Patent Application
20060163552
This application relates generally to the field of panel assemblies. More particularly, this application relates to apparatuses and methods for securing a panel, such as, for example, a slalom gate panel, to a pair of poles.
As discussed in the Applicant's prior U.S. Pat. No. 6,389,659, entitled “GATE PANEL ATTACHMENT ASSEMBLY”, various apparatuses and methods have, over the years, been developed for securing panels or various other objects to poles or pole-type members. However, these conventional apparatuses and methods suffer from a number of drawbacks and deficiencies.
For example, according to one conventional approach, a resilient cord wrapped around an object or pole is manipulated around a pin to secure the cord around the pole. However, this conventional approach fails to provide an apparatus or method for preventing the cord from moving relative to the axis of the pole, such that a force applied to either the pole or the cord wrapped around the pole may cause the cord to slide along the length of the pole. In addition, the cord and pin according to this conventional approach are not integrally formed, but are instead formed as discrete, separate elements, resulting in increased complexity in design and use.
According to another conventional approach, one end of a slalom gate panel is attached to a first pole via an elastic cord fixed to an anchor internally housed in the bottom of the first pole, while a second pole is inserted in an open-ended sleeve formed on the opposing end of the gate panel. However, such an assembly is overly complex and typically difficult to assemble, attach and detach, causing the user to expend considerable time and energy in adjusting and/or securing the gate panel to the poles.
According to yet another conventional approach, a loop is formed in an elastic cord by crimping the ends of the elastic cord using a metal fastener. However, as with other conventional approaches, this approach fails to provide an apparatus or method for preventing the elastic cord from sliding along the length of a pole around which the loop end of the cord may be wrapped. Such an arrangement is also difficult to manipulate, especially in cold weather, thus eliminating ease of use.
A number of additional binding approaches and panel assemblies exist; however, none of these approaches provide simple, inexpensive and easy-to-use means for securing a panel or object to a pole or pole-type member. In particular, traditional approaches fail to provide means for simply and inexpensively affixing a panel to a pair of poles to prevent the panel from sliding vertically downward relative to the poles.
Accordingly, there exists a need for an apparatus and method capable of simply and inexpensively affixing a panel to a pair of poles such that the panel is prevented from sliding vertically downward relative to the poles.
In at least one exemplary embodiment, a gate panel assembly comprises a panel, including a pair of sleeves on opposing ends of the panel, and a pair of poles, with each pole respectively engaging one of the sleeves. Preferably, in certain embodiments, an end of at least one of the sleeves is closed to engage the top of the pole engaged in the sleeve so as to prevent the panel from sliding vertically downward relative to the poles. The poles respectively engaged in the sleeves may also be spaced apart from one another to create tension in the panel.
In certain embodiments, the gate panel assembly also includes at least one panel attachment assembly for affixing the panel to at least one pole. This panel attachment assembly may comprise a fastening member, a cord having a fixed end housed in the fastening member forming a loop in the cord, and a mounting surface affixed to the panel and adjacent to one of the sleeves. In at least one embodiment, the loop of the cord is fed through a hole defined in the mounting surface, around one of the poles engaged in one of the sleeves, and over a top of the fastening member.
In certain embodiments, a grommet is formed in the hole defined in the mounting surface. The fastening member may be any number of items, including a button, a ball or a rod. The fastening member may also be formed of plastic, rubber or any number of elastomeric or polymer materials.
In at least one embodiment, the loop of the cord is stretched to rest between a lower surface of the fastening member and the mounting surface. The fixed end of the cord may also be positioned opposite the loop and crimped by a fastener, which fastener may be formed of metal.
According to certain embodiments, the fastening member houses the fixed end of the cord and the fastener in an inner surface thereof. The fixed end of the cord may also be positioned opposite the loop and formed integrally with the fastening member. The cord may also be formed of an elastic material that stretches around the sleeved pole to create a tension that retains the pole in the sleeve of the panel.
In some embodiments, a strength member is affixed to at least the panel and the sleeve having the closed end to impart additional resistance to impact forces applied to the gate panel assembly.
In at least one embodiment, a gate panel comprises a first pair of sleeves formed on opposing ends of a panel, wherein an end of at least one of the first pair of sleeves is closed. This closed end may engage a top of a pole engaged in the sleeve having the closed end to prevent the panel from sliding vertically downward relative to the pole.
According to some embodiments, the gate panel further comprises a second pair of opposing sleeves, wherein each of the second pair of opposing sleeves is positioned adjacent to one of the first pair of sleeves and the diameters of the second pair of sleeves differ from the diameters of the first pair of sleeves.
