Patent Grant
12123195
This present application is a national stage application of International Patent Application No. PCT/IB2021/053275, filed Apr. 21, 2021, which claims priority to Belgium Patent Application No. 2020/5265, filed Apr. 21, 2020, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.
The present invention relates to a terrace canopy.
Terrace canopies are usually set up to screen off or clear an outdoor area. For instance, such screen devices are often set up near houses, restaurants, shops, etc. to screen off an outdoor terrace or the like from sunlight, precipitation and/or wind, or conversely, to temporarily allow in sunlight. These terrace canopies can be implemented, for example, in the form of awnings, pergolas, verandas, carports, a pavilion, etc.
Such a terrace canopy typically comprises a roof frame that is at least partially supported by columns. Exceptionally, the roof frame may also be supported by another roof construction. The roof frame is generally constructed of several beams that are composed into one or more frames into which a roof infill can be attached. The beams themselves are often a composition of a plurality of individual profiles. Such a roof frame is typically supported by four (or more) columns between which a wall infill may be provided. Likewise, less columns may be used in case the roof frame is supported by other structures, such as a wall of an already existing structure.
The roof infill may be stationary or movable, for example, a retractable roof. The roof infill of a retractable roof may, for instance, consist of a rollable cloth or screen, slats that rotate around their axis, or of segments that can slide over each other. The segments may be panels that are partly made of (laminated) glass or plastic, such as PC or PMMA. Depending on the choice of material, the light transmission and robustness of the roof may be adjusted to the desired application. The wall infill can also be stationary or movable. Examples are a rollable cloth or screen or movable, i.e. slidable or foldable, panels.
A known problem with such terrace canopies is the amount of customization and/or the number of standard components that may be required to provide sufficient variation in the construction possibilities of the terrace canopy.
BE 2014/0015 discloses a terrace canopy which aims to at least partially solve the aforementioned problem. BE 2014/0015 discloses a beam for a terrace canopy, which beam is provided with an internal cavity for the purpose of draining precipitation incident on the terrace canopy, to a front end of the beam. Above the cavity, a space is provided in which a screen roll can be arranged which can be downwardly unrolled, the screen then being located between the cavity and the outer side (formed by the front cover of the beam).
In practice, it is also possible to use other types of wall infill, in particular sliding panel walls, with the beam disclosed in BE 2014/0015. To this end, the screen cavity is closed at the bottom side and an additional wall profile is attached to the bottom side of the beam.
However, by attaching an additional wall profile, the total size of the beam increases, which is undesirable, among others, for reasons such as possible changes in the headroom, wind load and aesthetic appearance. In addition, a seam can be seen between the beam and the wall profile, which is visually undesirable.
In summary, it has turned out in practice that the beam disclosed in BE 2014/0015 still offers too little the possibility of an integration of the different types of side wall infill that are common with terrace canopies.
IT201800001632 A1 also discloses a terrace canopy comprising a beam intended to hold a sidewall infill. To this end, the bottom side of the beam is provided with several U-shaped chambers for guiding wall parts. The entire bottom side of the beam, including the external gutter, is integrally manufactured. There is therefore no possibility to use different types of side wall infill.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a beam for a terrace canopy that allows more integration of the types of side wall infill common with terrace canopies.
This object is achieved by a terrace canopy comprising a beam, the beam having a top side, a bottom side, an inner side and an outer side, and, in its cross-section, is provided with: a screen cavity configured to hold a screen roll; and a U-shaped space at the bottom side of the beam which is located below the screen cavity and is formed by a top wall, an outer side wall and an inner side wall, said U-shaped space being open at its bottom side, wherein said U-shaped space is configured to hold a first profile and a second profile, different from the first profile, said U-shaped space being provided with: a first connection means and a second connection means configured together to hold the first profile; or said first connection means and a connection wall part configured together to hold the second profile, the connection wall part being configured to be attached against a wall of the second profile.
Although a (limited) space is provided below the gutter in the terrace canopy disclosed in BE 2014/0015, this space is completely closed off by the design of the gutter profile such that the space has no or only limited functionality. Limited functionality here means that the space can be used for receiving one or more bolts for securing an additional wall profile below the beam.
