US20080116333A1

US20080116333A1 - Supporting rod assembly structure

Info

Publication number: US20080116333A1
Application number: US11/601,806
Authority: US
Inventors: Hung-Yueh Chang
Original assignee: Kupo Co Ltd
Current assignee: Kupo Co Ltd
Priority date: 2006-11-20
Filing date: 2006-11-20
Publication date: 2008-05-22

Abstract

A supporting rod assembly structure includes a main tube and a packing device. The main tube has a first end and a second end, and the packing device has a carrier, a pedal and a base and can be connected to the second end of the main tube by the carrier. The pedal is contained and pivotally connected in a containing space under the carrier, and a stop portion is at the middle, and a force applying end for pedaling is disposed on another end from the pivotal end, such that when the pedal swings downward by a force provided by the force applying end, and the base is limited at the bottom of the carrier, and the top of the base forms a pressed portion.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a supporting rod assembly, and more particularly to an improved supporting rod assembly structure that can, be installed between a ceiling and a floor for hanging appropriate exhibitions and merchandises.
2. Description of the Related Art
In many shops, boutiques or booths, a supporting rod assembly is generally installed between a ceiling and a floor for hanging and fixing various different objects. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 for a traditional supporting rod assembly structure disclosed in R.O.C. Pat. No. 12209.60, the structure includes an internal tube 91, an external tube 92 and a foot-pedal packing device 93. The foot-pedal packing device 93 can be moved pivotally from a first operating position to a second operating position, such that the internal tube 91 is displaced axially upward with respect to the external tube 92, and the internal tube 91 and the external tube 92 can be pressed onto the ceiling and the floor respectively.
However, the foot-pedal packing device 93 of the traditional supporting rod assembly is exposed from the internal tube 91, which is not good to its appearance and a pedal 93a may be touched, hooked or loosened by people who walk around the supporting rod assembly. Particularly, when heavy objects are hung on the internal tube 91 and the foot-pedal packing device 93 is touched, hooked or loosened by accident, the whole supporting rod assembly may collapse or fall due to its heavy weight. Such traditional supporting rod assembly may cause injuries to people and dangers to the environment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing shortcomings of the prior art, the inventor of the present invention designed and developed a supporting rod assembly structure in accordance with the present invention to overcome the current technical problems.
Therefore, it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a supporting rod assembly structure, such that the pedal can be hidden after the supporting rod assembly is installed, since the pedal is located between a carrier and a base. Therefore, the invention can prevent people from touching the pedal and causing dangers. Further, the pedal can be turned to a vertical dead spot to assure a secured support and a sufficient supporting strength, and such supporting rod assembly can be installed and used easily and conveniently.
To achieve above object, the present invention provides a supporting rod assembly structure, comprising a main tube and a packing device, and said main tube having a first end and a second end; wherein said packing device, includes a carrier, a pedal and a base; and said carrier is coupled to said second end of said main tube and a containing space disposed under said carrier; said pedal is contained and pivotally coupled in said containing space under said carrier, and a middle section has a stop portion, a force applying end provided for stepping and disposed on an end other than a pivotal end, such that said pedal can be swung downward when a force is applied to said force applying end; said base is slid and limited at the bottom of said carrier to axially displace with said carrier, and said base forms a pressed portion therefore for stopping and pressing said stop portion when said pedal is swung downward and drives said pressed portion and said stop portion form a force applying dead spot.
The various objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the appended drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a traditional supporting rod assembly structure which is not locked with a packing device yet;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a traditional supporting rod assembly structure which is locked with a packing device;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a major portion of a supporting rod assembly structure of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a supporting rod assembly structure of the present invention:

