Awning, method for mounting such an awning and method for dismantling a roller of such an awning

Abstract

An awning comprising a roller box (2) with a roller (3) contained therein, which has an electric tubular motor (21) and is rotatable about its longitudinal axis (X-X') by means of the integrated electric tubular motor (21), which is provided with an electrical cable (23), and comprising a fabric (4) which is provided with a bottom slat (5) and which can be rolled up and down via a slot (19) in the roller box (2), wherein the fabric (4) and optionally the bottom slat are guided in hollow guide profiles (7) at the ends of the roller (3) during rolling up and down, wherein the guide profiles (7) are provided with a slot (9) in which the fabric (4) is guided with its side edges (6) in the guide profiles (7), characterized in thatthat the cable (23) of the tubular motor (21) is stowed in one of the aforementioned guide profiles (7) with a loop (24) of a certain length and that the guide profile (7) is provided with a separate chamber (16) for the loop (24), which is provided with a narrow opening (17) located opposite the slot (9), through which the loop (24) can be placed into the chamber (16) and removed from it again.

Description

The present invention relates to a awning according to the preamble of claim 1.In particular, the invention is intended for an awning of the type comprising a roller box with a roller contained therein, which is rotatable about its longitudinal axis by means of an integrated electric tube motor provided with an electric cable and comprises a fabric which is fastened to the roller with an upper edge and is provided with a bottom slat at the bottom and which can be rolled up and down via a slot in the roller box, wherein the fabric is guided at its side edges and / or with the ends of the bottom slat in hollow guide profiles with a slot in which the aforementioned side edges and / or ends of the bottom slat are guided.Such a type of awning is known, for example, from BE 1,024,961 of the same applicant. Therefore, it is believed that BE 1.204.961 is hereby incorporated herein by reference.Such an awning is for example arranged in front of a window, in particular on the wall of the window or in the window opening.JP2013-170441A describes a roller shutter device for a window, which has a roller shutter that can be guided by a pair of right and left guide rails and opened and closed vertically. A roller shutter box for accommodating the roller shutter is disposed in an upper part of the window opening. An upper end of the roller shutter is connected to a shaft accommodated horizontally in the roller shutter box. An electric cable is provided for supplying power to an electric drive motor for closing and opening the roller shutter.US 8,851,149B2 describes a sheet shutter for a building entrance, comprising a sheet case, a support post disposed at each of left and right end portions of the sheet case, a sheet guide portion provided at each of left and right inner portions of the support posts for guiding in raising and lowering the sheet, and a storage space removably accommodating an electric shutter unit in the support post.A disadvantage of these awnings is that the cable usually reaches the roller box from the wall and is present in the roller box only with a very short length, since there is not enough space to be able to accommodate the cable in the roller box.The roller is fastened at its two ends to the end plates of the roller container and thus occupies the entire or almost the entire space in the roller container, in particular when the fabric is completely rolled up to its largest diameter.This lack of space and the short cable length on the drive motor make it difficult to install and remove the roller into and from the roller box, since the roller with its integrated tube motor cannot be removed far from the roller box due to the short length of the cable, with which the tube motor hangs on the wall at one end of the roller.This also makes it difficult to install and disassemble the plug at the end of the cable which is inserted axially into the tube motor in order to supply the tube motor.The object of the present invention is to provide a solution for one or more of the above and for still further disadvantages.This object is achieved by the awning of the invention according to claim 1 and by the methods according to claims 9 and 10, wherein the cable of the tubular motor is stored in one of the aforementioned guide profiles with a loop of a certain length when the awning is in the assembled state.This has the advantage that when dismantling the reel, for example for replacing the tubular motor, the reel can be removed more easily from the roller box after removing the loop from the guide profile, since the length of the cable piece of the loop then makes it possible to remove the end of the reel with the tubular motor further from the roller box, whereby it also becomes easier to remove the above-mentioned plug from the tubular motor.It is self-evident that this also facilitates the mounting of the roller in the roller box in the same way.Moreover, the presence of the loop in the guide profile does not interfere with the raising and lowering of the awning fabric.The awning of the invention uses a guide profile with a separate chamber for the loop, which chamber is provided with a narrow opening opposite the slot of the guide