Patent Application
20250043591
This disclosure generally relates to a device for providing shade. More specifically, the disclosure relates to a portable device for providing shade for livestock and the like.
When raising livestock, shade can solve a lot of problems. Shade can improve livestock grazing and production. Cattle without shade gain less weight and produce less milk than their cool counterparts. Fertility rates drop also. Shade also impacts livestock movement determining where manure is deposited and how much of a pasture is grazed.
But getting shade to where one wants can be a real problem. If the shade device is light enough to haul, it often is not heavy enough to stay in place when the wind blows. If the device is heavy enough to withstand the weather, it typically is very difficult to move. Therefore, a need exists in the art for a device that addresses these deficiencies.
An objective of the present invention is to provide a portable shade device that is light enough to haul and heavy enough to withstand the wind.
This and other aspects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the specification and claims.
The disclosure provides various aspects of a portable shade device.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a portable shade device, including: a frame having an elongated member and transverse members at each end; wheels mounted to each end of the transverse members; a pair of vertical support masts connected to the frame; a horizontal brace extending between the pair of vertical support masts; and a deployment system operatively attached to each of the pair of vertical support masts; wherein the deployment system includes guide member attached to the vertical support mast adjacent the frame, an elongated rod extending through the guide member and having a attachment member configured to attach to an actuation device at one end and a connection member at the opposite end.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a device wherein the head is connected to an adjustment member that is slidably mounted to the mast and hingedly connected to the adjustment member are a plurality of angled support members.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a device wherein the angled support members include a first and a second link.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a device wherein the first link is connected to the adjustment member at a first end and is hingedly connected to the second link at the second end.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a device wherein the second link is connected to a horizontal support at its outer end.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a device wherein the horizontal support extends from the outer end of the second link to the top end of the vertical support mast at a top end.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a device wherein the horizontal supports are connected to a canopy.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a device wherein the canopy has a section releasably connected to a spring-loaded hinge.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a device wherein each horizontal support has a spring-loaded hinge configured to collapse under wind stress.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a device wherein the guide member is selected from a group consisting of a ring and a nut.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a device wherein the elongated post is threaded.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a device wherein the attachment member is a socket.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a device wherein the actuation device is selected from a group consisting of a power tool, a handheld power tool, an impact driver, a power drill, a handheld tool, a screwdriver and an Allen wrench.
This has outlined, rather broadly, the features, advantages, solutions, and benefits of the disclosure in order that the description that follows may be better understood. Additional features, advantages, solutions, and benefits of the disclosure will be described in the following. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that this disclosure may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures and related operations for carrying out the same purposes of the present disclosure. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions and related operation do not depart from the teachings of the disclosure as set forth in the appended claims. The novel features, together with further objects and advantages, will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying Figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that each of the Figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the present disclosure.
The disclosure described herein is directed to different aspects of a portable shade device. The detailed description set forth below, in connection with the appended drawings, is intended as a description of various configurations and is not intended to represent the only configurations in which the concepts described herein may be practiced. These descriptions include specific details for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of the various concepts. It will be apparent, however, to those skilled in the art that these concepts may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known structures and components are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring such concepts. The disclosure is described herein with reference to certain aspects, iterations, embodiments, and examples but it is understood that the disclosure can be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the aspects set forth herein.
Although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements or components, these elements or components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element or component from another. Hence, a first element discussed herein could be termed a second element without departing from the teachings of the present application. It is understood that actual systems or fixtures embodying the disclosure can be arranged in many different ways with many more features and elements beyond what is shown in the drawings. For the same or similar elements or features, the same reference numbers may be used throughout the disclosure.
It is to be understood that when an element or component is referred to as being “on” another element or component, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may also be present. Furthermore, relative terms such as “between”, “within”, “below”, and similar terms, may be used herein to describe a relationship of one element or component to another. It is understood that these terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the disclosure in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures.
Aspects of the disclosure may be described herein with reference to illustrations that are schematic illustrations. As such, the actual thickness of elements can be different, and variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result, for example, of manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances are expected. Thus, the elements illustrated in the figures are schematic in nature and their shapes are not intended to illustrate the precise shape of a region of a device and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure.
With reference to the Figures aspects of a portable shade device 10 are shown according to the disclosure. The portable shade device 10 comprises a frame 12 that may be of any size, shape and structure. In the example shown, the frame 12 has an elongated member 14 with transverse members 16 at each end of the elongated member 14 that may be shorter. A wheel or a plurality of wheels 18 may be mounted to each end of the transverse members 16. A pair of vertical support masts 20 may be connected to the frame 12 where the elongated member 14 meets the transverse members 16 at each end of the elongated member 14. A horizontal brace 22 may extend between the pair of vertical support masts 20.
