Abstract: A multiconfiguration, deployable awning assembly to be mounted to a vehicle, the awning assembly including a housing having at least a rear wall portion to mount relative to a vehicle, a top wall portion and a spaced apart bottom wall portion, at least one deployable arm assembly including a primary pivot mounted between the top wall portion and bottom wall portion of the housing, at least two arms, each arm including a pair of spaced apart elongate members, one upper arm member and one lower arm member, both arm members mounted relative to a pivot, one of the arms mounted relative to the primary pivot and at least one flexible awning sheet mounted relative to the arms, the awning movable between a stored configuration and a deployed configuration by rotation of the arms about the primary pivot.

Abstract: A lateral arm assembly and method of operation includes first and second articulating arms comprising first and second ends, the first ends of the articulating arms are mounted upon assembly to a support surface at separate lateral locations. The first ends each comprise separate pivoting mounting structures for forming a first pivotal connection with the first and second articulating arms. The lateral arm assembly also comprises a roller tube having spaced lateral ends supporting respective end brackets that provide a second pivotal connection to the second ends of the articulating arms. The roller tube supports a canopy coupled to a roller shaft, wherein one of the end brackets further supports a device that drives the roller shaft for furling and unfurling the canopy.

Abstract: An awning is disclosed. The awning comprises a case assembly comprising a housing, configured to be mounted to a dwelling, and a lead rail, a roller assembly mounted in the case assembly and including a roll tube rotatable relative to the case assembly, a lead rail assembly coupled to the lead rail, the lead rail assembly movable relative to the housing between an extended position and a retracted position, a canopy having a leading edge and a trailing edge, the leading edge being connected to the lead rail assembly and the trailing edge being connected to the roll tube, and a spring arm assembly connecting the housing of the case assembly to the lead rail, the spring arms including a first arm and a second arm pivotable relative to one another, the spring arm assembly allowing the lead rail assembly to move between the extended position and the retracted position.

Abstract: A solar awning system is provided with a spool housing containing a sheet of flexible solar light array material rolled into a spool within the spool housing. The spool is rotatably mounted for spooling and unspooling the flexible sheet to and from the spool housing. The spool housing may be attached to a wall or other object or mounted on supports to quickly provide a shaded and lighted region at a desired location. The flexible sheet is quickly retracted into the spool housing to pack up, whereupon the spool housing protects the flexible solar light array material for subsequent use.

Abstract: A recreational vehicle slide out roof block prevents foreign material such as water, dirt, or debris from accumulating on a recreational vehicle slide out roof. A slide out roof block has a size and shape selected to fill a gap between a slide out roof and an awning sheet extending over the slide out roof. Embodiments of a slide out roof block comprise a compressible bolster having a rain flap along a bottom edge of a front side. The bolster includes a block of compressible polymer foam in some embodiments. One or more pole sleeves may optionally be attached to the front side of the bolster. A pole inserted into a pole sleeve may be used to install or retrieve a slide out roof block. Some embodiments have an airtight cover and a valve, enabling a slide out roof block to be compressed for storage and reinflated for installation.

Abstract: A retractable rain cover is attachable to a golf cart has a rigid frame extending aft from the rear roofline of a golf cart and over a golf bag carried at the rear of the cart. A flexible canopy is movable along the frame from a stowed position to a deployed position. In the stowed position the canopy is contained either rolled up in a housing along the rear roofline or is in a lay flat condition disposed within the footprint of the golf cart roof. In the deployed position the canopy extends along the frame and overlies the golf bag at the rear of the cart. Also, the canopy has a closable opening positioned to align with the upper end of the golf bag when the canopy is in a deployed position thereby permitting direct access through the deployed canopy to any golf club in the bag.

Abstract: A retractable cover for a slide-out unit on a recreational vehicle, mobile home, travel trailer, or the like, includes a roll bar that is movable with the slide-out unit away from the side of the vehicle with the roll bar mounted in a housing having a closure plate which is easily pivoted to an open position or removed to facilitate maintenance or removal of debris that may accumulate in the housing during a retraction of the cover. The housing is mounted on the slide-out unit with brackets permitting the brackets to be located at any position along the length of the housing and also permitting the housing to assume a length that is much greater than the width of the slide-out unit providing a better cover for the slide-out unit during inclement weather.

