FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates in general to shading systems, more particularly, to
shading systems that comprise multiple individual and independent shading units.
BACKGROUND
[0002] The invention relates to a shading system, comprising a hanging frame/net with one
or multiple hanging wires, on which plurality of independent shading units are mounted,
wherein each independent shading unit is mounted on a single hanging wire. Such shading
systems can be used for shading areas, e.g. building's terraces and stadium tiers,
open areas like gardens, open spaces and even streets, parks etc.
[0003] Various shading systems and sunshades have been developed during the years but they
suffer from various drawbacks and disadvantages. For instance, the most common systems
involve a shading sheet spread over the desired area to be shaded. However, such sheets
tend to keep warm / moist air beneath them, such that the more shade they make the
more worm/moist air is locked beneath. In addition, a shading sheet is susceptible
to forces applied by wind and might tear when strong wind blows-as such, the larger
the sheet is the more forces are applied thereon, which makes it more susceptible
to tearing. Moreover, some of these shading sheets need to be installed in an angle
to enable rainwater to flow off and prevent formation of water-pockets, which add
additional pressure thereon. Other system use folding blinds to control the amount
of shade according to need and sun angle, but they require sophisticated and expensive
preparation and framing, a mechanical technology, and often also a power source. In
addition, most sunshades used today irradiate heat towards the shaded area due to
direct sunlight heating the sunshade.
[0004] Alternative approaches for shading involve the use of multiple shading units mounted
on parallel strings, such as described in
CN 203761903 and
WO 2011/055476. However, these systems use straight shading units that do not provide constant shade
during movement of the sun and/or when wind moves the units.
SUMMARY
[0005] The present invention provides a shading system
100 for shading a ground area below, the system
100 comprising: (a) at least one hanging wire
120; (b) a plurality of shading units
110, each one of said plurality of shading units
110 comprising an upper section and a lower section that are not on the same plane; and
(c) a plurality of mounting connectors
121, wherein said at least one hanging wire
120 is adapted to be hung above said ground area, and each one of said plurality of shading
units
110 is adapted to be mounted onto a single hanging wire
120 of said at least one hanging wire
120 via one or more mounting connectors
121 connected to the upper section of each shading unit
110, such that each shading unit
110 can tilt with air movement.
[0006] The present invention further provides a shading unit
110 for use with the shading system
100 of the invention for mounting onto a single hanging wire thereof, the shading unit
110 comprising an upper section and a lower section that are not on the same plane, and
optionally, a right section and a left section that are not on the same plane.
[0007] The present invention further provides a method for shading an area, the method comprising
the steps of: (a) hanging and stretching one or more hanging wires
120 in parallel to one another in accordance with the sun's movement direction; (b) mounting
the shading units
110 of the invention onto the wires
120; and c) optionally, affixing each one of the shading units
110 to the wire
120 using stoppers
114.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0008]
Figs. 1A-1C show one specific embodiment of a shading unit of the invention: Fig. 1A is a front view; Fig. 1B is a side view; and Fig. 1C is a rear view.
Figs. 2A-2F illustrate some embodiments of a shading system according to the invention: Fig. 2A is a front view of illustrating two shading units mounted on a wire; Fig. 2B is a side view of a single shading unit of Fig. 2A mounted on a wire; Figs. 2C-2F are front views of different possible structure of shading units according to the
invention; and Fig. 2G is a side view of a single shading unit of Fig. 2F mounted on a wire.
Figs. 3A-3C illustrate an embodiment of the shading system of the invention in which the shading
units are mounted onto a main cable via a spring mechanism.
Figs. 4A-4B illustrate hot air flow (4A) and kinetics/movement (4B) of the shading units in the shading system of the invention.
Fig. 5 illustrates a shading profile created by the shading system of the invention.
Figs. 6A-6B illustrate the flexibility of the amount of shading created when using the shading
system of the invention.
Figs. 7A-7C illustrate an embodiment of a shading system of the invention in which the shading
units are assembled together without a main cable: Fig. 7A is a 3-D view; Fig. 7B is a side-view; and Fig. 7C is an upper view.
Fig. 8 illustrates another embodiment of a shading system of the invention in which the
shading units are assembled together without a main cable.
Figs. 9A-9C illustrate an embodiment of a shading system of the invention in which shading units
are mounted onto a net of hanging wires via a single connection: Fig. 9A is a side-view; Fig. 9B is an upper-view; and Fig. 9C is a 3-D view of a shading system according to the invention with a plurality of
cables and a plurality of shading units, each shading unit is mounted only on one
of the plurality of cables.
