Technical field

The present invention relates to an openable (i.e. retractable) terrace canopy. The present invention particularly relates to a foldable cloth type awning system for covering an opening of the openable terrace canopy, the awning system more particularly being of the foldable cloth type of the second generation as described below.

State of the art

Canopies are usually set up to protect of outdoor area or to free them up. These types of canopies are often set up at residences, restaurants, shops etc. to protect an outdoor terrace or the like from the rays of the sun, precipitation and/or wind or even to temporarily let in the sun. This type of terrace canopy typically comprises an awning that is at least partially supported by columns. The awning is generally made up of multiple beams made up of one or more frames in which a roof infill can be attached. The beams themselves are often a combination of multiple individual profiles. This type of awning is typically supported by four (or more) columns between which a wall infill can be provided. Fewer columns can also be used in the case of an awning supported by other structures, such as the wall of an existing structure.

Within the context of awnings for canopies, there are typically four orientations (namely top, bottom, outside and inside) for the frame of the awning. In this, "top" refers to the part of the awning that is oriented or will be toward the top surface (i.e. the sky, e.g. the open air), "bottom" to the section of the awning that is oriented or will be toward the ground surface (i.e. the ground, e.g. the floor of the terrace), "outside" to the part of the awning oriented or will be away from the roof (i.e. away from the roof infill) and "inside" to the part of the awning that is oriented or will be toward the inside of the roof (i.e. facing toward the roof infill).

Awnings provide shade and protection from elements such as rain, sleet, and snow. Typically the awning covers the opening in a terrace canopy such as to cover the area enclosed by the terrace canopy. Such a terrace canopy can be attached to the side of a building, with or without additional supports on the ground, or it can be a freestanding element, i.e. provided solely with its own supports on the ground. This terrace canopy may for example be designed, in the form of a veranda, a carport, a pavilion, etc. It is desired for such terrace canopy's to be openable, i.e. wherein the awning covers more or less of the opening of the terrace canopy such that more or less sunlight or other elements are allowed into the area enclosed by the terrace canopy. The awning system is adapted accordingly. Awning systems typically exist in two different types: slatted awnings or clothed awnings. In the latter, i.e. the type according to the present invention, the adjustable degree of covering of the terrace canopy opening can be achieved in primarily two manners: by rolling up the cloth or by folding up the cloth, the latter being the manner according to the present invention. The cloth in such clothed awnings is a flexible sheet which can be made of many different materials such as woven or nonwoven fabrics, plastics etc.

Traditionally, foldable cloth type awning systems, referred to as first generation foldable cloth type awning systems, for example known from patent publications AU771317 and EP3255221A1, comprise:

• 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,

• a cloth and a cloth support, wherein the cloth support comprises a plurality of substantially parallel support beams extending substantially in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the upper support beams are moveably arranged within the guiding track of the frame such as to be constrained to follow the guiding track, and wherein the cloth is attached to the support beams, and

• a telescopic assembly arranged to displace the support beams along the guiding track in the first direction between on the one hand a retracted configuration wherein the distance between the support beams is relatively small such that the cloth is in a strongly folded configuration and wherein the cloth hangs well below the first longitudinal frame beam, and on the other hand an extended configuration wherein the distance between the support beams is relatively large such that the cloth is in a weakly folded or entirely unfolded configuration.

In these first generation foldable cloth type awning systems, for example known from patent publication AU771317 and particularly visible in its figure 6, the cloth is folded downward from the frame causing the partly or entirely folded cloth to hang below the first longitudinal frame beam. This has a disadvantage that the usable height of the terrace canopy is reduced. This has a further disadvantage that the lighting, which is typically provided within the support beams, is partly or entirely occluded by the cloth hanging between the person in the terrace canopy and the lighting. Furthermore the height by which the cloth hangs below the first longitudinal frame beam is variable, i.e. it depends on the degree of folding of the cloth. Therefore, in the state of the art, a gutter has to be provided sufficiently low with respect to the first longitudinal frame beam such as to be below the lowest position of the cloth when said cloth is in its most folded configuration. However, when the cloth is not in its most folded configuration, water will drip into the gutter from a relatively great height, causing unwanted splashes.

To solve the above mentioned problems of the first generation systems, second generation foldable cloth type awning systems have been developed wherein the cloth is folded upward instead of downward. In these systems after all, the lowest point of the (partially) folded cloth does not lie below the first longitudinal frame beam. Patent publications CN214006297 and US11156014 are examples of such second generation systems. These systems comprise

• the frame of the first generation systems,

• 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 perpendicular to the first direction. The cloth is attached to these upper support beams. The plurality of upper support beams comprises a proximal upper support beam and a distal upper support beam respectively more proximal and more distal from the proximal end of the first longitudinal frame beam. The upper support beams are moveably arranged with respect to the frame, such that in the retracted configuration, as described above with respect to the first generation systems, the distance between the upper support beams is relatively low and the distal upper support beam lies substantially adjacent to the proximal end of the first longitudinal frame beam, and in the extended configuration, as described above with respect to the first generation systems, the distance between the upper support beams is relatively large and the distal upper support beam lies substantially adjacent to the distal end of first longitudinal frame beam.

• a telescopic assembly arranged to displace the upper support beams in the first direction between the retracted configuration and the extended configuration. The telescopic assembly of such a second generation system comprises an interconnection of primary linkage sections. Each primary linkage section comprises a primary upward arm and a primary downward arm. Each arm comprises an upper pivot element and a lower pivot element, the pivot elements being one of a protrusion extending in the second direction or an opening arranged to receive a protrusion extending in the second direction. The primary linkage section is formed by connecting the upper pivot elements of the primary upward arm and the primary downward arm into a primary upper pivot connector enabling the rotation of these arms with respect to each other around an axis extending in the second direction. Adjacent primary linkage sections are connected by connecting the lower pivot element of the primary upward arm of a more distal primary linkage section and the lower pivot element of the primary downward arm of a more proximal adjacent primary linkage section into a primary lower pivot connector. Each upper support beam is connected to a primary upper pivot connector. All of the primary lower pivot connectors comprise a wagon arranged onto the guiding track in such a manner that the wagon can only follow the guiding track. The most proximal primary lower pivot connector is fixed to the first longitudinal frame beam. The telescopic assembly displaces the upper support beams by pulling or pushing the most distal wagon towards or away from the proximal end of the first longitudinal frame beam.