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a packing device of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of a packing device with its base being not pressed on a carrier, and its pedal being not stepped on yet in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of a packing device with its base being pressed on a carrier, and its pedal being not stepped on yet in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of a packing device with its base being not pressed on a carrier, and its pedal being stepped to a dead spot in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 9 is an exploded view of a fastener and its position relative to a main tube and an extension tube of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a schematic view of the movements of a fastener with its knob being turned and loosened by an external force in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional side view of an extension tube being locked into a main tube by a fastener in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a schematic view of the movements of installing a hanging fastener and an extension tube in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 13 is a schematic view of securing a hanging fastener with an extension tube in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In order that those skilled in the art can further understand the present invention, a description will be described in the following in details. However, these descriptions and the appended drawings are only used to cause those skilled in the art to understand the objects, features, and characteristics of the present invention, but not to be used to confine the scope and spirit of the present invention defined in the appended claims;
Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4 for an improved supporting rod assembly structure in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the supporting rod assembly structure comprises a main tube 10, a packing device 20, a lower pad 30, an extension tube 40, at least one fastener 50, an upper pad 60 and a plurality of hanging fasteners 70. The foregoing components are described as follows.
The main tube 10 is a slender rectangular frame and has a first end 11 and a second end 12, and each of its four external walls has an axial dovetail groove 13, and the first end 11 is situated at a breach 14 on the external wall and at the position of a dovetail groove 13, a cylindrical stop member 15 made of a rubber material is screwed inside the second end, 12 for appropriately stopping the extension tube 40 from sliding down; or colliding with other objects.
The packing device 20 further includes a carrier 21, a pedal 22 and a base 23 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.
The carrier 21 has a bottom panel 211, a containing groove 212 formed on the bottom panel 211 and a containing space 213 formed under the bottom panel 211, and each internal wall of the containing groove 212 forms an axial dovetail member 212 a sheathed and positioned with each corresponding axial dovetail groove of the main tube 10, and four positioning members 212 b are extended upward from the bottom panel 211 and separated with each dovetail member 212 a with an appropriate gap apart, such that each wall of the main tube 10 can be accommodated into the gap. The positioning members 212 b further have a screw hole 212 c for passing and securing bolt 214 that is passed through the dovetail member 212 a on the external wall of the carrier 21 and the wall of the main tube 10; and a stair portion 215 is formed on an external wall of the carrier 21, and a breach 213 a is formed on a wall under the containing space 213, and a pivotal rod assembly 216 is screwed between two corresponding walls of the containing space 213.
The pedal 22 is contained in the containing space 213 under the carrier 21 and substantially in a V-shape, and has a pivotal end 221, a force applying end 222 provided for stepping, and a stop portion 223 being disposed at the middle section and substantially in the shape of an arc guiding corner. In the meantime, a pivotal end 221 a of the pedal 22 has a torsion spring 224 to be fixed onto the pivotal rod assembly 216 of the carrier 21, such that the pedal 22 can be swung downward when a force is applied onto the force applying end 222, and the resilience of the torsion spring 224 drives the force applying end 222 of the pedal 22 to be extended and protruded from the breach 213 a of the carrier 21.
