SUPPORTING JOINT WITH TIE RODS OR STRUTS AND WITH SPHERICAL INSERTS, AND STRUCTURE USING IT

Abstract

 A supporting joint (10) incorporating tie rods or struts, in form of rods, with spherical inserts, allows a high positioning and use versatility, with great robustness, but with minimum overall dimensions and costs, and it comprises: a body with an interface for the connection to the ground, with a face (20) thereon said seats (14) are obtained defined by a spherical wall belonging to the body, and with an access opening (21); spherical inserts (16), each one housed inside a respective hollow seat (14), with a spherical shape and with two polar faces (18) opposed and parallel to each other, cutting the insert shape according to two parallel planes, by reducing the thickness thereof, the spherical insert (16) having an axial hole (19), with cylindrical shape; and one or more tubular rods (8) inserted in the axial hole (19) of a respective insert (16); wherein the access opening (21) is so that, at the cusp of the edge positioned on the face (20), it is slightly larger than the distance between the faces of the insert (16), so as to be able to insert it inside the cavity and, once rotated by 90 degrees, to face it towards outside to insert the relevant tubular rod.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a supporting joint incorporating struts or tie rods, in form of rods, with spherical inserts; the invention further relates to a structure, in particular a supporting structure of a cover such as a parasol or a canopy using it.

[0002] Generally, the supporting structures for temporary coverings, such as for example a parasol, have to be fastened to the ground to guarantee a minimum stability, but often they result to be precarious and not safe, exposed to the consequences of bumps or sudden gusts of wind which could pull up the structure itself.

[0003] A reinforcement of the structure usually increases weight and sizes thereof, by making it to lose the typical use flexibility characterizing it.

[0004] EP 2,329,740 A1 describes a parasol structure with a supporting joint which can be fixed to the ground, but with a supporting rod which is positioned in fixed way with respect to a main body of the joint, and thus which cannot be swivelled.

[0005] US 460,791 A describes a parasol structure with a flattened insert, but however without a system of supporting rods which can be swivelled.

[0006] The technical problem underlying the present invention is to provide a supporting joint with tie rods o struts with a spherical insert, allowing to obviate the drawback mentioned with reference to the known art.

[0007] Such problem is solved by a supporting joint as above specified, as defined in the appended claim 1.

[0008] The main advantage of the supporting joint according to the present invention lies in allowing a high positioning and use versatility, with great robustness but with minimum overall size and costs.

[0009] The present invention will be hereinafter described according to a preferred embodiment thereof, provided by way of example and with not limitative purposes by referring to the enclosed drawings wherein:

* figure 1 shows an axonometric top view of a covering structure, in particular a parasol, incorporating the supporting joint with tie rods or struts having spherical inserts according to the invention;

* figure 2 shows a raised and cross section view of the parasol of figure 1;

* figure 3 shows a perspective bottom view of the parasol of figure 1;

* figures 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D and 4E show a bottom axonometric view, a top axonometric view, a side and angular raised view, a cross section view according to the plane B-B of the preceding figure, and a top perspective view of a parasol base, that is of a supporting joint with tie rods or struts having spherical inserts according to the present invention, respectively;

* figures 5A and 5B show an axonometric view and an axial section of a spherical component of the joint of figure 4, respectively;

* figures 6A and 6B show an axonometric view and an axial section of a pin component of the joint of figure 4, respectively;

* figures 7A, 7B and 7C show an axonometric view and two axial section views of a bushing component of the joint of figure 4, respectively;

* figures 8 and 9 show axonometric views of a pair of rods which can be used in the parasol of figure 1, respectively; and

* figures 10 and 11 show a top axonometric view and a top plan view of a variant of the parasol of figure 1, respectively.

[0010] With reference to the figures, a covering structure, in particular a parasol, is designated as a whole with 1.

[0011] It comprises a cover 2 shaped like a hip roof, with four slopes converging in a central peak. The cover 2 is made up of a flexible cloth 3 extending from its own respective edges, thereat the parasol 1 comprises peripheral rods 4, with angular junctions 5 at their ends.

