AWNING WITH FLOATING FABRIC WRAP WITH INTEGRATED PLUG CONNECTION

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an awning with a fabric roller and a shading element wound on it, wherein the fabric roller is rotatably mounted about its axis in fabric roller bearings and the shading element can be unwound from the fabric roller in the extension direction of the shading element when the shading element is extended and wherein the shading element is wound onto the fabric roller when the shading element is retracted, wherein the fabric roller is driven electrically by means of a tubular motor inserted axially into the fabric roller at one end and wherein the fabric roller is mounted so as to be movable back and forth at least in the extension direction of the shading element.

[0002] Such awnings are known from EP 0 745 742 B1, EP 1 835 089 B1 and EP 1 936 105 B1. However, a disadvantage of the known awnings is that the assembly of the fabric roller and, in particular, the creation of the electrical connection for the tubular motor is very complex when the fabric roller is mounted on a floating bearing.

[0003] The object of the invention is to overcome these disadvantages and to provide an awning in which, even with a floating fabric roller, simple assembly of the fabric roller and connection of the tubular motor is made possible.

[0004] This problem is solved according to the invention by an awning according to claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

[0005] Particularly advantageous in an awning with a fabric roller and a shading element wound on it, wherein the fabric roller is rotatably mounted about its axis in fabric roller bearings, and the shading element can be unwound from the fabric roller in the extension direction of the shading element when the shading element is extended, and wherein the shading element is wound onto the fabric roller when the shading element is retracted, wherein the fabric roller is driven electrically by means of a tubular motor axially inserted into the fabric roller at one end, and wherein the fabric roller is mounted so as to be movable back and forth at least in the extension direction of the shading element, and the fabric roller is assigned at least one support against which the fabric roll rests at least when the shading element is fully wound up, is thatthat the connection of the tubular motor to a control unit and / or to a power supply is effected by a plug integrated on the axially outer head side of the tubular motor in the direction towards one of the fabric roller bearings, which in the mounted state forms a plug connection with a plug counterpart arranged on the fabric roller bearing, wherein the plug and the plug counterpart are movable back and forth relative to the fabric roller bearing in the extension direction of the shading element in the mounted state.

[0006] The fabric roller is mounted with a floating bearing at both ends. This allows the fabric roller to move back and forth, at least in the extension direction of the shading element. In accordance with the invention, this refers to the fabric roller's displacement, the movement of which has at least one component corresponding to the extension direction of the shading element. In the case of a folding-arm awning or a conservatory awning, this displacement of the fabric roller can be in a horizontal direction or in a direction with a horizontal component. In the case of a vertical shading system, this displacement of the fabric roller can be in a vertical direction or in a direction with a vertical component.

[0007] At one axial end of the fabric shaft, a tubular motor is inserted into the fabric shaft, by means of which the fabric shaft is driven in the extension direction to unwind the shading element from the fabric shaft and / or by means of which the fabric shaft is driven in the retraction direction to wind the shading element onto the fabric shaft.

[0008] To connect the tubular motor to a power supply and / or a control unit, the motor head has a connector that can be plugged into a mating connector, forming a plug connection when assembled. The connector on the motor head can be the male connector, and the mating connector can be the female connector. Alternatively, the male and female connectors can be arranged in reverse.

[0009] The awning can be a folding-arm awning, a vertical shading system, or a conservatory awning with a projection profile guided by rails. The shading element can be a fabric such as an awning fabric or fly screen, a transparent curtain, a roller blind, or a similar material.

[0010] Preferably, the awning is a horizontally extendable awning or an awning extendable at a particularly acute angle to the horizontal, especially a folding-arm awning, or a vertical shading system. Furthermore, in any embodiment, lateral guide elements, in particular guide rails, may be arranged to guide the shading element and / or an extension profile.

[0011] Because the fabric roller is mounted so that it can be moved back and forth, at least in the extension direction of the shading element, the position of the fabric roller can be adjusted to the diameter of the fabric roll wound on the fabric roller, so that support of the fabric roller is possible even when the shading element is partially or completely unwound.

[0012] This ensures that the fabric roll, which changes its diameter when the shading system is extended and retracted and is wound onto the fabric roller, always rests against the support. This supports the fabric roller against the weight of the system and / or any tension force acting on the shading element. This prevents deflection of the fabric roller, regardless of the fabric roll diameter, thus ensuring optimal fabric tension.

[0013] The support can be formed by an additional component or by a suitably shaped section of a housing that accommodates the fabric shaft.

[0014] Preferably, the fabric roller is supported at its ends in sliding blocks that slide in guideways of bearing supports. Such an arrangement ensures that the fabric roller can be moved easily and with minimal wear, without requiring extensive assembly.