The present invention improves upon this by leaving that same space open at its bottom side and by providing the necessary connection means. This allows other profiles, for example a wall profile, to be introduced into that space. This benefits the variation in functionality.
As already described above, a similar functionality is possible with the beam disclosed in BE 2014/0015 by attaching an additional wall profile to the bottom side of the beam.
The present invention improves on this in that the open space below the internal gutter allows the additional wall profile to be integrated into the beam without showing a visually visible seam on the outer side of the beam.
The use of several connections for attaching the first or the second profile is also advantageous. In general, for the strength and mutual positioning, among other things, two separate connections should be used for each connection of two profiles. The fact is that if only one connection is used for two profiles, there is more clearance in the mutual positioning, which may give rise to a divergent positioning, in particular due to wind loads and/or precipitation.
In addition, the first two connection means (e.g. hooks, slots, pins, etc.) can be used for the connection of a relatively light profile (e.g. a closure profile), while the first connection means and the connection wall part can be used for connecting a relatively heavy profile (e.g. a wall profile). In addition, in a wall-to-wall attachment (i.e. via the connection wall part) the first connection means already serves for the correct positioning of the second profile relative to the U-shaped space.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the first connection means is provided on the inner side wall or the outer side wall of the U-shaped space, in particular on the outwardly or inwardly facing side thereof, respectively, and more particularly on the bottom end thereof, and is preferably formed by a hook.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the second connection means is provided on the outer side wall or the inner side wall of the U-shaped space, particularly on the inwardly or outwardly facing side thereof, respectively, and more particularly on the top end thereof, and is preferably formed by a hook.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the connection wall portion is provided on the inner side wall or the outer side wall of the U-shaped space. Preferably, the inner side wall or the outer side wall of the U-shaped space has at least two wall parts located in a different plane, the connection wall part being formed by one of said wall parts.
These different embodiments provide a flexible design of the U-shaped space and allow the connections (i.e. both the connection means and the connection wall portion) to be placed at different locations in the U-shaped space. This allows to optimally design the U-shaped space depending on the desired application. The wall parts in a different plane also avoid that the separate connections have a negative influence on each other, for instance obstruct each other, since they may engage on a different wall part.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the first connection means and the second connection means are each on a different one of the inner side wall and the outer side wall of the U-shaped space and/or that the connection wall portion forms part of one of the inner side wall and the outer side wall of the U-shaped space and the first connection means is located on the other of the inner side wall and the outer side wall of the U-shaped space. In this way, both the first profile and the second profile are 15 attached to opposite legs of the U-shaped space, which increases the stability of the connection.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the beam comprises the first profile, the first profile being a closure profile that closes off the U-shaped space. Preferably, the closure profile is provided with a first complementary connection means and a second complementary connection means, wherein the closure profile is connected to the U-shaped space by connecting the first complementary connection means with the first connection means and by connecting the second complementary connection means with the second connection means. If there is no need for a wall infill, the U-shaped open space can be closed off such that the internal structure of the beam is hidden from view.
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the beam comprises the second profile, the second profile being a wall profile located in the U-shaped space and configured to guide and/or hold a wall panel. Preferably, the wall profile is provided with a first complementary connection means and with a complementary connection wall part, wherein the wall profile is connected to the U-shaped space by connecting the first complementary connection means to the first connection means and by connecting the complementary connection wall part to the connection wall part by means of a connection means. Integrating a wall profile allows to provide a wall infill, in particular a movable wall infill, in the terrace canopy.
In an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the wall profile comprises a rail configured to guide at least one wall part. By integrating the rail into the beam, there is no longer any need for guiding at the bottom side of the wall parts such that they cannot form an obstacle for a smooth passage below the terrace canopy if the wall parts are open.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the inner side wall or outer side wall of the cavity is provided with a third connection means, in particular a hook, especially on the inwardly facing side of the respective inner side wall or outer side wall and more especially at the bottom end thereof. This further increases the possibilities to connect profiles in the U-shaped space such that the functionality of the beam improves.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the beam comprises a gutter portion located at least partially below the screen cavity and configured to drain precipitation incident on the terrace canopy to an end face of the beam, wherein said U-shaped space forms part of the gutter part. Preferably, the gutter part is integrally formed. The gutter part provides the desired water drainage from the terrace canopy. The integral forming of the U-shaped space avoids that there is a visible seam between the gutter part and the U-shaped space.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the beam comprises a base member which, in its cross-section, includes: an upright inner side wall provided at the top with a first upper connection means, in particular a female pin connection element, and at the bottom is connected with the gutter part; and a horizontal wall extending from the upright inner side wall towards the outer side of the beam, the upright inner side wall and the horizontal wall of the base part and the top wall of the inner cavity delimiting said screen cavity.
