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Openable roofOpenable roof description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060032156, Openable roof. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to roofs. More specifically, the present invention is concerned with an openable roof. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Many buildings include uncovered annexes, such as patios. Since they are uncovered, these annexes cannot be used under many conditions. For example, in case of rain, it is impossible to use the annex. Also, even when the rain has stopped, furniture and accessories, such as barbeques and other cooking accessories, left outside during the rain are wet and are not readily available for use. In addition, in temperate climates, the annex becomes unusable for a large portion of the year when the weather is too cold. [0003] One solution to this problem resides in covering the annex with an openable roof. The roof is opened when an intended user wishes to enjoy the outdoors and is closed when the weather is inclement. [0004] Currently available roofs typically require that the slope of the roof of the annex is identical to the slope of the roof of the building located beside the annex. This constraint is due to the basic structure of such openable roofs. [0005] For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,145,254, issued to Silva on Nov. 14, 2000, describes an openable roof including a substantially flat panel inserted between two parallel rails. Since the panel is rigid, and since the rails are also rigid, the rails and the panel, both in open and in the closed positions are required to be substantially located in a common plane. Accordingly, it is impossible to have the openable roof described in this patent with the roof at a first angle in a closed configuration and at second differing angle in the open configuration. [0006] Many other openable roofs have also been proposed but none of them allow the openable roof to be opened over a concave surface wherein the openable roof is at different angles with respect to the ground when open and closed. [0007] Against this background, there exists a need in the industry to provide a novel openable roof. OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION [0008] An object of the present invention is therefore to provide an improved openable roof. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0009] In a first broad aspect, the invention provides an openable roof for reversibly covering an opening. The roof includes a roof portion defining a first roof portion end and a second roof portion end substantially opposed to the first roof portion end. The roof portion is positionable between a closed position, wherein the opening is substantially covered by the roof portion, and an open position wherein the opening is substantially uncovered by the roof portion. The openable roof further includes a first roof support connected to the roof portion and located in proximity to the first roof portion end, and a second roof support connected to the roof portion and located in proximity to the second roof portion end. The openable roof further includes a support member defining a support surface for supporting the first and second roof supports when the roof portion is moved between the open and the closed positions, the support surface being substantially concave. [0010] In a variant, the support surface includes a first and a second substantially flat segment connected through a substantially curved segment. Therefore, the first and second straight segments, along with the curved segment, define the substantially concave support surface. [0011] In specific embodiments of the invention, in the closed position the roof portion is located substantially above the first straight segment, and in the open position, the roof portion is located substantially above the second straight segment. [0012] Therefore, the roof portion is supported at two different angles when in the closed and the open configurations, which allows a greater flexibility when designing an openable roof for a building. [0013] For example, if the openable roof is for covering a patio when the weather is inclement, the roof when covering the patio is not required to be at the same angle than the roof of the building to which the patio is annexed. Therefore, a greater flexibility in patio design is provided. Indeed, if the openable roof is required to be at the same angle in the closed and open configurations, the patio cannot extend very far from the building without putting severe constraint to the height of the covered patio at an extremity of the patio distal from the building. [0014] Other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following non-restrictive description of preferred embodiments thereof, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0015] In the appended drawings: [0016] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a house and an adjacent patio covered by an openable roof; [0017] FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of a roof support of the openable roof of FIG. 1; [0018] FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of an alternative roof support present in some embodiments of an openable roof similar to the openable roof of FIG. 1; [0019] FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of another alternative roof support present in some embodiments of an openable roof similar to the openable roof of FIG. 1; Continue reading about Openable roof... Full patent description for Openable roof Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Openable roof patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Openable roof or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Device for holding a partition wall on a wall in the interior of a vehicle Next Patent Application: Seismic wall system Industry Class: Static structures (e.g., buildings) ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Openable roof patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.23727 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Daimler Chrysler , DirecTV , Exxonmobil Chemical Company , Goodyear , Intel , Kyocera Wireless , 174 |
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