A deployment system 24 may be attached to one or both of the pair of vertical support masts 20. The deployment system 24 may be of any size, shape and structure. In some aspects, the deployment system 24 may comprise a guide member 26 attached to one of or both of the pair of vertical support masts 20 adjacent the frame 12. In some aspects, the guide member 26 may be a ring or a nut, such as an Acme nut. Received through the guide member 26 is an elongated post 28. In some aspects, the elongated post 28 is threaded. The guide member 26 extends between and terminates at an attachment member 30 and a connection member 32. The attachment member 30 is configured to connect to an actuation device 33 (not shown) such as power tool, a handheld power tool (e.g., an impact driver, a power drill, etc.), or a handheld tool (e.g., a screwdriver, Allen wrench, etc.). In some aspects, the attachment member 30 is a socket but other structures are contemplated that can engage operatively with the actuation device 33. The connection member 32 connected to an adjustment member 34 that is slidably mounted to the one of the pair of vertical support masts 20, which permits the selective adjustment described herein.
Hingedly connected to the adjustment member 34 are a plurality of angled support members 36. Preferably, the plurality of angled support members 36 include a first link 38 and a second link 40. The first link 38 is hingedly connected to the adjustment member at a first end 42 and is hingedly connected to the second link 40 at a second end 44. The second link 40 is connected to a horizontal support 46 at an outer end 47. The horizontal supports 46 extend from the outer end 47 of the second link 40 to the top end 48 of one of the pair of vertical support masts 20 at a top end 50. Connected to the horizontal supports 46 is a layer of material or canopy 52 adapted to provide shade when the portable shade device 10 is in an extended operating position. Each horizontal support 46 has a spring-loaded hinge 54 configured to collapse under wind stress. The canopy 52 has a patch or section 56 releasably connected to the spring-loaded hinge 54.
In operation, in a transport position, the adjustment member 34 is in a lowered position in relation to at least one of the pair of vertical support masts 20. In this position the first link 38, second link 40 and horizontal supports 46 are generally in a vertical position. To raise the portable shade device 10 to an operating position the actuation device 33 is attached to the attachment member 30 of the elongated post 28. Upon activation of the actuation device 33, the elongated post 28 is operatively and selectively received through the guide member 26 such that elongated post 28 can be raised or lowered vertically by the actuation device 33 but upon deactivation of the actuation device 33, the guide member 26 retains the elongated post 28 in a static position. For example, if the actuation device 33 is a drill and the guide member 26 and elongated post 28 have mating threads, upon activation of the actuation device 33, the elongated post 28 would rotate through the threading of the guide member 26 and upon deactivation of the actuation device 33, would remain in the current position at the time of deactivation.
As the elongated post 28 extends in a vertical direction, so does the adjustment member 34 given the connection to the connection member 32 of the elongated post 28. In this way, the adjustment member 34 slides upwardly and vertically in relation to one of the pair of vertical support masts 20. Due to the connection between the first link 38, the second link 40, and the horizontal support 46, the first link 38 moves away from one or both of the pair of vertical support masts 20 from a generally vertical position toward an angled position. This causes the second link 40 to move away from one or both of the pair of vertical support masts 20 and from a generally vertical position, past a horizontal position, to an angled position similar if not the same to the angled position of the first link 38. The movement of the second link 40 causes the horizontal support 46 to move from a generally vertical position away from one or both of the pair of vertical support masts 20 at the outer end 47 of the horizontal support 46 to a generally horizontal position. In the operating position the canopy 52 is extended between at least two of the horizontal support 46, thus providing shade.
Should the canopy 52 encounter stress or force from the wind at a level that would cause structural damage the canopy 52 would pull against the spring-loaded hinge 54 causing the horizontal support 46 to collapse as section 56 is released from the spring-loaded hinge 54 to prevent damage.
From the above discussion and accompanying figures and claims it will be appreciated that the portable shade device 10 offers many advantages over the prior art. Although the present disclosure and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions, modifications, and alterations can be made herein without departing from the technology of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims. The scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular configurations of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification only expressly stated otherwise. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding configurations described herein may be utilized according to the present disclosure. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps.
The previous description of the disclosure is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the disclosure. Various modifications to the disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other variations without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. Thus, the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the examples and designs described herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.
This continuation-in-part application claims the benefit U.S. application Ser. No. 17/891,243 filed Aug. 19, 2022, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/238,453 filed Aug. 30, 2021, the contents of these applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63238453 | Aug 2021 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 17891243 | Aug 2022 | US |
| Child | 18923231 | US |
