Patent Publication Number: US-2023151635-A1

Title: Terrace canopy

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a terrace canopy comprising a beam that is constructed from a set of profiles. 
     STATE OF THE ART 
     Such terrace canopies are usually set up to screen off or clear an outdoor area. For instance, such screen devices are often set up near houses, restaurants, shops, etc. to screen off an outdoor terrace or the like from sunlight, precipitation and/or wind, or conversely, to temporarily allow in sunlight. These terrace canopies can be implemented, for example, in the form of awnings, pergolas, verandas, carports, a pavilion, etc. 
     Such a terrace canopy typically comprises a roof frame that is at least partially supported by columns. Exceptionally, the roof frame may also be supported by another roof construction. The roof frame is generally constructed of several beams that are composed into one or more frames into which a roof infill can be attached. The beams themselves are often a composition of a plurality of individual profiles. Such a roof frame is typically supported by four (or more) columns between which a wall infill may be provided. Likewise, less columns may be used in case the roof frame is supported by other structures, such as a wall of an already existing structure. 
     The roof infill may be stationary or movable, for example, a retractable roof. The roof infill of a retractable roof may, for instance, consist of a rollable cloth or screen, slats that rotate around their axis, or of segments that can slide over each other. The segments may be panels that are partly made of (laminated) glass or plastic, such as PC or PMMA. Depending on the choice of material, the light transmission and robustness of the roof may be adjusted to the desired application. The wall infill can also be stationary or movable. Examples are a rollable cloth or screen or movable, i.e. slidable or foldable, panels. 
     Furthermore, various types of columns have already been developed that also include other functions in addition to their general support function. For example, the columns may be adapted to also provide supply cables to electrical equipment and/or to include drainage tubes for discharging precipitation and/or to comprise guide profiles for a screen. Preferably, the column should be able to encompass all of the abovementioned functions and also be finished on the outside as aesthetically as possible. 
     A known problem with such a terrace canopy is the amount of customization and/or the number of standard components that may be required to provide sufficient variation in the construction possibilities of the terrace canopy. 
     BE 2014/0015 discloses a terrace canopy comprising a beam having a top side, bottom side, inner side and outer side, which beam is constructed from a set of profiles. The set comprises a beam profile provided to serve as a beam of the terrace canopy. A beam-finishing profile, i.e. a front cover, is attached to the beam profile by means of a first connection means provided on the beam profile. 
     However, it has been found that the set disclosed in BE 2014/0015 still offers too little the possibility for an integration of the many different types of side wall infill that are common with terrace canopies. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a set of profiles for constructing a terrace canopy that can be used in more variations of the terrace canopy. 
     This object is achieved in that the set further comprises: a first spacer profile provided with a second connection means and a third connection means ; a second spacer profile different from the first spacer profile and provided with said second connection means and fourth connection means, the first and second connection means configured together for attaching one of said spacer profiles to the beam profile ; a first beam-finishing profile connected to the first spacer profile by the third connection means, the first beam-finishing profile having an outwardly facing surface located at a first distance from said upright wall; and a second beam-finishing profile connected to the second spacer profile by the fourth connection means, the second beam-finishing profile having an outwardly facing surface located at a second distance from said upright wall, wherein said beam is constructed of at least the beam profile, the first spacer profile and the first beam-finishing profile or of at least the beam profile, the second spacer profile and the second beam-finishing profile and wherein the first distance and the second distance are different. 
     Providing several, mutually different, spacer profiles allows to place the beam-finishing profile, namely the front cover, at different distances from the upright wall and the beam profile. In other words, the width of the beam can be varied, which benefits the variation in functionality. In particular, the width of the beam can be adjusted as a function of the wall infill. For example, if the wall infill comprises one or more (movable or stationary) panels, it is possible to design one or more beams thinner such that the beam together with the panels have the same width as another beam of the terrace canopy where none or another type of wall infill is present. 
     In an embodiment of the present invention the first connection means is connected to said upright wall by means of an opposite wall. The horizontal wall contributes to the distance between the upright wall and the beam-finishing profile. 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, the first beam-finishing profile comprises a fifth connection means, in particular a pin, configured to cooperate with said third connection means. Providing corresponding connection means on the first beam-finishing profile and the first spacer profile allows to connect them to each other in a simple manner. 
     In an advantageous embodiment of the present invention the beam comprises a sixth connection means, in particular a slot, and the first beam-finishing profile a seventh connection means, in particular formed by an end portion of the first beam-finishing profile, configured to cooperate with said sixth connection means. In this way, the first beam-finishing profile is attachable both to the beam profile and the first spacer profile, which yields a more robust connection between these three profiles. In addition, the use of two separate connections is advantageous for the strength and mutual positioning of the profiles. The fact is that, if only one connection is used for two profiles, there is more clearance in the mutual positioning, which may give rise to a divergent positioning, in particular due to wind loads and/or precipitation. 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, the second beam-finishing profile comprises an eighth connection means, in particular formed by an end portion of the second beam-finishing profile, configured to cooperate with said fourth connection means. Providing corresponding connection means on the second beam-finishing profile and the second spacer profile allows to connect them to each other in a simple manner. 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, said second spacer profile is formed by a drip profile. The second spacer profile therefore has a dual function, as a result of which such a profile can be used to protect the top side of a wall infill, such as a stationary wall, against precipitation dripping from the terrace canopy. A drip profile is a profile that is intended to divert moisture and droplets from a surface in a controlled manner and, in this case, to prevent such droplets from ending up on the top side of a wall infill. An example of a drip profile has been described in WO 2018/087632 A1. 
     In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, said second spacer profile is formed by a wall holder profile. In this way, the second spacer profile also has a dual function and a sliding wall can be integrated into the terrace canopy. 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, said first spacer profile is formed by a connection profile. 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, the first connection means comprises at least one hook and/or the second connection means comprises at least one hook and/or the third connection means comprises a female pin connection element and/or the fourth connection means comprises a slot. These different options offer flexibility when designing a terrace canopy. 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, the set further comprises: a support profile provided to serve as a support pillar of the terrace canopy ; at least one first support-finishing profile attachable to a side of the support profile, the first support-finishing profile having an outward-facing surface which, when the first support-finishing profile is attached to the support profile, is located at a third distance from said side ; and a second support-finishing profile attachable to said side of the support profile, the second support-finishing profile having an outwardly facing surface which, when the second support-finishing profile is attached to the support profile, is located at a fourth distance from said side, the third and fourth distance being different. In accordance with the beams of the terrace canopy, the width of the columns is also adjustable in this embodiment, for example according to the wall infill. In particular, this allows a wall infill to continue uninterruptedly along an outer corner of a column. 
