A retractable screen construction

Abstract

A retractable screen construction comprising: a retractable screen having a draw bar extending in a longitudinal direction and a locking assembly to lock the draw bar in a fixed position. The locking assembly comprises a stationary keeper and a latch mechanism disposed inside the draw bar. The latch mechanism comprises: a latch bolt which is slideable along the longitudinal direction between a depressed position, a retracted position and an extended position; a biasing member urging the latch bolt towards its extended position; a rototranslatable lever on which the latch bolt is pivotally mounted and having two cam members, the rototranslatable lever being slideable along the longitudinal direction and rotatable about a pivot axis perpendicular to the longitudinal direction; and a labyrinth member having a plurality of pathways in which said two cam members are guided. The rototranslatable lever is cyclically moveable allowing automatic locking / unlocking of the draw bar.

Description

Technical field

[0001] The present invention is generally related to a retractable screen construction.Background art

[0002] Outdoor screen constructions (e.g. canopies, terrace canopies, pergolas, awnings, gazebos, pavilions, etc.) are increasingly commercially widespread. These often use movable walls, in order to delimit and protect specific areas from atmospheric agents (e.g. wind, sun, precipitation, etc.). More particularly, outdoor constructions are currently widespread which use curtains and movable walls constituted substantially by a flexible screen that can be unrolled from a roller (along a predefined direction, be it horizontal, vertical, oblique or curvilinear), in order to protect (upwardly or laterally) a predefined area and / or constitute a hindrance to access from the outside for people, insects and other animals, atmospheric agents, etc.

[0003] In other words, retractable screens are a common accessory of buildings and housings, such as awnings, canopies or terrace canopies, sunscreens, curtains, sun sails, etc. A retractable screen may also provide an enclosed space, for example a tent, a gazebo, etc. Creating portable or non-permanent enclosures or spaces using retractable screens is particularly relevant for outdoor use. Other applications may include retractable screens for protecting solar panels from rain or dust or for efficiently blocking or reducing sunlight exposure through a window.

[0004] The screen is usually manufactured from a flexible material, for instance fabric (e.g. textiles) or plastics material. The screen may be transparent, partially transparent, or opaque to visible light. Particular types of screens, when closed, may block wind and rain. Usually, the materials used for these screens are light weight, which presents some problems for outdoor use. For example, wind may lift and / or bend the screen, thus interrupting the primary function of the screen. In some cases, the screen may become deformed or may even tear or break. This problem is alleviated by including fixed runners which hold the screen in place at the side thereof. However, runners are often insufficient, as the screen may be forced out of the runners by heavy gusts of wind.

[0005] Accordingly, in particular for outdoor use, it is desirable to maintain tension in the screen. To this end, one end of the screen is usually provided with a draw bar (also called a weight bar) which is guided in screen guide profiles. Due to its weight, the draw bar already tensions the screen. Furthermore, a locking mechanism is usually provided to lock the draw bar in a fixed position with respect to the screen guide beams. Once locked, the screen can be tensioned by partially retracting the screen.

[0006] A known locking mechanism involves providing spring-biased pins on the ends of the draw bar in combination with screen guide profiles provided with one or more catches to catch the pins thereby locking the draw bar in a fixed position. Examples of such a locking system are disclosed in EP 1 785 545 A2, EP 2 500 508 A1, EP 3 708 762 and WO 2004 / 048715 A1 where the catches are defined by means of a complex groove / guide pattern. A similar concept is disclosed in WO 2016 / 131085 A1 where a rotatable cylindrical cam member mounted in the screen guide profiles defines various guide paths for a pin fixed on the draw bar.

[0007] A known issue with these systems is their durability. More specifically, when the screen is rolled-up, the guide paths are exposed to the outside atmosphere. As such, precipitation, dirt, insects, etc. can freely enter the guide paths and cause one or more blockages which may lead to malfunctions. Especially considering that the guide paths are mostly vertically oriented, water flow caused by gravity will, over time, deposit filth therein, which will cause blockages.

[0008] In an attempt to overcome this issue, IT 2018 / 00007818 A1 proposes to place the guiding paths on the ends of the draw bar and to place a pivotable pin at the bottom end of the screen guide profiles that is then guided through the guiding paths when lowering / raising the draw bar. However, in this system, outside exposure can interfere directly with the pivotable pin thus causing malfunctions.

