U.S. patent application number 12/588201 was filed with the patent office on 2011-04-07 for joint assembly.
This patent application is currently assigned to SPORTSMAN CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Jack Chen.
Application Number | 20110079261 12/588201 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43822233 |
Filed Date | 2011-04-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110079261 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chen; Jack |
April 7, 2011 |
Joint assembly
Abstract
A joint assembly is mounted between adjacent supports of a frame
of a tent and has a female joint, a male joint and a slide. The
male joint covers on the female joint. The slide is mounted
slidably between the joints and abuts a resilient member. The
female joint has a partition with at least one through hole to
allow a protrusion of the slide to selectively pass through. When
the slide moves to mount the protrusion in the through hole, the
joints are held from rotating relative to each other. When the
slide moves to completely retract between the joints, the
protrusion leaves the through hole to allow the joints to rotate
relative to each other. Therefore, when the frame is folded, the
slide is completely retracted to avoid damage other components.
Inventors: |
Chen; Jack; (US) |
Assignee: |
SPORTSMAN CORPORATION
Taipei Hsien
TW
|
Family ID: |
43822233 |
Appl. No.: |
12/588201 |
Filed: |
October 7, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
135/151 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04H 15/42 20130101;
E04H 15/48 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
135/151 |
International
Class: |
E04H 15/48 20060101
E04H015/48 |
Claims
1. A joint assembly comprising: a female joint having a partition
formed on an inside surface of the female joint and having at least
one through hole; and an inner annular channel formed in the inside
surface of the female joint; a male joint mounted on and covering
the inside surface of the female joint and having an inside surface
of the male joint facing the inside surface of the female joint;
and an opening formed through a sidewall of the male joint; a slide
mounted slidably between the female and male joints through the
opening and having a first side of the slide faces to the inside
surface of the male joint; a second side of the slide faces to the
inside surface of the female joint; and a protrusion formed on the
second side of the slide and selectively mounted in the at least
one through hole of the partition; a resilient member mounted
between a proximal end of the slide and the sidewall of the male
joint; and two extending tubes formed respectively on and
protruding transversely out from sidewalls of the female and male
joints.
2. The joint assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the male joint
has a radial groove formed in the inside surface of the male joint;
the opening of the male joint communicates with the radial groove
of the male joint; and the slide is mounted slidably in the radial
groove of the mail joint.
3. The joint assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the male joint
has multiple guiding ribs formed in the radial groove; and the
slide has multiple guiding grooves are formed in the first side of
the slide and mounted movably on the guiding ribs of the male
joint.
4. The joint assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the female
joint has an outer annular channel; the partition is formed between
the inner and outer annular channels of the female joint; and the
male joint has a C-shaped mounting rib formed on the inside surface
of the male joint and having a gap aligning with the opening of the
male joint.
5. The joint assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the male joint
has a limiting shaft formed on the inside surface of the male
joint; and the slide has an elongated hole formed through the slide
and mounted movably around the limiting shaft.
6. The joint assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein the female
joint has a central pivot formed at a center of the inside surface
of the female joint; and the limiting shaft of the male joint is
mounted around the central pivot of the female joint.
7. The joint assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein the male joint
has a limiting shaft formed on the inside surface of the male
joint; and the slide has an elongated hole formed through the slide
and mounted movably around the limiting shaft.
8. The joint assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein the female
joint has a central pivot formed at a center of the inside surface
of the female joint; and the limiting shaft of the male joint is
mounted around the central pivot of the female joint.
9. The joint assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the partition
of the female joint has multiple through holes.
10. The joint assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein each
extending tube has a C-shaped sliding recess formed in a sidewall
of the extending tube; and a connecting tube mounted rotatably
around the extending tube, and each connecting tube has two
limiting pins mounted therethrough and sliding in the sliding
recess of the corresponding extending tube.
11. The joint assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein each
extending tube has a C-shaped sliding recess formed in a sidewall
of the extending tube; and a connecting tube mounted rotatably
around the extending tube, and each connecting tube has two
limiting pins mounted therethrough and sliding in the sliding
recess of the corresponding extending tube.
12. The joint assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein a receiving
recess and a wedge are formed respectively on ends of the extending
tubes, and a length of the wedge is larger than a depth of the
receiving recess.
13. The joint assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein a receiving
recess and a wedge are formed respectively on ends of the extending
tubes, and a length of the wedge is larger than a depth of the
receiving recess.
14. The joint assembly as claimed in claim 13, wherein the slide
has multiple knurls formed on a distal end of the slide.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a joint assembly,
especially to a joint assembly mounted between adjacent supports to
allow the supports pivoting.
