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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 60/287197, filed Apr. 27, 2001. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    The present invention relates generally to retractable awnings and more particularly to a manual deployment system for moving the awning from a retracted position to an extended position.  
           [0004]    2. Description of the Relevant Art  
           [0005]    Retractable awnings have been in use for many years, with early uses being primarily as covers for windows, doors and the like. More recently, retractable awnings have been designed for use on mobile structures such as recreational vehicles and mobile homes, and, accordingly, out of necessity, the awnings have needed to include more sophisticated systems of operation and for retaining the awnings in either retracted or extended positions. Further, awnings for recreational vehicles and mobile homes are fairly long so as to extend along a substantial portion of the side of the vehicle, and, accordingly, they are relatively heavy and are sometimes difficult to manipulate.  
           [0006]    In an effort to make deployment of the awning system easier, an automated awning system was developed and is disclosed in pending application Ser. No. 09/586,945, filed Jun. 2, 2000, for a Powered Retractable Awning, which is of common ownership with the present application and is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. The automated awning basically operates by having a motor that causes an awning roll bar to rotate in either direction thereby causing the awning sheet on the roll bar to either unroll and extend or roll and retract. While the automated awning overcomes problems inherent in other prior art systems, it is relatively expensive to manufacture due to the motorized automatic operation of the awning.  
           [0007]    In an effort to create a lower cost deployment system that still overcomes the shortcomings of prior art systems, a subsequent manual deployment system with easier deployment features was developed and is disclosed in pending U.S. provisional application Serial No. 60/253180, filed Nov. 27, 2000, for an Easy Deployment Retractable Awning, which is of common ownership with the present application and is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.  
           [0008]    The aforenoted Easy Deployment Retractable Awning is simply moved from its retracted to its extended position by pulling the awning roll bar away from the support surface causing the awning sheet to unwrap from the roll bar and the support arms and rafter arms to automatically deploy until the awning is fully extended. To pull the awning roll bar away from the support surface, one must manually grasp a pull-down strap on a center portion of the roll bar and pull downwardly causing the awning sheet to unwrap from the roll bar. However, both the height of the roll bar and the strength required to pull the roll bar downwardly are sometimes difficult tasks for the awning system user to undertake. The problem is further exacerbated by the fact that many recreational vehicles are owned and operated by elderly individuals who do not always have the strength of younger individuals, and many times the elderly have some difficulty in extending the awning.  
           [0009]    Accordingly, means for more easily extending a retractable awning from its retracted position would be desirable in the retractable awning industry.  
           [0010]    It is to overcome the shortcomings in prior art awning systems and to provide a dependable and easily undertaken means for extending a retractable awning that the present system has been developed.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0011]    The present invention relates to a system for more easily extending a typical retractable awning that includes a roll bar about which an awning sheet or canopy can be wrapped with one edge of the awning sheet being secured to a supporting surface and the other edge to the roll bar. A pair of support arms and rafter arms are operably supported on the support surface and connected to the roll bar in a manner so as to permit the roll bar to move between a retracted position adjacent to the support surface and an extended position displaced from the support surface.  
           [0012]    As the roll bar moves from the retracted to the extended position, the support arms automatically extend telescopically while the rafter arms unfold about an elbow member approximately midway along the length of the rafter arms. When the awning is fully deployed, it is retained in the extended position by lock mechanisms provided in the support arms and/or rafter arms.  
           [0013]    The present invention in its preferred embodiment includes a pull strap having a length and plurality of loops or pockets along its length. The strap includes two ends, a free end and an end adapted for connection to the roll bar. The system also includes a shaped or pre-contoured pull rod having two end segments and at least one intermediate handle or gripping segment between the end segments. At least one of the end segments of the rod is adapted for releasable connection to the free end of the strap. The pull strap is connected to the roll bar such that when the pull strap is pulled by the pull rod, the roll bar is caused to rotate thereby allowing the awning sheet to unroll from the roll bar.  