The base 23 has a bottom panel 231, and four surrounding frame walls 232 extended vertically up and down along the four walls of the bottom panel 231, such that the surrounding walls 232 of the bottom panel 23 can be displaced and slid axially with the bottom of the carrier 21 and their positions are limited appropriately by a stair portion 215 on the wall of the carrier 21 as shown in FIG. 7. The bottom panel 231 has four screw rod assemblys 233 passed upward through a spring 234, and the bottom panel 211 of the carrier 21 screwed with a screw nut 235 tends to be away due to the resilience of the spring 234 between the base 23 and the carrier 21. The bottom panel 231 of the base 23 further forms a limit groove 236 that allows the pedal 22 to pivotally swing up and down and the limit groove 236 has an opening 237 corresponding to the breach 213 a of the wall of the carrier 21 and the opening 237 is provided for protruding the force applying end 222 of the pedal 22 to the outside, and the bottom of the limit groove 236 forms a pressed portion 238 that be pressed on a stop portion 223 of the pedal 22 when the pedal 22 is swung pivotally downward, so that the pressed portion 238 and the stop portion 223 constitute a force applying dead spot as shown in FIG. 8.
The lower pad 30 is sheathed and positioned in the lower frame wall 232 of the base 23 for pressing the bottom of other spaces.
The extension tube 40 is a slender rectangular frame that can be sheathed and passed precisely into the first end 11 of the main tube 10, and each external wall forms an axial dovetail groove 41.
The fastener 50 as shown in FIG. 9 is a rectangular frame that can be sheathed and passed precisely into the first end 11 of the main tube 10, and at least two symmetric portions of the internal wall form an axial dovetail member 41 engaged with the dovetail groove 13 of the main tube 10, and the fastener 50 corresponds to the two external walls of the dovetail member 51, and has a bolt 52 passing inwardly through the dovetail member 51 and pressed onto the bottom surface of the dovetail groove 13 of the main tube 10, such that the fastener 50 can be locked to the main tube 10; and the fastener 50 has a securing module 53 disposed on an external wall without being pressed by the bolt 52 and appropriately passing through the breach 14 of the main tube 10 and latching with the dovetail groove 41 on the corresponding external wall of the extension tube 40 to secure the extension tube 40 onto the first end 11 of the main tube 10. More specifically, the securing module 53 further includes a pulling rod assembly 531, a screw nut 532, a knob 533, a securing screw 534 and a spring 535; wherein the pulling rod assembly 531 has a screw rod assembly portion 531 a, and a dovetail member 531 b formed at an end of the screw rod assembly portion 531 a. After the screw rod assembly portion 531 a is passed from an external wall of the fastener 50 into the breach 14 of the main tube 10, such that the dovetail member 531 b can be engaged with the dovetail groove 41 of the extension tube 40 as shown in FIG. 10. The screw nut 532 is screwed onto the screw rod assembly portion 531 a at an external side of the fastener 50. The knob 533 is connected to another end of the screw rod assembly portion 531 a by a securing screw 534, and moved and limited in the direction along the screw rod assembly portion 531 a, and the knob 533 forms a spring containing groove 533 a having non-circular latch walls 533 b, and the spring 535 is passed onto the screw rod assembly portion 531 a on the external side of the screw nut 532 and contained into the spring containing groove 533 a, such that the knob 533 can be situated at the position of an external side by the resilience of the spring 535. In the meantime, if the knob 533 is pressed and displaced inward by a force the latch wall 533 b in the spring containing groove is engaged with the screw nut 532 to turn the screw nut 532 and drive the pulling rod assembly 531 to displace axially and further force the dovetail member 531 b at the internal side to be pressed on the dovetail groove 41 of the extension tube 40 as shown in 10 a, so as to fix the extension tube 40 in the main tube 10.
The upper pad 60 is embedded and fixed into the top of the extension tube 40 for pressing the top of other spaces.
The hanging fastener 70 as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 includes a hanging member 71 and two screws 72 screwed on the hanging member 71, and the screw 72 has a screw head portion 721 engaged with any corresponding dovetail groove 13 on the external wall of the main tube 10, and the hanging member 71 is pressed against the external wall of the main tube 10 by turning the screw member 72. Of course, the hanging fastener 70 can be forced and fixed onto the external wall of the main tube 10, and it also can be forced and fixed onto the external wall of the extension tube. In other words, the hanging fastener 70 can be fixed with any dovetail groove 41 on the external wall of the extension tube 40 by the screw head portion 721 of the screw member 72, and the screw member 72 is screwed tightly to force the hanging member 71 to be fixed with the external wall of the extension tube 40.
Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the supporting rod assembly structure of the present invention can be used by supporting and fixed in a predetermined space between a ceiling and a floor. During its assembling, the lower pad 30 under the base 23 of the packing device 20 is pressed on the floor, and the extension tube 40 in the first end 11 of the main tube 10 is pulled up to the outside appropriately, so that the upper pad 60 installed at the top is pressed substantially with the ceiling. Thereafter, the knob 533 of the fastener 50 is tuned to adjust the position of the extension tube 40 to be secured onto the main tube 10 as shown in FIGS. 10 and 10 a. The pedal 22 of the packing device 20 of the pedal 22 is stepped downward as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, so that when the pedal 22 is swung pivotally downward, the stop portion 223 having its middle section in an arc guide corner is pressed precisely at the pressed portion 238 of the base 23, so that the base 23 and the carrier 21 can be separated increasingly further with each other for an axial displacement. If the stop portion 223 of the pedal 22 can be slide towards the internal side of the pressed portion 238, so that the stop portion 223 is perpendicular with the pivotal end 221 to reach a dead spot as shown in FIG. 8, the upper pad 60 and the lower pad 30 can be displaced in the directions towards the ceiling and the floor respectively, so as to achieve the effect of securing the supporting rod assembly. Since the pivotal end 221 of the pedal 22 forms a pivot for the pivotal movement and the stop portion 223 is designed in an arc guide corner, the pedal 22 can be slid and displace along the pressed portion 238 in the pedaling process, so as to achieve the power-saving effect for the pedaling.
If the supporting rod assembly structure is uninstalled, users simply need to loosen the knob 522 on the fastener 50 to recover the unlocked state between the main tube 10 and the extension tube 40, and the force applied on the carrier 21 is no longer large enough to overcome the torsion spring 224 of the pedal 22 and the resumption of the spring 234 between the carrier 21 and the base 23, and thus the carrier 21 will rise automatically to loosen the pedal 22, and the torsion spring 224 is swung pivotally upward to a horizontally protruded form and separated from the pressed portion 238 of the base 23.
Further, the first end 11 of the main tube 10 of the supporting rod assembly structure of the invention can be engaged directly with the upper pad 60 and propped at the ceiling depending on the situation, and such arrangement no longer requires a fastener 50 and an extension tube 40, and the assembling procedure is substantially the same as that described above. Since the design does not come with a fastener 50, therefore users just operate the pedal 22 directly.
In summation of the description above, the features and functions of the invention are summarized as follows: The pedal 22 of the packing device 20 adopts a hidden design for preventing people from touching, hooking or kicking the supporting rod assembly by accident and the packing device 20 is pivotally turned by the pedal 22 to reach a dead spot for the support, and thus it can provide better supporting structure and strength. The main tube 10 and the extension tube 40 can be secured or released from each other quickly by turning the knob 533 of the fastener 50. When the fastener 50 is loosened, the pedal 22 can release the connection automatically, and thus the operation is very simple and convenient. The hanging fastener 70 can be slid and moved up and down in the dovetail grooves 13, 41 of the main tube 10 and the extension tube 40 for a secured positioning, and such arrangement will not ruin the artistic appearance of the supporting rod assembly.
The present invention is thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An supporting rod assembly structure, comprising a main tube and a packing device, and said main tube having a first end and a second end; wherein said packing device, includes a carrier, a pedal and a base; and said carrier is coupled to said second end of said main tube and a containing space disposed under said carrier; said pedal is contained and pivotally coupled in said containing space under said carrier, and a middle section has a stop portion, a force applying end provided for stepping and disposed on an end other than a pivotal end, such that said pedal can be swung downward when a force is applied to said force applying end; said base is slid and limited at the bottom of said carrier to axially displace with said carrier, and said base forms a pressed portion therefore for stopping and pressing said stop portion when said pedal is swung downward and drives said pressed portion and said stop portion form a force applying dead spot.