In the terrace canopy disclosed in BE 2014/0015, the base portion of the beam thereof is provided with a first attachment means adjacent the end of the horizontal wall and a second attachment means near an end of an upright wall extending from the location of the first attachment means, such that there is a certain moderate distance between the attachment means. This means that the space between the two attachment means, after placing a further profile, such as a front cover, cannot contribute to the variation in functionality of the beams.
Hence, it is advantageous to provide, near the end of the horizontal wall, two connection means, in contrast to only one connection means in the beam of BE 2014/0015. In particular, the two connection means allow to connect a plurality of functionally different connection profiles with the end of the horizontal wall without the need to provide a connection on another location of the base portion, as is the case in BE 2014/0015. Hence, there is less loss of space in the base portion.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the base part and the gutter part are formed as separate profiles, wherein the upright inner side wall of the base profile at its bottom is provided with at least one, preferably at least two, connection means and that the gutter profile is provided with at least one, preferably at least two, corresponding connection means for connecting the base profile to the gutter profile. The use of separate profiles has the advantage that the beam is easier to manufacture. It has been found that an extrusion process for manufacturing one profile in which the base part and the channel part are incorporated, is technically difficult to realize, in particular in view of the considerable height of such a profile.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the gutter portion comprises an inner gutter and the top wall of the U-shaped space is the same as the bottom wall of the inner gutter. In other words, the space is located directly below the inner gutter such that the overall height of the beam is delimited.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the gutter part is provided with: a substantially external gutter which is provided for draining precipitation incident on the terrace canopy, which external gutter is formed by an upright inner side wall, a bottom and an intermediate wall that is substantially in line with the inner side wall; said inner side wall extending downwardly from the bottom; and two connection means, wherein a first of the two connection means is located near the transition between the bottom and the upright inner side wall and in particular comprising a pin connection element, and wherein a second of the two connection means is located at an end of the branch and especially comprises a hook. By providing an external gutter, precipitation, incident on the terrace canopy, can be drained to the cavity. In addition, the two connection means allow to use the space below the external gutter functionally since in this space, a plurality of functionally different profiles can be provided.
In an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the beam comprises a finishing profile which is connected to the gutter part by means of the two connection means. The finishing profile can be formed by one of: a wall profile, preferably comprising a rail configured to guide at least one wall portion; a closure profile, which is preferably substantially L-shaped; and a lighting holder profile. Integrating a wall profile allows to provide a wall infill, in particular a movable wall infill, in the terrace canopy. By integrating the rail into the beam, there is no longer any need for guiding on the bottom side of the wall parts such that they cannot form an obstacle for a smooth passage below the terrace canopy if the wall parts are open. The closure profile serves to hide the internal structure of the beam from view if no functionality is desired below the external gutter. The lighting holder profile allows to integrate lighting for the terrace canopy into the beam.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the U-shaped space is located directly below the screen cavity. This delimits the total height of the beam. In such an embodiment, a gutter (part) is preferably provided along the U-shaped space, which gutter is configured to drain precipitation incident on the terrace canopy to a front end of the beam.
The invention will hereinafter further be explained in detail with reference to the following description and to the accompanying drawings.
The present invention will hereinafter be described using particular embodiments and with reference to certain drawings, but the invention is not limited thereto and is only defined by the claims. The drawings presented here are only schematic representations and are not limiting. In the drawings, the dimensions of certain components may be shown enlarged, which therefore means that the components in question are not shown to scale, and this for illustrative purposes only. The dimensions and relative dimensions do not necessarily correspond to the actual practical embodiments of the invention.
