FIELD OF THE INVENTION The apparatus of the present invention is particularly intended for use over swimming pools although it is understood that apparatus is of general applicability. The present invention provides an extendable awning apparatus and means of operating and supporting said extendable awning apparatus.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided an extendable awning apparatus comprising a length of flexible sheet material having first and second ends each attached to a respective first and second elongated member, the length of flexible sheet material being capable of being rolled around the first elongated member, the first elongated member being arranged to be mounted in an elevated position above a surface and means for receiving the second elongated member in a generally horizontal disposition at a location spaced apart from the first elongated member so that the length of the flexible sheet material overlies an area of the surface to shelter said area.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is an upper perspective view of a fully extended awning apparatus in accordance with a first embodiment of

the present invention;

Figure 2 is an upper perspective view of a winch plate, mounting bracket and horizontal tube to which the awning apparatus of Figure 1 is attached; Figure 3 is an upper perspective view of an inside of the winch plate, mounting bracket and horizontal tube of Figure 2 to which the awning apparatus of Figure 1 is attached; Figure 4 is an upper perspective view to an enlarged scale of an open-ended bracket of the awning apparatus of Figure 1 with a built in spring-loaded latch device shown in an open position to receive a tube;

Figure 5 is an upper perspective view of the open-ended bracket of Figure 4 with the built in spring-loaded latch device in a closed position after the bracket has received a tube;

Figure 6 is an upper perspective view of a recessed bracket in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 7 is a lower perspective view of a mounting bracket attached to a wall in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention; and

Figure 8 is an upper perspective view of a fully extended awning apparatus in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Shown in Figure 1 is a fully extended extendable awning apparatus 10 in accordance with the present invention comprising a length of flexible sheet material 12 extending from a first horizontal tube 14 to which it is attached.

The horizontal tube 14 has ends connected to respective winch plates 16 which are disposed in a plane at substantially right angles to the longitudinal axis of the tube 14. The tube 14 is supported adjacent each of its ends by a respective mounting bracket 18. Each mounting bracket 18 is attached to a respective free standing pole 20 adjacent the upper end of the pole 20. The poles 20 are typically secured in place on a surface by, for example placing vertical sleeves below the surface which the sleeves are arranged to receive lower ends of the poles 20. The length of flexible sheet material 12 has a leading edge 22 and a further horizontal tube 24 is attached to the leading edge 22. The tubes 14 and 24 may be attached to the length of flexible sheet material 12 by a number of conventional methods including looping a free end of the length of flexible sheet material 12 around the respective tube 14 or 24 and affixing the free end of the length of flexible sheet material 12 to the body of the length of flexible sheet material 12 behind the tube. Alternatively, a free end of the length of sheet material 12 may be provided with a length of rope (not shown) running the full length of the edge of the length of sheet material 12 to which the rope is fixedly attached in known manner. In addition, the tube 14 or 24 to which the length of flexible sheet material 12 is to be attached may have an elongated C-shaped fitting having a side opening (not shown) arranged to accept the rope and the attached length of flexible sheet material 12 by passing the rope from an end of the C-shaped fitting

through the length of the C-shaped fitting. The C-shaped fitting is such that the rope is held fast while allowing the length of flexible sheet material 12 to project through the side opening thereof.The winch plate 16 has a handle 26 that may be used to rotate the winch plate 16 which in turn rotates the horizontal tube 14 to either unroll or roll up the awning 12 depending upon which direction the winch plate 16 is turned. The winch plate 16 also has a plurality of holes 28 near its periphery 30, as can best be seen in Figures 2 and 3. The holes 28 are spaced apart and extend around the entire periphery 30 of the winch plate 16. In addition, each mounting bracket 18 has mounted on it a hook 32 placed in such a position as to allow engagement with the holes 28 in the winch plate 16.

The mounting brackets 18 have distal angled flanges 34 arranged to be attached to the free standing poles 20 such as by means of pop rivets 64 extending through aligned preformed holes (not shown) in the flanges 34 and the poles 20 in known manner.

Extending from the distal flange 34 away from the pole 20 is a proximal, substantially vertical plate 36 to which the hook 32 is securely attached. The proximal plate 36 has a substantially horizontal flange 38 attached to the upper end of the plate 36 and also to an adjacent plate of the angled flange 34 to give added strength to the mounting rackets 18.

The horizontal tube 14 passes through an aperture in the proximal plate 36 of each mounting bracket 18 and is

rotatably supported by a bush 40, typically made of nylon or other low coefficient of friction material. The use of low coefficient of friction material for the bush 40 reduces friction when the horizontal tube 14 is being rotated.

Spaced apart from and opposed to the free standing poles 20 are a further pair of free standing poles 42 as can be seen in Figure 1. An open ended apertured bracket 44 is mounted adjacent the upper end of each pole 42 in manner such that they extend from the poles 42 in direction opposite to that of the poles 20. In reference to Figure 4 and 5, the open ended brackets 44 each have a distal flange 46 for attachment to the free standing poles 42 by means of pop rivets 64 as described hereinabove for the flanges 34 on the poles 20. Extending from the distal flange 46 is a generally U-shaped member 48 which faces upwardly and is shaped to accept the horizontal tube 24. The U-shaped member 48 is formed of two parallel walls 50 and 52, which can best be seen in Figure 4, sandwiching a layer of cushioning material 54, typically nylon upon which the horizontal tube 24 rests in use.

A spring loaded latch assembly 56 is mounted adjacent the top of the U-shaped member 48. The spring loaded latch assembly 56 comprises a hollow chamber 58 through which passes a latch pin 60 with head 62, and a core spring (not shown) contained entirely within the hollow chamber 58 and surrounding that part of the latch pin 60 also contained within the hollow chamber 58. The manner of operation of the present invention will now

be described.

