Abstract:
This assembly kit allows one to stand on the ground to tighten or loosen rafter knobs via a deployment arm with fittings to secure the 3-pointed or 5-pointed rafter knobs. Further, once erected, the present invention has a stabilizer bracket that is secured to the slider support within an awning support arm.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     This invention relates to a structure and method to securely open and close awnings.  
         [0002]     U.S. Pat. No. 6,382,293 discloses a tension assembly that locks a standard fluted roll bar. The &#39;293 patent is a strap-like structure that maintains tension in fluted roll bar awnings.  
         [0003]     U.S. Pat. No. 6,474,201 discloses a tool for attaching and removing swivel fittings. The &#39;201 patent will not work for triangular or star-shaped rafter knobs.  
         [0004]     Presently, people need to get up on chairs to screw or unscrew rafter knobs, also called manual fasteners to tighten awnings to keep the awning in an open position.  
         [0005]     Further, if the awning is open or up, during high winds, the slider support may be caused to move, causing the awning and support arms or slider supports to move, possibly damaging the awning, support arms, or slider supports.  
         [0006]     As can be seen, there is a need for an assembly that can be used to manually tighten or loosen rafter knobs and the sliders of fold-out awnings, and to further secure the sliders in both an axial direction and transverse direction to prevent damage from awnings that fold out, and encounter high winds.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     An awning assembly kit, comprising: a deployment arm ( 10 ) having a handle ( 38 ) at one end, and a manual fastener grip ( 14 ) at the other end; and a stabilizer bracket ( 200 ) having two opposed side faces ( 204 ), a top face ( 208 ) extending to a rear end ( 210 ) and a front end ( 211 ), a rear face ( 212 ) extending downwardly from said rear end ( 210 ), a bottom face ( 216 ) extending in the direction of said front end ( 211 ) and said bottom face ( 216 ) substantially parallel with said top face ( 208 ) terminating at an angled face ( 220 ), said angled face extending angularly toward said front end ( 211 ) to a first leg ( 225 ) of a U-shaped surface ( 224 ), the U-shaped surface has an opposed second leg ( 226 ) that is oriented substantially parallel with said first leg ( 225 ), said second leg ( 226 ) extending downwardly beyond said first leg ( 225 ) to a straight lock face ( 228 ), said straight lock face ( 228 ) extending forwardly to a beveled lock face ( 232 ), said beveled lock face ( 232 ) extending from said straight lock face ( 228 ) to a tip ( 209 ) of said front end ( 211 ), said stabilizer bracket ( 200 ) having a bolt aperture ( 244 ) extending substantially linearly through said stabilizer bracket ( 200 ) from said top face ( 208 ) to said bottom face ( 216 ), said bolt aperture ( 244 ) having an axis that is disposed substantially perpendicular with said top face ( 208 ).  
         [0008]     A method of opening and securing an awning, comprising the steps of: securing a manual fastener grip ( 14 ) of a deployment arm ( 10 ) around an awning manually controllable fastener whereby said manual fastener grip ( 14 ) can rotate the manually controllable fastener; and fixing a stabilizer bracket ( 200 ) against a rafter slider support ( 300 ).  
         [0009]     Yet another aspect is an awning slider securing apparatus, comprising: a stabilizer bracket ( 200 ) having two opposed side faces ( 204 ), a top face ( 208 ) extending to a rear end ( 210 ) and a front end ( 211 ), a rear face ( 212 ) extending downwardly from said rear end ( 210 ), a bottom face ( 216 ) extending in the direction of said front end ( 211 ) and said bottom face ( 216 ) substantially parallel with said top face ( 208 ) terminating at an angled face ( 220 ), said angled face extending angularly toward said front end ( 211 ) to a first leg ( 225 ) of a U-shaped surface ( 224 ), the U-shaped surface has an opposed second leg ( 226 ) that is oriented substantially parallel with said first leg ( 225 ), said second leg ( 226 ) extending downwardly beyond said first leg ( 225 ) to a straight lock face ( 228 ), said straight lock face ( 228 ) extending forwardly to a beveled lock face ( 232 ), said beveled lock face ( 232 ) extending from said straight lock face ( 228 ) to a tip ( 209 ) of said front end ( 211 ), said stabilizer bracket ( 200 ) having a bolt aperture ( 244 ) extending substantially linearly through said stabilizer bracket ( 200 ) from said top face ( 208 ) to said bottom face ( 216 ), said bolt aperture ( 244 ) having an axis that is disposed substantially perpendicular with said top face ( 208 ).  
         [0010]     These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]      FIG. 1  is a pictorial of the awning deployment arm;  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is a pictorial of an exemplar embodiment of an awning manual faster grip;  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  is a pictorial of an exemplar embodiment of an awning manual fastener grip;  
         [0014]      FIG. 4  is a first pictorial of an exemplar of a stabilizer block;  
         [0015]      FIG. 4A  is a second pictorial of an exemplar of the stabilizer block;  
         [0016]      FIG. 5  is a pictorial of the present invention in an operating environment. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0017]     The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.  