It has however been found by the present inventors that in these second generation systems, due to the pressure exerted by the most distal wagon onto the arms of the primary linkage sections, the upper support beams randomly move up or down one by one during respectively the retracting or extending of the telescopic assembly, i.e. the upper support beams do not move synchronously up or down. This is unaesthetic and thus not desired. Furthermore, the inventors have found that, due to the pressure exerted by the most distal wagon onto the arms of the primary linkage sections, the upper support arms are one by one subjected to sudden dropping during extension of the telescopic assembly. The inventors have found that this damages the upper support beams and that this makes an annoying sound, and is thus not desired. These problems are referred to as the "first problems" in the present patent application.

It has furthermore been found by the inventors that in the known second generation systems, the arms of the primary linkage sections, which are usually made of aluminum, exhibit substantial thermal expansion. Therefore, when the telescopic assembly is in the extended configuration, it is likely that the cloth is not in its desired unfolded or partially folded configuration (it may for example be desired that the cloth forms a flat plane, or that the cloth has a predetermined degree of undulations) when the temperature conditions change, e.g. in summer or winter. This problem is referred to as the "second problem" in the present patent application.

Description of the invention

The present invention provides a solution to the "first problems" encountered in the state of the art. To that end the present invention comprises an openable (i.e. retractable) terrace canopy comprising an opening at least partly covered by a first foldable cloth type awning system, in particular of the second generation, for at least partly covering an opening of an openable terrace canopy, according to the first claim. The first foldable cloth type awning system in particular comprises:

• a frame comprising a first longitudinal frame beam extending substantially in a first direction between a proximal end and a distal end. The first direction is the direction, as will be explained below, in which the cloth can be retracted or extended. In the present patent application, the relative terms "proximal" and "distal" refer to the relative positioning with respect to the proximal end of the first longitudinal frame beam. Preferably the frame further comprises a second longitudinal frame beam substantially parallel to the first longitudinal frame beam. Preferably, the first and second longitudinal frame beams are interconnected at their proximal ends by a first transversal frame beam extending substantially in the second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and are interconnected at their distal ends by a second transversal frame beam substantially parallel to the first transversal frame beam. Preferably, at least one leg is provided to the frame such as to support the frame on the ground. This leg preferably substantially extends along a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction. In the present invention, the relative terms "upper" and "lower" refer to the relative positioning along the third direction, i.e. the direction perpendicular to the first and second directions, wherein the "upper" position corresponds to a position with higher gravitational potential energy per unit mass with respect to the "lower" position. The first longitudinal frame beam further comprises a guiding track extending substantially along the first direction. As will be explained below, the guiding track is arranged to receive a wagon and to constrain said wagon to a motion along the guiding track.

• a cloth and a cloth support. The cloth support comprises a plurality of substantially parallel upper support beams extending substantially in the second direction, i.e. the direction perpendicular to the first direction. It is noted that the upper support beams are not necessarily straight rods, e.g. they can be curved upwards, but in overall they extend in the second direction. Furthermore it is noted that the upper support beams do not necessarily all have the same shape, e.g. the amount of curvature can vary between the upper support beams. Preferably, the upper support beams are rigid beams. The upper support beams are moveably arranged with respect to the frame. The cloth is attached to the upper support beams. Preferably, the cloth is attached to the bottom of the upper support beams such that the upper support beams are not visible from within the space covered by the terrace canopy. Alternatively, the cloth is attached to the top of the upper support beams. This has the advantage to increase the load bearing capacity of the cloth support, e.g. the cloth has a decreased risk of detaching from the upper support beam under the influence of weight such as snow. Alternatively, the cloth is attached to the bottom of some of the upper support beams and to the top of the other upper support beams such as to obtain the advantages of both alternatives described above. Preferably, in the context of the present invention wherein it is stated that the cloth is "attached" to an upper support beam or to a top of an upper support beam, the term "attached" comprises one of the cloth being "fixed" to respectively the upper support beam and the top of the upper support beam, i.e. such as to prevent sliding of the cloth along the first direction over the upper support beam, or the cloth being "supported" by respectively the upper support beam and the top of the upper support beam, i.e. supported in the height direction whilst allowing sliding of the cloth along the first direction over the upper support beam. Preferably, in the context of the present invention wherein it is stated that the cloth is "attached" to a bottom of an upper support beam, the term attached comprises the cloth being "fixed" to the bottom of the upper support beam, i.e. such as to prevent sliding of the cloth along the first direction over the upper support beam.

• a telescopic assembly arranged to displace the upper support beams in the first direction between a retracted configuration and an extended configuration. Alternative terms for these configurations are respectively the "stacked configuration" and the "spread-out configuration". Preferably, in the retracted configuration the distance between the upper support beams is relatively small such that the cloth is in a strongly folded configuration, and in the extended configuration the distance between the upper support beams is relatively large such that the cloth is in a weakly folded or entirely unfolded configuration.

The telescopic assembly comprises a pantograph comprising rigid arms and primary upper pivot connectors, primary lower pivot connectors, secondary lower pivot connectors, secondary upper pivot connectors and intermediate pivot connectors.

We remark that that the general term "pivot connector" comprises all subtypes of pivot connectors, i.e. independent of the type being primary or secondary pivot connectors and independent of the relative position indicators such as "upper" or "lower". This applies mutatis mutandis, to otherwise formulated general terms.

Each upper support beam is connected to an upper pivot connector. Note that this does not mean that each upper pivot connector has connected an upper support beam thereto. This connection ensures that the upper support beams, and thus the cloth attached to the upper support beams, follows the movement of the upper pivot connectors. Preferably, the upper support beam is connected to the upper pivot connector by means of a beam seat. The beam seat is preferably provided on a separate profile of the pivot connector as explained below.

