TAPE DRIVE EXTENDABLE AND RETRACTABLE AWNING ASSEMBLY

Abstract: A tape-driven extendable and retractable awning assembly wherein a sprocket-driven apertured tape (14) is operatively connected to the leading end of an awning (8) adjacent the opposite lateral edges of the awning. The apertured driving tapes are guided in channel members (18) housed in frames (1) positioned in proximity to the lateral edges of the awning, and each frame is provided with a weather seal (28) to prevent dirt and dust from accummulating in the guide channels and apertured tapes.

Description: TAPE DRIVE EXTENDABLE AND RETRACTABLE AWNING ASSEMBLY This invention relates to an extendable and retract¬ able awning assembly for covering and shading patios, side walk restaurants, solar greenhouses, and the like from the elements, and to an improved combination of support frame and drive for selectively extending and retracting the awning assembly to provide the desired shading from solar radiation or protection from rain or the like. Background of the Invention Various support frame and drive assemblies have been proposed for moving fabric covers or the like as a cover¬ ing, examples of which are disclosed in US-A-2,140,220, US-A-2,668,586, US-A-4,424,685, and US-A-4,606,157. The support frame and drive assemblies disclosed in the first three of the above-mentioned patents for extending and retracting a cover or curtain, utilise endless loop sprocket chains, belts or cables connected to motor drives and to the cover for extending and retracting the covers. The drive systems in these patents are rather bulky, and the parallel flights of the endless drive chains, belts or cables are spaced apart a substantial distance from each other, thus requiring a substantial amount of space with support for the endless loop drive at opposite ends, which makes the arrangement too bulky from an aesthetic standpoint for use in framing for an awning system over the top of a patio, sidewalk restaurant, or attached over the top of a greenhouse, or the like. No support is provided for the endless loop drives throughout their lengths, and it is difficult to maintain the endless loops in tension at both sides of the awning member to evenly drive both sides of the awning member simultaneously to prevent cocking and binding of the leading edge of the awning member or covering, and the structures do not allow an awning to go around a curve. The last mentioned Patent 4,606,157 discloses a cur¬ tain or shade for drawing across the inside of a green¬ house. In order to overcome the drawbacks of bulky endless loop drive systems, the opposite lateral edges of the shade are guided in track channels, which creates a sub¬ stantial amount of friction drag. Cables are connected to the opposite front sides of the shade, and are guided in the same track channels as the shade edges, and extend forwards from the shade and are wound onto respective con- stant torque spring loaded rollers at the far end of the shade support frame members. However, this system also has drawbacks, since, as the shade is rolled from the roller, each lateral edge and forward cable has friction drag on it in the respective guide channels, which drag may be different for opposite edges, due to dust, dirt, etc. built-up in the channels. Also, the torque of the spring loaded rollers can change with age, thus giving a different pull to opposite front edges of the shade, caus¬ ing the shade to bind in the guide channels. US-A-4,414,778 discloses a garage door operator which includes a flexible, elongated tape within relatively rigid, elongated guide rails mounted in a garage. The tape has two runs which are longitudinally disposed each in guide channel in the guide rail. A drive wheel is in posi- tive drive engagement with the tape for driving a carrage connected to the garage door along the guide rail for opening and closing the door. US-A-4,934,437 discloses a flexible curtain for a concertina-type door. The curtain assembly includes a strip of flexible material running along eanch of the side edges of the curtain in order to provide draft-proofing for the door under all normal conditions. The door is opened and closed by means of tapes attached at one end to a drawbar and at the other end to a roller on a rotatable drive shaft. US-A-5,016,701 discloses a window shade conveyor system for use with a window assembly having parallel frame members supporting a window pane therebetween. A shade roller is rotatably disposed between the frame members at an upper portion thereof. A window shade is wound on the shade roller and adapted to be unwound to cover the window pane between the frame members. A number of adjacent window shades are operated simultaneously by means of a continuous drive shaft and gearings between the drive shaft and each roller to impart rotary motion to the rollers to wind or unwind the window shades. A conveyor assembly is supported by each of the frame members, and this conveyor assembly includes a rotatable driving member engaged with the drive shaft. An idler is supported at a portion of the frame member distal to the driving member. A continuous conveyor belt is mounted between the driving member and the idler to form a continuous loop, whereby rotation of the driving member causes the conveyor belt to translate around the loop. The window shades are supported at their lateral edges by the