In addition, terms such as “first”, “second”, “third”, and the like are used in the description and in the claims to distinguish between similar elements and not necessarily to indicate a sequential or chronological order. The terms in question are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances, and the embodiments of the invention may operate in other sequences than those described or illustrated herein.
The term “comprising” and derivative terms, as used in the claims, should not be construed as being limited to the means stated thereafter; the term does not exclude other elements or steps. The term should be interpreted as a specification of the mentioned properties, integers, steps, or components referenced, without excluding the presence or addition of one or more additional properties, integers, steps, or components, or groups thereof. The scope of an expression such as “a device comprising the means A and B” is therefore not limited only to devices consisting purely of components A and B. On the other hand, what is intended is that, for the purpose of the present invention, the only relevant components are A and B.
With reference to
The term “substantially” includes variations of +/−10% or less, preferably +/−5% or less, more preferably +/−1% or less, and more preferably +/−0.1% or less, of the specified state, insofar as the variations are applicable to function in the disclosed invention. It is to be understood that the term “substantially A” is intended to also include “A”.
It will also be appreciated that the beams 3, 4, 5 may be attached to other structures, for example a wall or facade, instead of resting solely on columns 2 as shown in
In the embodiments shown, the roof covering 7 is formed by slats which are rotatably attached at their front ends to pivot beams 3. The slats are rotatable between an open position and a closed position. In the open position, there is an intermediate space between the slats through which, for example, air can be introduced into the underlying space or can leave this underlying space. In the closed position, the slats form a closed roof with which the underlying space can be shielded from, for example, wind and/or precipitation, such as rain, hail or snow. For the drainage of precipitation, the slats are typically arranged sloping towards one of both pivot beams 3.
The slats are typically manufactured of a rigid material. This can be aluminium, for example. Aluminium has many advantages as a material, as it is at the same time robust and light-weighted, it can withstand bad weather conditions and requires little maintenance. However, other materials are also suitable and their advantages or disadvantages are assumed to be known by the skilled person. A slat can be produced using various techniques depending on the material, including extrusion, cutting, setting, casting, welding, etc. The appropriate production technique is assumed to be known by the skilled person. Preferably, the slats are manufactured by means of an extrusion process. Optionally, filling elements of, for example, polycarbonate, glass, wood, etc. can be used to fill the hollow slats at least partially, for instance to obtain a different appearance of the slat.
Additionally, in an embodiment, in their open position, the slats may optionally be provided slidable in the terrace canopy 1, in order to further increase the control options in terms of incidence of light, radiant heat and ventilation.
More generally, the roof covering 7 is stationary or movable. A movable roof covering comprises, for example, tiltable and/or slidable slats (such as described above) and/or roll-in/roll-out screens and/or slidable panels. The individual elements of the movable roof covering 7 in their closed position form a substantially watertight roof with which the underlying space can be screened off from, for instance, wind and/or precipitation, such as rain, hail or snow. This roof covering 7 is typically drained to the pivot beams 3, 4 and from there directly or via the tension beams 5 to the columns 2. By sliding and/or rotating the slats and/or the panels and/or by rolling in a screen, the roof covering 7 can be at least partially opened and/or closed in order to be able to determine the incidence of light, radiant heat, ventilation, precipitation, etc. to the space below the roof covering 7 as desired.
Wall infills 6 are typically intended to screen openings below the terrace canopy 1 between the columns 2. The wall infills 6 can be stationary or movable. Movable side walls comprise, for example, roll-in/roll-out screens and/or wall elements that are slidably arranged with respect to each other, etc. Stationary side walls can be manufactured of various materials, such as plastic, glass, metal, textile, wood, etc. Combinations of different wall infills 6 are also possible.