[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Arts
[0004] European patent No. 1975346 shows a quickly pitching tent,
which is incorporated herein by reference. With reference to FIGS.
8 and 9, the quickly pitching tent comprises a foldable frame (80)
and a cloth housing (90) covering the frame (80). The foldable
frame (80) has multiple supports (81) and multiple conventional
joint assemblies (82). Each conventional joint assembly (82) is
mounted between adjacent supports (81) to allow the supports (81)
pivoting. Each conventional joint assembly (82) has a pin (821) to
selectively lock the conventional joint assembly (82). However, the
end of the pin (821) is exposed out from the conventional joint
assembly (82). When the tent is folding or is folded, the exposed
ends of the pins (821) easily penetrate through the cloth housing
(90). Therefore, the conventional joint assembly (82) easily causes
damage.
[0005] To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides
a joint assembly to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned
problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The main objective of the present invention is to provide a
joint assembly that does not damage other components while the
frame is folded. The joint assembly is mounted between adjacent
supports of a frame of a tent and has a female joint, a male joint
and a slide. The male joint covers on the female joint. The slide
is mounted slidably between the joints and abuts a resilient
member. The female joint has a partition with at least one through
hole to allow a protrusion of the slide to selectively pass
through. When the slide moves to mount the protrusion in the
through hole, the joints are held from rotating relative to each
other. When the slide moves to completely retract between the
joints, the protrusion leaves the through hole to allow the joints
to rotate relative to each other. Therefore, when the frame is
folded, the slide is completely retracted to avoid damage other
components.
[0007] Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the
invention will become more apparent from the following detailed
description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a joint assembly
in accordance with the present invention;
[0009] FIG. 2 is an operational end view in partial section of the
joint assembly in FIG. 1;
[0010] FIG. 3 is an operational side view of the joint assembly in
FIG. 1;
[0011] FIG. 4 is another operational side view of the joint
assembly in FIG. 1;
[0012] FIG. 5 is a side view in partial section of another
embodiment of a female joint of a joint assembly in accordance with
the present invention;
[0013] FIG. 6 is an operational perspective view of another
embodiment of a joint assembly in accordance with the present
invention;
[0014] FIG. 7 is an operational side view of the joint assembly in
FIG. 6;
[0015] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a quickly pitching tent
shown in EP1975346 with multiple conventional joint assemblies in
accordance with the prior art; and
[0016] FIG. 9 is an operational perspective view of the tent in
FIG. 8, shown folded.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0017] With reference to FIG. 1, a joint assembly in accordance
with the present invention comprises a female joint (10), a male
joint (20), a slide (30), a resilient member (40) and two extending
tubes (50). The joint assembly may be mounted between adjacent
supports of a frame of a tent.
[0018] The female joint (10) is disk-like and has an inner annular
channel (11), an outer annular channel (12), a partition (13) and a
central pivot (14). The inner and outer annular channels (11, 12)
are formed in an inside surface. The partition (13) is formed
between the inner and outer annular channels (11, 12) and has at
least one through hole (131). The through hole (131) communicates
the inner and outer annular channels (11, 12). The central pivot
(14) is formed at a center of the inside surface of the female
joint (10).
[0019] The male joint (20) is mounted on and covers the inside
surface of the female joint (10) and has an inside surface, a
radial groove (21), multiple guiding ribs (22), an opening (23) and
a mounting rib (24). The inside surface of the male joint (20)
faces the inside surface of the female joint (10). The radial
groove (21) is formed in the inside surface of the male joint (20).
The guiding ribs (22) are formed in the radial groove (21). The
opening (23) is formed through a sidewall of the male joint (20)
and communicates with the radial groove (21). The mounting rib (24)
is C-shaped, is formed on the inside surface of the male joint (20)
and has a gap (241) aligns with the opening (23) of the male joint
(20).
[0020] The slide (30) is mounted slidably between the female and
male joints (10, 20), is mounted slidably in the radial groove (21)
of the mail joint (20) through the opening (23) and has a first
side, a second side, multiple knurls (31), multiple guiding grooves
(32) and a protrusion (33). The first side of the slide (30) faces
to the inside surface of the male joint (20). The second side of
the slide (30) faces to the inside surface of the female joint
(10). The knurls (31) are formed on a distal end of the slide (30)
for the user to easily push the slide (30). The guiding grooves
(32) are formed in the first side of the slide (30) and are mounted
movably on the guiding ribs (22) to limit the sliding path of the
slide (30). The protrusion (33) is formed on the second side of the
slide (30) and is selectively mounted in the through hole (131) of
the partition (13). When the distal end of the slide (30) protrudes
out of the male joint (20), the protrusion (33) is mounted in the
through hole (131) of the partition (13) to keep the female and
male joints (10, 20) from pivoting relative to each other. When the
distal end of the slide (30) completely retracts completely between
the female and male joints (10, 20), the protrusion (33) is located
in the inner annular channel (11) of the female joint (10) to allow
the female and male joints (10, 20) to pivot relative to each
other.