     In an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the outwardly facing surfaces of the first support-finishing profile and the first beam-finishing profile are located substantially in the same first plane and the outwardly facing surfaces of the second support-finishing profile and the second beam-finishing profile are located substantially in the same second plane, wherein these planes are typically different from each other. In this way, the outer side of the beams and the columns are aligned with each other such that a uniform appearance is obtained. 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, the first beam-finishing profile and the second beam-finishing profile are different. This allows to vary their embodiment in accordance with the connection to the beam profile. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will hereinafter further be explained in detail with reference to the following description and to the accompanying drawings. 
         FIG.  1    shows a schematic view of a terrace canopy according to the invention. 
         FIGS.  2 A to  2 J  show alternative embodiments of the terrace canopy with different wall infills. 
         FIGS.  3 A to  3 D  each show a cross-section through an alternative embodiment of an external pivot beam with different wall infill functionality. 
         FIG.  4    shows a cross-section through a basic embodiment of a tension beam. 
         FIGS.  5 A to  5 C  show individual profiles used in the construction of the external pivot bar and/or the tension bar. 
         FIGS.  6 A to  6 D  each show a cross-section through an alternative embodiment of a column with different functionality for wall infills. 
     
    
    
     EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention will hereinafter be described using particular embodiments and with reference to certain drawings, but the invention is not limited thereto and is only defined by the claims. The drawings presented here are only schematic representations and are not limiting. In the drawings, the dimensions of certain components may be shown enlarged, which therefore means that the components in question are not shown to scale, and this for illustrative purposes only. The dimensions and relative dimensions do not necessarily correspond to the actual practical embodiments of the invention. 
     In addition, terms such as “first”, “second”, “third”, and the like are used in the description and in the claims to distinguish between similar elements and not necessarily to indicate a sequential or chronological order. The terms in question are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances, and the embodiments of the invention may operate in other sequences than those described or illustrated herein. 
     The term “comprising” and derivative terms, as used in the claims, should not be construed as being limited to the means stated thereafter; the term does not exclude other elements or steps. The term should be interpreted as a specification of the mentioned properties, integers, steps, or components referenced, without excluding the presence or addition of one or more additional properties, integers, steps, or components, or groups thereof. The scope of an expression such as “a device comprising the means A and B” is therefore not limited only to devices consisting purely of components A and B. On the other hand, what is intended is that, for the purpose of the present invention, the only relevant components are A and B. 
     With reference to  FIGS.  3  to  5   , each reference to an orientation of the beams will be interpreted with reference to the position when mounted in the terrace canopy. In this way there are four orientations, namely above, below, outer side and inner side. Here, “above” refers to the part of the beam that is or will be oriented towards the top surface (the sky, e.g. the open sky), “below” refers to the part of the beam that is or will be oriented towards the ground plane (the soil, e.g. the terrace floor), “outer side” to the part of the beam that is or will be oriented away from the roof, i.e. away from the roof infill (i.e. the left side in  FIGS.  3  to  5   ) and “inner side” to the part of the beam that is or will be oriented towards the inner side of the roof, i.e. towards the roof infill (i.e. the right side in  FIGS.  3  to  5   ). 
     The term “substantially” includes variations of +/- 10% or less, preferably +/- 5% or less, more preferably +/- 1% or less, and more preferably +/-0.1 % or less, of the specified state, insofar as the variations are applicable to function in the disclosed invention. It is to be understood that the term “substantially A” is intended to also include “A”. 
       FIG.  1    illustrates a terrace canopy  1  for a ground surface, for example a terrace or garden. The terrace canopy comprises a plurality of columns  2  that support different beams  3 ,  4 ,  5 . The columns and beams together form frames to which wall infills  6  and/or roof coverings  7  can be attached, as described hereafter. The terrace canopy  1  comprises three types of beams  3 ,  4 ,  5 , namely:
     a beam  3  which, on the outside of the terrace canopy, serves as external pivot beam  3 ;   a beam  4  which, centrally in the terrace canopy  1 , serves as the central pivot beam  4 ; and   a beam  5  which serves as a tension beam  5 .   

     It will also be appreciated that the beams  3 ,  4 ,  5  can be attached to other structures, for example a wall or facade, instead of relying solely on columns  2  as shown in  FIG.  1   . In such a way, the terrace canopy  1  can be used generally used to shield an outdoor space as well as an indoor space. 
       FIGS.  2 A to  2 J  show terrace canopies  1  with alternative wall infills  6 . The terrace canopies  1  shown have in common that four support columns  2  are provided which support a frame, also called a roof frame. The frame is formed from two external pivot beams  3  and two tension beams  5  in between a roof covering  7  is provided. 
     In the embodiments shown, the roof covering  7  is formed by slats which are rotatably attached at their front ends to pivot beams  3 . The slats are rotatable between an open position and a closed position. In the open position, there is an intermediate space between the slats through which, for example, air can be introduced into the underlying space or can leave this underlying space. In the closed position, the slats form a closed roof with which the underlying space can be shielded from, for example, wind and/or precipitation, such as rain, hail or snow. For the drainage of precipitation, the slats are typically arranged sloping towards one of both pivot beams  3 . 
     The slats are typically manufactured of a rigid material. This can be aluminium, for example. Aluminium has many advantages as a material, as it is at the same time robust and light-weighted, it can withstand bad weather conditions and requires little maintenance. However, other materials are also suitable and their advantages or disadvantages are assumed to be known by the skilled person. A slat can be produced using various techniques depending on the material, including extrusion, cutting, setting, casting, welding, etc. The appropriate production technique is assumed to be known by the skilled person. Preferably, the slats are manufactured by means of an extrusion process. Optionally, filling elements of, for example, polycarbonate, glass, wood, etc. can be used to fill the hollow slats at least partially, for instance to obtain a different appearance of the slat. 
