Patent Publication Number: US-2023151610-A1

Title: Terrace canopy

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a terrace canopy. 
     STATE OF THE ART 
     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. 
     A known problem with such terrace canopies 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 which aims to at least partially solve the aforementioned problem. BE 2014/0015 discloses a beam for a terrace canopy, which beam is provided with an internal cavity for the purpose of draining precipitation incident on the terrace canopy, to a front end of the beam. Above the cavity, a space is provided in which a screen roll can be arranged which can be downwardly unrolled, the screen then being located between the cavity and the outer side (formed by the front cover of the beam). 
     In practice, it is also possible to use other types of wall infill, in particular sliding panel walls, with the beam disclosed in BE 2014/0015. To this end, the screen cavity is closed at the bottom side and an additional wall profile is attached to the bottom side of the beam. 
     However, by attaching an additional wall profile, the total size of the beam increases, which is undesirable, among others, for reasons such as possible changes in the headroom, wind load and aesthetic appearance. In addition, a seam can be seen between the beam and the wall profile, which is visually undesirable. 
     In summary, it has turned out in practice that the beam disclosed in BE 2014/0015 still offers too little the possibility of an integration of the different types of side wall infill that are common with terrace canopies. 
     IT201800001632 A1 also discloses a terrace canopy comprising a beam intended to hold a sidewall infill. To this end, the bottom side of the beam is provided with several U-shaped chambers for guiding wall parts. The entire bottom side of the beam, including the external gutter, is integrally manufactured. There is therefore no possibility to use different types of side wall infill. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a beam for a terrace canopy that allows more integration of the types of side wall infill common with terrace canopies. 
     This object is achieved by a terrace canopy comprising a beam, the beam having a top side, a bottom side, an inner side and an outer side, and, in its cross-section, is provided with: a screen cavity configured to hold a screen roll ; and a U-shaped space at the bottom side of the beam which is located below the screen cavity and is formed by a top wall, an outer side wall and an inner side wall, said U-shaped space being open at its bottom side, wherein said U-shaped space is configured to hold a first profile and a second profile, different from the first profile, said U-shaped space being provided with : a first connection means and a second connection means configured together to hold the first profile; or said first connection means and a connection wall part configured together to hold the second profile, the connection wall part being configured to be attached against a wall of the second profile. 
     Although a (limited) space is provided below the gutter in the terrace canopy disclosed in BE 2014/0015, this space is completely closed off by the design of the gutter profile such that the space has no or only limited functionality. Limited functionality here means that the space can be used for receiving one or more bolts for securing an additional wall profile below the beam. 
     The present invention improves upon this by leaving that same space open at its bottom side and by providing the necessary connection means. This allows other profiles, for example a wall profile, to be introduced into that space. This benefits the variation in functionality. 
     As already described above, a similar functionality is possible with the beam disclosed in BE 2014/0015 by attaching an additional wall profile to the bottom side of the beam. 
     The present invention improves on this in that the open space below the internal gutter allows the additional wall profile to be integrated into the beam without showing a visually visible seam on the outer side of the beam. 
     The use of several connections for attaching the first or the second profile is also advantageous. In general, for the strength and mutual positioning, among other things, two separate connections should be used for each connection of two 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 addition, the first two connection means (e.g. hooks, slots, pins, etc.) can be used for the connection of a relatively light profile (e.g. a closure profile), while the first connection means and the connection wall part can be used for connecting a relatively heavy profile (e.g. a wall profile). In addition, in a wall-to-wall attachment (i.e. via the connection wall part) the first connection means already serves for the correct positioning of the second profile relative to the U-shaped space. 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, the first connection means is provided on the inner side wall or the outer side wall of the U-shaped space, in particular on the outwardly or inwardly facing side thereof, respectively, and more particularly on the bottom end thereof, and is preferably formed by a hook. 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, the second connection means is provided on the outer side wall or the inner side wall of the U-shaped space, particularly on the inwardly or outwardly facing side thereof, respectively, and more particularly on the top end thereof, and is preferably formed by a hook. 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, the connection wall portion is provided on the inner side wall or the outer side wall of the U-shaped space. Preferably, the inner side wall or the outer side wall of the U-shaped space has at least two wall parts located in a different plane, the connection wall part being formed by one of said wall parts. 