One of the primary lower pivot connectors is fixed to the first longitudinal frame beam. This connection ensures that the telescopic assembly has a gathering point towards which the other primary lower pivot connectors will move during the retraction of the telescopic assembly. Preferably, the fixed primary lower pivot connector, is fixed to the first longitudinal frame beam in such a manner that the arm of the pantograph to which said fixed primary lower pivot connector is connected is only allowed to rotate around an axis extending in the second direction with respect to the first longitudinal frame beam.

At least one of the primary lower pivot connectors, apart from the fixed primary lower pivot connector, comprises a wagon arranged onto the guiding track in such a manner that the wagon can only follow the guiding track. This ensures that, due to the mechanical linkage of the primary pivot connectors, all of the primary pivot connectors will move towards the gathering point substantially along the track laid out by the guiding track. Given that the guiding track extends along the first direction, it follows implicitly that the primary lower pivot connectors are substantially constrained to a translation motion along the first direction. Preferably, the wagon is provided on a separate profile of the pivot connector as explained below. To ensure an even better guidance, a majority or all of the primary lower pivot connectors preferably comprise a wagon arranged onto the guiding track in such a manner that the wagon can only follow the guiding track. Preferably, the guiding track is a channel in which the wagons are received. The wagons for example comprise a sliding surface allowing the wagon to slide along the channel. Alternatively the wagons can be provided with wheels which roll through the channel. The channel is preferably a tube extending in the first direction which has an elongated opening extending in the first direction wherein part of the wagon is provided inside of the tube and a part of the wagon protrudes out of the elongated slot such as to be accessible outside of the tube for coupling to the remaining components of the lower pivot connector. The latter for example comprise the beam seat on which lower support beams, as will be described below, can be attached.

According to an embodiment of the present invention the telescopic assembly comprises means to displace at least one of the wagons arranged on the guiding track along the first direction by pushing or pulling the at least one wagon away or towards the gathering point created by the fixed primary lower connector. It suffices that the means are arranged to displace one of the wagons, because the displacement of one of the wagons results, by means of the pantograph mechanism, into the displacement of the other wagons. It is however preferred that the means are arranged to displace one of the more distal wagons, for example the most distal wagon. Preferably, the means comprise conveyor belt or a rope acting on the at least one wagon. Preferably, the means are actuated by a motor.

Preferably the pivot connectors are means that create a pivot point allowing an arm of the pantograph to pivot along the second direction with respect to another arm. The pivot connector is for example a set of a protrusion extending in the second direction and an opening through which the protrusion extends. The pivot connector could employ only the arms that are to be connected, but could also employ a separate profile in addition to the arms, as explained below. Each arm preferably comprises an upper pivot element, a lower pivot element and an intermediate pivot element, the pivot elements being one of a protrusion extending in the second direction or an opening arranged to receive a protrusion extending in the second direction. The upper and lower pivot elements are preferably provided substantially at the free extremities of the arms. The intermediate pivot element is preferably provided substantially halfway the arm.

In a first implementation, the above mentioned protrusion of the pivot connector is not integrally connected to one of the two arms connected by the pivot connector, i.e. the protrusion is a separate protrusion not forming a single element with one of the two connecting arms. Two connecting arms can for example each comprise the above mentioned opening (being a part of the pivot connector as described above) through which such a separate protrusion extends, thereby creating a single pivot point for both arms. In this case the separate protrusion could for example be a bolt, a nail or a similar element, inserted into the coaxially placed openings of the two connecting arms. Alternatively, said separate protrusion could be integrally attached to a separate profile i.e. wherein the separate profile with the integrally connected protrusion are not integrally connected to one of the connecting arms. Furthermore, when using such a separate profile, it is possible to provide one pivot connector with two protrusions, which are both integrally attached to a single separate profile, such as to create two pivot points on the single separate profile. In a second implementation, the protrusion is integrally connected to one of the two arms connected by the pivot connector, i.e. the protrusion forms a single element with one of the two connecting arms. In this case, the connecting arm and/or the separate profile comprises the opening.

It is noted that the most proximal and the most distal parts of the pantograph have arms that have an uncoupled extremity, i.e. an extremity not coupled to another arm. These uncoupled extremities nevertheless comprise half of the set of the above mentioned pivot connector, i.e. the protrusion orthe opening. In the present invention this half set provided on the uncoupled extremity of an arm is also considered to be a pivot connector, i.e. it can also receive an upper or lower support beam, a wagon or be fixed as explained above and further below.

Preferably all the pantograph arms of the same type, e.g. all the primary upward arms or all the secondary downward arms, have the same length. As described above, the arms of the most proximal and most distal parts of the pantograph have an uncoupled extremity. Some of these uncoupled extremities have no function i.e. have no support beam connected thereto. Those arms could as well be shortened such as to extend only up to its intermediate pivot element.

As described above and further below, some of the pivot connectors are arranged to couple with a support beam. To that end, these pivot connectors preferably further comprise a beam seat arranged to receive the support beams. Preferably, these pivot connectors comprise the separate profile as explained above, wherein the profile comprises the beam seat as well as the above mentioned pivot point forming protrusion or opening. As described above, some of the lower pivot connectors are provided with a wagon. Preferably, these pivot connectors comprise the separate profile as explained above, wherein the profile comprises the wagon as well as the above mentioned pivot point forming protrusion or opening.

Pantographs and their construction are known by the skilled person in the art, for example from patent publication GB716467. For completeness, a preferred description of a pantograph is given below.