[0015] In particular, the fabric roller can be moved back and forth towards an extension profile, with its ends supported in sliding blocks that glide in guideways of bearing supports. This means that the fabric roller is floating. Such a floating mounting of the fabric roller, where it can be moved back and forth towards the extension profile, ensures that the fabric roll, which changes its diameter when the awning is extended and retracted, is always in contact with a support such as a support surface. This supports the fabric roller against the force of gravity and / or tension, ensuring optimal fabric tension, especially in horizontally extending awnings. This prevents deflection of the fabric roller, regardless of the fabric roll diameter, thus guaranteeing optimal fabric tension.

[0016] Preferably, on the outer end face of the tubular motor, the plug and its counterpart form the sliding block or a section thereof when assembled. Thus, when assembled, the plug and its counterpart form the sliding block or part thereof on the motor side of the fabric roller, enabling the fabric roller to be mounted in a floating manner. For this purpose, the plug and its counterpart are geometrically designed so that, when assembled, they form the sliding block or part thereof that slides in a cam track of the bearing support, thereby allowing the fabric roller to move back and forth, at least in the extension direction of the shading element.

[0017] Particularly preferably, the connector counterpart is arranged such that the connection between the plug and the connector counterpart is automatically established during the assembly of the fabric roller. The plug on the axially outer end face of the tubular motor and the connector counterpart are positioned such that inserting the fabric roller into its mounting position automatically and necessarily causes the plug to be inserted into the connector counterpart, thereby creating the connection.

[0018] The plug can be oriented axially on the outer end of the tubular motor's head, or it can be angled at an angle of, in particular, 90° relative to the fabric shaft axis.

[0019] In the first case of the axially oriented plug, the fabric roller is inserted at an angle and then brought into the mounting position in an axial direction, so that when the fabric roller is inserted, the plug connection between the plug and the plug counterpart is created.

[0020] In the second case, where the plug is angled by 90° with respect to the fabric shaft, the fabric shaft is inserted into the fabric shaft bearings from the front or from below, and during this process of moving the fabric shaft perpendicular to its axis, the plug is inserted into the counterpart on the axially outer head side of the tubular motor and the plug connection is made.

[0021] Preferably, the plug and / or the mating connector has at least one centering projection which, during assembly, engages in a corresponding recess on the other plug part, thereby automatically centering the plug relative to the mating connector. Such a centering projection ensures automatic centering and positioning of the plug and mating connector during assembly of the fabric roller.

[0022] Preferably, the plug and the plug counterpart are secured to each other in the assembled state by at least one positive locking connection that engages automatically in the assembled state, in particular by a clip connection engaging in an undercut.

[0023] Alternatively or additionally, the plug and its mating connector can be secured together in the assembled state by at least one locking screw. Such a locking screw creates and secures a firm connection between the plug and socket.

[0024] Preferably, the mating connector is floating and has a flexible cable connection to a control unit and / or a power supply, particularly in the form of a coiled cable. Such a coiled cable ensures a secure cable connection to the floating connector's control unit and / or power supply without the risk of damage to the cable connection due to movement.

[0025] Preferably, the front end of the shading element in the direction of extension is attached to an extendable extension profile.

[0026] Preferably, the awning has a housing that accommodates the fabric roller, and this housing is closed by an extension profile when the shading element is retracted. This not only improves the visual appearance of the awning but also ensures the protection of any awning components inside the closed housing from weather damage and / or dirt.

[0027] Particularly preferred is the support adjustable and fixable within an adjustment range, in particular fixable at any point within the adjustment range, in particular the support can be adjustable in the vertical direction and / or in the horizontal direction within the adjustment range.

[0028] This allows the support to be adjusted and fixed within the adjustment range. This enables the position of the support surface to be adapted to the fabric roll diameter. For the purposes of the invention, the term "fabric roll diameter" refers to the diameter of the shading element when fully wound onto the fabric roller. The fabric roll diameter varies depending on the extension length and / or thickness of the material used for the shading element. By adjusting and fixing the support surface within the adjustment range, its position can be adapted. Accordingly, optimal positioning and fixing of the support surface ensures its proper functioning and the support of the fabric roller.

[0029] The support can be fixed at any position within the adjustment range using appropriate fastening elements. Adjustability can be stepless and / or incremental.

[0030] The adjustment range can be defined by adjustment elements such as threaded bolts and / or slides and / or cam guides. This includes linear movement and / or pivoting movement, or a superposition or a sequence of linear and pivoting movements, particularly with different curvatures and directions of curvature. This allows the support surface to be adjusted in three dimensions in space.

