Flexible or portable closure – partition – or panel – With outriggers – Roll type
Patent
1997-07-28
1999-07-13
Johnson, Blair M.
Flexible or portable closure, partition, or panel
With outriggers
Roll type
160302, 135 881, 192 46, E04F 1006
Patent
active
059213051
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an extension limiter for awnings, the extension limiter having a driven roller tube and extension arms that exert a force sufficient to unwind an awning fabric.
2. Description of Prior Art
An awning of this type is known from German Patent Reference DE-C1-4014962. Such awning has a braking device which is formed by at least one braking spring in the form of a helical spring, which is located between the driven gear wheel of the drive and a piece rigidly connected to the drive housing, and which is held by one angled end in a groove, located in a hub rigidly connected to the gear wheel which carriers a roller tube. This braking device simultaneously prevents independent and involuntary unwinding of the awning fabric and prevents vibrations of the roller tube during specific operating positions of the extension arms.
A disadvantage of this known awning is that when the drive is further rotated in the unwinding direction in the case where the desired unwinding position of the awning fabric is reached, additional awning fabric is unwound, so that the awning fabric is no longer tightly stretched, and the wind can blow up the awning fabric like a balloon and tear the awning fabric.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One object of this invention is to provide an awning of the type already mentioned, in which further unwinding of awning fabric is prevented after the desired unwinding position of the awning fabric is reached.
The extension limiter of this invention may be adjusted with high precision, so that the extension limiter engages at practically the same time as the desired unwinding position of the awning fabric is reached. The extension limiter is thus adjusted in such a way that first, the awning fabric is unwound until the desired unwinding position is reached, in which the awning fabric is still under tension, and the extension arms reach a maximum extended position. Thereafter the extension limiter is set in such a way that further rotation of the roller tube is no longer possible, so that even upon further actuation of the crank rod, the tension of the awning fabric is prevented from the slackening. With respect to the drive, the extension limiter is preferably located at the opposite end of the roller tube and is rotatable about the axis of the winding tube and can be set.
As rotation of the extension limiter is continuous, the desired operational position of the extension limiter can be set with absolute precision. In addition, the drive is released from load by the spatial separation of the extension limiter from the drive.
In a simple embodiment of this invention, the locking device has a spindle, which is releasably attached by means of a pin portion in the bearing plate of the thrust bearing, and a threaded portion projecting into the roller tube. A nut runs on the treaded portion. The nut is non-rotatably and axially movably mounted with a peripheral surface in a bearing cup supporting the roller tube.
The desired unwinding position can be better set because the pin portion of the spindle has on its end face means for rotation in a bore of the bearing plate. The bearing plate has a slot leading to the bore, which can be narrowed by means of a screw, in order to clamp the pin portion.
In order to protect the running nut from possible jamming, in another embodiment of this invention the spindle has a collar with at least one stop, and the running nut has at least one stop, which are capable of abutting against the spindle stops.
According to another preferred embodiment of this invention, a locking device co-operates with a freewheel device, which acts between the drive and the roller tube in such a way that the freewheel device comes into the freewheel condition after the desired unwinding position is reached. In this way the running nut is not stressed by pressure generated upon further rotation of the drive after the desired unwinding position is reached. Therefore the running nut can advantageously be made of plastics.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1678790 (1928-07-01), Salesse
patent: 1725285 (1929-08-01), Lalonde
patent: 2020595 (1935-11-01), Weber
patent: 2505416 (1950-04-01), Mahaffey
patent: 5289864 (1994-03-01), Bouchier
Gerhard Geiger GmbH & Co.
Johnson Blair M.
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