Figs. 10A-10D illustrate one embodiment of a shading unit according to the invention: Fig. 10A is a 3-dimentional view; Fig. 10B is a side view; Fig. 10C is a front view; and Fig. 10D is a rear view.
Figs. 11A-11B illustrate one embodiment of a shading system according to the invention with the
shading units of Fig. 10 mounted on a net of hanging wires: Fig. 11A is a 3-dimentional view; and Fig. 2B is a side view.
Figs. 12A-12B illustrate a single shading unit mounted on a hanging wire net as illustrated in
Fig. 11, illustrating the movement of the shading unit forward and backwards (Fig. 12B).
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0009] The present invention is aimed at providing efficient shading systems
100 that enables both dynamic shading and heat ventilation, while avoiding complicated
constructions and gravity and wind-pulling effects.
[0010] When assembling sunshades, one should take into consideration the sun's movement
angle, the area that needs to be shaded and wind velocity. In general, the larger
the area that needs to be shaded, the greater effect wind and gravity have on standard
sunshades due to moment powers applied on the sunshade that is stretched over the
area. Gravity and moment powers cause sunshade sheets to sink in the middle, pull
the surrounding edges, which loosens the shading sheet and applies pulling forces
on the anchoring points of the shading sheet. As a result, when shading large areas,
massive constructions and/or multiple supporting anchors or mounting beams are needed
to both prevent sinking of the sunshade sheet(s) and distribute pulling forces between
the anchoring points. Other alternatives are to add support poll(s) in the middle
of the shading sheet or use solid construction frame to hold the shading sheet(s)
or solid shading units.
[0011] The present invention eliminates the above effects and drawbacks by using separate
independent lightweight shading units
110 that are mounted onto a single hanging wire
120 or onto a plurality of essentially parallel wires
120 or onto a net of such hanging wires
120 (see e.g. Figs. 9C & 11), wherein each shading unit
110 is mounted/attached onto a single wire. Accordingly, the present invention provides
a shading system
100 that comprises two or more shading units
110 mounted onto a hanging wire or a net
120 thereof.
[0012] Accordingly, the present invention first provides a shading system
100 comprising: (a) at least one hanging wire
120; and (b) a plurality of shading units
110 designed to be mounted onto the at least one hanging wire
120, each shading unit
110 comprises: (i) upper
111- and lower
112- sections, wherein the arch/angle between the two sections is between 91° and 179°
(see "Y" in Figs. 1 & 2); and (ii) optionally, a right- and a left- sections, wherein
the arch/angle between the two sections is between 91° and 179° (see "X" in Figs.
1 & 2).
[0013] The present invention further provides a shading system
100 for shading an essentially horizontal area, the system
100 comprising: (a) at least one hanging wire
120; and (b) a plurality of shading units
110, each one of the plurality of shading units
110 is designed to be mounted onto a single hanging wire
120 of the at least one hanging wire
120, each shading unit
110 comprises: (i) upper- and lower- sections, wherein the arch/angle between the two
sections is between 91° and 179°; and (ii) optionally, a right- and a left- sections,
wherein the arch/angle between the two sections is between 91° and 179°, wherein each
one of the plurality of shading units
110 is mounted onto a single hanging wire
120 of the at least one hanging wire
120 via a designated mounting connector(s)
121 such that the connector
121 enables the shading unit
110 to tilt on the hanging wire
120.
[0014] The term "essentially horizontal area" as used herein refers to areas at any angle
and size, such as mountain/hill slope, backyards, streets, balconies, etc. It should
be noted that the area to be shaded does not need to be fully horizontal but can have
any angle according to the surface orientation.
[0015] The present invention further provides a shading system
100 for shading a ground area below, the system
100 comprising: (a) at least one hanging wire
120; (b) a plurality of shading units
110, each one of said plurality of shading units
110 comprising an upper section and a lower section that are not on the same plane; and
(c) a plurality of mounting connectors
121, wherein said at least one hanging wire
120 is adapted to be hung above said ground area, and each one of said plurality of shading
units
110 is adapted to be mounted onto a single hanging wire
120 of said at least one hanging wire
120 via one or more mounting connectors
121 connected to the upper section of each shading unit
110, such that each shading unit
110 can tilt with air movement.
[0016] The term "ground area" as used herein to describe the area to be shaded refers to
any area that can be walked on, including, but not limited to, actual ground, road,
sidewalk, garden, field, balcony, terrace, rooftop, playing ground, etc.