[0009] A different concept was proposed in WO 2014 / 154555 A1 and EP 3 670 822 A1 where the locking is based on the ball-point principle with resilient element being guided in a guiding path extending between two extreme positions with an intermediate position where the resilient element can be locked in. More specifically, EP 3 670 822 A1 discloses a retractable screen construction according to the preamble of claim 1 which allows, when used with the fixed keeper, the latch bolt to cycle through its various positions to provide for an automatic locking of the draw bar. In particular, in the rest position of the latch mechanism, the latch bolt is retracted. Upon closing the retractable screen, the latch bolt engages an inclined keeper surface thereby depressing the latch bolt (i.e. moving it inwards with respect to the draw bar) and unlocking the resilient element. The latch bolt thus moves from its retracted position to its depressed position and is then moved towards its extended position (i.e. outwards with respect to the draw bar) by a biasing member. Likewise, the resilient element is now in one of its extreme positions. Upon reversing the screen direction, the latch bolt is caught in the keeper and the draw bar is locked and the screen may be tensioned. In order to unlock the draw bar, the screen is again unrolled so that the latch bolt again contacts the inclined keeper surface thereby depressing the latch bolt to move it from its extended position to its depressed position. The resilient element thus moves to its other extreme position. Upon reversing the screen direction, the latch bolt is again urged outwards. However, the resilient element is then caught in the intermediate position so that the latch is kept in its retracted position and can be moved upwards without remaining caught in the keeper. By cycling through these positions, the draw bar is automatically locked and unlocked with respect to the guide beams without requiring user intervention.

[0010] However, even for these improved systems, durability is still a key aspect which should be improved further. For example, it is known that, after repeated use, the resilient element suffers wear and tear which may cause it to no longer lock in the intermediate position which may result in a permanently locked draw bar.Disclosure of the invention

[0011] It is an object of the present invention to provide a locking assembly for a retractable screen construction having an improved durability, while maintaining the automatic locking and unlocking functionality.

[0012] This object is achieved according to the invention in that the latch mechanism further comprises: a rototranslatable lever on which the latch bolt is pivotally mounted and having two cam members, the rototranslatable lever being slideable along the longitudinal direction and rotatable about a pivot axis perpendicular to the longitudinal direction; and a labyrinth member having a plurality of pathways in which said two cam members are guided, the plurality of pathways defining: at least one inner position for the rototranslatable lever which corresponds to the depressed position of the latch bolt; a rest position for the rototranslatable lever which corresponds to the retracted position of the latch bolt; and an actuated position for the rototranslatable lever which corresponds to the extended position of the latch bolt.

[0013] In order to maintain the desired automatic locking / unlocking functionality, it is required that the latch bolt can be cyclically moved between three distinct positions (i.e. the depressed position, the retracted position and the extended position). The use of a rototranslatable lever guided in a labyrinth member allows for an accurate and reliable guiding of the rototranslatable lever between three distinct positions without relying on a resilient element. Since the latch bolt is pivotally positioned on the rototranslatable lever, its sliding motion is also accurately and reliably controlled between its depressed, retracted and extended position.

[0014] Furthermore, by relying on a rototranslatable lever that is cyclically moveable, there is no need of any kind of resilient element. The downsides of a resilient element (e.g. wear and tear) are thus avoided. In other words, by using a rototranslatable lever, the durability of the latch mechanism is improved. Moreover, the labyrinth member and rototranslatable lever are further fully enclosed by the draw bar and are thus not subject to atmospheric conditions. It is thus avoided (or the risk is at least greatly reduced) that water, dirt, insects can enter the pathways. In other words, causes of possible pathway blockage are avoided or greatly reduced.

[0015] In an embodiment of the present invention, the labyrinth member has an open side facing the rototranslatable lever, the open side being directed towards a ground surface. Preferably, the rototranslatable lever has a closed side opposite the open side. This further reduces the risk of pathway blockages due to water, dirt, insects, etc. More specifically, even should debris be able to enter the draw bar interior, since the labyrinth is mounted upside down (i.e. with is open side facing a ground surface), gravity will aid in removing such debris from the labyrinth member. Providing a closed side is advantageous as this provides an easy way to fix the labyrinth member inside the draw bar as the closed surface can be mounted against an inside wall.

[0016] In an embodiment of the present invention, the labyrinth member is substantially planar. The use of a planar labyrinth member allows for an easy placement of the labyrinth member in the draw bar, e.g. the closed side may be attached to an inside surface of the draw bar.

[0017] In an embodiment of the present invention, the labyrinth member is static. Using a static labyrinth member avoids the need for moving parts that modify the pathways during the cyclic displacement of the rototranslatable lever. Such moving parts may be especially problematic for outdoor use.

[0018] In an embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of pathways extend mainly in the longitudinal direction. This allows to provide a relatively narrow labyrinth member (i.e. one which is longer that it is wide) which allows for an easier placement in the draw bar as this is also an elongated structure.