     These different embodiments provide a flexible design of the U-shaped space and allow the connections (i.e. both the connection means and the connection wall portion) to be placed at different locations in the U-shaped space. This allows to optimally design the U-shaped space depending on the desired application. The wall parts in a different plane also avoid that the separate connections have a negative influence on each other, for instance obstruct each other, since they may engage on a different wall part. 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, the first connection means and the second connection means are each on a different one of the inner side wall and the outer side wall of the U-shaped space and/or that the connection wall portion forms part of one of the inner side wall and the outer side wall of the U-shaped space and the first connection means is located on the other of the inner side wall and the outer side wall of the U-shaped space. In this way, both the first profile and the second profile are attached to opposite legs of the U-shaped space, which increases the stability of the connection. 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, the beam comprises the first profile, the first profile being a closure profile that closes off the U-shaped space. Preferably, the closure profile is provided with a first complementary connection means and a second complementary connection means, wherein the closure profile is connected to the U-shaped space by connecting the first complementary connection means with the first connection means and by connecting the second complementary connection means with the second connection means. If there is no need for a wall infill, the U-shaped open space can be closed off such that the internal structure of the beam is hidden from view. 
     In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the beam comprises the second profile, the second profile being a wall profile located in the U-shaped space and configured to guide and/or hold a wall panel. Preferably, the wall profile is provided with a first complementary connection means and with a complementary connection wall part, wherein the wall profile is connected to the U-shaped space by connecting the first complementary connection means to the first connection means and by connecting the complementary connection wall part to the connection wall part by means of a connection means. Integrating a wall profile allows to provide a wall infill, in particular a movable wall infill, in the terrace canopy. 
     In an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the wall profile comprises a rail configured to guide at least one wall part. By integrating the rail into the beam, there is no longer any need for guiding at the bottom side of the wall parts such that they cannot form an obstacle for a smooth passage below the terrace canopy if the wall parts are open. 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, the inner side wall or outer side wall of the cavity is provided with a third connection means, in particular a hook, especially on the inwardly facing side of the respective inner side wall or outer side wall and more especially at the bottom end thereof. This further increases the possibilities to connect profiles in the U-shaped space such that the functionality of the beam improves. 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, the beam comprises a gutter portion located at least partially below the screen cavity and configured to drain precipitation incident on the terrace canopy to an end face of the beam, wherein said U-shaped space forms part of the gutter part. Preferably, the gutter part is integrally formed. The gutter part provides the desired water drainage from the terrace canopy. The integral forming of the U-shaped space avoids that there is a visible seam between the gutter part and the U-shaped space. 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, the beam comprises a base member which, in its cross-section, includes: an upright inner side wall provided at the top with a first upper connection means, in particular a female pin connection element, and at the bottom is connected with the gutter part; and a horizontal wall extending from the upright inner side wall towards the outer side of the beam, the upright inner side wall and the horizontal wall of the base part and the top wall of the inner cavity delimiting said screen cavity. 
     In the terrace canopy disclosed in BE 2014/0015, the base portion of the beam thereof is provided with a first attachment means adjacent the end of the horizontal wall and a second attachment means near an end of an upright wall extending from the location of the first attachment means, such that there is a certain moderate distance between the attachment means. This means that the space between the two attachment means, after placing a further profile, such as a front cover, cannot contribute to the variation in functionality of the beams. 
     Hence, it is advantageous to provide, near the end of the horizontal wall, two connection means, in contrast to only one connection means in the beam of BE 2014/0015. In particular, the two connection means allow to connect a plurality of functionally different connection profiles with the end of the horizontal wall without the need to provide a connection on another location of the base portion, as is the case in BE 2014/0015. Hence, there is less loss of space in the base portion. 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, the base part and the gutter part are formed as separate profiles, wherein the upright inner side wall of the base profile at its bottom is provided with at least one, preferably at least two, connection means and that the gutter profile is provided with at least one, preferably at least two, corresponding connection means for connecting the base profile to the gutter profile. The use of separate profiles has the advantage that the beam is easier to manufacture. It has been found that an extrusion process for manufacturing one profile in which the base part and the channel part are incorporated, is technically difficult to realize, in particular in view of the considerable height of such a profile. 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, the gutter portion comprises an inner gutter and the top wall of the U-shaped space is the same as the bottom wall of the inner gutter. In other words, the space is located directly below the inner gutter such that the overall height of the beam is delimited. 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, the gutter part is provided with: a substantially external gutter which is provided for draining precipitation incident on the terrace canopy, which external gutter is formed by an upright inner side wall, a bottom and an intermediate wall that is substantially in line with the inner side wall ; said inner side wall extending downwardly from the bottom ; and two connection means, wherein a first of the two connection means is located near the transition between the bottom and the upright inner side wall and in particular comprising a pin connection element, and wherein a second of the two connection means is located at an end of the branch and especially comprises a hook. By providing an external gutter, precipitation, incident on the terrace canopy, can be drained to the cavity. In addition, the two connection means allow to use the space below the external gutter functionally since in this space, a plurality of functionally different profiles can be provided. 
