U.S. patent number 3,715,996 [Application Number 05/169,722] was granted by the patent office on 1973-02-13 for collapsible support member.
Invention is credited to Rudolph L. Rolfshus.
United States Patent |
3,715,996 |
Rolfshus |
February 13, 1973 |
COLLAPSIBLE SUPPORT MEMBER
Abstract
An apparatus is described which is collapsible and can be
compactly reduced in size in its collapsed state, and which can be
extended by means of telescoping sections to provide a supporting
member for seats, tables, and other load-carrying objects.
Inventors: |
Rolfshus; Rudolph L.
(Burnsville, MN) |
Family
ID: |
22616918 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/169,722 |
Filed: |
August 6, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
297/311;
D6/692.3; 248/188.5 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47B
3/10 (20130101); A47C 9/00 (20130101); A47C
4/08 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47B
3/10 (20060101); A47B 3/00 (20060101); A47C
4/00 (20060101); A47b 009/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;108/34,139-153
;248/159,174,161,407,188 ;287/58CT ;220/8 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
752,695 |
|
Sep 1933 |
|
FR |
|
581,685 |
|
Aug 1933 |
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DD |
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Primary Examiner: Zugel; Francis K.
Assistant Examiner: Finch; Glenn O.
Claims
What is claim is:
1. A collapsible support comprising:
a. a base having the largest circumference of a hollow conical
section attached thereto, said conical section having at least two
vertical channels disposed substantially equidistant around its
circumference, said channels having notches in their upper ends and
said notches extending partially into the adjacent conical section
edges;
b. a plurality of further conical sections having vertical channels
and notches, and concentrically sized to permit each further
conical section to fit within another, and the largest of said
further conical sections to fit within and internally adjacent to
said conical section attached to said base;
c. a supportable surface attached to the smallest of said further
conical sections.
2. A collapsible support as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
vertical channels are three in number for each conical section.
3. A collapsible support as claimed in claim 2, wherein said
supportable surface further comprises a surface of area larger than
the area of said base.
4. A collapsible support comprising:
a. a first conical ring section having its lower diameter greater
than its upper diameter, and having at least two protruding
channels extending vertically, and having notches extending along
its upper circumference adjacent each channel, said notches being
of a length approximately equal to the channel width;
b. a second conical ring section having its lower diameter slightly
larger than said first conical ring section upper diameter, said
second conical ring section concentrically disposed within said
first conical ring section, and having channels and notches in
relatively similar angular positions to those in said first conical
ring section;
whereby said second conical ring section can be rotated relative to
said first conical ring section to engage said second channels in
said first notches.
5. A collapsible support as claimed in claim 4, further
comprising:
c. a plurality of additional conical ring sections sized to fit
concentrically within said second conical ring section, each
interior section having its lower diameter greater than the upper
diameter of the adjacent exterior section, and each additional
conical ring section also having channels and notches;
d. a top surface attached to the upper circumference of the
innermost section; and
e. a bottom surface attached to the lower circumference of said
first conical ring section.
6. A collapsible support as claimed in claim 5, further
comprising:
f. means for attaching to said support for transporting said
support, said attaching means coupled to said top surface.
7. A collapsible support member comprising:
a. a plurality of concentrically-spaced conical sections, each
section having a major circumference and a minor circumference,
said major and minor circumferences being successively smaller on
internally-adjacent sections, and the major circumference of each
section being larger than the minor circumference of the next
internally-adjacent section;
b. each of said sections having a plurality of outwardly protruding
ridges extending from said major circumference to said minor
circumference; and
c. each of said ridges having a notch adjacent its minor
circumference end, said notch extending along said minor
circumference.
8. A collapsible support as claimed in claim 7, further
comprising:
d. a surface of substantially flat area attached to said innermost
conical section minor circumference.
9. A collapsible support as claimed in claim 7, further
comprising:
d. a seat attached to said innermost conical section.
10. A collapsible support as claimed in claim 8, wherein said
outwardly protruding ridges further comprise channels of generally
U-shaped construction.