profile, through which the loop can be introduced laterally into the chamber and pulled out again.In this way, the cable loop in the chamber is kept away from the edge of the awning fabric and the loop in the chamber is also accessible via the slot in the guide profile.Preferably, the guide profiles consist of two or more partial profiles which can be separated from one another, wherein each of the two partial profiles, in the assembled form of the guide profile, forms an edge of the respective slot of the guide profile, in which the edges of the fabric are displaceably guided.In this way, by releasing one of the separable partial profiles, the access to the space in the guide profile can be opened further, which not only facilitates the fitting of the fabric edge or the ends of the lower slat into the slot, but also the mounting and dismantling of the cable loop into or from the guide profile, and possibly also in particular the mounting and dismantling of the loop into or from the aforementioned chamber(s) in the guide profile or in the remaining mounted part thereof.The length of the loop is preferably made so long that the roll together with the tube motor can be removed from the roller box over a certain distance.Preferably, each side edge of the fabric is slidably mounted in a tension plate arranged in the guide profile, which tension plate always holds the fabric laterally tensioned by means of one or more elastic tensioners.In this way, the fabric is always taut without creases or bubbles.According to a preferred feature, the tension plate can be removed from the guide profile after one of the partial profiles has been removed from the relevant guide profile, so that the tension plate does not obstruct access to the loop in the guide profile.The invention also relates to a method according to claim 9 for assembling an awning as described above, said method comprising the following steps:- attaching the roller box;attaching the guide profiles or a partial profile thereof to the ends of the roller box;attaching a cable between the tube motor and the roller box with a predetermined reserve length of the cable between the roller box and the tube motor;mounting the tube motor in the roller;mounting the reel with the tube motor in the reel box, the reserve length of the cable being loosely suspended;folding the loose suspended reserve length of the cable into a loop and attaching this loop in a guide profile or in its mounted partial profile;attaching the lower slat and / or the side edges of the fabric in the guide profiles or in their mounted partial profiles; andoptionally the completion of the guide profiles.The steps of the method need not necessarily be performed in this order.Thanks to this assembly, the reel with its tube motor can be easily disassembled afterwards for maintenance or repair of the reel, for example to replace the tube motor or the fabric.The disassembly of the awning can be carried out in the following manner according to the method of the invention of claim 10 :removing the lower slat and / or the side edges of the fabric from the guide profiles;removing the loop of the cable to which the tube motor is electrically connected from the guide profile;removing the roller with its tube motor from the roller box up to a distance from the roller box, wherein the free cable length between the roller box and the tube motor is used; andoptionally removing the tube motor from the reel and separating the cable from the tube motor.Advantageous further developments of the invention can be found in the dependent claims. With a view to better illustrating the features of the invention, a preferred embodiment of a awning and a method according to the invention will be described below, by way of example but not by way of limitation, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 shows schematically and in perspective a awning according to the invention with partially unrolled fabric; FIG. 2 illustrates the awning of FIG. 1, but with the fabric rolled up; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along line III--III in FIG. 2;FIGS. 4 to 9 illustrate successive steps of the method for removing the roller from the roller box.The preferred embodiment of the awning 1 of the invention shown in Fig. 1 comprises a roller box 2 having therein a roller 3 rotatable about an axis X-X' and provided with a vertically up and down rollable screen in the form of a fabric 4 provided at the bottom with a sub-slat 5, and the edges 6, in particular the side edges, and the sub-slat 5 are slidably mounted in two hollow guide profiles 7 which in the example shown extend parallel and vertically down from the roller box 2.The roller box 2 and the guide profiles 7 are mounted, for example, in a window opening or the like to be protected from the sun.The guide profiles 7 have an inwardly facing side wall 8 with a slot 9 in which the side edges 6 of the fabric 4 are slidably mounted.In the example shown, the side edges 6 are provided with a thickening 10 which is realized by a folded embroidery margin 11 in which a fringe 12 is attached.The side edges 6 with their aforementioned thickening 10 are displaceably arranged in an undercut groove 13 of a tension plate 14 which is in turn arranged in the hollow guide profiles 7, wherein the width of the groove 13 is smaller than the width of the thickened edge 10 of the fabric 4.The tension plate 14 is provided with elastic legs 