     Additionally, in an embodiment, in their open position, the slats may optionally be provided slidable in the terrace canopy  1 , in order to further increase the control options in terms of incidence of light, radiant heat and ventilation. 
     More generally, the roof covering  7  is stationary or movable. A movable roof covering comprises, for example, tiltable and/or slidable slats (such as described above) and/or roll-in/roll-out screens and/or slidable panels. The individual elements of the movable roof covering  7  in their closed position form a substantially watertight roof with which the underlying space can be screened off from, for instance, wind and/or precipitation, such as rain, hail or snow. This roof covering  7  is typically drained to the pivot beams  3 ,  4  and from there directly or via the tension beams  5  to the columns  2 . By sliding and/or rotating the slats and/or the panels and/or by rolling in a screen, the roof covering  7  can be at least partially opened and/or closed in order to be able to determine the incidence of light, radiant heat, ventilation, precipitation, etc. to the space below the roof covering  7  as desired. 
     Wall infills  6  are typically intended to screen openings below the terrace canopy  1  between the columns  2 . The wall infills  6  can be stationary or movable. Movable side walls comprise, for example, roll-in/roll-out screens and/or wall elements that are slidably arranged with respect to each other, etc. Stationary side walls can be manufactured of various materials, such as plastic, glass, metal, textile, wood, etc. Combinations of different wall infills  6  are also possible. 
       FIG.  2 A  illustrates a wall infill in the form of a roll-in/roll-out screen  5 A. The screen  5 A extends between two adjacent columns  2  and can be rolled out from the external pivot beam  3 . The screen  5 A mainly serves as a wind and/or sun screen. 
       FIG.  2 B  illustrates a wall infill in the form of sliding wall panels  5 B. In the embodiment shown, three panels  5 B are provided on either side of the wall. The panels  5 B are slidable in pairs (namely one on either side) in a rail provided for this purpose in the external pivot beam  3 . On the ground, also a guide  99  is provided for the wall panels  5 B, but this guide  99  is optional.  FIG.  2 C  illustrates the terrace canopy  1  of  FIG.  2 B  with the wall panels  5 B in their closed position. The wall panels  5 B are transparent and preferably made of glass. Naturally, non-transparent wall panels  5 B are also possible. Their function is mainly wind and water protection, but depending on their material, sun protection is also possible. A combination of the wall infills of  FIGS.  2 A to  2 C  is shown in  FIG.  2 D . There, a double wall infill is provided, which, on the one hand, comprises a roll-in/roll-out screen  5 A and, on the other hand, slidable wall panels  5 B (in this case four panels  5 B on either side). 
     Another type of wall infill is shown in  FIGS.  2 E and  2 F . The wall infill comprises foldable wall panels  5 C. The wall panels  5 C are foldable towards the column  2 .  FIG.  2 F  illustrates the terrace canopy  1  of  FIG.  2 E  with the wall panels  5 C in their closed position. Additional wall panels  5 C are required to cover the entire wall between the columns  2 . The wall panels  5 C are transparent and preferably made of glass. Also, non-transparent wall panels  5 C are also possible. Their function is mainly wind and water protection, but depending on their material, sun protection is also possible. The same type of wall infill, i.e. foldable wall panels  5 C, is also shown in  FIG.  2 G . However, in this case, the panels  5 C are located below the external pivot beam  3 , while, in the embodiment of  FIGS.  2 E and  2 F , the panels  5 C, in their closed state, almost completely cover the external pivot beam  3 . 
       FIGS.  2 H to  2 J  illustrate stationary wall infills  6   d . The characteristic feature of the stationary wall infill  6   d  is that it is possible to have it continue uninterruptedly on the outside of a column  2 . In other words, the column  2  may be hidden from view as in  FIG.  2 H . The stationary wall infill  6   d  can also be completely transparent as in  FIG.  21    or partly transparent as in  FIG.  2 J . The function of a stationary wall infill depends on the type and generally includes wind, water and sun protection. 
     The different variations of beams  3 ,  5  will be described with reference to  FIGS.  3  to  5   . The beams  3 ,  5  are constructed from one or more profiles, as described hereafter. The profiles are typically manufactured of a rigid material. This can be aluminium, for example. Aluminium has many advantages as a profile material, as it is at the same time robust and light-weighted, it can withstand bad weather conditions and requires little maintenance. However, other materials are also suitable and their advantages or disadvantages are assumed to be known by the skilled person. A profile can be produced using various techniques depending on the material, including extrusion, cutting, setting, casting, welding, etc., with extrusion being the preferred technique. The appropriate production technique is assumed to be known by the skilled person. 
     The beams  3 ,  5  of the terrace canopy  1  are hollow as is apparent from  FIGS.  3  to  5   . The beams  3 ,  5  are composed of a plurality of profiles  10 ,  11 , ...,  24 . In what follows, the different profiles of the beams and their interconnection are briefly discussed. It goes without saying that several variants are conceivable for both the composition of the beams and the interconnection of the profiles, as well as that the specific design of the profiles may differ. In addition, it is also possible that the functionality of different profiles is combined into the same integrally manufactured profile, for instance it is possible to form the base profile  12  together with the intern or external gutter profile  11 ,  13  as an integrally formed core profile. 
     It is generally intended to indicate profiles with the same placement and functionality, but with a divergent design with the same reference numeral by using one or more accent marks, e.g. base profile  12  and  12 ″ in  FIGS.  3 A and  4   . It is generally intended to indicate profiles with the same placement but with a modified form as a result of a modification in functionality of the beam by the same reference numeral by the use of letters, for example finishing profile  14 ,  14   a  in  FIGS.  3 A and  3 B . 
     To form the beams  3 ,  5 , the profiles  10 ,  11 ,...,  24  are connected to each other in a specific way. Generally, use is made of pin connections and/or hook connections. In a pin connection typically an elastic element (not shown) is present in a female element, for example a slot element, into which a male element, for example a pin, engages. Hence, a pin connection generally includes an elastically interlocking male and female element; an additional elastic element may be provided for this purpose, but this is not necessarily the case. The elasticity may also arise from the design of the male and female elements. Hook connections typically involve two elements with such a design that they hook into each other. There is no elastic element and the connection is separated by moving the elements away from each other in the correct direction. 