[0031] Preferably, the support is adjustable in the horizontal direction within the adjustment range. In particular, adjustability in one direction with at least one horizontal component is included.

[0032] In a preferred embodiment, the support is adjustable in the vertical direction within the adjustment range. In particular, adjustability in one direction with at least one vertical component is included.

[0033] Preferably, the support is provided by one or more support surface beams. In particular, the one or more support surface beams can be arranged, for example, on the inside of a housing or on another load-bearing part of the awning, such as a support tube and / or brackets.

[0034] In a preferred embodiment, the support, in the form of a support surface, extends parallel to the axis of rotation of the fabric roller over the entire length, a portion of the length, or several sections of the fabric roller. The length of the fabric roller refers to its axial extent. In particular, the support surface can be made in one piece or in multiple pieces. The length of the support surface can also extend beyond the axial extent of the fabric roller. Preferably, the axial length of the support surface corresponds at least to the dimension of the wound fabric roll in the direction parallel to the fabric roller axis. This dimension of the fabric is commonly referred to as the width of the shading system.

[0035] Preferably, the support, in the form of a support surface, extends circumferentially over an angle of up to 30° or more than 30° of the fabric roller, in particular up to 60° or up to 90° or up to 120°. This achieves a particularly advantageous support of the fabric roller.

[0036] In a preferred embodiment, the support surface has one or more friction-reducing inserts and / or one or more friction-reducing pads and / or one or more friction-reducing coatings. Such friction-reducing inserts and / or pads and / or coatings on the support surface reduce the static friction between the shading element and the support surface. This facilitates the sliding of the fabric roll over the support surface when the fabric roller rotates. This, in turn, prevents creasing during the winding and unwinding of the shading element.

[0037] In particular, such friction-reducing inserts and / or layers and / or coatings can extend over the entire surface of the support surface or be arranged in partial areas of the support surface. Specifically, such friction-reducing inserts and / or layers and / or coatings can be designed as strips running parallel and / or perpendicular to the fabric roll axis.

[0038] An embodiment of the invention is shown in the figures and is explained below. The figures show: Fig. 1 a front view of the connector area of ​​the motor head, Fig. 2 a side view of the connector area of ​​the motor head.

[0039] Figure 1 shows a schematic front view of the plug area of ​​the motor head 15 of the tubular motor 10 of the awning and Figure 2 shows a side view of the plug area of ​​the motor head 15 of the tubular motor 10 of the awning.

[0040] A male connector 11 is arranged on the axially outer end of the tubular motor 10. The insertion area of ​​this male connector is angled at 90° relative to the axis of the tubular motor 10. This male connector 11 is inserted into the female connector 21, thereby creating the plug connection for connecting the tubular motor 10 to a control unit and / or a power supply.

[0041] The plug counterpart 21 is connected to a connection point 23 via a deflectable spiral cable 22 in order to establish a connection to a control unit and / or a power supply.

[0042] Plug 11 and plug counterpart 21 are positioned such that, when the awning fabric roller (not shown) is installed with the tubular motor 10 inserted at one end of the fabric roller, the plug connection between plug 11, located on the axially outer end face of the tubular motor 10, and plug counterpart 21 is automatically established. Automatic centering of plug 11 and plug counterpart 21 is achieved by a centering projection 24 located on the plug counterpart, which engages in a corresponding recess 14 on the plug and thereby automatically aligns plug 11 relative to plug counterpart 21 during the fabric roller installation.

[0043] After the connector has been made, a locking screw is screwed in laterally as indicated by arrow 30, thereby securing the plug 11 to the mating connector 21. The plug 11 has a lateral bore for inserting the locking screw, which, when assembled, is screwed into a projection 25 on the mating connector 21 and extends through the plug 11. The plug 11 has a corresponding recess into which the projection 25 of the mating connector 21 engages to receive the locking screw.

[0044] After the plug connection between plug 11 and mating plug 21 is established, the plug connection is floating, meaning that the assembled plug connection can move back and forth in the extension direction A of the shading element of the awning (not shown), as indicated by the double arrow 30. The sliding bearing is guided by the upper end plate 41 and the lower adapter lock 42, in which the sliding plug connection is floatingly mounted. (See illustration below.) Figure 1 The upper head plate 41 and the lower adapter lock 42 are shown pulled out; in the final assembly position, these are mounted together and form a closed guide without gaps.

