Controller unit with electronic appliance holder for outdoor shading device

• US 8,267,104 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2010
• Issued: 09/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oliver Joen-An Ma
• Original Assignee: Oliver Joen-An Ma
• Inventors: Li, Wanda Ying
• Primary Examiner(s): Hawk, Noah Chandler
• Application Number:
  US12/804,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20120017954A1
• Time in Patent Office: 790 Days
• Field of Search: 135/16
• US Class Current: 135/96
• CPC Class Codes: A45B 3/00 Sticks combined with other objects
• CPC Class Codes: A45B 3/04 electrical

Abstract

A controller unit for electrically controlling an outdoor shading device having an awning frame and a supporting frame, includes a operation housing mounted on the supporting frame of the outdoor shading device, wherein the operation housing has a surrounding wall; a control panel being supported on the surrounding wall of the operation housing at a predetermined location for controlling one or more electronic appliances of the outdoor shading device; and an electronic appliance holder assembly for holding at least an electronic appliance thereat and electrically linking with the control panel, wherein the holder assembly is located on the surrounding wall of the operation housing and being arranged that the electronic appliance holder assembly is located at an opposed side of the surrounding wall with respective to the control panel.

Claims

1. An outdoor shading device, comprising:

a supporting frame;

an awning frame movably supported by said supporting frame to define a shading area under said awning frame; and

a controller unit, comprising;

an operation housing mounted on said supporting frame at a hand reachable location, wherein said operation housing has a first wall surface, a second wall surface and a receiving cavity indently formed at said second wall surface to detachably receive said electronic appliance holder within said receiving cavity;

a control panel being supported at said first wall surface of said operation housing; and

an electronic appliance holder provided at said second wall surface of said operation housing for holding at least an electronic appliance thereat, wherein said control panel is adapted for communicatively linking to said electronic appliance to selectively control an operation of said electronic appliance, wherein said electronic appliance holder has a storage side and an opposed holding side arranged in such a manner that when said storage side of said electronic appliance holder is engaged with said operation housing, said holding side of said electronic appliance holder faces outwardly for holding said electronic appliance in position, and when said holding side of said electronic appliance holder is engaged with said operation housing, said storage side of said electronic appliance holder is aligned with said second wall surface to house said electronic appliance holder at said operation housing, wherein said electronic appliance holder further comprises a plurality of length-adjustable retracting arms provided at said holding side of said electronic appliance holder for adjustably holding a surrounding rim of said electronic appliance at said holding side of said electronic appliance holder, wherein said electronic appliance holder further comprises a turntable base rotatably coupling at said holding side of said electronic appliance holder, wherein said retracting arms are radially and outwardly extended from said turntable base such that said turntable base is adjustably rotated at said holding side of said electronic appliance holder to selectively adjust said electronic appliance between a vertical display orientation and a horizontal display orientation.

2. An outdoor shading device, comprising:

a supporting frame;

an awning frame movably supported by said supporting frame to define a shading area under said awning frame; and

a controller unit, comprising;

an operation housing mounted on said supporting frame at a hand reachable location, wherein said operation housing has a first wall surface, a second wall surface a receiving cavity indently formed at said second wall surface to detachably receive said electronic appliance holder within said receiving cavity;

a control panel being supported at said first wall surface of said operation housing;

an electronic appliance holder provided at said second wall surface of said operation housing for holding at least an electronic appliance thereat, wherein said control panel is adapted for communicatively linking to said electronic appliance to selectively control an operation of said electronic appliance, wherein said electronic appliance holder has a storage side and an opposed holding side arranged in such a manner that when said storage side of said electronic appliance holder is engaged with said operation housing, said holding side of said electronic appliance holder faces outwardly for holding said electronic appliance in position, and when said holding side of said electronic appliance holder is engaged with said operation housing, said storage side of said electronic appliance holder is aligned with said second wall surface to house said electronic appliance holder at said operation housing, wherein said electronic appliance holder further comprises a plurality of length-adjustable retracting arms provided at said holding side of said electronic appliance holder for adjustably holding a surrounding rim of said electronic appliance at said holding side of said electronic appliance holder, wherein said electronic appliance holder further comprises a turntable base rotatably coupling at said holding side of said electronic appliance holder, wherein said retracting arms are radially and outwardly extended from said turntable base such that said turntable base is adjustably rotated at said holding side of said electronic appliance holder to selectively adjust said electronic appliance between a vertical display orientation and a horizontal display orientation; and

a releasable interlocker provided at a peripheral wall of said electronic appliance holder to releasably lock said electronic appliance holder within said receiving cavity of said operation housing, wherein said releasable interlocker has a plurality of engaging slots provided at a surrounding wall of said receiving cavity of said operation housing and comprises a plurality of corresponding resilient protrusions outwardly protruded from said peripheral wall of said electronic appliance holder to releasably engage with said engaging slots respectively so as to securely retain said electronic appliance holder in position.