     In addition, generally, for each interconnection of two profiles, use is made of two separate connections. This improves the strength of the connection, but mainly contributes to the correct mutual positioning of the profiles. The fact is that if only one connection is used for two profiles, there is more clearance in the mutual positioning, which can give rise to a divergent positioning, in particular due to wind loads and/or precipitation loads. 
     A first design of an external pivot beam  3  is shown in  FIG.  3 A . The pivot beam  3  is intended not to be provided with a wall infill  6 . The pivot beam  3  comprises a base profile  12  and a double gutter profile  13  connected to each other. The base profile  12  and the double gutter profile  13  are also shown per se in  FIGS.  5 A and  5 B . 
     The base profile  12  (see  FIG.  5 A ) comprises an upright wall  100  of which a horizontal wall  101  extends to the outer side of the base profile. The upright wall  100  is provided at the bottom with a first lower connection means  103 , in particular a hooking means. The upright wall  100  also has a bottom branch  104  which ends in a second lower connection means  105 . The lower connection means  103 ,  105  serve to attach the base profile  12  with the double gutter profile  13 . 
     The double gutter profile  13  (see  FIG.  5 B ) has a central cavity  27  which is formed at the top side by an top horizontal wall  200 . The wall  200  ends on its inner side in an upright branch  202  which ends in a first top connection means  203 , in particular a hooking means. The horizontal wall  200  is provided on its top side with an top branch  201  which serves as the second top connection means  205 . The base profile  12  and the double gutter profile  13  are connected to each other by, on the one hand, hooking the hooking means  103 ,  203  into each other (i.e. hook connection  51 ) and, on the other hand, to connect the walls  105 ,  205  directly to each other, for example by riveting them (connection  53 ). Alternatively, these profiles may be manufactured integrally as one single core profile. The drawback here is that such a profile, in view of the considerable height, is not easy to manufacture by means of an extrusion process. 
       FIG.  5 A  further illustrates that the upright wall  100  of the base profile  12  is provided on its top side with a bend  106 , through which a first top connection means  102 , in particular a female pin connection means, is provided further to the outer side of the base profile  12 . As shown in  FIG.  3 A , the first top connection means  102  is used to connect the cover profile  15 . The cover profile  15  comprises a horizontal wall  400  which merges at its ends into two upright walls  401 ,  402  and is therefore substantially U-shaped. The underside of the horizontal wall  400  is provided with two connection means  403 ,  404 , in particular pins. The pin  403  is used together with the first top connection means  102  for connecting the cover profile  15  to the base profile  12 . Due to the bend  106 , the upright wall  100  of the base profile  12  and the upright wall  401  of the cover profile  15  are in the same plane. 
     The cover profile  15  serves to close off a technical space  26  in the external pivot beam  3 . This technical space  26  may serve to house drive means for tilting the slats of the roof covering  7  and/or cabling for, for example, lighting, etc. In other words, the slats of a roof covering  7  are attached to a wall part  100   a  (see  FIG.  5 A ) which forms part of the upright wall  100  and extends between the horizontal wall  101  and the bend  106 . In particular, the slats are partially positioned through these and fixedly attached to an attachment mechanism (not shown) inner side the technical space  26 . The presence of this attachment mechanism is also part of the reason why the horizontal wall  101  comprises two wall parts  101   a ,  101   b  which are at different heights and are connected by a bend  107 . The lower placement of wall part  101   a  leaves sufficient space for the attachment mechanism, while the higher placement of wall part  101   b  allows the necessary space for arranging a roll-in/roll-out screen in a screen cavity  25 . 
     The horizontal wall is provided near its end with a plurality of connection means, the functionality of which is described hereafter. The connection means comprise a first connection means  108 , in particular a hooking means formed by two hooks, and a second connection means  109 , in particular a slot. These connection means serve for the attachment of a front cover  14  for shielding the screen cavity  25 . This front cover  14  typically forms the outer side of the external pivot beam  3 . The distance between the front cover  14  and the upright wall  100  of the base part is indicated as  d   1  in  FIG.  3 A . 
     The front cover  14  is attached to the base profile by means of a connection profile  16 . The connection profile  16  comprises a hollow chamber formed between four walls  411 ,  412 ,  413 ,  414 . The wall  414  forms the top side of the connection profile  16  and is provided with a first connection means  35 , in particular a hooking means formed by two hooks, corresponding to the first connection means  108 . From the top wall  414 , a branch  415 , in particular elastically deformable, extends towards the inner side of the external pivot beam  3 . The end of branch  415  engages in a notch  110  in the base profile  12 . On the bottom wall  412 , the connection profile  16  is provided with a second connection means  416 , in particular a female pin connection means. The second connection means  416  serves for receiving a corresponding second connection means  36 , in particular a pin. This second connection means  36  is provided on the inner side of the front cover  14 . A further attachment of the front cover  14  to the base profile  12  is formed, in particular by a pivotal movement, by placing the end part  37  of the front cover  14  in a slot  109  in the base profile  12  intended for this purpose. 
     In itself, the above-described attachment of the front cover  14  to the base profile  12  is sufficient. However, in view of the relatively long distance over which the front cover  14  downwardly extends, it is preferable to use an additional support profile  17  and/or a filler profile  18 . The support profile  17  comprises a horizontal wall  420  terminating in a first connection means  421 , in particular a female pin connection means. A corresponding connection means  39 , in particular a pin, is provided on the inner side of the front cover  14 . At the other end of the horizontal wall  420 , an upright wall  422  and a branch  423 , in particular elastically deformable, are provided. The upright wall  422  serves as a abutment against the internal cavity  27  of the double gutter profile  13 , i.e. against the outer upright wall  206 . The end of the upright wall  422  engages in a notch  207  in the double gutter profile  13 , in particular a notch  207  in the outer wall  206  of the cavity  27 . Similarly, the end of the branch  423  engages in an opening  208  near the corner of the internal cavity  27 . 