[0012] For supporting the cover 2, the parasol 1 provides a central rod 7, connecting a base with said central peak, and four telescopic angular rods 8, extending from said base, which will be described hereinafter with a greater detail, and said angular joints 5, thereto they are revolvingly connected by hinges.

[0013] The above-mentioned base is constituted by said supporting joint with tie rods or struts with a spherical insert, designated with 10.

[0014] It consists of a main body, which substantially has the shape of a parallelepiped, or however of a cylindrical solid with a polygonal base, having a lower face 11, working as interface for the connection to a constraint to the ground, having at the centre thereof a lower cavity 12 with a rhomboid-like base. Such lower cavity 12 performs the function of lower access and allows to be able to access the upper spherical cavities through interconnecting holes 13.

[0015] On the upper side, the joint 10 has an upper face 20 on which, near its upper peripheral vertexes, respective hollow seats 14 are obtained, preferably of spherical type, that is defined by a spherical wall belonging to the main body of the joint 10 and by a hollow space constituting an opening 21 accessing the hollow seat 14 at the upper peripheral vertexes of the main body.

[0016] Said access opening 21 in turn is defined by an upper edge 15 of the hollow seat 14, arranged on said upper face, and a lower edge 23, running from a side face 24 of the main body to the adjacent one.

[0017] The shape of the upper edge 15 and of the lower edge 23 has a well-defined purpose, as it allows to insert, in its median portion, a spherical insert 16 (figures 5A and 5B) in the way that will be described hereinafter.

[0018] In this way, it is housed inside the hollow seat 14 (figure 4E) to support, by constraining it, a respective base pin 17 (figures 6A and 6B), which is longitudinally drilled from one side to the other one and which has a first axial hole 25, intended to receive the respective proximal end of said angular rods 8, or of a general supporting rod which can be swivelled.

[0019] The base pin 17 (figure 6B) can even receive the end of an elastic tie rod 31, fastened thereto by means of a knot 32 rested upon a stop shoulder 33.

[0020] Generally, each hollow seat 14 or spherical cavity is useful to support and position a respective rod with a terminal having spherical shape.

[0021] Said spherical insert 16, embodying a spherical shaped terminal of the joint 10, has approximately the shape spherical with two polar flat faces 18, opposed and parallel to each other, cutting the spherical shape of the insert according to two parallel planes, whereby the thickness thereof is reduced in a direction perpendicular to said planes.

[0022] The spherical insert 16 has an axial cavity 19, with a cylindrical shape and perpendicular to said polar faces 18, that is a cylindrical through-hole, the axis thereof coincides with the axis of the insert 16 perpendicular to two polar faces 18 thereof.

[0023] The axial cavity 19, having cylindrical shape, is useful to the connection with any tubular element which, in the present embodiment, is constituted by said base pin 17 as interconnection by means of a cylindrical coupling to a tubular rod 8.

[0024] The spherical insert 16, at said flat faces, has an edge having, at least on one side, a flare 26 so as to allow the inlet of a retractable countersunk head screw.

[0025] Inside the end of the tubular rod inserted in the spherical insert it is also possible to insert an additional cylindrical interface 27 in which nut seats 28 can be provided for nuts in case of self-locking type, which can be useful to fasten the spherical insert 16 to the tubular end.

[0026] Once assembled the terminals of the tubular rods with the spherical inserts and in case the cylindrical interface 27 with self-locking nuts, they become single integral connecting joint.

[0027] This cylindrical interface 27 can be directly connected to the end of a tubular rod or to a tapered end 34 of the base pin 17.

[0028] The inlet opening of the spherical cavity 14 of the joint 10 is so that, at the apex of the edge positioned on the upper face 20, it has a slightly greater width than the distance between the flat faces of the spherical insert 16, so that the spherical insert 16 can be inserted inside its target hollow seat 14 by swivelling the spherical insert in a suitable way.

