Abstract:
An awning includes a support member, an extension member, and an adjustment device. The extension member has a first end, a second end, and a longitudinal axis extending therebetween. The first end of the extension member couples with an edge of a cloth. The adjustment device includes at least two positioning frames coupled to the support member and a Y-shaped support frame disposed between the positioning frames. The Y-shaped support frame has an upper fork, a lower fork, and a base coupled to the second end of the extension member. The adjustment device is configured to pivotally move the extension member upward and downward. The longitudinal axis of the extension member is disposed at a range of angular positions relative to a horizontal axis.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This Application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to Chinese Patent Application No. 200820121331.0, filed 14 Jul. 2008, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONS 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This application is directed to the adjustment of extending apparatuses, and particularly to a support joint for an adjustable awning. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     During certain hours, days, and/or seasons, the shade and shelter of an awning may be desirable. However, during other times one may prefer to remain exposed to the elements absent an awning. Further, at some times one may desire to remove an awning for practical concerns such as to provide clearance for maintenance or to prevent damage to the awning during extreme weather. Accordingly, a retractable awning is desirable. Further, at times it may be desirable to have an adjustable awning, allowing the awning to be adjusted in length, angle, or other properties. 
     Awning supports have been developed to provide a retractable and adjustable awning. However, such awnings are frequently difficult to (dis)assemble, lack stability, flail about in the wind, and provide further disadvantages. Thus, there is a need for an improved adjustable awning support. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONS 
     In one embodiment an awning can include a support member, an extension member, and an adjustment device. The extension member can have a first end, a second end, and a longitudinal axis extending therebetween. The first end of the extension member can be coupled with an edge of a cloth. The adjustment device can include at least two positioning frames coupled to the support member and a Y-shaped support frame disposed between the positioning frames. The Y-shaped support frame can have an upper fork, a lower fork, and a base coupled to the second end of the extension member. The adjustment device can be configured to pivotally move the extension member upward and downward. The longitudinal axis of the extension member can be disposed at a range of angular positions relative to a horizontal axis. 
     In another embodiment, an awning assembly can include a support member, a positioning frame, a support frame, an extension member, and an adjusting device. The positioning frame can rigidly attach to the support member and include at least one elongate member. The supporting frame can include at least one path receiving the elongate member, a threaded bore at an end of the path, and a mounting end. The extension member can mount to the supporting frame at the mounting end. The adjustment device can include at least a screw that can engage with the threaded bore such that motion of the screw through the threaded bore causes relative movement between the elongate member and the supporting frame along the path. 
     In a further embodiment, an awning assembly can include a support member, a positioning frame, a supporting frame, and an extension member. The positioning frame can rigidly attach to the support member and include at least two elongate members. The supporting frame can include a mounting end and at least one path rotatably and translationally receiving the two elongate members. The elongate member can be received such that they are restricted to a defined path defining a position and orientation angle of the supporting frame. The extension member can be mounted to the supporting frame at the mounting end. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Some preferred embodiments of the inventions will now be more particularly described by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  depicts an embodiment of an awning mounted on a support member by a joint structure, with additional possible positions of the cloth depicted as examples of possible movement; 
         FIG. 2  is a top view of the joint structure of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a side cross-sectional view of the joint structure of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of the joint structure of  FIG. 1  in a first position; 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of the joint structure of  FIG. 1  in a second position; 
         FIG. 6  is a side view of another embodiment of a joint structure; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the joint structure corresponding to the first position shown in  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the joint structure corresponding to the second position shown in  FIG. 5 ; and 
         FIG. 9  is an exploded view of the joint structure of  FIG. 4 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     To assist in the description of these components, the following coordinate terms are used.  FIG. 1  depicts an x-y-z Cartesian coordinate system, with the awning assembly primarily lying in the x-y plane. As described herein, terms such as “height” refer to distance in the z-direction, and “higher/upward” and “lower/downward” refer to the positive and negative z-direction, respectively. Similarly, terms such as “lateral” will refer to the x-direction and “longitudinal” will refer to the y-direction. A detailed description of preferred embodiments of awnings and couplings and their associated method of use, now follows. 
     This application is directed to awnings and couplings, such as joints, that can be used with awnings to selectively provide for relative movement of components that are coupled thereby and to securely connect such components to prevent such relative movement when desirable. As discussed further below, the couplings can also provide substantially improved stability. Further, it will be clear from the discussion below that the couplings described herein can have applications in mechanical apparatuses beyond awnings. Various embodiments of such joints are described below, in connection with the figures. 