The pantograph comprises an interconnection of two or more pantograph sections, each pantograph section comprising a primary linkage having a primary upward arm and a primary downward arm, and further comprising a secondary linkage having a secondary upward arm and a secondary downward arm. The four arms are connected:

• by connecting the intermediate pivot elements of the primary upward arm and the secondary downward arm into a proximal intermediate pivot connector enabling the rotation of these arms with respect to each other around an axis extending in the second direction,

• by connecting the intermediate pivot elements of the primary downward arm and the secondary upward arm into a distal intermediate pivot connector enabling the rotation of these arms with respect to each other around an axis extending in the second direction,

• by connecting the upper pivot elements of the primary upward arm and the primary downward arm into a primary upper pivot connector enabling the rotation of these arms with respect to each other around an axis extending in the second direction, and

• by connecting the lower pivot elements of the secondary downward arm and the secondary upward arm into a secondary lower pivot connector enabling the rotation of these arms with respect to each other around an axis extending in the second direction.

Adjacent pantograph sections are connected:

• by connecting the upper pivot element of the secondary downward arm of a more distal pantograph section and the upper pivot element of the secondary upward arm of a more proximal adjacent pantograph section into a secondary upper pivot connector enabling the rotation of these arms with respect to each other around an axis extending in the second direction, and

• by connecting the lower pivot element of the primary upward arm of a more distal pantograph section and the lower pivot element of the primary downward arm of a more proximal adjacent pantograph section into a primary lower pivot connector enabling the rotation of these arms with respect to each other around an axis extending in the second direction.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the pantograph comprises further linkages such as a third linkage comprising arms interconnected at tertiary upper pivot connectors and tertiary lower pivot connectors and having further intermediate pivot connectors where the third linkage connects with the first and second linkages.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the lengths of the primary upward arms are substantially equal to the lengths of the primary downward arms. Preferably, the lengths of the secondary upward arms are substantially equal to the lengths of the secondary downward arms. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the length of the arms in the secondary linkage are greater than the length of the arms in the primary linkage. This has the advantage that the cantilever distance between on the one hand the upper or lower pivot element of an arm of the secondary linkage and on the other hand the intermediate pivot element of the said arm, is increased. This has the advantage that the secondary linkage can exert higher forces on the arms of the primary linkage, thereby improving the controlled uniform upward and downward movement of the arms of the primary linkage. In this embodiment, the pantograph sections comprise quadrilateral forming arms. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the length of the arms in the secondary linkage are substantially equal to the length of the arms in the primary linkage. In this embodiment, the pantograph sections thus comprise parallelogram forming arms.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the cloth is a continuous sheet, i.e. it are not multiple separate sheet sections wherein each sheet section would be attached between two support beams. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the cloth is made of a stretchable material. Preferably the cloth is made from a textile.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the arms of the pantograph are made of a metal, preferably an aluminum alloy.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the cloth support further comprises a plurality of substantially parallel lower support beams extending substantially in the second direction. Preferably, the lower support beams are similar to the upper support beams. The lower support beams are moveably arranged with respect to the frame. Each lower support beam is connected to a lower pivot connector, preferably by means of a beam seat as explained above with respect to the upper support beams, in such a manner that the lower support beams interdigitate the upper support beams along the first direction i.e. upon moving in the first direction one would encounter a upper support beam, a lower support beam, an upper support beam, etc. The cloth is alternatingly attached along the first direction to an upper support beam and a lower support beam. By alternatingly attaching the cloth to the upper support beam, then the lower support beam, then the upper support beam and so on, one creates an awning system wherein the cloth zigzags between the upper support beams and the lower support beams when the cloth is not entirely unfolded. The advantage of attaching the cloth to both upper and lower support beams is that the cloth can be tensioned between said beams, even when the cloth is not in the entirely unfolded configuration. Preferably, the cloth is attached to the bottom of the lower support beams such that the lower support beams are not visible from within the space covered by the terrace canopy. This has the additional advantage of lowering the lowest point of the cloth which facilitates water disposal into the gutter on the first longitudinal frame beam. Alternatively, the cloth is attached to the top of the lower support beams. This has the advantage to increase the load bearing capacity of the cloth support, e.g. the cloth has a decreased risk of detaching from the lower support beam under the influence of weight such as snow. Alternatively, the cloth is attached to the bottom of some of the lower support beams and to the top of the other lower support beams such as to obtain the advantages of both alternatives described above. Preferably however, the cloth is attached to the bottom of the lower support beams and to the top of the upper support beams. Preferably, in the context of the present invention wherein it is stated that the cloth is "attached" to a lower support beam or to a top of a lower support beam, the term "attached" comprises one of the cloth being "fixed" to respectively the lower support beam and the top of the lower support beam, i.e. such as to prevent sliding of the cloth along the first direction over the lower support beam, or the cloth being "supported" by respectively the lower support beam and the top of the lower support beam, i.e. supported in the height direction whilst allowing sliding of the cloth along the first direction over the lower support beam. Preferably, in the context of the present invention wherein it is stated that the cloth is "attached" to a bottom of a lower support beam, the term "attached" comprises the cloth being "fixed" to the bottom of the lower support beam, i.e. such as to prevent sliding of the cloth along the first direction over the lower support beam.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the cloth comprises a drip guard. Preferably the drip guard is the drip guard which is the object of European patent application EP3344827 by Corradi, which patent application is entirely incorporated by reference in the present patent application.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the upper support beams are only attached to a primary upper pivot connector. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the lower support beams are only attached to a primary lower pivot connector. According to an embodiment of the present invention, one upper support beam is attached to the primary upper pivot connector of each n ^th pantograph section, for example every two pantograph sections such that n equals 2. Preferably one lower support beam is attached to the primary lower pivot connector of each n ^th pantograph section, i.e. with the same spacing "n" as for the upper pivot connectors. Preferably the spacing between any lower support beam and its two adjacent upper support beams is equal. According to an embodiment of the present invention n equals 1, i.e. an upper support beam is attached to every primary upper pivot connector, and a lower support beam is attached to every primary lower pivot connector.