Another type of wall infill is shown in
The different variations of beams 3, 4, 5 will be described with reference to
The beams 3, 4, 5 of the terrace canopy 1 are hollow as is apparent from
It is generally intended to indicate profiles with the same placement and functionality, but with a divergent design with the same reference numeral by using one or more accent marks, e.g. base profile 12 and 12″ in
To form the beams 3, 4, 5, the profiles 10, 11, . . . , 24 are interconnected in a specific way. Generally, use is made of pin connections and/or hook connections. In a pin connection typically an elastic element (not shown) is present in a female element, for example a slot element, into which a male element, for example a pin, engages. Hence, a pin connection generally includes an elastically interlocking male and female element; an additional elastic element may be provided for this purpose, but this is not necessarily the case. The elasticity may also arise from the design of the male and female elements. Hook connections typically involve two elements with such a design that they hook into each other. There is no elastic element and the connection is separated by moving the elements away from each other in the correct direction.
In addition, generally, for each interconnection of two profiles, use is made of two separate connections. This improves the strength of the connection, but mainly contributes to the correct mutual positioning of the profiles. The fact is that if only one connection is used for two profiles, there is more clearance in the mutual positioning, which can give rise to a divergent positioning, in particular due to wind loads and/or precipitation loads.
A first design of an external pivot beam 3 is shown in
The base profile 12 (see
The double gutter profile 13 (see
The cover profile 15 serves to close off a technical space 26 in the external pivot beam 3. This technical space 26 may serve to house drive means for tilting the slats of the roof covering 7 and/or cabling for, for example, lighting, etc. In other words, the slats of a roof covering 7 are attached to a wall part 100a (see
The horizontal wall is provided near its end with a plurality of connection means, the functionality of which is described hereafter. The connection means comprise a first connection means 108, in particular a hooking means formed by two hooks, and a second connection means 109, in particular a slot. These connection means serve for the attachment of a front cover 14 for shielding the screen cavity 25. This front cover 14 typically forms the outer side of the external pivot beam 3.
The front cover 14 is attached to the base profile by means of a connection profile 16. The connection profile 16 comprises a hollow chamber formed between four walls 411, 412, 413, 414. The wall 414 forms the top side of the connection profile 16 and is provided with a first connection means 35, in particular a hooking means formed by two hooks, corresponding to the first connection means 108. From the top wall 414, a branch 415, in particular elastically deformable, extends towards the inner side of the external pivot beam 3. The end of branch 415 engages in a notch 110 in the base profile 12. On the bottom wall 412, the connection profile 16 is provided with a second connection means 416, in particular a female pin connection means. The second connection means 416 serves for receiving a corresponding second connection means 36, in particular a pin. This second connection means 36 is provided on the inner side of the front cover 14. A further attachment of the front cover 14 to the base profile 12 is formed, in particular by a pivotal movement, by placing the end part 37 of the front cover 14 in a slot 109 in the base profile 12 intended for this purpose.
In itself, the above-described attachment of the front cover 14 to the base profile 12 is sufficient. However, in view of the relatively long distance over which the front cover 14 downwardly extends, it is preferable to use an additional support profile 17 and/or a filler profile 18. The support profile 17 comprises a horizontal wall 420 terminating in a first connection means 421, in particular a female pin connection means. A corresponding connection means 39, in particular a pin, is provided on the inner side of the front cover 14. At the other end of the horizontal wall 420, an upright wall 422 and a branch 423, in particular elastically deformable, are provided. The upright wall 422 serves as an abutment against the internal cavity 27 of the double gutter profile 13, i.e. against the outer upright wall 206. The end of the upright wall 422 engages in a notch 207 in the double gutter profile 13, in particular a notch 207 in the outer side wall 206 of the cavity 27. Similarly, the end of the branch 423 engages in an opening 208 near the corner of the internal cavity 27.
The filler profile 18 is generally U-shaped with a flat bottom side 430 and upright side walls 431, 432. The upright side wall 432, in particular the end thereof, is intended to be fixedly connected to wall part 209a of an outer upright branch 209 of the double gutter profile 13. In an example, rivets are used for this connection. The remaining upright side wall 431 is free and serves as an abutment for the bottom side of the front cover 14. If desired, the upright side wall 431 can also be fixedly attached to the front cover 14. Finally, it should be noted that the upright side wall 432 is provided with a connection means 433, in particular a pin, the function of which will be described later.
