TENT FRAME UNLOCKABLE AT PERIPHERY AND FOLDABLE TENT

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention belongs to the field of outdoor products, and specifically relates to a tent frame unlockable at a periphery and a foldable tent.

BACKGROUND

Regarding a foldable tent, reference can be made to a tent skeleton and a tent disclosed in Chinese Patent No. CN202422822327.9, which comprises support poles, canopy poles, a top connector, canopy side poles, a locking structure, auxiliary poles, extension poles, and extension bases. It can form a deployed state as shown in FIG. 1 thereof, or a folded state as shown in FIG. 3 thereof. In the deployed state, locking is performed via the locking structure. Therefore, when the tent converts from the deployed state to the folded state, a user needs to enter an interior of the tent and operate a movable connector to unlock the locking structure, and then push the support poles inward to fold the tent into the state shown in FIG. 3 thereof. Thus, the operation of the tent during use, particularly during the conversion from the deployed state to the folded state, is relatively complex and inconvenient for the user to operate, and improvements are necessary.

An objective of the present invention is to provide a tent frame unlockable at a periphery and a foldable tent, which have a convenient unlocking operation and a good user experience.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, provided is a tent frame unlockable at a periphery, comprising a frame body foldably disposed and a locking assembly disposed on the frame body. The frame body switches between a deployed state and a folded state to perform deployment or folding. The locking assembly is used to lock the frame body in the deployed state or permit the frame body to convert to the folded state after unlocking. Wherein, the tent frame further comprises an operating mechanism coupled to the locking assembly. The frame body comprises a first frame assembly, the first frame assembly comprising a first pole and a second pole. The locking assembly comprises a first connector, a second connector, and a locking pole assembly. A first end of the first pole is pivotally connected to the first connector. A first end of the second pole is pivotally connected to the second connector, and a second end thereof is pivotally connected to the first pole. Wherein, "unlockable at a periphery" means that the tent frame allows a user to perform an unlocking operation at a proper position at a periphery in the deployed state, without the need to enter the interior of the tent to perform the unlocking operation as in the prior art.

The operating mechanism is disposed along the first pole and is restrainably assembled from a first connection end toward a second connection end of the first pole, or is disposed along the second pole and the first pole and is restrainably assembled from a third connection end and a fourth connection end of the second pole toward the second connection end of the first pole; the operating mechanism extending to an exterior of the frame body and forming an operating end.

Preferably, when the operating mechanism drives the locking assembly to unlock, the locking assembly is converted to an unlock-ready state under an action of gravity, an energy storage effect of the frame body, or an elastic force of an unlocking elastic member.

Preferably, the operating mechanism comprises a pull cord, the pull cord being disposed in an interior of the first pole or the second pole; or the pull cord being restrainably installed on an outer wall of the first pole or the second pole via a restraining base.

Preferably, the operating mechanism is configured to include being used for driving the locking assembly to unlock.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, provided is a foldable tent, which comprises the tent frame as described above and a canopy.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, provided is a foldable tent, comprising:

Configuring the foldable tent to comprise the tent frame as described above.

Configuring an unlocking operation of the tent frame comprising: when the frame body is in a deployed state, pulling an operating end at the exterior of the frame body to actuate the operating mechanism to drive the locking assembly to unlock, and the locking assembly converting to an unlock-ready state under the action of gravity, the energy storage effect, or the elastic force of the unlocking elastic member.

Preferably, the tent frame further comprises configuring a locking operation of the tent frame as a manual push-to-lock operation, namely, a conventional locking performed by a user pushing a locking body located at a center of the tent upward by hand.

By providing the operating mechanism, the present invention allows the unlocking operation to be performed at the exterior of the frame body of the tent skeleton without entering the center of the interior of the tent to perform the unlocking operation on the locking assembly, which is convenient for use. Thus, when the tent frame and the foldable tent of the present invention are in use, they allow the user to pull at the periphery for unlocking in the deployed state and then push inward to complete the folding process, and the structure is relatively simple and easy to manufacture.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a first schematic structural diagram of a tent frame in a deployed state according to a first embodiment of the present invention, wherein an operating mechanism comprises a pull cord and the pull cord is disposed along an interior of a first pole;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged schematic diagram of portion A in the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a locking assembly, a first frame assembly, and the operating mechanism in the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a schematic exploded structural diagram of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of the locking assembly and the operating mechanism in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a schematic exploded structural diagram of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a schematic exploded structural diagram of a locking pole assembly in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the locking pole assembly in FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a schematic structural diagram of a locking main body in FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a top view of the locking main body in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a second schematic structural diagram of the tent frame in the deployed state according to the first embodiment of the present invention, wherein the operating mechanism is disposed along an outer wall of the first pole;

FIG. 13 is an enlarged schematic diagram of portion C in FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a schematic exploded structural diagram shown in FIG. 13.