[0029] Once rotated by 90 degrees, the polar faces 18 and the hole or axial cavity 19 of the spherical insert 16 face towards outside, and at that point it is possible to insert the relevant tubular rod, that is the base pin 17 supporting it, in the cylindrical cavity.

[0030] In order to set the integral connection, it is provided that the flared hole arranged at the spherical insert lies towards the upper portion, near the upper opening. In this way, it is possible to insert the screw and fasten, on one side, the connection of the tube-spherical terminal joint. Then, it is possible to rotate the joint by 180° degrees to operate on the opposite side by completing the bolting and thus implementing a spherical joint of a rod inside the support cavity.

[0031] A preferred configuration of the joint 10, i.e. the herein described one, has four spherical cavities at the corners of a rectangle. At the bottom of the spherical cavity the cylindrical hole 13 I provided, joined to interconnect each upper spherical cavity with the lower cavity. The aim is that of allowing the passage of cables of any type, such as electrical cables and pipelines, or elastic ropes to achieve any possible type of interconnection.

[0032] The joint 10 can be further interfaced, by means of lead screws or other type of connection, with other structural elements by constraining them to the lower cavity, thus achieving a stable restraint, from the mechanical point of view, of the element placed on the upper portion.

[0033] One of the configurations of the invention can be a base shaped like a rectangular base, then the base polygon is a rectangle having in the centre thereof a lower rhomboid-like cavity of conical type, interconnected with the four upper spherical cavities.

[0034] The rectangular base support, visible in the figures, has two perpendicular planes of symmetry. The hole made in the cavities can be a threaded hole or simply a through-hole, in case with a threaded bottom.

[0035] As herein described, a particular, but not exclusive, configuration, is represented by a support joint of the struts of an umbrella (or a parasol). The vertical central rod 7, placed above the base support, is constrained by a bolted joint, through the lower rhomboid hole. At the centre, the vertical central rod keeps the point of the umbrella highest. The spherical cavities, placed at the corners of the upper base rectangular polygon, support the telescopic rods, i.e. the struts keeping the hip shaped cloth stretched out over the umbrella rectangular base.

[0036] When the umbrella is closed, the telescopic rods retract to enter again the spherical cavity having, to this purpose, an inlet housing of circular type with a clearance, placed on the top of the outer sliding portion of the umbrella strut, so that the whole umbrella cloth is surrounded between the struts retracted at the corners and the vertical central rod. In this way, an umbrella of inverted type is obtained, which remains indefinitely closed considering the presence of elastic tie rods 31 placed inside the two components of the struts.

[0037] In order to pass from an umbrella in closed configuration to one in open configuration, each angular telescopic rod has to be individually pulled by making the outer tube to slide with respect to the inner one, as far as a hooking system locks the position thereof. The telescopic rod will result to be preloaded by means of the elastic tie rod 31 inside the core thereof. When each strut is individually placed in a most extended telescopic position, the "open" configuration is obtained, i.e. the umbrella cloth assumes a hip shape with a rectangular base and with a base perimeter determined by the distal ends of the telescopic struts, and a peak determined by the upper proximal end of the vertical rod placed above the main support.

[0038] The present invention can be wholly implemented, with the exception of the telescopic tubular rods, through a 3D printing process. Actually, it can be implemented in a shape with an external perimeter, or external skin, made of solid material; the overall size of the rhomboid cylinder and of the lower rhomboid hole can be reinforced inside by a thread and by a honeycomb structure so as to provide the maximum structural resistance.

[0039] The base joint, as well as the spherical and cylindrical inserts of the struts, can be implemented through 3D printing. The clearances are wholly admissible considering the technology used then the system can be widely implemented in a cheap way.

[0040] With the present invention, umbrellas, parasols, curtains and sunshades of any type can be implemented. Considering the versatility and configurability of the base support, both standard and modular formats can be defined, but even any specific configuration.

[0041] The sides of the spherical terminals, of the telescopic rods, of the struts, of the support of the invention umbrella cloth can vary to implement all shapes of umbrella or sunshade or tent, both with central support and symmetry, or side support and cantilevered excursion of the umbrella cloth.