[0017] In specific embodiments of the shading system
100 of the invention, a shading unit
110 further comprises a right section and a left section that are not on the same plane.
[0018] The term "same plane" as used herein means a straight, i.e. 180°, plane, that is
not arched, bent or folded in an angle. The shading units
110 according to the invention are thus designed to have: a curved shape (without clear
angles); an angular shaped, i.e. with a clear angle between their upper- and lower-
sections and optionally between their left- and right- sections; or both curved and
angular shaped. In specific embodiments- when creating an imaginary line between the
tips of the upper section and the lower section (and between the left and right sections)
an imaginary rectangular shape is formed, either with a curved point or an angled
one at the connection point between the two sections- and said curved or angled point
is between 91° and 179°.
[0019] The present invention further provides individual shading units
110 that are to be used for shading an area using a shading system, each shading unit
110 comprises: (a) upper- and lower- sections, wherein the arch/angle between the two
sections is between 91° and 179° (see "Y" in Figs. 1 & 2); and (b) optionally, a right-
and a left-sections, wherein the arch/angle between the two sections is between 91°
and 179° (see "X" in Figs. 1 & 2).
[0020] In specific embodiments of the system
100 of the invention, at least part, or all, of the of shading units
110 are permanently mounted on the at least one hanging wire
120. It should be noted that in such a configuration, additional shading units
110 may be mounted on the hanging wire
120 if need arises, e.g. to increase the shading effect at a certain region. In further
specific embodiment, the shading units
110 may be moved along the wire
120 or removed entirely according to need, e.g. to remove units
110 above a region that does not need shade.
[0021] The term "arch/angle" as used herein is aimed at describing the relationship between
the different parts/sections of the shading unit
110 of the invention at their attachment/border line. Accordingly, two sections may be
connected to one another in either an angle (see e.g. Figs. 2A-2C and 2E) or in a
curved manner (see e.g. Figs. 2G, 2F, 3 and 9-12) which creates an arch rather than
an angle.
[0022] In certain embodiments, each shading unit
110 within the system
100 is composed of two sections: a first section perpendicular to the ground and a second
section connected to the first part with an angle (typically more than 90 degrees
but less than 179 degrees). In specific embodiments, each shading unit
110 is made of a single sheet of material. In alternative embodiments, each shading unit
110 is made of two, three, four or more separate units attached together to obtain the
final 3-dimentional form thereof.
[0023] In certain embodiments, and as illustrated in Figs. 2A-2F and 8-10, the shape of
the shading units
110 of the invention can vary according to need and desire (e.g. for aesthetics purposes),
e.g. like a leaf without clear separation of sections (upper/lower & right/left) (see
e.g. Fig. 2D).
[0024] In certain embodiments, the arch/angle between the upper and lower sections is between
95° and 175°; between 110° and 165°; between 110° and 155°; between 110° and 145°;
between 110° and 135°; between 110° and 125°. In a specific embodiment, the angle
is 111°.
[0025] In certain embodiments, the arch/angle between the right and left sections is 180°,
i.e. straight or no angle. In alternative embodiments, the angle is between 95° and
175°; between 110° and 165°; between 110° and 155°; between 110° and 145°; between
110° and 135°; between 110° and 125°. The purpose of such an angle is to provide structural
strength the unit
110. However, such structural strength can also be obtained by other means, such as supporting
rods and/or embedded strengthening materials/wires within the material of the shading
unit
110 (see e.g.
118 in Fig. 2E. Another alternative or additional way to provide structural strength
to the unit
110 is to fabricate same in a unique 3-dimentional structure that provides such mechanical
and structural strength, e.g. a leaf (Fig. 2D). Another alternative or additional
way to provide structural strength to the unit
110 is to fabricate same from a rigid material that provides both mechanical and structural
strength. It should be noted that the above examples for strengthening the shading
unit
110 of the invention are for exemplary purposes only, and any other suitable technique
that can strengthen the units
110 can be used as well by a skilled artisan, e.g. strengthening stitches, rigid or semi-rigid
material reinforced with bar(s), etc.
[0026] It should be noted that the shading units
110 are made of a rigid material that enable the fabrication of the final shape thereof.
Accordingly, the shading units
110 of the invention can be made from any rigid or semi-rigid material, such as plastic,
polycarbonate, metal, wood, rubber, etc., and which is preferably light-weighted such
as aluminum, plastic or some polymer such as polycarbonate.