2. The supporting rod assembly structure of claim 1, wherein said main tube forms an axial dovetail groove disposed on an external wall of said main tube, and said carrier forms a containing groove thereon, and said containing groove internal wall forms an axial dovetail member for embedding and positioning each axial dovetail groove of said main tube.

3. The supporting rod assembly structure of claim 2, wherein said carrier has a bottom panel, and four positioning members extended upward from said bottom panel and each dovetail member and separated with a predetermined gap apart, and said each positioning member has a screw hole passed from the external wall of said carrier secured through said dovetail member and the wall of said main tube and secured by bolt.

4. The supporting rod assembly structure of claim 1, wherein said carrier external wall forms a stair portion for sliding and limiting the position of said base.

5. The improved supporting rod assembly structure of claim 1, wherein said carrier has a breach disposed on a wall of said containing space for extending and protruding said breach out from said pedal force applying end.

6. The supporting rod assembly structure of claim 1, wherein said carrier has a pivotal rod assembly screwed with the wall of said containing space and pivotally coupled with a pivotal end of said pedal, and said pivotal rod assembly is pivotally coupled with a torsion spring, such that the resilience of said torsion spring is exerted onto said pedal, so that said force applying end of said pedal tends to be protruded outward.

7. The supporting rod assembly structure of claim 1, wherein said base has a bottom panel, and said bottom panel has four screw rod assemblys passed upward to sequentially through a spring, a bottom panel of said carrier, and secured by a screw nut, so that the resilience of said spring tends to keep said base and said carrier away from each other.

8. The supporting rod assembly structure of claim 5, wherein said bottom panel on said base forms a limit groove, and a side of said limit groove has an opening and a breach corresponding to the wall of said carrier wall for protruding said pedal force applying end out from said opening, and the bottom surface of said limit groove is provided for forming said pressed portion.

9. The supporting rod assembly structure of claim 1, wherein said base with its bottom coupled with a lower pad.

10. The supporting rod assembly structure of claim 1, wherein said main tube with its top coupled to an upper pad.

11. The supporting rod assembly structure of claim 1, wherein said main tube first end has an extension tube contractible and slide in said main tube and a fastener for locking said extension tube onto said main tube.

12. The supporting rod assembly structure of claim 11, wherein said main tube forms an axial dovetail groove on at least one external wall of said main tube, and said fastener is in the shape of a frame to be sheathed into said first end of said main tube and forms an axial dovetail member on at least one internal wall of said main tube and engaged with said dovetail groove of said main tube, and said fastener has a bolt disposed inward on an external wall of said main tube and passed through and pressed tightly on said dovetail member and the bottom surface of said dovetail groove.

13. The supporting rod assembly structure of claim 12, wherein said main tube has a breach disposed on another external wall of said first end and a securing module disposed on another external wall of said fastener and passed through said breach of said main tube and latched with a corresponding external wall of said extension tube, so as to secure said extension tube onto said first end of said main tube.

14. The supporting rod assembly structure of claim 13, wherein said extension tube forms an axial dovetail groove on at least one external wall, and said securing module further includes a pulling rod assembly, a screw nut, a knob, a securing screw and a spring; and said pulling rod assembly has a screw rod assembly portion and a dovetail member disposed at an end of said screw rod assembly portion and said screw rod assembly portion can be passed from an external wall of said fastener into said breach of said main tube, such that an end of said dovetail member can be engaged into said dovetail groove of said extension tube, and said screw nut is screwed onto said screw rod assembly portion on an external side of said fastener, and said knob is coupled to another end of said screw rod assembly portion by said securing screw and limited and moved in the direction along said screw rod assembly portion, and said knob forms a spring containing grove disposed on an internal side of said knob, and said spring containing groove forms a non-circular latch wall, and said spring is passed through said screw rod assembly portion on an external side of said screw nut and contained in said spring containing groove, such that the resilience of said spring drive said knob to a position on an external side, and said knob can be pressed to move inward to force the latching wall to be engaged with said screw nut, and said screw nut is turned to drive said pulling rod assembly and further press said dovetail member at an internal side against said dovetail groove.

15. The supporting rod assembly structure of claim 11, wherein said extension tube with its top coupled to an upper pad.

16. The supporting rod assembly structure of claim 2, wherein said at least one hanging fastener includes a hanging member and at least one screw member screwed onto said hanging member, and said screw member has a screw head portion engaged with a dovetail groove on an external wall of said main tube, such that said hanging member can be secured with an external wall of said main tube by turning said screw member tightly.

17. The supporting rod assembly structure of claim 11, wherein said at least one hanging fastener includes a hanging member and at least one screw member screwed onto said hanging member, and said screw member has a screw head portion engaged with a dovetail groove on an external wall of extension tube, such that said hanging member can be secured with an external wall of said extension tube by turning said screw member tightly.

18. The supporting rod assembly structure of claim 11, wherein said main tube has a stop member disposed in said second end of said main tube for stopping said extension tube from passing out from said second end of said main tube.