[0019] In an embodiment of the present invention, the keeper comprises: an engagement surface for engaging the latch bolt when the retractable screen is being unrolled from said screen roller to slide the latch bolt into its depressed position; and a catch for catching the latch bolt when the latch bolt is in its extended position and the retractable screen is being rolled up said screen roller, the catch being located closer to the cross beam than the engagement surface. The engagement surface causes the automatic depression of the latch bolt when unrolling the screen, while the catch acts as a stop for the latch bolt (and thus the draw bar) when in the extended position.

[0020] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the engagement surface comprises an inclined face. This provides for a gradual automatic depression of the latch bolt. The screen unrolling speed and the inclination angle determine the latch bolt movement speed and thus also the rototranslatable lever movement speed so that this can be optimized to avoid sudden large or fast movements which could lead to malfunctions in the cyclic pathing (e.g. a movement to the wrong position and / or along the wrong pathway).

[0021] In an embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of pathways comprise: at least one first pathway between the rest position and the at least one inner position; a second pathway between the at least one inner position and the actuated position; and a third pathway between the actuated position and the at least one inner position, the third pathway being different from the second pathway. Using two different pathways between the inner position (i.e. when the latch bolt is depressed) and the actuated position (i.e. when the latch bolt is extended) distinguishes between the locking and unlocking actions and aids in reducing possible malfunctions which could occur when a same pathway is used twice for different actions.

[0022] In an embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of pathways define at least two different inner positions for the rototranslatable lever each corresponding to the depressed position of the latch bolt. Preferably, the plurality of pathways comprising: a first pathway between the rest position and a first one of said at least two inner positions; a second pathway between the first inner position and the actuated position; a third pathway between the actuated position and a second one of said at least two inner positions; and a fourth pathway between the second inner position and the rest position. Having two different inner positions for the rototranslatable lever means that there are four rototranslatable lever positions thus avoiding that a single inner position has to be used twice during different locking / unlocking actions. Having four distinct pathways linking these four rototranslatable lever positions further avoids having to use a single pathway twice, thereby further reducing possible malfunctions.

[0023] In an embodiment of the present invention, the labyrinth member comprises: a first catch defining said rest position and configured for catching a first one of said cam members; a first inclined element configured for guiding a second one of said cam members when the latch bolt is slid from its retracted position to its depressed position, the first inclined element causing a rotation of the rototranslatable lever thereby moving said first one of said cam members out of the first catch; a second catch defining said actuated position and configured for catching one of said cam members, said one of said catch member preferably being said first one of said cam members; and a second inclined element configured for guiding the other one of said cam members when the latch bolt is slid from its extended position to its depressed position, the second inclined element causing a rotation of the rototranslatable lever thereby moving said one of said cam members in range of the first catch. Since there is a biasing member, the latch bolt and the rototranslatable lever are always urged to a same side of the labyrinth member. Furthermore, having only two catches minimizes the labyrinth design as each may correspond to one of the positions in which the latch bolt must remain for extended periods of time (i.e. the retracted position and the extended position which are both considered stable positions). In order to change between these stable position, use is made of inclined elements. More specifically, the inclined elements change the position of the cam members in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, thereby determining in which catch one of the cam members will be caught when sliding outwards (with respect to the draw bar) in the longitudinal direction. Using the same cam member to be in both catches provides an easy design as there is then a catch cam member and a guiding cam member with the catch cam member defining the latch bolt position and the guiding cam member causing latch bolt positional changes. This may also minimize the amount of rotation required of the rototranslatable lever during its cyclical positional chain when compared to an embodiment where one cam member is caught in the first catch and the other one is to be caught in the second catch which may require the rototranslatable lever to have to undergo a full 180° rotation.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the second catch fully encompasses the first catch in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. In this embodiment, the first catch has a certain width and the second catch protrudes with respect to the first catch on either side thereof. As such, as of the moment the cam members are outside the width of the first catch, they will be caught in the second catch.

[0025] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, each pathway ends in either the first catch or the second catch. This avoids that there are any pathways that would lead to undesired positions, thus improving the robustness of the latch mechanism.

[0026] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the second catch has a width which is about equal to a width of the labyrinth member. There is thus no way for the cam members to extend in a width position beyond the second catch. In other words, one of the cam members will always be caught in the second catch (unless it is caught in the first catch). This improves robustness of the latch mechanism.

[0027] In an embodiment of the present invention, the latch bolt pivots with respect to the rototranslatable lever about a further pivot axis which corresponds to said pivot axis of the rototranslatable lever. This simplifies the latch mechanism design as there is only a single joint pivot axis for both the rototranslatable lever with respect to the labyrinth and the latch bolt with respect to the rototranslatable lever.

