POLES

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Appl. No. 62/574,669 filed on October 19, 2017, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety as if fully set forth herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Some poles, such as for hiking, trekking, back-country and cross-country skiing and other purposes, include some type of mechanism to adjust the length of each pole. This adjustment can be to collapse the poles, for example, for storage while hiking or transporting, or to adjust the length of the poles for different users, environments, uses, etc. Some mechanisms used to adjust the length of the poles include a clamp that tightens around the junction of two telescoping pole segments, to lock each pole segment in position to one another.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0003] Preferred and alternative embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the following figures in which:

[0004] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a set of trekking poles utilizing an adjustable tension clamp according to an embodiment;

[0005] FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of an embodiment of an adjustable tension clamp; [0006] FIG. 3 illustrates a top perspective view of an embodiment of an adjustable tension clamp;

[0007] FIG. 4 illustrates a top view of an embodiment of an adjustable tension clamp; and

[0008] FIG. 5 illustrates a sectional view of an embodiment of an adjustable tension clamp.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] This patent application is intended to describe one or more embodiments of the present invention. It is to be understood that the use of absolute terms, such as "must," "will," and the like, as well as specific quantities, is to be construed as being applicable to one or more of such embodiments, but not necessarily to all such embodiments. As such, embodiments of the invention may omit, or include a modification of, one or more features or functionalities described in the context of such absolute terms.

[0010] The present disclosure is directed to an adjustable tension clamp or locking mechanism that may be used, for example, to set and adjust the length of a pole, such as a hiking or trekking pole. In one aspect, the adjustable tension locking mechanism may be attached or secured to a junction of two slidable pole segments that form a telescoping pole. The locking mechanism may be closed, for example, via a lever, to lock the two pole segments in relative position to one another. The lever may include an adjustable tensioning device that modifies the tension applied by the locking mechanism to the pole segments when the lever is closed. The adjustable tensioning device may be adjustable by hand, and may include, a thumbwheel or other rotatable structure that changes the effective lever arm length of the lever to change the force applied by the clamp and/or the size of the aperture formed by the clamp and within which the pole segments are disposed.

[0011] The adjustable tensioning device provides advantages over prior art clamps that require a tool, such as a screw driver or hex key to adjust tension of the clamp. These advantages include the ability to more efficiently adjust tension of the clamp to fix a telescoping pole at a desired length without the need of a tool. In addition to general ease of use, the adjustable tensioning device may also enable quick and easy adjustment of the clamp to account for varying temperature or other conditions that may alter the effectiveness of a certain clamp tension.

[0012] In some aspects, the adjustable tension mechanism may include a wheel or disc with ridges or teeth, such as a thumbwheel. In some aspects, the clamp mechanism may be an over-center style clamp.

[0013] In some cases, the clamping mechanism may include a plastic molded body secured (via, for example, adhesive) to an outer pole section. The molded body may have a camming surface and positions to attach (with, for example, a press fit pin) a rotating lever. Captured within the lever is an adjustable thumbwheel that when rotated increases/decreases the effective lever arm length in relation to the body and allows adjustment of the tension of the over-center clamp without the use of any additional tools.

[0014] The described clamping mechanism can be used to clamp an outer tube to an inner tube in many different configurations. In addition to poles used for outdoor activities and walking aids, the described clamping device may also be used to join sections of pipe having different diameters, adjustable length poles for camping system (tents, canopies, etc.), and various other applications.

[0015] The described clamping mechanism is unique because the tension

(distance to over-center) adjustment of the clamping mechanism is contained within the clamping lever and allows adjustability by hand of the size of the aperture formed by the clamp without the need for any additional tool.

[0016] FIG. 1 illustrates a pair of trekking poles 10, 60. In the illustrated example, trekking pole 10 may include an upper pole segment or section 20 and a lower pole segment or section 30. Upper section 20 may include or otherwise be attached to a handle or grip and, in some cases, a strap securable about a user's hand. The lower segment 30 may include a pole tip or point 40, which may be useful for securing the pole 10 into a variety of terrain. Trekking poles 10, 60 may also include a clamp or locking mechanism 50, discussed in greater detail below, that enables adjustment of the total length of each pole. As illustrated, pole 10 is configured in an extended position, while pole 60 is configured in a shortened or compressed position.

[0017] With reference to FIGs. 2-5, various aspects of the clamping mechanism 50 will now be described. The clamping mechanism or clamp 50 may include a body 70 that forms an aperture 150. In some cases, the body 70 may be made of plastic, composite, metal, or various other materials that are substantially rigid to hold form about a solid object, such as a curvilinear pole. Body 70 has a proximal end 71 and a distal end 72 In some aspects, the aperture 150 may be circular. In other aspects, the aperture 150 may be less than perfectly round, including an oval shape. In some cases, body 70 may form one or more extrusions 160 extending into aperture 150 to more securely engage poles or other objects. The body 70 may also form a gap 190, such that it does not define a fully enclosed aperture 150. Notwithstanding the presence of the gap 190, aperture 150 can be seen to have an effective circumference. The gap 190 enables deformation of body 70 and changes in the size (i.e., effective circumference) of the aperture 150 when tension is applied to lever 80 and/or rotation is applied to a thumbwheel 100, as will be described below, to clamp or tighten the body around a pole or other cylindrical or substantially cylindrical object.

