Patent ID: 7556079

Claim:
An awning assembly for mounting to a structure including: a first member including a first proximal end and a first distal end, the first proximal end movably joined to a structure; a second member including a second proximal end and a second distal end, the second proximal end movably joined to a structure; and a roller mechanism about which a flexible material may be wound and unwound comprising; a roller tube having two opposed end portions and a longitudinal axis of rotation extending from one opposed end portion of the roller tube to the other opposed end portion through the center of the roller tube, the roller tube being mounted for rotation in both a clockwise and a counterclockwise direction about the longitudinal axis of rotation and being adapted to be attached to one end of the flexible material, at least one opposed end portion of the roller tube having at least one longitudinal slot extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of rotation of the roller tube; and a locking device mounted adjacent the at least one opposed end portion of the roller tube having at least one longitudinal slot, the locking device being mounted for selective movement axially of the longitudinal axis of rotation of the roller tube toward and away from the at least one opposed end portion of the roller tube having at least one longitudinal slot and for selective nonrotational movement about the longitudinal axis of rotation of the roller tube, the locking device including locking pins for insertion into respective ones of the at least one longitudinal slot in the roller tube when the locking device is moved into engagement with the at least one opposed end portion of the roller tube having at least one longitudinal slot and for removal from the at least one longitudinal slot when the locking device is moved out of engagement with the at least one opposed end portion of the roller tube having at least one longitudinal slot, wherein the longitudinal axis of rotation passes through the first distal end and the second distal end and wherein the longitudinal axis of rotation undergoes substantially translational movement as the flexible material is wound and unwound.