3. The outdoor shading device, as recited in claim 2, wherein said control panel comprises a controller interface and a wireless communication link for communicatively linking with said electronic appliance in a wireless connection manner, so as to enable said controller interface being activated to control the operation of said electronic appliance.

4. The outdoor shading device, as recited in claim 3, further comprising a speaker system supported within said shading area under the awning frame, wherein said control panel is operatively linked to said speaker system for communicatively linking said speaker system with said electronic appliance.

5. The outdoor shading device, as recited in claim 4, further comprising an awning folding arrangement provided at said operation housing for controlling a folding operation of said awning between an unfolded position and a folded position, wherein said awning folding arrangement comprises a folding cable extended from said operation housing to said awning frame and a manual operation handle rotatably coupled at said operation housing to control said folding cable.

6. A controller unit for an outdoor shading device which comprises a supporting frame and an awning frame supported by said supporting frame to define a shading area under said awning frame, wherein said controller unit comprises:

an operation housing adapted for detachably mounting on said supporting frame at a hand reachable location, wherein said operation housing has a first wall surface, a second wall surface and a receiving cavity indently formed at said second wall surface to detachably receive said electronic appliance holder within said receiving cavity;

a control panel being supported at said first wall surface of said operation housing;

an electronic appliance holder provided at said second wall surface of said operation housing for holding at least an electronic appliance thereat, wherein said control panel is adapted for communicatively linking to said electronic appliance to selectively control an operation of said electronic appliance, wherein said electronic appliance holder has a storage side and an opposed holding side arranged in such a manner that when said storage side of said electronic appliance holder is engaged with said operation housing, said holding side of said electronic appliance holder faces outwardly for holding said electronic appliance in position, and when said holding side of said electronic appliance holder is engaged with said operation housing, said storage side of said electronic appliance holder is aligned with said second wall surface to house said electronic appliance holder at said operation housing, wherein said electronic appliance holder further comprises a plurality of length-adjustable retracting arms provided at said holding side of said electronic appliance holder for adjustably holding a surrounding rim of said electronic appliance at said holding side of said electronic appliance holder, wherein said electronic appliance holder further comprises a turntable base rotatably coupling at said holding side of said electronic appliance holder, wherein said retracting arms are radially and outwardly extended from said turntable base such that said turntable base is adjustably rotated at said holding side of said electronic appliance holder to selectively adjust said electronic appliance between a vertical display orientation and a horizontal display orientation; and

a releasable interlocker provided at a peripheral wall of said electronic appliance holder to releasably lock said electronic appliance holder within said receiving cavity of said operation housing, wherein said releasable interlocker has a plurality of engaging slots provided at a surrounding wall of said receiving cavity of said operation housing and comprises a plurality of corresponding resilient protrusions outwardly protruded from said peripheral wall of said electronic appliance holder to releasably engage with said engaging slots respectively so as to securely retain said electronic appliance holder in position.

7. The controller unit, as recited in claim 6, wherein said control panel comprises a controller interface and a wireless communication link for communicatively linking with said electronic appliance and a speaker system of said outdoor shading device in a wireless connection manner, so as to enable said controller interface being activated to control the operation of said electronic appliance and said speaker system.

8. A controller unit for an outdoor shading device which comprises a supporting frame and an awning frame supported by said supporting frame to define a shading area under said awning frame, wherein said controller unit comprises:

an operation housing adapted for detachably mounting on said supporting frame at a hand reachable location, wherein said operation housing has a first wall surface and a second wall surface;

a control panel being supported at said first wall surface of said operation housing; and

an electronic appliance holder provided at said second wall surface of said operation housing for holding at least an electronic appliance thereat, wherein said control panel is adapted for communicatively linking to said electronic appliance to selectively control an operation of said electronic appliance, wherein said electronic appliance holder comprises a plurality of length-adjustable retractable arms provided at a holding side of said electronic appliance holder and a turntable base rotatably coupling at said holding side of said electronic appliance holder, wherein said retracting arms are radially and outwardly extended from said turntable base such that said turntable base is adjustably rotated at said holding side of said electronic appliance holder to selectively adjust said electronic appliance between a vertical display orientation and a horizontal display orientation.

9. The controller unit, as recited in claim 8, wherein said control panel comprises a controller interface and a wireless communication link for communicatively linking with said electronic appliance and a speaker system of said outdoor shading device in a wireless connection manner, so as to enable said controller interface being activated to control the operation of said electronic appliance and said speaker system.