15 which press the tension plate 14 with a force P from the inside of the side wall 8 in the assembled state of the awning 1, as shown by the arrow P in FIG. 3, wherein the exerted force P firmly tensions the fabric 4.Behind the tensioning line, in the guide profile 7 there is a separate chamber 16 with a narrow opening 17 which is arranged opposite the slit 9 in a line with the plane of the fabric 4.The opening 17 is covered by the tension plate 14 in the example illustrations.In the example shown, the guide profile 7 consists of two part profiles 7 aand 7 bdividable from one another, which in assembled form form each form an edge 9 aand 9 bof the respective slot 9.The partial profile 7a is fixed in the window opening, while the partial profile 7b is clamped to the other partial profile 7a and can also be released therefrom again, as indicated by the arrow A in FIGS. 4 and 5.When releasing the clips, the slit 9 is widened or broken open, whereby the tension plate 14 can be removed as indicated by the arrow B in Figs. 6 and 7, and at the same time the opening 17 of the chamber 16 becomes free, as shown in Fig. 7.The roller box 2 is tubular and in this case consists of two parts, namely a fastening part 2a by means of which the roller box 2 is suspended in the window opening containing the back and the top wall of the roller box 2, and a covering profile 2b which closes off the interior 18 of the roller box 2 at the front and at the bottom, with the exception of a slot 19 at the bottom of the roller box 2, along which the fabric 4 can be wound and unrolled vertically.The roller box 2 is provided at both ends with an end wall 2c and 2d, respectively, which further closes the space 18 and serves as a supporting wall for supporting the roller 3 at its ends.The cover profile 2b is removable from the rest of the roller box as indicated by arrow C in Fig. 8.The roller 3 with the fabric 4 is suspended rotatably in the space 18 of the roller-box 2 about the geometric axis X-X' mentioned above, which extends mainly parallel to the longitudinal direction of the roller-box.The roller 3 is supported at one end 20a freely rotatable in the end wall 2c at one end of the roller housing and at its other end 20b with an electric tube motor 21 integrated in the roller 3, the stator of which is fixed to the inside of the end wall 2d by means of a fixing flange 22 and the rotor of which is fixed to the roller 3.The tubular motor 21 is provided with an electrical cable 23 for supplying the tubular motor 21 and / or for transmitting a digital signal or the like, wherein the cable 23 usually opens out into the roller housing 2 via a borehole in the wall and wherein it is connected, for example, via a plug or the like, to the end of the tubular motor 21 fastened to the fastening flange 22.In the assembly of reel 3, a relatively long piece of cable 23 is intentionally left freely suspended between the roller box 2 and the not yet assembled tube motor 21, as seen in Fig. 9, and this loose cable length is double-folded in a loop 24 of a certain length, as shown in Fig. 8, when the tube motor 21 is assembled into the roller box.During assembly, this loop 24 is stored over its entire length or almost over the entire length from the upper end of the guide profile 7, in particular from the end of the guide profile 7 facing the tubular motor 21, in the chamber 16 behind the tension slat 14 of the guide profile at the end 20 bof the roll 3 provided with the tubular motor 21, as is schematically illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3.In this way, the dismantling of the reel 3 with its tube motor 21 becomes very simple, for example in order to replace the tube motor 21.It is sufficient to release the partial profile 7 bfrom the partial profile 7 aof the guide profile 7, as shown in FIG. 5, and then to remove the tensioning profile 14, so that the opening 17 of the chamber 16 in the guide profile 7, with stored therein the cable 23 folded in a loop 24, is exposed.Thus, the loop 24 can be exposed along the opening 17 from the chamber 16, as shown in Fig. 8, and after the cover profile 2b has been possibly removed from the roller box 2, the roller 3 together with its tube motor 21 can be taken out sufficiently far from the roller box 2 from between the end walls 2c and 2d and the edges of the window opening, in the direction D in Fig. 9, in order to be able to easily take the tube motor 21 in the axial direction in the direction E from the roller 3 and to be able to release it from the cable 23 by releasing the plug or the like to which the cable is connected to the tube motor 21.During reassembly, the procedure is to proceed in the opposite direction by first inserting the tubular motor 21 or a replacement motor into the rotor 3 and electrically connecting it to the plug at the end of the cable 23 and mounting the reel 3 in the roller box 2, after which a loop 24 can again be formed with the cable 23, which loop is stored in the chamber 16 of the guide profile 7.Subsequently, the tension slat 14 can be inserted and secured again by the partial profile 7 bof the guide profile being mounted again and, if appropriate, the covering profile 2 bof the roller box 2 being mounted again.The awning 1 can now be used again without the loop 24 of the cable 23 hindering the winding and unwinding of the fabric 4.The tensioning profile can optionally be omitted, wherein the slot 9 in the guide profile must then be sufficiently narrow in order to be able to guide the thickened edges 10 of the fabric 4 in the vertical direction.If the slot 19 at the bottom of the roller box 2 is wide enough to place the roller 3, optionally with unrolled fabric 4, along this slot 19 into the roller box or remove it therefrom, the covering profile 2b must also be removed from the roller box 2 in order to replace the tube motor 21 in the manner according to the invention.The present invention is in no way limited to the embodiment described here by way of example and illustrated in the figures, but relates to a awning and a method which can be implemented in various variants without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

