Joints and connections – Articulated members – Lockable at fixed position
Reexamination Certificate
2002-05-31
2004-01-20
Cottingham, John R. (Department: 3679)
Joints and connections
Articulated members
Lockable at fixed position
C403S084000, C135S126000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06679643
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a device for jointing poles of a tent, and more particularly, to a pole jointing device for tents, which is used to joint a plurality of poles to each other to form a pole assembly which is inserted into pole assembly insert pockets sewn to the outer circumferential surface of the main body of a tent in order to obtain a desired shape when the tent is pitched, and which has a unit for automatically releasing the pole jointing device from its locking state when collapsing the tent, thus preventing the pole jointing device from being damaged.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typically, tents have been designed to have a dome shape or a tunnel shape with a plurality of pole assemblies. Recently, demand has increased for a pole jointing device which allows the poles to be easily and simply connected to and disconnected from each other as well as prevents the tent from being deformed in its shape by an external force.
FIG. 1
shows a conventional tent having a tunnel shape, when the tent is pitched. In this tent, a plurality of pole assembly insert pockets
1
a
are sewn to the outer circumferential surface of a main body
1
. In this case, the pole assemblies
2
are inserted into the pockets
1
a
in order that the tent may maintain a desired shape, that is, the tunnel shape. Each pole assembly
2
is formed by coupling a plurality of poles
2
a
with each other. The end of each pole is firmly connected to a rotor block
4
which is rotatable about a hinge
3
a
of a coupling member
3
.
When it is required to pitch the tent
1
, the pole assemblies
2
inserted in the pockets
1
a
sewn to the outer circumferential surface of the main body
1
are stretched. Then, all poles
2
a
forming each pole assembly
2
are rotated about the hinges
3
a
of the coupling members
3
such that the main body
1
of the tent forms a tunnel shape.
In the case where the tent
1
is pitched, when an external force is applied to the pole jointing parts of the pole assemblies
2
, or the coupling members
3
installed at the ends of the poles
2
a
, the rotor blocks
4
connected to the coupling members
3
are rotated. On the contrary, when the external force is removed, the rotor blocks
4
are returned to their original positions by the elasticity of both the pockets
1
a
and the main body
1
. In this way, the main body
1
of the tent can maintain the tunnel shape.
As described above, in the case where a relatively weak external force is applied to a coupling member
3
, the pole assembly
2
can return to its original position. But, when a relatively strong external force, that is, force enough to rotate the rotor blocks
4
of the two neighboring coupling members
3
, is applied to the coupling members
3
, the poles
2
a
move toward the main body
1
. At this time, even if the external force is removed, the poles
2
a
cannot return to their original positions. Thus, the conventional tent has a problem in that it is complicated to pitch the tent, because a user must adjust the main body
1
to have the tunnel shape while pulling the poles
2
a
inside and/or outside the tent such that the poles
2
a
are returned to their original positions.
In order to solve the problem, there has been proposed Korean Utility Model No. 0172539, which was filed to KIPO under U.M. Application No. 1999-0019685, and was registered on Dec. 13, 1999, and is titled “DEVICE FOR JOINTING POLES OF A PORTABLE TENT”. This pole jointing device is shown in
FIGS. 2
a
to
2
c.
FIG. 2
a
,
FIG. 2
b
, and
FIG. 2
c
are, respectively, an exploded perspective view, a perspective view, and a plan view of the conventional pole jointing device. As shown in the drawings, the pole jointing device
10
according to the Utility Model No. 0172539 includes a housing
20
which is provided at its one end with a first pole insert hole
21
for receiving a pole
2
a
forming a pole assembly. A seat slit
22
is formed on the housing
20
in such a way as to be opposite to the pole insert hole
21
. Further, two locking recesses
23
are formed on both sidewalls of the seat slit
22
.
In the seat slit
22
is seated a rotor body
30
. The rotor body
30
is provided with a longitudinal hinge hole
31
for receiving a hinge pin
40
which is used to joint the rotor body
30
to the housing
20
. Two locking lugs
32
are integrally formed on both sidewalls of the rotor body
30
, and are respectively inserted into the two locking recesses
23
formed on the housing
20
. The rotor body
30
is provided at its one end with a second pole insert hole
33
for receiving another pole
2
a.
FIG. 3
is a front view of the tent, which is pitched by the pole assemblies each having been assembled by the conventional pole jointing device. As shown in
FIG. 3
, the pole assembly
2
is formed by jointing a plurality of poles
2
a
. In this case, two coupling members
3
and two pole jointing devices
10
are alternately installed on the pole assembly
2
at positions where the poles
2
a
are coupled to each other. In this case, the coupling member
3
is rotatable at both ends while the pole jointing device
10
is rotatably hinged at one end. Particularly, the pole jointing device
10
is installed at the jointing area of the poles
2
a
adjacent to the ground surface. The process of pitching the main body
1
of the tent using the pole assemblies
2
, each of which is formed by two coupling members
3
and two pole jointing devices
10
is as follows. First, the rotor body
30
is inserted into the housing
20
. At this time, the locking lugs
32
formed on the rotor body
30
are each fitted into an associated locking recess
23
of the housing
20
, thus preventing an unexpected movement of the pole assembly
2
. In such a way, as shown in
FIG. 3
, the tent is set up to have a tunnel shape.
When the external force is applied to the jointing area of the pole assembly
2
supporting the main body
1
of the tent, that is, the coupling member
3
and the pole jointing device
10
which are connected to the end of the pole
2
a
, the pole jointing device
10
is hinged, causing the external force to be transmitted to the coupling member
3
adjacent to the pole jointing device
10
. At this time, the rotor block
4
, mounted to the coupling member
3
, is rotated. On the other hand, when the external force is removed from the coupling member
3
, the rotor block
4
is returned to its original position from a rotated position by the elasticity of both the main body
1
and the pocket
1
a
. In this way, the tent
1
maintains the tunnel shape.
The pole jointing device
10
allows the tent to be invariable in its shape, thus preventing the pole assembly from folding.
Further, when removing the pole connecting force from the pole assembly
2
to collapse the main body
1
of the tent, the rotor block
4
of each coupling member
3
is rotated while the rotor body
30
inserted into the ho sing
20
of the pole jointing device
10
is pulled out from the housing
20
along the longitudinal hinge hole
31
. At this time, the locking lugs
32
formed on the rotor body
30
are removed from the locking recesses
23
, so the rotor body
30
rotates about the hinge part, thus collapsing the tent.
However, the conventional pole jointing device has a problem in that it is complicated to collapse the tent, beta se the rotor body
30
must be rotated after the locking lugs
32
are removed from the locking recesses
23
of the housing
20
when the tent's collapse is required.
The conventional pole jointing device has another problem in that the locking lugs
32
and locking recesses
23
may be damaged if a user rotates the rotor body
30
without the locking lugs
32
being removed from the locking recesses
23
, so the broken pole jointing device has to be replaced with a new one, thus resulting in additional expense.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior ar
Cottingham John R.
Northpole Unlimited
Schmeiser Olsen & Watts LLP
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