Patent Application
20110155197
The present invention relates generally to awning assemblies of the type to be mounted to a substantially vertical support surface.
There are a number of known awning assemblies that support an awning or canopy to create a sheltered area. An inner end of the awning is typically secured to a wall and an outer end of the awning can be supported by poles that contact either the ground or the wall at a lower portion. These awning assemblies are often designed for use with movable support structures such as, for example, recreational vehicles, travel trailers, mobile homes, and the like, but are also usable with fixed structures.
To provide a user with more usable space without making the recreational vehicles too large for public roads, several detachable screen rooms have been developed for use while the recreational vehicles is deployed at a desired destination. Such screen room enclosures are also capable of being attached to structures, other than recreational vehicles, that have a generally vertical wall. Seasonally used cabins do not warrant the costly construction of a permanent screen room adjacent to the existing structure. Screen room enclosures provide temporary interior space as needed without significant alterations to the existing structure.
The following presents a simplified summary of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of some example aspects of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. Moreover, this summary is not intended to identify critical elements of the invention nor delineate the scope of the invention. The sole purpose of the summary is to present some concepts of the invention in simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, an assembly is provided for use with a wall where the assembly is selectively adjusted between a stored position, an awning position, and a screen room position. The assembly comprises a bag configured to be removably attached to the wall, a canopy configured to be deployed from the bag where the canopy selectively covers an area adjacent to the wall, at least one base assembly attached to one of the bag or the wall, a plurality of poles removably attached to the at least one base assembly, and at least one sidewall removably engaging an edge of the canopy where the at least one sidewall is deployed in the screen room position. The plurality of poles is configured for supporting the canopy in the awning position and in the screen room position. The bag is configured to receive at least one of the canopy, the plurality of poles, and the at least one sidewall, when the assembly is in the stored position.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, an assembly for use with a wall where the assembly is selectively adjusted between a stored position, an awning position, and a screen room position. The assembly comprises a bag configured to be removably attached to the wall, a canopy configured to be deployed from the bag where the canopy selectively covers an area adjacent to the wall, at least one base assembly attached to one of the bag or the wall, a plurality of poles, at least one accessory pole, a first sidewall, a second sidewall, and a third sidewall. The plurality of poles include a first pole and a second pole, where the first pole and the second pole each include a first end and a second end. The first end is configured to be removably received by the at least one base assembly and the plurality of poles is configured for supporting the canopy in the awning position and in the screen room position. The at least one accessory pole is received by the second end of one of the plurality of poles. The first sidewall is supported by the first pole where the first sidewall is deployed when the assembly is in the screen room position. The second sidewall is supported by the second pole where the second sidewall is deployed when the assembly is in the screen room position. The third sidewall is supported by the at least one accessory pole where the third sidewall is deployed when the assembly is in the screen room position. The bag is configured to receive at least one of the canopy, the plurality of poles, the first sidewall, the second sidewall, the third sidewall, and the at least one accessory pole when the assembly is in the stored position.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a method of selectively adjusting an assembly for use with a wall, where the assembly is adjusted between a stored position, an awning position, and a screen room position is provided comprising the steps of providing a bag that is configured to be removably attached to the wall, providing a canopy configured to be deployed from the bag wherein the canopy selectively covers an area adjacent to the wall, providing at least one base assembly attached to one of the bag or the wall, and providing a plurality of poles within the bag. The method further includes the steps of adjusting the assembly into the awning position by removably attaching the plurality of poles to the at least one base assembly and deploying the canopy to be supported by the plurality of poles, adjusting the assembly from the awning position into the screen room position by providing at least one sidewall removably engaging an edge of the canopy, and adjusting the assembly from either the awning position or the screen room position into the stored position by storing within the bag at least one of the canopy, the plurality of poles, and the at least one sidewall.
The foregoing and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present invention relates upon reading the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Example embodiments that incorporate one or more aspects of the present invention are described and illustrated in the drawings. These illustrated examples are not intended to be a limitation on the present invention. For example, one or more aspects of the present invention can be utilized in other embodiments and even other types of devices. Moreover, certain terminology is used herein for convenience only and is not to be taken as a limitation on the present invention. Still further, in the drawings, the same reference numerals are employed for designating the same elements.
