The present invention relates to a
pergola structure (100) comprising a frame (110), flat or inclined, defining a top opening (12), a covering element (10), such as a sheet, adapted to be displaced between a retracted position, wherein it leaves said top opening (12) essentially free, and an extended position, wherein it essentially covers said top opening (12), being superimposed thereto, and a drive and
control unit (2, 2', 2'') for the motor-driven displacement of said covering element (10), said unit (2, 2', 2'') comprising at least a first
electric motor (26) which can be powered to the mains
voltage and comprising at least a first winding (AV1) and a second winding (AV2), said first motor (26) being adapted to be operatively associated with said covering element (10) to displace it between said retracted position and said extended position, and a first
microcontroller (21) connected to said first motor (26) to determine the operating
modes thereof. Said unit (2, 2', 2'') also comprises first detection means (24) associated with said first motor (26) and configured to detect, at the start of the first motor (26) determined by an input
signal provided to said first
microcontroller (21), a first
signal (41) related to the
supply current of the first winding (AV1) of the first motor (26) and a second
signal (42) related to the
supply current of the second winding (AV2) of the first motor (26), said first
microcontroller (21) being adapted to interrupt the power supply to the first motor (26) upon detecting a phase shift variation (ΔB) between said first and said second signals (41, 42) greater than a reference value (X) set so as the interruption of the supply of said first motor (26) is performed when said covering element (10) reaches an extended and tensioned position. The present invention further relates to a method for the motor-driven displacement of a movable covering element (10) of a
pergola structure (100) operated through a drive and
control unit (2, 2', 2'') for automatically arranging said covering element (10) in an extended and properly tensioned position.