Abstract: An awning mechanism for a recreational vehicle having a slider includes a box awning having a frame and a roller disposed therein with an awning rolled about the roller and extendable therefrom. The awning includes a leading edge and a bracket is provided for mounting the frame to a stationary wall of the recreational vehicle. A header attachable to the slider beneath the frame is provided with the bracket and the header having a generally coplanar relationship with the slide out in a fully retracted position. Linkage is provided which interconnects the header and the leading edge and includes structure enabling shortening of the linkage as the header passes beneath the leading edge on the roller.

Abstract: The invention relates to a housing unit (1), such as a caravan or a motor home with an extensible room (3) or slide-out and an awning (7) with a rollable awning canvas (8) attached above this room (3), so that, when sliding out the room (3), the awning canvas (8) will automatically be rolled off above this room (3) until the foremost edge of the awning canvas (8) will have passed the front wall (4) of the slide-out (3), in order to protect this front wall from the sun. Rolling off the awning canvas (8) automatically is preferably caused by the sliding out motion of the slide-out (3). Furthermore, an arm (12), (13) connected to the canvas (8) may be provided, which is rotatably connected to the slide-out and which will be rotated when moving out the slide-out and will take along the awning canvas (8) until it will pass the said front wall (4). This invention likewise relates to an awning (1) provided for such a housing unit (1) and a method to install the awning (7).

Abstract: A protective cover for a vehicle comprising a sheet or a web of a flexible material that possesses a property of buckling or curving in the upward direction from the vehicle with the formation of a canopy-type shield for protecting the vehicle from direct sun rays, birds' droppings, etc. The sheet has a length exceeding the length of the upper surface periphery of the vehicle so that the upwardly curved canopy is formed either by applying two oppositely directed forces to the opposite ends of the sheet or by prestressing the sheet. The sheet can be made from plastic or a fabric that incorporates springing metal strips that tend to curve upward when they are in a free state. The sheet can be conveniently stored in wound state in a cylindrical cassette. Storage of the flexible material in a wound state enhances the property of bucking or curving when the sheet is withdrawn from the cassette.

Abstract: A slide-out room and awning assembly for a recreational vehicle. The assembly includes a roll enclosure for attachment to an exterior side wall of the vehicle, a roll rotationally journalled within the roll enclosure, a slide-out room for extension from the exterior side wall, an elongated trough attached to the slide-out room, and an awning fabric attached at a proximate edge to the roll and attached at a distal edge to the elongated trough. When the slide-out room is in a retracted position, the awning fabric is wrapped around the roll. When the slide-out room is in an extended position, the awning fabric is extended from the roll over a top wall of the slide-out room at a downward slope from the roll to the trough such that debris and liquid flow into the trough.

Abstract: An easily deployed ridge pole is used, in combination with standard awning deployment hardware, to change the shape of the canopy fabric of an extended retractable awning. The ridge pole engages the underside of the awning fabric to impart a Mansard shape to the canopy. This shape incorporates first and second planes of canopy fabric wherein the plane closest to the RV has a less steep pitch than the plane furthest from the RV. The shape has airfoil qualities which stabilize the effects of high wind velocities on the awning. The shape also provides room under the relatively flat plane for doors under the awning to open without engaging the awning fabric. The ridge pole is supported by struts which in some embodiments provide foundations for fabric stabilizing clamps that are affixed to loose edges of canopy fabric.

Abstract: In a joint arm awning with a cover, in particular a box-mounted awning, comprising a fabric roll shaft for the among fabric to be rolled up and a drop-out section which is joined to free ends of extendible joint arms and inside of which the free outer edge of the awning fabric is fixed, it is provided that a first gutter is formed along the outer edge of the awning fabric inside the drop-out section; and that an upwardly open second gutter is formed in the vicinity of the upper edge of the drop-out section; and that water can flow from the upper gutter into the lower gutter.