11. A collapsible support as claimed in claim 10, wherein said
outwardly protruding ridges are three per conical section.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is frequently desirable to provide a supporting member which has
good load-carrying capabilities, but which can be reduced to a
compact size when not in use. The telescoping section design
concept has been used to provide such a result, particularly in the
art of containers where the load is carried within the telescoping
container. Prior art telescoping devices have had the disadvantage
of poor load-carrying capability when the load forces are exerted
along the telescope-collapsing direction, unless significant major
modifications are made to the telescoping sections.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the illustrative embodiment of the invention, there is provide a
plurality of telescoping conical sections having hollow interiors,
a base surface attached to the bottom conical section, and a top
load-carrying surface attached to the top conical section. Each of
the conical sections is constructed to have a plurality of vertical
channels sized so as to allow interior sections to telescope within
exterior sections when the vertical channels are in alignment.
Small distances along the conical section upper edges are notched
to provide a seat for the vertical channels when the conical
sections are in an extended telescoping position, which effectively
locks the invention in its extended position. To achieve this
locked position adjacent conical sections are twisted slightly
relatively to one another.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the course of the detailed description which follows, reference
will be made to the attached drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is an illustration of an embodiment of the invention shown
in its extended and load-carrying form;
FIG. 2 is an illustration of an embodiment of the invention shown
in its collapsed form, and showing one mode of transporting the
invention;
FIG. 3 is a top view of one conical section, showing the preferred
arrangement of channels;
FIG. 4 is a partial expanded illustration of several conical
sections, showing the respective vertical channels and notches.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
FIG. 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention in its
expanded form. Base 101 is shown, upon which is fastened a partial
conical section 102. Section 102 is typically attached in a
permanent manner, or base 101 and section 102 are molded as a
singled piece from any of the common materials which are adaptable
for molding. Section 102 has at least one, and preferably two or
more, protruding vertical channel 103. The function and structure
of channel 103 will be described in more detail hereinafter. FIG. 1
also illustrates partial conical sections 105, 106, 107, 108, and
109. Each of these sections is designed to fit within the section
shown below it in FIG. 1 and is slideable from within the section
below it, but the major diameter of each partial conical section is
chosen to be slightly larger than the minor diameter of the section
below it which encloses it. This choice of diameters prevents an
internal conical section from being completely withdrawn from the
section immediately adjacent and exterior to it. It will be noted
that each of these additional conical sections have protruding
vertical channels also, which are shown aligned in a staggered
fashion in FIG. 1. These channels will be explained in more detail
hereinafter.
Top surface 110 is attached to the top conical section 109. This
attachment is accomplished either through a moulding process or by
some means of convenient attachment. This top surface 110 may be
used as a seat, table top, or other load-bearing surface, depending
upon the relative dimensions of the various elements of the
invention. FIG. 1 illustrates that each of the vertical channels of
the respective conical sections rests upon the upper edge of the
conical section immediately below. This provides a good
load-carrying structure. Of course, it will be appreciated that the
inventive apparatus may have more than one vertical channel per
section. The preferred embodiment has three channels per conical
section, each of which are spaced at 120.degree. intervals around
the circumference of the conical section. It will also be
appreciated that the width of the vertical channels will vary from
one conical section to another. For example, vertical channel 103
in FIG. 1 is wider than any of the vertical channels on conical
sections 105, 106, 107, 108 and 109. The width of a vertical
channel on conical section 105 is made slightly narrower than the
internal width dimension of channel 103, to enable the vertical
channels on conical section 105 to slide inside of the channels on
section 102 when the invention is collapsed. Similarly, the outside
width of all vertical channels on conical section 106 is slightly
less than the inside width of all vertical channels on section 105.
This relationship exists for each subsequent pair of conical
sections, so that when the invention is viewed in its expanded
form, as in FIG. 1, the successive vertical channels are narrower
near the top of the invention.
Eyelets 112 are shown attached to upper surface 110; these eyelets
are used in conjunction with a carrying strap, shown as 201 in FIG.
2, to enable the invention to be conveniently transported.
FIG. 2 illustrates the apparatus in its collapsed form. It can be
appreciated from FIG. 2 that the apparatus in its collapsed form is
extremely compact. The total height of the apparatus in its
collapsed form is approximately equal to the height of one of the
conical sections. The apparatus is preferably designed so that top
surface 110 mates snugly against base 101 when it is in its
collapsed form. All of the conical sections are concentrically
contained within the apparatus in its collapsed form.