conveyor belts at consecu¬ tive frame members. A relationship is maintained between the motion of the conveyor belt and the motion of the win¬ dow shade so that the linear motion of the conveyor belt assists the window shade as it unwinds from the shade roller. While the support frame and drive assemblies shown in the prior art have generally been satisfactory for their intended purpose, at least for a certain length of time, none has solved the problem of how to provide a compact, strong support frame and compact drive assembly having a commonly driven drive assembly for the opposite lateral edges of an awning, which stays in synchronisation for constant even extension and retraction of the front edge of the awning, without cocking or binding, and which is substantially resistant to outside weather conditions and which keeps the awning stretched to counteract slack in the extended awning. Summary of the Invention After considerable research and experimentation, the support frame and tape-drive system of the present inven¬ tion have been devised to overcome the above-noted disad- vantages experienced heretofore in prior extendable and retractable awning systems. A loop of flexible plastic tape, preferably having two free ends and having spaced apertures throughout its length, is looped around a tooth¬ ed or sprocket drive member of the type disclosed in US-A- 4,520,669 and US-A-4,643,701 for operating a garage door, so that the teeth on the sprocket drive member engage into the apertures on the tape. A drive sprocket is mounted on each end of a drive shaft connected to a drive motor, and an apertured tape is looped around each of the drive sprockets. The apertured tapes are guided in extended channels provided in support frames positioned adjacent the lateral edges of the awning. The leading edge of the awning is connected to a drawbar having its opposite ends connected to a respective tape, preferably a free end thereof, and the trailing edge of the awning is connected to an awning roll on the drive shaft with the two drive sprockets. Preferably, the leading edge of the awning is connected to a roll mounted on the drawbar concentric thereto, a torsion spring having one end being connected to the drawbar and an opposite end connected to the roll for keeping the awning stretched. A seal assembly is pro¬ vided between the support frames and the lateral edges of the awning to prevent dirt, dust and other debris from entering the frame members housing the guide channels. By this construction and arrangement, an awning ex¬ tension and retraction assembly is provided which is com¬ pact, having a commonly driven drive assembly for the opposite lateral edges of the awning, which stays in synchronisation for constant, even extension and retraction of the awning, without cocking or binding, and which is substantially resistant to outside weather conditions. Brief Description of the Drawings Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the extendable and retract¬ able tape-drive awning assembly of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a lateral elevational view of the awning support frame assembly taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical, fragmentary, fore-shortened, cross- sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken sub- stantially along line 3-3 of Fig. 1 and showing the awning support frame assembly and tape drive mecha¬ nism; Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal cross-sectional view, partly schematic, taken substantially along line 4-4 of Fig, 1, and showing the common tape drive and awning roll assembly; Fig. 5 is an enlarged longitudinal, cross-sectional view taken substantially along line 5-5 of Fig. 2 and showing the awning drawbar assembly and its connection to the drive tapes; Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along line 6-6 of Fig. 5 and showing the spring loading mechanism of the drawbar; Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view, partly in longitu- dinal cross-section, showing the connection of a frame cross member to the end frame member, the view being taken in the direction of arrow A in Fig. 3; Fig. 8 is a schematic view of the tape-drive assembly at opposite ends of the awning; and Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a fragmentary portion of the tape used for the tape drive, specifically showing the stationary tape and the connection to the awning drawbar. Description of The Preferred Embodiment Referring to the drawings and in particul to Figs 1, 2 and 5, the extendable and retractable tape-drive awning assembly of the present invention comprises a pair of laterally spaced frame members 1 having their opposite ends secured to a building 2 as at 3, and to the ground 4 as at 5. The medial portion of each frame member 1 is cut so that the frames can be bent to provide a curved sectio 6, and a plurality of transversely extending frame member 7 interconnect the laterally spaced frame member 1 to thereby provide a rigid frame assembly for supporting an awning 8 positioned in the space between the frames 1. Th leading edge of the awning is connected to a drawbar 9, and the trailing edge of the awning is connected to a rol on a drive shaft 10 positioned in proximity to the building 2 and connected to a drive motor 11. The awning 8 is moved from the retracted or stored position to the extended position