According to an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the cloth support does not comprise the above mentioned lower support beams, i.e. the cloth is only attached to the upper support beams such that in the retracted configuration of the telescopic assembly the cloth freely hangs in a folded manner between two adjacent upper support beams and such that in the extended configuration of the telescopic assembly the cloth is stretched between two adjacent upper support beams. This embodiment has the advantage that less support beams are needed, but has the disadvantage that in the retracted configuration of the telescopic assembly, the cloth is not stretched downward by a lower support beam thereby creating the disadvantage that the distance between the lowest point of the cloth and a gutter disposed on the first longitudinal frame beam is sufficiently high to result in water splashes. In this alternative embodiment, the upper support beams are preferably only attached to a primary upper pivot connector, i.e. not to a secondary upper pivot connector. According to an embodiment of the present invention, one upper support beam is attached to the primary upper pivot connector of each n ^th pantograph section, for example every two pantograph sections such that n equals 2. According to an embodiment of the present invention n equals 1, i.e. an upper support beam is attached to every primary upper pivot connector.

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. According to an embodiment of the present invention, 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. In this retracted configuration, the opening of the openable terrace canopy is minimally covered. Note that this means that the most distal upper support beam lies as close as possible to the proximal end of the first longitudinal frame beam taking into account the fact that all the more proximal upper support beams and where applicable lower support beams still have to lie between the proximal end of the first longitudinal frame beam and the most distal upper support beam. In this embodiment, 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. In this extended configuration, the opening of the openable terrace canopy is maximally covered. Note that there might however still be a more proximally positioned lower support beam between the most distal support beam and the distal end of the first longitudinal frame beam. In this embodiment, the gathering point of the cloth support lies adjacent to the proximal end of the first longitudinal frame beam. This can be achieved by making the most proximal primary lower pivot connector the fixed primary lower pivot connector.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, 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. In this embodiment, the cloth does not zigzag in the extended configuration, i.e. the cloth forms a substantially flat sheet in the extended configuration.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the frame comprises the aforementioned second longitudinal frame beam, and further comprises a second telescopic assembly arranged to cooperate with the second longitudinal frame beam and with the cloth support in a similar fashion as the first telescopic assembly cooperates with the first longitudinal frame beam and the cloth support.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the pantograph comprises a thermal expansion compensating mechanism.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the extended configuration of the telescopic assembly, the upper support beams are separated from the guiding track by a "smallest height" along a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction. Indeed, in the extended configuration of the telescopic assembly, the height of the upper support beam above the guiding track is at its lowest, said height being referred to as the "smallest height". The "smallest height" is for example dictated by the abutment of the upper support beams onto the first longitudinal frame beam or is such that the cloth is entirely unfolded i.e. flat. The thermal expansion compensating mechanism is preferably arranged to substantially maintain, upon thermal expansion of the pantograph and/or of the cloth, this "smallest height" substantially constant preferably whilst substantially maintaining the degree of stretching of the cloth between the support beams.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the thermal expansion compensating mechanism is provided on one or more, for example all, of the primary pivot connectors, for example all of the primary lower pivot connectors. More thermal expansion compensation can be achieved when more primary pivot connectors are provided with the mechanism. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the thermal expansion compensating mechanism is implemented by elongating the opening, which is part of the set of the pivot point forming protrusion and opening of the pivot connector as described above, into an elongated slot. The elongated slot is provided such that it extends substantially in the first direction when the telescopic assembly is in the extended configuration. When the elongated slot is provided on the separate profile of the pivot connector, then the slot is preferably elongated in the first direction. When the elongated slot is provided on the arm, then the slot is preferably elongated in the length direction of said arm. In other words, the thermal expansion compensating mechanism is provided by implementing one or more 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 the 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 the 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.

As an example, in situations where no thermal expansion compensation mechanism would be provided, when the pantograph is subject to large thermal expansion, the upper support beams would be lifted upwards by the expanded arms such as to increase the above mentioned "smallest height", thereby for example deviating from the desired folding configuration, e.g. a flat configuration, of the cloth when the telescopic assembly is in the extended configuration. The thermal expansion compensating mechanism of the present invention however is arranged to maintain said "smallest height" whilst allowing the arms of the pantograph to expand by providing a moveable pivot point on the arm such that the positions of the pivot points can remain unchanged upon expansion of the arm. As another example, in situations where no thermal expansion compensating mechanism would be provided, when the cloth is subject to large thermal expansion, said problem of cloth thermal expansion for example being explained in the patent publication ITB020030107A1 entitled "DISPOSITIVO DI CONTROLLO E AZIONAMENTO PER MOTORI ELETTRICI", then in order to maintain the degree of stretching of the cloth, the distance between the support beams along the first direction should be adapted (preferably whilst maintaining the most distal upper support beam substantially adjacent to the distal end of the first longitudinal frame beam). Doing this would however simultaneously adapt the "smallest height" of the upper support beams. The thermal expansion compensation mechanism of the present invention however is arranged to adapt the distance between the support beams along the first direction without changing the positions of the pivot points thereby enabling to maintain the "smallest height". This enables an expanded (loosened) cloth to be stretched by increasing the distance between the support beams along the first direction and enables a shrunk (overstretched) cloth to be relaxed by decreasing the distance between the support beams along the first direction.

It is noted by the present inventors, that the above mentioned thermal expansion compensating mechanism is not only advantageous in the "first foldable cloth type awning system" solving the "first problems" as described above. Indeed, the thermal expansion compensating mechanism solves the above mentioned "second problem" which arises in both the known second generation systems described above as in the "first foldable cloth type awning system" of the present invention as described above. Therefore, the present invention also provides a "second foldable cloth type awning system", in particular of the second generation, for at least partly covering an opening of an openable terrace canopy, having the characteristics as described below. This second foldable cloth type awning system comprises:

• the frame as described above with respect to the "first foldable cloth type awning system",

• a cloth and a cloth support as described above with respect to the "first foldable cloth type awning system".