     The filler profile  18  is generally U-shaped with a flat underside  430  and upright side walls  431 ,  432 . The upright side wall  432 , in particular the end thereof, is intended to be rigidly connected to wall part  209   a  of an outer upright branch  209  of the double gutter profile  13 . In an example, rivets are used for this connection. The remaining upright side wall  431  is free and serves as an abutment for the underside of the front cover  14 . If desired, the upright side wall  431  can also be fixedly attached to the front cover  14 . Finally, it should be noted that the upright side wall  432  is provided with a connection means  433 , in particular a pin, the function of which will be described later. 
     In the embodiments shown, the front cover  14  is further provided with a reinforcing rib  41  and a slot  42 . The reinforcing rib  41  contributes to the rigidity of the front cover  14  and is useful for obtaining the required resistance at higher loads, especially when bridging relatively long lengths. 
     Naturally, the front cover  14  is detachable by disconnecting several of the connections. Thereby, the screen cavity  25  is accessible such that modifications, adjustments and/or repairs may be made, if necessary. In a similar manner, the cover profile  15  is removable for modifications, adjustments and/or repairs of elements in the technical space  26 , such as the drive of the slats that may form the roof infill  7 . 
       FIG.  5 A  further illustrates that the horizontal wall  101  merges into an outer upright wall  111  which is provided on its underside with a lower connection means  112 , in particular a hooking means, and on its top side is provided with a second top connection means  113 , especially a female pin connection means. As shown in  FIG.  3 A , the second top connection means  113  is used to connect the cover profile  15  via pin  404 . Also, the outer side of the upright wall  111  is provided with a branch  114  that serves as connection means and/or container. An opening  33  is provided between the front cover  14  and the cover profile  15 , in particular the outer wall  402  thereof. 
       FIG.  5 B  shows more details about the double gutter profile  13  of the external pivot beam  3  shown in  FIG.  3 A . The double gutter profile  13  comprises an top horizontal wall  200 , an outer upright wall  206 , a bottom horizontal wall  210  and an upright intermediate wall  211  which together enclose the cavity  27 . Further walls of the double gutter profile  13  are a bottom outer branch  209  which is substantially the extension of the outer wall  206 , a horizontal branch  213  which is substantially an extension of the bottom horizontal wall  210 , a lower inner branch  212  which is substantially the extension of the intermediate wall  211 , and an upright inner side wall  214  extending upwardly from the end of the branch  212  and defining a space  28  together with the branch  212  and the intermediate  211 . The walls  209 ,  212 ,  213  of the double gutter profile  13  also form a number of spaces. For example, there is a space  29  located below the external gutter  28  and next to the branch  212 . Furthermore, there is also a space  30  located between the branches  209 ,  212 . In the external pivot beam  3  of  FIG.  3 A , these spaces have no function, such that they can be hidden from view by providing an end profile  19 . 
     The external pivot beam  3  is intended to be placed on the outer side of the terrace canopy  1  and should provide for water drainage of precipitation incident on the terrace canopy. In particular, this precipitation may, for example, be collected by a slatted roof  7  which drains precipitation to this pivot beam  3 . The roof infill  7  drains the precipitation to the pivot beam  3  where it is collected in the external gutter  28 . Between the external gutter  28  and the cavity  27  the intermediate wall  29  is present which is provided with one or more openings, for example a series of perforations, such that the precipitation from the external gutter  28  is diverted to the cavity  27 . That is why the bottom of the external gutter  28  also preferably slopes towards the cavity  27 . The cavity  27  serves as an internal gutter for the passage of precipitation from one or more adjoining pivot beams  3  to a column  2  along which this precipitation may leave the terrace canopy  1 . 
     Furthermore, the double gutter profile  13  is further provided with an inner connection means  215 , in particular a female pin connection means, of a lower inner connection means  216 , in particular a hooking means, which forms the end of the branch  212  of a bottom outermost connection means  217 , in particular a hooking means, which forms the end of the branch  209 , and a connection means  218 , in particular a hooking means, just below the inner gutter  27 . The function of the lower outer connection means  217  is not further described, while the function of the connection means  215 ,  216  and  218  is described hereafter. 
     The end profile  19  is substantially U-shaped with a bottom wall  440  and two upright walls  441 ,  443 . The bottom wall  440  is provided on its top side with a connection means  445 , in particular a hooking means, provided to cooperate with the lower inner connection means  216  for the attachment of the end profile  19  to the double gutter profile  13 . The upright inner side wall  443  is provided on its top side with a connection means  444 , in particular a pin, provided to cooperate with the inner connection means  215  for attaching the end profile  19  to the double gutter profile  13 . Furthermore, the upright outer wall  441  is provided on its top side with a connection means  442 , in particular a hooking means, provided to cooperate with the connection means  218  for attaching the end profile  19  to the double gutter profile  13 . The bottom outer connection means  446  is in turn provided to cooperate with the connection means  433  on the filler profile  18  for their interconnection. 
     Furthermore, the external pivot beam  3  is further provided with screw channels  115 ,  116 ,  117 ,  208 ,  219 ,  220  for screwing a headboard to an end of this beam  3  with the aid of screws or bolts for the purpose of connecting the beam with a column of the terrace canopy  1 . Screw channel  115  is provided on the underside of the branch  104 ; screw channel  116  is provided on the underside of wall part  101   a ; screw channel  117  is provided adjacent to the second top connection means  113  in the technical space  26 ; the screw channel  208  is provided on the top outer corner of the internal gutter  27 ; and the screw channels  219 ,  220  are provided below the internal gutter  27  on either side thereof. Of course, more or less screw channels are also possible and/or the placement thereof may differ. 
     It should be understood that other ways are possible with fewer or more connection means to connect together the different profiles forming the external pivot beam  3 . Additional connections, for example by means of glue, bolts, rivets, etc., may also be provided between certain profiles in order to connect these substantially permanently to each other. Rivets can be used, for example, to join walls  105 ,  205  or walls  209   b ,  441  or walls  209   a ,  432 . 
     As already described above, the external pivot beam  3  ( FIG.  3 A ) is intended to not use a wall infill, unlike the external pivot beams of  FIG.  3 B  and onwards. This also immediately means that this external pivot beam  3  is almost completely visible in the terrace canopy  1 . It is therefore advantageous that the visible surfaces have a sleek finish. Examples include: the co-planarity of the front cover  14  and the cover wall  402 ; the co-planarity of the upright wall  100  of the base profile  12  and the cover wall  401 ; the co-planarity of the filler profile  18  and the end profile  19 ; the only sporadic presence of an opening between visible profile surfaces; etc. 
