Patent Application
20220220688
Embodiments of the invention relate generally to stakes. More particularly, embodiments of the invention relate to a stake that can be easily placed into the ground and can include ground engagement features to prevent inadvertent release of the stake from the ground.
The following background information may present examples of specific aspects of the prior art (e.g., without limitation, approaches, facts, or common wisdom) that, while expected to be helpful to further educate the reader as to additional aspects of the prior art, is not to be construed as limiting the present invention, or any embodiments thereof, to anything stated or implied therein or inferred thereupon.
Ground stakes can be used to create a loop for tying down various items. Ground stakes can be used for securing tents, trees, trailers, storage sheds, or other items that may be affected by wind or other forces that can cause the items to move from their desired location. Ideally, ground stakes should be easy to insert, but more difficult to remove from the ground. To achieve this goal, for example, stakes may be pounded into the ground at an angle, facing away from the device to be secured. However, such positioning can still result in the stake being pulled out or loosened.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for an improved ground stake that can be easily inserted into the ground, but difficult to inadvertently remove.
Embodiments of the present invention provide a ground stake comprises a main body having a top surface and a hollow tubular member extending downward from the top surface; a moveable shaft fitting into the hollow tubular member through a hole in the top surface of the main body; a connector at a top end of the movable shaft; at least one ground engagement member pivotably attached at a bottom end of the movable shaft; and at least one opening in the hollow tubular member, wherein the at least one ground engagement member retracts into and extends out of the at least one opening as the movable shaft is moved between an insertion configuration, with a majority of the ground engagement member disposed inside the hollow tubular member, and a deployed configuration, with the ground engagement member extending outward from the at least one opening.
Embodiments of the present invention further provide a ground stake comprising a main body having a top surface and a hollow tubular member extending downward from the top surface; a moveable shaft fitting into the hollow tubular member through a hole in the top surface of the main body; a connector at a top end of the movable shaft; at least two ground engagement members pivotably attached at a bottom end of the movable shaft; at least two openings in the hollow tubular member, wherein the at least two ground engagement members retract into and extend out of respective ones of the at least two openings as the movable shaft is moved between an insertion configuration, with a majority of each ground engagement member disposed inside the hollow tubular member, and a deployed configuration, with each ground engagement member extending outward from respective ones of the at least two openings; and a deployment arm attached to the connector at the top end of the movable shaft, the deployment arm rotatable about an axis to move the movable shaft between the insertion and deployed configurations.
Embodiments of the present invention also provide a method for creating a tie down location in the ground, comprising inserting a ground stake, in an insertion configuration, into the ground, the ground stake comprising a main body having a top surface and a hollow tubular member extending downward from the top surface, a moveable shaft fitting into the hollow tubular member through a hole in the top surface of the main body; a connector at a top end of the movable shaft; at least two ground engagement members pivotably attached at a bottom end of the movable shaft; and at least two openings in the hollow tubular member; and moving a deployment arm, attached to the connector, to move the moveable shaft upward and to cause the at least two ground engagement members to extend outward from the at least two openings and engage with the ground, creating a deployed configuration of the ground stake, wherein in the insertion configuration, a majority of each ground engagement member is disposed inside the hollow tubular member, and in the deployed configuration, each ground engagement member extends outward from the at least two openings.
In some embodiments, the method includes moving the moveable shaft downward to retract the at least two ground engagement members into the insertion configuration; and removing the ground stake from the ground when the tie down location is no longer needed.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.
Some embodiments of the present invention are illustrated as an example and are not limited by the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like references may indicate similar elements.
Unless otherwise indicated illustrations in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale.
The invention and its various embodiments can now be better understood by turning to the following detailed description wherein illustrated embodiments are described. It is to be expressly understood that the illustrated embodiments are set forth as examples and not by way of limitations on the invention as ultimately defined in the claims.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well as the singular forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one having ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and the present disclosure and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.
In describing the invention, it will be understood that a number of techniques and steps are disclosed. Each of these has individual benefit and each can also be used in conjunction with one or more, or in some cases all, of the other disclosed techniques. Accordingly, for the sake of clarity, this description will refrain from repeating every possible combination of the individual steps in an unnecessary fashion. Nevertheless, the specification and claims should be read with the understanding that such combinations are entirely within the scope of the invention and the claims.
In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be evident, however, to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details.
