Easy deployment retractable awning

Abstract

A retractable awning having one edge of an awning sheet secured to a support surface and an opposite edge secured to a roll bar wherein the roll bar is mounted for movement between a retracted position adjacent to the support surface and an extended position by a pair of support arms and a pair of rafter arms with the rafter arms including inner and outer arm segments that are pivotally connected together by an elbow joint that automatically locks the arms in longitudinal alignment when the awning is fully extended.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A retractable awning comprising: 
 an elongated member;    an awning sheet, the awning sheet anchored at a first edge to a support surface, and at a second edge to the elongated member; and    at least one rafter arm including an inner segment, an outer segment, and an elbow member pivotally joining the inner and outer segments, the inner segment being anchored at one end to the support surface and being attached to the elbow member at another end, the outer segment being attached to the elbow member at one end and being attached to the elongated member at another end, the elbow member having a lock mechanism, wherein the lock mechanism automatically secures the inner and outer segments in a longitudinally aligned relationship when the awning is moved into an extended position.    
     
     
         2 . The awning of  claim 1 , wherein the elongated member is a roll bar, the roll bar being rotatably coupled with the at least one rafter.  
     
     
         3 . The awning of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one rafter arm comprises a pair of rafter arms  
     
     
         4 . The awning of  claim 2 , wherein the roll bar further includes a coil spring, the coil spring rotatably biasing the roll bar relative to the at least one rafter arm.  
     
     
         5 . The awning of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one support arm, the support arm having a first and second end, the first end being anchored to the support surface at a vertical location below the anchor location of the inner segment, and the second end being operably attached with the other end of the outer segment.  
     
     
         6 . The awning of  claim 1 , wherein the inner segment is pivotally anchored to the support surface.  
     
     
         7 . The awning of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one support arm is a telescoping support arm.  
     
     
         8 . The awning of  claim 2 , further comprising a roll bar lock, wherein (i) the roll bar lock is coupled to the roll bar, (ii) the roll bar is configured to rotate in a first direction as the retractable awning is being extended, and rotate in a second direction as the retractable awning is being retracted, and (iii) rotation of the roll bar in the second direction automatically causes the roll bar lock to lock the roll bar from rotating in the first direction.  
     
     
         9 . The awning of  claim 8 , wherein the roll bar lock further comprises a lever to release the roll bar lock to permit the roll bar to rotate in the first direction.  
     
     
         10 . The awning of  claim 1 , wherein the elbow member lock mechanism is released when the outer segment is pulled longitudinally relative to the inner section when the inner and outer segments are in the extended position in the longitudinally aligned relationship.  
     
     
         11 . The awning of  claim 4 , wherein the awning automatically retracts from the extended position when the lock mechanism is released.  
     
     
         12 . The awning of  claim 5 , wherein a gas spring mechanism is fixedly attached to the outer segment proximate the other end of the outer segment, and is fixedly attached to the support arm proximate the support arm second end.  
     
     
         13 . The awning of  claim 12 , wherein the gas spring mechanism functions as a dampener.  
     
     
         14 . A retractable awning comprising: 
 an elongated member;    an awning sheet; the sheet being attached with the elongated member on one edge and with a support surface on an opposite edge;    at least one rafter arm, the rafter arm having a first end anchored to the support surface, and a second end attached to the elongated member, the rafter arm comprising inner and outer segments, and an elbow member operably interconnecting the inner and outer segments, the elbow member including first and second sections, the first section being fixedly attached to the inner segment, and the second section being fixedly attached to the outer segment, either of the first and second sections including a pivot pin, and the other of the first and second sections including an opening to pivotally receive the pivot pin, either of the first and second segments further including a lock pin and the other of the first and second sections including a slot to receive the lock pin and prevent pivotal movement of the first and second sections when the inner and outer segments are in an extended longitudinally aligned relationship.    
     
     
         15 . The awning of  claim 14 , wherein the lock pin is released from the slot when the outer segment is pulled longitudinally relative to the inner segment when the inner and outer segments are in the extended longitudinally aligned relationship.  
     
     
         16 . The awning of  claim 14 , wherein the elbow member further includes a slot covering member, the slot covering member being moveably attached to the elbow member to selectively provide the lock pin with access to the slot when the slot cover is in a first position and prevent the lock pin from accessing the slot when the slot cover is in a second position.  
     
     
         17 . The awning of  claim 16 , wherein the slot cover is pivotally attached to the elbow member and the first position is an up position and the second position is a down position.  
     
     
         18 . The awning of  claim 16 , wherein the slot cover in is in the first position when the inner and outer segments are being pivoted away from each other into the extended longitudinally aligned position, and the slot cover is in the second position when the inner and outer segments are being pivoted towards from each other into a retracted position.  
     
     
         19 . The awning of  claim 16 , wherein the second section includes the pivot and lock pins, and the first section includes the corresponding opening and slot.  
     