     In an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the beam comprises a finishing profile which is connected to the gutter part by means of the two connection means. The finishing profile can be formed by one of : a wall profile, preferably comprising a rail configured to guide at least one wall portion; a closure profile, which is preferably substantially L-shaped; and a lighting holder profile. Integrating a wall profile allows to provide a wall infill, in particular a movable wall infill, in the terrace canopy. By integrating the rail into the beam, there is no longer any need for guiding on the bottom side of the wall parts such that they cannot form an obstacle for a smooth passage below the terrace canopy if the wall parts are open. The closure profile serves to hide the internal structure of the beam from view if no functionality is desired below the external gutter. The lighting holder profile allows to integrate lighting for the terrace canopy into the beam. 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, the U-shaped space is located directly below the screen cavity. This delimits the total height of the beam. In such an embodiment, a gutter (part) is preferably provided along the U-shaped space, which gutter is configured to drain precipitation incident on the terrace canopy to a front end of the beam. 
    
    
     
       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 K  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. 
         FIG.  5    shows a section through an embodiment of a central pivot beam. 
         FIGS.  6 A to  6 C  show individual profiles used in the construction of the external pivot beam and/or the tension beam. 
         FIG.  7    shows a schematic representation of an alternative external pivot beam according to the invention. 
     
    
    
     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 ,  4  and  6   , 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 ,  4  and  6   ) 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 ,  4  and  6   ). 
     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  1 , serves as an external pivot beam  3 ;   a beam  4  which, centrally in the terrace canopy  1 , serves as a 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  may be attached to other structures, for example a wall or facade, instead of resting solely on columns  2  as shown in  FIG.  1   . In such a way, the terrace canopy  1  can generally be 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  6   a . The screen  6   a  extends between two adjacent columns  2  and can be rolled out from the external pivot beam  3 . The screen  6   a  mainly serves as a wind and/or sun screen. 
       FIG.  2 B  illustrates a wall infill in the form of sliding wall panels  6   b . In the embodiment shown, three panels  6   b  are provided on either side of the wall. The panels  6   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  6   b , but this guide  99  is optional.  FIG.  2 C  illustrates the terrace canopy  1  of  FIG.  2 B  with the wall panels  6   b  in their closed position. The wall panels  6   b  are transparent and preferably made of glass. Naturally, non-transparent wall panels  6   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  6   a  and, on the other hand, slidable wall panels  6   b  (in this case four panels  6   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  6   c . The wall panels  6   c  are foldable towards the column  2 .  FIG.  2 F  illustrates the terrace canopy  1  of  FIG.  2 E  with the wall panels  6   c  in their closed position. Additional wall panels  6   c  are required to cover the entire wall between the columns  2 . The wall panels  6   c  are transparent and preferably made of glass. Also, non-transparent wall panels  6   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  6   c , is also shown in  FIG.  2 G . However, in this case, the panels  6   c  are located below the external pivot beam  3 , while, in the embodiment of  FIGS.  2 E and  2 F , the panels  6   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 outer side 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.  2 I  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 ,  4 ,  5  will be described with reference to  FIGS.  3  to  6   . The beams  3 ,  4 ,  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 ,  4 ,  5  of the terrace canopy  1  are hollow as is apparent from  FIGS.  3  to  6   . The beams  3 ,  4 ,  5  are composed of a plurality of profiles  10 ,  11 , ...,  24 . Hereinafter, 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 C . 
     To form the beams  3 ,  4 ,  5 , the profiles  10 ,  11 ,...,  24  are interconnected 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 an interconnected base profile  12  and a double gutter profile  13 . The base profile  12  and the double gutter profile  13  are also shown per se in  FIGS.  6 A and  6 B . 
     The base profile  12  (see  FIG.  6 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.  6 B ) has a central cavity  27  which is formed at the top side by an upper horizontal wall  200 . The wall  200  ends on its inner side in an upright branch  202  which ends in a first upper connection means  203 , in particular a hooking means. The horizontal wall  200  is provided on its top side with an upper branch  201  which serves as the second upper connection means  205 . The base profile  12  and the double gutter profile  13  are interconnected 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.  6 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 upper 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 upper 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, which is advantageous for avoiding or at least reducing infiltrating water. The bottom side 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 upper 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.  6 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) inside 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 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 an 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 side 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 bottom side  430  and upright side walls  431 ,  432 . The upright side wall  432 , in particular the end thereof, is intended to be fixedly 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 bottom side 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. The function of the slot  42  is hereafter described with reference to  FIG.  3 B . 
     It is clear that 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.  6 A  further illustrates that the horizontal wall  101  merges into an outer upright wall  111  which is provided on its bottom side with a lower connection means  112 , in particular a hooking means, and on its top side is provided with a second upper connection means  113 , especially a female pin connection means. As shown in  FIG.  3 A , the second upper 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 may serve as connection means and/or container for one or more components that need to be introduced into space  32 . An opening  33  is provided between the front cover  14  and the cover profile  15 , in particular the outer side wall  402  thereof. 