       FIG. 1  depicts one embodiment of an awning assembly  100 . The depicted awning assembly  100  includes a support member  4  that can be attached to a primary structure such as a building, free-standing wall, bus, recreational vehicle, or any other structure sufficient to bear the static forces of the awning assembly. In a preferred embodiment the support member  4  has a rectangular cross-section, providing a convenient shape for interengaging with, e.g., the positioning frames  3  (further described below). However, in other embodiments the support member  4  can have other cross-sectional shapes such as being circular, ovoid, triangular, I-beam, T-beam, or another shape. The positioning frames  3  can be shaped to interengage with the particular shape of the support member  4 . Further, although the support member  4  is depicted as being substantially straight, in some embodiments it can be curved, have a bend, or have some other lineal discontinuity. The shape of the remaining awning assembly  100  can be accordingly shaped and/or angled to coincide with the shape of the support member  4 . 
     Opposite the support member  4 , the awning assembly  100  can include an extension member  1 . The extension member  1  can have geometric properties similar to those described above regarding the support member  4 . The extension member  1  can also be configured to extend longitudinally from the support member  4  and provide structural support for the windable cloth  8 . The windable cloth  8  can be wound into a spool  60  mounted on the support member  4  via an additional clamping bolt  42 . In some embodiments, the extension members  1  can have one or more means for retracting, such as telescoping members, hinges, or other collapsible features. Thus, as the cloth  8  is wound the extension member  1  can retract and/or fold. At a near end, the extension member  1  can include a fork  80  that can mount the support frame  2 , as discussed further below. 
     The positioning frame  3  can include a clamp  33  that facilitates mounting of the positioning frame to the support member  4 . The clamp  33  can have two tines configured to engage with opposite sides of the support member  4 . The tines can further include through holes  34  at their ends through which a clamping bolt  42  can pass through and engage a clamping nut  43  outside the opposite tine. Tightening the nut  43  can force the tines together, exerting a grip on the support member  4  to stabilize the positioning frame  3 . Notably, although the depicted straight tines of the clamp  33  can provide a superior grip about a rectangular support member  4 , the tines can still provide a substantial grip about other-shaped support members, and other-shaped tines could also provide a substantial grip about the support member  4 . In other embodiments, different mechanisms for mounting the positioning frame  3  to the support member  4  can be used, such as a support member with a threaded bore to directly receive a bolt, snap-fit apparatuses, or other mechanisms know in the art. 
     The positioning frame  3  can additionally include one or more through-holes  31 ,  32 . As depicted, the positioning frame  3  includes two through-holes  31 ,  32 , but in other embodiments more or fewer can be provided. The through-holes  31 ,  32  can be configured to form a slip fit for elongate members depicted as upper and lower support bolts  7   a ,  7   b , but in other embodiments tighter fits can be used (e.g. a press fit), or looser fits can be used. The support bolts  7  can engage with nuts  40  to firmly mount the positioning frame  3 . Notably, as depicted the support bolts  7  pass through two positioning frames  3  and also one support frame  2 , depicted as a Y-shaped support frame. However, in other embodiments other numbers of each can be used. For example, in some embodiments there can be only one positioning frame  3  and one support frame  2 . In other embodiments, two support frames  2  can be integrated with one or more positioning frames  3 . Additionally, as depicted the support bolts  7   a ,  7   b  extend in a lateral direction as the positioning and support frames  2 ,  3  extend longitudinally from the support member  4 . However, in other embodiments these can extend in other directions, allowing for different shapes and motions of the awning assembly  100 . Further, other elongate members can be used such as pins or other cylindrical or non-cylindrical elements. 
     The support bolts  7   a ,  7   b  can additionally pass through the support frame  2  via pathways  22  formed in or cut-out from the support frame  2 . As shown, each pathway  22  can locate on a separate fork  21 ,  23  of the support frame  2 , extending from a base portion  20 . However, in other embodiments the support frame  2  can have other shapes, such as a star-configuration, a solid piece, or some other shape. Further, in other embodiments multiple pathways  22  can be provided on each fork  21 ,  23 . Additionally, in some embodiments one pathway  22  can receive more than one support bolt. 
     Each bolt-pathway combination can form a tight, slidable fit, such that the movement of the support bolts  7   a ,  7   b  relative to the pathway  22  is substantially limited to the shape of the pathway. For example, the pathway  22  can extend in a general direction in a y-z plane and in some embodiments the support bolts  7   a ,  7   b  can be substantially restrained to travel in substantially only that direction. In some embodiments the support bolts  7   a ,  7   b  can have inserted thereover washers  35  to be positioned between the support frame  2  and the positioning frames  3 . 