The assembly 20 is selectively adjusted between a stored position, an awning position, and a screen room position. In
The assembly 20 can further include at least one base assembly 30. The at least one base assembly 30 is configured for supporting and removably receiving at least one pole 40 in the awning position of
When the canopy is deployed in the awning position, the distal edge 24 of the canopy 22 can be secured to an accessory pole 60. The accessory pole 60 can engage the first pole 40. The accessory pole 60 can be stored in a pocket or a portion of the bag 50 when not in use. Alternatively, the distal edge 24 of the canopy 22 can be connected or secured to a canopy rod (not shown). In some examples, the canopy 22 can be rollable on the canopy rod. Alternatively, the canopy 22 can be provided without a canopy rod. In yet another example, the accessory pole 60 is configured such that the canopy 22 can be rolled and unrolled from the accessory pole 60. In addition or alternatively, a tensioning mechanism can be provided to tension the canopy 22 when it is deployed in the awning position. In addition or alternatively, a locking mechanism can be provided to prevent or restrict the canopy 22 from inadvertently moving from the awning position to the stored position.
In a further example, the accessory pole 60 can further include at least one leg portion 61 that is used to support the canopy 22 by extending downwardly from the distal edge 24 of the canopy 22. In an alternative example, the at least one leg portion 61 can support the canopy 22 by extending from the distal edge 24 of the canopy 22 to the wall 12. In a further example, the at least one leg portion 61 can be configured to be adjustable in length. In yet another example, one of the at least one leg portions 61 can be configured to contract in length in response to the collection of water on the canopy 22 to spill the water off the canopy 22 in a desired direction. Furthermore, the assembly 20 can be configured such that a user can selectively determine whether to place the at least one leg portion 61 in contact with the ground directly below the distal edge 24 of the canopy 22 or whether to place the at least one leg portion 61 in contact with a lower portion of the wall 12. A variety of fasteners can provided with the assembly 20 to allow the leg portion 61 to be attached to the wall 12. Alternatively, the pole 40 can be comprised of a strong material such that no leg portions 61 are necessary to support the canopy 22 in the awning position.
The assembly 20 can further include a bag 50. The bag 50 is configured to be removably attached to the wall 12. The bag 50 can be attached to the wall 12 through the use of various fasteners. The bag 50 can be configured to receive at least one of the canopy 22, the at least one base assembly 30, and the plurality of poles 40, 41 in the awning position. The at least one base assembly 30 can be configured to be attached to a portion of the bag 50. In other examples, the at least one base assembly 30 is attached directly to the wall 12. The proximate edge 28 of the canopy 22 can be secured to either the bag 50 or the wall 12 of the recreational vehicle 10 at a suitable height.
A channel clip 90 can be attached to the wall 12 to secure the at least one sidewall 70, 71 of the assembly 20 to the wall 12 when the assembly 20 is in either the awning position or the screen room position. A fastener 98 is used in combination with the channel clip 90 for securing the at least one sidewall 70, 71 to the wall 12. A variety of other configurations can also be used.
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At least one accessory pole 60 can also be provided in the second example of the screen room position. The at least one accessory pole 60 can be received by one of the plurality of poles 40, 41. For example, in the screen room position, the at least one accessory pole 60 can be used to support the canopy 22 or can be used to engage the third sidewall 76 of the assembly 20. In this example, the at least one accessory pole 60 includes a plurality of segments such that a semi-circular shape can be formed by the at least one accessory pole 60. Other shapes can also be provided, as well as the accessory pole 60 including the shape shown in
At least one sidewall can be provided that removably engages an edge of the canopy 22. The least one sidewall, such as the first sidewall 70, the second sidewall 71, or the third sidewall 76, can be comprised of various materials or fabrics. The first sidewall 70 can be an extension of the canopy 22, or it can be a separate section of material from the canopy 22. The first sidewall 70 can also be held in the bag 50 when the assembly is in the stored position.
The at least one sidewall can include at least one roll-up panel mounted within the at least one sidewall that is configured to provide access to the assembly when it is in the screen room position. For example, the first sidewall 70 can include at least a first roll-up panel 72 to provide access to the assembly 20 when it is in the screen room position. A user located within the assembly in the screen room position can selectively roll up the first roll-up panel 72 to provide access from the screen room to an exterior position outside the screen room.
The at least one sidewall can include at least one removable panel mounted within the at least one sidewall that is configured to provide access to the assembly when it is in the screen room position. For example, the first sidewall 70 can include at least a first removable panel 74 to provide access to the assembly 20 when it is in the screen room position. An example of the first removable panel 74 is a panel that includes a closure mechanism, such as a zipper. The first removable panel 74 can include the zipper that allows a user to remove a relatively larger portion of the first sidewall 70 to provide access to an exterior position outside the screen room.