       FIG.  6 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 upper horizontal wall  200 , an outer upright wall  206 , a lower 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 lower outer branch  209  which is substantially the extension of the outer side wall  206 , a horizontal branch  213  which is substantially an extension of the lower 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 . The purpose of these spaces  29 ,  30  is described hereafter with reference to  FIGS.  3 D to  3 G . However, 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 a closure 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 lower 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  will be described with reference to  FIG.  3 G , while the function of the connection means  215 ,  216  and  218  is described hereafter. 
     The closure profile  19  is substantially U-shaped with a lower wall  440  and two upright walls  441 ,  443 . The lower 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 closure profile  19  to the double gutter profile  13 . The upright inner 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 closure 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 closure profile  19  to the double gutter profile  13 . The lower 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 bottom side of the branch  104  ; screw channel  116  is provided on the bottom side of wall part  101   a  ; screw channel  117  is provided adjacent to the second upper connection means  113  in the technical space  26 ; the screw channel  208  is provided on the upper 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 interconnect 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 interconnect these substantially permanently. Rivets can be used, for example, to connect 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 closure profile  19 ; the only sporadic presence of an opening between visible profile surfaces; etc. 
       FIG.  3 B  illustrates a second type of external pivot beam, wherein the pivot beam 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 hold a roll-in/roll-out screen  6   a  serving as a side wall (see  FIG.  2 A ) and arranged in the screen cavity  25 . The main difference with the pivot beam of  FIG.  3 A  is the absence of support profile  17  and filler profile  18 . Namely, these would disrupt the normal operation of the screen  6   a . The slot  42  is provided for arranging therein a holder (not shown) which serves as an abutment for the screen  6   a  when it is rolled in. Alternatively, the slot  42  itself may serve as such a screen roller abutment. The wall  43  (which extends inwardly on the inner side of the front cover  14 ) and the wall  221  (which extends outwardly on the outer side of the inner gutter  27 ) may also serve as an abutment for the screen  6   a . 
       FIG.  3 C  illustrates a third type of external pivot beam, wherein the pivot beam is intended to form a sidewall  6 . Identical elements will be identified by the same numeral and are not described. 
     The pivot beam of  FIG.  3 C  is designed to cooperate with a stationary wall (see  FIGS.  2 H to  2 J ). The main differences with the pivot beam of  FIG.  3 A  are the design of the front cover  14   a  and the filler element  18   a  and the presence of a drip profile  24  as alternative on 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.  6 A ), in particular a hook on the bottom side 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 substantially 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 side 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 d2 in  FIG.  3 B  is smaller than before. 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 bottom side 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 bottom side 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 off 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 D  illustrates a fourth type of external pivot beam, wherein the pivot beam is intended to form a side wall  6 . Identical elements will be identified by the same numeral and are not described. Changes have also been made to the design of the base profile 12′, the double gutter profile 13′, the front cover 14′, the cover profile 15′, the connection profile 16′ and the support profile 17′ without any change to the functionality such that the modified design is not explained in more detail. It should be noted, however, that connection means  108  which is formed by two hooks (see  FIG.  6 A ) in base profile  12  is now formed by one hook 108′a and one abutment 108′b. 
     The pivot beam of  FIG.  3 D  is designed to cooperate with a movable wall  6   b ,  6   c  (see  FIGS.  2 B,  2 C and  2 G ). The main difference with the pivot beam of  FIG.  3 A  is the presence of a wall profile  21  in space  29  below the external gutter  28 . This also changes the design of the closure profile  19   a . 
     In this embodiment, the closure profile  19   a  only serves to close off space  30  below the internal gutter  27 . The closure profile  19   a  comprises a horizontal wall  440   a  which merges on its outwardly facing side into an upright wall  441   a  which, unlike upright wall  441 , is located between the filler profile  18  and the lower outer branch  209  of the gutter profile 13′. In particular, the upper end of the upright wall  441   a  is connected to wall part  209   b  (see  FIG.  6 B ), for example by means of rivets or the like. Connection means  446  is identical to the pivot beam of  FIG.  3 A  and is not further described. At the inwardly facing end of the horizontal wall  440   a , a connection means  445   a , in particular a hooking means, is provided to cooperate with the lower inner connection means  216  for attaching the closure profile  19   a  to the double gutter profile 13′. 
