mounting task and the number of
components are reduced. In the present exemplary embodiment, the
universal hinge thus comprises substantially two hinge halves in
the form of rotating disks with integrated gripper clamps 43, 45
and a clamping bolt 46. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the
support rod 22 as well as the standing rod 4 have a circular outer
cross section. In alternative exemplary embodiments, the support
rod 22 and/or the standing rod 4 have an outer cross section
deviating therefrom. To nonetheless provide for rotatability of the
support rod 22 or the standing rod 4, the respective hinge part
comprises, in its gripper clamp part, adaptor elements to said
outer cross section. For this purpose, one can use an outer cross
section that is at least sectionwise oval or a polygonal outer
cross section with or without rounded corners, or a support rod
and/or standing rod can be inserted which comprises at least
sectionwise a longitudinal groove. In the exemplary embodiment as
shown in FIG. 5, mutually overlapping centering sleeves 48 are
arranged around the center of the rotating disks 42 and 44.
[0018] At both ends of the support rod 22, there are short support
struts 24, 24a articulately attached opposite to each other with
one end thereof, and with the other end thereof connected to hinges
in the central part of long tensioning struts 26, 26a. The long
tensioning struts 26, 26a are articulately connected at one end
thereof with slides 28 running on the support rod 22, whereas at
the outer ends of the tensioning struts 26, 26a there are attached
the corners 30, 30a of the flexible protecting surface 32. The two
slides 28 are slidable in opposite directions and are equipped with
a spring-loaded tilting lever 29 having claws that engage into a
catch when the roof is open. Upon actuating the tilting lever 29,
the sliders 28 are again released and can be slidingly pushed back.
This arrangement of the struts 24, 24a, 26, 26a has the effect that
the ends of the tensioning struts 26. 26a, which are connected with
the corners 30, 30a of the protecting surface 32, move almost
perpendicularly and linearly with respect to the support rod 22 and
that the protecting surface 32 is brought to a parallel folding 33,
thus allowing for unimpeded operation of the universal hinge also
when the roof is closed. Advantageously, the long tensioning struts
26, 26a are arranged in such manner that in their folded position
the outer ends thereof are arranged in a recessed position relative
to the ends of the support rod 22, so as to avoid excessive
stretching of the protecting surface 32 upon opening or closing
operation.
[0019] In the exemplary embodiment shown, the protecting surface 32
comprises corners 30, 30a, the corners 30, 30a of the protecting
surface 32 being rotatably mounted at the ends of the struts. For
opening and closing, a tilting lever 29 with claw 29a provided with
a spring is arranged in each of the slides 28 which holds the open
tensioning struts 26, 26a in position by engaging with a counter
catch at the support rod 22. The long tensioning struts 26, 26a are
provided with spring-loaded extensions for compensating tension.
The outer ends of the long tensioning struts 26, 26a in their
closed position are arranged in a recessed position relative to the
ends 22a of the support rod so as to avoid an excessive stretching
of parts of the protecting surface 32. In the present exemplary
embodiment, the struts are provided with spreading springs
(alternatively: with spacers). Moreover, the protecting surface 32
comprises additional attachments 25 to the support rod 22 at one or
both sides of the adjusting hinge, the support rod being provided
in each case with a protection ring 25a.
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS
[0020] 2 standing parasol [0021] 4 standing rod [0022] 6 lower pipe
part [0023] 8 upper pipe part [0024] 9 first attachment device
[0025] 10 first clamping handle [0026] 20 mount comprising a hinge
[0027] 22 support rod [0028] 22a support rod end [0029] 24 support
strut [0030] 24a support strut [0031] 25 additional attachments
[0032] 25a protection ring [0033] 26 tensioning strut [0034] 26a
tensioning strut [0035] 28 slide [0036] 29 tilting lever [0037] 30
corner [0038] 30a corner [0039] 32 protecting surface [0040] 33
folding [0041] 40 clamping handle of the universal hinge [0042] 42
rotating disk [0043] 43 integrated gripper clamp [0044] 44 rotating
disk [0045] 45 integrated gripper clamp [0046] 46 clamping bolt
[0047] 48 centering sleeve [0048] 49 centering sleeve
* * * * *