Awning comprising a roller box (2) with a roller (3) contained therein, having an electric tube motor (21) and being rotatable about its longitudinal axis (X-X') by means of the integrated electric tube motor (21) provided with an electric cable (23) and comprising a fabric (4) provided at the bottom with a bottom slat (5) and which can be rolled up and down via a slot (19) in the roller box (2), wherein the fabric (4) and optionally the bottom slat are guided during the rolling up and down in hollow guide profiles (7) at the ends of the roller (3), wherein the guide profiles (7) are provided with a slot (9) in which the fabric (4) is guided with its side edges (6) in the guide profiles (7), characterized in that, the cable (23) of the tubular motor (21) is stored with a loop (24) of a certain length in one of the aforementioned guide profiles (7) and the guide profile (7) is provided with a separate chamber (16) for the loop (24), which chamber is provided with a narrow opening (17) located opposite the slot (9), through which the loop (24) can be placed in the chamber (16) and removed again from it.Awning according to claim 1, characterised in that the loop (24), with which the cable (23) of the tubular motor (21) is stored in one of the guide profiles (7), extends with a specific length in the guide profile (7) from the end of the guide profile (7) facing the tubular motor (21).Awning according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that the guide profiles (7) contain two part profiles (7a, 7b) which can be separated from one another and which, in assembled form, each form an edge (9a, 9b) of the relevant slot (9).Awning according to claim 3, characterised in that the loop (24) of the cable (23) can be removed from the guide profile (7) by means of at least one part fastened to the tubular motor (21) after one of the partial profiles (7b) of the relevant guide profile (7) has been removed.Awning according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the length of the loop (24) is sufficient to be able to remove the roller (3) together with the tube motor (21) over a certain distance from the roller box (2).Awning according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the guide profiles (7) are mounted vertically.Awning according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each lateral edge (6) of the fabric (4) is slidably clamped in a tension slat (14), which is mounted in the guiding profile (7) and which, by means of one or more elastic legs (15) or other elastic elements, always tautly tensions the fabric (4) laterally.Awning according to Claims 3 and 7, characterized in that the tension slat (14) can be removed from the guide profile (7) after one of the partial profiles (7b) of the relevant guide profile (7) has been removed.Method for assembling an awning according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the method comprises the following steps: - attaching the roller box (2); - attaching the guiding profiles (7) or a partial profile (7a) thereof to the ends of the roller box (2); - attaching a cable (23) between the tube motor (21) and the roller box (2) with a certain reserve length of the cable (23) between the roller box (2) and the tube motor (21); - assembling the tube motor (21) into the roller (2); - assembling the roller (2) with the tube motor (21) into the roller box (2), wherein the reserve length of the cable (23) hangs loosely between the roller box (2) and the tube motor (21); folding the loose hanging reserve length of the cable (23) into a loop (24) and attaching this loop (24) in a guide profile (7) or in its mounted partial profile (7a); attaching the lower slat (5) and / or the side edges (6) of the fabric (4) in the guide profiles (7) or in their mounted partial profiles (7a); and attaching the possibly not yet mounted partial profiles (7b) of the guide profile (7).Method for dismantling a roll of an awning according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the method comprises the following steps: - removing the lower slat and / or the side edges (6) of the fabric (4) from the guide profiles (7); - removing the loop (24) of the cable (23) to which the tube motor (21) is electrically connected from the guide profile (7); - removing the roll (3) with its tube motor (21) from the roller box over a distance from the roller box (2), wherein the free length of the cable (23) hanging loosely between the roller box (2) and the tube motor (21) is used between the roller box (2) and the tube motor (21); and - optionally removing the tube motor (21) from the reel (3) and separating the cable (23) from the tube motor (21).

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