Patent Application
20060243311
The invention relates to an extension arm for a free arm parasol, pivotably arranged about its axis on a carrier, according to the precharacterizing clause of claim 1.
An extension arm of the type mentioned at the beginning, pivotably arranged about its axis on a carrier, is known, for example, from WO 01/52686, in which the extension arm is configured as an extendable free arm and the carrier is configured as a pole of a free arm parasol. For optimum use of shade as the position of the sun changes, not only can the pole be rotated about its own axis, but, in particular, the extension arm can also be pivoted about its axis, so that the parasol can be brought into a corresponding oblique position and can be retained there. For this purpose, a guide rod is attached in an articulated manner to a sleeve which is arranged in a manner such that it can pivot about the extension arm and can be latched in various pivoted positions on the extension arm by means of a latching device. For the latching, use is made of a latching bolt which is mounted in a radially displaceable manner in the sleeve, is preloaded against the extension arm by means of a spring and can be latched into various openings in the extension arm. In order to release the latching bolt, a pulling member is arranged in the guide rod and is connected to the latching bolt and can be actuated on a hand part of the guide rod by means of a handle. It is disadvantageous here that, firstly, the possible number of pivoted angles of the guide rod on the extension arm is limited. Secondly, during the actuation of the hand lever to unlatch the latching bolt by pulling radially on the handle and to pivot the guide rod, two maneuvers are always required. When the latching device is released, the guide rod can be pivoted around the extension arm, whereupon the changed angular position on the extension arm can be retained by actuation of the latching device. By the latched guide rod being pivoted back toward the carrier and being retained on the carrier, the extension arm is secured in the pivoted position.
It is the object of the invention to configure an extension arm for a free arm parasol, arranged pivotably about its axis on a carrier, in such a manner that the pivoting and retaining of the extension arm are possible via a single operating element by means of simplified movements with one hand.
This object is achieved by the characterizing features of claim 1. Owing to the fact that a first coupling part, which is connected fixedly to the extension arm, interacts with a second coupling part, which is formed on the sleeve and is effective in the axial direction, the guide rod having a supporting element which interacts with a counterpart arranged on the extension arm, the second coupling part can be displaced in the axial direction by means of the guide rod and, in the process, can initiate the coupling and decoupling without additional members having to be actuated. By means of the guide rod, in the decoupled state the sleeve can be pivoted freely about the extension arm and, in the coupled state, the extension arm can be pivoted by means of the same guide rod.
Advantageous configurations of the extension arm are described in claims 2 to 18.
Claim 2 describes a particularly simple configuration of the guide rod, according to which the guide rod has a fork-like supporting element and is coupled with the latter to the second coupling part via two bearing bolts.
The coupling may be configured in a different manner. The design according to claim 3 is preferred, according to which the coupling is designed as a toothed coupling. In the simplest case, at least one tooth element can be arranged in one coupling part and two recesses can be arranged in the associated coupling part. Preferably, however, the two have a relatively large number of teeth which can intermesh. The larger the tooth pitch, the finer is the adjustable angle of inclination of the extension arm. The toothed coupling also forms a positive coupling which prevents an unintentional pivoting of the extension arm. A particularly fine adjustment of the rotational angle of the extension arm is permitted by the configuration according to claim 4, according to which the coupling is configured as a friction coupling. The non-positive friction coupling requires a sufficient preloading of the coupling parts in relation to each other in order to prevent an unintentional adjustment of the rotational angle of the extension arm. The first coupling part can be connected directly or indirectly to the extension arm, according to claim 5.
In order to avoid injuries, it is expedient if, according to claim 6, one of the coupling parts has a sleeve part surrounding the coupling region and/or spring region, so that an unintentional intervention of an operator in the coupling region and/or spring region is prevented.
According to claim 7, the extension arm is arranged in a manner such that it can rotate about its axis on a carrying element, and the carrying element, for its part, is connected via a joint to a slide which can be moved and retained along the carrier. In this case, the joint is preferably configured as a pin joint which prevents the extension arm from pivoting about the carrier.
Various possibilities likewise emerge for the design of the supporting element. According to claim 8, the supporting element can be arranged on an upper arm of the guide rod and can have a stop lug or, according to claim 9, can be designed as a one- or two-sided eccentric. The stop lug, or the one- or two-sided eccentric, is connected in a sliding manner to the counterpart on the extension arm, the second coupling part being preloaded toward the first coupling part by means of a preloading spring. According to claim 10, the preloading spring is preferably arranged in the interior of the sleeve-like, second coupling part and is supported at one end on the coupling part and at the other end on the extension arm. The arrangement of the preloading spring in the sleeve-like, second coupling part prevents accidents.
Claim 11 describes a further configuration of the supporting element, according to which a joint is arranged on an upper arm of the guide rod and is connected to a counterpart which is arranged in a manner such that it can pivot about the extension-arm axis. In the case of this positive connection, a preloading spring can be omitted, since the coupling and uncoupling of the coupling parts is made possible by actuation of the guide rod in both directions.
