Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
TRIPOD STAND FOR USE ON LOOSE SOIL
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Patent
Application No. 62/665,231, filed May 01, 2018.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field Of The Invention
In general, the present invention relates to
tripod stands where a centered shaft is supported by
radially extending legs. More particularly, the present
invention relates to tripod stands that are intended
for use at the beach and in other loose soil
environments.
2. Prior Art Description
There are many tripod stands in the marketplace
for holding outdoor objects, such as shade umbrellas.
However, many such stands are designed to support
objects on hard flat surfaces, such as house decks and
yard patios. When such a tripod is brought to a beach
and placed in the sand, it fails to work. The sand is
too soft to support the legs of the tripod. The legs of
the tripod, therefore, sink into the sand at different
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rates. This causes the stand to tilt and the umbrella
to rapidly fall. It is for this reason that people
elect not to use tripod stands at the beach. Rather, at
the beach, most people bury the base of an umbrella in
the sand and utilize the sand itself to support the
umbrella.
Some hybrid umbrella stands have been invented
that utilize a central post that is buried and tripod
legs that help stabilize the central post. Such hybrid
designs are exemplified by U.S. Patent No. 2,195,391 to
Hunter. However, the tripod legs used on hybrid designs
are often too small of a footprint to use on soft sand
or soil. As a result, most of the vertical support
comes from the shaft of the umbrella stand that is
buried. Very little support comes from the tripod legs.
Although burying the base of a pole in the sand is
an effective way to anchor an umbrella, many people do
not like digging in the sand. Digging in the sand can
be accomplished with tools, but this requires that the
tools be carried to the beach. Holes can be dug by hand,
but this obviously makes a person's hands sandy. Also,
the sand is abrasive and can irritate cuts and ruin
painted fingernails. It is for these reasons that many
people prefer using umbrella stands on the beach that
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do not require digging in order to be set into the sand.
Umbrella stands that contain augers at their bottoms
have become popular. The augers dig into the ground by
turning the umbrella stand while applying downward
pressure. Such umbrella stands are exemplified by U.S.
Patent No. D630,834, which is owned by the present
applicant, and U.S. Patent Application Publication No.
2014/0007487 to Schwiebert.
A problem associated with augered umbrella stands
is that they are difficult to turn. The force needed to
turn an augered umbrella stand is proportional to the
depth of the auger. Although most individuals may be
able to turn an augered umbrella sand a short depth
into soft sand. Few people have the grip strength
and/or arm strength needed to fully set the augered
umbrella stand or drive the augured umbrella stand into
packed sand or soil.
A need therefore exists for an improved umbrella
stand that is specifically designed to be effective on
sand yet does not require a person to dig into the sand
and does not require superior turning strength. These
needs are met by the present invention as described and
claimed below.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a collapsible stand that
is designed for use on loose soil or sand. The
collapsible stand can be used to anchor an umbrella,
flag, fishing pole or any other such secondary object.
The collapsible stand has a central shaft. The central
shaft has a first end and an opposite second end. An
auger extends from the second end and enables the
central shaft to be screwed into the ground.
A slide hub is provided on the central shaft. The
slide hub reciprocally moves along the central shaft
between a first position and a second position. A
plurality of legs radially extends from the central
shaft near its second end. The legs are connected to
the central shaft, or a fixed hub on the central shaft,
with hinge connections. This enables the legs to rotate
about the hinge connections.
Linkages are used to interconnect the legs with
the slide hub. When the slide hub moves to its first
position along the central shaft, the linkages move the
legs into a stowed configuration. In the stowed
configuration, the legs are generally parallel to the
central shaft. When the slide hub moves to the second
position, the linkages move the legs into a deployed
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configuration. In the deployed configuration, the legs
are generally perpendicular to the central shaft.
In use, the central shaft is set into the ground
by rotating the auger into the ground. The legs are
deployed, wherein the legs have footpads that rest
upon the ground. The pull of the auger biases the
footpads against the ground and create a highly stable
stand, even when used on loose sand.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a better understanding of the present
invention, reference is made to the following
description of exemplary embodiments thereof,
considered in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is front view of a stand assembly in its
deployed configuration;
FIG. 2 is a front view of a stand assembly in its
stowed configuration;
FIG. 3 shows the stand assembly being deployed on
a sandy surface; and
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FIG. 4 shows an alternate embodiment where the
stand assembly is integrated into the structure of an
umbrella.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention stand assembly can be
configured in many ways and can be adapted for a
specific use. For example, the stand assembly can be
configured as a simple stand, that can be used to hold
an umbrella pole or a fishing pole. Alternatively, the
stand assembly can be integrated into the pole of an
umbrella. Additionally, the auger used on the stand can
be configured for different types of sand and soil.
Although the present invention can be used in many such
applications, only two exemplary systems are
illustrated and described. The exemplary embodiments
are selected in order to set forth two of the best
modes contemplated for the invention. The illustrated
embodiments, however, are merely exemplary and should
not be considered limitations when interpreting the
scope of the appended claims.
Referring to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, a stand assembly
10 is shown. The stand assembly 10 is set into the
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ground and can be used to hold any elongated secondary
object, such as a beach umbrella or the handle of a
fishing pole. Accordingly, the stand assembly 10 has a
center shaft 12 with a first end 13 that is open to
receive the secondary object. Optional locking handles
can be positioned at the first end 13 of the center
shaft 12 to help lock secondary object into the center
shaft 12. The locking handles 15 also assist in the
carrying and turning of the stand assembly 10.
