Adjustable All-Season Window Awning/Light Shelf and Operating Mechanism Therefor

Abstract

An adjustable window awning/light shelf includes a canopy attached to support elements installed on both sides of the window. The support elements are engaged with vertical drive screws providing for the possibility of moving the canopy up and down. Each drive screw is connected with a common drive shaft. During the cooling season, when the window needs to be shaded, the canopy is disposed at the top of the window. When shade is not required, the canopy is brought down to the bottom of the window by rotating the drive shaft, which in turn rotates the drive screws and moves the support elements with the canopy down. When in the bottom position, the awning performs as a light shelf, reflecting sunlight from its top surface into the window and increasing the amount of sunlight and solar heat entering the building through the window.

1 - 6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . An adjustable window awning/light shelf, said awning comprising:
 a canopy positioned, when in an awning position, near a top part of a window, comprising a top surface and a bottom surface and inclined at a certain angle between said bottom surface and said window;   an operating mechanism to move said canopy down into a light shelf position and back up into an awning position while maintaining said top surface facing up and said bottom surface facing down.   
     
     
         8 . An adjustable window awning/light shelf of  claim 7  additionally comprising means to increase said angle when bringing said canopy into a light shelf position and to decrease said angle when bringing said canopy into an awning position. 
     
     
         9 . An adjustable window awning/light shelf of  claim 7 , wherein said canopy is rigidly attached to support elements and said operating mechanism comprises vertical guides extending from top to bottom of said window and means to move said support elements together with said canopy along said vertical guides while maintaining said angle. 
     
     
         10 . An adjustable window awning/light shelf of  claim 9 , wherein said vertical guides are drive screws, said support elements are threaded and engaged with said drive screws, each of said drive screws is connected via a transmission gear with a common drive shaft, whereby rotating said drive shaft causes said drive screws to rotate simultaneously and move said support elements along said drive screws. 
     
     
         11 . An adjustable window awning/light shelf of  claim 7  additionally comprising:
 top brackets and bottom brackets affixed to said canopy; 
 support arms, top ends of said support arms being attached to said bottom brackets; 
 top sliders, said top brackets being attached to said top sliders; 
 bottom sliders, bottom ends of said support arms being attached to said bottom sliders. 
 
     
     
         12 . An adjustable window awning/light shelf of  claim 11 , wherein said operating mechanism comprises vertical guides extending from top to bottom of said window and means to move said sliders along said vertical guides. 
     
     
         13 . An adjustable window awning/light shelf of  claim 12 , wherein said vertical guides are drive screws, said top and bottom sliders are threaded and engaged with said drive screws, each of said drive screws is connected via a transmission gear with a common drive shaft, whereby rotating said drive shaft causes said drive screws to rotate simultaneously and move said sliders along said drive screws. 
     
     
         14 . An adjustable window awning/light shelf of  claim 13 , wherein said top ends of said support arms are rotatably attached to said bottom brackets, said top brackets are rotatably attached to said top sliders, said bottom ends of said support arms are rotatably attached to said bottom sliders, said drive screws are connected with said drive shaft at their top ends and supported by bottom supports at their bottom ends, said drive screws have bottom sections adjacent to said bottom supports unthreaded, whereby rotating said drive shaft causes said drive screws to rotate simultaneously and move said top and bottom sliders down, said bottom sliders to disengage from threads of said drive screws, upon reaching said unthreaded bottom sections, and become stationary, and said top sliders to continue their downward movement, which causes said canopy to rotate and increase said angle to assume a bottom light shelf position, and rotating said drive shaft in an opposite direction causes said top sliders to move up, said canopy to rotate and decrease said angle, said bottom sliders to reengage with threads of said drive screws, said top and bottom sliders to move simultaneously upward and said canopy to assume a top awning position. 
     
     
         15 . An adjustable window awning/light shelf of  claim 14 , additionally comprising:
 downward movement stops limiting canopy rotation during its downward movement to stop said canopy in a desired light shelf position;   upward movement stops limiting canopy rotation during its upward movement to stop said canopy in a desired awning position.