       FIG.  3 B  illustrates a second type of external pivot bar, wherein the pivot bar is intended to form a side wall  6 . Identical elements will be indicated by the same numeral and are not described. 
     The pivot beam of  FIG.  3 B  is designed to cooperate with a stationary wall (see  FIGS.  2 H to  2 J ). The main differences with the pivot bar of  FIG.  3 A  are the design of the front cover  14   a  and the filling element  18   a  and the presence of a drip profile  24  as an alternative to the connection profile  16 . 
     The drip profile  24  has a substantially horizontal wall  450  which is provided on its top side with first connection means  35 , in particular a hooking means formed by two hooks, corresponding to the first connection means  108  in the base profile  12 . The drip profile  24  also has a second connection means  453 , in particular a hook as the end of an elastically upright wall  454 . This second connection means  453  engages a corresponding connection means  118  (see  FIG.  5 A ), in particular a hook on the underside of the lower connection means  112 , on the base profile  12 . The connection means  35 ,  108 ,  118 ,  453  together ensure the attachment of the drip profile  24  to the base profile  12 . 
     On its outwardly facing side, the drip profile  24  is finished with an upright wall  452  extending downwardly from the horizontal wall  450 . In particular, this upright wall  452  is located in the same plane as the cover wall  402 . A slot  451  is provided at the bottom side of the horizontal wall  450  which has the same function as slot  109  in the base profile  12 , namely an attachment for the front cover  14   a , in particular the end  37   a  thereof. There is also the opening  33  present between the outer wall  402  of the cover profile  15  and the upright wall  452  of the drip profile  24 . 
     The front cover  14   a  has again a substantially flat outer side, which, in this embodiment, does not lie in the same plane as the cover wall  402 , but is located more towards the inner side of the external pivot beam  3 . In particular, the distance between the outer side of the front cover  14   a  and the upright wall  100  of the base profile  12  indicated as  d   2  in  FIG.  3 B  is smaller than the distance  d   1  indicated in  FIG.  3 A . This allows to place the stationary wall  6   d  such that it lies substantially in the same plane as the cover wall  402 . In particular, the stationary wall  6   d  is located between the outer side of the front cover  14   a  and the upright wall  452  of the drip profile  24  with its top side substantially against the underside of the horizontal wall  450 . This also immediately explains the additional function of the drip profile  24 , in particular the wall  452 , namely, to prevent the incidence of precipitation on the top side of the stationary wall  6   d , which precipitation may could damage, discoloration, etc. at the stationary wall  6   d . 
     Again, the front cover  14   a  is provided on its inner side with a reinforcement  41   a  which, although the modified shape, compared to the front cover  14 , has the same function. A filler profile  18   a  is also provided on the underside of the external pivot beam  3 . Although the design of the filler profile  18   a  is changed, compared to the filler profile  18  shown in  FIG.  3 A , the function is unchanged, namely closing the space between the front cover  14   a  and the double gutter profile  13 . Further details are therefore not included. 
     It should be understood that, in an embodiment wherein the stationary wall  6   d  is not transparent, it is not necessary to mount the front cover  14   a  on the external pivot beam  3 . After all, the front cover  14   a  is not visible in such an embodiment. However, the filler profile  18   a  must be made slightly wider such that it fits closely with the stationary wall  6   d  such that, seen from the inner side of the terrace canopy  1 , the pivot beam  3  is finished almost without a visible opening between the pivot beam  3  and the stationary wall  6   d . 
       FIG.  3 C  illustrates a third type of external pivot bar, where the pivot bar is intended to form a sidewall  6 . Identical elements will be indicated by the same numeral and are not described. 
     The pivot beam of  FIG.  3 C  is designed to cooperate with a movable wall  5 B,  5 C (see  FIGS.  2 E and  2 F ). The main difference with the pivot beam of  FIG.  3 A  is the presence of a wall holder profile  20  which is positioned outwardly with respect to the front cover  14 ′, which therefore also has a modified shape, in particular the same shape as the front cover  14   a  described in a stationary wall infill with reference to  FIG.  3 B , such that a further description is not included here. It should be noted, however, that the front cover  14 ′ is located at a different distance from the upright wall  100  of the base profile  12  compared to the front cover  14   a  of the pivot beam  3  shown in  FIG.  3 B . The design of the cover profile  15   a  has also been changed. In particular, the horizontal wall  400   a  has a longer length such that the distance between the pins  403 ,  404  is larger and such that the outer upright wall  402  is at a larger distance from the upright wall  100  of the base profile  12 . This longer length allows to integrate the wall holder profile  20  into the design of the pivot beam  3  without adversely affecting the quality of the finish. 
     The wall holder profile  20  includes a guide chamber  480  which is identical to that of wall holder profiles  21 ,  21   a  and  21   b . The guide chamber  480  is therefore limited by inner and outer upright walls  481 ,  482 , an top horizontal wall  483  connecting the upright walls  481 ,  482 , and a bottom wall  485  having an opening  496  therein. The upright walls  481 ,  482  together form a rail  484  into which one or more rollers (not shown) can be movably arranged. A portion of the rollers and/or the wall extends through the opening  496 . 
     The bottom wall  485  comprises on its inwardly facing side a slot  490  for receiving the end  37 ′ of the front cover  14 ′ for the attachment of the front cover  14 ′ to the wall holder profile  20 . This slot  490  is in the particularly formed by a downwardly extending branch  499  that departs from the underside of the bottom wall  485 . At the inner end of the bottom wall  485  it merges into an upright wall  486  which is provided almost in the middle with a bend  497  such that a lower portion of wall  486  is located more inwardly of an upper portion thereof. The upright wall  486 , in particular the lower part thereof, is provided on its inner side with a first inner connection means  487 , in particular a hooking means. The first inner connection means  487  serves to cooperate with the lower connection means  112  (see  FIG.  5 A ) for connecting the wall holder profile  20  to the base profile  12 . The bend  497  allows the upper part of the wall  486  to be positioned more outwardly and abuts against the branch  114 . At the top of the upright wall  486 , it merges into an top horizontal wall  488 . Also, the top wall  483  of the guide chamber  480  is connected to this top wall  488  by support member  495 . The horizontal wall  488  is provided at its inner end with a second inner connection means  489 , in particular a hooking means, which hooks over the second top connection means  113  for connecting the wall holder profile  20  to the base profile  12 . 