[0028] In an embodiment of the present invention, the retractable screen construction further comprises: a motor for driving the retractable screen; and a controller configured to control the motor, the controller being preferably configured to, when a limit movement of the retractable screen is detected, control to motor to reverse a screen movement direction. A motor improves user comfort as there is no need for a user to manually operate the retractable screen. Reversing screen movement direction when a limit movement is detected allows tensioning the retractable screen as the draw bar is locked with respect to the guide beams during (or soon after) the limit movement. Alternatively, the controller can be preprogrammed to reverse screen movement direction to tension the screen. This may however be less accurate and may not take thermal expansion effects into account.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a detector is used to detect the screen limit movement. The detector may be a torque sensor which are known in themselves and provide for a reliable detection mechanism.

[0030] In an embodiment of the present invention, the pivot axis of the rototranslatable lever is parallel to the guide beams. In other words, during use, the rototranslatable lever (and the labyrinth) is horizontally positioned. This allows attaching the labyrinth to the top or bottom inside of the draw bar which is easy. This further minimizes space requirements when compared to an inclined labyrinth positioning.

[0031] In an embodiment of the present invention, the latch bolt is configured to cycle through a positional chain, the chain being: starting in the retracted position, continuing to the depressed position, continuing to the extended position, continuing to the depressed position, and returning to the retracted position.

[0032] In an embodiment of the present invention, the rototranslatable lever is configured to cycle through a positional chain, the chain being: starting in the rest position, continuing to the at least one inner position, continuing to the actuated position, continuing to the at least one inner position, and returning to the rest position. Preferably, there are two different inner positions and the positional chain includes both. This, as described above, reduces malfunction risk.

[0033] Since the latch bolt movement and the rototranslatable lever movement are tied together, both embodiments above in fact have the same advantage, namely of providing a latch mechanism which, when used with a corresponding keeper, can provide an automatic locking and unlocking of the draw bar.

[0034] The present disclosure is further directed towards the locking assembly as described above when not part of a retractable screen construction. In general, the locking assembly is configured to lock a retractable screen draw bar in a fixed position and comprises a fixed keeper and a latch mechanism, the latch mechanism comprising: a latch bolt which is slideable along a longitudinal direction between a depressed position, a retracted position and an extended position, the depressed and extended positions defining two opposite extreme points for a free end of the latch bolt with the free end of the latch bolt being between these opposite extreme positions when the latch bolt is in the retracted position; a biasing member urging the latch bolt towards its extended position; a rototranslatable lever on which the latch bolt is pivotally mounted and having two cam members, the rototranslatable lever being slideable along said longitudinal direction and rotatable about a pivot axis perpendicular to said longitudinal direction; and a labyrinth member having a plurality of pathways in which said two cam members are guided, the plurality of pathways defining: at least one inner position for the rototranslatable lever which corresponds to the depressed position of the latch bolt; a rest position for the rototranslatable lever which corresponds to the retracted position of the latch bolt; and an actuated position for the rototranslatable lever which corresponds to the extended position of the latch bolt.

[0035] The present invention is further directed towards a method of operating the retractable screen construction described above, the method comprising: unrolling the screen; depressing the latch bolt which preferably occurs automatically during the unrolling of the screen; rolling the screen up until the latch bolt is caught in the keeper thereby locking the draw bar, this may particularly further involve tensioning the screen by retracting the screen when the draw bar is locked; and unlocking the draw bar, which unlocking preferably comprises: unrolling the screen; depressing the latch bolt which preferably occurs automatically during the unrolling of the screen; and rolling up the screen.Brief description of the drawings

[0036] The invention will be further explained by means of the following description and the appended figures. Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of a retractable screen construction according to the present invention. Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the latch mechanism disposed within the draw bar used in the retractable screen construction according to the present invention. Figures 3A to 3C show a side view of the end region of the draw bar and a two top views of the main components of the latch mechanism and the keeper with the latch bolt is in its retracted position when closing the retractable screen construction according to the present invention. Figures 4A to 4C show a same view as respective ones of figures 3A to 3C when the latch bolt is depressed when closing the retractable screen construction according to the present invention. Figures 5A to 5C show a same view as respective ones of figures 3A to C3 when the latch bolt is being extended locking the retractable screen construction according to the present invention. Figures 6A to 6C show a same view as respective ones of figures 3A to 3C with the latch bolt is in its extended position and the retractable screen construction according to the present invention is locked and tensioned. Figures 7A to 7C show a same view as respective ones of figures 3A to 3C when the latch bolt is depressed when opening the retractable screen construction according to the present invention. Description of the invention

[0037] The present invention will be described with respect to particular embodiments and with reference to certain drawings but the invention is not limited thereto but only by the claims. The drawings described are only schematic and are non-limiting. In the drawings, the size of some of the elements may be exaggerated and not drawn on scale for illustrative purposes. The dimensions and the relative dimensions do not necessarily correspond to actual reductions to practice of the invention.

