Openable terrace canopy

Abstract

A foldable cloth type awning system for at least partly covering an opening of an openable terrace canopy, comprising: a frame comprising a guiding track, a cloth and a cloth support, wherein the cloth support comprises a plurality of substantially parallel upper support beams, and a telescopic assembly arranged to displace the upper support beams between a retracted configuration and an extended configuration, wherein the telescopic assembly comprises a pantograph comprising rigid arms and primary upper pivot connectors, primary lower pivot connectors, secondary upper pivot connectors, secondary lower pivot connectors and intermediate pivot connectors, wherein each upper support beam is connected to an upper pivot connector, wherein one of the primary lower pivot connectors is fixed to the frame, and wherein at least one of the primary lower pivot connectors comprises a wagon arranged onto the guiding track in such a manner that the wagon can only follow the guiding track.

1 . An openable terrace canopy comprising an opening at least partly covered by a foldable cloth type awning system, the system comprising:
 a frame comprising a first longitudinal frame beam extending substantially in a first direction between a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the first longitudinal frame beam comprises a guiding track extending substantially along the first direction;   a cloth and a cloth support, wherein the cloth support comprises a plurality of substantially parallel upper support beams extending substantially in a second direction (w) perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the upper support beams are moveably arranged with respect to the frame, and wherein the cloth is attached to the upper support beams; and   a telescopic assembly arranged to displace the upper support beams in the first direction between a retracted configuration and an extended configuration,   wherein the telescopic assembly comprises a pantograph comprising rigid arms and primary upper pivot connectors, primary lower pivot connectors, secondary upper pivot connectors, secondary lower pivot connectors and intermediate pivot connectors, wherein each upper support beam is connected to an upper pivot connector, wherein one of the primary lower pivot connectors is fixed to the first longitudinal frame beam, and wherein at least one of the primary lower pivot connectors comprises a wagon arranged onto the guiding track in such a manner that the wagon can only follow the guiding track.   
     
     
         2 . The openable terrace canopy according to  claim 1 , wherein the cloth support further comprises a plurality of substantially parallel lower support beams extending substantially in the second direction, wherein the lower support beams are moveably arranged with respect to the frame, and wherein each lower support beam is connected to a lower pivot connector in such a manner that the lower support beams interdigitate the upper support beams along the first direction, and wherein the cloth is alternatingly attached along the first direction to an upper support beam and a lower support beam. 
     
     
         3 . The openable terrace canopy according to  claim 2 , wherein the upper support beams are only attached to a primary upper pivot connector and wherein the lower support beams are only attached to a primary lower pivot connector. 
     
     
         4 . The openable terrace canopy according to  claim 3 , wherein one upper support beam is attached to every primary upper pivot connector, and wherein one lower support beam is attached to every primary lower pivot connector. 
     
     
         5 . The openable terrace canopy according to  claim 1 , wherein the primary lower pivot connectors are constrained to a translation motion along the first direction. 
     
     
         6 . The openable terrace canopy according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of upper support beams comprises a most proximal upper support beam and a most distal upper support beam respectively most proximal and most distal from the proximal end of the first longitudinal frame beam, and wherein in the retracted configuration of the telescopic assembly, the most distal upper support beam lies substantially adjacent to the proximal end of the first longitudinal frame beam, and wherein in the extended configuration of the telescopic assembly, the most distal upper support beam lies substantially adjacent to the distal end of first longitudinal frame beam. 
     
     
         7 . The openable terrace canopy according to  claim 1 , wherein the telescopic assembly is arranged to displace the upper beams in the first direction such that the cloth is in an entirely unfolded configuration in the extended configuration of the telescopic assembly. 
     
     
         8 . The openable terrace canopy according to  claim 1 , wherein the pantograph comprises a thermal expansion compensating mechanism. 
     
     
         9 . The openable terrace canopy according to  claim 8 , wherein in the extended configuration of the telescopic assembly, the upper support beams are separated from guiding track in a first longitudinal support beam by a “smallest height” along a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, and wherein the thermal expansion compensating mechanism is arranged to maintain the “smallest height” upon thermal expansion of the pantograph and/or the cloth substantially constant, whilst substantially maintaining a degree of stretching of the cloth. 
     
     
         10 . The openable terrace canopy according to  claim 9 , wherein the thermal expansion compensating mechanism is provided by implementing one or more of the primary pivot connectors, connecting a first and a second pantograph arm, as a set comprising an elongated slot and a protrusion, the protrusion extending substantially along the second direction through the elongated slot such that the protrusions act as the pivot point for pivoting the first arm with respect to the second arm around an axis in the second direction, wherein either:
 the protrusion is provided on a separate profile, the elongated slot is provided in the first arm and the slot is elongated in a length direction of the first arm, or   the protrusion is provided on the second arm, the elongated slot is provided in the first arm, and the slot is elongated in the length direction of the first arm, or   the protrusion is provided on the first arm, the elongated slot is provided in a separate profile, and the slot is elongated in the first direction.   
     
     
         11 . The openable terrace canopy according to  claim 10 , wherein the thermal expansion compensating mechanism is provided on all of the primary pivot connectors. 
     
     
         12 . The openable terrace canopy according to  claim 1 , wherein the cloth is a continuous sheet and/or the cloth is made of a stretchable material, such as a textile. 
     
     
         13 . The openable terrace canopy according to  claim 1 , wherein the arms of the pantograph are made of a metal. 
     
     
         14 . The openable terrace canopy according to  claim 1 , wherein the arms of the pantograph are made of an aluminum alloy. 
     
     
         15 . The openable terrace canopy according  claim 8 , wherein the thermal expansion compensating mechanism is provided by implementing one or more of the primary pivot connectors, connecting a first and a second pantograph arm, as a set comprising an elongated slot and a protrusion, the protrusion extending substantially along the second direction through the elongated slot such that the protrusions act as the pivot point for pivoting the first arm with respect to the second arm around an axis in the second direction, wherein either:
 the protrusion is provided on a separate profile, the elongated slot is provided in the first arm and the slot is elongated in a length direction of the first arm, or   the protrusion is provided on the second arm, the elongated slot is provided in the first arm, and the slot is elongated in the length direction of the first arm, or   the protrusion is provided on the first arm, the elongated slot is provided in a separate profile, and the slot is elongated in the first direction.   
     
     
         16 . The openable terrace canopy according to  claim 8 , wherein the thermal expansion compensating mechanism is provided on all of the primary pivot connectors. 
     
     
         17 . The openable terrace canopy according to  claim 9 , wherein the thermal expansion compensating mechanism is provided on all of the primary pivot connectors.