Wherein, reference numerals are as follows: frame body 100, second frame assembly 10, third frame assembly 20, first frame assembly 30, locking assembly 40, first connection base 101, through hole 102, second connection base 103, first pole 31, second pole 32, locking pole assembly 41, first connector 42, second connector 43, first connection end 301, second connection end 302, third connection end 303, fourth connection end 304, first upper pole 311, first lower pole 312, hinge member 313, first hinge base 401, second hinge base 402, first locking pole 411, second mounting member 412, resetting member 413, recessed cavity 414, annular groove 415, locking main body 416, first locking element 417, mounting head 418, limiting slot 419, second locking pole 441, pole end 442, second locking element 443, locking pin 444, first mounting member 445, step portion 446, guiding surface 447, locking surface 448, unlocking channel 449, abutment surface 450, vertical surface 451, first space 452, second space 453, third space 454, operating mechanism 50, operating end 501, pull cord 51, pull ring 52, cord housing 53, restraining base 54.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

In order to make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Generally, components of the embodiments of the present application described and illustrated in the drawings herein can be arranged and designed in various different configurations. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative labor fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

Some embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the case of no conflict, features in the following embodiments can be combined with each other.

Embodiment 1

A tent frame unlockable at a periphery comprises a frame body 100 foldably disposed and a locking assembly 40 disposed on the frame body 100, wherein the frame body 100 switches between a deployed state and a folded state to perform deployment or folding, and the locking assembly 40 is used to lock the frame body 100 in the deployed state or permit the frame body 100 to convert to the folded state after unlocking.

As shown in FIG. 1, the frame body 100 comprises a first frame assembly 30, a second frame assembly 10, and a third frame assembly 20; the third frame assembly 20 is an X-shaped telescopic pole assembly and is mounted between two adjacent second frame assemblies 10, and the third frame assembly 20 can comprise one or more X-shaped combination poles (i.e., two poles pivotally connected at middle portions thereof), which are pivotally connected end-to-end to permit deployment or folding, which is a known structure and will not be described in detail; the second frame assembly 10 is preferably a telescopic pole, so as to reduce a height of the tent frame in the folded state, which is also a known structure and will not be described in detail.

Wherein, a first connection base 101 is fixedly mounted at a top end of the second frame assembly 10, a second connection base 103 is slidably mounted at an upper portion of the second frame assembly 10, ends of the X-shaped combination poles are pivotally connected to the first connection base 101 and the second connection base 103, and a second connection end 302 of the first frame assembly 30 is also pivotally connected to the first connection base 101, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2; in addition, a through hole 102 is further provided on the first connection base 101 for allowing a pull cord 51 to extend from the through hole 102 after being disposed in an interior of the first pole 31 and connect with a pull ring 52, so as to constitute an operating mechanism 50.

And the locking assembly 40 is mounted at a top center of the frame body 100, and the first frame assembly 30 is mounted between the second frame assembly 10 and the locking assembly 40. The first frame assembly 30 comprises a first pole 31 and a second pole 32, the locking assembly 40 comprises a first connector 42, a second connector 43, and a locking pole assembly 41, the locking pole assembly 41 is disposed between the first connector 42 and the second connector 43, a first end of the first pole 31 is pivotally connected to the first connector 42, a first end of the second pole 32 is pivotally connected to the second connector 43, and a second end thereof is pivotally connected to the first pole 31.

Wherein, the tent frame further comprises the operating mechanism 50, which is coupled to the locking assembly 40 for driving the locking assembly 40 to perform an unlocking action. The operating mechanism 50 extends from the first connector 42 and is disposed along the first pole 31, and is restrainably assembled from a first connection end 301 toward the second connection end 302 of the first pole 31; or, the operating mechanism 50 extends from the second connector 43 and is disposed along the second pole 32 and the first pole 31, and is restrainably assembled from a third connection end 303 and a fourth connection end 304 of the second pole 32 toward the second connection end 302 of the first pole 31; finally, the operating mechanism 50 extends to an exterior of the frame body 100 and forms an operating end 501, for example, the operating end 501 is exposed and formed near the second connection end 302 of the first pole 31, or is extended downward for a proper distance after being exposed from a vicinity of the second connection end 302 so as to form the operating end 501 disposed fitting the second frame assembly 10 (this can be understood as extending and then downwardly extending the operating end 501 as shown in FIG. 2). In this embodiment, the operating end 501 is formed by the pull ring 52.

