Joints and connections – Articulated members – Lockable at fixed position
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-27
2001-10-23
Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3629)
Joints and connections
Articulated members
Lockable at fixed position
C403SDIG004, C403S104000, C280S087041, C280S087050
Reexamination Certificate
active
06305869
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tube tightening structure for collapsible vehicles, more particularly to a tube tightening structure that has a handy wrench and a positioning element to prevent turning of telescopic tubular elements during length adjustment.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
Many articles are provided with a collapsible structure to enable them to be compact so as to facilitate carrying, storage, or transport. Telescopic structures are therefore commonly used, for instance, in length adjustable tubular members. One very common instance is collapsible bicycle, in which telescopic structures are provided on the longer and higher fame tubes to enable the collapsible bicycle to be very compact suitable for carrying and storage. In order to secure telescopic structures in a speedy manner, a tube tightening member having a handy wrench is often used. With reference to
FIGS. 5 and 6
, the end portion of an outer tube A of a telescopic tube is provided with a groove A
1
along an axial direction, and is fitted with a tube tightening element C having a handy wrench C
1
. The annular inner side of the tube tightening element C is formed with a projecting strip C
2
that extends relative to the groove A
1
inside the tube. An inner tube B is formed with a punched V-shaped longitudinally oriented recessed groove B
1
that corresponds to the strip C
2
on the inner side of the tube tightening element C. A lower section of the recessed groove B
1
is provided with an abutting post B
2
that projects therefrom. By means of the above construction, the inner tube B may utilize the recessed groove B
1
to slidably displace along the strip C
2
on the inner side of the tube tightening element C in a telescopic manner and abut thereagainst to prevent turning. Besides, the abutting posts B
2
is provided to abut against the strip C
2
on the inner side of the tube tightening element C to constitute a stop function.
In the above-mentioned prior art structure, the strip on the annular inner side of the tube tightening element has to be separately formed and processed. As the construction of the tube tightening element is complicated and has a particular configuration, its adaptability is poor. Besides, since the strip abuts against the recessed groove, scratches may easily occur. Further, the abutting post on the lower section of the recessed groove is inserted into a separately formed hole, the processing of the wall of the recessed groove and the securing of the abutting post are time-consuming. Improvements thereon are therefore necessary.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a tube tightening structure for collapsible vehicles that includes a tube tightening member provided with a handy wrench and a positioning element for mounting on a main tubular element of a telescopic tube so that an auxiliary tubular element inside the main tubular element is prevented from relative tuning and can be positioned conveniently.
According to the present invention, a tube tightening structure for collapsible vehicles includes a tube tightening member provided with a handy wrench and being disposed at an end portion of a main tubular element of a telescopic tube body. An auxiliary tubular element is fitted into the main tubular element. The main tubular element is provided with a groove along an axial direction at one end where the auxiliary tubular element is fitted into the main tubular element. The tube tightening member is disposed at the groove, and has a securing bolt threadedly provided thereon to abut against the wall of the main tubular element. The auxiliary tubular element has a lower section formed with a recessed groove along a direction corresponding to the direction of the groove of the main tubular element such that a lower end of the recessed groove is a distance away from a lower end of the auxiliary tubular element. A positioning element is secured between open ends of the tube tightening member by means of a pivot pin pivotally connected to the handy wrench. The positioning element has one end forming a tapered abutting block that is oriented towards the inner side of the groove of the main tubular element, with the other end forming an abutting plate abutting against the open ends of the tube tightening member. The abutting block abuts against the recessed groove of the auxiliary tubular element in a matching configuration, such that telescopic movement of the tubular elements is facilitated, and relative turning of the tubular elements is prevented.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4528768 (1985-07-01), Anderson
patent: 5279181 (1994-01-01), Boudreau
patent: 6079724 (2000-06-01), Lin
patent: 6142699 (2000-11-01), Pao
patent: 6158751 (2000-12-01), Wu et al.
patent: 4019739-A1 (1991-02-01), None
Browne Lynne H.
Dunwoody Aaron
Far Great Plastics Industrial Co. Ltd.
Rosenberg , Klein & Lee
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