[0038] Furthermore, the terms first, second, third and the like in the description and in the claims, are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a sequential or chronological order. The terms are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and the embodiments of the invention can operate in other sequences than described or illustrated herein.

[0039] Moreover, the terms top, bottom, over, under and the like in the description and the claims are used for descriptive purposes. The terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and the embodiments of the invention described herein can operate in other orientations than described or illustrated herein.

[0040] The present invention generally relates to closure and locking of retractable screens, which advantageously provides high resistance against wind while still allowing flexible, lightweight materials to be used, such as polymer, glass fiber, glass cloth, textiles and the like. In some embodiments, the locking may be automatic and safe without requiring any user intervention. For example, the present invention may provide automatic locking when the retractable screen is completely deployed (closed), and it can provide automatic release when requested to retract (open).

[0041] The locking assembly used in the present invention is compact and the required elements can be fitted in a small volume, for example in a draw bar of the retractable screen, which holds the screen and provides tension to the material of the screen at least due to gravity.

[0042] The retractable screen construction according to the present invention may be highly (or even fully) automated, without the need of programming of controllers or self-learning algorithms. The construction may also be compatible with manual control, for example manual locking of the screen at a predetermined position.

[0043] Although in some embodiments of the present invention reference is made to "rolling" and "unrolling" of "retractable screens", the present invention is not limited by the actual mechanism of retraction. The present invention may be applied to any type of deployment and retraction of retractable screens, whether the screens are actually wound or folded. The present invention may also be applied to various types of screen, whether it is a textile screen or a screen formed by rigid strips of material connected to each other.

[0044] Moreover, although the present invention is mainly applicable to vertical retractable screens, it may also be applied to awnings, canopies, terrace canopies, blinds, curtains, protection of solar panels, and any other (not necessarily vertical) use where locking of a screen is desired.

[0045] Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of a retractable screen construction 1 according to the present invention. The retractable screen construction 1 comprises two guide bars 2 connected by a cross beam 3 with a retractable screen 4 that is partially unrolled in figure 1. The retractable screen 4 is fixed at one end to a screen roller (not shown) and a draw bar 5 is fixed to the other end. In the illustrated embodiment, the cross beam 3 acts as a housing for the screen roller and the retractable screen 4 when in its retracted state. Although, in other embodiments, the cross beam and the screen housing may be formed by different beams. Such a housing is beneficial as this protects the screen 4 when retracted from atmospheric conditions. Furthermore, various other screen components (e.g. the screen roller, a motor, screen supports, ...) are also protected by the housing.

[0046] A motor (not shown) may be provided for actuating the screen. This motor may be placed inside the housing. A motor controller may be provided which may either be programmed to unroll the screen to a desired length. Alternatively, a detector (e.g. a torque sensor) may detect a screen limit movement. The motor may also be manually controllable by a user. Furthermore, in other embodiments, the retractable screen 4 may be fully manual (e.g. using a winch or the like).

[0047] As illustrated in figure 1, the draw bar 5 extends in a longitudinal direction 20 and the guide beams 2 extend in a transverse direction 21. The longitudinal 20 and transverse 21 directions are mutually perpendicular. In practice, the longitudinal direction 20 is usually horizontal, while the transverse direction 21 is usually vertical. However, as described above, other orientations are possible.

[0048] The various beams 2, 3, 5 are typically made of a rigid material. This can be aluminium, for example. Aluminium has many advantages as a material, as it is robust and light at the same time, can with-stand bad weather conditions and requires little maintenance. However, other materials are further suitable and their advantages or disadvantages are considered known by those skilled in the art. A beam can be produced using various techniques depending on the material, including extrusion, milling, setting, casting, welding, etc., with extrusion being preferred. The appropriate manufacturing technique is considered known by those skilled in the art.

[0049] The retractable screen construction 1 is further provided with a locking mechanism 6 which comprises a keeper 7 and a latch mechanism 8 which is disposed inside the draw bar 5. In the illustrated embodiment, the keepers 7 are directly fixed to the guide beams 2. However, in other embodiments, the keepers 7 may be fixed to a ground surface on which the retractable screen construction 1 is mounted. In such an embodiment, the keepers 7 are indirectly fixed to the guide beams 2 by way of the ground surface.