     The outer wall  481  of the guide chamber  480  also has an upward upright branch  492  which is provided on its upper side with an top connection means  491 , in particular a female pin connection means. As shown in  FIG.  3 C , the top connection means  491  is used to connect the cover profile  15   a  via pin  404 . A connecting wall  494  is provided between the horizontal wall  488  and the upright branch  492  for the strength and bearing capacity of the wall holder profile  20 . A branch  493  is also provided on the outer side of the upright branch  492 . The bottom wall  485  is provided on its outwardly facing side with an upright finishing wall  498  which is in the same plane as the outer wall  402  of the cover profile  15   a . An opening  33   a  is provided between walls  402 ,  498 . 
     Considering the presence of only one rail  484  in the external pivot beam of  FIG.  3 C , this means that only two types of movable wall  5 B,  5 C are possible. The purpose of this rail  484  is to hold a foldable side wall as shown in  FIGS.  2 E and  2 F . However, a single rail  484  can also be used to hold one or two sliding side wall panels. 
       FIG.  3 D  illustrates a fourth type of external pivot bar, wherein the pivot bar is intended to form a side wall  6 . Identical elements will be indicated by the same numeral and will not be described. 
     The pivot bar shown in  FIG.  3 D  has a combined functionality, namely that of the pivot bars shown in  FIGS.  3 B and  3 C . In other words, the external pivot beam  3  has, as side wall infill  6 , both a part with a stationary wall  6   d  and a part with a movable, in particular a foldable, side wall  5 C. For example, a stationary wall  6   d  is provided on one side of one side of the terrace canopy  1 , while a foldable side wall  5 C is present on the other side of the same side. 
     The front cover  14   a  and the drip profile  24  of the pivot bar of  FIG.  3 D  are identical to those described with reference to  FIG.  3 B , and the cover profile  15   a  is identical to that described for the pivot bar of  FIG.  3 C . A further description is therefore not included here. In addition, the wall holder profile  20   a  is substantially identical to that described with reference to  FIG.  3 C . The only difference is the absence of branch  499  which served as attachment for the front cover  14   a . This branch  499  is now not necessary since the front cover  14   a  is held by the drip profile  24  and is closer to the upright wall  100  of the base profile  12  such that there is sufficient space for placing a stationary wall  6   d . 
       FIG.  4    illustrates a design of a tension beam  5 . The tension beam  5  is intended not to be provided with a wall infill  6 . The tension beam  5  comprises a base profile  12 ″ and a single gutter profile  11  that are connected to each other. The single gutter profile  11  is also shown per se in  FIG.  5 C . 
     The tension beam  5  shown is generally the same as the pivot beam shown in  FIG.  3 A  but with a different type of gutter profile, namely a single gutter profile  11  instead of a double gutter profile  13 . Although the profiles  12 ″,  14 ″,  16 ″,  18 ″ of the tension beam  5  have a slightly different design, it should be clear that they are interchangeable with the profiles  12 ,  14 ,  16 ,  18  described above. It is also possible to replace one or more of the profiles  12 ,  14 ,  16 ,  18  in the external pivot beams  3  described above with its modified form of the same profile shown in the tension beam  5  of  FIG.  4   . Some of the modifications are briefly described. Notch  110  is not provided in the base profile  12 ″, but this functionality is taken over by hook  108 ″ which protrudes downwardly with respect to the horizontal wall  101 ″. The branch  415 ″ on connection profile  16 ″ has been modified accordingly. The inner upright wall  432 ″ of filler profile  18 ″ is shorter and is directly connected to the upright outer side wall  441   a  of the end profile  19   a  instead of on the gutter profile. The design of the slot  42 ″ has been changed. 
     The single gutter profile  11  is shown in more detail in  FIG.  5 C . In view of the many similarities with the double gutter profile  13 , it was decided to use the same numbering, but with the first digit “2” replaced by the digit “3”. In concrete terms, the design at the top and the outer side of the gutter profiles  11 ,  13  is identical, such that a further description of elements  300  to  312  and  317  to  321  is superfluous. 
     The modifications of the single gutter profile  11  compared to the double gutter profile  13  are therefore located on the inner side of this profile, where now no external gutter  28  is present. An additional upright wall part  322  is therefore placed, which is parallel to the intermediate wall  311  (which, for the sake of clarity, in the embodiment of a single gutter profile, is not provided with openings). In this way, the upright walls  302 ,  312 ,  322  together form the inner upright wall  323  of the single gutter profile  11 . This is also the externally visible wall, seen by someone located below the terrace canopy  1 . Furthermore, the lower inner connection means  316 , particularly a hooking means, is also substantially identical to connection means  216 , with the difference that the hook only extends outwardly such that the finish of wall  323  is uninterrupted. 
     Although only an embodiment of a tension beam  5  has been shown, it is clear that the only difference between an external pivot beam  3  and a tension beam  5  is the shape of the gutter profile  11 ,  13 . Hence, the invention also relates to multiple tension beams having the same functionality of the external pivot beams shown in  FIGS.  3 A to  3 D  where the double gutter profile  13  is replaceable by the single gutter profile  11  of  FIG.  5 C . 
     Just as the beams  3 ,  5  are adapted to the functionality of the wall infill  6 , the columns  2  of the terrace canopy  1  are also adapted to it. A number of alternative embodiments of the columns  2  will be described hereafter with reference to  FIGS.  7 A to  7 D , which show a cross-sectional view through the column  2 . 
     The column  2  comprises an integrally formed core portion (generally indicated by reference numeral  70 ). In particular, the core part  70  is formed by a profile of the same or a similar type as the profiles  10 ,...,  24  of the beams  3 ,  5 . The profile  70  is typically manufactured of a rigid material. This can be aluminium, for example. Aluminium has many advantages as a profile material, namely, it is at the same time robust and light-weighted. However, other materials, such as steel, stainless steel, wood, plastic, etc., are also suitable and their advantages or disadvantages are assumed to be known by the skilled person. A profile can be produced using various techniques depending on the material, including extrusion, cutting, setting, casting, welding, etc., with extrusion being the preferred technique. The appropriate production technique is assumed to be known by the skilled person. Preferably, the profile  70  is extruded from aluminium. 