Preferably, the first pole 31 comprises a first upper pole 311 and a first lower pole 312, the first connection end 301 is provided at a first end of the first upper pole 311, a second end of the first upper pole 311 is pivotally connected to a first end of the first lower pole 312, the second connection end 302 is provided at a second end of the first lower pole 312, the third connection end 303 is provided at a first end of the second pole 32, and a second end of the second pole 32 is pivotally connected to the first upper pole 311, as shown in FIG. 4.

For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the first connection end 301 of the first upper pole 311 is pivotally connected to a first hinge base 401 of the first connector 42, and the third connection end 303 of the second pole 32 is pivotally connected to a second hinge base 402 of the second connector 43. The fourth connection end 304 of the second pole 32 is pivotally connected to a vicinity of a middle portion of the first upper pole 311, as shown in FIG. 4.

Preferably, as shown in FIG. 4, a hinge member 313 is provided between the first upper pole 311 and the first lower pole 312, and the second end of the first upper pole 311 and the first end of the first lower pole 312 are pivotally connected to two ends of the hinge member 313 respectively. By providing the hinge member 313, the first upper pole 311 and the first lower pole 312 can be arranged along a same straight line without staggered assembly, such that components of the tent frame are less likely to interfere during folding, and the aesthetics of the tent frame can also be improved.

In this embodiment, the operating mechanism 50 is configured to include being used for driving the locking assembly 40 to unlock, that is, in the deployed state as shown in FIG. 1, the locking assembly 40 keeps the frame body 100 in the state, and the user pulls the operating mechanism 50 to unlock the locking assembly 40, such that the user can push the second frame assembly 10 inward to achieve the purpose of folding the tent frame.

Preferably, the operating mechanism 50 is a pull cord 51, and a pull ring 52 is connected to an outer end of the pull cord 51 or the pull cord 51 is wound to form a pull ring portion, thereby facilitating user operation and achieving an effect of pulling for unlocking. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the pull cord 51 is configured to be disposed extending in an interior of the first upper pole 311 and the first lower pole 312, so as to achieve installation of the pull cord 51 and being free from external interference; in addition, the pull cord 51 can be changed from being only disposed in the interior of the first upper pole 311 and the first lower pole 312 as shown in FIG. 4 to entering an interior of the second pole 32 near the middle portion of the first upper pole 311, that is, the pull cord 51 is sequentially disposed along the interior of the first lower pole 312, a lower half part of the first upper pole 311, and the second pole 32, and is led out from the third connection end 303, such that the pull cord 51 can directly act on a lower end of the locking assembly 40. As an alternative, the pull cord 51 can also be changed from being disposed in the interior of the first pole 31 or the second pole 32 to being disposed along an exterior thereof, as shown in FIGS. 12 to 14; the operating mechanism 50 specifically comprises the pull cord 51, a cord housing 53, a restraining base 54, and the pull ring 52, wherein the cord housing 53 comprises a plurality of cord housings respectively disposed on outer walls of the first upper pole 311 and the first lower pole 312, the cord housings 53 are fixed by the restraining bases 54, the pull cord 51 is disposed through each of the restraining bases 54, and the pull ring 52 is connected at the outer end of the pull cord 51, as shown in FIG. 5. Therefore, the pull cord 51 is restrainably installed along the interior or the outer wall of the first pole 31 or the second pole 32.

Wherein, when the operating mechanism 50 drives the locking assembly 40 to unlock, the locking assembly 40 is converted to an unlock-ready state under an action of gravity of the first frame assembly 30 and the locking assembly 40, and/or under an energy storage effect of the frame body 100 in the deployed state, wherein the unlock-ready state refers to a state of converting for a small distance from a locking state toward an unlocking state, such that the locking assembly 40 will not restore to the locking state even if an applied force applied to the operating mechanism 50 is removed. This has an advantage of facilitating user operation, wherein a user can first pull the operating mechanism 50 for unlocking and then push the second frame assembly 10 inward for folding, instead of pushing the second frame assembly 10 to move inward for folding while maintaining a pulling force on the operating mechanism 50, thereby achieving objectives of simplifying operation and improving user experience. Of course, in some other non-preferred embodiments, the tent frame can also be configured to require the user to push the second frame assembly 10 inward while pulling the operating mechanism 50 to perform a folding operation.