by a tape-drive assembl 12 mounted on each end of the drive shaft 10. As will be seen in Figs. 2, 4 and 8, each tape-drive assembly com¬ prises a sprocket 13 fixed to the drive shaft 10 and hav¬ ing a flexible apertured tape 14 provided with a loop portion 15 extending around the sprocket 13 and a pair of free end portions 16. As will be seen in Figs 5 and 8, each end of the drawbar has a sprocket 17 fixed thereto and engageable with the lower run of the looped tape 14. By this construction and arrangement, when the motor 11 i energised to extend the awning off the roll, the drive shaft 10 drives the sprockets 13 in the direction of the arrows as shown in Fig. 8*,to move the sprockets 17 and the associated drawbar 9 and awning downwardly along the frame member 1. In order to guide the apertured tapes 14 in their movement, each frame 1 houses an extruded channel member 18, and another extruded channel member 19 is mounted in each frame 1 for supporting a fixed length of apertured tape 20 along which the sprocket 17 rolls during the ex¬ tension and retraction of the awning 8. The channel mem- bers 18 and 19 extend throughout the length of the frames 1 so that the flexible apertured tapes 14 are guided through the extent of their travel during the retraction and extension of the awning 8. As will be seen in Fig. 4, the trailing end of the awning 8 is connected to a roll 21 fixed to the drive shaft 10, and, as will be seen in Figs 5 and 6, the lead¬ ing edge 22 of the awning 8 is connected to a roll 23 connected to the drawbar 9 by a pair of spiral torsion springs 24, each having one end 25 connected to the draw¬ bar 9 and the other end 26 connected to an end wall 27 secured to the end of the roll 23 and through which the drawbar 9 extends. By this construction and arrangement, as the sprockets 17 and the associated drawbar 9 are rotated during the extension of the awning 8, the torsion springs 24 will tend to wind up and then unwind, to thereby rotate the roll 23 forwards, whereby any slack in the awning 8 will be taken up by winding a portion of the awning around the roll 23, as shown in Fig. 6. The slack in the awning is caused by the difference in diameter of the roll 21 from which the awning is unrolled by the motor, and the diameters of the sprockets 13 driving the tapes 14 which move the drawbar 3 forwards. The awning leaves the storage roll 21 at a faster rate than the tapes 14 are driven forwards. To prevent dust, dirt and other debris from entering and accumulating in the frames 1, the channels 18, 19, the apertured tapes 14 and 20 and the sprockets 17, a split, resilient curtain 28 is provided on the inward side of each frame 1. The split portion of the curtain overlaps to the closed position as shown in Fig. 4, but are forced to the open position, as shown in Fig. 5, to allow the passage of the drawbar 9. From the above description, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the tape-drive extendable and retractable awning assembly provides an improved awn¬ ing system which is compact since the one motor 11 drives both sprockets 13 on each end of the drive shaft 10, which in turn extends and retracts the apertured tapes 14 connected to the leading edge of the awning 8 on each side thereof and guided in the channels 18, thereby maintaining synchronization for constant, even extension and retrac- tion of the awning, without cocking or binding, and with the provision of the seals 28, it is substantially resis¬ tant to outside weather conditions. The embodiment described above and shown in the draw- ings is currently preferred and uses two apertured drive tapes each having two ends. However, it is within the sco¬ pe of the present invention to use two endless drive tapes guided and arranged as in the embodiment shown but traveling over an end roll or end sprocket at the end of the frame members distal to the drive shaft 10. However, the use of tapes having two ends, as shown, is more conve¬ nient since it is then not necessary to exactly adapt the length of and endless tape loop to the total length of each frame member. As mechanical drive tapes used in the embodiment discribed use may be made of tapes obtained from Du Pont Company, Wilmington, Delaware, USA under the trademark DYMETROL ®. Such mechanical drive tapes are frequently used for tape-driven window regulators, motorised shoulder harnesses in cars, linear indexing and in garage door openers. The terms and expression which have been employed herein are used as terms of description and not of limita¬ tion, and there is no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any equivalents of the fea¬ tures shown and described or portions thereof, but it is recognised that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