     
         20 . The awning of  claim 16 , wherein the slot cover is biased toward the second position.  
     
     
         21 . The awning of  claim 20 , wherein a catch finger is automatically actuated when the outer arm is retracted into a position longitudinally adjacent to the inner member, the catch finger holding the slot cover in the first position until automatically released upon extension of the inner and outer rafter segments into the extended longitudinally aligned relationship.  
     
     
         22 . A retractable awning comprising: 
 a roll bar;    an awning sheet anchored at one edge to a support surface, and attached to the roll bar at an opposite edge;    at least one rafter arm with first and second ends, the first end being anchored to the support surface at a first end, and the roll bar being rotatably coupled with the second end, the at least one rafter arm further including an inner segment, an outer segment, and a joint member, the inner and outer segments being pivotally coupled to each other by the joint member, the joint member including a lock mechanism, the lock mechanism being engageable to prevent pivotal movement of the inner and outer segments when the inner and outer segments are extended and longitudinally aligned; and    a spring, the spring rotatably biasing the roll bar when the inner and outer segments are extended and longitudinally aligned;    wherein the spring bias, acting through the awning sheet, applies a force to the lock mechanism causing the lock mechanism to automatically engage when the awning is moved into its extended and longitudinally aligned position.    
     
     
         23 . The awning of  claim 22 , wherein the joint member further comprises a first section being fixedly attached to the inner segment, a second section being fixedly attached to the outer segment, either the first or the second section including a pivot pin with the other of the first or second section including a corresponding pivot pin opening in which the pivot pin is pivotably disposed, either the first or second section further including a lock pin with the other of the first or second section including a corresponding lock pin slot in which the lock pin may be received to prevent pivotal movement of the pivot pin in the pivot pin opening.  
     
     
         24 . The awning of  claim 23 , wherein the force applied to the lock mechanism causes the lock pin to be received in the lock pin slot.  
     
     
         25 . An elbow joint for pivotably connecting inner and outer rafter arm segments of a retractable awning, the elbow joint comprising: 
 a first section, the first section being configured for being fixedly attached to the inner segment of the rafter arm; and    a second section, the second section configured for being fixedly attached to the outer segment of the rafter arm;    wherein (i) either the first or second section includes a pivot pin and the other of the first or second section includes a corresponding opening to pivotally receive the pivot pin, and (ii) either the first or second section includes a lock pin and the other of the first or second section includes a corresponding slot to receive the lock pin and prevent pivotal movement about the pivot pin.    
     
     
         26 . The elbow joint of  claim 25 , further comprising a slot cover, the slot cover being movably attached to the elbow joint to selectively provide the lock pin access to the slot in a first position and prevent lock pin access to the slot in a second position.  
     
     
         27 . The elbow joint of  claim 26 , wherein the slot cover is pivotally attached to the elbow joint and the first position is an up position and the second position is a down position.  
     
     
         28 . The elbow joint of  claim 26 , wherein the slot cover in is in the second position when the first and second sections are being pivoted towards each other, and the slot cover is in the first position when the first and second sections are being pivoted away from each other.  
     
     
         29 . The elbow joint of  claim 26 , wherein the first section includes the pivot and lock pins, and the second section includes the corresponding opening and slot.  
     
     
         30 . The elbow joint of  claim 25 , wherein the first and second sections comprise a plurality of components fabricated from extrusions.  
     
     
         31 . A retractable awning comprising: 
 a roll bar;    an awning sheet, the awning sheet anchored at one edge to a support surface, and at the opposite edge to the roll bar;    a roll bar lock, the roll bar lock having a first section and a second section, the first and second sections being rotatably coupled, the first section being coupled to the roll bar for unitary motion therewith; and    at least one rafter arm, the rafter arm including a inner segment, an outer segment and an elbow joint, the inner segment being anchored at one end to the support surface, and being attached to the elbow joint at an opposite end, The outer segment being attached to the elbow joint at one end and being coupled with the second section of the roll bar lock at an opposite end, the elbow joint including a lock mechanism;    wherein (i) the rafter arm lock mechanism automatically secures the retractable awning in an deployed position with the inner and outer segments of the rafter arm in an extended longitudinally aligned relationship, and (ii) the roll bar lock automatically secures retractable awning in the retracted position with at least a portion of the awning sheet wound around the roll bar and the rafter arm inner and outer segments longitudinally adjacently disposed relative to each other.    
     
     
         32 . The retractable awning of  claim 31 , wherein the roll bar lock further comprises a lever for releasing the roll bar lock, permitting the awning to be extended.  
     
     
         33 . The retractable awning of  claim 31 , further comprising a spring, the spring coupled to the roll bar to rotatably bias the roll bar relative to the support surface when the roll bar is in an extended position.  
     
     
         34 . The retractable awning of  claim 33 , wherein the awning automatically retracts from the deployed position to the retracted position when the elbow joint lock mechanism is released.