In the embodiments shown, the front cover 14 is further provided with a reinforcing rib 41 and a slot 42. The reinforcing rib 41 contributes to the rigidity of the front cover 14 and is useful for obtaining the required resistance at higher loads, especially when bridging relatively long lengths. The function of the slot 42 is hereafter described with reference to
It is clear that the front cover 14 is detachable by disconnecting several of the connections. Thereby, the screen cavity 25 is accessible such that modifications, adjustments and/or repairs may be made, if necessary. In a similar manner, the cover profile 15 is removable for modifications, adjustments and/or repairs of elements in the technical space 26, such as the drive of the slats that may form the roof infill 7.
The external pivot beam 3 is intended to be placed on the outer side of the terrace canopy 1 and should provide for water drainage of precipitation incident on the terrace canopy. In particular, this precipitation may, for example, be collected by a slatted roof 7 which drains precipitation to this pivot beam 3. The roof infill 7 drains the precipitation to the pivot beam 3 where it is collected in the external gutter 28. Between the external gutter 28 and the cavity 27 the intermediate wall 29 is present which is provided with one or more openings, for example a series of perforations, such that the precipitation from the external gutter 28 is diverted to the cavity 27. That is why the bottom of the external gutter 28 also preferably slopes towards the cavity 27. The cavity 27 serves as an internal gutter for the passage of precipitation from one or more adjoining pivot beams 3 to a column 2 along which this precipitation may leave the terrace canopy 1.
Furthermore, the double gutter profile 13 is further provided with an inner connection means 215, in particular a female pin connection means, of a lower inner connection means 216, in particular a hooking means, which forms the end of the branch 212 of a lower outermost connection means 217, in particular a hooking means, which forms the end of the branch 209, and a connection means 218, in particular a hooking means, just below the inner gutter 27. The function of the lower outer connection means 217 will be described with reference to
The closure profile 19 is substantially U-shaped with a lower wall 440 and two upright walls 441, 443. The lower wall 440 is provided on its top side with a connection means 445, in particular a hooking means, provided to cooperate with the lower inner connection means 216 for the attachment of the closure profile 19 to the double gutter profile 13. The upright inner wall 443 is provided on its top side with a connection means 444, in particular a pin, provided to cooperate with the inner connection means 215 for attaching the closure profile 19 to the double gutter profile 13. Furthermore, the upright outer wall 441 is provided on its top side with a connection means 442, in particular a hooking means, provided to cooperate with the connection means 218 for attaching the closure profile 19 to the double gutter profile 13. The lower outer connection means 446 is in turn provided to cooperate with the connection means 433 on the filler profile 18 for their interconnection.
Furthermore, the external pivot beam 3 is further provided with screw channels 115, 116, 117, 208, 219, 220 for screwing a headboard to an end of this beam 3 with the aid of screws or bolts for the purpose of connecting the beam with a column of the terrace canopy 1. Screw channel 115 is provided on the bottom side of the branch 104; screw channel 116 is provided on the bottom side of wall part 101a; screw channel 117 is provided adjacent to the second upper connection means 113 in the technical space 26; the screw channel 208 is provided on the upper outer corner of the internal gutter 27; and the screw channels 219, 220 are provided below the internal gutter 27 on either side thereof. Of course, more or less screw channels are also possible and/or the placement thereof may differ.
It should be understood that other ways are possible with fewer or more connection means to interconnect the different profiles forming the external pivot beam 3. Additional connections, for example by means of glue, bolts, rivets, etc., may also be provided between certain profiles in order to interconnect these substantially permanently. Rivets can be used, for example, to connect walls 105, 205 or walls 209b, 441 or walls 209a, 432.
As already described above, the external pivot beam 3 (
The pivot beam of
The pivot beam of
The drip profile 24 has a substantially horizontal wall 450 which is provided on its top side with first connection means 35, in particular a hooking means formed by two hooks, corresponding to the first connection means 108 in the base profile 12. The drip profile 24 also has a second connection means 453, in particular a hook as the end of an elastically upright wall 454. This second connection means 453 engages a corresponding connection means 118 (see
On its outwardly facing side, the drip profile 24 is finished with an upright wall 452 extending downwardly from the horizontal wall 450. In particular, this upright wall 452 is located substantially in the same plane as the cover wall 402. A slot 451 is provided at the bottom side of the horizontal wall 450 which has the same function as slot 109 in the base profile 12, namely an attachment for the front cover 14a, in particular the end 37a thereof. There is also the opening 33 present between the outer side wall 402 of the cover profile 15 and the upright wall 452 of the drip profile 24.
