Telescopic covering

Abstract

A retractable covering ( 10 ) for areas, such as tennis courts, swimming pools, vehicle or trailer bodies, sheds, and so on, which includes several substantially identical covering elements ( 12 ), equipped with rollers or in any case with movable support means on two opposite sides, and pairs of parallel runways along two opposite sides. The front and back rollers of each covering element are laterally offset, and the rails have end portions deflected upwards or downwards, and parallel to each other. The covering elements are movable from an extended position, in which they cover the area and may be sealed together two by two, to a retracted position in which they overlap each other at least partially and occupy an extremely reduced space, and viceversa.

1 . A telescopic covering for areas, including a number of covering elements ( 12   a, b ;  112   a, b ) movable along longitudinal side slide tracks ( 14 , 16 ;  114 , 116 ), from an extended position in which they cover the area to a retracted position in which they occupy a reduced amount of space, and viceversa, characterized in that: 
 said slide tracks include an inner runway ( 33 , 35 ;  133 , 135 ) and an outer runway ( 34 , 36 ;  134 , 136 ),    said covering elements include a pair of front feet ( 21 , 25 ) and a pair of back feet ( 22 , 26 ), in engagement with said runways,    one of said pairs of front or back feet engaging the outer runways, having a transverse distance which is greater than the overall transversal distance between the other pair of feet, engaging the inner runways,    said runways having upstream portions thereof which are sloping and spaced on the same side, so that the covering elements may be arranged next to each other and overlapping in the retracted position:    
     
     
         2 . Covering according to  claim 1 , in which the slide tracks include rails.  
     
     
         3 . Covering according to  claim 1 , characterized in that each covering element includes a covering panel ( 18 , 118 ); legs ( 20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  25 ) attached to the panel on each side, and said legs include one foot each running in its respective runway.  
     
     
         4 . Covering according to  claim 3 , characterized in that each element further has an upstream rib ( 30 , 120 ) and a downstream rib ( 28 , 128 ), and one of said ribs has an overall size suitable for it to slide beneath the other rib of an adjacent panel.  
     
     
         5 . Covering according to  claim 1 , in which the elements ( 12 ) are identical to each other.  
     
     
         6 . Covering according to  claim 3 , characterized in that it includes sealing means on the elements, in order to have a sealed engagement of adjacent covering elements.  
     
     
         7 . Covering according to  claim 3 , characterized in that the covering elements ( 212 ) include a roof portion and extended side portions to form walls, equipped with said slide feet.  
     
     
         8 . Covering according to  claim 1 , characterized in that it includes an actuator device ( 50 ) including a movable stem and a star-shaped engaging device that can be rotated into an engaging or a disengaging position, and in that each panel includes at least one stake ( 44 ) designed to be engaged by such engaging device.  
     
     
         9 . Covering according to  claim 1 , characterized in that it includes locking devices ( 61 ,  62 ) on the back portion of each covering element, and complementary locking devices ( 63 ) on the front portion of each covering panel, to allow for a combined back and forth movement of all the elements together.  
     
     
         10 . Covering according to  claim 9 , characterized in that said locking devices include pairs of tabs ( 61 ,  62 ) attached to a front element, one tab ( 63 ) attached to a back element in correspondence with each said pair of tabs of the front element, and steps ( 64 ,  66 ) on the runways for the front wheels and for the back wheels.