[0027] In certain embodiments, the shading units
110 of the invention are fabricated from a flat sheet of material that is designed to
be cut and fold into the final 3-dimentional shape of the unit before use. This enables
saving storage space and assists in transportation of the system. In another or alternative
embodiments, the shading units
110 are designed such that they can be loaded one onto/into the other in a compact manner
to save space.
[0028] In certain embodiments of the shading system
100 according to any of the embodiments above, each shading unit
110 is mounted/hung/attached onto a single hanging wire
120. In certain embodiments, each hanging wire
120 is comprised of a single wire. In specific alternative embodiments, each hanging
wire
120 is comprised of a pair of parallel wires, such that each shading unit
110 is mounted thereon (see e.g. Fig. 3A), optionally using one or more dedicated connectors
121. In specific embodiments, the connectors comprise or consist of a spring or a spring-like
mechanism that enables movement (i.e. tilting forward & backward and optionally sideways)
of each shading unit
110 independently from the other shading units. Such connectors
121 may be attached to each shading unit, or may be an integral part thereof. Alternatively,
they may be an integral part of the wire
120. Such connectors
121 may be mounted onto the wire
120 using any suitable attachment means such as a clip, or may be string onto the wire
prior to assembly.
[0029] In certain embodiments of the shading system
100 of any of the above embodiments, each shading unit
110 is mounted on a single wire
120 and can tilt forward & backward, and optionally sideways, independently from other
shading units
110. The tilting of each shading unit
110 is independent from that of the rest of the shading units
110.
[0030] In certain embodiments, the shading unit
110 of the invention according to any of the embodiments above further comprises a bird
repelling construct
113 at the upper surface of the upper section. Such bird repelling construct
113 may be an add-on attached to the upper surface of the unit
110 or may be formed by cutting the upper surface of the unit into spike-like elements
(see Figs. 1-2).
[0031] In certain embodiments, the shading unit
110 of the invention according to any of the embodiments above is perforated (see e.g.
Figs. 10-12). Such perforation of the unit
110 enables wind to pass therethrough thereby eliminating/reducing wind effect to thereby
reduce moment and pulling forces applied on the entire shading system
100 and wires
120. It should be noted that the perforation of the shading unit
110 can be in any configuration according to user's desire and may be affected by, e.g.,
wind velocity at different locations within the area to be shaded and decorative /
ornamental desires of the user. For instance, there can be 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,
9, 10 or more holes in a single shading unit
110. It should be noted that the number of holes may vary between different shading unit
110 within a single shading system
100.
[0032] In certain embodiments, the shading unit
110 of the invention, when ready for use, exhibits a rectangle shape when viewed from
the front or back, and a parallelogram shape when viewed from the side. Figs. 1A-1C
illustrate how one embodiment of a shading unit
110 according to the invention looks like in a folded-ready-to-use state. It should be
noted that the shading unit
110 of the invention may be fabricated as a plane sheet of material in order to reduce
storage space and shipping costs, wherein the sheet of material has cut- and folding-lines
for cutting and folding the sheet of material into the final 3-dimentional form of
the shading unit
110 prior to use, i.e. hanging on a wire
120.
[0033] In certain embodiments, the size, in length from top to bottom in folded-ready-to-use
form, of a shading unit
110 according to the invention is from 1 to 120 cm. The size of the units
110 effects the distance between two adjacent units
110 so that the ratio between the units
110 is kept in accordance with the angle of the sun at the location's latitude and units'
110 length. The ratio between size of the units
110 and distance between two adjacent units
110 is such that optimum and desired shading is obtained, e.g. according to plant's requirements,
user's desire, etc. Accordingly, when less shading is needed, the ratio can increase,
and
vise-versa.
[0034] In specific embodiments, the size, in length from top to bottom in ready-to-use 3-dimentional
form, of a shading unit
110 according to the invention is from 1 to 30 cm; from 1 to 25 cm; from 1 to 20 cm;
from 1 to 15 cm; from 1 to 10 cm; from 1 to 5 cm; from 2 to 30 cm; from 3 to 30 cm;
from 4 to 30 cm; from 5 to 30 cm; from 10 to 30 cm; from 15 to 30 cm; from 20 to 30
cm; or from 25 to 30 cm.
[0035] In specific embodiments, the size, in length from top to bottom in folded-ready-to-use
form, of a shading unit
110 according to the invention is from 30 to 70 cm; from 30 to 65 cm; from 30 to 60 cm;
from 30 to 55 cm; from 30 to 50 cm; from 30 to 45 cm; from 30 to 40 cm; from 35 to
70 cm; from 40 to 70 cm; from 45 to 70 cm; from 50 to 70 cm; from 55 to 70 cm; or
from 60 to 70 cm.