     As already described, the external pivot beam of  FIG.  3 D  serves for cooperation with a movable wall  6   b ,  6   c . The wall profile  21  is provided with a guide chamber  460  formed by two upright walls  461 ,  462  connected to a horizontal upper wall  463 . The upright walls  461 ,  462  together form a rail  464  into which one or more rollers (not shown) can be movably mounted. The wall profile  21  is further provided with a lower wall  465  with an opening  469  therein which opens onto guide chamber  460 . A portion of the rollers and/or the wall extends through the opening  469 . At the outwardly facing end of the lower horizontal wall  465 , a connection means  468  is provided, in particular a hooking means, which is provided to cooperate with the lower inner connection means  216  for attaching the wall profile  21  to the double gutter profile 13′. On the inwardly facing side of the lower wall  465 , it merges into an upright wall  466  which is provided at the top with a connection means  467  (corresponding to connection means  444  of closure profile  19 ), in particular a pin, provided to cooperate with the inner connection means  215  for attaching the wall profile  21  to the double gutter profile 13′. To increase the dimensional stability of the wall profile  21 , the top wall  463  of the guide chamber  460  extends against the inner side wall  466 . 
     Considering the presence of only one rail  464  in the external pivot beam of  FIG.  3 D , this means that only two types of movable wall  6   b ,  6   c  are possible. In particular, it is possible to provide a side wall with only one movable panel  6   b , slidable in the longitudinal direction of the external pivot beam  3 . In other words, this forms a side wall  6   b  as in  FIGS.  2 B and  2 C  with only one or two panels instead of the six panels shown there (three on either side of the terrace canopy  1 ). Alternatively, a foldable side wall  6   c  is possible, as shown in  FIG.  2 G . 
       FIG.  3 E  illustrates a fifth type of external pivot beam, wherein the pivot beam is intended to form a side wall  6 . Identical elements will be identified by the same numeral and will not be described. 
     The pivot beam of  FIG.  3 E  is designed to cooperate with a movable wall  6   b ,  6   c  (see  FIGS.  2 B and  2 C ). The main difference with the pivot beam of  FIG.  3 A  is the presence of a wall profile  21  in space  30  below the internal gutter  27 . This has also changed the design of the closure profile  19   b . 
     The closure profile  19   b  now only serves to close off space  29  below the external gutter  28 . The closure profile  19   b  comprises a horizontal wall  440   b  which merges on its inwardly facing side into an upright wall  443 , which is provided with a pin  444 , identical as with the pivot beam of  FIG.  3 A , such that a further description is unnecessary. The horizontal wall  440   b  is provided at its outwardly facing end with a connection means  445   b , in particular a hooking means, provided to cooperate with the lower inner connection means  216  for attaching the closure profile  19   b  to the double gutter profile  13 . 
     As already described, the external pivot beam of  FIG.  3 E  serves for cooperation with a movable wall  6   b . The wall profile  21   a  is provided with two guide chambers  460  which are formed in the same way as the guide chamber  460  of wall profile  21  described with reference to  FIG.  3 D . Hence, there are the inner and outer upright walls  461 ,  462  which form the rails  464  and are connected to the horizontal wall  463 . For reinforcement, a horizontal wall portion  463   a  is also provided, connecting the horizontal walls  463  of the separate guide chambers  460 . The lower wall  465   a  is correspondingly provided with two openings  469 , one for each guide chamber  460 . 
     A connection means  468   a  is provided at the inwardly facing end of the lower horizontal wall  465   a , in particular a hooking means, which is provided to cooperate with the lower inner connection means  216  for attaching the wall profile  21   a  to the double gutter profile  13 . At the outwardly facing end of the lower wall  21   a , an upright wall  470  is provided, which is located between the filler profile  18  and the lower outer branch  209  of the gutter profile  13 . In particular, the upper end of the upright wall  470  is connected to wall part  209   b  (see  FIG.  6 B ), for example by means of rivets or the like. Also provided is a connection means  471  which is similar to connection means  446  as with the pivot beam of  FIG.  3 A  and serves to cooperate with connection means  433  on filler profile  18  for their interconnection. 
     In view of the presence of two rails  464  in wall profile  21   a , it is possible to provide in each rail one or two movable panels  6   b  which are slidable in the longitudinal direction of the pivot beam  3 , for example by using rollers (not shown). The panels  6   b  in the different rail can pass along each other. In other words, this forms a side wall  6   b  as in  FIGS.  2 B and  2 C  with only two or four panels instead of the six panels shown there (three on either side of the terrace canopy  1 ). If desired, a combination can also be made of sliding panels  6   b  in one of the rails  464  and folding panels  6   c  in the other rail. 
       FIG.  3 F  illustrates a sixth type of external pivot beam, wherein the pivot beam is intended to form a sidewall  6 . Identical elements will be identified by the same numeral and are not described. 
