Articulated arm for awnings, with improved elastic effect

• US 7,367,376 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2003
• Issued: 05/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Llaza SA
• Original Assignee: Llaza SA
• Inventors: Llagostera Forns, Joan
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson; Blair M.
• Application Number:
  US10/546,663
• Publication Number:
  US 20060151125A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,736 Days
• Field of Search: 160/66, 160/70, 160/79, 160/45, 160/907, 160/68, 160/67, 248/289.11, 248/289.31, 248/292.11, 248/292.13, 135/88.11
• US Class Current: 160/66
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 10/0611 with articulated arms supporting the movable end of the blind for deployment of the blind
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 10/0618 whereby the pivot axis of the articulation is perpendicular to the roller
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 10/0622 whereby the plane defined by three consecutive articulation points of an articulated arm is not parallel to the rotation axis of the roller, e.g. to create a saddle type roof construction or to prevent contact between the cloth and the arm sections
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 10/0651 acting on the arms

Abstract

An articulated arm for awnings is disclosed. The articulated arm comprises an arm and a forearm, joined together by respective articulation configurations located at adjacent ends of the same, which enables them to move between open and closed positions. There is a flexible tie bar inside the arm, with a second end anchored to the articulation configuration of end of the forearm and linked by a first end to an elastic traction element anchored to a fixed point on the arm and an elastic compression element located between a stop on the flexible tie bar and a support of the end of the arm in order to produce tension in the tie bar on moving from the open position to closed, generating torque tending towards the open position.

Claims

1. An articulated arm for an awning with improved elastic effect, comprising:

an arm and a forearm, joined together by respective articulation configurations, located at adjacent ends of the same, which permits them to change between open and closed positions,

a flexible tie bar located inside said arm, with a first end linked to at least one elastic traction element anchored to a fixed point on the arm and a second end anchored to the articulation configuration at the end of the forearm in order to produce, in consequence of a relative movement between the arm and the forearm on moving from the open position to the closed position, a lengthening of the elastic traction element and a consequent tension in the flexible tie bar, which generates a torque that tends towards the open position, and

at least one elastic compression element located between a stop of the flexible tie bar and a support joined to the end of the arm in order to produce, in consequence of the relative movement between the arm and the forearm on moving from the open position to the closed position, a shortening of the elastic compression element and a consequent tension that adds to the tension in the flexible tie bar which contributes to increase the torque that tends towards the open position.

2. The arm in accordance with claim 1, wherein when the arm and the forearm are in the open position, the elastic traction element exerts an initial traction tension having a predetermined value.

3. The arm in accordance with claim 2, when the arm and the forearm are in the open position, the elastic compression element exerts an initial compression tension having a zero or negligible value.

4. The arm in accordance with claim 2, wherein the elastic traction element and the elastic compression element are selected so that they provide an increase of tension in the flexible tie bar in accordance with a predetermined progression as the arm and the forearm move from the open position to the closed position.

5. The arm in accordance with claim 1, wherein the flexible tie bar is located inside a hollow interior zone of the arm and the articulation configuration at the end or the arm includes a passage for the flexible tie bar to the articulation configuration at the end of the forearm, with a portion of the flexible tie bar supported on a surface of the articulation configuration distant from a rotational axis of the articulation.

6. The arm in accordance with claim 5, wherein the flexible tie bar has the form of a flat belt terminated at the first and second ends by respective gripping configurations.

7. The arm in accordance with claim 6, wherein the flat belt includes internal metal reinforcement cores.

8. The arm in accordance with claim 5, wherein the elastic traction element is a helicoidal spring under traction.

9. The arm in accordance with claim 5, wherein the elastic compression element is a helicoidal spring under compression.

10. The arm in accordance with claim 6, wherein the elastic compression element is a helicoidal spring under compression, through which the flexible tie bar passes, where the stop is incorporated into the mentioned gripping configuration of the first end of the flexible tie bar and the support is located next to the entrance to the passage of the end of the arm.

11. The arm in accordance with claim 3, wherein the elastic traction element and the elastic compression element are selected so that they provide an increase of tension in the flexible tie bar in accordance with a predetermined progression as the arm and the forearm move from the open position to the closed position.