According to certain embodiments, a method of assembling a gate panel assembly comprises inserting each of a pair of spaced poles into one of a pair of sleeves formed on opposing ends of a gate panel such that the gate panel is prevented from sliding vertically downward relative to the poles by a closed end formed in at least one of the sleeves.
In some embodiments, this method further comprises attaching at least one of the poles to the gate panel by feeding a loop end of an elastic member through a grommet formed in a mounting surface affixed to the gate panel and adjacent to one of the sleeves until a fastening member at an opposite end of the loop end of the elastic member comes into contact with the grommet, and extending the loop end of the elastic member around one of the poles inserted in the sleeve and over a top of the fastening member to rest between a bottom surface of the fastening member and the grommet.
These and other exemplary embodiments will be more fully understood upon reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
According to at least one embodiment, exemplary gate panel assembly 1 comprises a panel 5 having sleeves 15, 20 formed on opposing ends and poles 10 respectively engaged in each sleeve 15, 20. One end of each pole 10 may be inserted and retained in each sleeve 15, 20, while its other end may be inserted in the ground or other fixture.
Panel 5 may be formed of any number of materials, including, for example, twill, nylon and polymesh. Panel 5 may also be formed in any number of shapes and sizes, including, for example, as a rectangle, a triangle, a square, a circle, etc.
Panel 5 may also be adapted for use in connection with any number of events and activities. For example, exemplary panel 5 may be formed of a particular color, have meaning to a contestant of an event or race, or carry various forms of indicia, such as advertising indicia.
Sleeves 15, 20 and poles 10 may also be formed in any number of shapes and sizes. In addition, the openings of sleeves 15, 20 may be adapted for use in connection with poles 10 of varying heights and diameters.
In at least one embodiment, as illustrated in
By forming at least one sleeve of panel 5 to have a closed end 22, a simple and inexpensive apparatus is provided for preventing the downward slippage of panel 5, even upon forcible contact by an object or person with gate panel assembly 1. The constitution of exemplary sleeve 20 having closed end 22 thus eliminates the need for the complicated and often cost-prohibitive fastening means employed in conventional assemblies.
Although exemplary gate panel assembly 1 is illustrated in
A detailed description will now be provided with reference to
As illustrated in
Cord 42 may be of any workable length sufficient to maintain tensioned attachment to pole 10. In particular, the length of the loop end 46 must be relative to the circumference of each pole 10 for a tight engagement therebetween. Cord 42 may be formed of any number of materials, including, for example, elastic or other elastomeric materials.
As illustrated in
In certain embodiments, mounting surface 48 is affixed to panel 5 and is formed adjacent to sleeve 15. Mounting surface 48 may be of any size or shape and may be formed of any number of materials, including, for example, resin, polymer, twill, nylon, polymesh, etc. As seen in
According to some embodiments, as illustrated in
The tension created by stretching cord 42 through grommet 50, around sleeved pole 10 and over the top of fastening member 44 serves to securely affix panel 5 to the sleeved pole 10. Any amount of tugging force will not cause cord 42 to pull away from fastening member 44, thus, creating a self-retaining system. A simple and inexpensive apparatus and method is thus provided for affixing a gate panel to a pole.
In certain embodiments, a strength member 25 may be affixed to at least panel 5 and sleeve 20 to impart additional resistance to potential separation of panel 5 from sleeve 20 caused by impact forces applied to gate panel assembly 1. As with panel 5, strength member 25 may be formed of any number of materials, including, for example, elastomeric materials, twill, nylon, polymesh, etc. The shape and size of strength member 25 may also be varied as desired.
An alternative gate panel embodiment is illustrated in
In at least one embodiment, the diameter of each of the second pair of sleeves 30, 35 differs from the diameter of each of the first pair of sleeves 15, 20. The diameters of the second pair of sleeves 30, 35 differ from that of the first pair of sleeves so that a single panel 5 may be adapted for use in connection with poles 10 of varying diameters. For example, the first pair of sleeves 15, 20 of exemplary panel 5 illustrated in
In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, the principles and modes of operation have been explained and illustrated in preferred embodiments. However, it must be understood that these and other exemplary embodiments may be practiced otherwise than is specifically explained and illustrated without departing from the spirit or scope thereof.
In particular, although various exemplary embodiments have been described as being adapted for use in connection with downhill slalom skiing events, it will be appreciated that these and other embodiments may be adapted for use in connection with any number of other activities or uses, including, for example, snowboard racing events, mountain bike racing events, advertising promotions, etc.
