Anti-pinch knuckle for bidirectional sleeve
OwnerJohn M. LeMoleinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An articulating strut capable of assuming an extended in-line and a folded configuration with rigid cylindrical tubing having proximate ends configured to fixably receive an offset hinged insert that provides for folding and unfolding of said strut. When fully unfolded the strut acts as a single rigid structural support member held in the locked position by a bidirectional slidable locking sleeve. The hinged insert has shapes and curved surfaces which together with offset hinge pins tends to expel the sleeve from a pinch possibility at the folding joint. Convex and concave linkage shapes together with rounded surfaces which bear against a rounded sleeve end avoids sleeve pinch.
Claims24
A knuckle having a pair of opposed face hub inserts fixable into a hollow strut with a central longitudinal axis, an outside diameter and strength members adaptable for secure attachment between two fixed points, the knuckle including an articulating joint formed by the inserts which are hinged together by a link pinned to the inserts at a position offset from the longitudinal axis, which knuckle when fixably inserted in proximate ends of the strut, allows the strut single plane movement from a folded back-on-itself position to an extended in-line position, such strut either being locked or unlocked by slidable movement of a bidirectional sleeve which has an inside diameter slightly larger than the outside diameter of the strut so as to ride along the strut between the attachment points, which locking sleeve by gravity or improper operation may have an end thereof lodge in said knuckle, the improvement comprising;
- anti-pinch means formed in said knuckle with one or more rounded surface(s) in moveable contact with said bidirectional sleeve for moving said sleeve away from said knuckle.
An articulating strut which exhibits, when extended, a central longitudinal axis and a potential sleeve pinch at a folding joint for said strut, said strut comprising:
- a pair of stiff tubular strut members having proximate hollow ends;
- a pair of identical but opposed hub inserts that are fixably insertable into said hollow ends of said tubular members, which hub inserts on the inboard ends thereof each have inboard faces and a longitudinally positioned bridge rotation slot relieved therein;
- a bridge cross piece rotatably set into said bridge rotation slots, said cross piece having orthogonal pin receiving holes;
- hinge pins orthogonal to and offset from said longitudinal axis securing said bridge to said insert hubs and permitting said tubular members to extend into a straight position which causes said inboard faces of said inserts to be in contact with each other;
- a freely slidable bi-directional sleeve which may be manually slid from either direction along said tubular members and over said bridge and hub inserts to lock same as an extended strut and wherein said sleeve, during a folding operation, may become pinched in the folding joint;
- and
- means at said folding joint for expelling said sleeve away from the joint as strut folding takes place.
An articulating strut for coverings having an attachable strut-securing fixture at each end of said strut for securing said strut between two fixed points, said strut exhibits, when extended, a central longitudinal axis lying on the center line of a longitudinal center line plane, and said strut also having a folding plane orthogonally located relative to said center line plane, said strut being manually collapsible between said fixed points in adverse weather conditions and comprising:
- a pair of stiff tubular strut members consisting of two hollow rigid cylindrical tubes having proximate ends;
- said tubular member pair adapted at each remote end for connection to strut-securing fixtures of a covering of which said strut is an integral part;
- a pair of identical but opposed hub inserts that are fixably insertible into said proximate hollow ends of said tubular members, which hub inserts on the inboard ends thereof each have partially relieved in the lower portion thereof a bridge rotation slot longitudinally positioned essentially from about the center line of each hub through the lowermost surface of the hub insert with the upper portion of said inboard ends of said hubs being non-relieved;
- a bridge cross piece rotatably set into said bridge rotation slots, said cross piece having two orthogonal pin receiving holes, which holes are offset below the centerline of said longitudinal axis;
- hinge pin means orthogonal to and also offset from said longitudinal axis for securing said bridge cross piece to said insert hubs for an arc rotation in said folding plane from 0 to 180 degrees only, thus permitting said tubular members to extend from a folded position of 180 degrees into a straight position of 0 degrees causing the inboard non-relieved faces of said inserts to be in face-to-face contact with each other;
- a freely slidable bidirectional sleeve which is non-removable from said strut but which may be manually slid from either direction along said tubular members toward or away from said strut-securing fixtures to either lock same as an extended strut for deployment of said covering or to permit said strut to fold for collapse of said covering;
- each tube having located therein detent balls that are spring loaded upwardly beyond the ends of said sleeve for holding said sliding sleeve in locked position over said folding cross bridge piece when said strut is in an extended in-line configuration;
- said detent balls being manually depressible thus permitting said bidirectional sleeve to slide from either direction in order to unlock said bridge piece and thus allow said strut to fold back upon itself while said strut remains fixed at each end;
- and
- said hub inserts being further characterized in that either said hubs or said link have rounded surfaces which bear against a rounded end of said sleeve so as to tend to move said sleeve away from said joint during folding.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.