Patent Application
20220178164
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate in general to pop up assembly of tent structures such as a fully-enclosed camping tent or a sunshade, and more particularly, to a pole assembly for such structures.
Structures configured for pop-up assembly of soft-sided tent structures, such as a fully-enclosed tent for camping or a partially-enclosed sunshade, are popular. Generally, such structures may be composed of a cloth (that is waterproof, water resistant and/or sun-filtering), and a plurality of poles. The poles pass through and support various portions of the cloth to define a desired structure when assembled. The assembled tent structure may be fully or partially enclosed.
Typically, such tents or other structures will be highly portable, such that their size when folded should be small relative to their size when assembled. As a result, pole assemblies are typically used which can be variably assembled for use, or broken down and/or folded for storage and transportation. In particular, multiple shorter pole sections may be connected to one another to create a longer, straight or curved pole assembly. The sections may be joined together by a cord, as a connection line, to keep the sections connected when in an unassembled, foldable configuration.
In many circumstances, such pop-up structures provide for light weight, mobility, resistance to sun and rain, and in some cases low cost. However, for some users, assembly may be difficult or slow—especially for users who do not frequently assemble their tents or structures, or when trying to insert poles into the material sleeves in low light or adverse weather conditions.
Some efforts have been made at improving assembly of such structures. For example, Korean patent publication KR20150007112A discloses a pole assembly in which poles include multiple sections joined together by a connection line. The pole sections require two different coupling elements (i.e. male and female) inserted into each pole segment end that couples to another pole segment. The coupling elements serve to keep the connection line centered and facilitate engagement of the pole segments with one another. By maintaining the connection line in a centered position within each pole sections, the pole assembly may theoretically be rapidly assembled by pulling on the connection line, with the connection line serving to line up the pole sections ends and then pull the pole sections together. Such an assembly technique may save time and effort as compared to manually inserting each pole section into another, end to end.
While assemblies such as those disclosed in KR20150007112A may provide some improvements, the insertion of two different types of coupling elements into the pole section ends may increase the cost and/or complexity of manufacture. Also, in some circumstances, pole sections may stick or fail to align perfectly, requiring time-consuming and frustrating manual manipulation of the pole sections during assembly. The gap between pole sections may also allow tent fabric or other objects to get caught between adjacent pole sections during assembly, which can cause jamming and possibly damage the fabric or objects. For these and other reasons, alternative pole assembly structures may be desirable.
In accordance with one aspect, a tent pole assembly includes two or more hollow pole sections, including at least a first end pole section and a second end pole section. One or more middle pole sections may also be provided. The pole sections may be cylindrical in shape, and may be semi-rigid and/or elastic. A tension line passes through an interior cavity of each pole section, and is secured to the first end pole section. The tension line passes outside the second end pole section (e.g. through a hole or opening), and may be secured to the second end pole section via, e.g., securing a tension line loop end over a hook, or use of a cord lock, latch or pawl. The tension line may be attached at one end to a pole end tip inserted into a pole section.
One or more line centering components are provided threaded on the tension line, between adjacent pole sections. The line centering components facilitate engagement of adjacent pole sections (e.g. insertion of a pole section into an adjacent pole connector) when tension is applied to the tension line. The line centering components may be, for example, spherical in shape, having a diameter enabling insertion into a pole connector but precluding passage through an interior cavity of a pole section. In other embodiments, the line centering components may be elongated, with an internally-facing side staying within a pole connector and an externally-facing side either extending out from a pole connector when the tension line is not under tension, or pushed into the pole connector when the tension line is under tension. In some embodiments, the pole connectors may be wholly within the pole sections.
Applying tension on the tension line (e.g. via pulling) may act to draw together the pole sections, transitioning the pole assembly from an unassembled state to an assembled state, with line centering components facilitation smooth insertion of pole sections into adjacent pole connectors. Springs may be provided within the pole connectors, which act to eject pole sections from pole connectors upon release of tension in the tension line.
While this invention is susceptible to embodiment in many different forms, there are shown in the drawings and will be described in detail herein several specific embodiments, with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention, and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiments illustrated.
Each pole segment (which may also be referred to as pole sections) may be cylindrical in shape, with a semi-rigid, elastic outer shell and a hollow center cavity. The pole segments may be formed from materials such as fiberglass, aluminum, carbon fiber or plastic. End segments 110 and 130 each have a pole end tip 1A and 1B, respectively, inserted into their outward-facing ends 112 and 132, respectively. End tips 1A, 1B provide, inter alia, an outward-facing structure that may be utilized for securing a pole to another portion of a popup structure (e.g. tent or sunshade fabric 11, or a ground stake).
End segment 110 includes an opening 5 enabling access through the end segment cylindrical wall to the center cavity 111 therein. Tension line 4 may pass between an outside portion of end segment 110 and the center cavity 111 thereof, through opening 5. Tension line 4 includes a loop 4A at a first end thereof, with the loop situated outside of end segment 110. End segment 110 also includes hook assembly 3 secured thereto, mounted to or exposed outside of end segment 110 at a position between that of outward facing end 112 and the location of opening 5. The tension line 4 may be removably attached to end segment 110 by, e.g., attaching the tension line loop 4A to hook assembly 3 (thereby maintaining tension line 4 under tension), and removing it therefrom (thereby releasing tension from tension line 4).