Initially, in use, the length of flexible sheet material 12 is rolled around the tube 14 at the right hand end of the apparatus as shown in Figure 1. If it is desired to shelter the area between the poles 20 and 42 the length of flexible sheet material 12 is extended by an operator pulling the tube 24 and walking towards the posts 42. This causes the length of flexible sheet material 12 to unwind from the tube. This action may require a number of operators depending on the size of the length of flexible sheet material 12 in use.

As the length of flexible sheet material 12 unwinds from the tube 14, the tube 14 and its associated winch plates 16 are typically caused to rotate. When the tube 24 has reached the posts 42, the tube 24 is dropped into the

U-shaped members 48 of the open ended brackets 44 after the opening of the latch mechanism 56, as shown in Figure 4. The latch mechanism 56 is then released so that the latch pin 60 is spring urged back to the position shown in Figure 5 to retain the tube 24 in place.

The latch mechanism 56 is arranged to ensure that the tube 24 cannot jump free of the U-shaped member 48 in windy conditions or as the result of a knock or bump. Typically, when the length of flexible sheet material 12 is in the extended position shown in Figure 1 the winch plate 16 is rotated in reverse direction to tension the awning 12 against the open ended brackets 44 and poles 42. The length of flexible sheet material 12 is fixed in this position by the insertion of the hooks 32 into a suitably

positioned hole 28 in the winch plates 16. With the length of flexible sheet material 12 extended in an elevated position above the surface as described the area of the surface beneath the length of flexible sheet material 12 will be sheltered from either the light or adverse weather conditions.

To return the length of flexible sheet material 12 to its initial unextended position the horizontal tube 24 is disengaged by lifting the tube 24 from both open-ended brackets 44 and simultaneous operation of the spring loaded latch mechanism 56. The winch plates 16 are then rotated in the reverse direction such that the length of flexible sheet material 12 is rolled around the horizontal tube 14. Once in the fully rolled up condition the length of flexible sheet material may be locked again through the engagement of the hooks 32 with the winch plates 16 as described hereinabove. It should be noted that the length of flexible sheet material 12 may also be locked in any number of positions between the fully rolled up and full extended positions.

In a second embodiment of the present invention the open ended brackets 44 may be replaced by recessed bracket members 66 as shown in Figure 6. The recessed brackets 66 project in a direction away from the poles 20 as previously described for the open-ended brackets 44.

The recessed bracket members 66 have a distal sleeve portion 68 designed to be fitted adjacent the upper portion of poles 42 for attachment by means of pop rivets 64 as described hereinabove for the flanges 34 on the poles 20.

The recessed bracket members have upper and lower proximal curved sections 70 and 72 respectively extending from the distal sleeve portion 68. The lower curved section 72 is substantially U-shaped and is arranged to accept the tube 24 when the awning is extended. The upper curved section 70 projects outward so as to inhibit unwanted upward movement of the tube 24. In the extended position the length of flexible sheet material 12 may be tensioned against the poles 42 through brackets 66 by the reverse rotation of the winch plate 16 and hooks 32 as described hereinabove. This tensioned arrangement inhibits movement of the tube 24 away from the poles 42. As a result the tube 24 is restrained from jumping out of or being pulled free of the bracket 66 without the release of the hook 32 from the winch plate 16.

In a further embodiment of the present invention the posts 20 and/or the posts 42 could be replaced by a wall, fence or the like and the mounting brackets 18, the open-ended brackets 44 or the recessed brackets 66 could be attached to these structures.

For example, figure 7 shows the mounting brackets 18 attached directly to a wall 74. The mounting brackets 18 have an adapted distal flange 76 disposed substantially at 90° to the plane of the proximal section 36 to allow attachment to the wall such as by means of bolts 78 extending through preformed holes (not shown) in the flange

76.

In a still further embodiment of the present invention, shown in Figure 8, a number of additional poles 80 may be

added intermediate to the poles 20 and 42. The intermediate poles 80 have either open-ended brackets 44 or recessed brackets 66 (not shown) mounted adjacent the upper end of each pole 80. For each pair of intermediate poles 80 an intermediate tube 82 is required to support the awning.

The intermediate tube 82 engages the open-ended brackets 44 or recessed brackets 66 (not shown) of the intermediate poles in the manner described previously herein for the tube 24.

During extension and retraction of the length of flexible sheet material 12 the tube 24 is simply passed over the intermediate tube 82. The additional support provided by the intermediate poles 80 and the intermediate tube 82 allow the awning apparatus 10 to shelter a larger area.

The presence of the intermediate poles 80 allows the option of only partially extending the length of flexible sheet material 12 by positioning the tube 24 in the open ended brackets 44 or recessed brackets 66 (not shown) mounted on the intermediate poles 80. This would of course require the removal of intermediate tube 82.

The length of flexible sheet material 12 may be made of any flexible material such as canvas or shade cloth but is preferably made of plastics material available under the trade marks "Breezeway", "Sarlon" or "Canvicon".

Typically, the winch plates 16, the tubes 14, 24 and 82, the mounting brackets 18, open-ended brackets 44 and recessed brackets 66 are made from aluminium which provides a weather resistant yet strong construction although it is

to be understood that these components may be made from different materials or combinations or materials. The extendable awning apparatus 10 of the present invention is particularly advantageous in shading applications which by nature are only needed at certain times of the day.

Modifications and variations such as would be apparent to a skilled addressee are deemed within the scope of the present invention.