[0050] The latch mechanism 8 is illustrated in more detail in figure 2 where an end of the draw bar 5 is shown with the outer covering thereof having been removed. The draw bar 5 is provided with an end cap 9 through which a latch bolt 10 extends. The latch bolt 10 is part of the latch mechanism 8 and is urged outwards (with respect to the end cap 9 of the draw bar 5) by means of a biasing member 11. In the illustrated embodiment, the biasing member 11 is a compression spring, but other means are possible, for example a torsion spring, a leaf spring, etc.

[0051] The latch bolt 10 is pivotally fixed to a rototranslatable lever 12 about a pivot axis 15, the pivot axis 15 is parallel to the transverse direction 21 in the illustrated embodiment. However, other pivot axis 15 inclinations are possible (e.g. tilted or perpendicular to both the longitudinal direction 20 and the transverse direction 21) as long as the pivot axis remains perpendicular to the longitudinal direction 20. The rototranslatable lever 12 has two cam members 13 which are guided in a labyrinth member 14. The latch bolt 10, the biasing member 11, the rototranslatable lever 12 and the labyrinth member 14 together form the latching mechanism according to the present invention.

[0052] The rototranslatable lever 12 is slideable along the longitudinal direction 20 and is rotatable about a pivot axis 16 with respect to the labyrinth member 14. The pivot axis 16 is parallel to the transverse direction 21 in the illustrated embodiment. However, other pivot axis 16 inclinations are possible (e.g. tilted or perpendicular to both the longitudinal direction 20 and the transverse direction 21) as long as the pivot axis 16 remains perpendicular to the longitudinal direction 20. In the illustrated embodiment, the pivot axes 15, 16 coincide with one another.

[0053] Since the latch bolt 10 and the rototranslatable lever 12 are fixed to one another, the rototranslatable lever 12 is also urged outwards (i.e. towards the end cap 9 of the draw bar 5) by means of the biasing member 11. In a non-illustrated embodiment, the biasing member may act directly on the rototranslatable lever 12 such that the biasing member 11 indirectly urges the latch bolt 10 outwards.

[0054] The labyrinth member 14 defines a number of pathways that are used for guiding the two cam members 13 thereby defining various rototranslatable lever positions which will be described below. Although more cam members 13 may also be used, which may improve the rototranslatable lever 12 guiding, a minimum of two cam members 13 is required, namely a first cam member to cooperate with a catch to keep the rototranslatable lever 12 in a stable position and a second catch member to allow transitioning between rototranslatable lever positions.

[0055] The labyrinth member 14 has an open side such that the cam members 13 can move with respect thereto and a closed side. The closed side is mounted against an internal support 17 disposed inside the draw bar 5. The open side faces a ground surface which, as described above, aids in avoiding blockages caused by atmospheric conditions, e.g. water, dirt, insects, etc.

[0056] The labyrinth member 14 comprises: a first catch 22, a second catch 23, a first inclined element 24 and a second inclined element 25. These elements together define various pathways between the different rototranslatable lever 12 positions which are illustrated in figures 3A to 7C.

[0057] In general, the latch bolt 10 is cyclically slideable (in the longitudinal direction 20) between a retracted position, an extended position and a depressed position. A free end 18 of the latch bolt 10 is located furthest away from the end cap 9 in the extended position and is closest to the end cap 9 in the depressed position and between these two extreme positions when in the retracted position. Likewise, the rototranslatable lever 12 is cyclically moveable between a first innermost position, a second innermost position, a rest position and an actuated position. Both innermost positions correspond to the latch bolt 10 being in its depressed position, the rest position corresponds to the latch bolt 10 being in its retracted position, and the actuated position corresponds to the latch bolt 10 being in its extended position. Although a single innermost position could be used, it is advantageous to rely on two different innermost positions as described above.

[0058] The automatic operation of the locking mechanism 6 will be described with reference to figures 3A to 7C. When the retractable screen 4 is open (or being closed), the latch bolt 10 is in its retracted position with the rototranslatable lever 12 being in its rest position. This state is shown in figures 3A to 3C. The latch bolt 10 is retained in this position as one of the cam members 13a (hereinafter designated the catch cam member) is kept in the first catch 22 provided in the labyrinth member 14. When retracted, the latch bolt 10 (i.e. the free end 18 thereof) is able to pass by the catch 26 provided in the keeper 7.

