Retractable awning for slide-out unit on mobile home, recreational vehicle or the like

Abstract

A retractable awning for use on mobile homes, recreational vehicles or the like having slide-out units as a part thereof includes an awning sheet that is secured along an inner edge to the side of the mobile home with the opposite edge being secured to a torsionally biased roll bar rotatably disposed on the outer ends of support arms pivotally mounted to the outer face of the slide-out unit. A flexible tie-down strap secures the awning in an extended position with the support arms projecting substantially horizontally away from the outer wall, and upon release of the tie-down strap, the awning automatically retracts to a position immediately adjacent to the outer wall of the slide-out unit. The awning sheet always overlies the top wall of the slide-out unit when the slide-out unit is extended and regardless of whether or not the awning is extended or retracted.

Description

.Iadd.CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONSThis application is a reissue of application Ser. No. 07 / 810,220, filed Dec. 19, 1991, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,056. A continuation of this reissue application, Ser. No. 08 / 749,390, has been filed on Nov. 7, 1996, and is now abandoned..Iaddend.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the InventionThe present invention relates generally to retractable awnings and more particularly to a retractable awning for use on a slide-out unit of a mobile home, recreational vehicle or the like.2. Description of the Prior ArtMany relatively new mobile homes, recreational vehicles or the like are provided with a large rectangular opening in one side wall thereof in which a box-like enclosure commonly referred to as a "slide-out unit" is disposed for slidable movement between a retracted and extended position. When the slide-out unit is extended, it forms a perpendicular extension from the side wall of the mobile home, thereby enlarging the internal usable ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The retractable awning of the present invention is adapted to be mounted on the outer wall of a slide-out unit in a mobile home, recreational vehicle or the like and is designed to not only be operatively associated with a window provided in the outer wall but to also cover the top of the slide-out unit to prevent the accumulation of debris.

It will be appreciated from the following detailed description that even when the awning is retracted with the roll bar adjacent to the outer wall of the slide-out unit, the awning sheet still extends across the top of the slide-out unit to prevent the accumulation of debris thereon. When it is desired to extend the awning so that it provides shade over a window in the outer wall, the support arms are merely pivoted outwardly so as to extend the awning sheet at an angle away from the outer wall and in overlying relationship with the window. A tie-down strap connected to the roll bar has an opposite end that is releasably securable to the outer wall of the slide-out unit beneath the window so that the tie-down strap can counteract the bias of the roll bar to retain the awning in an extended position.

Problems solved by technology

When the slide-out unit is extended, it forms a perpendicular extension from the side wall of the mobile home, thereby enlarging the internal usable space.

One problem with slide-out units has resided in the fact that debris such as leaves, blowing trash and the like will frequently collect on the top of the slide-out unit while the unit is extended, and when the unit is retracted into the interior of the mobile home, the debris is also brought into the interior.

While retractable awnings are available which may be used for such windows, they are limited in use to providing protection only for such window.

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