Claims: Claims 1. A tape drive extendable and retractable awning as sembly comprising a pair of parallel, laterally spaced frames (1), a transversely extending drive shaft (10) ex- tending between said frames, the trailing edge of an awn¬ ing (8) being operatively connected to said drive shaft (10), a sprocket (13) fixed to said drive shaft (10) in proximity to each lateral edge of said awning, an apertur ed drive tape (14) looped around each drive sprocket (13) and forming a pair of leg portions extending outwardly therefrom, guide means (18) in the frames (1) supporting said leg portions of each of said drive tapes (14), one o the leg portions of each tape being at a point distant from the drive sprocket (13) operatively connected to the leading edge of said awning (8), said two leg portions which are operatively connected to the leading edge of said awning, being coextensive with said awning throughou the extension and retraction of said awning, whereby a commonly driven drive assembly for opposite lateral edges of the awning is provided which stays in synchronisation for constant, even extension and retraction of the awning. 2. An awning assembly according to claim 1, wherein the leading edge of said awning (8) is operatively con¬ nected to said leg portions of each tape by means of a drawbar (9) with which the awning is connected, and also an idler sprocket (17) mounted on each end of the drawbar. 3. An awning assembly according to claim 2, wherein fixed length of apertured tape (20) is supported in each frame (1), said idler sprockets (17) being in engagement with and running along said fixed lengths of apertured tapes (17) during extension and retraction of the awning. 4. An awning assembly according to claim 2 or 3, wherein a roll (23) is rotably mounted on the drawbar (9) and connected thereto by torsion spring means (24) having one end (25) connected to the drawbar (9) and the other end (26) connected to the roll (23) such that the torsion spring means (24) will take up any slack in the awning (8) by winding a portion of the awning around said roll (23). 5. An awning assembly according to claim 2 or 3, wherein a roll (23) is mounted on the drawbar (9) con¬ centric thereto, and a torsion spring (24) having one end connected to the drawbar and the opposite end connected to the roll, the leading end of the awning (8) being connect¬ ed to the roll (23), whereby upon extension of the awning (8) the drawbar (9) and associated idler sprockets (17) rotate to wind up the torsion spring (24) which subse¬ quently unwinds to wind the leading edge of the awning on the roll (23) to thereby take up slack in the awning to maintain the awning taut during the extension and retrac¬ tion thereof. 6. An awning assembly according to any preceeding claim, wherein said guide means (18) comprises an extended channel member mounted in each frame (1), the leg portions of the drive tapes (14) being slidably mounted in said channel. 7. An awning assembly according to claim 6, wherein a second extended channel member (19) is mounted in each of the frames (1), the fixed apertured tape (20) being mount¬ ed in said second channel member, and the idler sprockets (17) on each end of said drawbar (9) engaging the fixed apertured tape. 8. An awning assembly according to claim 7, wherein the first and second channel members (18, 19) extend sub¬ stantially the full the length of the frames (1), whereby the drive tapes (14) are supported through the extent of travel of the awning (8) between the retracted and extend¬ ed positions. 9. An awning assembly according to any preceeding claim, wherein a roll (21) is fixed to the drive shaft (10), and the trailing end of said awning (8) being con¬ nected to said roll. 10. An awning assembly according to any preceeding claim, in which said guide means (18) are connected in said frames (1) adjacent each lateral edge of said awning (8) and are coextensive with the maximum extension length of said awning. 11. An awning assembly according to any preceeding claim, wherein the drive tapes (14) have free end por¬ tions, the drive sprocket (13) on each end of said drawba (9) engaging one of the free end portions of each drive tape. 12. An awning assembly according to claims 1, com¬ prising a pair of parallel, laterally spaced frames (1), transversely extending drive shaft (10) extending between said frames, an awning (8) wound on a roll (21) and havin opposite lateral edges and a leading edge, a drive sprock et (13) fixed to said drive shaft in proximity to each la teral edge of said awning, an apertured drive tape (14) looped around each drive sprocket (13) and forming a pair of leg portions extending outwardly therefrom and having free end portions, guide means (18) in said frames (1) supporting said leg portions and said free end portions o each of said drive tapes (14), one of the free end por¬ tions of each drive tape being operatively connected to the leading edge of said awning (8) and being substantial ly adjacent to the leading edge of said awning throughout the extension and retraction of said awning, and the leg portions of said free end portions operatively connected to said leading edge being coextensive with said awning throughout the extension and retraction of said awning, whereby a commonly driven drive assembly for opposite lateral edges of the awning is provided which stays in synchronisation for constant, even extension and retrac¬ tion of the awning. AMENDED CLAIMS [received by the International Bureau on 17 March 1994 (17.03.94); original claim 1 amended; other claims unchanged (3 pages)]. 