[0059] When the screen 4 is further unrolled, the draw bar 5 moves closer to the keeper 7. The free end 18 of the latch bolt 10 then engages an inclined surface 27 provided on the keeper 7. This causes the latch bolt 10 to be depressed as shown in figures 4A to 4C. Likewise, the rototranslatable lever 12 is slid inwards. Since the other one of the cam members 13b (hereinafter designated the guiding cam member) engages the first inclined element 24, a rotation is induced in the hereinafter designated the catch cam member. This rotation (along the clockwise direction in the illustrated embodiments) moves the catch cam member 13a sideways and thus out of the range of the first catch 22. The rototranslatable lever 12 thus reaches its first innermost position.

[0060] In a next stage (illustrated in figures 5A to 5C), the screen 4 is retracted thus causing the draw bar 5 to be moved away from the keeper. Due to the biasing member 11, the latch bolt 10 is urged outwards with respect to the end cap 9 on the draw bar 5. All the while, the free end 18 of the latch bolt 10 is contacting the inclined element 27 in the keeper 7. Since the catch cam member 13a is no longer in reach of the first catch 22, the catch cam member 13a passes this first catch 22 which allows the latch bolt 10 to reach beyond its retracted position.

[0061] Eventually, i.e. once the screen 4 has been sufficiently retracted, the catch cam member 13a is caught in the second catch 23 which defines the actuated position of the rototranslatable lever 12. This is illustrated in figures 6A to 6C. The latch bolt 10 is then in its extended state and cannot pass the catch 26 in the keeper 7. In other words, the latch bolt 10 is caught in the keeper 7 thereby locking the draw bar 5 with respect to the keeper 7 and also with respect to the guide beams 2 as illustrated in figures 6A to 6C. In the illustrated embodiment, the rototranslatable lever 12 has also further rotated in the clockwise direction when moving from its first innermost position to its actuated position. Although such a rotation is not required, it aids in avoiding interaction between the guiding cam member 13b and the first catch 22, while having as small a rototranslatable lever 12 as possible. Once the draw bar 5 is locked, the screen 4 can be further retracted in order to tension the screen.

[0062] In order to again unlock the draw bar 5, the screen 4 is unrolled causing the draw bar 5 to move closer to the keeper 7 as shown in figures 7A to 7C. This causes the free end 18 of the latch bolt 10 to again engage the inclined element 27 in the keeper 7. This causes the latch bolt 10 to be depressed. Likewise, the rototranslatable lever 12 is slid inwards. Since the other one of the guiding cam members 13b engages the second inclined element 25, a rotation is induced in the hereinafter designated the catch cam member. This rotation (along the clockwise direction in the illustrated embodiments) moves the catch cam member 13a sideways and again into the range of the first catch 22. In the illustrated embodiment, there is a further inclined element 19 which also causes a rotation of the rototranslatable lever 12 since the catch cam member 13a engages this when the rototranslatable lever 12 is moved from its actuated position. It will be readily appreciated that only of the inclined elements 19, 25 may be sufficient to obtain the desired rotation. The rototranslatable lever 12 thus reaches its second innermost position.

[0063] In a next stage, the screen 4 is retracted thus causing the draw bar 5 to be moved away from the keeper thus arriving again at the state shown in figure 3A to 3C. Due to the biasing member 11, the latch bolt 10 is urged outwards with respect to the end cap 9 on the draw bar 5. Since the catch cam member 13a is in reach of the first catch 22, the catch cam member 13a engages this first catch 22 which maintains the latch bolt 10 in its retracted position.

[0064] It will be appreciated that, although the rototranslatable lever has been described as rotating clockwise, a counter-clockwise rotation is also possible in other embodiments. Moreover, it may also be that, in a single positional cycle, the rototranslatable lever undergoes subsequent rotations in opposite rotational directions.

[0065] It will be appreciated that various other shapes and / or sizes of labyrinth members and / or rototranslatable levers may be used as long as these together allow a cyclical positional chain of the latch bolt between its retracted, depressed and extended positions as required for an automated locking mechanism.