FIG. 3 shows the top view of a typical conical section in the
preferred embodiment. Three symmetrically spaced channels 301 are
shown. FIG. 3 also illustrates the major and minor diameters of a
typical conical section. Diameter D is the bottom or major diameter
of the conical section, and is larger than diameter d, which is the
top or minor diameter. Relative diameters of adjacent conical
sections are chosen so that diameter D of a particular section is
larger than diameter d of the section immediately below and
concentrically external to it. Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 3,
diameter D of section 106 is larger than diameter d of Section 105.
Likewise, diameter D of section 107 is larger than diameter d of
section 10.
FIG. 4 illustrates an expanded portion of conical sections 105,
106, and 107. The vertical channels of these sections are more
clearly illustrated in this view, as is the construction of the top
edges of each conical section. Notch 401 is cut out of the upper
edge of conical section 107, and each of the other conical sections
has a similar notch cut from its top edge. It can be seen that
notch 401 is cut completely across vertical channel 403 and extends
for an additional distance along the top edge of section 107. Notch
401 provides a support and locking means for the vertical channel
immediately above. Likewise, notch 402 on section 106 provides a
support for vertical channel 403 on section 197, and similar
notches provide support for other vertical channels and
sections.
An alternate construction of the notches along the top edges of the
conical sections could be made by not cutting completely across the
vertical channels, but merely extending the notches from the ends
of the vertical channels into the adjacent top edge material.
According to this construction, the vertical channels would not
appear as shown in FIG. 4 but would instead extend all the way to
the top edge of the conical sections.
Each of the conical sections is rotatable with respect to other
sections, in that a particular conical section may be raised when
its vertical channel is in alignment with the channel adjacent and
external to it, and the section may then be rotated when the
vertical channel clears the notch immediately below it to enable
the vertical channel to rest upon the top edge of the section
below.
This can be appreciated with reference to FIG. 4 by visualizing the
relationship between a particular pair of conical sections such as
106 and 107. Conical section 107 is constructed so that when
vertical channel 403 is in vertical alignment with vertical channel
404 of section 106, conical section 107 will fit concentrically
within conical section 106. Assuming this to be the case, conical
section 107 could then be raised with respect to section 106, and
when vertical channel 403 cleared notch 402 on vertical channel
404, conical section 107 could be rotated clockwise with respect to
section 106. This rotation would proceed only until the left edge
of vertical channel 403 struck the end of notch 402. Conversely,
conical section 107 can be lowered by rotating it in the opposite
direction, to place vertical channel 403 in alignment with vertical
channel 404. This frees conical section 107 from its support on the
top edge of section 106 and allows section 107 to be lowered to a
position internal to section 106. Other sections may be expanded or
withdrawn with respect to their adjacent sections in a similar
fashion.
It will be apparent that the apparatus in its collapsed form has
all vertical channels in alignment. From this form, in order to
expand the apparatus to its extended position, it is necessary to
raise the top surface and rotate it while holding the base until
all vertical channels have slipped into their respective notches.
It will also be apparent that all vertical channels will have
generally the same slope as their respective conical sections.
The invention may be constructed of any convenient material, such
as plastic, fiberglass or metal. The relative heights of respective
conical sections are optional, to be determined by the particular
application for which the apparatus is intended. In a typical
embodiment, wherein the apparatus is used as a seat, seven conical
sections are used, each section having a height of three inches
including an overlap of about three-fourths inch. This gives a seat
of approximately 16 inches in height. For use in supporting a table
top, the sections could be increased in height, and more or fewer
sections could be used. The relative sizes and shapes of the top
surface and base are arbitrary, and will be dictated by the
application for which the invention is used. In one form of the
invention the base may be eliminated, with the apparatus made to
rest upon the bottom conical section, and the invention can as
easily be used in an inverted arrangement from that shown in the
illustrated examples.
It will be apparent to one skilled in this art that numerous other
arrangements may be devised which nevertheless embody the
invention, and that the arrangements described herein are merely
illustrative of the principles of the invention.
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