[0036] In yet other alternative specific embodiments, the size, in length from top to bottom
in folded- ready-to-use form, of a shading unit
110 according to the invention is from 70 to 120 cm; from 80 to 110 cm; from 90 to 100
cm; or 95 cm.
[0037] In certain embodiments, the upper sections are longer than the lower sections. In
alternative embodiments, the lower sections are longer than the upper sections. In
other alternative embodiments, the lower- and upper- sections are of the same length.
For instance, in certain embodiments, the size of the upper portion of a shading unit
110 according to the invention is from 15 to 40 cm; from 20 to 35 cm; from 25 to 30 cm;
or 28 cm, in length; and the size of the lower portion of a shading unit
110 according to the invention is from 60 to 90 cm; from 65 to 85 cm; from 70 to 80 cm;
or 77 cm, in length.
[0038] It should be noted that the shading units
110 of the invention are designed to be mounted on one wire
120 of a plurality of wires
120 stretched over an area that needs shading. Accordingly, the present invention provides
a shading system
100 comprising:
- (a) two or more shading units 110 according to any one of the embodiments above; and
- (b) at least one hanging wire 120.
[0039] In certain embodiments, the number of shading units
110 and the distance between two adjacent units
110 may vary according to desire, size of the area that needs shading, and/or the shading
requirements/desired density of each region within the area to be shaded. In specific
embodiments, the number of shading units
110 to be mounted on a single wire
120 is from 2 to 50, and the distance between two adjacent units
110 is from about 0 mm to about 30 cm; from about 10 mm to about 25 cm; from about 20
to about 20 cm; from about 20 to about 30mm; from about 25 to about 30mm; from about
5 to about 25mm; from about 5 to about 20mm; from about 5 to about 15mm; from about
5 to about 10mm; or at least about 10mm. In certain embodiments, the shading units
110 are spread throughout the entire length of each wire
120.
[0040] In certain embodiments, the mounting of the shading units
110 on the wire
120 is carried out prior to the hanging / securing of the wire
120 in place, e.g., while the wire
120 still lays on the ground or hang / secured to an anchoring point only on one side.
In alternative embodiments, the mounting of the shading units
110 on the wire
120 is carried out after the wire
120 has been hang / secured in place and stretched.
[0041] Each one of the shading units
110 according to any of the embodiments above is designed to be mounted onto a single
hanging wire
120. Accordingly, in certain embodiments, the system of the invention further comprises
a mounting mechanism(s) designed to enable the hanging each individual shading unit
110 onto the hanging wire
120. The mounting mechanism may be an independent mechanism or an integral part of each
shading unit
110, optionally fabricated together therewith (see e.g. Figs. 9 and 10). Non limiting
examples of such mounting mechanism(s) are holes in the shading units
110 through which the wire
120 can pass; hooks (Fig. 10); clamps; etc.
[0042] In order to prevent movement of the shading units
110 along/across the wire
120, the shading units
110 according to any of the embodiments above may, in certain embodiments, further include
an integral stopping mechanism, such as a unique fold of the material from which the
shading units
110 is made of, that generate friction and prevent movement of the unit
110 when mounted on the wire
120. Alternatively, an external stopper
114 may be used. Accordingly, in certain embodiments, the system
100 further comprises one, two or more stoppers
114 designed to affix the shading units
110 to the hanging wire
120 and prevent movement thereof along the wire
120. In certain embodiments, such stoppers
114 may be mounted on the wire
120 after it has been hanged/secured in place and stretched and after mounting the shading
units
110 thereon. In specific embodiments, such stoppers
114 constitute part of the shading unit
110 itself. In alternative embodiments, when a plurality of hanging wires
120 constitute a net, the prevention of the movement of the shading units
110 across the hanging wire
120 is achieved by hanging/mounting each shading unit
110 at a different intersection point of the wires
120 in the net, such that each shading unit
110 is mounted onto one wire (see e.g. Fig. 11) while the crossing wire within the net
is passed between the connectors
121 thereby preventing sliding of the unit
110 sideways. In specific embodiments, such a configuration may also limit the tilting
angle of the unit
110 forwards and/or backwards.
[0043] The wires
120 used in the system
100 of the invention are made from any suitable material, and can be made of, e.g., plastic,
rope, metal etc. The wires
120 are designed to be affixed to adequate support, such as a wall, a poll, a tree, etc.