The front cover 14a has again a substantially flat outer side, which, in this embodiment, does not lie in the same plane as the cover wall 402, but is located more towards the inner side of the external pivot beam 3. In particular, the distance between the outer side of the front cover 14a and the upright wall 100 of the base profile 12 indicated as d2 in
Again, the front cover 14a is provided on its inner side with a reinforcement 41a which, although the modified shape compared to the front cover 14, has the same function. A filler profile 18a is also provided on the bottom side of the external pivot beam 3. Although the design of the filler profile 18a is changed, compared to the filler profile 18 shown in
It should be understood that, in an embodiment wherein the stationary wall 6d is not transparent, it is not necessary to mount the front cover 14a on the external pivot beam 3. After all, the front cover 14a is not visible in such an embodiment. However, the filler profile 18a must be made slightly wider such that it fits closely with the stationary wall 6d such that, seen from the inner side of the terrace canopy 1, the pivot beam 3 is finished almost without a visible opening between the pivot beam 3 and the stationary wall 6d.
The pivot beam of
In this embodiment, the closure profile 19a only serves to close off space 30 below the internal gutter 27. The closure profile 19a comprises a horizontal wall 440a which merges on its outwardly facing side into an upright wall 441a which, unlike upright wall 441, is located between the filler profile 18 and the lower outer branch 209 of the gutter profile 13′. In particular, the upper end of the upright wall 441a is connected to wall part 209b (see
As already described, the external pivot beam of
Considering the presence of only one rail 464 in the external pivot beam of
The pivot beam of
The closure profile 19b now only serves to close off space 29 below the external gutter 28. The closure profile 19b comprises a horizontal wall 440b which merges on its inwardly facing side into an upright wall 443, which is provided with a pin 444, identical as with the pivot beam of
As already described, the external pivot beam of
A connection means 468a is provided at the inwardly facing end of the lower horizontal wall 465a, in particular a hooking means, which is provided to cooperate with the lower inner connection means 216 for attaching the wall profile 21a to the double gutter profile 13. At the outwardly facing end of the lower wall 21a, an upright wall 470 is provided, which is located between the filler profile 18 and the lower outer branch 209 of the gutter profile 13. In particular, the upper end of the upright wall 470 is connected to wall part 209b (see
In view of the presence of two rails 464 in wall profile 21a, it is possible to provide in each rail one or two movable panels 6b which are slidable in the longitudinal direction of the pivot beam 3, for example by using rollers (not shown). The panels 6b in the different rail can pass along each other. In other words, this forms a side wall 6b as in
The pivot beam of
In view of the presence of three rails 464 in wall profile 21b, it is possible to provide in each rail one or two movable panels 6b which are slidable in the longitudinal direction of the pivot beam 3, for example by using rollers (not shown). The panels 6b in the different rail can pass along each other. In other words, this forms a side wall 6b as in
The pivot beam of
The wall profile 21c is typically intended for slidable wall panels 6b that are thinner, in comparison to the wall profiles 21, 21a and 21b. In particular, the wall profile 21c is intended for glass wall panels in which a maximum of four (or eight) panels 6b can slide along each other, as shown in
The pivot beam of
The wall profile 20 includes a guide chamber 480 which is identical to that of wall profiles 21, 21a and 21b. The guide chamber 480 is therefore limited by inner and outer upright walls 481, 482, an upper horizontal wall 483 connecting the upright walls 481, 482, and a lower wall 485 having an opening 496 therein. The upright walls 481, 482 together form a rail 484 into which one or more rollers (not shown) can be movably arranged. A portion of the rollers and/or the wall extends through the opening 496.
