Connection member for connecting parts of frame assembly

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6752729
  • Patent Number
    6,752,729
  • Date Filed
    Friday, December 27, 2002
    22 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, June 22, 2004
    20 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Vidovich; Gregory
    • Chambers; M.
    Agents
    • Baxley; Charles E.
Abstract
A frame includes a plurality of L-shaped elbow members and tubes. Each elbow member includes two extension tubes and each extension tube has an open end and a hole is defined through a wall proximate to the open end. Each tube includes two open ends so as to be inserted into the open ends of the extension tubes of the elbow members. Each open end of each of the tubes has a hole defined through a wall proximate to the open ends. A C-shaped connection member is biased in the open end of each tube and has a protrusion which is inserted in the aligned holes of the tubes and the extension tubes.
Description




FIELD OF THE INVENTION




The present invention relates to a frame assembly that includes a plurality of sections connected with each other head-to-tail. Each section has a hole and a C-shaped member is received in the overlapped part of the two connected sections and a protrusion on the C-shaped member is inserted in the aligned holes.




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




A conventional goal frame in sport games generally includes a frame and a net is connected to the frame. The frame is made of several metal tubes which are welded with each other so as to become a desired shape and size. Nevertheless, the frame composed of the metal tubes are bulky and heavy so that it is inconvenient to be stored and carried. Some manufacturers develop a frame assembly that can be assembled by several sections so that the users may detach the frame into sections which are convenient for storage. One of the types of the connection of the frame is to insert a narrow end of a section into a larger end of another section. Although the frame can be assembled quickly, the connection portion is often disconnected from each other because the connection portion could be separated by impact.




The present invention intends to provide a frame that is composed of several sections and a C-shaped member is received in each connection portion of two sections. The C-shaped member has a protrusion which is inserted in aligned holes of the two sections.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a frame assembly which comprises two top elbow members, two front elbow members and two rear elbow members. Two sections are respectively connected between the two top elbow members and the two rear elbow members. Two tubes are connected between the top elbow members and the two front elbow members. Two tubes are connected between the front elbow members and the two rear elbow members. A plurality of C-shaped connection members are respectively biased in the two ends of the tubes and each connection member has a protrusion which extends through aligned holes defined through the extension tubes of the elbow members and the tubes.




The primary object of the present invention is to provide a frame assembly that is composed by elbow members and tubes by several C-shaped connection members. The connection members are biased in the tubes and each have a protrusion which extends through aligned holes in the elbow members and tubes.











The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention.




BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is a perspective view to show the frame assembly of the present invention;





FIG. 2

is an exploded view to show the frame assembly of the present invention;





FIG. 3

is a top cross sectional view to show the protrusion of a connection member extends through aligned holes of two parts of the frame assembly of the present invention;





FIG. 4

is a top cross sectional view to show the protrusion is pushed inward the aligned holes of two parts of the frame assembly of the present invention;





FIG. 5

shows a reinforcement bar is connected to the elbow member of the present invention, and





FIG. 6

is a perspective view to show a net is mounted to the frame assembly of the present invention.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




Referring to

FIGS. 1

to


3


, the frame assembly of the present invention comprises two top elbow members


30


and each of which has a horizontal extension tube


31


and a vertical extension tube


310


. A first horizontal section


10


has two open ends and a first hole


11


is defined through a wall proximate to each open end of the first horizontal section


10


. Each extension tube


31


/


310


has a second hole


32


defined through a wall thereof. The two open ends of the first horizontal section


10


is inserted in the two respective horizontal extension tubes


31


of the two top elbow members


30


. The first holes


11


of the first horizontal section


10


are in alignment with the second holes


32


of the two respective horizontal extension tubes


31


. Two connection members


20


are biased in the two open ends of the first horizontal section


10


and a protrusion


21


extends from each of the connection members


20


. The protrusion


21


is inserted in the aligned first holes


11


and the second holes


32


. It is noted that the distance between the two top elbow members


30


can be increased by connecting two or three first horizontal sections


10


and the connection members


20


are used to connect the first sections


10


head to tail by extending the protrusions


21


through the aligned first holes


11


of the first horizontal sections


10


.