     As depicted the support frame  2  can have two pathways  22   a ,  22   b  that correspond to the two depicted support bolts  7   a ,  7   b . The pathways  22  can both generally extend in arcs, although other directions are possible. Additionally, the pathways  22  can be generally concentric, in that they define arcs that have a common center of rotation. However, as discussed further below, other shapes and orientations can be used to define distinct paths of motion for the awning assembly  100 . For example, in some embodiments the pathways  22  can be generally kidney-shaped. In other embodiments, the pathways  22  can comprise an L-shape or another generally angular shape. 
     The support frame  2  can include a base portion  20 , distinct from the forks  21 ,  23 . As depicted, the base portion  20  can include a through-hole  44  that can generally align with through-holes  46  on the fork  80  of the extension member  1 . A pin, bolt, cylindrical element, or other form of swivel can pass through the holes  44 ,  46  to provide a rotatable coupling between the extension member  1  and the support frame  2 . Further, in the depicted embodiment the swivel can be generally co-planar with the pathways  22 . Thus, the swivel can allow rotation generally perpendicular to the motion associated with movement of the support bolts  7   a ,  7   b  through the pathways  22 , generally about the support member  4  and the positioning frame  3 . In the depicted embodiment the extension member  1  is adapted to allow extension and retraction of the cloth  8 , while the motion through the pathways  22  can allow adjustment of the angular position of the cloth  8 . This extension and retraction is at least partially made possible by the swivel, which enables the extension member  1  to be folded against the support member  4  in a retracted state and to be extended therefrom in an extended state. 
     An adjusting cover  5  can also mount on at least one of the support bolts  7 . The adjusting cover  5  can mount the support bolt  7  around the support frame  2 , between the positioning frames  3 . However, in other embodiments it can mount around these elements. As depicted, the adjusting cover  5  mounts the support bolt  7   b  via through-holes  52  on sides  51  of the adjusting cover. The through holes  52  can be generally extended circles, creating an oval-like shape. Thus, the through holes  52  can leave additional room for movement of the support bolt  7   b  in one direction. 
     The adjusting cover  5  can have an additional through hole located on a back or lower end  55  of the adjusting cover, perpendicular to the support bolt through holes  52 . As best shown in  FIG. 3 , the through hole on the back end  55  can receive an adjusting screw  53 . The head of the adjusting screw  53  can generally match the corresponding through hole, leaving relatively little room for relative movement between the screw and the adjusting cover  5  in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the screw. The head portion of the adjusting screw  53  can also prevent relative motion between the adjusting cover  5  and the adjusting screw by hindering relative movement along the axis of the screw. More specifically, the adjusting cover  5  and the adjusting screw  53  can push against each other at the end of the screw head. The adjusting cover  5  can be held by the support bolt  7   b , such that the cover cannot move away from the screw (while the screw is held by the threaded hole  25 ). However, in other embodiments there can be room for movement between the adjusting screw  53  and cover  5 . For example, in some embodiments those pieces can move relative to each other, and the through holes  52  corresponding to the support bolt  7   b  can be reduced to match the support bolts, hindering translation relative to the support bolt. 
     The adjusting screw  53  can additionally have a screw hole  54  configured to allow actuation of the screw. For example, the screw hole  54  can have a hexagon-shaped cavity allowing rotation of the adjusting screw  53  with a corresponding hexagon-shaped key  6 , although other shapes are possible. As shown, the threads of the adjusting screw  53  can enter a threaded hole  25  on the support frame  2 . The threaded hole  25  can be generally aligned with a corresponding portion of the pathway  22 , allowing the adjusting screw  53  to thread through the hole and into the pathway. 
     In use, the actuation of the adjusting screw  53  can cause the awning assembly  100  to adjust positions. A sample starting position is depicted in  FIG. 3 , with the lower support bolt  7   b  generally adjacent the end of the adjusting screw  53 . Thus, the adjusting screw  53 , in this embodiment, can approximately define a distance between the support bolt  7   b  and the back end  55  of the adjusting cover  5 . A user can rotate the adjusting screw  53  such that it pulls the threaded hole  25  and the support frame  2  downward. This motion can cause the adjusting screw  53  to extend into the pathway  22 . 
     At this point, the support frame  2  can bear the weight of the extension member  1 , causing a substantial downward force via, e.g., gravity (in the depicted orientation). However, an upward force can be transmitted to the support frame through the threaded hole  25  whose threads are supported by the adjusting screw  53 . The adjusting screw  53  can be supported at its head by the back end  55  of the adjusting cover  5 . The adjusting cover  5  can be supported by the support bolt  7   b , which is in turn supported by the positioning frame  3  and the support member  4 . 
