Patent Publication Number: US-2012024331-A1

Title: Canopy Assembled with Fastening Brackets

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a novel method to assemble canopies with fastening brackets. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Canopies are consisted of several columns and a cover. Traditionally, manufacturers of canopy struggle between the ease of assembling/disassembling and the sturdiness and stability of the canopy when assembled. 
     Collapsible canopies such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,641,676, 4,779,635, 5,511,572, 5,634,483, often face the problem of being too fragile. Sturdier designs, such as gazebos, face the problem of difficulties in assembling and transportation. 
     Traditionally, the structure bars of canopies are made of metal tubes. These tubes are connected by inserting one tube&#39;s end, with a outer diameter small enough to be inserted into the other tube, into the other. These canopies are typically unstable. 
     Another traditional method is to fasten parallel bars by drilling holes on both bars to allow fastening screws to pass through. The problem with this design is that the use of the canopy would cause its shape to change, resulting in difficulties to line up all the holes. The present invention resolved that problem by making it unnecessary to match the holes for the fastening screws to pass through. 
     The present invention attempts to improve upon those designs. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention, by adopting a novel method to assemble canopies with fastening brackets, offers a middle ground between traditional canopies and gazebos. It allows easy assembling and disassembling, while provide the sturdiness that often comes only with gazebos. The fastening brackets can be applied by inserting two bars into the brackets, turning the brackets 90 degrees, and fasten the screws on the fastening brackets. Since the fastening brackets can be applied at any location to join two adjoining metal bars without the need to match holes drilled on the bars, the method would prolong the usable lives of the canopy. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  The joining bracket 
         FIG. 2  Fastening bracket prior to inserting into the bars 
         FIG. 3  Fastening bracket inserted into the bars 
         FIG. 4  Fastening bracket being rotated 
         FIG. 5  Fastening bracket rotated in place 
         FIG. 6  Tightening the nut 
         FIG. 7  Fastening bracket installed 
         FIG. 8  Canopy with L shaped columns 
         FIG. 9  Canopy with L shaped columns with fastening brackets 
         FIG. 10  Assembled canopy 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention uses a fastening bracket (see  FIG. 1 ) to fasten two parallel bars with rectangle shaped cross sections and equal width. The fastening bracket is composed of two U shaped brackets, with one facing up ( 1 ) and one facing down ( 2 ), connected on one side ( 3 ) with a threaded hole ( 4 ) for a fastening screw to tighten the grip of the bracket to the rectangle bars (see  FIG. 1 ). 
     To use the bracket to fasten two rectangle bars, first, the two bars are inserted through the opening of the bracket ( FIGS. 2 and 3 ). Second, the fastening bracket (see  FIG. 4 ) is rotated ninety degrees until the two bars reach the bottom of the both U shaped parts of the fastening bracket ( FIG. 5 ). Third, the nut is tightened (see  FIG. 6 ). 
     With this fastening method, columns of the canopy can be tightly fastened to the cover ( FIG. 7 ). 
     In one embodiment, four columns are made of L shaped frames (see  FIG. 8 ), which are connected with the cover frames by the fastening bracket (see  FIG. 9 ). The completed canopy is shown in  FIG. 10 .