[0066] Although aspects of the present disclosure have been described with respect to specific embodiments, it will be readily appreciated that these aspects may be implemented in other forms within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A retractable screen construction (1) comprising: - a frame comprising two mutually parallel beams (2) and a cross beam (3); - a retractable screen (4) having a first end attached to the cross beam and a second end opposite the first end, the retractable screen being able to be unrolled from a screen roller and rolled up on said screen roller; - a draw bar (5) attached to the second end of the retractable screen, the draw bar extending in a longitudinal direction (20); and - a locking assembly (6) configured to lock the draw bar in a fixed position with respect to said two mutually parallel beams, the locking assembly comprises a keeper (7) fixed to one of said two mutually parallel beams and a latch mechanism (8) disposed inside the draw bar, the latch mechanism comprising: - a latch bolt (10) which is slideable along said longitudinal direction between a depressed position, a retracted position and an extended position, a free end of the latch bolt being closest to the draw bar when the latch bolt is in its depressed position and furthest from the draw bar when the latch bolt is in its extended position; and - a biasing member (11) urging the latch bolt towards its extended position, characterized in that the latch mechanism further comprises: - a rototranslatable lever (12) on which the latch bolt is pivotally mounted and having two cam members (13), the rototranslatable lever being slideable along said longitudinal direction and rotatable about a pivot axis (16) perpendicular to said longitudinal direction; and - a labyrinth member (14) having a plurality of pathways in which said two cam members are guided, the plurality of pathways defining: - at least one inner position for the rototranslatable lever which corresponds to the depressed position of the latch bolt; - a rest position for the rototranslatable lever which corresponds to the retracted position of the latch bolt; and - an actuated position for the rototranslatable lever which corresponds to the extended position of the latch bolt.

2. The retractable screen construction according to claim 1, characterized in that the labyrinth member has an open side facing the rototranslatable lever, the open side being directed towards a ground surface.

3. The retractable screen construction according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the labyrinth member is substantially planar.

4. The retractable screen construction according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the plurality of pathways extend mainly in the longitudinal direction.

5. The retractable screen construction according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the keeper comprises: - an engagement surface (27) for engaging the latch bolt when the retractable screen is being unrolled from said screen roller to slide the latch bolt into its depressed position; and - a catch (26) for catching the latch bolt when the latch bolt is in its extended position and the retractable screen is being rolled up said screen roller, the catch being located closer to the cross beam than the engagement surface.

6. The retractable screen construction according to claim 5, characterized in that the engagement surface comprises an inclined face.

7. The retractable screen construction according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the plurality of pathways comprise: - at least one first pathway between the rest position and the at least one inner position; - a second pathway between the at least one inner position and the actuated position; and - a third pathway between the actuated position and the at least one inner position, the third pathway being different from the second pathway.

8. The retractable screen construction according any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the plurality of pathways define at least two different inner positions for the rototranslatable lever each corresponding to the depressed position of the latch bolt, the plurality of pathways preferably comprising: - a first pathway between the rest position and a first one of said at least two inner positions; - a second pathway between the first inner position and the actuated position; - a third pathway between the actuated position and a second one of said at least two inner positions; and - a fourth pathway between the second inner position and the rest position.

9. The retractable screen construction according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the labyrinth member comprises: - a first catch (22) defining said rest position and configured for catching a first one (13a) of said cam members; - a first inclined element (24) configured for guiding a second one (13b) of said cam members when the latch bolt is slid from its retracted position to its depressed position, the first inclined element causing a rotation of the rototranslatable lever thereby moving said first one of said cam members out of the first catch; - a second catch (23) defining said actuated position and configured for catching one of said cam members, said one of said cam members preferably being said first one of said cam members; and - a second inclined element (25) configured for guiding the other one of said cam members when the latch bolt is slid from its extended position to its depressed position, the second inclined element causing a rotation of the rototranslatable lever thereby moving said one of said cam members in range of the first catch.

10. The retractable screen construction according to claim 9, characterized in that the second catch fully encompasses the first catch in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

11. The retractable screen construction according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that each pathway ends in either the first catch or the second catch.

12. The retractable screen construction according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the latch bolt pivots with respect to the rototranslatable lever about a further pivot axis (15) which corresponds to said pivot axis of the rototranslatable lever.

13. The retractable screen construction according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the retractable screen construction further comprises: - a motor for driving the retractable screen; and - a controller configured to control the motor, the controller being preferably configured to, when a limit movement of the retractable screen is detected, control to motor to reverse a screen movement direction.

14. The retractable screen construction according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the latch bolt is configured to cycle through a positional chain, the chain being: starting in the retracted position, continuing to the depressed position, continuing to the extended position, continuing to the depressed position, and returning to the retracted position; and / or in that the rototranslatable lever is configured to cycle through a positional chain, the chain being: starting in the rest position, continuing to the at least one inner position, continuing to the actuated position, continuing to the at least one inner position, and returning to the rest position.

15. A method of operating the retractable screen construction (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, the method comprising: - unrolling the screen (4); - depressing the latch bolt (10) which preferably occurs automatically during the unrolling of the screen; - rolling the screen up until the latch bolt is caught in the keeper (7) thereby locking the draw bar (5), this may particularly further involve tensioning the screen by retracting the screen when the draw bar is locked; and - unlocking the draw bar, which unlocking preferably comprises: - unrolling the screen; - depressing the latch bolt which preferably occurs automatically during the unrolling of the screen; and - rolling up the screen.

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