The present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated by the figures or description below.
As is well known to those skilled in the art, many careful considerations and compromises typically must be made when designing for the optimal configuration of a commercial implementation of any device, and in particular, the embodiments of the present invention. A commercial implementation in accordance with the spirit and teachings of the present invention may be configured according to the needs of the particular application, whereby any aspect(s), feature(s), function(s), result(s), component(s), approach(es), or step(s) of the teachings related to any described embodiment of the present invention may be suitably omitted, included, adapted, mixed and matched, or improved and/or optimized by those skilled in the art, using their average skills and known techniques, to achieve the desired implementation that addresses the needs of the particular application.
Broadly, embodiments of the present invention provide a ground stake that can be easily inserted into the ground and once inserted, the stake includes ground engagement members that can extend out of the stake body to engage into the earth. The ground engagement members, when deployed, can help prevent inadvertent disengagement of the stake from the ground. When the user desires to remove the stake, the user can retract the ground engagement members back into the stake body and easily pull the stake out of the ground for re-use.
Referring now to
The main stake body 22 can include the top surface 26 with one or more attachment loops 28 formed therein for connecting a rope, cord, or the like. A hole 32 can be formed in the top surface to access an interior of a hollow tubular member 30 of the main stake body 22 that extends downward from the top surface 26. The pointed tip 46 can be attached on a distal end (relative to the top surface 26) of the tubular member 30. In some embodiments, the pointed tip 46 can include male threads 48 that can threadably engage with female threads (not shown) formed at the distal end of the hollow tubular member 30. Typically, the exterior of the hollow tubular member 30 can be generally a smooth surface as shown. However, in some embodiments, exterior undulating protrusions may be formed on at least a portion of the exterior surface, permitting the stake 10 to be screwed into the ground for insertion, for example. The hollow tubular member 30 can have a round cross-sectional shape, as shown, but other cross-sectional shapes, such as rectangular, triangular, or the like, may be used without departing from the scope of the present invention. The hollow tubular member 30 may have a constant cross-sectional diameter, as shown, or may be tapered, as shown in the hollow tubular member of the embodiments of
The hollow tubular member 30 can include a plurality of ground engagement member openings 34 (also referred to simply as openings 34) into which the ground engagement members 44 can retract into (in the insertion configuration) or extend therefrom (in the deployed configuration). In some embodiments, the openings 34 can include a sloped upper surface 36 to help guide the ground engagement members 44 out of and away from the hollow tubular member 30.
Opposing slotted channels 24 can extend from opposite sides of the top surface 26 of the main stake body 22. The channels 24 can have a length that is at least as long as the movement required for translation of the movable shaft 38, as discussed below, between the deployed configuration and the insertion configuration. A pin 20 can be positioned to span between the channels 24. The pin 20 may travel in the channels 24 between a lower position proximate the top surface 26 (the insertion configuration) and an upper position distal the top surface 26 (the deployed configuration).
The deployment arm 12 can include holes 16 for receiving ends of the pin 20. Thus, movement of the deployment arm 12 (via rotation of the arm extension 14) can move the pin 20 between the lower and upper positions within the channels. The deployment arm 18 can further include a slot 18 formed therein to improve access to the attachment loop 28 when the stake 10 is in the deployed configuration (see
The pin 20 can extend through a pin hole 40 formed in an upper end of a moveable shaft 38. A lower end 42 of the movable shaft can have the ground engagement members 44 attached thereto. The movable shaft 38 can have the upper end extending out of the hole 32 in the top surface 26 of the main stake body 22. The lower end 42 of the movable shaft 38 is positioned in the hollow tubular member 30, with the attachment loop 56 (discussed in greater detail below) positioned at or near the openings 34 in the hollow tubular member 30 (in the deployed configuration) or below the openings 34 in the hollow tubular member 30 (in the insertion configuration). The movable shaft 38 can be moved between the insertion configuration and the deployed configuration via movement of the arm extension 14 of the deployment arm 12, causing the pin 20 to move along the channels 24, thus raising or lowering the movable shaft 38.
In the insertion configuration, the ground engagement members 44 can be positioned inside the openings 34 in the hollow tubular member 30. Typically, distal ends of the ground engagement members 44 (distal relative to their attachment slot 54) can rest against the sloped surface 36 of the openings 34, thus urging the ground engagement members 44 out of the openings 34 as the stake is moved into its deployed configuration.