In addition, in some other embodiments, an unlocking elastic member can also be provided. For example, a reset spring (not shown in the drawings) is provided between the first locking pole 411 and the second locking pole 441, such that after the locking assembly 40 is driven to unlock by the operating mechanism 50, the reset spring in an energy storage state (i.e., a compressed state) pushes the locking assembly 40 to convert to the unlock-ready state. In other words, the locking assembly 40 can also be converted to the unlock-ready state under an elastic force of the unlocking elastic member. Of course, the reset spring can also be used in combination with the above-mentioned action of gravity and/or the energy storage effect.

Preferably, in some embodiments, the operating mechanism 50 is disposed in the interior of the first pole 31 or the second pole 32, for example: as shown in FIG. 4, the pull cord 51 of the operating mechanism 50 is disposed in the interior of the first upper pole 311 and the first lower pole 312. In some other embodiments, the pull cord 51 of the operating mechanism 50 is configured to be disposed on the restraining bases 54 mounted on the first pole 31 or the second pole 32, that is, the pull cord 51 is disposed along the outer walls of the first upper pole 311 and the first lower pole 312 and is restrainably installed via the restraining bases 54. Therefore, whether the pull cord 51 is disposed in the interior of the first pole 31 or the second pole 32, or is disposed along the outer walls thereof, there is a certain restraining effect, so as to facilitate the pull cord 51 to perform the unlocking operation on the locking assembly 40.

As shown in FIGS. 7 to 10, the locking pole assembly 41 comprises a first locking pole 411 and a second locking pole 441 disposed in the first locking pole 411, a resetting member 413 acts between the first connector 42 and the locking pole assembly 41, and the resetting member 413 is preferably a torsion spring with two ends thereof fixed on the first connector 42 and the locking pole assembly 41 respectively. A locking main body 416 is fixedly connected at a lower end of the first locking pole 411, a first locking element 417 is provided on the locking main body 416, a second locking element 443 is provided at a lower end of the second locking pole 441, the first locking element 417 comprises a locking surface 448 and an unlocking channel 449, the second locking element 443 comprises a locking pin 444, and the first locking pole 411 is pivotally disposed relative to the second locking pole 441 such that the locking pin 444 abuts against the locking surface 448 for locking or displaces in the unlocking channel 449 for unlocking. Wherein, a mounting head 418 is provided at an upper end of the locking main body 416, and the locking main body 416 is fixedly connected to the first locking pole 411 by being sleeved on the lower end of the first locking pole 411 via the mounting head 418. As shown in FIGS. 7 to 8, a pole end 442 is provided at an upper end of the second locking pole 441, and a limiting slot 419 is correspondingly provided on the second mounting member 412; for example, the pole end 442 is a hexagonal pole end, and the limiting slot 419 is a hexagonal slot; in the locking state, the pole end 442 is inserted in the limiting slot 419 such that the first locking pole 411 and the second mounting member 412 form a non-rotatable connection. Pulling the pull cord 51 can drive the second mounting member 412 to rotate together with the first locking pole 411, and during a rotation process, the locking pin 444 enters the third space 454 from the first space 452 via the second space 453 through the unlocking channel 449, such that the locking assembly 40 converts from the locking state to the unlocking state; conversely, when the locking assembly 40 needs to be locked, the frame body 100 is pulled open in advance, and then the user pushes the second connector 43 from bottom to top, so that the locking pin 444 contacts and is guided by the guiding surface 447 to enter the locking surface 448, thereby completing a locking operation from the unlocking state to the locking state.

Wherein, a first mounting member 445 is fixedly connected to a lower end of the second locking pole 441, and the first mounting member 445 is fixedly connected to the second connector 43, such that the second locking pole 441 and the second connector 43 form a fixed connection; the first locking pole 411 is pivotally sleeved and installed relative to the second locking pole 441. Preferably, a second mounting member 412 is connected to an upper end of the first locking pole 411, a recessed cavity 414 is recessed in a top of the second mounting member 412, and a torsion spring as the resetting member 413 is installed in the recessed cavity 414; an upper end of the torsion spring is connected to the first connector 42, a lower end thereof is connected to the second mounting member 412, and the torsion spring is torsionally loaded to provide torsion. In addition, an annular groove 415 is provided on an outer wall of the second mounting member 412 for the pull cord 51 to be installed therein. Therefore, when no external force is applied, the locking assembly 40 is maintained in a locking state due to the torsion spring being pre-loaded with torsion; when a user pulls the pull cord 51 to drive the first locking pole 411 to pivot about its own axial direction, the locking assembly 40 is unlocked to permit the tent frame to be folded.