According to claim 12, the guide rod has a retaining device on its lower section, by means of which the guide rod can be retained on the carrier. According to claim 13, the retaining element can be configured as a resilient retaining clip. In this case, it is advantageous if the retaining clip, according to claim 14, is connected to the guide rod in an articulated manner in order to be able to adapt to changes in position during the displacement along the carrier. It is particularly advantageous if the retaining element, according to claim 15, is configured as a retaining lug which engages in a longitudinal slot arranged on the pole. In this case, it is advantageous if, according to claim 16, the retaining lug comprises two lug parts which are arranged at a distance from each other and engage on side parts of the longitudinal slots in a retaining manner. To this end, it is advantageous if the lug parts, according to claim 17, are resilient. It is particularly advantageous if the lug parts, according to claim 18, are secured against becoming unlatched from the longitudinal slot by means of a blocking slider. In this case, the arrangement can nevertheless be undertaken in such a manner that a movement of the supporting element along the carrier is possible even when the retaining clip is latched.
It is particularly advantageous if the extension arm is configured as an extendable free arm and the carrier is configured as a pole of a free arm parasol, as described in EP-0 741 531, 0830 074 and WO 01/52686.
Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described in more detail below with reference to the drawings, in which:
Apart from the particular configuration of the extension arm's pivoting capability, the free arm parasol illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5 can be configured in accordance with WO 01/52686.
The free arm parasol illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5 has a pole 4 which is secured, for example, in a base 2 and serves as a carrier for an extendable extension arm 6. The latter is arranged via a joint 10 on a slide 8 which is movable along the pole. The extension arm 6 is supported on the upper end of the pole via a connecting rod 12. For this purpose, the connecting rod 12 is connected, on the one hand, to the extension arm 6 via a joint 14 between the two ends of the extension arm, and, on the other hand, is connected to the upper end of the pole via a further joint 16. The pivoting of the extension arm 6 about its axis 18 is carried out with the aid of a guide rod 20. The latter has, on its lower region, a handle 22 and a retaining device 24, the latter serving to retain the guide rod 20 on the pole 4 and therefore to hold the extension arm 6 in the selected pivoted position.
Arranged at the end of the extension arm is a canopy 26 which is closed when the extension arm is retracted, as shown in
Details with regard to the arrangement of the extension arm 6 on the pole 4 and with regard to the pivoting of the extension arm about its axis 18 and the components used for this emerge in particular from FIGS. 3 to 5.
The extension arm 6 is arranged in a manner such that it can pivot about its axis 18 on a carrying element 30 which, for its part, is connected to the slide 8 via the joint 10, which is designed as a pin joint. The tubular extension arm 6 is provided with a sliding sleeve 32 which is arranged rotatably on a connecting piece 34 of the supporting element 30. The sliding sleeve 32 is connected to the guide rod 20 via a coupling 38. For this purpose, the sliding sleeve 32 has a first coupling part 40 which interacts with a second coupling part 42 arranged on a coupling sleeve 44 which is mounted rotatably on the sliding sleeve 32. The guide rod 20 is fastened pivotably with a fork-shaped part 46 to the coupling sleeve by means of bearing bolts 48. The first coupling part 40 has a toothing 50 which interacts with the toothing 50 of the second coupling part 42. A preloading spring 54 lies within the coupling sleeve and is supported, on the one hand, on the coupling sleeve, and, on the other hand, on the tubular extension arm 6 and preloads the second coupling part 42 towards the first coupling part 40. As a result, the guide rod 20 is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the extension arm 6, so that the extension arm 6 joins in with pivoting movements of the guide rod 20. The retaining of the position of the extension arm 6 with regard to its pivoted position takes place via the guide rod 20 which is retained on the pole 4 by means of the retaining device 24. In order to release the coupling 38, the guide rod 20 has, at the upper end, a supporting element 56 which is designed in the form of a curve which connects the fork-like part 46 of the guide rod. After the release of the retaining device 24 and the pivoting-out of the guide rod 20 about the bearing bolts 48, the supporting element 56 is supported on a sliding ring 58, so that, as the pivoting-out of the guide rod 20 progresses, the second coupling part 42 can be brought out of engagement with the first coupling part 40 counter to the preloading force of the preloading spring 54. In the decoupled state, the guide rod 20 can be pivoted by means of the coupling sleeve 44 about the extension arm by an angle by which the extension arm and therefore the parasol is to be pivoted about the axis 18. In the desired position, by the guide rod 20 being pivoted back toward the pole 4, the second coupling part 42 is again brought into engagement with the first coupling part 40, so that the extension arm 6 can be pivoted about the connecting piece 34 of the carrying element 30 by means of the guide rod 20. In order to retain the desired pivoted position, the guide rod 20 is connected again to the pole 4 via the retaining device 24, so that the pivoted position of the extension arm and therefore of the parasol is secured.
In order to prevent accidents, the coupling sleeve is provided with a first skirt 60 which engages over the toothing 50, 52. A second skirt 62 covers the preloading spring 54.
It is also conceivable to replace the toothed couplings 38, 38a of
The pivoting of the retaining lug 76 is restricted by stops 102, 104 of the recess 80. The articulated arrangement of the retaining lug 76 on the handle 22 is necessary, so that, during the movement of the slide 8 in the retained state or during the retention itself, the retaining lug 76 can compensate for changing angular positions of the handle 22 and can therefore be aligned with respect to the longitudinal slot 94 of the pole 4 for all positions of the handle 22.
List of Designations
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1431/03 | Aug 2003 | CH | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/CH04/00436 | 7/9/2004 | WO | 2/21/2006 |