         [0018]      FIG. 1  illustrates a deployment arm  10 . The deployment arm  10  has a handle  38  secured at a first end  34 , and a manual fastener grip  14  secured at a second end  30 .  
         [0019]     The manual fastener grip  14  has a substantially cylindrical shaped head  22  having a distal face  26  on one side and a proximal face  18  on the other. Extending inwardly from the distal face  26  is a sidewall  46 , which may terminate at a  3 -point head surface  44 . In one exemplar the sidewall  46  has  3  a center axis  40 , having  3  substantially equilaterally disposed radii  100 . In one exemplar, said substantially equilaterally disposed radii  100  are connected by sidewall  46  that is defined by three different radii generated about three equilateral points  110  disposed radially outside of said distal face  26 .  
         [0020]     In one exemplar the manual fastener grip  14  has a 3-point grip structure  42  to grip manual fasteners that are triangular, or triangular-like in shape, as also illustrated in  FIG. 3 .  FIG. 2  illustrates a 5-point grip structure  62 .  
         [0021]     As illustrated in  FIGS. 1, 2 , and  3 , the manual fastener grip  14  can have either a 3-point grip structure  42  or a 5-point grip structure  62 . In one exemplar, the manual fastener grip  14  is removable to allow the removal of, for example, the 3-point grip structure  42 , for replacement with the 5-point grip structure  62 . This can be done by many different structures, one of which may be an axle  76  that is received by a bore  64  that extends through the center axis  40 ,  66  of the cylindrical shaped head  22 . The axle  76  may have a head  78  at one end and a locking pin  80  near the other end. The head  78  may have a diameter that is larger than that of the bore  64  to prevent the axle  76  from sliding though the bore  76 . The depressible locking pin  80  may be received by a pin aperture  92  that is disposed near the second end  30 .  
         [0022]     In one exemplar, the deployment arm  10  is about  41 ″ long, the head  22  has a diameter of about 2 9/16″, and a height of about 1 ½″.  
         [0023]      FIGS. 4 and 4 A illustrate a stabilizer block  200 . In one exemplar the stabilizer block  200  has two opposed side faces  204  disposed about ¾″ apart, which also defines the thickness of the stabilizer block  200 . The stabilizer block or stabilizer  200  has a top face  208  extending to a rear end  210  and a front end  211 . A rear face  212  extending downwardly from the rear end  210  of the top face  208 . Said rear face  212  is oriented substantially perpendicular to the top face  208 . A bottom face  216  extends away from said rear face  212 , and the bottom face is oriented substantially parallel to the top face  208 .  
         [0024]     Extending forwardly and upwardly from the bottom face  216  is an angled face  220 , which terminates in an upside-down-U-shaped surface  224 . In one exemplar the angle between the angled face  232  and the top face  208  is about  360 . Thus the upside-down-U-shaped surface  224  has a first leg  225  that is closer to the rear face  212  than the second leg  226 . Both legs  225 ,  226  are substantially parallel with one another. The second leg  226  extends downwardly beyond first leg  225 . The second leg  226  extending downwardly to terminate in a straight lock face  228 . The straight lock face  228  extending forwardly to terminate to a beveled lock face  232 . The beveled lock face  228  terminates to meet with the front end  211  of the top face  208 .  
         [0025]     In one embodiment the beveled lock face  232  is disposed at an angle of about 47° with respect with the top face  208 .  
         [0026]     In one exemplar the block  200  has a top face that is about 4 7/16″ long, the rear face  212  is about 1 ¾″ long, the bottom face  216  is about 1 7/32″ long, the angled face  220  is about 1 ⅜″ long, the opposed legs  225 ,  226  of the upside down U-shaped surface  224  is are separated by a distance of about 13/32″, the straight lock face  228  is about ½″ long, the beveled lock face  232  is about 1 11/16″ long.  
         [0027]     The block  200  may have a locking bolt aperture  224  extending from the bottom face  216  to the top face  208 , and the locking bolt aperture  224  is disposed near the rear face  212 . In one exemplar the locking bolt aperture extends substantially normal to both the top face  208  and the bottom face  216 .  
         [0028]     A locking bolt  236  may extend through the locking bolt aperture  224 , having its head adjacent the top face  208 , and a threaded portion extending downwardly therethrough.  
         [0029]     In operation, the deployment arm  10  is manually manipulated to secure the grip structure  42 ,  62  to a rafter knob, also called a manually controllable fastener that tightens or loosens the awning support arms. When the appropriate grip structure  42 ,  62  is secured to the manually controllable fastener, the deployment arm  10  can be turned to loosen or tighten the manually controllable fastener.  
         [0030]     In operation the block beveled lock face  232  and straight lock face  228  is disposed in substantially continuous contact with the rafter slider support  300 . While at the desired location the stabilizer block  200  may be secured to the lower support arm  400  by a hole  410  in the lower support arm. The hole  410  is aligned to receive the locking bolt  236 , whereby a wing nut  240  may throatily engage with the locking bolt  236  to secure the stabilizer block  200  in place, and thus prevent the rafter slider support from moving.  
         [0031]     It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.