Cotter having indicator device

A cotter is used for locking or latching tubes or extensions together, and includes a shank having a lower end, a handle attached to top of the shank, a ferrule slidably attached onto the shank and arranged between the handle and the lower end of the shank and having a portion applied with an indicating layer. A spring may bias the ferrule toward the handle, to have the handle to selectively shield the indicating layer of the ferrule, and to indicate whether the ferrule has been suitably biased toward the handle or not, and to indicate whether the tubes and the extensions have been safely locked or latched together or not.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a cotter or a locking or latching pin, and more particularly to a cotter having an indicator or warning device.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Typical exercisers, such as tilting inversion exercisers or spinal straightening exercisers have been developed and comprise an exercise table pivotally or rotatably supported on a base, and an ankle holder or a fastening frame attached to the exercise table to secure the ankle portions of the feet of the users to the exercise table.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,718,660 to Chen, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,967,956 to Teeter disclose two of the typical tilting inversion exercisers or spinal straightening exercisers each including an ankle holder or a fastening frame attached to the exercise table to secure the ankle portions of the feet of the users to the exercise table.

In addition, the exercise table further includes an extension extendible and adjustable relative to the exercise table, to fit users of different heights. The typical tilting inversion exercisers or spinal straightening exercisers thus include a number of members or elements that are required to be secured or latched together with a number of cotters.

While exercising with the typical tilting inversion exercisers or spinal straightening exercisers, the users may be elevated and rotated relative to the base, and it will be safer for the users to operate the exercisers if the user takes care to make sure the pin is secured in a hole before inverting.

The typical cotters are simply provided to latch the members or elements together. However, the users may not make sure or may not verify whether the typical cotters have been completely engaged through the members or elements or not, and thus may not make sure whether the members or elements have been safely latched and secured together by the cotters or not. The new cotter will help the user to more easily verify that they are clamped securely.

The above paragraphs are provided to show that the typical exercisers may not be as clearly verified whether they have been safely latched and secured together by the cotters or not. The advantage of the invention will be described hereinafter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a cotter including an indicator or warning device to indicate or to warn the users whether the members or elements have been safely latched and secured together by the cotters or not, and to prevent the users from being hurt by the members or elements that have not been safely latched and secured together by the cotters.

The other objective of the present invention is to provide a cotter including an indicator or warning device having an orange, or any other high-visibility color, warning circle offered as an increased visual aid to verify that the pin is in place.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a cotter comprising a shank including a lower end, a handle attached to top of the shank, a ferrule including a bore formed therein to slidably receive the shank, and to slidably attach the ferrule onto the shank, the ferrule being arranged between the handle and the lower end of the shank, and the ferrule including a portion having an indicating layer provided thereon, and means for biasing the ferrule toward the handle, to have the handle to selectively shield the indicating layer of the ferrule, and to indicate whether the ferrule has been suitably biased toward the handle or not.

The ferrule includes an upper portion or an outer peripheral portion having the indicating layer provided thereon, and arranged to be selectively shielded by the handle.

The handle includes a lower neck engageable onto the upper portion of the ferrule to selectively shield the indicating layer of the ferrule, and includes an opening formed therein which is ergonomically designed to allow for comfortable two-finger operation, and includes a warning sign provided thereon, for warning purposes. The ferrule may include an inner thread formed therein for attaching to various objects.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially toFIGS. 1-7, a cotter20in accordance with the present invention is developed and provided for securing or latching two rods or beams or tubes11and extensions12together, such as for securing or latching two rods or beams or tubes11and extensions12of a tilting inversion exerciser or a spinal straightening exerciser10together, best shown inFIGS. 3-7. The tube11may include a number of orifices13formed therein, and the extension12may include a pipe14extended therefrom and an aperture15formed in the pipe14(FIGS. 5,6) for selectively aligning with either of the orifices13of the tube11.

The cotter20comprises a shank21slidably engageable into the pipe14of the extension12, and including a peripheral bulge22radially extended out form the lower portion thereof, and including a lower end23for engaging through the aperture15of the extension12and for selectively engaging through either of the orifices13of the tube11(FIG.5), to selectively lock or latch or secure the tubes11and the extensions12together.

A ferrule25is slidably engaged onto the shank21. For example, the ferrule25includes a bore26formed therein to slidably receive the shank21, and to allow the ferrule25to be slidably engaged onto the shank21. The ferrule25is attachable or fixable onto various objects, such as the pipe14of the extension12with such as an inner thread27(FIGS. 5,6,9).

