Patent ID: 8061106

Claim:
A system, including a plurality of types of modular structural components, for construction of a pergola-type structure including a plurality of vertical posts arranged around the periphery of an area and covered by a roof formed of a rectangular grid or lattice comprised of a first layer formed of a plurality of carrying rails supported by the posts and an upper layer formed of a plurality cross rails supported by and orthogonal to the carrying rails, the structural elements comprising: at least four posts, each post including a post core element, a post shell enclosing the post core element, and at least one post shell adapter for mounting the post shell to the post core element, a plurality of carrying rail adapters, each carrying rail adapter mounting at least one carrying rail to a post and including a post core interior adapter and a carrying rail retainer, the post core interior adapter being adapted to fit closely within an interior of an upper end of a post core element and the carrying rail retainer including elements for securing at least one carrying rail to the carrying rail adapter, and a plurality of rail connectors, each rail connector mounting a cross rail to a carrying rail.