In this embodiment, the first locking element 417 is formed by a hollow hole disposed along an axial direction of the locking main body 416, a step portion 446 is provided on a hole wall, the locking surface 448 is provided on the step portion 446, and the step portion 446 further comprises an abutment surface 450 and a guiding surface 447; the abutment surface 450 is disposed along the axial direction from a first end of the locking surface 448, the guiding surface 447 is obliquely disposed from a second end of the locking surface 448 along an inner wall of the hollow hole, and the unlocking channel 449 is provided on one side of the step portion 446.

Preferably, in this embodiment, there are two step portions 446, and the two step portions 446 are arranged and disposed on the inner wall of the hollow hole in an end-to-end spaced manner, wherein the unlocking channel 449 is formed by a gap between the two step portions 446, and a vertical surface 451 is provided on one of the step portions 446. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the vertical surface 451 is provided on a left side of the step portion 446, while the locking surface 448 and the guiding surface 447 are provided on a right side of the step portion 446; the unlocking channel 449 is formed by a gap between a right end of the locking surface 448 and the vertical surface 451 of another step portion 446.

As shown in FIG. 11, a first space 452 is formed above the locking surface 448, a second space 453 is formed at the right end of the locking surface 448, a third space 454 is provided below the guiding surface 447, and the locking pin 444 is located in the first space 452 in the locking state; during unlocking, the locking pin 444 moves from the first space 452 through the second space 453 toward the third space 454, and finally disengages from the third space 454 to form an unlocking state, such that the tent frame converts from the deployed state to the folded state. Conversely, during a process of the tent frame converting from the folded state to the deployed state, the locking pin 444 first enters the third space 454, and is then guided by the guiding surface 447 to be displaced to the first space 452 via the second space 453, such that the locking assembly 40 re-forms the locking state, i.e., restoring the tent frame to the deployed state and locking and maintaining the same.

The operating principle of the tent frame of the present embodiment is as follows:

1. After the tent frame is deployed, the deployed state as shown in FIG. 1 is formed, and after a canopy is installed, a tent for normal use is formed.

2. When a user needs to fold the tent, the user pulls the operating end 501 formed at an exterior of the operating mechanism 50, thereby driving the locking assembly 40 without needing to enter an interior of the tent to operate the locking assembly 40 as required by existing tents; the locking assembly 40 is driven to unlock by the operating mechanism 50, a locking retention force of the locking assembly 40 on the frame body 100 is released, and the user pushes the second frame assembly 10 inward to perform a folding operation, so as to fold the tent frame into its folded state (refer to FIG. 3 in CN202422822327.9).

3. In this embodiment, after pulling the operating mechanism 50, the locking assembly 40 can be converted to the unlock-ready state under an action of gravity, an energy storage effect, or an elastic force of the unlocking elastic member, such that the user can first pull the operating mechanism 50 and then push the second frame assembly 10 inward to complete the folding process.

4. When the tent needs to be deployed, the user operates as in other existing known techniques, that is, pulling the second frame assembly 10 outward until the locking pin 444 abuts against the locking surface 448 to make the locking assembly 40 form the locking state, constituting the deployed state as shown in FIG. 1 and being locked and maintained by the locking assembly 40.

Embodiment 2

A foldable tent comprises the tent frame of Embodiment 1 and a canopy (not shown in the drawings). As shown in FIG. 1, the canopy is disposed covering a top surface of the tent frame.

Embodiment 3

A foldable tent comprises:

The foldable tent of this embodiment is configured to include the tent frame of Embodiment 1.

The foldable tent of this embodiment is configured such that an unlocking operation thereof comprises: when the frame body 100 is in the deployed state, pulling the operating end 501 at the exterior of the frame body 100 to drive the operating mechanism 50 to cause the locking assembly 40 to unlock, and the locking assembly 40 converts to the unlock-ready state under the action of gravity, the energy storage effect of the frame body 100, or the elastic force of the unlocking elastic member.

Preferably, it further comprises: the foldable tent of this embodiment is configured such that a locking operation process thereof is implemented by a manual push-to-lock operation of the user.