A spring28may be engaged onto the shank21and engaged between the peripheral bulge22of the shank21and the ferrule25, to bias the lower end23of the shank21to engage through the aperture15of the extension12and to selectively engage through either of the orifices13of the tube11(FIG.5), and thus to bias the shank21to lock or latch or secure the tubes11and the extensions12together.

A handle30includes a lower neck31attached or secured to the shank21with such as an inner threading32which may be threaded with the outer thread24of the shank21(FIGS. 5,6,9), and located distal to the lower end23of the shank21, and includes a heart-shaped opening33formed therein, which is provided for a comfortable and ergonomic hold on the handle, and includes a warning sign34formed or provided thereon, for warning the users. The handle30may also be formed into the other shape, such as the T-shape as shown in FIG.11.

The ferrule25is thus arranged or slidably disposed between the ferrule25and the lower end23of the shank21, and includes a portion, such as an upper portion250(FIGS. 1,4,11) or an outer peripheral portion251(FIGS. 9,10) having an indicating or warning color or layer29applied thereon. The indicating or warning color or layer29of the ferrule25includes a color different from that of the ferrule25and that of the handle30, to allow the indicating or warning color or layer29of the ferrule25to be easily seen by the users (FIGS. 4,6).

In operation, as shown inFIGS. 2,3, and5, the spring28is engaged between the peripheral bulge22of the shank21and the ferrule25, and may bias the ferrule25toward the handle30, and may bias the lower end23of the shank21to selectively engage through either of the orifices13of the tube11(FIG.5), and thus may bias the lower neck31of the handle30to engage onto or to cover or shield the indicating or warning color or layer29of the ferrule25(FIGS. 3,5), and thus to shield and to prevent the indicating or warning color or layer29of the ferrule25from being seen by the users.

When the indicating or warning color or layer29of the ferrule25is shielded or covered by the lower neck31of the handle30, the indicating or warning color or layer29of the ferrule25will not be exposed, and the users may not see the indicating or warning color or layer29of the ferrule25, such that the users may make sure that the lower end23of the shank21has been safely engaged through either of the orifices13of the tube11, and to safely lock or latch or secure the tubes11and the extensions12together.

On the contrary, as shown inFIGS. 4 and 6, when the lower end23of the shank21is not engaged through the orifices13of the tube11, the lower neck31of the handle30will be spaced away from the ferrule25, such that the lower neck31of the handle30may not cover or shield the indicating or warning color or layer29of the ferrule25, and such that the indicating or warning color or layer29of the ferrule25may be exposed, and may be seen by the users.

Accordingly, when the indicating or warning color or layer29of the ferrule25has not been shielded or covered by the lower neck31of the handle30, or when the indicating or warning color or layer29of the ferrule25has been exposed, the users may see the indicating or warning color or layer29of the ferrule25, and thus may know that the lower end23of the shank21has not been safely engaged through either of the orifices13of the tube11, and may thus realize that the tubes11and the extensions12have not been safely locked or latched or secured together.

The users may then take action to suitably engage the lower end23of the shank21through either of the orifices13of the tube11, and to safely lock or latch or secure the tubes11and the extensions12together, and to prevent the tubes11and the extensions12from being separated or disengaged from each other while conducting exercising operations, particularly with the tilting inversion exerciser or the spinal straightening exerciser10as shown in FIG.7.

Referring next toFIGS. 8-10, alternatively, the ferrule25may include an upper and outer peripheral portion251having the indicating or warning color or layer29applied thereon which also includes a color different from that of the ferrule25and that of the handle30, to allow the indicating or warning color or layer29of the ferrule25to be easily seen by the users.

The handle30may include a chamber37formed in the lower portion thereof, and formed or defined by a peripheral wall36, to receive the upper and outer peripheral portion251of the ferrule25, and to selectively cover or shield the indicating or warning color or layer29of the ferrule25, and thus to indicate whether the lower end23of the shank21has been safely engaged through either of the orifices13of the tube11or not, and to know whether the tubes11and the extensions12have been safely locked or latched or secured together or not.

It is preferable that the indicating or warning color or layer29of the ferrule25includes a color not only different from but also in contrast to that of the ferrule25and that of the handle30, to allow the indicating or warning color or layer29of the ferrule25to be easily and clearly seen by the users.

Accordingly, the cotter in accordance with the present invention includes an indicator or warning device to indicate or to warn the users whether the members or elements have been safely latched and secured together by the cotters or not, and to prevent the users from being hurt by the members or elements that have not been safely latched and secured together by the cotters.