10 The opposite second end 14 of the center shaft 12
is attached to an auger 20. The auger 20 is designed to
be driven into the ground by rotational movement. The
auger 20 has a tapered body 16. The tapered body 16 has
external flights 18 that enable the auger 20 to be
15 easily screwed into sand or other loose soil by
rotating the shaft 12 with a clockwise rotation.
At least three support legs 22 are provided. In
the shown embodiment, three support legs 22 are used to
create a tripod formation. However, it will be
10 understood that four support legs can also be used to
create a stable guadpod formation. The support legs 22
are foldable between a stowed position (Fig. 2) and a
deployed position (Fig. 1). In the stowed position, the
support legs 22 are parallel or nearly parallel to the
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center shaft 12. In the deployed position, the support
legs 22 are perpendicular or nearly perpendicular to
the center shaft 12.
Each of the support legs 22 has a first end 24 and
an opposite second end 26. A mounting hub 28 is affixed
to the center shaft 12 proximate the second end 14 of
the center shaft 12. The mounting hub 28 is set in a
fixed position. The mounting hub 28 can be a part that
is affixed to the center shaft 12 or can be molded
directly as part of the center shaft 12. The first end
24 of each of the support legs 22 is connected to the
mounting hub 28. Each of the support legs 22 connects
to the mounting hub 28 with a hinge connection 30 that
enables the support legs 22 to rotate about the hinge
connections between the stowed position and the
deployed position.
A large footpad 32 is attached to the second end
26 of each of the support legs 22. The footpad 32 has a
flat bottom plate 34 and a yoke 35 that extends
/0 vertically from the bottom plate 34. The yoke 35
receives the second end 26 of a support leg 22 with a
pivot connection 37. This enables the footpads 32 to
move in relation to the support legs 22, which enables
the bottom plates 34 to adjust to an inclined angle,
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should the stand assembly 10 be deployed on an uneven
surface. The bottom' plate 34 on each footpad 32 is
enlarged and has a preferred surface area of between
two square inches and eight square inches. This
prevents the footpad 32 from readily sinking into sand
or loose soil.
A slide hub 40 is fitted around the center shaft
12. The slide hub 40 is free to move up and down on the
center shaft 12 between a first position and a second
position. Movement downward to the second position is
limited by the presence of the mounting hub 28. At the
second position, the slide hub 40 contacts the mounting
hub 28 and cannot move beyond the mounting hub 28.
Movement of the slide hub 40 to the first position is
limited by linkages 36. The linkages 36 attach the
slide hub 40 to the support legs 22, wherein each
support legs 22 is engaged by one linkage 36. Each
linkage 36 has a first end 38 and an opposite second
end 39. The first end 38 of each linkage 36 attaches to
the slide hub 40 at a hinge connection 42. The second
end 39 of each linkage 36 attached to the support legs
22. The linkages 36 engage the support legs 22 near
mid-points at pivot connections 44. When the slide hub
40 is moved up the center shaft 12, the linkages 36
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lift the support legs 22 to their fully stowed
positions. Likewise, when the slide hub 40 is moved
down the center shaft 12, the linkages 36 unfold the
support legs 22 to their fully deployed positions.
The support legs 22 can be locked into both their
stowed positions and their deployed positions. A
locking mechanism 46 is affixed to the slide hub 40 and
moves with the slide hub 40. The locking mechanism 46
is manually operated and can be used to lock the slide
hub 40 in place at any point along its range of
movement. This enables the slide hub 40 to be locked in
place on the shaft 12 both when the support legs 22 are
fully stowed and when the support legs 22 are fully
deployed. It also enables the slide hub 40 to be locked
in an unusual position, should the support legs 22 be
deployed on uneven ground.
Referring to Fig. 3 in conjunction with Fig. 1 and
Fig. 2, it can be seen that to utilize the invention,
the stand assembly 10 is carried to a location in its
stowed configuration. The stand assembly 10 is placed
on the ground and the auger 20 is turned into the
ground. The auger 20 is rotated by rotating the center
shaft 12 using the locking handles 15 and/or the folded
support legs 22 as handles. This provides good gripping
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surfaces and a large amount of torque. Consequently,
the auger 20 can be driven into packed sand or firm
soil by most people. The auger 20 is driven into the
ground until the mounting hub 28 descends to ground
level.
Once the auger 20 is set, the slide hub 40 is
unlocked from its first position and lowered along the
center shaft 12 toward its second position. This causes
the support legs 22 to rotate down to their deployed
positions. The slide hub 40 is then locked in place on
the shaft 12 at its second position with the support
legs 22 in their extended positions. The footpads 32
contact the sand and are biased against the sand by the
pull of the auger 20. This creates a very strong and
stable support that is not easily displaced by wind
forces or incidental contact. An umbrella pole, fishing
pole or the like can then be set into the open first
end 13 of the center shaft 12.
Referring to Fig. 4, an alternate embodiment of
the invention is shown, wherein the stand assembly 10
of Figs. 1 through Fig. 4 is integrated into the shaft
51 of a beach umbrella assembly 52.
It will be understood that the embodiments of the
present invention that are illustrated and described
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are merely exemplary and that a person skilled in the
art can make many variations to those embodiments. All
such embodiments are intended to be included within the
scope of the present invention as defined by the
appended claims.
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