In an example where both a first roll-up panel 72 and a first removable panel 74 are provided, the first roll-up panel 72 can be included within the first removable panel 74. In this example, the removable panel 74 provides access to the assembly 20 when it is in the screen room position and the roll-up panel 72 located within the removable panel 74 is configured to provide additional access to the assembly 20. The first roll-up panel 72 can be selectively removed from the first sidewall 70 and a user can still remove the first removable panel 74, regardless of whether the first roll-up panel 72 is deployed or is already rolled up. The first sidewall 70 can also include a plurality of sections with a plurality of roll-up panels 72. The first sidewall 70 can further include an inner edge 75 that is configured to engage the channel clip 90.
The assembly 20 can further include the second sidewall (not shown in
A third sidewall 76 can be provided as an extension of the canopy 22, or it can be a separate section of material from the canopy 22. In this example, the third sidewall 76 is a front portion of the assembly 20. The third sidewall 76 can include at least a third roll-up panel 78 to provide access to the assembly 20 when it is in the screen room position. The third sidewall 76 can include at least a third removable panel 80 to provide access to the assembly 20 when it is in the screen room position. The third roll-up panel 78 can be selectively removed from the third sidewall 76 and a user can still remove the third removable panel 80, regardless of whether the third roll-up panel 78 is deployed or is already rolled up.
In another example of the assembly 20, a number of different types of panels for the sidewalls 70, 71, 76 can be provided for the screen room position, including but not limited to roll-up panels, privacy panels, removable panels, and a variety of panels that can be releasably removed from the assembly via fasteners such as zippers, hook and loop fastener material marketed under the trade name Velcro, snaps, tie straps, or clips. Any combination of the different types of panels within any of the sidewall 70, 71, 76 can also be provided.
Releasable fasteners, such as hook and loop fasteners (not shown), can be provided to secure an outer edge of the first sidewall 70 to an edge of the third sidewall 76. Releasable fasteners, such as hook and loop fasteners (not shown), can also be provided to secure an outer edge of the second sidewall 71 to an edge of the third sidewall 76. Thus, the first sidewall 70 and the second sidewall 71 can releasably secure the sides of the third sidewall 76. Suitable releasable fasteners for this application include items such as zippers, hook and loop fastener material marketed under the trade name Velcro, snaps, tie straps, or clips, for example. In an alternative example, the first sidewall 70, the second sidewall 71, and the third sidewall 76 can be comprised of a singular piece of material such that no fasteners are necessary. In another example, fasteners can be provided to secure any or all of the first sidewall 70, the second sidewall 71, and the third sidewall 76 to the canopy 22.
The assembly 20 can still further include at least one elastic loop 82 that is configured to stake the assembly 20 to the ground when the assembly 20 is in the screen room position. Hold-down straps 84 can also be provided to support a second end of the first pole 40 and the second pole 41. The hold-down straps 84 can be secured to the ground.
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The example base assembly 30 can further include a reception portion 34. The reception portion 34 is configured to receive one of the plurality of poles 40, 41. A variety of shapes for the reception portion 34 can be provided so long as the shape can receive one of the poles 40, 41 that are provided.
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The second end 43 of the first pole 40 is configured to removably receive the at least one accessory pole 60. In this example, the second end 43 can include a c-shaped clip 48 for grasping the accessory pole 60. A variety of other types of clips and features can be provided for securing the accessory pole 60 to the first pole 40.
In another example, the first pole 40 can further include an adjustment mechanism 44 located on the first pole 40 that is configured to be actuated by a user to adjust a length of the first pole 40, which can be a telescoping pole. In this example, the adjustment mechanism 44 includes an actuator such as a lever that can lock the first pole 40 at a desired length. In another example, other actuators and actuating mechanisms can be provided for securing a telescoping portion of the first pole 40 at a desired length. Alternatively, a plurality of segments of the poles 40, 41 can be provided that can be attached together to form a longer pole. Providing poles 40, 41 of adjustable length allows a smaller amount of space to be taken up in the bag 50 that the poles 40, 41 are stored in and also allows different lengths of the canopy 22 to be deployed.
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An example of the fastener 98 is comprised of an elongated locking member 99 rotatably connected to a fastening member having a central axis. The locking member 99 is connected to the fastening member such that the locking member 99 is generally perpendicular to, and rotatable about the central axis. A leading edge of the fastening 98 is threaded for engaging the inner periphery of an aperture 14 on the wall 12, thereby securing the locking fastener 98 to the wall 12. Although the locking member 99 has been described herein as an elongated member, other suitably shaped locking members such as oblong, rectangular, or curve shaped members, for example, are included within the scope of the present invention. The locking member 99 may be of any shape that is capable providing a locking force to secure a first sidewall 70 to the wall 12.