[0018] The body 70 is rotatably attached to a first end of an arm 90, which is coupled to lever 80. The first end of arm 90 may be attached around a pivot point located on the exterior of the body 70, such as via pin 130. The pin 130 may include a press-fit pin, screw, or other similar component. In other aspects, the arm 90 may be attached to the body 70 via other means, such as a hinge, latch, etc. In some aspects, the outer surface of the body 70 may form an extrusion 200 that defines projections for holding pin 130 and allowing arm 90 to rotate orthogonally relative to the proximal and distal ends 71, 72 of the body 70. On the other side of gap 190, the body 70 may form a second extrusion 210 similar to extrusion 200. Extrusion 200 and 210 may each define a space or slot that enables arm 90 to move towards and away from body 70.

[0019] The second extrusion 210 also forms a recess, opposite the gap 190, defining a surface 230 that a first end of lever 80 contacts when in the closed or locked position. A second end of the arm 90, opposite the first end, further defines a space for engaging a second pin 220. The second pin 220 slidably engages the lever 80 via upper and lower openings defined by lever 80. Lever 80 is curved to partially wrap around body 70 when in the closed position. The upper and lower openings have a width that is equal to or slightly greater than second pin 220 to enable sliding within a length of the upper and lower openings. Adjustable member 110 rotatably engages second pin 220 on one end. In some aspects, adjustable member 110 may fully or partially wrap around second pin 220. On the opposite end, adjustable member 110 defines a number of threads 120 that engage thumbwheel 100, which, in an embodiment, rotates about an axis perpendicular to an axis passing through the proximal end 71 and distal end 72. [0020] A cavity 170 within lever 80 enables the position of the second pin 220 to change relative to the thumbwheel 100 via rotation in either direction of thumbwheel 100 and consequent translational movement of the adjustable member 110 within the cavity. By turning the thumbwheel 100 in either direction, the distance between the thumbwheel 100 and the second pin 220 may change, as the thumbwheel traverses threads 120. For example, when thumbwheel 100 is rotated clockwise, second pin 220 moves closer to thumbwheel 100, thus extending adjustable member 1 10 farther into the cavity 170 on the opposite side of thumbwheel 100. When thumbwheel 100 is rotated counter-clockwise, second pin 220 moves away from thumbwheel 100, thus retracting adjustable member 110 out of the cavity 170 on the opposite side of thumbwheel 100. It should be appreciated that in other embodiments, the rotation of the thumbwheel 100 relative to motion towards or away from second pin 220 may be reversed. By turning the thumbwheel 100, the effective lever arm length can be shortened or lengthened to change the size (e.g., circumference) of aperture 150 when the lever 80 is in the closed or locked position. This also has the effect of changing the clamping force applied by the body 70 to an object within the aperture 150, such as one or more pole segments.

[0021] In some aspects, the external face of body 70 may define one or more indentations 180 to accommodate one or more of the thumbwheel 100 and lever 80 when the lever 80 is placed in the closed or locked position. In some cases, the body 70 may prevent rotation of thumbwheel 100 when the lever 80 is in the closed or locked position.

In some cases, this may be effectuated via one or more extrusions or indentations 180 in the body 70 that engage one or more teeth of thumbwheel 100. This implementation may be particularly useful in cases where accidental or unintended adjustment of tension in the clamp 50 is unwanted, for safety or reliability reasons. In other cases, teeth of the thumbwheel 100 may be asymmetrical in that recesses or indentations 180 in body 70 may enable rotation of thumbwheel 70 in only one direction when lever 80 is in the closed position. For example, only tightening or increasing tension in clamp 50 may be enabled when lever 80 is in the closed position. This may be preferable to prevent unwanted loosening, and hence loss of the primary function of trekking pole, that being to support at least part of an outdoor enthusiast's body weight. It should be appreciated that other structures, such as spring-loaded locking systems may also be used to restrict rotation of the thumbwheel 100, either in one or both directions.

[0022] In some aspects, a retention spring or other similar device may be implemented with thumbwheel 100 to increase the force needed to turn the thumbwheel in one or both directions. This may be useful to prevent unwanted adjustment of the tension of clamp 50 in implementations that enable adjustment while the lever 80 is in the locked position.

[0023] In some aspects, one or more of the arm 90, pins 130, 220, lever 80, adjustable member 1 10, and thumbwheel 100 may be made of plastic, composite, metal, or various other rigid materials, depending on strength requirements, weight, cost and other factors.

[0024] In one aspect, the above described clamping mechanism 50 may be used as an adjustable aperture clamp. In this example, the arm 90 may be lengthened, and gap 190 broadened, to allow for a larger range of adjustment, via turning thumbwheel 100, to accommodate different diameter objects.

[0025] Different arrangements of the components depicted in the drawings or described above, as well as components and steps not shown or described are possible.

Similarly, some features and subcombinations are useful and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. Embodiments of the present disclosure have been described for illustrative and not restrictive purposes, and alternative embodiments will become apparent to readers of this document. Accordingly, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above or depicted in the drawings, and various embodiments and modifications can be made.