     The profile  70  serves as a support pillar for the terrace canopy  1 . In particular, almost the entire weight of the beams  3 ,  4 ,  5 , and the elements connected therewith, such as the side walls  6  of the roof covering  7 , is supported by the support pillar  70 . 
     In the embodiments shown, the core profile  70  has a substantially square shape. Hence, each core profile  70  has four side walls  71 , each having an outside  72  and an inside  73 . Each outside  73  is provided with two mounting means  77 , in particular mounting slots, preferably female pin connection means. These slots  77  serve for the attachment of finishing profiles  78  by means of a corresponding connection means  79 , preferably a pin. It should be understood that the pin connection  79  is only one example of a way of attaching the finishing profiles  78  to the core profile  70  and other ways are known to the skilled person. It should also be understood that the slots  77  need not necessarily be continuous, although this is preferred since the core portion  70  is preferably made by an extrusion process. The slots  77  are symmetrically positioned with respect to the centre of a side wall  71 , such that the attachment points of a finishing profile  78  to the side wall  71  are also symmetrical, which is advantageous. 
     Although the use of two mounting means  77  per side wall  71  is preferred, in view of the fact that the use of two separate attachments between two profiles allows for less clearance in the mutual positioning, which clearance may give rise to a divergent positioning, in particular by wind loads and/or precipitation loads, a connection with only one mounting means per side wall is also possible. On the other hand, more than two mounting means may also be provided per side wall. 
     As shown in  FIG.  6   , the walls  71  are also provided with a number of notches  80 ,  31 ,  98  on their outside. In particular, a notch  80  is provided centrally. Furthermore, each side wall  71  is provided near a vertex thereof with a first notch  31  closest to an application slot  77  and a second notch  98  nearer to the vertex. 
     It should be understood that the core profile  70 , as described above, is not limited to a substantially square shape. Also, the four side walls  71  can be arranged in a different geometric shape, for example a rectangle or parallelogram. In addition, it is also possible to provide more or less side walls  71  per core profile  70 , in particular tri-, hexa- or octagonal core profiles  70  are also possible. Furthermore, the core profile  70  may also be elliptical, in particular circular, in which case the desired number of application slots is then provided in the one continuous side wall comprising the core profile  70 . 
     The functionality of the column  2  is determined solely by the finishing profiles  78 . In other words, for each column  2  the core profile  70  is identical, as can be seen from  FIGS.  6 A to  6 D . 
       FIG.  6 A  illustrates a first design of a column  2  for use in a terrace canopy  1  without a wall infill. This column  2  is therefore suitable to be used together with the external pivot beam  3  of  FIG.  3 A  and/or with the tension beam  5  of  FIG.  4   . The column  2  is provided with four finishing profiles  78 , namely one on each side wall  71 . Each finishing profile  78  is provided with a flat outer wall  81 , the outside  83  of which determines the visual appearance of the column  2 . In other words, the finishing profile  78  hides the core profile  70  in the built-up terrace canopy  1 . Furthermore, each finishing profile  78  is provided with pins  79 , namely one pin per mounting slot  77 . The pins  79  are connected to the outer wall  81  by means of walls  82  that serve as spacer. In particular, the length of the walls  82  determines the distance (D1 as indicated in  FIG.  6 A  and D2 as indicated in  FIG.  6 B ) between the outside  72  of a wall  71  and the inside  84  of the outside wall  81 . By providing spacers  82 , cavities  85  are also created. One or more of these cavities  85  may be used for the integration of electrical cables that serve to drive the wall infill  6 , the roof infill  7  and/or other electrically driven elements present in the terrace canopy  1 . 
     The value of the distances D1, D2 are selected such that the outer side  83  of a finishing profile  78  lies in the same plane as the outer side of the front cover  14 ,  14   a  of the beams  3 ,  5 . In other words, the distances  d   1 ,  d   2 , D1 and D2 are chosen as a function of each other, whereby  d   1  and D1 are larger than the respective ones of  d   2  and D2, since these distances are intended for a terrace canopy  1  with a stationary wall infill  6   d . In this way, all walls that form the outer side of the terrace canopy  1  are in the same plane, which is desired. 
       FIG.  6 B  illustrates a second design of a column  2  for use with a stationary wall infill  6   d  that continues along a vertex of the terrace canopy  1  and thus forms at least a partial infill of two side walls (see  FIGS.  2 H to  2 J ). Therefore, the column  2  is suitable to be used together with the external pivot beam  3  of  FIG.  3 B  and/or  3 D and/or with a tension beam  5  having such functionality. 
     The main difference with the column of  FIG.  6 A  is that, for two side walls  71 , use is made of a finishing profile  78   a  without spacers  82 . Hence, the outer side  83  of the finishing profile  78   a  is closer to the wall  71  than the outer side  83  of the finishing profile  78 . In such a way, it is possible to provide a stationary side wall  6   d  below the beam  3 ,  5  of the terrace canopy  1 , which continues along a column  2 . In the case of the stationary side wall  6   d  is not transparent, the finishing profiles  78   a  between the side wall  6   d  and the core profile  70  may also be omitted since they are not visible anyway 
       FIG.  6 C  illustrates a third design of a column  2  for use with a stationary wall  6   d  infill in which the column  2  is located in a side wall of the terrace canopy, but is not a vertex. In such an embodiment, it is only required that on one side, namely the outwardly facing side of the column  2 , space is provided for the stationary side wall  6   d . Hence, one finishing profile  78   a  is provided without spacers  82 . Also, this finishing profile may also be omitted if the side wall  6   d  is not transparent. 
       FIG.  6 D  illustrates a fourth design of a column  2  in which none of the finishing profiles  78   a  is provided with a spacer  82 . This embodiment has the advantage that the space occupied by a column  2  is minimized such that the available space below the terrace canopy  1  is maximized. 
     While certain aspects of the present invention have been described with respect to specific embodiments, it is understood that these aspects may be implemented in other forms within the scope as defined by the claims.