Accordingly, in certain embodiments, the shading system
100 of the invention according to any of the embodiments above further comprises wall
fixation units for affixing the hanging wire(s)
120 to such a support. The type and number of the wall fixation units can vary according
to the type of support to which the wire is designed to be secured, and according
to the number of wires
120 that are to be hung.
[0044] The supports should be strong enough to withstand pulling powers applied by the wire
120 stretched between. In order to reduce possible pulling powers, it is possible to
use springs- either as an integral mechanism of the wall fixation units being used
to affix the wire
120 to the support, or as an independent unit/mechanism. Accordingly, in certain embodiments,
the shading system
100 of the invention further comprises springs at one or both ends of each one of the
hanging wire(s)
120 designed to eliminate/reduce pulling forces applied on the wire
120 when hung/ secured to the supports.
[0045] In certain embodiments of the system
100 according to any one of the embodiments above, a plurality of hanging wires
120 are elements of a net that is designed to be hung over the area to be shaded. In
alternative embodiments, a plurality of (independent) hanging wires
120 are designed to be hung, e.g., in parallel (or essentially in parallel) to one another
over the area to be shaded. It should be noted that the size of the net of wires,
or the amount and length of each one of the wires
120 within a shading system
100 can be modified according to need and the area to be shaded. As such, a net can have
any shape and size, such as rectangular, triangular, parallelogram, round, etc.
[0046] In certain embodiments of the system
100 according to any one of the embodiments above, the at least one hanging wire(s)
120 or net of wires is made of a rigid but flexible wire, such as a metal wire. Such
configuration enables flexible installation in complexed area and enable simple adjustments
of the length, size and angles of the hanging wire(s)
120. In alternative embodiments, the wire(s)
120 or net of wires is made of a rigid and non-flexible material, such as an iron rod
(optionally an iron-bar net). Such configuration reduces the pressure and pulling
effect on the wire, but requires more complicated supports and constructions. It is
also less susceptible to adjustments to the area. Nevertheless, it might be favorable
when an existing construction already exists, such as a balcony and pergola.
[0047] In certain embodiments, the hanging wire/net
120 is designed to be hung over the area to be shaded at any angle from the ground, e.g.
parallel to the ground or not. In specific embodiments, part of the hanging wire/net
120 is designed to be hung over the area to be shaded essentially parallel to the ground
and the rest of it is designed to be hung diagonally to the ground, e.g. to provide
or prevent sun rays penetration during sunrise and sunset. In specific embodiments,
the hanging wire/net
120 is designed to be hung essentially completely diagonally to the ground. The hanging
angle is determined according to the sun direction and shading needs.
[0048] In certain embodiments, the number of hanging wires
120 and the distance between two adjacent wires
120 may vary according to desire, size of the area that needs shading, and/or the shading
requirements/desired density. In specific embodiments of the shading system
100 of any of the embodiments above, the number of hanging wires
120 to be stretched across an area is from 2 to 50 or more, and the distance between
two adjacent wires
120 is from about 15 cm to about 80 cm; from about 30 cm to about 70 cm; from about 40
cm to about 70 cm; from about 30 cm to about 60 cm; from about 40 cm to about 60 cm;
or about 55 cm.
[0049] Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers used in this specification are to be understood
as being modified in all instances by the term "about". Accordingly, unless indicated
to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in this specification are approximations
that may vary by up to plus or minus 10% depending upon the desired properties to
be obtained by the present invention.
[0050] In certain embodiments, the shading system
100 of the invention comprises: (a) a plurality of essentially parallel wires/strings
120 stretched over an area to be shaded; and (b) a plurality of shading units
110 attached to each wire/string
120 and hanging down (towards the ground) from the wire/string
120, wherein each unit
110 has a certain degree of rotational movement, e.g. when the wind blows, the unit
110 is free to move/tilt in the direction of the wind, while remaining connected to the
wire/string
120.
[0051] One of the purposes of the shading system
100 of the invention is to offer shading urban areas without being affected by strong
winds and gravitational effect of large . As explained above, hanging a large shading
sheet above an area is susceptible to strong winds that might pull up/down and collapse
the entire construction. Contrary to that, the structure of the present shading system
100 causes winds to simply rotationally move the shading units
110 without destabilizing the entire construction and without applying moment forces
thereon (or applying extremely reduced moment forces compared to standard shading
sheets).
[0052] Accordingly, in certain embodiments of the system
100 and shading units 110 of any of the embodiments above, each shading unit
110 further comprises a hinge that enables, when mounted on the wire
120, the tilting/rotation/dangling of the unit
110 on the wire
120, e.g. when wind is blowing. In alternative embodiments, the system
100 further comprises such hinges that are independent from the shading units
110, and onto which the shading units
110 are to be mounted and attached therewith to the wire
120 to thereby enable the tilting/rotation/dangling of the unit
110 on the wire
120.
[0053] In certain embodiments, each shading unit
110 is covered-with an additional material designed to reduce the sound caused when two
adjusting units
110 hit one another during tilting, and/or when wind blows over it, and/or to increase
the units'
110 weight such as to reduce their mobility and their tilting. In specific embodiments,
each shading unit
110 further comprises a weight to increase its weight such as to reduce mobility and
tilting.
[0054] It should be noted that the tilting/rotation/dangling of the shading unit
110 on the wire
120 is also beneficiary in terms of reducing heat-load and moisture underneath the shading
system
100: as illustrated in Fig. 4A, due to the spaces between the shading units
110 mounted on the wire(s)
120, worm air can freely move up from the shaded area thereby reducing both the heat-load
and the moisture at the shaded area. Such flow of hot air might be increased when
the shading units
110 tilt/rotate/dangle (e.g. due to wind blowing), thereby further reducing the heat-load
at the shaded area (see. Fig. 4B). In certain embodiments, the rising of the hot air
causes the shading units
110 to tilt/rotate/dangle.
[0055] The term "free" as used herein in relation to the tilting of the shading units
110 means that the tilting is not manually or electronically controlled but is carried
out by the movement of air (e.g. wind or hot air).
[0056] In certain embodiments, the present invention further provides a shading system
100 comprising: (a) a plurality of shading units
110 designed to be sequentially connected to one another to create a string of shading
units, each shading unit
110 comprises: (i) upper- and lower- sections, wherein the arch/angle between the two
sections is between 91° and 179°; and (ii) optionally, a right- and a left- sections,
wherein the arch/angle between the two sections is between 91° and 179°, and (b) a
plurality of connecting elements
115 for connecting one shading unit to the next or to an adequate support. In specific
embodiments, each shading unit comprises at least one connecting element and constitute
a single unit.
[0057] In specific embodiments, the above-mentioned shading system
100 further comprises at least one spring at one or both ends of each of the string of
shading units
110 designed to eliminate/reduce pulling forces applied thereon when attached/connected
to the adequate support.
[0058] Reference in now made to Figs. 7A-7C and 8 illustrating a shading system 100 according
to one embodiment of the invention, wherein the system comprises independent shading
units
110 connected to one another in a consecutive manner with a connection element
115 and securing means
116 such as a bolt or pin, or any other attachment mechanism, such as a ratchet mechanism.
In certain embodiments, the connection elements
115 are made of elastic or semi-rigid material enabling flexibility to the generated
line of shading units as well as to each shading unit
110 in terms of front & back and sideways movement when hung. Such flexibility assists
in preventing tearing of the line of shading units due to moment forces applied thereon,
e.g. due to wind. In addition, the flexibility of movement of each shading unit
110 enable it to tilt in the wind and both reduce moment forces applied on the line and
aids in cooling the shaded area as explained above.
[0059] In certain embodiments, the connection element
115 further comprises a spring or a spring-like mechanism to provide movement flexibility
to the attached shading unit
110 (see e.g. Figs. 3A-3C).
[0060] Reference in now made to Figs. 9A-9C illustrating a shading system
100 according to one embodiment of the invention, wherein the system comprises independent
shading units
110 connected to a net of wires
120 in a consecutive manner via an integral connection element with a flexible/elastic/spring-like
portion enabling flexibility of each shading unit
110 in terms of front & back and sideways movement once hung. Such flexibility assists
in preventing tearing of the wires in the net due to moment forces applied thereon,
e.g. due to wind. In addition, the flexibility of movement of each shading unit
110 enables it to tilt in the wind and both reduce moment forces applied on the line
and aid in cooling the shaded area as explained above. The connection of each shading
unit
110 to the net of wires
120 is carried out by any suitable means, such as a securing means like a bolt or pin,
or other attachment mechanism, such as a ratchet mechanism. In certain embodiments,
each shading unit
110 is mounted-on/connected-to only to one of the wires within the net of wires
120. In alternative embodiments, each shading unit
110 is mounted-on/connected-to one intersection of the wires in the net. In a further
specific embodiment, the shading unit
110 is mounted-on/connected-to an intersection of the wires in the net such that it cannot
move along the wire since it is blocked by the crossing wire at the connection point
(see e.g. Fig. 11A).
[0061] Notably, the number of shading units connected together to form a line of shading
units varies according to the length of the area to be covered. Notably, it is possible
to use connection elements at different lengths in order to generate different distances
between adjacent shading units
110 along the generated line to control the generated shading effect. Alternatively,
or in addition, two connecting elements
115 may be joined together to generate a larger distance between two successive shading
units
110. In addition, the number of lines of shading units is determined according to the
area to be covered/shaded, and the distance between the lines/wires is determined
according to the size/width of the shading units
110 and the desired shading effect.
[0062] In certain embodiments, each shading unit
110 is connected to the next shading unit
110 using two parallel connecting elements
115 to generate two parallel lines (see e.g. Fig. 7C). Alternatively, each shading unit
110 is connected to the next shading unit
110 using a single line connecting element
115 to generate a single line (see e.g. Fig. 8).
[0063] Reference in now made to Figs. 10-12 illustrating one possible embodiment of a shading
system
100 and shading units
110 according to the invention. As illustrated, the system
100 comprises independent shading units
110 connected to a net of wires
120 in a consecutive manner via a connector
121 that is an integral part of the shading units
110 and which allows forward and backward movement of each unit
110 independently from the other units. As illustrated, the shading units
110 have a curved shape- both horizontally and vertically, creating a spoon-like form
that in addition to an aesthetic appearance, also assists in structural strength and
overlapping for shading purposes. As seen, each shading unit
110 further includes holes/perforations that enable passage of wind and heat therethrough.
It should be noted that some or all of the holes have a partial cover thereover (see
Fig. 10B and 11A) that assist in capturing wind and movement/tilting f the units
110.
[0064] The present invention further provides a method for shading a desired and essentially
horizontal area, the method comprising the steps of: (a) hanging and stretching net
of hanging wires
120, or one or more hanging wires
120 essentially in parallel to one another, in accordance with the sun's movement direction;
(b) mounting shading units
110 according to any of the embodiments above onto the net or the wires
120; and c) optionally, affixing each shading unit
110 to the wire
120, e.g. using stoppers
114.
[0065] In another embodiment, the present invention provides a method for shading an essentially
horizontal area, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a shading system
100 in which the shading units 110 are already mounted/connected to the hanging wires
120 or net of wires; (b) hanging and stretching one or more hanging wires
120 in parallel to one another in accordance with the sun's movement direction; (c) optionally,
mounting additional shading units
110 onto the wires
120 according to need; and (d) optionally, affixing each one of the additional shading
units
110 to the wire
120 using, e.g., stoppers
114.
[0066] In certain embodiments of the method according to the invention, the spacing between
the shading units
110 is determined according to shading needs and desired shading coverage. As illustrated
in Figs. 5, 6A and 6B, shading percentage can be controlled and changed within a single
shading area by changing the spaces between the shading units
110.
[0067] The present invention further provides a shading system
100 comprising (a) a plurality of shading units
110 designed to be sequentially connected to one another to create a string of shading
units, each shading unit
110 comprises: (i) upper- and lower-sections, wherein the arch/angle between the two
sections is between 91° and 179°; and (ii) optionally, a right- and a left- sections,
wherein the arch/angle between the two sections is between 91° and 179°; and (b) a
plurality of connecting elements
115 for connecting one shading unit
110 to the next or to an adequate support.
[0068] In specific embodiments of the above system
100, the at least one of the plurality of the connecting elements
115 is an integral part of each shading unit
110 of the plurality of shading units
110 and is connected/located at the upper section thereof.
[0069] In further specific embodiments, the above system
100 further comprises: (i) springs at one or both ends of each one of the string of shading
units designed to eliminate/reduce pulling forces applied thereon when attached/connected
to the adequate support; and/or (ii) a spring element between each shading unit
110 and the connecting elements
115 (in specific embodiments, the connecting elements
115 are flexible and act as a spring mechanism).
[0070] In specific embodiments, the present invention provides a method for shading an area
using the above mentioned shading system
100, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing the shading system as described
above; (b) connecting the shading units
110 in a sequential manner to create a line of shading units
110, optionally by using connection elements
115 and securing means
116; and (c) hanging and stretching the line of shading units
110 between two adequate support points, optionally in accordance with the sun's movement
direction.
[0071] In certain embodiments, the distance and angle (see e.g. angle α in Fig. 3C) between
two adjacent shading units is determined according to shading needs and shading unit's
dimensions. In certain embodiments, angle α is in between 46° and 89°, such as 50,
55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80 or 85°.