Patent Application
20100025558
The present invention relates to a wheeled distance measuring device, and more particularly, to a pole unit folding mechanism for the distance measuring device.
A conventional distance measuring device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,040,036 to Hui Chen Wang who is the wife of applicant and includes a wheel rotatably connected to a pole unit and a measuring unit is connected to a side of the wheel. The wheel includes a radius and rolls against a surface and the number of revolutions of the wheel can be counted by a counter in the measuring unit so as to obtain the distance that the wheel travels. A handle is connected to the other end of the pole unit and includes a brake key and an initialization key, two respective cables are connected to the brake key and the initialization key so as to brake the wheel and initialize the counter.
The pole unit is composed of multiple tubes and the mediate portion of the pole unit includes two sections and a hooking member is connected to the first section. The hooking member hooks to the second section to extend the pole unit as a straight pole. When folding the pole unit, the hooking member is disengaged from the second section to shorten the length of the pole unit.
However, the hooking portions where the connection of the hooking member occupies is a large area which is easily to be touched unintentionally by the user or any un-expect impact and the hooking member could be disengaged from the second section. Once the hooking member is disengaged from the second section, the measuring process is affected.
The present invention intends to provide a folding mechanism for a wheeled distance measuring device and the folding mechanism includes two different connection structures to ensure the locked position of the pole unit.
The present invention relates to a pole unit for a wheeled distance measuring device and comprises a first tube having a first pivotable portion and a first engaging portion extending radially outward therefrom respectively. Two first pivots extend radially from the first tube in a direction other than directions of the first pivotable portion and the first engaging portion. A second tube has a second pivotable portion and a second engaging portion extending radially outward therefrom. The second pivotable portion are pivotably connected to the first pivotable portion. The second tube has a second engaging portion which is located corresponding to the first engaging portion. A third tube is connected with the first tube and a fourth tube is connected with the second tube.
A first connection member is connected to the second tube and has a second hook which is hooked with the first engaging portion. The first connection member has a first block on a top thereof and a space is defined between the first block and the first tube. A connection mechanism has a second connection member and a third connection member, wherein the second connection member has two arms which are connected to the two first pivots. A second block is connected between the two arms and has a first recess. The third connection member is engaged with the first recess and movable within the space so as to control the pivotable connection of the first and second tubes.
The primary object of the present invention is to provide a folding mechanism for the pole unit of a wheeled distance measuring device, wherein the pivotable connection is protected by the connection mechanism so as to avoid from unintentional disengagement happens during using the wheeled distance measuring device.
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.
Referring to
The pole unit comprises a first tube 10, a second tube 20, a third tube 30 and a fourth tube 40, wherein the third tube 30 is connected with the front fork, the first tube 10 is connected between the second and third tubes 20, 30, and the fourth tube 40 is connected to the second tube 20. The first tube 10 has a first pivotable portion 11 and a first engaging portion 12 extending radially outward therefrom respectively in two opposite directions. Two first pivots 15 extend radially from the first tube 10 in two directions other than the directions of the first pivotable portion 11 and the first engaging portion 12. The first pivotable portion 11 of the first tube 10 includes a first passage 111 and the first tube 10 further includes a first groove 13 defined axially in an inner periphery thereof. Two first holes 14 are defined through a top of the first tube 10 and communicate with the first groove 13.
The second tube 20 has a second pivotable portion 21 and a second engaging portion 22 extending radially outward therefrom in two opposite directions. The second pivotable portion 21 has a second passage 211 and is pivotably connected to the first pivotable portion 11 by extending a first pin 70 through the first and second passages 111, 211 to pivotably connect the first tube 10 and the second tube 20. The second engaging portion 22 is located corresponding to the first engaging portion 12. The second tube 20 includes a second groove 23 defined axially in an inner periphery thereof and two second holes 24 are defined through a bottom of the second tube 20. The two second holes 24 communicate with the second groove 23, the first and second grooves 13, 23 are in communication with each other and the first and second holes 14, 24 are located in alignment with each other. The third tube 30 has a rail on outside thereof so as to be engaged with the first groove 13 and the fourth tube 40 has a rail on outside thereof so as to be engaged with the second groove 23. The second engaging portion 22 has the same length as the second tube 20 and includes two engaging slots 221.
A first connection member 50 is connected to the second tube 20 and has a first hook 51 which is hooked to the engaging slots 221 of the second engaging portion 22, and a second hook 52 which is hooked with the first engaging portion 12 on the first tube 10. The first connection member 50 further has a first block 53 on a top thereof and a space 531 is defined between the first block 53 and the first tube 10.
A connection mechanism 60 has a second connection member 61 and a third connection member 62, wherein the second connection member 61 has two arms and each arm has a first through hole 611. The two first pivots 15 are engaged with the two first through holes 611 in the two arms. A second block 612 is connected between the two arms and has a first recess 613 in an underside thereof and a second recess 614 is defined in a top of the second block 612. The second recess 614 is smaller than the first recess 613, and the first and second recesses 613, 614 are in communication with each other. The third connection member 62 is movably located within the space 531. Two notches 621 are defined in a top of the third connection member 62 and a protrusion 622 is located between the two notches 621. The protrusion 622 extends through first and second recesses 613, 614 of the second block 612. Two springs 63 are engaged with the two notches 621 and contact an inner end of the first recess 613 so as to push the third connection member 62 toward the first connection member 50. A fourth connection member 64 is fixed on the protrusion 622 on the third connection member 62, and contacts a top of the second block 612. The third connection member 62 is pulled to disengage from the first connection member 50 by pulling the fourth connection member 64 upward as shown in
Referring to
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A fifth connection member 66 has an eccentric end and a second through hole 661 defined transversely through the eccentric end, The fifth connection member 66 operates as a quick release device. A second pin 67 extends through the second through hole 661 and has a transverse hole 671, the protrusion 622 is fixed to the transverse hole 671. When the fifth connection member 66 is set at the position as shown in
The first and third tubes 10, 30 can be a one-piece member, and/or the second and fourth tubes 20, 40 are a one-piece member.
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.