Referring also to
While two ground engagement members 44 are shown extending from openings 32 on opposite sides of the hollow tubular member, it should be understood that any number of ground engagement members 44 may be used, depending on their size and the desired application. For example, three or four ground engagement members 44 may extend from the stake in the deployed configuration. The embodiment shown in
Further, two or more ground engagement members may be disposed within a single opening 32 so that two or more ground engagement members may be released outward from a single opening 32. In this embodiment, the ground engagement members may have a resilient curvature that can cause the ground engagement members to move away from each other as they are deployed.
Further, it should be noted that, as illustrated, the openings 32 are positioned at a single height from the pointed tip 46. However, the openings 32 may have an offset height. In some embodiments, a long hollow tubular member may be used with the ground engagement members 44 extending from more than one height from the pointed tip 46. As shown in
Referring now to
A movable member 70 can extend from an opening in the top of the hollow tubular member 62 and move between an insertion configuration (
A loop 72 can be formed on the top of the movable member 70. The loop 72 can be used to move the movable member 70 upward into the deployed configuration. Once in the deployed configuration, the loop 72 can be used as a tie down loop for a rope or the like.
A ground engagement member 74 can be attached to the bottom end of the movable member 70. The ground engagement member 74 can be formed from a first arm 74A having its top end 86 attached to the hollow tubular member 62 so as to pivot about an axis 82. A second arm 74B can have its bottom end 84 attached to the bottom end 88 of the movable member 70. The top end of the second arm 74B and the bottom end of the first arm 74A can connect at a pivoting joint 80.
In use, the stake 60 can be inserted into the ground and the movable member 70 can be moved upward, changing the stake from being in the insertion configuration to the stake being in the deployed configuration, with the ground engagement members 74 moving into the earth outward from the hollow tubular member 62. As the movable member 70 is moved upward, the top end 86 of the first arm 74A is vertically fixed (via its pivoting attachment axis 82 onto the hollow tubular member 62), with the pivoting joint 80 (connecting the arms 74A and 74B) moving outward (as the angle formed from the pivoting joint 80 changes from about 130 to 180 degrees (in the insertion configuration) to about 20 to 60 degrees (in the deployed configuration).
Referring now to
A loop 76 may be formed on the extended plate 78. The loop 76 may be used as a tie down or as a pull tab for removing the stake after use thereof and after moving the movable member 70 back to the insertion configuration (with the ground engagement members 74 moving back within a periphery defined by the outer surface of the hollow tubular member 62), permitting removal without having to pull on the movable member 70 (and possibly re-deploying the ground engagement members 74).
Referring now to
In the embodiment of
All the features disclosed in this specification, including any accompanying abstract and drawings, may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.
Claim elements and steps herein may have been numbered and/or lettered solely as an aid in readability and understanding. Any such numbering and lettering in itself is not intended to and should not be taken to indicate the ordering of elements and/or steps in the claims.
Many alterations and modifications may be made by those having ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it must be understood that the illustrated embodiments have been set forth only for the purposes of examples and that they should not be taken as limiting the invention as defined by the following claims. For example, notwithstanding the fact that the elements of a claim are set forth below in a certain combination, it must be expressly understood that the invention includes other combinations of fewer, more or different ones of the disclosed elements.
The words used in this specification to describe the invention and its various embodiments are to be understood not only in the sense of their commonly defined meanings, but to include by special definition in this specification the generic structure, material or acts of which they represent a single species.
The definitions of the words or elements of the following claims are, therefore, defined in this specification to not only include the combination of elements which are literally set forth. In this sense it is therefore contemplated that an equivalent substitution of two or more elements may be made for any one of the elements in the claims below or that a single element may be substituted for two or more elements in a claim. Although elements may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, it is to be expressly understood that one or more elements from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination and that the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.
Insubstantial changes from the claimed subject matter as viewed by a person with ordinary skill in the art, now known or later devised, are expressly contemplated as being equivalently within the scope of the claims. Therefore, obvious substitutions now or later known to one with ordinary skill in the art are defined to be within the scope of the defined elements.
The claims are thus to be understood to include what is specifically illustrated and described above, what is conceptually equivalent, what can be obviously substituted and also what incorporates the essential idea of the invention.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63137005 | Jan 2021 | US |