     The pivot beam of  FIG.  3 F  is designed to cooperate with a movable wall  6   b ,  6   c  (see  FIGS.  2 B and  2 C ). The main difference with the pivot beam of  FIG.  3 E  is the presence of a third rail  464  where normally the filler profile  18  is present. The wall profile  21   b  is provided with three guide chambers  460  which are formed in the same way as the guide chamber  460  of wall profile  21 ,  21   a , described with reference to  FIGS.  3 D and  3 E . The lower wall  465   b  is therefore correspondingly provided with three openings  469 . The connection of the wall profile  21   b  on its inner side with the double gutter profile  13  is identical as for wall profile  21   a  and will not be described in more detail. On its outwardly facing side, the connection of the wall profile  21   b  with the double gutter profile  13  is formed by an upright wall  472  which extends upwardly from the horizontal wall  463  of the most outwardly extending guide chamber  460 . This upright wall  472  ends in an upper connection means  473 , in particular a hooking means, which cooperates with the wall  221  (which extends outwardly on the outer side of the inner gutter  27 ). The lower end of the front cover  14  abuts against the outer end of the horizontal wall  465   b  of the wall profile  21   b . 
     In view of the presence of three rails  464  in wall profile  21   b , it is possible to provide in each rail one or two movable panels  6   b  which are slidable in the longitudinal direction of the pivot beam  3 , for example by using rollers (not shown). The panels  6   b  in the different rail can pass along each other. In other words, this forms a side wall  6   b  as in  FIGS.  2 B and  2 C . If desired, a combination can also be made of sliding panels  6   b  in two of the rails  464  and folding panels  6   c  in the other rail. 
       FIG.  3 G  illustrates a seventh type of external pivot beam, wherein the pivot beam is intended to form a sidewall  6 . Identical elements will be identified by the same numeral and are not described. 
     The pivot beam of  FIG.  3 G  is designed to cooperate with a movable wall  6   b  (see  FIG.  2 D ). The main difference with the pivot beam of  FIG.  3 E  is the design of the wall profile  21   c  with respect to the wall profile  21   a . The wall profile  21   c  comprises a horizontal upper wall  463   c  from which five upright walls  461   c  extend downwardly to form four guide chambers  460   c . At the bottom, the most inwardly facing upright wall  461   c  is provided with a horizontal branch  465   c  comprising a connection means  468   c , in particular a hooking means, which is provided to cooperate with the lower inner connection means  216  for the attachment of the wall profile  21   c  to the double gutter profile  13 . The attachment to the outer upright wall  461   c  is formed by fixedly connecting this wall to wall part  209   b  (see  FIG.  6 B ), for instance by means of rivets or the like. Furthermore, a connection means  471   c  is also provided which is similar to connection means  446  as with the pivot beam of  FIG.  3 A  and serves to cooperate with connection means  433  on filler profile  18  for their interconnection. 
     The wall profile  21   c  is typically intended for slidable wall panels  6   b  that are thinner, in comparison to the wall profiles  21 ,  21   a  and  21   b . In particular, the wall profile  21   c  is intended for glass wall panels in which a maximum of four (or eight) panels  6   b  can slide along each other, as shown in  FIG.  2 D . Due to the lower weight of the wall panels  6   b  (in view of their relatively low thickness) it is possible to use less strong rails  464   c , whereby wall profile  21   c  is compact such that more wall panels  6   c  can be provided in the transverse direction of the pivot beam  3 . This compact wall profile  21   c  also allows other forms of wall infill, for instance a screen  6   a , to be present in order to arrive at the terrace canopy shown in  FIG.  2 D . In addition, with glass wall panels  6   b , rollers are typically provided on the bottom side of the panels on the ground guide  99  such that the guide in the rails  460   c  can be embodied more compact or even omitted altogether. 
       FIG.  3 H  illustrates an eighth type of external pivot beam, wherein the pivot beam is intended to form a sidewall  6 . Identical elements will be identified by the same numeral and are not described. 
     The pivot beam of  FIG.  3 H  is designed to cooperate with a movable wall  6   b ,  6   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 profile  20  that is positioned outwardly relative to the front cover 14a′, which therefore also has a modified design, in particular the same design as the front cover  14   a  with a stationary wall infill, described with reference to  FIG.  3 C , such that a further description is not included here. It should be noted, however, that the front cover 14a′ 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 C . The design of the cover profile  15   a  is also 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 profile  20  into the design of the pivot beam  3  without adversely affecting the quality of the finish. 
     The wall profile  20  includes a guide chamber  480  which is identical to that of wall profiles  21 ,  21   a  and  21   b . The guide chamber  480  is therefore limited by inner and outer upright walls  481 ,  482 , an upper horizontal wall  483  connecting the upright walls  481 ,  482 , and a lower 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 lower wall  485  has, on its inwardly-facing end, a slot  490  for receiving the end  37   a  of the front cover 14a′ for the attachment of the front cover 14a′ to the wall profile  20 . This slot  490  is, in particular, formed by a downwardly extending branch  499  that departs from the bottom side of the lower wall  485 . At the inner end of the lower wall  485 , it merges into an upright wall  486  which has a bend  497  near the centre such that a lower portion of wall  486  is located more inwardly relative to 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.  6 A ) for connecting the wall profile  20  to the base profile  12 . The bend  497  allows the upper part of the wall  486  to be positioned more outwardly and to abut against the branch  114 . At the top of the upright wall  486  it merges into an upper horizontal wall  488 . Also, the upper wall  483  of the guide chamber  480  is connected to this upper wall  488  by support member  495 . The horizontal wall  488  is on its inner end provided with a second inner connection means  489 , in particular a hooking means, which hooks over the second upper connection means  113  for connecting the wall 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 top side with an upper connection means  491 , in particular, a female pin connection means. As shown in  FIG.  3 H , the upper connection means  491  is used to connect the cover profile  15   a  via pin  404 . A connection wall  494  is provided between the horizontal wall  488  and the upright branch  492  for the strength and bearing capacity of the wall profile  20 . A branch  493  is also provided on the outer side of the upright branch  492 . The lower wall  485  is provided on its outwardly facing side with an upright finishing wall  498  which is located in the same plane as the outer side 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 H , this means that only two types of movable wall  6   b ,  6   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, as already described with reference to  FIG.  3 D , a single rail  484  can also be used to hold one or two sliding side wall panels. It should further be understood that, if desired, the wall profile  20  can also be provided with several mutually parallel chambers for guiding several wall panels. 
       FIG.  3 I  illustrates a ninth type of external pivot beam, wherein the pivot beam is intended to form a side wall  6 . Identical elements will be identified by the same numeral and are not described. 
     The pivot beam shown in  FIG.  3 I  has a combined functionality, namely that of the pivot beams shown in  FIGS.  3 C and  3 H . In other words, the external pivot beam  3  has as side wall infill  6  both a portion with a fixed wall  6   d  and a portion with a movable, in particular a foldable, side wall  6   c . For example, a fixed wall  6   d  is provided on one side of a side of the terrace canopy  1 , while a foldable side wall  6   c  is present on the other side of the same side. 
     The front cover  14   a  and the drip profile  24  of the pivot beam of  FIG.  3 I  are identical to those described with reference to  FIG.  3 C  and the cover section  15   a  is identical to that described for the pivot beam of  FIG.  3 H . A further description is therefore not included here. In addition, the wall profile  20   a  is substantially identical to what was described with reference to  FIG.  3 H . The only difference is the absence of branch  499  which served as attachment for the front cover  14   a . Now, this branch  499  is 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 fixed wall  6   d . 
       FIG.  3 J  illustrates a tenth type of external pivot beam, wherein the pivot beam is intended to form a side wall  6 . Identical elements will be identified by the same numeral and are not described. 
     The pivot beam shown in  FIG.  3 J  has a combined functionality, namely that of the pivot beams shown in  FIGS.  3 C and  3 E . In other words, the external pivot beam  3  has as side wall infill  6  both a portion with a fixed wall  6   d  and a portion with a movable, in particular a slidable, side wall  6   b . For example, one side of a side of the terrace canopy  1  is provided with a fixed wall  6   d , while on the other side of the same side there is a slidable side wall  6   b , in particular formed by two wall panels. 
     All relevant profiles for the construction of the pivot beam shown in  FIG.  3 J  have already been described with reference to  FIG.  3 C  and/or 3E. A further description is therefore not included here. 
       FIG.  3 K  illustrates an eleventh type of external pivot beam, wherein the pivot beam serves for holding a lighting. Identical elements will be identified by the same numeral and are not described. 
     The pivot beam of  FIG.  3 K  is substantially the same as the one shown in  FIG.  3 D  with the difference that the wall profile  21  has been replaced by a lighting holder profile  10 . The lighting holder profile  10  comprises two spaces  500 ,  501  in which lighting (not shown), such as one or more lamps, LED lighting, etc. can be installed. The space  500  can be used to illuminate the space below the terrace canopy  1 , while the space  501  allows to illuminate the area below the pivot beam  3 . The space  500  is substantially U-shaped and comprises an upright central wall  502 , a top wall  503  and a bottom wall  504 . The top wall  503  is provided at its end with an upright inner branch  505  having a connection means  506  thereon (corresponding to connection means  444  of closure profile  19 ), in particular a pin, provided to cooperate with the inner connection means  215  for attaching the lighting holder profile  10  to the double gutter profile 13′. The space  501  is substantially U-shaped and comprises an upright central wall  502 , an top wall  507  and an outer side wall  508 . The outer side wall  508  is provided at its bottom end with a connection means  509 , in particular a hooking means, which is provided to cooperate with the lower inner connection means  216  for attaching the lighting holder profile  10  to the double gutter profile 13′. In the spaces  500 ,  501 , additional mounting walls  510 ,  511  are also provided on which, among other things, the lighting can be attached. It is also possible to arrange diffusers and/or other elements in the spaces  500 ,  501  for optimizing the light quality. Furthermore, it should be understood that also only one of the spaces  500 ,  501  can be present. 