The channel clip 90 is adapted to communicate with the locking fastener 98. The channel clip 90 is comprised of a flat portion 91 defining a locking hole 92, and a channel portion 94 fastened to the flat portion 91. The flat portion 91 is a generally flat geometric shaped sheet of durable material having dimensions that are sufficiently large to support the channel portion 94 and encompass the locking hole 92. When the channel clip 90 is installed on the wall 12, the flat portion 91 is located adjacent to, and generally parallel to the wall 12, while the channel portion 94 is oriented such that a restricted opening 95 in the channel portion 94 is directed outwardly from the wall 12.
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The inner edge 75 of the first sidewall 70 can further include a welt 96. The welt 96 is provided on the inner edge 75 of the first sidewall 70 for communication with the channel portion 94 of the channel clip 90. The welt 96 includes an enlarged portion that extends along the inner edge 75 of the first sidewall 70. The welt 96 can include an elastically compressible core that is compatible with the channel portion 94 of the channel clip 90. Attaching the welt 96 to the inner edge 75 of the sidewall 70 can be accomplished in any way that does not interfere with communication between the welt 96 and the channel clip 90 when the screen room enclosure is erected. For example, the welt 96 can be stitched to the inner edge 75, integrally formed on the inner edge 75, or adhesively secured to the inner edge 75. In the example where the bag 50 is secured to the wall 12 through the use of the channel clip 90, the bag 50 can include a welt or similar structure to be received by the channel clip 90.
To remove the first sidewall 70 of the screen room enclosure from the wall 12, the locking members 99 are returned from the second position (
In another example, the assembly 20 has a reduced weight in comparison to providing a separate awning assembly and a separate screen room assembly. Accordingly, in any of the examples, the bag 50 is easily transportable to another location, another wall, or another vehicle due to its relatively reduced weight. The assembly 20 in further examples can be configured to relatively weigh less by providing relatively light-weight materials, such as materials typically used for the sidewalls of a tent, for the sidewalls of the screen room. A variety of shapes and lengths can also be provided for the assembly 20.
In another example, providing one assembly 20 that provides an awning and a screen room reduces the amount of installation time in comparison to providing two separate assemblies for the awning and the screen room. In another example, a vast majority of the components or parts of the assembly 20 that are used to form the awning and/or the screen room, or even all of the components or parts of the assembly 20, can be rolled up into the bag 50. In addition, the bag 50 can further include a number of different compartments for separating different parts. For example, a pouch can be provided in the bag 50 for holding any tools. A second pouch can be provided to hold the accessory poles 60. A third pouch can be provided for holding a third type of part, etc. The bag 50 can also further include a pouch that holds replacement or spare parts. In addition, any combination of any of the examples for any of the parts or features provided can also be utilized in the assembly 20.
A method of selectively adjusting an assembly for use with a wall, where the assembly is adjusted between a stored position, an awning position, and a screen room position will now be described with respect to an assembly 20. It will be appreciated that similar or identical method steps may be performed with further examples, for instance, as described throughout the application. Moreover, example methods of the present invention may omit and/or add additional steps. Moreover, unless noted, the steps can be performed simultaneously, sequentially or in different orders depending on the particular application.
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Generally, the stored position can also correspond to a time when there is no awning or screen room provided, such as when the canopy 22 is still not deployed. The awning position can correspond to a time when the canopy 22 is deployed. The screen room position can correspond to a time when at least one sidewall 70, 71, 76 is installed while the canopy 22 is deployed. In other examples, the screen room position can correspond only to a time when the canopy 22 is deployed and when each of the available sidewalls (e.g. 70, 71, 76) is installed about the canopy 22.
The example method can further include the step of providing an adjustment mechanism 44 located on the plurality of poles 40, 41 configured to adjust a length of the plurality of poles 40, 41. The example method can then further include the step of adjusting a length that the canopy 22 is deployed from the bag 50 by operation of the adjustment mechanism 44 to adjust the length of the plurality of poles 40, 41. Alternatively, the example method can also further include the steps of providing a removable panel 74 within the at least one sidewall 70 for providing access to the assembly when it is in the screen room position, and providing a roll-up panel 72 located within the removable panel 74 of the at least one sidewall 70 that is configured to provide access to the assembly.
The invention has been described with reference to the example embodiments described above. Modifications and alterations will occur to others upon a reading and understanding of this specification. Example embodiments incorporating one or more aspects of the invention are intended to include all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims.