1. A tape drive extendable and retractable awning as sembly comprising a pair of parallel, laterally spaced frames (1), a transversely extending drive shaft (10) ex- tending between said frames, a trailing edge of an awning (8) being operatively connected to said drive shaft (10), a sprocket (13) fixed to said drive shaft (10) in proxi¬ mity to each lateral edge of said awning, an apertured drive tape (14) looped around each drive sprocket (13) an forming a pair of leg portions extending outwardly there¬ from and having free end portions, guide means (18) in th frames (1) supporting said leg portions of each of said drive tapes (14), said awning having a leading edge, one of the free end portions of each tape being operatively connected to the leading edge of said awning (8) and bein substantially adjacent to the leading edge of said awning throughout the extension and retraction of said awning, and the free end portion of the tapes, which is opera¬ tively connected to the leading edge of said awning (8), being coextensive with said awning thoughout the extensio and retraction of said awning, whereby a commonly driven drive assembly for opposite lateral edges of the awning i provided which stays in synchronisation for constant, eve extension and retraction of the awning. 2. An awning assembly according to claim 1, wherein the leading edge of said awning (8) is operatively con¬ nected to said leg portions of each tape by means of a drawbar (9) with which the awning is connected, and also an idler sprocket (17) mounted on each end of the drawbar 3. An awning assembly according to claim 2, wherein fixed length of apertured tape (20) is supported in each frame (1), said idler sprockets (17) being in engagement with and running along said fixed lengths of apertured tapes (17) during extension and retraction of the awning. 4. An awning assembly according to claim 2 or 3, wherein a roll (23) is rotably mounted on the drawbar (9) and connected thereto by torsion spring means (24) having one end (25) connected to the drawbar (9) and the other end (26) connected to the roll (23) such that the torsion spring means (24) will take up any slack in the awning (8) by winding a portion of the awning around said roll (23). 5. An awning assembly according to claim 2 or 3, wherein a roll (23) is mounted on the drawbar (9) con¬ centric thereto, and a torsion spring (24) having one end connected to the drawbar and the opposite end connected t the roll, the leading end of the awning (8) being connect¬ ed to the roll (23), whereby upon extension of the awning (8) the drawbar (9) and associated idler sprockets (17) rotate to wind up the torsion spring (24) which subse¬ quently unwinds to wind the leading edge of the awning on the roll (23) to thereby take up slack in the awning to maintain the awning taut during the extension and retrac- tion thereof. 6. An awning assembly according to any preceeding claim, wherein said guide means (18) comprises an extended channel member mounted in each frame (1), the leg portions of the drive tapes (14) being slidably mounted in said channel. 7. An awning assembly according to claim 6, wherein a second extended channel member (19) is mounted in each of the frames (1), the fixed apertured tape (20) being mount¬ ed in said second channel member, and the idler sprockets (17) on each end of said drawbar (9) engaging the fixed apertured tape. 8. An awning assembly according to claim 7, wherein the first and second channel members (18, 19) extend sub¬ stantially the full the length of the frames (1), whereby the drive tapes (14) are supported through the extent of travel of the awning (8) between the retracted and extend¬ ed positions. 9. An awning assembly according to any preceeding claim, wherein a roll (21) is fixed to the drive shaft (10), and the trailing end of said awning (8) being con¬ nected to said roll. 10. An awning assembly according to any preceeding claim, in which said guide means (18) are connected in said frames (1) adjacent each lateral edge of said awning (8) and are coextensive with the maximum extension length of said awning. 11. An awning assembly according to any preceeding claim, wherein the drive tapes (14) have free end por¬ tions, the drive sprocket (13) on each end of said drawbar (9) engaging one of the free end portions of each drive tape. 12. An awning assembly according to claims 1, com¬ prising a pair of parallel, laterally spaced frames (1), a transversely extending drive shaft (10) extending between said frames, an awning (8) wound on a roll (21) and having opposite lateral edges and a leading edge, a drive sprock¬ et (13) fixed to said drive shaft in proximity to each la¬ teral edge of said awning, an apertured drive tape (14) looped around each drive sprocket (13) and forming a pair of leg portions extending outwardly therefrom and having free end portions, guide means (18) in said frames (1) supporting said leg portions and said free end portions of each of said drive tapes (14), one of the free end por¬ tions of each drive tape being operatively connected to the leading edge of said awning (8) and being substantial- ly adjacent to the leading edge of said awning throughout the extension and retraction of said awning, and the leg portions of said free end portions operatively connected to said leading edge being coextensive with said awning throughout the extension and retraction of said awning, whereby a commonly driven drive assembly for opposite lateral edges of the awning is provided which stays in synchronisation for constant, even extension and retrac¬ tion of the awning.

Inventors: MAARTENSSON OLOF, MAARTENSSON, OLOF
Applicants: AWNINGS UNLIMITED INC, MAARTENSSON OLOF, AWNINGS UNLIMITED INC., MAARTENSSON, OLOF
Application year: 1993
Main classification: E06B9
IPC codes: E04F10, E06B9