     It should also be understood that combinations of profiles that have not yet been shown, are possible to obtain yet other beams. For example, a beam according to one of the  FIGS.  3 E to  3 F  with an additional wall profile  20  according to  FIG.  3 H . This then allows to have several different types of panel wall infills on the same wall of the terrace canopy  1 , for example a sliding wall below the beam and a folding wall on the outer side of the beam. 
       FIG.  7    shows a schematic representation of an alternative design of an external pivot beam  3 . Identical elements will be identified by the same numeral and will not be described. The main difference between the external pivot beam of  FIG.  7    and the one of  FIGS.  3 A through  3 K  is that there is no internal gutter  27  present. As a result, the U-shaped space  30  is located directly below the screen cavity  25 . It is to be understood that the U-shaped space  30  in the external pivot beam  3  is substantially identical to the one shown in  FIGS.  6 B and  6 C . The U-shaped space  30  is thus provided with a number of connection means  218 ,  216 ,  217 ; a number of connection wall parts  209   a ,  209   b ; and screw channels  219 ,  220 . Their function is identical to that shown in the embodiments in  FIGS.  3 A through  3 K  and will not be further described. It is therefore possible to accommodate different profiles  19 ,  19   a ,  21   a ,  21   b ,  21   c  in the U-shaped space  30 . 
     The external pivot beam  3 , shown in  FIG.  7   , also comprises a base profile  12 , and an external gutter profile  13 . In the embodiment shown, the external gutter profile is an integrally formed U-shaped profile with upright side walls  212 ,  214  and a bottom  213 . The upright side wall  212  is attached at the top to the base profile  12  and also forms the inner side wall  212  of the U-shaped space  30 . The walls  209 ,  210  of the U-shaped space  30  are an integral part of the base profile  12 . It should be understood that other divisions between profiles are possible. 
       FIG.  4    illustrates a design of a tension beam  5 . The tension beam  5  shown is intended not to be provided with a wall infill  6 . The tension beam  5  shown comprises a base profile 12″ and a single gutter profile  11  which are interconnected. The single gutter profile  11  is also shown per se in  FIG.  6 C . It is to be understood that, in embodiments not shown, the tension beam can be suited and intended for receiving and/or holding a wall infill by using the profiles shown in  FIGS.  3 B,  3 C,  3 E,  3 F,  3 G,  3 H,  3 I  and/or 3J. 
     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 understood that they are interchangeable with the profiles  12 ,  14 ,  16 ,  18 , 12′, 14′, 16′, 18′ described above. It is also possible to replace one or more of the profiles  12 ,  14 ,  16 ,  18 , 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 closure 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.  6 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 one embodiment of a tension beam  5  has been shown, it is understood 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 C and  3 E to  3 J  where the double gutter profile  13  is replaceable by the single gutter profile  11  of  FIG.  6 C . 
       FIG.  5    illustrates a central pivot beam  4 . Since the central pivot beam  4  is centrally located in the terrace canopy  1 , it is not the intention that a side wall can be located below the beam  4 , which changes the design of a whole number of profiles. Of course, it cannot be ruled out that a wall infill may be present below the central pivot beam  4 . 
     The central pivot beam  4  is constructed from a limited number of profiles, namely a base profile  22 , a gutter profile  23 , a cover profile  15   b  and two closure profiles  19   b . The base profile  22  has a symmetrical construction and is connected to the gutter profile  23  by means of connections  58 ,  59 . Connections  58 ,  59  have a different design, whereby connection  58  is shown as a hook connection. However, these connections can be identical to each other. At its top side, the base profile  22  is sealed by a cover profile  15   b  by means of pin connections  57 . The gutter profile  23  comprises two external gutters  28  and the central gutter  27  which are separated by intermediate walls  56 . For finishing at the bottom side below the external gutters  28 , use is made of two closure profiles  19   b  identical to the one described with reference to  FIG.  3 E . In particular, the attachment uses a connection means  55 , in particular a female pin connection means, below the external gutters  28 , which cooperates with pin  444 , and a lower connection means  54 , in particular a hooking means, forming the end of the branch  53  and cooperating with hook  445   b . Furthermore, the central pivot beam  4  is also provided with screw channels  50  for screwing a headboard onto an end of this beam  4  by means of screws or bolts. 
     It should be understood that finishing profile  19   b  can also be replaced by LED-holder profile  10 , described with reference to  FIG.  3 K . If necessary, it is also possible to replace the finishing profile  19   b  with wall profile  21  described with reference to  FIG.  3 D . Optionally, the space  30  below the internal gutter  27  may also be used for a wall profile. 
     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.