• a telescopic assembly arranged to displace the upper support beams in the first direction between a retracted configuration and an extended configuration. The telescopic assembly comprises an interconnection of primary linkage sections (i.e. not necessarily also comprising the second linkage sections such as to form the pantograph as described above with respect to the "first foldable cloth type awning system"). Similar to the "first foldable cloth type awning system" as described above, each primary linkage section comprises a primary upward arm and a primary downward arm. Each arm comprises an upper pivot element and a lower pivot element, the pivot elements being one of a protrusion extending in the second direction or an opening arranged to receive a protrusion extending in the second direction. The primary linkage section is formed by connecting the upper pivot elements of the primary upward arm and the primary downward arm into a primary upper pivot connector enabling the rotation of these arms with respect to each other around an axis extending in the second direction. Adjacent primary linkage sections are connected by connecting the lower pivot element of the primary upward arm of a more distal primary linkage section and the lower pivot element of the primary downward arm of a more proximal adjacent primary linkage section into a primary lower pivot connector.

Each upper support beam is connected to an upper pivot connector.One or more, for example all, of the primary lower pivot connectors comprise a wagon arranged onto the guiding track in such a manner that the wagon can only follow the guiding track in a manner similar to what is described with respect to the "first foldable cloth type awning system" as described above. One of the primary lower pivot connectors, for example the most proximal primary lower pivot connector, is fixed to the first longitudinal frame beam in a manner similar to what is described with respect to the "first foldable cloth type awning system".

The "second foldable cloth type awning system" described thus far substantially corresponds to the "first foldable cloth type awning system" with the difference that the latter requires a secondary linkage connected to the primary linkage by means of the intermediate pivot connectors. Therefore, embodiments of the "first foldable cloth type awning system" described above that do not relate specifically to the "second linkage" apply mutatis mutandis to the "second foldable cloth type awning system". This for example applies to the interpretation of the term "pivot connector".

The "second foldable cloth type awning system" is characterized in that the primary linkage comprises a thermal expansion compensating mechanism. According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the extended configuration of the telescopic assembly, the upper support beams are separated from the guiding track by a "smallest height" along a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction. Indeed, in the extended configuration of the telescopic assembly, the height of the upper support beam above the guiding track is at its lowest, said height being referred to as the "smallest height". The "smallest height" is for example dictated by the abutment of the upper support beams onto the first longitudinal frame beam or is such that the cloth is entirely unfolded i.e. flat. The thermal expansion compensating mechanism is preferably arranged to substantially maintain, upon thermal expansion of the primary linkage and/or of the cloth, this "smallest height" substantially constant preferably whilst substantially maintaining the degree of stretching of the cloth between the support beams.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the thermal expansion compensating mechanism is provided on one or more, for example all, of the primary pivot connectors, for example all of the primary lower pivot connectors. More thermal expansion compensation can be achieved when more primary pivot connectors are provided with the mechanism.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the thermal expansion compensating mechanism is implemented by elongating the opening, which is part of the set of the pivot point forming protrusion and opening of the pivot connector as described above, into an elongated slot. The elongated slot is provided such that it extends substantially in the first direction when the telescopic assembly is in the extended configuration. When the elongated slot is provided on the separate profile of the pivot connector, then the slot is preferably elongated in the first direction. When the elongated slot is provided on the arm, then the slot is preferably elongated in the length direction of said arm. In other words, the thermal expansion compensating mechanism is provided by implementing one or more primary pivot connectors, connecting a first and a second 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 the 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 the 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.

As an example, in situations where no thermal expansion compensation mechanism would be provided, when the primary linkage is subject to large thermal expansion, the upper support beams would be lifted upwards by the expanded arms such as to increase the above mentioned "smallest height", thereby for example deviating from the desired folding configuration, e.g. a flat configuration, of the cloth when the telescopic assembly is in the extended configuration. The thermal expansion compensating mechanism of the present invention however is arranged to maintain said "smallest height" whilst allowing the arms of the primary linkage to expand by providing a moveable pivot point on the arm such that the positions of the pivot points can remain unchanged upon expansion of the arm.

As another example, in situations where no thermal expansion compensating mechanism would be provided, when the cloth is subject to large thermal expansion, said problem of cloth thermal expansion for example being explained in the patent publication ITB020030107A1 entitled "DISPOSITIVO DI CONTROLLO E AZIONAMENTO PER MOTORI ELETTRICI", then in order to maintain the degree of stretching of the cloth, the distance between the support beams along the first direction should be adapted (preferably whilst maintaining the most distal upper support beam substantially adjacent to the distal end of the first longitudinal frame beam). Doing this would however simultaneously adapt the "smallest height" of the upper support beams. The thermal expansion compensation mechanism of the present invention however is arranged to adapt the distance between the support beams along the first direction without changing the positions of the pivot points thereby enabling to maintain the "smallest height". This enables an expanded (loosened) cloth to be stretched by increasing the distance between the support beams along the first direction and enables a shrunk (overstretched) cloth to be relaxed by decreasing the distance between the support beams along the first direction.

Figures The invention will be described in detail below using the following description and the additional drawings.

Figure 1 shown a perspective view of an openable terrace canopy comprising the foldable type awning system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 shows a detail perspective view of a portion of figure 1.

Figure 3 shown in more detail a portion of the telescopic assembly of the awning system of figure 1 wherein the guiding rail and the wagons are particularly visible and wherein the cloth has been omitted for visual clarity. Figure 3a shown a cross-sectional view along a plane perpendicular to the second direction. Figure 3b shown a perspective cross-sectional view of the awning of figure 3a cut along a plane perpendicular to the first direction along section AA as shown in figure 3a.

Figures 4, 5 and 6 show a portion of a variant of the telescopic assembly of the awning system of figure 1 wherein the cloth has been omitted for visual clarity, and wherein a thermal expansion compensating mechanism is provided. The figures 4, 5 and 6 respectively show the telescopic assembly in the extended configuration, the partly extended configuration and the retracted configuration. The figures 4a, 5a, 6a show a side view of the telescopic assembly, whereas figures 4b, 5b, 6b show a perspective view of the telescopic assembly.

