US 2026/0287113 A1Published application

Quick Mounting and Self-Latching Methods for Fold Flat Support Structure Assemblies

OwnerRichard N Shapiroinventor

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Abstract

This application discloses folding support structure assemblies with quick connect methods, so the end user may mount the previously constructed folding support sub-assembly components rather than have these parts constructed and mounted to a supported article in a factory, with simple quick manual movement of a pivot retainer, a support assembly (with a support, wheel, ski, etc.) is mounted or dismounted from bilateral pivot openings. A second innovation is a folded position release finger tab, which autonomously latches the entire assembly when swept to the second, stowed position. Shaped portions of the finger tabs act in concert with two separate pathways formed along at least one end of a horizontal pivot, and moving the finger tab release allows movement of the support assembly from the stowed position back to the operative, use position without springs or parts besides the finger tab.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A support structure assembly operable with a supported article forming a perimeter, which supported article includes at least one pair of bilateral pivot mounting openings oriented horizontally and at least one opening side with an elongated opening, at least one support stand shaft, manually manipulable latching means for securing the support structure to the supported article, a mounting pivot, and a pivot retaining means with a first opened and a second, closed, fixated position, mounted near the at least one elongated pivot opening side of the supported article and in a first assembly phase the support stand shaft is oriented orthogonally to a mounting pivot and an upper terminal end of the support stand shaft travels through an opening in the pivot and is further secured to the pivot with a terminal fixing nut and the pivot is not fixated in both of the bilateral pivot mounting openings in this first phase of assembly and the latching means do not secure the support structure to the supported article in this first, opened position of the pivot retaining means, and in a second phase of assembly one side of the support structure pivot is mounted into one bilateral pivot mounting opening and the opposite side of the pivot is manually manipulated first through the opposite elongated pivot opening and the pivot retaining means is manually moved from the first, opened position to a second, closed fixated position, at least partially surrounding one side of the pivot and securing the pivot against vertical movement within the elongated pivot mounting opening.

A support structure operable with a supported article forming a perimeter, which supported article includes at least one pair of bilateral pivot mounting openings oriented horizontally, including a manually manipulable stowed position finger tab release, the finger tab release being mounted to the supported article near one of the pivot mounting openings and including a finger tab which includes at least one shaped portion, and at least one support stand shaft, operative position latching means, and a mounting pivot, and near at least one end of the pivot closest to the finger release tab are at least two shaped pathways along the pivot exterior, one pathway having a shorter length than at least one other adjacent longer pathway, and in a first operative position the latching means secures the support structure to the supported article, the support stand shaft is oriented orthogonally to the side elevational profile of the supported article and travels through the pivot, and is further secured to the pivot with a terminal fixing nut providing support for the article in a spaced relationship from a surface, and in a second, stowed position of the support structure, the latching means is manually manipulated allowing the support shaft to be swept inwards to a position substantially within the article perimeter, and the movement and rotation of the pivot along its horizontal orientation autonomously aligns the pivot end with the shorter pathway with a shaped portion of the finger tab latching the support structure against free rotation of the pivot when in the second, stowed position, and, in addition, the stowed position finger tab may be manually manipulated to further orient the at least one shaped portion of the finger tab away from the shorter pivot pathway, into the adjacent longer pivot pathway, permitting selective rotation of the pivot and thereby providing for movement of the support structure from the second, stowed position, back to the first, operative position.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.