[0021] To keep the slide (30) from departing from the male joint
(20), a limit component may be applied between the slide (30) and
the male joint (20). In the preferred embodiment, the male joint
(20) has a limiting shaft (25) and the slide (30) has an elongated
hole (34). The limiting shaft (25) is formed on the inside surface
of the male joint (20) and is mounted around the central pivot (14)
of the female joint (10). The elongated hole (34) is formed through
the slide (30) and is mounted movably around the limiting shaft
(25). When the slide (30) moves, the limiting shaft (25)
selectively abuts the ends of the elongated hole (34) to keep the
slide (30) from departing from the male joint (20).
[0022] The resilient member (40) is mounted between a proximal end
of the slide (30) and the sidewall of the male joint (20), may be
mounted in the radial groove (21) and may be a spring.
[0023] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the extending tubes (50)
are formed respectively on and protrude transversely out from
sidewalls of the female and male joints (10, 20). Each extending
tube (50) has a C-shaped sliding recess (51) formed in a sidewall
of the extending tube (50). Each extending tube (50) has a
connecting tube (60) mounted rotatably around the extending tube
(50). The connecting tubes (60) are connected to or are formed with
the supports of the frame of the tent. When external force acts on
the frame of the tent, the connecting tubes (60) may rotate to
absorb part of the external force. Each connecting tube (60) has
two limiting pins (70) mounted therethrough. The limiting pins (70)
slide in the sliding recess (51) of the corresponding extending
tube (50) to limit the rotating angle of the connecting tube (60).
The C-shaped sliding recess (51) may be across 270 degrees while
the two limiting pins (70) mounted through a connecting tube (60)
may include by 90 degrees.
[0024] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 3, when the frame of the tent
is folded, the slide (30) is pushed to retract completely between
the female and male joints (10, 20). Because the protrusion (33) is
located in the inner annular channel (11) of the female joint (10),
the protrusion (33) is allowed to slide in the inner annular
channel (11) and the female and male joints (10, 20) are allowed to
pivot relative each other. Therefore, the included angle between
the extending tubes (50) are changed to fold the frame.
[0025] With reference to FIG. 4, when the frame of the tent is
unfolded, the female and male joints (10, 20) are pivoted to align
the protrusion (33) with the through hole (131) of the partition
(13). Then the resilient member (40) pushes the slide (30) to move
and the protrusion (33) moves into the through hole (131) to block
the female and male joints (10, 20). Therefore, the extending tubes
(50) are held at a predetermined angle to hold the frame at an
unfolded status.
[0026] The joint assembly as described has following advantages.
When the tent is folded, the slide (30) needs to be complete
retract into the female and male joints (10, 20). Therefore, the
joint assembly as described has no protruding parts when the tent
is folded so that the joint assembly as described does not cause
damage to other parts of the tent. Furthermore, the cooperation
between the slide (30) and the resilient member (40) easily lock
and unlock the female and male joints (10, 20). Thus, the joint
assembly as described is convenient for use.
[0027] The adjacent supports at different parts of the frame have
different included angles. For example, the adjacent supports at
the top of the frame may have included angle by 120 degrees while
the adjacent supports at the side of the frame may have included
angle by 180 degrees. Therefore, with reference to FIG. 5, the
partition (13A) of the female joint (10A) has multiple through
holes (131A) to provide different positioning angles for the
supports at different parts of the frame.
[0028] Moreover, with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, a receiving
recess (52A) and a wedge (53A) are formed respectively on ends of
the extending tubes (50A). The length of the wedge (53A) is larger
than the depth of the receiving recess (52A). When the extending
tubes (50) align with each other, the wedge (53A) protrudes into
the receiving recess (52A) to from an interval (54A) between the
ends of the extending tubes (50). Therefore, the ends of the
extending tubes (50) do not bump into each other so that the ends
of the extending tubes (50) do not clamp the user to enhance
safety.
[0029] Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the
present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description,
together with details of the structure and features of the
invention, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made
in the details, especially in matters of shape, size, and
arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the
full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in
which the appended claims are expressed.
* * * * *