Abstract: A retractable awning for a recreational vehicle is provided wherein the awning is stored behind a pivoting door that closes flush with the side of the recreational vehicle when the awning is not deployed over a slide-out unit. The pivoting door is adjacent the awning and the pivoting door closes flush with the side of the recreational vehicle with the awning enclosed in its side mounted compartment. With the retractable awning completely behind the plane defining the side of the recreational vehicle and protected by a locking door, the awning does not add any additional unwanted width to the recreational vehicle and is protected from unfurling during transport. An automatic locking mechanism is provided for ensuring that the door remains closed during transportation. Further, a debris clearing mechanism is preferably installed adjacent the spool which collects the retractable awning as it retracts, thereby cleaning the awning of debris prior to its withdrawal into the compartment.

Abstract: An arched support assembly provides bracing of a fabric awning system and arching of the fabric awning to prevent water collection and increase headroom beneath the awning. The assembly includes an elongated arch member and a brace member that also includes a compressive element, such as a gas spring, to place the assembly under compression. To install the assembly, the arch member is seated at the wall beneath the awning and the brace member is mounted to a support structure of the awning system. The arch member and brace member are engaged at a pivotable point and are raised upwardly until the brace member and the arch member are under compression in a collinear disposition at the pivotable point.

Abstract: In an awning comprising a roller tube for winding up an awning fabric, wherein the roller tube is actuated in the winding direction by a torsion spring, provision is made for the roller tube to be disposed in a housing and supported with its one end in a first face-end cover of the housing, and for the torsion spring to be disposed in the interior of this first end of the roller tube, and for the roller tube to be supported in the region of its opposite second end via a bearing journal extending away from a face-end cover.

Abstract: In a sun room awning comprising a roll bar for rolling up an awning sheet under formation of a sheet roll and lateral guide rails for guiding the awning sheet while it is being extended, provision is made, to attain a larger drop-out range, to implement new awning configurations and to avoid the shortcomings of conventional pull systems, for the awning sheet to have push straps with an inherent stiffness in the direction of extension that can be rolled up together with the awning sheet.

Abstract: A roof mounted container which has a plurality of compartments, one of which stores a retractable cover and the other stores supports for a roof rack and/or awning support. The container can rotate so it can stretch toward the back of the vehicle or to the side of the vehicle.

Abstract: Disclosed is an awning assembly for a recreational vehicle. The awning assembly includes an awning that is configured to be extended from a sidewall of the recreational vehicle to provide shade. A rug is removably mounted to one edge of the awning. In use, the rug is removed from the awning and positioned on the ground below the awning to serve as a ground covering. When not being used, the rug is attached to the awning and stored with the awning in an awning housing to save space. In another embodiment, the awning assembly comprises a rug housing that is configured to be moved between a storage configuration and an extended configuration.

Abstract: A retractable truck canvas is provided for use with a truck having a cab and a bed defined by a bottom with a peripheral side wall coupled to a periphery of the bottom and extending upwardly therefrom for forming an interior space and an upper peripheral edge. Also included is a retractable frame assembly having a plurality of inverted U-shaped members each including a horizontally oriented upper portion and a pair of a vertically oriented side portions. Each vertically oriented side portion has a lower end that is slidably coupled to a side extent of the upper peripheral edge of the bed of the truck. Next provided is a canvas mounted on the inverted U-shaped members of the frame assembly.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a housing which is mounted on the lower portion of the inside of a rear window of a vehicle. The housing extends across the width of the rear window. A pair of support arms are pivotally mounted, one each, on the sides of the housing. During storage, the support arms are generally parallel to and are attached to the front wall of the housing by a clip. The support arms can swing outwardly to provide support for an awning which is rolled onto a roller inside the housing. During use, when the rear window has been opened, the support arms are swung in an outward direction. The awning is which is pulled outwardly and the end of the awning is hooked onto the outer ends of the support arms. The awning, which is made of a waterproof material, includes a support member which extends between the outer ends of the support arms. When the awning is rolled back into the housing, the housing catches and collects moisture from the awning and prevents water damage to merchandise stored in the vehicle.