Two front elbow members


40


each have a horizontal extension tube


41


and a vertical extension tube


410


. Each of the extension tubes


41


,


410


has a third hole


42


defined through a wall thereof. Two first tubes


101


each have two open ends and a fourth hole


102


is defined through a wall proximate to each open end of the first tube


101


. The two open ends of each of the first tubes


101


are inserted in the two respective vertical extension tubes


310


,


410


of the top elbow member


30


and the front elbow member


40


. The fourth holes


32


of the first tubes


101


are in alignment with the second hole


32


and the third hole


42


of the two respective vertical extension tubes


310


,


410


. Two connection members


20


are biased in the two open ends of each of the first tubes


101


and a protrusion


21


extends from each of the connection member


20


. The protrusion


21


is inserted in the aligned second holes


32


, the fourth holes


102


and the third holes


42


.




Two rear elbow members


50


each have a first horizontal extension tube


51


and a second horizontal extension tube


510


. Each of the two horizontal extension tubes


51


,


510


has a fifth hole


52


defined through a wall thereof. A second horizontal section


103


has two open ends and a sixth hole


104


is defined through a wall proximate to each open end of the second horizontal section


103


. The two open ends of the second horizontal section


103


are inserted in the two respective first horizontal extension tubes


51


of the two rear elbow members


50


. The sixth holes


104


of the second horizontal section


103


are in alignment with the fifth holes


52


of the two respective first horizontal extension tubes


51


. Two connection members


20


are biased in the two open ends of the second horizontal section


103


and a protrusion


21


extends from each of the connection members


20


. The protrusion


21


is inserted in the aligned sixth holes


104


and the fifth holes


52


.




Two second tubes


105


each have two open ends and a seventh hole


106


is defined through a wall proximate to each open end of the second tube


105


. The two open ends of each of the second tubes


105


are inserted in the horizontal extension tube


41


of the front elbow member


40


and the second horizontal extension tube


510


of the rear elbow member


50


. The seventh holes


106


of the second tubes


106


are in alignment with the third hole


42


of the front elbow member


40


and the fifth hole


52


of the second horizontal extension tubes


510


. Two connection members


20


are biased in the two open ends of each of the second tubes


105


and a protrusion


21


extends from each of the connection member


20


. The protrusion


21


is inserted in the aligned third holes


42


and the seventh holes


106


, and the aligned fifth holes


52


and the seventh holes


106


. Two protrusions


107


,


1030


extend from the first horizontal section


10


and the second horizontal section


103


respectively. A central support bar


100


is connected between the two protrusions


107


,


1030


. The central support bar


100


can be a one piece member or be assembled by three sections by connection members


20


as the way that is described hereinafore. A net


60


is mounted to the frame as shown in

FIG. 6

to become a goal frame of sport game.




Referring to

FIG. 4

, the protrusions


21


can be easily pushed inward to disengage from the holes that are defined in the outer tubes such that the inner tubes can be disengaged from the outer tubes conveniently and quickly.




Further referring to

FIG. 5

, each of the vertical extension tubes


310


of the top elbow members


30


and each of the second horizontal extension tubes


510


of the rear elbow members


50


has an engaging hole defined therein. Two reinforcement bars


90


are respectively connected between the top elbow member


30


and the rear elbow member


50


by engaging with the engaging holes


80


. The length of the reinforcement bars


90


can be increased by connecting plural tubes by using the connection members mentioned above.




While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.