     Thus in the depicted embodiment, as the adjusting screw  53  enters the pathway  22  the support frame  2  can descend, such that the support bolts  7   a ,  7   b  are located at a deeper position relative to the pathways, as depicted in  FIG. 5  for example. The ends of the pathways  22  can then define a possible limit to the range of motion of the awning assembly  100 . Rotation of the adjusting screw  53  in the opposite direction can raise the support frame  2  back to the position depicted in  FIGS. 3 ,  4 . As depicted in  FIG. 5 , in some embodiments the range of motion “α” of the awning assembly can be approximately 0 to approximately 45 degrees downward from the x-y plane. 
     Notably, the angular orientation of the pathways  22  and the positions of the support bolts  7   a ,  7   b  can define the above-mentioned range of motion. For this range of motion, the support bolts  7   a ,  7   b  can be positioned such that the lower bolt  7   b  is closer to the support member  4  and the pathways  22  can be generally symmetric about a longitudinal axis of the support frame  2  (the axis also aligning with the extension member  1 , as best seen in  FIGS. 2 and 3 ). However, in some embodiments the positioning frame  3  can be reversed, such that the upper support bolt  7   a  is closer to the support member  4 , as depicted in  FIG. 6 . In this embodiment, the awning assembly  100  can rotate upward with a range of motion “β” being approximately 0 to 35 degrees from the x-y plane. Accordingly, for a given awning assembly  100  the cover provided can be varied depending upon the orientation of the positioning frame  3 . 
     Additionally, the curvature of the pathways  22  can effect how the awning assembly  100  rotates. In the depicted embodiment the pathways  22  can define concentric circular arcs, with the center of rotation inside the support member  4 . This curvature can cause the support bolts  7  to move in a similar arc relative to the support frame  2 . Further, as the adjusting cover  5  mounts on the support bolt  7   b , it too can move relative to the support frame  2 . However, in the depicted embodiment the adjusting screw  53  can be fixed relative to the adjusting cover  5  at one end by the back end  55  of the cover. At its other end, the screw  53  can extend through the threaded hole  25  in the support frame  2 , holding it in a fixed angular position relative to the frame. Thus, in an initial position depicted in  FIG. 3 , the screw  53  can be aligned with the support bolts  7   a ,  7   b . As the bolts  7  move relative to the curved pathways  22  the bolt  7   b  can move out of alignment with the adjusting screw. The extended portions of the through holes  52  on the cover  5  can compensate for such misalignment while holding the screw  53  and cover  5  fixed relative to each other while the cover  5  is still mounted on the support bolt  7   b.    
     In other embodiments, the motion of the awning assembly  100  can be further varied. For example, in some embodiments the awning assembly  100  can have a larger or smaller range of motion. In other embodiments, the awning assembly  100  can move in non-circular arcs, or can move in a straight or angular motion. 
     The embodiments of the inventions described above provide a number of advantages. For example, by providing an adjusting screw  53  with a length spanning substantially the entire distance between the end  55  of the adjusting cover  5  and the support bolt  7   b , the adjusting screw  53  can provide an additional restraint against unintentional motion or shaking of the awning assembly  100 . Additionally, the adjusting screw  53  (at the above-described full length) provides more engaging surface area in the position of  FIG. 3  than a shortened adjusting screw. However, the adjusting screw  53  at the above-described full length can, in some embodiments, cause substantial frictional wearing between the screw and the support bolt  7 . Accordingly, in some embodiments the adjusting screw  53  can be shorter to minimize such contact. 
     As another advantage, the provision of two pathways  22  and support bolts  7   a .  7   b  can reduce undesirable motion of the awning assembly  100 . For example, a single circular support bolt could allow rotation of the support frame  2  and the extension member  1  about the bolt. Providing two bolts can control or minimize such movement. Accordingly, the extension member  1  can be held up and prevented from undesirable rotations due to gravity or other external forces. In other embodiments, generally angular, non-cylindrical support bolts can be used to hinder rotation. 
     Additionally, use of the adjusting cover  5  to transfer forces can provide even further advantages. For example, the cover  5  can at least partially prevent debris, moisture, or other contaminants from contacting the threads of the adjusting screw  53 . Further, transmission of force through the cover  5  and the threads of the adjusting screw  53  can prevent substantial transmission of force between the screw and the support bolt  7   b , which could potentially cause substantial wear. In use, the support bolt  7   b  is maintained in a static position relative to the pathway  22 . Accordingly, the cover  5  can reduce vibrations of the awning assembly  100  such as those caused by high winds or other external forces. 
     Also, as depicted in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the awning assembly  100  can be reversed, such that varying angular positions can be achieved. Accordingly, different forms of shelter and/or coverage can be provided. Further, in the position depicted in  FIG. 6 . Further, different portions of the awning assembly  100  can be concealed from view depending on the orientation. 
     Although the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention has shown, described, and pointed out the fundamental and novel features of the invention, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions, and changes in the form of the detail of the apparatus as illustrated, as well as the uses thereof, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention.