As a large-area shading system, the articulated arm awning offers flexible protection against sun and heat. Mounted on the wall of the house, the articulated arms move together with the awning fabric to provide or remove shade as required.
What is a folding arm awning?
A classic awning construction in which the type of awning fabric is unrolled from the fabric roll by means of two or more articulated arms.
To ensure that this function runs smoothly, quietly and comfortably, the folding arm awning should only be manufactured from high quality components.
Function of articulated arm awnings.
Hinged arm awnings carry the awning with the wall construction, so no additional support structure is required. The awning can thus swing freely over the area to be shaded.
The articulated arms are usually equipped with three joints each (front, middle and rear). For smooth functionality, the joints are usually equipped with spring assemblies.
When extended, the articulated arms ensure optimum fabric tension.
Which folding arm awnings are there?
Swing arm awnings are standardly delivered with two swivel arms. Larger widths are possible with three or more articulated arms.
The length of the articulated arms is also variable depending on the drop depth. Swing arm awnings are mainly used for shading terraces and balconies.
The folding arm awning offers optimum sun protection.
Swing arm awnings are equipped with sound-damped internal spring assemblies that ensure high tension and permanently prevent the awning fabric from sagging. The awning fabric is crucial for sun and heat protection.
In addition to the design, which can be individually adapted with numerous patterns, colours and decorative elements such as flounces, the quality of the fabric ensures good, long-lasting sun protection and is particularly important.
Folding arm awnings are extremely tear-resistant. The yarns are fully dyed, so your folding arm awning will remain colourfast and lightfast.
The fabric collection for the awning types includes more than one hundred different fabric designs as well as special surfaces with a wild silk effect or a self-cleaning Teflon finish.
Hinged arm awning.
A modern awning is a prefabricated structure, generally used for protection from direct sunlight. Straight point awnings are the most popular.
They have found wide application in the layout of mansions, country houses, as window awnings in city flats, open terraces of restaurants and cafés and shop windows.
The folding arm awning is not only a modern shading system, but also protects against UV rays and, if necessary, will protect your guests from light rain.
Articulated arm awnings are a type of design with guides that look like human elbows. They are essentially hollow 2-piece levers with hinged joints and a chain or cable stretched inside to provide stability to the awning arm.
Unlike similar stationary awnings, folding arm awnings can be assembled and unfolded; this is their main advantage and functional feature.
In the closed state, folding arm awnings are assembled and the awning fabric is rolled up into a roll, they are compact and space-saving, and when unfolded, they can cover a large area.
When opening the folding arm awning, a lever mechanism or an electric gear drive is used, which simultaneously unrolls the fabric and unfolds the support rails.
Depending on the width of the awning and therefore the area to be shaded, the number of bends in the structure is determined.
Composition and characteristics of folding arm awnings.
Thanks to modern technologies, for creation of supporting and retractable elements of awnings, aluminium alloys are used, which provide lightness and reliability of the structure, impact-resistant plastic for pivoting hinges, chromium-nickel alloys for bearings.
The structure is treated with a corrosion protection agent and the folding arm awnings are made of acrylic fabrics resistant to ultraviolet radiation and temperature differences.
There is a European classification of folding arm awnings, according to which they are divided into four types depending on wind resistance. Depending on the type of construction, they are open, semi-closed and fully closed.
The main advantages of articulated arm awnings are:
- Maximum removal of an awning;
- Maximum sash width;
- Wide angle of inclination.
- When choosing an articulated arm awning, pay attention to such features as the ability to adjust the angle of inclination; protection of steel frame elements; the presence of an electric drive, a sun / wind sensor, a rain sensor, a control panel. On some models, the functions of continuous change of inclination and constant tension of the sash are available.
- The presence of an articulated arm awning will add elegance and sophistication to any building, whether it is an elite country house, a cottage or an open summer terrace of a cafe.
Semi-cassette or cassette articulated arm awnings.
In addition to vertical awnings, there are also folding arm awnings that are protected by a casing when retracted.
Cassette awnings are models in which the awning fabric is protected by a cassette at the top and at the front.
A cassette awning, on the other hand, also incorporates the mechanism of the folding arm awning: when retracted, the entire awning, including the fabric, disappears into a closed, stable housing in the wall.
Hinged arm cassette awnings therefore offer the best possible protection against the effects of weather, dust and dirt.
For both extendable awnings and cassette awnings, the folding arm awning manufacturers offer an attractive selection of modern design packages for the casing and side panels, from elegant chrome to classic white.
Articulated arm awning for different needs.
Classic folding arm awnings are available in different sizes and designs. If a particularly large open area is to be shaded, the construction of the folding arm awning must be aligned accordingly to ensure the necessary stability.
There are articulated arm awning models that span a width of up to 14 metres with a projection of four metres, and all without interruptions in the fabric.
However, smaller areas, such as balconies, loggias or terrace niches, can also be protected with folding arm awnings.
Even small sizes are possible thanks to the intelligent arrangement of the folding arms. A comparatively large drop depth ensures pleasant shade even with narrow widths.
Operation of folding arm awnings.
The folding arm awning is normally operated by a crank or an electric motor. Electric drives can be operated via a permanently installed switch or optionally via a radio remote control.
The so-called control sensors with which folding arm awnings can be equipped are particularly useful: wind and rain sensors automatically retract the awning in case of precipitation and storms, so that the sun protection system is not damaged.
The sun monitors, on the other hand, serve to protect against heat: If a certain brightness value is exceeded, the folding arm awning is automatically extended.
In this way, the open space is always optimally shaded and the adjacent interior rooms are protected against overheating.