Claims
  • 1. A frame assembly comprising:a first horizontal section (10) having two open ends and a first hole (11) defined through a wall proximate to each open end of the first horizontal section (10); two top elbow members (30) each having a horizontal extension tube (31) and a vertical extension tube (310), each of the extension tubes (31, 310) having a second hole (32) defined through a wall thereof, the two open ends of the first horizontal section (10) inserted in the two respective horizontal extension tubes (31) of the two top elbow members (30), the first holes (11) of the first horizontal section (10) being in alignment with the second holes (32) of the two respective horizontal extension tubes (31), two connection members (20) biased in the two open ends of the first horizontal section (10) and a protrusion (21) extending from each of the connection members (20), the protrusion (21) inserted in the aligned first holes (11) and the second holes (32); two front elbow members (40) each having a horizontal extension tube (41) and a vertical extension tube (410), each of the extension tubes (41, 410) having a third hole (42) defined through a wall thereof, two first tubes (101) each having two open ends and a fourth hole (102) defined through a wall proximate to each open end of the first tube (101), the two open ends of each of the first tubes (101) inserted in the two respective vertical extension tubes (310, 410) of the top elbow member (30) and the front elbow member (40), the fourth holes (32) of the first tubes (101) being in alignment with the second hole (32) and the third hole (42) of the two respective vertical extension tubes (310, 410), two connection members (20) biased in the two open ends of each of the first tubes (101) and a protrusion (21) extending from each of the connection member (20), the protrusion (21) inserted in the aligned second holes (32), the fourth holes (102) and the third holes (42); two rear elbow members (50) each having a first horizontal extension tube (51) and a second horizontal extension tube (510), each of the two horizontal extension tubes (51, 510) having a fifth hole (52) defined through a wall thereof, a second horizontal section (103) having two open ends and a sixth hole (104) defined through a wall proximate to each open end of the second horizontal section (103), the two open ends of the second horizontal section (103) inserted in the two respective first horizontal extension tubes (51) of the two rear elbow members (50), the sixth holes (104) of the second horizontal section (103) being in alignment with the fifth holes (52) of the two respective first horizontal extension tubes (51), two connection members (20) biased in the two open ends of the second horizontal section (103) and a protrusion (21) extending from each of the connection members (20), the protrusion (21) inserted in the aligned sixth holes (104) and the fifth holes (52), and two second tubes (105) each having two open ends and a seventh hole (106) defined through a wall proximate to each open end of the second tube (105), the two open ends of each of the second tubes (105) inserted in the horizontal extension tube (41) of the front elbow member (40) and the second horizontal extension tube (510) of the rear elbow member (50), the seventh holes (106) of the second tubes (106) being in alignment with the third hole (42) of the front elbow member (40) and the fifth hole (52) of the second horizontal extension tubes (510), two connection members (20) biased in the two open ends of each of the second tubes (105) and a protrusion (21) extending from each of the connection member (20), the protrusion (21) inserted in the aligned third holes (42) and the seventh holes (106), and the aligned fifth holes (52) and the seventh holes (106).
  • 2. The frame assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the vertical extension tubes (310) of the top elbow members (30) and each of the second horizontal extension tubes (510) of the rear elbow members (50) have an engaging hole (80) defined therein, two reinforcement bars (90) respectively connected between the top elbow member (30) and the rear elbow member (50) by engaging with the engaging holes (80).
  • 3. The frame assembly as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a central support bar (100) connected between the first horizontal section (10) and the second horizontal section (103).
  • 4. The frame assembly as claimed in claim 3 further comprising two protrusions (107, 1030) extending from first horizontal section (10) and the second horizontal section (103) respectively, the central support bar (100) connected between the two protrusions (107, 1030).
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Number Name Date Kind
3642282 Frischman Feb 1972 A
3947140 Thomas Mar 1976 A
4247216 Pansini Jan 1981 A
4858633 Yang Aug 1989 A
5080375 Moosavi Jan 1992 A
5387048 Kuo Feb 1995 A
5539957 Schmidt Jul 1996 A
5599024 Acuff et al. Feb 1997 A