Description of the figures

The current invention will be described below using the specific embodiments and with reference to certain drawings, but the invention is not limited to these and is only defined by the claims. The drawings shown here are only schematic representations and not limiting. In the drawings, the measurements of certain parts may be shown larger, which means that the parts in question may not be to scale, and are shown thus for illustrative purposes. The dimensions and the relative dimensions are not necessarily consistent with the actual practical embodiments of the invention.

In addition, terms such as "first", "second", "third" and the like in the descriptions and in the claims are used to differentiate between comparable elements are not necessarily to indicate a sequential or chronological order. The terms in question are exchangeable in the suitable circumstances, and the embodiments of the invention may work in other sequences than those described or illustrated here.

The term "comprising" and derived terms as used in the claims must not be interpreted as limited to the tools that are then reported; the term does not exclude other elements or steps. The term must be interpreted as a specification of the reported features, whole numbers, steps or components referred to without excluding the presence or addition of one or more additional features, whole numbers, steps or components or groups thereof. The range of an expression such as "a device comprising the elements A and B" is thus not only limited to devices that purely consist of components A and B. What is meant by contrast, is that, regarding the current invention, the relevant components are A and B.

The term "substantially" includes variations of +/- 10% or less, preferably +/- 5% or less, more preferably +/- 1% or less, and even more preferably +/- 0.1% or less from the specified condition to the extent that the variations are applicable to function in the current invention. One must understand that the term "substantially A" is also intended to encompass "A".

The figures show embodiments of the present invention that provide a solution to both the "first problems" and "second problems" encountered in the state of the art. Figure 1 shows an openable terrace canopy 2 having an opening 9 at least partly covered by a foldable cloth type awning system 1 of the second generation. The first foldable cloth type awning system in particular comprises a frame 3 comprising a first and a second longitudinal frame beam 4a, 4b both extending substantially in a first direction, indicated by the arrow "I" symbolizing "length", between a proximal end 5a, 5b and a distal end 6a, 6b. The first and second longitudinal frame beams 4a, 4b are interconnected at their ends by a first and second transversal frame beam 7a, 7b both extending substantially in the second direction perpendicular to the first direction, indicated by the arrow "w" symbolizing "width". Four legs 8 are provided to the frame such as to support the frame on the ground. These legs 8 extends along a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, indicated by the arrow "h" symbolizing "height". The first longitudinal frame beam 4a and the second longitudinal frame beam 4b respectively support a first and second telescopic assembly 15 (the second telescopic assembly not being visible in the figures) as will be explained below. Given that only the first telescopic assembly 15 of the first longitudinal frame beam 4a is visible in the figures, the present description only describes the structure and function of said first telescopic assembly 15. The second telescopic assembly supported by the second longitudinal frame beam 4b however has a similar construction and function. As is visible in figures 2 and 3, the longitudinal frame beams 4a, 4b comprise a main profile 34a, 34b as well as an auxiliary profile 32a, 32b connected to each other by means of L-brackets 31. Although in the present figures the auxiliary profile and the main profile are connected by means of multiple separate L-brackets 31, other means of attachment also fall under the scope of the present invention. The other means of attachment for example comprise a single L-bracket elongated over substantially the entire length of the main profile, or for example comprise integrally forming the main profile with the auxiliary profile. The frame beams that do not comprise a telescopic assembly, i.e. the transversal frame beams 7a, 7b only comprise a main profile 35a, 35b and no auxiliary profile. The main profiles of the longitudinal frame beams 34a, 34b further comprise a gutter 33 to drain water that is being accumulated on the cloth. The auxiliary profiles 32a, 32b support the telescopic assemblies. To that end, as is particularly shown in figure 3, the first longitudinal frame beam 4a, in particular its auxiliary profile 32a further comprises a guiding track 10 extending along the first direction. As will be explained below, the guiding track 10 is arranged to receive a wagon and to constrain said wagon to a motion along the guiding track. The system 1 further comprises a cloth 11 and a cloth support

12. The cloth support 12 comprises a plurality of substantially parallel upper support beams

13 and a plurality of lower support beams 14, cumulatively referred to as "support beams" 13, 14. The support beams 13, 14 extend substantially in the second direction. The support beams

13, 14 are moveably arranged with respect to the frame 3. The cloth 11 is attached to the bottom of the support beams 13, 14. The system 1 further comprises two telescopic assemblies 15, of which only the one cooperating with the first longitudinal frame beam 4a is shown. The telescopic assemblies 15 are arranged to displace the support beams 13, 14 in the first direction between a retracted configuration and an extended configuration. In the retracted configuration, as particularly shown in figure 6, the distance between the support beams 13, 14 is relatively small and the most distal upper support beam 16 lies substantially adjacent to the proximal end 5a of the first longitudinal frame beam 4a. This causes the cloth 11 to be in a strongly folded configuration near the proximal end 5a. In the extended configuration, as particularly shown in figure 4, the distance between the support beams 13,

14 is relatively large and the most distal upper support beam 16 lies substantially adjacent to the distal end 6a of the first longitudinal frame beam 4a. This causes the cloth 11 to be in an entirely unfolded configuration. Figure 5 shows the telescopic assembly in a position between the extended configuration and the retracted configuration.