Pole connectors 6 may each be formed from a relatively short, cylindrical section, preferably having a diameter greater than that of end segment 110. In some embodiments, the inner diameter of pole connector 6 will be slightly greater than the outer diameter of a pole segment to which it is fixedly attached. For example, with reference to end segment 110, the pole connector 6 provides a secure fit when pole connector 6 is positioned over middle-facing end 113 of segment 110. Pole connector 6 may be fixedly attached to end segment 110 via, e.g., friction fit, adhesive, threaded engagement, or the like. In yet other embodiments, pole connection 6 may be formed (e.g. molded) integrally with a pole section or segment such as end segment 110, such that they are two elements of a single structure. In either case, each pole connector 6 is attached to one pole segment and configured for removable engagement with an adjacent pole segment (such as via a sliding insertion of an adjacent pole segment into a pole connector, or sliding insertion of the pole connector into an adjacent pole segment).
A spiral compression spring 7 is positioned within pole connector 6. Compression spring 7 is not under tension when pole assembly 100 is in the unassembled state as illustrated in
Pole assembly 100 further includes line centering components 8. Line centering components 8 are mounted to tension line 4 and positioned between each adjacent pole section 110, 120, 130. Preferably, line centering components 8 are not fixedly attached to any of the pole sections, but are rather movable along tension line 4. In some embodiments, line centering components 8 may each be formed having a circular cross-section, such as a solid spherical structure with a hole or channel in the middle thereof through which tension line 4 passes. In some embodiments, line centering components 8 may have an outer diameter that is greater than that of pole sections 110, 120, 130 but which is less than the inner diameter of a pole connector 6. When in an unassembled state, and particularly when transitioning between an unassembled state and an assembled state, line centering components 8 may fill gaps between adjacent pole sections, thereby inhibiting structure components such as tent or sunshade fabric from getting introduced and caught between pole sections during assembly—thereby potentially avoiding jamming and/or damage to the fabric.
Thus, tension line 4 passes from outside of pole segment 110, through a portion of the interior cavity of pole segment 110 towards end 113, through the center of pole connector 6 and compression spring 7, through line centering component 8, through a central cavity in pole segment 120, through another pole connector 6 and spiral compression spring 7, through another line centering component 8, and through end pole segment 130. An end of tension line 4 can then be secured within end pole segment 130, such as via tying to an eyelet 10 in pole end tip 1B.
In order to assemble pole assembly 100, a user may simply pull the loop end 4A of tension line 4 passing outside of end pole segment 110, thereby applying tension to tension line 4, and secure the loop end over hook 3.
Compression springs 7 also facilitate rapid and reliable disassembly of pole assembly 100, whereby the assembly returns to the configuration illustrated in
Use of a single line centering component, positioned between adjacent pole sections, may provide a number of advantages in some embodiments. For example, the single line centering component threaded on tension line 4 may reduce component count, cost, weight and/or manufacturing or assembly complexity, as compared to alternative designs requiring end caps within each pole section. Additionally, the line centering components described herein may serve to fill (wholly or partially) gaps between adjacent pole sections, thereby reducing risk of tent/sunshade fabric or other objects from becoming introduced therebetween as the pole sections are pulled together, possibly jamming pole sections, preventing pole sections from properly engaging with one another, and/or damaging the fabric or other objects.
In the embodiment of
The embodiments of
In
Line centering component 30 is positioned between pole section 111 and pole connector 31, movably attached to tension line 4 e.g. via tension line 4 running through a central channel or passage as shown. Line centering component 30 is generally spherical in shape, with a diameter less than the inner diameter of pole section 111 and greater than the inner diameter of pole connector 31. A spring 32 is mounted within pole section 111, with one end of the spring facing pole connector 31 and the other end of spring 32 fixedly mounted within pole section 111 (e.g. by being adhered to an internal stopper 33).
In operation, the application of tension to tension line 4 (e.g. via pulling loop 4A towards pole tip 1A) draws pole sections 111, 121 and 131 together. Pole connector 31 contacts line centering component 30 and pushes line centering component 30 into the open end of pole section 111, thereby compressing spring 32 while simultaneously guiding pole connector 31 into the open end of pole section 111. When fully assembled, line centering component 30 and pole connector 31 are fully encompassed within pole sections 111 and 121, with spring 32 in a compressed state. Pole sections 111 and 121 butt up against one another, and pole connector 31 acts to maintain pole sections 111 and 121 in an aligned state, such that they act as a continuous structural member for assembly of, e.g., a tent. When tension is released from tension line 4, spring 32 helps eject line centering component 30 pole connector 31 out of pole section 111, returning the pole to an unassembled state. Comparable mechanisms may be used to join other pole sections within a longer pole assembly (such as joining sections 121 and 131 in the three-section embodiment illustrated in
In some embodiments, pole assemblies as described herein may be permanently inserted into sleeves formed within tent fabric, eliminating any need to insert and remove the pole assemblies from tent sleeves each time a tent or structure is pitched or taken down. In other embodiments, the pole assemblies described herein may be beneficially utilized for rapid and reliable assembly, separately from any tent or other structure in which the pole assemblies may be utilized.
While certain embodiments may be utilized in the context of a pole structure in which a pole connector is placed on the outside of each pole section (i.e. the pole connector diameter is greater than the pole section diameter), the same concept may be applied to embodiments in which pole connectors are placed inside each pole section (i.e. the pole connector diameter is less than the pole section diameter).
Furthermore, while the tension line may, in some embodiments, include a loop end for securing over a hook or other retention structure, in other embodiments, alternative mechanisms for securing the tension line under tension may be utilized. For example, a cord locking mechanism, latch or pawl may be used to maintain the tension line under tension when in an assembled state.
While certain embodiments of the invention have been described herein in detail for purposes of clarity and understanding, the foregoing description and Figures merely explain and illustrate the present invention and the present invention is not limited thereto. It will be appreciated that those skilled in the art, having the present disclosure before them, will be able to make modifications and variations to that disclosed herein without departing from the scope of the invention or appended claims.