           [0014]    Other aspects, features, and details of the present invention can be more completely understood by reference to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, taken in conjunction with the drawings and from the appended claims. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1 is a front isometric view of a recreational vehicle with an awning system in its retracted position and a user connecting one end of the present invention pull rod with one end of the present invention pull strap.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2 is an enlarged cut-away view of the awning system awning sheet and the present invention pull strap and pull rod in FIG. 1.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a user with one hand on the end handle portion of the pull rod and a second hand on a second handle portion near the middle of the pull rod while the other end of the pull rod is connected with the pull strap (which is connected with the awning sheet roll).  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 4 is an isometric view of a user with one hand on the handle portion near the middle of the pull rod and a second hand grasping a portion of one layer of the pull strap between the end of the strap and a first point where the strap layers are joined (the strap is connected with the awning sheet roll).  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 5 is a front isometric view of a recreational vehicle with an awning system in its extended position and a user pulling a pull strap connected to the awning sheet roll of the awning system.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 6 is a section view taken along line  6 - 6  of FIG. 5.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the pull rod.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 8 is an enlarged front isometric view of the pull strap end that connects with the pull rod. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0023]    The system of the present invention finds usefulness in a retractable awning  10  of a type shown in FIGS. 1 and 5 mounted on the side  12  of a recreational vehicle  14  or other supporting surface. Awnings of this type are well known in the art with an example of such being described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,412, which is of common ownership with the present application and incorporated by reference herein. The awnings of this type include an awning sheet or canopy  16  that is secured along one edge to a supporting surface, such as the side wall  12  of the recreational vehicle or the like and an opposite edge which is secured to a roll bar  18  about which the canopy can be rolled when the awning is moved from an extended position (FIG. 5) to a retracted position (FIG. 1). The awning further includes a pair of support arms  20  having their outer ends rotatably connected to an associated end of the roll bar  18  and their inner ends pivotally mounted on support brackets adjacent to a lower edge of the side wall  12 . The support arms are typically telescopic in construction so that the length thereof can be extended or retracted as the awning is moved between extended and retracted positions. A pair of rafter arms  24  also support opposite ends of the roll bar  18  with the rafter arms having an inner end secured to brackets  26  on the side wall  12  adjacent a top edge thereof. The rafter arms are typically collapsible such as with the use of an elbow joint or the like (not shown) at a mid-point along their length. The roll bar is typically a tubular member having a plurality of longitudinally extending circumferentially spaced recesses  28  (FIG. 6) formed in its outer surface with one of those recesses (not seen) receiving and securing the outer edge of the awning sheet, another recess (not seen) receiving an edge of a valance  30  and another recess  31  (FIG. 6) receiving one end  32  of a pull strap  34  utilized by an operator in moving the awning from the retracted position of FIG. 1 to the extended position of FIG. 5.  
         [0024]    The connection of the pull strap  34  to the roll bar is best illustrated in FIG. 6 and as can be appreciated, when the awning is being retracted from the extended position of FIGS. 5 and 6 to the retracted position of FIG. 1, the pull strap is being wrapped around the roll bar along with the awning sheet  16  and valance  30  until the awning sheet, pull strap and valance are substantially fully wrapped around the roll bar  18 . When fully retracted, the opposite or free end  36  of the pull strap is exposed slightly as seen in FIG. 2 so that an operator of the awning can grasp the free end of the pull strap and, by pulling the pull strap downwardly and outwardly, extend the awning from the retracted position of FIG. 1 to the extended position of FIG. 5. As can be appreciated, as the awning is being extended, the pull strap is unwrapped from the roll bar.  
         [0025]    As might be appreciated, and as mentioned previously, awnings of this type are relatively heavy and can be cumbersome to operate particularly for elderly individuals. Accordingly, and in accordance with the present invention, the pull strap has been uniquely designed for cooperative use with a uniquely designed pull cane or rod  38 .  