The telescopic assembly 15 comprises a pantograph clearly shown in figures 3 to 6. The arms of the pantograph comprise an upper pivot element and a lower pivot element at their extremities, and an intermediate pivot element substantially halfway between the extremities. The pivot elements are one of a protrusion extending in the second direction or an opening arranged to receive a protrusion extending in the second direction. The pantograph comprises an interconnection of two or more pantograph sections 30, each pantograph section comprising a primary linkage having a rigid primary upward arm 17 and a rigid primary downward arm 18, and further comprising a secondary linkage having a rigid secondary upward arm 19 and a rigid secondary downward arm 20. These four arms form a quadrilateral: by connecting the intermediate pivot elements of the primary upward arm 17 and the secondary downward arm 20 into a proximal intermediate pivot connector 21a enabling the rotation of these arms with respect to each other around an axis extending in the second direction, by connecting the intermediate pivot elements of the primary downward arm 18 and the secondary upward arm 19 into a distal intermediate pivot connector 21b enabling the rotation of these arms with respect to each other around an axis extending in the second direction, by connecting the upper pivot elements of the primary upward arm 17 and the primary downward arm 18 into a primary upper pivot connector 22 enabling the rotation of these arms with respect to each other around an axis extending in the second direction, and by connecting the lower pivot elements of the secondary downward arm 20 and the secondary upward arm 19 into a secondary lower pivot connector 23 enabling the rotation of these arms with respect to each other around an axis extending in the second direction. Adjacent pantograph sections are connected by connecting the upper pivot element of the secondary downward arm 20 of a more distal pantograph section and the upper pivot element of the secondary upward arm 19 of a more proximal adjacent pantograph section into a secondary upper pivot connector 24 enabling the rotation of these arms with respect to each other around an axis extending in the second direction, and by connecting the lower pivot element of the primary upward arm 17 of a more distal pantograph section and the lower pivot element of the primary downward arm 18 of a more proximal adjacent pantograph section into a primary lower pivot connector 25 enabling the rotation of these arms with respect to each other around an axis extending in the second direction. The pivot connectors are means that create a pivot point allowing an arm of the pantograph to pivot along the second direction with respect to another arm. The pivot connector is a set of a protrusion extending in the second direction and an opening through which the protrusion extends. The secondary pivot connectors 23, 24 and the intermediate pivot connectors 21 employ only the arms that are to be connected. Here, the protrusion is a pivot element integrally connected to one of the arms whilst the connecting arm comprises the opening as pivot element. The primary pivot connectors 22, 25 also employ a separate profile 26 in addition to the arms. Here, the connecting arms each comprise an opening as pivot element through which a single separate protrusion extends, thereby creating a single pivot point for both arms connected to the pivot connector. The separate protrusion is attached to the separate profile 26 i.e. it is not attached onto one of the arms. It is noted that the most proximal and the most distal parts of the pantograph have arms that have an uncoupled extremity, i.e. an extremity not coupled to another arm. These uncoupled extremities nevertheless comprise half of the set of the above mentioned pivot connector, i.e. the protrusion or the opening. In the present invention this half set provided on the uncoupled extremity of an arm is also considered to be a pivot connector. As described further below, the primary pivot connectors 22, 25 are arranged to couple with a support beam 13, 14. To that end, these primary pivot connectors 22, 25 further comprise a beam seat 27 arranged to receive the support beams 13, 14. The separate profile 26 of these primary pivot connectors comprises this beam seat 27 as well as the above mentioned pivot point forming protrusion. As described below, the primary lower pivot connectors 25 are provided with a wagon arranged to be guided along the guiding track 10. The separate profile 26 of these primary lower pivot connectors 25 comprises the wagon as well as the above mentioned pivot point forming protrusion.

Each primary upper pivot connector 22 has an upper support beam 13 connected thereto by means of the beam seat 27. This connection ensures that the upper support beams 13, and thus the cloth 11 attached to the upper support beams 13, follows the movement of the primary upper pivot connectors 22. Each primary lower pivot connector 25 has a lower support beam 14 connected thereto by means of the beam seat 27. The connection is in such a manner that the lower support beams 14 interdigitate the upper support beams 13 along the first direction i.e. upon moving in the first direction one would encounter a upper support beam 13, a lower support beam 14, an upper support beam 13, etc. The cloth 11 is alternatingly attached along the first direction to an upper support beam 13 and a lower support beam 14 such that the cloth 11 zigzags between the upper support beams 13 and the lower support beams 14 when the cloth is not entirely unfolded.

The most proximal primary lower pivot connector 26 is fixed to the proximal end 5a of the first longitudinal frame beam 4a, thereby creating a gathering point towards which the other primary lower pivot connectors 26 will move during the retraction of the telescopic assembly 15. The fixed primary lower pivot connector 26, is fixed to the first longitudinal frame beam 4a in such a manner that the primary upward arm 17 to which said fixed primary lower pivot connector 26 is connected is only allowed to rotate around an axis extending in the second direction with respect to the first longitudinal frame beam 4a. As particularly shown in figure 3, the other primary lower pivot connectors 26, i.e. other than the fixed primary lower pivot connector described above, comprise a wagon 28 arranged onto the guiding track 10 in such a manner that the wagon 28 can only follow the guiding track 10. The guiding track 10 is a channel in which the wagons 28 are received. The wagons 28 are provided with wheels which roll through the channel. The channel is in particular a tube extending in the first direction which has an elongated opening extending in the first direction wherein part of the wagon 28 is provided inside of the tube and a part of the wagon protrudes out of the elongated slot such as to be accessible outside of the tube for coupling to the remaining components of the lower pivot connector 26. The latter is in particular the profile 26 with the beam seat 27 on which lower support beams 14 are attached.

The telescopic assembly 15 comprises motorized means (not shown) to displace one of the wagons 28 arranged on the guiding track 10 along the first direction by pushing or pulling the wagon away or towards the gathering point created by the fixed primary lower connector 26.

The pantograph comprises a thermal expansion compensating mechanism 29 enabling to maintain the cloth in its intended entirely unfolded configuration in the extended configuration of the telescopic assembly 15 upon thermal expansion of the pantograph. The thermal expansion compensating mechanism 29 is provided in all of the primary lower pivot connectors 25 and enables to maintain constant, upon thermal expansion of the arms of the pantograph, the "smallest height" of the upper support beams. The thermal expansion compensating mechanism 29 is implemented by elongating the opening, which is part of the set of the pivot point forming protrusion and opening of the primary lower pivot connector 25 as described above, into an elongated slot. The elongated slot is provided on the primary downward arm 18 and the primary upward arm 17, and is elongated in the length direction of the respective arms.

Even though certain aspects of the current invention are described with regard to specific embodiments, it is clear that these aspects can be implemented in other forms within the scope of protection as indicated by the appended claims.