Patent ID: 6874519
Filing Date: 2005-04-05
Classification: E04H,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A collapsible tent skeleton frame, comprising: a plurality of parallel poles extending in a vertical direction, each of said poles having a top end; a plurality of joint units, each of which is mounted securely on said top end of a respective one of said poles, and each of which includes an upper joint and a lower joint that is disposed below and that is spaced apart from said upper joint, each of said upper and lower joints having a sleeve that is sleeved on the respective one of said poles, and two pivot arms that extend outwardly and laterally from said sleeve and that are angled away from each other, each of said pivot arms having opposite top and bottom faces and a free end, and being formed with a first recess that extends inwardly from said free end in a transverse direction relative to the respective one of said poles, said first recess having a round inner end section that is remote from said free end, and an extension that is reduced and that extends from said inner end section in said transverse direction to said free end and that extends through said top and bottom faces in said vertical direction, said upper joint further having an upper cover that is secured to and that covers said top faces of said pivot arms of said upper joint, said lower joint further having a lower cover that is secured to and that covers said bottom faces of said pivot arms of said lower joint; a plurality of first side ribs, each of which has opposite first and second ends and a non-circular section that extends from said first end, and each of which extends inclinedly and downwardly from a respective one of said pivot arms of said upper joint on a respective one of said poles toward an adjacent one of said poles, said first end being rounded and being rotatably received in and conforming to said inner end section of said first recess in the respective one of said pivot arms of said upper joint on the respective one of said poles, said non-circular section being received in and conforming to said extension of said first recess in the respective one of said pivot arms of said upper joint on the respective one of said poles so as to limit rotation of said first side rib, each of said first side ribs being rotatable upwardly and downwardly about a first axis that is transverse to the respective one of said poles and to the respective one of said pivot arms of said upper joint on the respective one of said poles, each of said first side ribs being limited by said upper cover of said upper joint on the respective one of said poles from further upward rotation about said first axis, said second ends of an adjacent pair of said first side ribs being disposed between an adjacent pair of said poles and being pivoted to each other; a plurality of second side ribs, each of which has opposite first and second ends and a non-circular section that extends from said first end thereof, and each of which extends inclinedly and upwardly from a respective one of said pivot arms of said lower joint on a respective one of said poles toward an adjacent one of said poles, said first end of each of said second side ribs being rounded and being rotatably received in and conforming to said inner end section of said first recess in the respective one of said pivot arms of said lower joint on the respective one of said poles, said non-circular section of each of said second side ribs being received in and conforming to said extension of said first recess in the respective one of said pivot arms of said lower joint on the respective one of said poles so as to limit rotation of said second side rib, each of said second side ribs being rotatable upwardly and downwardly about a second axis that is transverse to the respective one of said poles and to the respective one of said pivot arms of said lower joint on the respective one of said poles, each of said second side ribs being limited by said lower cover of said lower joint on the respective one of said poles from further downward rotation about said second axis, said second ends of an adjacent pair of said second side ribs being disposed between an adjacent pair of said poles above said second ends of an adjacent pair of said first side ribs, and being pivoted to each other, each of said second side ribs intersecting and being pivoted to an adjacent one of said first side ribs; a top joint disposed above said top ends of said poles at a center position relative to said poles; and a plurality of upper ribs, each of which extends inclinedly and downwardly from said top joint, and each of which has a first end that is pivoted to said top joint, and a second end that is pivoted to said second end of one of an adjacent pair of said second side ribs.