         [0026]    The pull strap  34  has a length that is approximately the same as the depth of the awning sheet  16  and the strap may be made of an elongated strip of webbing or other non-elastic material which has been folded upon itself and stitched at  40 , or otherwise secured transversely, at longitudinally spaced locations as shown in FIG. 8 to define a plurality of adjacent pockets  42  along the length of the strap. The strap of course could be formed in many other manners consistently with the present invention such as a single strip of webbing could have loops of webbing or other materials (not shown) secured thereto or formed therefrom defining pockets at spaced intervals along the length of the strap.  
         [0027]    The pull rod or cane  38  is rigid and uniquely designed to have an outer end  44  adapted to be releasably connected to the pull strap, an inner end  46  adapted to be grasped by an operator of the awning and one or more intermediate gripping locations  48  (only one being illustrated) between the outer and inner ends of the pull rod. In the disclosed embodiment seen best in FIGS. 2 and 7, the outer and inner ends of the pull rod are relatively short segments and are parallel with each other and as illustrated are horizontally disposed when the rod is in use. The single intermediate gripping area or segment  48  of the pull rod is also parallel with the outer and inner segments and of approximately the same length. In between the outer segment and the intermediate gripping segment is a relatively long, straight outer connecting segment  50  that is disposed at an acute angle to the outer segment  44  and the gripping segment  48  and assumes approximately one-half of the overall length of the pull rod. An elongated, straight inner-connecting segment  52  extends from the inner end  46  of the rod to the intermediate gripping segment  48  so as to extend in parallel but longitudinally spaced relationship with the outer elongated connecting segment  50 . As will be appreciated with the description of the operation of the device hereafter, the pull rod  38  could be made with more than one intermediate gripping segment  48  by repeating the same pattern with connecting segments as described.  
         [0028]    In operation, as shown in FIGS.  1 - 5 , an operator of the system grips the inner segment  46  of the pull rod  38  and inserts the outer segment  44  of the pull rod into a loop  54  at the outer or free end  36  of the pull strap. The operator then pulls downwardly on the inner segment of the pull rod causing the awning and the pull strap to extend from the retracted position of FIG. 1 and after the pull strap has been partially extended along with the awning, the operator can use his other hand to grasp the intermediate gripping segment of the pull rod as shown in FIG. 3 and with further extension of the awning, the operators first hand can then be used to grip the free end  36  of the pull strap as in FIG. 4. From this position, the pull strap can be fully extended or unwrapped from the roll bar placing the roll bar in the position of FIGS. 5 and 6 and thereafter the awning can be locked in the extended position with conventional locks (not shown) on the support arms and/or rafter arms. The pull strap  34  can then be tucked between the roll bar  18  and the awning sheet  16  in an out of the way location or can be slid to one end or the other of the roll bar and draped over the adjacent rafter arm  24 , for example, to keep the pull strap in an out of the way location.  
         [0029]    It will be appreciated from the above that a system for deploying a retractable awning is simple in construction and easy to operate even for the elderly.  
         [0030]    In other embodiments of the pull strap (not shown), the strap could be configured from three or more layers of material with loops or pockets configured on only the exterior layers of the material. In another embodiment, the pull strap could be configured from one layer of material with only portions of a second layer attached to the surface of the first layer to create handle loops or pockets. As one skilled in the art will realize, many different embodiments are possible that would enable the user to pull the pull strap without having to overreach or use elevation means.  
         [0031]    Although a typical awning sheet manual extension system has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example, and changes in detail or structure may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Summary:
An awning sheet manual extension system includes a pull strap having a length and longitudinally spaced pockets. The strap includes two ends with one end being adapted for connection to a roll bar of an awning incorporating the pull strap. The system also includes a shaped pull rod having two end segments and at least one intermediate handle portion. At least one of the end segments of the rod is adapted for releasable connection with a free end of the strap. The pull strap is connected to the roll bar such that when the pull strap is pulled by the pull rod, the roll bar is causing to rotate thereby causing the awning sheet to unroll from the roll bar.