[0042] The configuration can even be implemented in its single shape as single pillar with one single spherical joint and only one tie rod to hold an sunshadowing sail.

[0043] A particular solution of the invention is to provide flexible photovoltaic panels 30 (figures 10, 11) integrated on the upper surface of the cloth of the umbrella 1. In this way the struts, in the inner core, can house batteries which, even for the whole useful length of the strut, can be arranged in series and then be configured for a suitable type of electric accumulation. Thus, the system main base joint, rods, struts and central rod can represent the support of the electric system wherein all contributions of the circuits of the photovoltaic panels generating electric current from the sun are conveyed and converted by suitable charge control unit.

[0044] The charge accumulated on batteries guarantees to the present invention the versatility to be used as power source to recharge, for example, mobile phones or to operate a mini fridge, whereas the components of the electric system can be housed in the cavities.

[0045] We remind that the joint, within the spherical cavities, has cylindrical holes for the passage of cables. Since the struts and the vertical rod are in turn hollow, notwithstanding they house batteries, they are so that they can interface the electric interconnections of the panels above the charge adjustment system in case placed inside the lower cavity of the main base joint.

[0046] The contribution of the accumulation batteries can even be converted through a suitable DC-AC 220V inverter.

[0047] The application results to be extremely versatile for island application as beach parasol, boat awning apt to guarantee comfort, such as keeping cool drinks and mobile phone recharge on the beach, both free beach and manned beach.

[0048] To the above-described supporting joint with tie rods or struts with spherical inserts and structure using it, a person skilled in the art in order to satisfy additional and contingent needs, could bring several additional modifications and variants, however all within the protective scope of the present invention, as defined by the enclosed claims.

Claims

1. A supporting joint (10) incorporating tie rods or struts, in form of rods, with spherical inserts, comprising:

• a main body obtained by 3D printing having a lower face (11), working as interface for the connection to a constraint to the ground, and an upper face (20) on which one or more hollow seats (14) are formed, defined by a spherical wall belonging to said main body, and by an access opening (21);

• one or more spherical inserts (16), housed inside a respective hollow seat (14), each one having a spherical shape and two polar faces (18) opposed and parallel to each other, cutting the spherical shape of the insert according to two parallel planes, by reducing the thickness thereof in a direction perpendicular to said planes, the spherical insert (16) having an axial hole (19), with cylindrical shape; and

• one or more tubular rods (8) inserted in the axial hole (19) of a respective spherical insert,

wherein the access opening (21), for accessing the hollow seats (14), is so that, near the apex of the edge positioned on the upper face (20), it is slightly greater than the distance between the flat faces of the spherical insert (16), so as to be inserted inside the hollow seat (14) and, once rotated by 90 degrees, the spherical insert (16 faces towards outside, and it is possible to insert the relevant tubular rod (8) in the respective axial hole (19) thereof.

2. The supporting joint (10) according to claim 1, wherein said main body has substantially the shape of a cylindrical solid with polygonal base, preferably a parallelepiped.

3. The supporting joint (10) according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein each hollow seat (14) has an interconnecting hole (13) passing between it and a lower cavity (12) accessible from said lower face (11).

4. The supporting joint (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said hollow seats (14) are formed at the upper peripheral corners of the main body.

5. The supporting joint (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the spherical insert (16), at said flat faces, has an edge having, at least on one side, a flare (26) so as to allow the inlet of a retractable countersunk head screw.

6. The supporting joint (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said one or more tubular rods (8) are telescopic.

7. A covering structure (1), in particular a parasol, having as base a supporting joint (10) incorporating tie rods or struts, in form of rods, as defined in anyone of the preceding claims.

8. The covering structure (1) according to claim 7, wherein a vertical central rod (7) is provided placed above the base and constrained thereto, and one or more telescopic rods acting as struts.

9. The covering structure (1) according to any one of claims 7 or 8, wherein photovoltaic panels (30), even flexible panels (figures 10, 11), are provided, integrated on the upper surface, and wherein the struts house rechargeable batteries arranged in series.

Drawing