The lower wall 485 has, on its inwardly-facing end, a slot 490 for receiving the end 37a of the front cover 14a′ for the attachment of the front cover 14a′ to the wall profile 20. This slot 490 is, in particular, formed by a downwardly extending branch 499 that departs from the bottom side of the lower wall 485. At the inner end of the lower wall 485, it merges into an upright wall 486 which has a bend 497 near the centre such that a lower portion of wall 486 is located more inwardly relative to an upper portion thereof. The upright wall 486, in particular the lower part thereof, is provided on its inner side with a first inner connection means 487, in particular a hooking means. The first inner connection means 487 serves to cooperate with the lower connection means 112 (see
The outer wall 481 of the guide chamber 480 also has an upward upright branch 492 which is provided on its top side with an upper connection means 491, in particular, a female pin connection means. As shown in
Considering the presence of only one rail 484 in the external pivot beam of
The pivot beam shown in
The front cover 14a and the drip profile 24 of the pivot beam of
The pivot beam shown in
All relevant profiles for the construction of the pivot beam shown in
The pivot beam of
It should also be understood that combinations of profiles that have not yet been shown, are possible to obtain yet other beams. For example, a beam according to one of the
The external pivot beam 3, shown in
The tension beam 5 shown is generally the same as the pivot beam shown in
The single gutter profile 11 is shown in more detail in
The modifications of the single gutter profile 11 compared to the double gutter profile 13 are therefore located on the inner side of this profile, where now no external gutter 28 is present. An additional upright wall part 322 is therefore placed, which is parallel to the intermediate wall 311 (which, for the sake of clarity, in the embodiment of a single gutter profile, is not provided with openings). In this way, the upright walls 302, 312, 322 together form the inner upright wall 323 of the single gutter profile 11. This is also the externally visible wall, seen by someone located below the terrace canopy 1. Furthermore, the lower inner connection means 316, particularly a hooking means, is also substantially identical to connection means 216, with the difference that the hook only extends outwardly such that the finish of wall 323 is uninterrupted.
Although only one embodiment of a tension beam 5 has been shown, it is understood that the only difference between an external pivot beam 3 and a tension beam 5 is the shape of the gutter profile 11, 13. Hence, the invention also relates to multiple tension beams having the same functionality of the external pivot beams shown in
The central pivot beam 4 is constructed from a limited number of profiles, namely a base profile 22, a gutter profile 23, a cover profile 15b and two closure profiles 19b. The base profile 22 has a symmetrical construction and is connected to the gutter profile 23 by means of connections 58, 59. Connections 58, 59 have a different design, whereby connection 58 is shown as a hook connection. However, these connections can be identical to each other. At its top side, the base profile 22 is sealed by a cover profile 15b by means of pin connections 57. The gutter profile 23 comprises two external gutters 28 and the central gutter 27 which are separated by intermediate walls 56. For finishing at the bottom side below the external gutters 28, use is made of two closure profiles 19b identical to the one described with reference to
It should be understood that finishing profile 19b can also be replaced by LED-holder profile 10, described with reference to
While certain aspects of the present invention have been described with respect to specific embodiments, it is understood that these aspects may be implemented in other forms within the scope as defined by the claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020/5265 | Apr 2020 | BE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/IB2021/053275 | 4/21/2021 | WO |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2021/214673 | 10/28/2021 | WO | A |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3222841 | Lipof | Dec 1965 | A |
| 5492162 | Lohausen | Feb 1996 | A |
| 5673739 | Brutsaert | Oct 1997 | A |
| 20160298332 | Veys | Oct 2016 | A1 |
| 20160333587 | Veys | Nov 2016 | A1 |
| 20190271155 | Gilbertson | Sep 2019 | A1 |
| 20200340299 | Snader | Oct 2020 | A1 |
| 20220127905 | Cortvriendt | Apr 2022 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1021793 | Jan 2016 | BE |
| 3486406 | May 2019 | EP |
| 3636850 | Apr 2020 | EP |
| 201800001632 | Jul 2019 | IT |
| 2008069 | Jul 2012 | NL |
| Entry |
|---|
| International Search Report and Written Opinion for PCT Application No. PCT/IB2021/053275, dated Aug. 10, 2021, pp. 1-13. |
| International Preliminary Report on Patentability for PCT Application No. PCT/IB2021/053275, dated Aug. 27, 2021, pp. 1-16. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20230151610 A1 | May 2023 | US |
