Patent Application
20210088065
Devices and methods provided herein relate to accessories for perforated poles, and more specifically a device for mounting accessories to perforated poles and repairing telescopic poles.
A canopy or pop-up tent is a temporary shelter that can be easily and quickly assembled in order to provide protection from sun or rain. As shown in the example in
In order to continuously adjust the telescopic pole into different positions, the locking peg 106 may be configured as shown in
One disadvantage of the canopy tent is its limited functionality. Without any walls or floor, it is designed simply as a temporary shelter in an outdoor environment. As most users intend to use the canopy for outdoor recreation, there is a need for improvements to the canopy tent to make it more useful for the activities in which it is so often used.
Additionally, the telescopic pole design suffers from numerous limitations and flaws, the most significant of which is that the V-shaped spring clip 300 often breaks or becomes dislodged within the interior pole 104A. Without the peg protruding through the peg hole, the telescopic pole is essentially useless, as it cannot be locked into any position other than its shortest, un-extended position. Even with the three other telescopic poles functioning correctly, the failure of just one of the telescopic poles renders the entire canopy mostly useless as well, as the height of the canopy will be uneven and significantly lower on one of the four sides.
Currently, the only way to repair a broken telescopic pole is to purchase replacement pegs or spring clips, completely disassemble the product and try to replace the clip internally. This type of repair is daunting and complicated for most people, which effectively leads them to dispose of the entire canopy tent and purchase a new one or effectuate a crude repair—such as by taping the poles together with duct tape—that requires difficult removal and replacement each time the canopy tent is taken down and put up. Therefore, there is a need for improved devices and methods of repairing telescopic poles for canopy tents.
Embodiments described herein provide a device for attaching with a perforated pole, the device including a peg secured to a flexible strap with a fastening mechanism, the peg configured to be inserted into a peg hole opening of the perforated pole and the flexible strap configured to wrap around the perforated pole and fasten together with the fastening mechanism to secure the peg in the peg hole. The fastening mechanism may include a clip, hook or adhesive fastener to secure the flexible strap to the pole and keep the peg securely inserted into the peg hole opening. If the perforated pole is a telescopic pole assembly where an interior pole slides within an exterior pole, the device may be utilized to fix the interior pole at a certain position within the exterior pole, especially if the existing spring clip is broken. Additionally, one or more accessories may be attached with the flexible strap—such as a pouch, pocket, loop or hook—to provide storage for beverages, tools and other items common to use with a canopy tent.
In one embodiment, a device for attaching with a perforated pole comprises: a flexible strap with a fastening mechanism for fastening one portion of the flexible strap with a second portion of the flexible strap; and a peg secured with the flexible strap on a first end and protruding substantially perpendicularly from the flexible strap.
In another embodiment, a method of attaching an accessory with a perforated pole comprises: position peg attached with a flexible strap and accessory over an exterior peg hole of a perforated pole; insert peg into the exterior peg hole; wrap the flexible strap with the attached accessory around an exterior surface of the perforated pole; and fasten the flexible strap to secure the accessory to the perforated pole.
In a further embodiment, a method of repairing a telescopic pole comprises: aligning an interior peg hole on an interior pole with an exterior peg hole on an exterior pole; inserting a peg attached with a flexible strap into the exterior peg hole and interior peg hole; wrapping the flexible strap around an exterior surface of the exterior pole; and fastening the flexible strap around the exterior pole to secure the peg in the peg hole.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art after reviewing the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.
The structure and operation of the present invention will be understood from a review of the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like parts and in which:
Embodiments described herein provide a pole attachment device for attaching with a perforated pole, the device including a peg secured with a flexible strap and a fastening mechanism positioned on the flexible strap for securing the device to the perforated pole, wherein the peg is inserted into a peg hole opening of the perforated pole and the flexible strap is wrapped around the outer surface of the pole and then fastened together with the fastening mechanism to secure the device to the pole. The fastening mechanism may include a clip, hook or adhesive fastener to secure the flexible strap to the pole and keep the peg securely inserted into the peg hole opening.
The pole attachment device may be utilized as a repair device for a telescopic pole by inserting the peg into a peg hole of an interior pole and a peg hole of an exterior pole, thus fixing the position of the interior pole and exterior pole. This is particularly advantageous for a telescopic pole on a canopy tent where the spring clip or locking peg are no longer functioning, as it allows the non-functioning telescopic pole to be locked into any potential position in conjunction with the other properly-functioning poles, thus maintaining the use of the canopy tent.
Additionally, the pole attachment device may serve as an accessory holder to hold one or more accessories with material attached with the flexible strap. The accessory may serve a variety of purposes such as a pouch, pocket, cup holder, loop or hook.
After reading this description it will become apparent to one skilled in the art how to implement the invention in various alternative embodiments and alternative applications. However, although various embodiments of the present invention will be described herein, it is understood that these embodiments are presented by way of example only, and not limitation. As such, this detailed description of various alternative embodiments should not be construed to limit the scope or breadth of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims.
The flexible strap may be formed from a multi-layered length of durable fabric such as nylon or polyester to provide a flexible, stretchable and weatherproof material suitable for use outdoors and with sufficient strength to remain attached to the perforated pole. The multiple layers of fabric may be useful for attaching the first end of the peg to the flexible strap by inserting it between the layers. The first end of the peg may have a wider diameter than the rest of the peg in order to retain the peg within the flexible strap. In another embodiment, the peg may protrude through the flexible strap and be fastened with the strap on an opposing side with a grommet or other fixing mechanism, as shown below in
The peg may be a smooth, rounded metal, aluminum or plastic piece with similar diameter and length to a peg used in the existing perforated pole. The diameter and length may therefore vary depending on the size, type and model of canopy tent and perforated pole, although it is envisioned that a certain diameter and length could be applied universally to the vast majority of perforated poles. In one embodiment, a bolt or screw may be used as the peg so that the first end of the peg has the larger diameter needed to secure the peg into the flexible strap. The body of the peg may therefore be threaded or barbed in order to more securely fit and maintain the peg into a peg hole on the perforated pole or to more securely retain the peg in the peg holes of an exterior pole and interior pole of a telescopic pole.
In step 602 and as shown in
The above description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles described herein can be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is to be understood that the description and drawings presented herein represent a presently preferred embodiment of the invention and are therefore representative of the subject matter which is broadly contemplated by the present invention. It is further understood that the scope of the present invention fully encompasses other embodiments that may become obvious to those skilled in the art and that the scope of the present invention is accordingly not limited.
