Tent – canopy – umbrella – or cane – Portable shelter – Shelter pole
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-26
2003-05-06
Canfield, Robert (Department: 3635)
Tent, canopy, umbrella, or cane
Portable shelter
Shelter pole
C052S749100, C052S749100, C403S368000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06557572
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tent pole and a connecting structure thereof, and more particularly, to a tent pole and a connecting structure thereof, which can overcome weakness of connected portions between tent poles, which form a framework of a tent, and maintain a securely connected state of the tent pole.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a tent includes a waterproof cloth and a plurality of tent poles to make users stay temporarily during camping or spending the time outdoors. The plural tent poles are assembled to each other to form a prescribed shape and the waterproof cloth is covered thereon, and thereby the tent is perfected.
The tent poles are a framework for forming the inside space of the tent, and are manufactured in the form of a cylindrical pipe. As shown in
FIG. 1
, the inside space part of the tent pole
10
is provided with a rubber band or an elastic cord
20
with an excellent elasticity. Concretely, a tent pole
40
has a shaft tube part
41
formed at an end thereof. The shaft tube part
40
has the external diameter smaller than the internal diameter of other portions of the tent pole
40
. Meanwhile, another tent pole
30
to be connected to the tent pole
40
has an enlarged tube part
32
formed at an end thereof to insert the shaft tube part
41
of the tent pole
40
. The shaft tube part
41
of the tent pole
40
is inserted into the enlarge tube part
32
of the other tent pole
30
, such that the tent poles
30
and
40
are connected to each other.
If the tent poles
30
and
40
are arranged in a line, the tent poles
30
and
40
are pulled from each other by the elasticity of the elastic cord
20
, thereby connecting the tent poles
30
and
40
easily.
In the connecting structure of the tent poles, since the enlarged tube part
32
and the shaft tube part
41
are thinner than other portions of the tent poles
30
and
40
, the tent poles
30
and
40
may be bent and damaged.
FIG. 3
is a sectional view showing a connected state of the conventional tent poles. To reinforce the enlarged tube part
32
and the shaft tube part
41
, as shown in
FIG. 3
, a reinforced rod
43
is arranged inside a slanted part
44
of the shaft tube part
41
. The reinforced rod
43
has the external form corresponding to the internal shape of the slanted part
44
. The reinforced rod
43
reinforces the slanted part
44
of the shaft tube part
41
, thereby preventing the slanted part
44
of the shaft tube part
41
from being damaged when the tent poles are connected.
Meanwhile, the enlarged tube part
32
of the tent pole
30
to be connected to the tent pole
40
may have a stopper
33
being in the form of a ring to restrict the advance of the shaft tube part
41
of the tent pole
40
inserted into the enlarged tube part
32
of the tent pole
30
.
However, in the connecting structure of the tent poles shown in
FIG. 3
, when the tent poles
30
and
40
arranged in a line are pulled from each other by the elasticity of the elastic cord
20
, the shaft tube part
41
of the tent pole
40
and the enlarged tube part
32
of the tent pole
30
collide against each other. Generally, the tent pole is made of aluminum material and is thin, and thereby end portions of the tent poles may be damaged easily if colliding against each other.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a tent pole and a connecting structure thereof, which can prevent the damage of the tent pole caused by collision of a shaft tube part and an end portion of the tent pole.
To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a tent pole comprising: a shaft tube part of a prescribed length formed at an end portion thereof, the shaft tube part being inserted into another tent pole; and a stopper provided at the outside of a slanted part of the shaft tube part to restrict an inserted depth of the shaft tube part.
It is preferable that the stopper is in the form of a ring, which has a hole formed at the center.
Furthermore, the end portion of the shaft tube part has a finishing member performing a buffering action to the collision against an end portion of the other tent pole to be connected to the shaft tube part when the tent poles are connected.
It is preferable that the finishing member includes an external surface having a streamlined convex portion, an insertion part inserted into the shaft tube part of the tent pole and a through hole formed at the center to pass an elastic cord passing through the inside of the tent pole.
The shaft tube part of the tent pole may have a reinforced rod mounted inside the slanted part to reinforce the slanted part, the reinforced rod having the external form corresponding to the internal form of the slanted part.
The reinforced rod includes a round part being in the form of a ring, which has the external diameter corresponding to the internal diameter of the shaft tube part, and a conical portion having a slanted surface, the conical portion having the external diameter corresponding to the slanted internal diameter of the slanted part.
Moreover, the present invention provides a connecting structure of tent poles, in which a stopper is mounted outside a slanted part of a shaft tube part, which is formed at an end portion of the tent pole in a prescribed length, to restrict the inserted depth of the shaft tube part, and the shaft tube part is inserted into an end portion of another tent pole to connect the tent poles with each other.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1846305 (1932-02-01), Brooks
patent: 2379577 (1945-07-01), Harsted
patent: 2984853 (1961-05-01), Williams
patent: 3447549 (1969-06-01), Cunningham
patent: 3567257 (1971-03-01), Nowosadko
patent: 3730544 (1973-05-01), Hyman
patent: 4441273 (1984-04-01), McMickle et al.
patent: 4819969 (1989-04-01), Williams
patent: 6382223 (2002-05-01), Lah
patent: 6-257327 (1994-06-01), None
Canfield Robert
Costellia Jeffrey L.
Nixon & Peabody LLP
LandOfFree
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