[0045] In Figure 2The side view of the connector area of ​​the motor head 15 of the tubular motor 10 of the awning is shown. The assembly of the plug connection is visible. Plug 11 and mating connector 21 are positioned such that when the awning fabric roller (not shown) is installed with the tubular motor 10 inserted at one end of the roller, the plug connection between plug 11, located on the axially outer end of the tubular motor 10, and mating connector 21 is automatically established. For this purpose, the fabric roller with the pre-assembled tubular motor 10 is inserted perpendicular to the roller axis against the extension direction A into the roller bearings, thereby automatically connecting plug 11 to mating connector 21. The plug area of ​​plug 11 is angled at 90° relative to the roller axis for this purpose.

[0046] The floating mounting of the plug connection allows the fabric roller to move back and forth and provides continuous support for the fabric roller to counteract any bending of the fabric roller.

[0047] The upper head plate 41 and the lower adapter lock 42 thus form one of the two fabric roller bearings in which the fabric roller is floatingly mounted. The plug 11 and the plug counterpart form part of the sliding block, by means of which the fabric roller is floatingly mounted in a cam guide of a bearing support. The main load is borne by the motor head 15, which also transmits the torque to the foundation. This ensures that the plug connection is not damaged during the service life of the awning.

Claims

1. Awning with a fabric roller and a shading element wound onto it, wherein the fabric roller is mounted in fabric roller bearings so that it can rotate about its axis and the shading element can be unwound from the fabric roller when the shading element is extended in the extension direction (A) of the shading element, and wherein the shading element is wound onto the fabric roller when the shading element is retracted, wherein the fabric roller is electromotively driven by means of a tubular motor (10) inserted axially into the fabric roller at one end, and wherein the fabric roller is mounted so that it can be moved forwards and backwards at least in the extension direction (A) of the shading element, and at least one support is assigned to the fabric roller, which the fabric roll abuts at least when the shading element is completely wound up, characterised in that the connection of the tubular motor (10) to a control device and / or to a power supply is provided by a plug (11) integrated on the head side of the tubular motor (10) that is axially outer in the direction of one of the fabric roller bearings, which plug (11) forms a plug connection with a plug counterpart (21) arranged on the fabric roller bearing when in the assembled state, wherein the plug (11) and the plug counterpart (21) can be moved back and forth relative to the fabric roller bearing in the extension direction (A) of the shading element when assembled.

2. Awning according to claim 1, characterised in that the fabric roller is mounted at its ends in sliding blocks which slide in slotted guides of bearing supports.

3. Awning according to claim 2, characterised in that, when assembled, the plug (11) and the plug counterpart (21) form the sliding block or a section of the sliding block on the outer head side of the tubular motor (10).

4. Awning according to any of the previous claims, characterised in that the plug counterpart (21) is arranged in such a way that the plug connection between the plug (11) and the plug counterpart (21) is automatically brought about during assembly of the fabric roller.

5. Awning according to any of the previous claims, characterised in that the plug (11) and / or the plug counterpart (21) has at least one centring projection (24) which, during assembly, engages in a corresponding recess (14) on the other connector part and causes automatic centring of the connector (11) relative to the connector counterpart (21).

6. Awning according to any of the previous claims, characterised in that the plug (11) and the plug counterpart (21) are secured to each other in the assembled state by at least one form-fitting connection that automatically engages in the assembled state, in particular a clip connection that engages in an undercut.

7. Awning according to any of the previous claims, characterised in that the plug (11) and the plug counterpart (21) are secured to each other in the assembled state by at least a securing screw.

8. Awning according to any of the previous claims, characterised in that the plug counterpart (21) is floatingly mounted and has a deflectable cable connection to a control device and / or a power supply, in particular in the form of a spiral cable (22).

9. Awning according to any of the previous claims, characterised in that the front end of the shading element in the extension direction is attached to an extendable extension profile.

10. Awning according to any of the previous claims, characterised in that the awning has a housing which accommodates the fabric roller, wherein the housing is closed by an extension profile when the shading element is retracted.

11. Awning according to any of the previous claims, characterised in that the support is adjustable and fixable within an adjustment range, in particular can be fixed at any point within the adjustment range, in particular that the support is adjustable within the adjustment range in the vertical direction and / or in the horizontal direction.

12. Awning according to any of the previous claims, characterised in that the support extends in the form of a support surface parallel to the axis of rotation of the fabric roller over the entire length or part of the length of the shading element or several sections of the shading element.

13. Awning according to any of the previous claims, characterised in that the support extends in the form of a support surface in the circumferential direction over an angle of up to 30° or over 30° of the fabric roller, in particular up to 60° or up to 90° or up to 120°.

14. Awning according to any of the previous claims, characterised in that the support in the form of a support surface has one or more friction-reducing inserts and / or one or more friction-reducing overlays and / or one or more friction-reducing coatings.