Patent Application
20100235987
1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a type of portable foldable camping cot commonly referred to as, “army cot.” Heretofore, the type of cot in question shall be referred to as, “army cot.” The army cot was the ubiquitous camping cot that had the familiar X-shaped legs that pivot about their mutual center. The army cot is still used by the United States
Army today.
2. Description of Prior Art
Unlike other cots, the army cot had the distinct advantage of folding for storage along its width as well as along its length. As far as known, the army cot always had three pairs of legs per cot. The mechanical components of the cot made of specially shaped brackets worked with the three pairs of legs to fold the cot into a compact portable shape. The army cot has not changed for the longest time.
Unfortunately, the army cot always was plagued with the problem of drooping in the middle area of the sleeping surface. This was because army cot was held open only by a bar at one end of the cot, where the pillow goes, and another bar at the opposite end, where the feet of a camper goes. There was nothing holding the middle of the cot open. A sleeping surface with a saggy middle was the result.
In order to get the sleeping surface of the army cot taut, the top and bottom bars that hold the cot open had to be forced in by hand onto dowels in the frame. Genuine U.S. Army issued army cots apparently deliberately were designed to provide a very taut sleeping surface. Unfortunately, this meant that genuine U.S. Army cots were extremely difficult to set up and still are today. Setting the top and bottom bars into place requires enormous arm strength as anybody who has set up a genuine U.S. Army issued army cot knows.
There is no telling when the first foldable piece of furniture used two rods joined together by a pivot about their mutual middle to form the legs of a furniture. Stools with legs that fold in such a manner have been around for hundreds if not thousands of years.
A patent search was not successful in finding a particular inventor of the army cot as still used by the United States Army today. Perhaps a patent was never filed.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,577,204 of Mar. 16, 1926 to Mansell A. Davis may show a variation of the army cot. U.S. Pat. No. 5,109,556 of May 5, 1992 to David G. Cook shows a cot that addresses the problem of surface tension. Side rails are pulled apart using mechanical means. The cot, however, was not really in the same category as the army cot. It did not have the familiar X-shaped legs and could not be folded like the army cot. U.S Pat. No. 5,611,414 of Mar. 18, 1997 to Jeffrey R. Walker shows a cot that is contained in a suitcase. This cot was foldable and portable but was not as compact as the army cot of today. U.S. Pat. No. 6,763,534 of Jul. 20, 2004 to Joo-Hwan Hwang shows a complex cot with a plurality of struts that folds up compactly. The cot folded up like a compact umbrella but did not address the problem of sagging. The cot was also complicated in design. U.S. Pat. No. 6,364,410 of Apr. 2, 2002 to Larry Tang shows another cot with a plurality of struts.
None of the cot designs described above fall within the category of the army cot of today. The present army cot design as used by the United State Army and imitated by retailers still has the advantage of compactness, portability, and ruggedness because of the simplicity of its structural design. The present invention retains the basic design of the army cot of today but improves upon it by eliminating the problem of sagging. The present invention also eliminates the very difficult operation of setting the top and bottom bars into place.
In accordance with the present invention, a foldable cot comprises winch(es) to make taut its sleeping surface.
Objects and Advantages
Accordingly, several objects and advantages of the present inventions are:
(a) to provide a cot with support for the middle of the sleeping surface;
(b) to provide a cot that will not sag in the middle over prolonged use;
(c) to provide a cot easier to setup and dismantle;
(d) to provide a cot that uses a winch in the middle of the cot for support;
(e) to provide a cot that uses the power of a mechanical winch to make the sleeping surface more taut;
(f) to provide a cot that eliminates the top bar and the bottom bar;
(g) to retain the basic design of the army cot used by the United States Army and imitated by retailers.
10 parallel bars 35 eyelet
15 canvas 40 pivot
20 ratchet 45 rod leg
25 ratchet strap 50 rod arm 30 hook
Description—FIG. 1—Most Preferred Embodiment
A presently most preferred embodiment of the cot of the present invention is illustrated in
Operation of the Most Preferred Embodiment—
The user unfolds and sets up the cot on the ground in the same manner conventional army cots are unfolded. The user inserts hooks (30) into the eyes (35) and cranks the strap ratchets (20) until the sleeping surface (15) is taut. When done using the cot, the user releases the strap ratchets (20) in the usual manner strap ratchets are undone and takes the hooks out of the eyes (35). The cot then can be folded back up for transport in the usual manner as done with army style cots.
Figs—Alternative Embodiments
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, a simple cam buckle with no ratcheting mechanism serves as a winch. The pulling strap has a loop for grabbing and pulling by hand or even foot.
Operation of the Alternative Embodiments
An user applies hooks to the anchors at the distal end of the legs. An user then grabs the pulling strap and tightens the cam buckle. A user may put his or her foot into a handle loop and use bodyweight to tighten the cam buckle.
Conclusion, Ramifications, and Scope
Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be determined not by the embodiment(s) illustrated, but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.
Provision Patent Application # 61/210,609
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61210609 | Mar 2009 | US |
